NW Futures - 2022 Grads

April 12, 2020
Dan
Scouting Director - Pacific Northwest

At the end of February we held a Scout Day event for the NW Futures baseball academy. Scout Days are designed to focus on the players within a specific organization.

For a full statistical release of all players at the event click here

Pre-season events such as this provide players with the opportunity to build their profile with the most up-to-date information and video footage. All players in attendance receive an online profile with their verified statistics, player report, picture and video. Additionally, all subsequent stories written about a prospect will be linked to the player’s profile, ultimately creating a one-stop shop for recruiters.

Furthermore, the top players will be listed in our statewide player rankings and overall national rankings.

Tonight, we take a look at the group of 2022 prospects who attended that day.

2022 grads

Rochne Beecham OF / 1B / Wilsonville, OR / 2022

Strong, compact frame with a sturdy build at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. Tall, narrow stance in the box with upper and lower half aligned towards the pitcher. Shows slight crouch in posture as he begins low leg kick. Has some quick movement in hands to adjust barrel angle prior to landing. Noticeable quickness in his swing with a short path into contact. Strong, compact levers allow him stay inside of the ball. Generated hard contact up the middle during BP. Moves well in the outfield with short, clean footwork. Showed feel for understanding tempo of his actions while working through the ball. Stays tall while funneling ball out front of glove side leg. Didn’t get too rushed or aggressive until after he had gotten into his exchange. Full arm path into a low 3/4 release.

Max Bledy 3B / C / Wilsonville, OR / 2022

Proportional frame at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds with average build. Sets up in a slightly open stance with weight pre-shifted onto back side. ‘Knee knock’ move with his lower half before taking forward stride. Hands start above shoulder line and get stretched back & down into a better launching position for his swing. Flashed some adjustability with his lower half during BP. Loose, easy swing with gap-to-gap type power. At 3B, uses a wide set-up with a pre-pitch hop. Quick, active feet when making his first move to the ball. Keeps some upright posture in his fielding position and works low to the ball by sinking his hips. Tight arm action with a ¾ release point. At C, presents a sizeable target behind the plate. Hips stay about level with knees as he receives. Glove-side leg consistently starts in a staggered position. Gains ground towards target out of crouch. Lower half creates clean direction. Fluid exchange with continuous movement into ¾ release point.

Camden Christenson SS / 2B / Sherwood , OR / 2022

5-foot-9, 150 pounds with a rounded upper half and wiry strength. Sets up in the box with slight bend in his back-leg in a balanced, athletic posture. Knee stays below waist height on his controlled leg lift. Short forward move into stride. Upper half stays relaxed and bent, allowing for a tight, compact swing path. ‘Hitterish’ actions in the box that consistently sync up together and allow his barrel to be on time. Full hip rotation thru contact. Showcased at both 3B and SS. Actions and movement should allow him to stick in the INF long-term with the flexibility to float around to different positions. Keeps body control while moving laterally with clean footwork. Got rid of the ball quickly on his back-hand opportunities, showing a feel for understanding the speed of the game. Keeps rhythm throughout fielding process. Hands work easily as he re-aligns lower half towards target. Manipulated arm slot as needed with clean, loose arm action. Ball flight stays true out of hand. Showed accuracy on throws across the diamond while on the move.

Stephen Cisco 2B / 3B / Sherwood, OR / 2022

Lean build throughout frame at 5-foot-8, 160 pounds. Sets up with a wide lower half. Feet aligned at pitcher. Upper half and torso stay upright. Barrel starts in a flat position just above rear shoulder. Weight stays centered as he takes short forward stride and loads hands into stronger hitting position. Tight, compact swing. Avoids getting too long or extended with his upper half. Short, abbreviated finish thru contact. Defensively, starts in a wide base with bend in his lower half and weight on the balls of his feet in the INF. Head stays down on the ball while funneling in. Keeps low center of gravity as he gets into exchange. Arm action stays high and tight. Throws showed accuracy from 3/4 release point.

Nicholas Holm 3B / 1B / Clackamas , OR / 2022

5-foot-11, 165 pounds with added strength from when we saw him in the Fall. Relaxed, narrowly open stance in the box with balanced posture. Hands start below rear shoulder before pulling back into a loaded position. Lower half widens out & gets more athletic at landing. Creates easy bat speed with proper sequencing between his upper and lower half. Clean, loose barrel thru the zone. Defensively, flashed sound footwork at 3B. Tall, wide stance in pre-pitch set up. Keeps ball centered on opportunities directly at hi,. Uses short, choppy steps while moving laterally to the ball. Clean glove work and exchange on double play feeds & slow roller. Keeps same actions and tempo while defending at 1B. Handled all the plays around the bag throughout defensive workout. Quick exchange after backhand approach on 3-6-3 double play ball.

Cole Hubka SS / 2B / Wilsonville, OR / 2022

5-foot-9, 150 pounds with added physicality from our previous look. Balanced, slightly crouched posture in the box with weight on back leg to begin. Uses a low leg lift to begin load and a short hand move to adjust barrel into hitting position. Swing continues to show quickness into the zone and a flat path into contact. Has some lift in his finish and creates leverage against a tall front side. Quick, agile defender in the INF with sound footwork. Fielding actions have stayed consistent across our looks with a bit more added arm strength this time out. Understands the speed of the game and adjusts his exchange/throwing tempo accordingly. Maintains soft control of glove hand while making plays on the move. Quick, compact arm action with a high takeaway and ¾ slot.

Roberto Carlos Orellana Thompson 1B / 3B / Franklin, OR / 2022

Extra tall frame at 6-foot-4, 167 pounds with a square build in upper half. Narrow, open stance in the box with a tall set-up. Rotates front side in towards plate and lands with slight cross action in his lower half as stride foot gets down. Hands maintain a relaxed position near his back shoulder throughout. Uses a scap load to create some tension in core to help initiate his swing. Despite his long levers, keeps a tight/bent upper half to give him a compact swing into the zone. Barrel path will likely produce more lift on the ball as he gets stronger, especially to his pull-side. Defensively, gives a large target at 1b with a wide catch radius. Uses a pre-pitch hop to stay active and be able to react quicker to the ball off the bat. For a taller defender, does a solid job of letting hips sink down so he can get into a solid fielding position. Compact arm action with a whippy finish from a low ¾ release.

Joe Reitz C / 2B / Hood River Valley , OR / 2022

5-foot-8, 145 pounds with a compact frame. Switch hitter with slightly different set up on each side. As a lefty, starts upright in a wide, narrowly open base with hands away from body. Squares off lower half with stride as he lowers and pulls hands back into a stronger hitting position. From the right side, shows a more open stance with added bend in his lower half. Hands start in a higher position with less movement in their load. Left-handed swing has quick, whippy barrel with loose wrists while he shows more of a flat, level swing path from the right side. In the INF, gets in a wide base for his set up. Works around the ball so he can come thru with some movement as opposed to sitting back and receiving flat footed. Takes short, choppy steps as he moves laterally. Quick exchange into a short, bent arm path. Low ¾ release. At C, does a solid job staying low while he receives, allowing hips to work beneath the ball. Keeps constant flexion in his glove arm. Gains ground towards target as he gets out of crouched position. Uses the same compact arm action from the infield with a slightly higher release point. Back side comes thru as he finishes throw.

Blaeith Salter C / Roosevelt , OR / 2022

Square shoulders with a wiry frame at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds. Sets up in a balanced, athletic stance with upper and lower half aligned towards the pitcher. Arms stay bent/relaxed while keeping barrel in a loaded hitting position throughout. Creates very subtle load & stretch as he lands from forward stride. Loose, easy swing that stays level thru the zone. Keeps everything connected & maintains control of his barrel. Long, high finish after contact. Shows quality actions behind the plate at C with enough mobility to stick there as he gets stronger. Keeps posture upright while he receives from a low, crouched position. Uses a staggered set-up with lower half when handling his throws down to 2nd. Clean exchange into a tight arm path with a high ¾ release.

Ian Umlandt LHP / 1B / Sherwood, OR / 2022

6-foot-1, 190 pounds with a strong, developed build. Tall, upright set-up in the box with a narrowly open lower half. Hands start away from the body in a relaxed position. Uses a leg lift to get into a wider hitting base. Hands come up and adjust bat angle to get knob pointed towards the catcher. Barrel covers some depth into the zone with a flat path into contact. Swing has some barrel whip to it with a high finish against a posted front side. Active footwork in his pre-pitch actions. Works forward with a few steps before getting into a wide base. Sinks hips to get down to the ball. Back flattens out over his glove hand while funneling in. Solid exchange on 3-6-3 double play feed. Continuous arm path with high ¾ release. On the mound, has a clean delivery with simple and repeatable throwing actions. Maintains consistent tempo throughout. Stays tall on backside at leg lift with level shoulders and eyes on target. Creates some angle in shoulders at hand break with an elevated glove side while he gets down the slope. Lands with clean direction towards target. Fluid arm path into a high ¾ release that creates downward angle on his offerings. Aggressive finish thru release.