DFW Top Prospects Showcase: Corner Infield Analysis
August 8, 2018
PLANO, TX - Here is the corner infield analysis from the DFW Top Prospect Showcase.
Corner Infielders
Top Performers
Chandler Freeman, 3B/RHP, Colleyville Heritage HS, 2019
Physical 6-0, 187-pound frame with wide shoulders, and a strong lower half. Dallas Baptist commit. Freeman crushed a 95 mph exit velo off the tee, and the power translated into BP where he put on a show making loud contact throughout the round. Freeman starts in a slightly open athletic stance with his hands high, he has a smooth load into his backside with a small leg kick, and he lowers his hands into a nice slot and works from behind the ball to create power and lift in his swing. Freeman drove the ball deep to the gaps in batting practice and he left the yard to left field. He has easy effort in the swing, and excellent balance with explosive bat-speed. Freeman showed fluidity in his footwork working around the baseball, transfer and his quick release. He made accurate throws with carry across the infield at 91 mph. Fundamentally sound infielder with the ability to make the play on the run and to change arm angles effectively. Freeman ran a 7.24 laser-timed 60.
Logan Kohler, 3B/RHP, Little Elm HS, 2019
Oklahoma commit. Athletic and projectable 6-2, 180-pound frame. Kohler hammered a 92 mph exit velo off the tee. The power translated into BP, where he made loud contact from the left side of the plate. He hits from an open athletic stance with some bend in his knees and the bat resting on his shoulder. He loads his hands back to get separation and has a loose and quick barrel action through the hitting zone. Kohler has really strong hands and wrists that help him drive baseballs with just the flick of his wrists. He holds himself with confidence in the box and in the infield, and has fluid actions throughout his game. In the infield, he has soft hands and he plays himself into good hops with his footwork. He has a live arm with a quick release, and topped out at 82 mph across the diamond. Kohler ran a 7.45 laser-timed 60. Kohler has serious upside with his quick-twitch ability in his large frame, he is athletic, and plays the game hard.
Luke Stine, 3B/C, Lovejoy HS, 2019
Very strong 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame. Stine is built like a brick-house, but has athletic fast-twitch actions in his body. At the plate, he drove balls during BP from the right side with bat speed (91 mph exit velo off the tee), he showed power to all parts of the field and had impressive control of his body with fluid movements throughout his swing. His BP round was loud with balls jumping from his barrel off the wall to the left-center wall. He starts in an athletic stance, has a small toe tap back with his front foot in his load and has a long linear stride, has simple rhythm in his hands with a powerful compact stroke, and has a long finish through the hitting zone. From behind the plate, he has a quick exchange with quick feet, leading to a quick release; kept the ball low around the bag (80 mph) and pop times ranged from 2.01-2.26. He also flashed a live arm from the infield, with carry and accuracy at 82 mph. Stine was a standout for Lovejoy High School, and will be a strong presence in the middle of the lineup at the next level. Stine ran a powerful 7.12 laser-timed 60.
Anderson Acinger, 1B/3B, Plano Senior HS, 2019
Acinger has a strong, barrel chested frame at 6-foot, 195-pounds. The right-handed hitter has pop in his bat, especially to the pull-side. He hits out of a slightly crouched athletic stance, has a smooth load back with his right shoulder and hands going back to create separation, and delivers the barrel through the zone creating natural lift to left field. Acinger projects as a corner infielder, he has soft hands and worked through the ball well with his body and his glove. He took deep angles to balls, topped out at 83 mph across the infield with accuracy, and made a nice play on the run. Acinger ran a 7.48 laser-timed 60.
Jaxon Alley, OF/3B, Prosper HS, 2019
Strong and athletic 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame. Alley had the second highest OF velocity at the event topping out at 87 mph, and was highly accurate making low throws with cary to the plate. Alley showed quick feet in the infield, and displayed more carry and accuracy on his throws; topped out at 81 mph from the infield. At the plate, he has an athletic stance with a fluid load and flashed fast quick hands. He has line drive power, and showed it in BP by hitting consistent hard low line drives off the barrel; 82 mph top exit velo off tee. Alley ran a 7.20 laser-timed 60.
Nicklaus Baumbach, 1B/3B, Euless Trinity HS, 2019
Strong frame, 6-0, 205-pounds. Baumbach has power from the right side of the plate, he posted a 93 mph exit velo off the tee, and the power translated on the field during BP. Baumbach hits from an athletic stance, he has a smooth load and low leg kick, gets separation in his hands during the load, and he drives balls with a strong top hand punch. Baumbach has quick hands and strength at the point of contact, and balls jumped off his barrel. At first base, he has fundamental footwork, and is fluid in his actions. He made accurate throws, and topped out at 76 mph. Baumbach has the power potential, consistent swing, and defensive tools to be a solid middle of the order first baseman at the collegiate level.
Luke Douthitt, RHP/1B, Plano West HS, 2019
Wiry-strong, quick twitch frame at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds. A left-handed hitter, Douthitt showed some snap in the barrel during BP, with line drive power, hard contact, quick-twitch hands, and an exit velocity of 93 mph. He stays behind the ball well with his body, and barreled balls with backspin into the right-center field gap. Douthitt had good feet at first base, and his arm strength translated as he made accurate throws topping out at 84 mph. He ran a 7.29 laser-timed 60.
Best of the Rest (Alphabetical)
Hayden Archer, LHP/1B, Liberty HS, 2019
6-foot, 180-pound frame. The left-hander has a quick tempo in his windup with fluid rhythm, works in-line to the plate with a square landing, and releases from a high ¾ arm slot with some effort involved. His fastball sat 78-79 mph working it around the zone, his curveball had a tight 1/7 shape at 62-63, he worked his slider down below the zone at 66-68 mph, and his changeup had some slight cut to it at 68-70 mph. He hits from the left-side of the plate out of an open stance, has a quick leg kick, and rhythm in his hands and barrel. He posted an 81 mph exit velo, and barreled some balls up to the pull-side in BP. He had clean footwork around the bag at first base and had 73 mph arm strength from the infield. Archer ran a 7.61 laser-timed 60.
Caden Carlson, 1B, Jesuit College Prep, 2019
Carlson has the look of a strong right-handed hitter that has a chance to make an impact at the next level. Solid 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame. Simple set-up at the plate with good flex in his lower half and rhythm in his hands. Smooth load as he lifts his front leg, staying balanced - he holds his front foot above the ground as he strides forward, walking away from his hands, landing with good separation. Quick bat, strong hands, natural lift with a simple, clean path, Carlson made strong contact during batting practice with gap power, flashing pull side pop. At first base, Carlson centered the baseball to his midline, and showed smooth footwork throwing to third base. He also flashed a quick transfer when turning double plays, maneuvering around the bag with a hop in his step.
Henry Fisher, 3B/2B, Carroll HS, 2019
5-foot-11, 180-pound frame. Fisher posted an 83 mph exit velo off the tee and flashed line drive power in BP; the right-hander works from a slightly open and slightly crouched stance, stays in his legs throughout the swing, and has quick hands and wrists. In the infield he works around the ball, then through the ball with fluidity in his footwork, has a quick transfer, has a smooth backhand, and made a nice play on the run; 78 mph arm strength flashing accuracy. Fisher ran a 7.34 laser-timed 60.
Dale Fulmer, 1B/3B, Ouachita Christian (LA), 2019
Projectable 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame with strength in the lower half. Fulmer pounded a 91 mph exit velo off the tee, and he made some loud contact in batting practice showing gap power potential. He hits from the right-side out with a wide base, has a low center of gravity at the plate for his size, starts his hands up high, but gets them into a clean hitting slot in his load, loads back with his front knee, works on a level plane through the ball, and takes an aggressive hack flashing some bat speed. At first base, he picked some tough balls during the infield section of the workout, and made throws across the diamond at 78 mph. Fulmer ran a 7.51 laser-timed 60.
Carson Gordon, C/3B, Frenship HS, 2019
Big frame with strength, 6-foot-3, 195-pound. Gordon showed some pop at the plate by posting an 87 mph exit velo off the tee and by driving balls to left field in BP. Simple compact swing from the right side, and has strength throughout his swing. He starts from an open stance, has a long stride reach with the front foot, and leaves his hands back over his back foot to get a ton of separation and generate some power. In the infield he made accurate throws from different arm angles, and he topped out at 75 mph across the diamond. Quiet glove and body actions behind the plate, blocked well during the live bullpen sessions. His pop times ranged from 2.34-2.44 with 70 mph arm strength. He ran a 7.50 laser-timed 60.
Jack Hattrup, LHP/1B, Plano West HS, 2019
Long and lean projectable frame at 6-foot-4, 187-pounds. At the plate, Hattrup had an 84 mph exit velocity off the tee, and he consistently barreled the ball up in BP. Hattrup hit the ball hard and with backspin carry to the right-center field gap. He hits from the left side in an athletic stance with rhythm in his hands and barrel, has a smooth and simple load with a short toe tap stride, and takes an aggressive level-planed swing with good extension with his barrel through the hitting zone. Hattrup has good footwork around the bag at first base, and was accurate across the diamond at 84 mph. Ran a 7.46 laser-timed 60.
Jack Markee, 1B/OF, Georgetown HS, 2019
6-foot-3, 205-pound frame with loads of strength. Markee made some loud contact in BP and posted a 91 mph exit velo off the tee. Markee hits from an athletic crouched position, has an early load back with his hands and body to create separation, flashed quick hands at the plate and showed gap to gap power in batting practice, and has a high finish to his swing. At first base, he threw 72 mph across the infield. Markee ran a 7.73 laser-timed 60.
Zach McLaughlin, RHP/1B, McKinney North HS, 2019
Big frame with a high waist at 6-foot-3, 203-pounds. At first base, he had athletic footwork around the bag and made accurate throws from different arm angles; topped out at 68 mph. McLaughlin posted an 81 mph exit velo from the right side. He has a tall open stance, and has his hands up high to start his swing. He has most of his weight on his backside through his swing, stays behind the baseball with his body, takes an aggressive hack, and looks to do damage to the pull-side of the field. McLaughlin ran a 7.67 laser-timed 60.
Hunter Roquemore, 1B/3B, Byron Nelson HS, 2019
Strong 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame. Roquemore has raw strength in his swing (85 mph exit velo), and the ball jumped off his barrel showing gap to gap power in BP. He stands tall in his stance throughout the swing, and has a high finish in his legs and with his barrel. He has an aggressive approach, as he looks to drive the baseball to the gaps. From the infield he has a quick exchange with an accurate arm (topped out at 77 mph). He made a nice play on the run. Roquemore ran a 7.45 laser-timed 60.
Jordan Rozenblum, 3B/RHP, JJ Pearce HS, 2019
5-foot-9, 175-pound frame. Rozenblum hits from the right side of the plate with a smooth load and a high leg kick; posted an 82 mph exit velo. In the infield, he works from around the baseball to establish direction and momentum in his footwork, and he showed consistent accuracy at 73 mph. Ran a 7.87 laser-timed 60.
Kyle Simpson, LHP/1B, Magnolia HS, 2019
6-foot-2, 225-pound frame with strength in the shoulders, hands and wrists. Simpson hit balls off the barrel in BP and showed line drive power (83 mph exit velo off the tee). He hits from the left side, has a loose barrel action with an on-plane swing path, has a controlled leg lift, creates lift, takes an aggressive hack with intent to drive the ball, and is strong at the point of contact. At first base, he has a clean transfer and made throws from various arm angles topping at 70 mph.
Matthew Tieding, RHP/1B, All Saints Episcopal School, 2019
Strong, durable frame at 6-foot-3, 215-pounds. The right-handed hitter works from a slightly narrow athletic stance, utilizes a toe tap load as he turns his front knee back before taking a long stride forward, Tieding glides with that front foot and keeps his body working behind the baseball. In the hitting zone a long time with his barrel, and he flashed gap power in BP and posted an 86 mph exit velo off the tee. Has control of his body at first base, where he showed fluid actions with a clean transfer and release. Made accurate throws, and topped out at 78 mph across the infield.
Crew Wilson, 3B/SS, Ouachita Christian (LA), 2019
6-foot-1, 175-pound athletic frame with strength. Wilson hammered the ball to the pull-side in batting practice, and pounded a 90 mph exit velo off the tee. The right-handed hitter works from an athletic stance with a small leg kick, maintains balance throughout the swing, has a smooth load that creates separation, flashed some quick-twitch barrel whip and takes an aggressive hack. In the infield he has arm strength (87 mph with backspin carry), a quick transfer, and made a smooth play on the run. Wilson ran a 7.48 laser-timed 60.
UP NEXT: Middle Infielders