Prep Baseball Report

Team TX Position Spotlight - C & OF


Phil Haig
Texas Scouting Director

TEXAS - Team Texas showed up to the 2021 Future Games featuring a deep roster full of arms, athleticism, hitters and talent throughout. The players let their tools and talent shine and walked away with three wins in its three games. There were big offensive innings, clutch defensive plays and shutdown innings by the pitchers. Today, we spotlight the Catchers and Outfielders from the roster.

 

CATCHERS

JJ Kennett - C - 2023 

Kennett was impressive behind the dish over the course of all three games. None of the backpicks resulted in outs, but it kept the runners in check and showed off the quick feet, transfer, and arm of the young catcher. At the plate, he put multiple good swings on the ball over the weekend resulting in 3 hits on 3 hard hit balls to all parts of the field.  Kennett’s frame doesn't make you say wow but he does everything you could ask for in a catcher. He is going to make a coach and pitching staff happy when he shows up to campus in a couple years. In the 7 innings he caught, his pitchers only gave up 1 unearned run, and he has a lot to do with that. Kennett is a guy you want on your team and he makes those around him better.

 

Jerson Martin - C - 2023

Martin’s tools jump off the page right away as a natural athlete behind the dish. Martin shows plenty of arm strength (1 caught stealing on weekend)  to control the running game with multiple 1.95-2.0 pop times in game. At the plate, Martin had one hit on the weekend but worked a couple walks and had quality at bats over the course of three games. He shows plenty of bat speed and pop in the bat to do damage to the baseball. On top of the tools, it was a pleasure to see the love for the game, and leadership qualities from the catcher. There is a lot to like about Martin’s future as a catcher, and as a kid.

 

Luke Billings - C - 2025

Billings might have the highest upside on Team Texas, even as a 2025 graduate. It started off on the workout day when the young catcher strolled into the box on the BP field and took one of the strongest rounds of the day. With a strong physical build, the right handed hitting backstop sets up balanced, has a simple load, and unloads the barrel on balls with a flat stroke that produces plenty of power now and shows more to come down the road. Behind the plate, he showed more than enough ability to stick behind the dish by receiving three different arms in three games. He showed the ability to receive, block and keep balls in front of him. He also showed sound footwork and athleticism getting to his feet and showing off his arm on a few snap throws in game. Billings will be a name to follow along with as his high school career starts this fall.

 

 

OUTFIELDERS

Dylan Schlaegel - OF - 2023

Standing 5-foot-10, 165-pounds, Schlaegel packs a punch in his twitchy, athletic frame. He came out of the gates and ran a 6.63-sixty yard dash, and his speed showed up on the weekend. Over the course of the three games, he was able to get three hits and one was a no doubt home run to left field. He got in the box to do damage but didn't get out of his approach and make weak outs. He projects as a true centerfielder moving forward with range to both gaps and got quality jumps on balls of the bat. If he wasnt able to catch it, it probably couldn't have been caught on the weekend. Schlaegel is another guy that has qualities of a winner, hitter instincts and plays the game hard and the right way.

 

Carson Garrett - OF - 2023

Fresh off ACL surgery in the spring, Garrett was inserted back into a state championship winning lineup in center field the day he was given the “OK” from doctors. Garretts game is speed and athleticism and he is still working his way back to being the same explosive athlete that he truly is. He was able to show off some of that speed in game three when he hit a hard line drive back up the middle and followed that swing up with two stolen bases in the same at bat. The swing shows plenty to like with a flat stroke and bat speed through the zone. He also shows plenty of juice in the bat, when he hit a home run earlier in the summer on a college field in front of our staff. Garrett is still just scratching the surface of who he will become at the end of the day, and he will be a quality player in the middle of the field for years to come.

 

 

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