Fox Cities Preseason I.D.: Catcher Analysis

On Feb. 24, the PBR Wisconsin staff travelled out to Appleton to host the Fox Cities Preseason I.D. Every year, the event helps us uncover some of the top prospects representing the northern half of the state. There were over 100 players in attendance at this year’s Fox Cities event, all of whom needed to battle blizzard-like conditions to make it out.

The rest of this week, we’ll share with you our position-by-position analysis from the showcase, beginning with the catchers today. We previously posted our rapid reactions inside our Quick Hits post, as well as a Statistical Analysis of all the measured data taken from the event.

One of the biggest takeaways from the event, as a whole, was the amount of talent currently attending West De Pere High. The amount of talented Phantoms in attendance at the Fox Cities showcase made it easier to determine just how high West De Pere needed to be on our state’s Preseason Power 25 rankings – and they ultimately climbed all the way to No. 9 on the board.

Repping West De Pere is our top-ranked backstop Kaden Kosobucki, an uncommitted sophomore. He hit .461 as a freshman for the Phantoms and gave our staff a glimpse at the simple approach he takes inside the right-handed batter’s box that allows him to find the barrel so often.

Keep on reading below to see the full reports on all 11 catchers who took the crouch behind the plate in Appleton in February. Stay tuned for the rest of the week as we continue to roll out the rest of our positional analysis posts, too.

TOP PROSPECTS

1. Kaden Kosobucki, West De Pere, 2021
Body: 5-foot-8, 175-pounds. Compact build, athletic with strength.
Positional Profile: C
Run: 7.58 runner in the 60. Athletic gait.
Hit: RHH. Open setup, short stride to even, good balance through contact. Simple approach, confident presence in the box. Path is short and compact with strength, above average bat speed and barrel awareness.
Power: 87 mph exit velocity from the tee. Above average pop for size.
Arm: RH. C - 72 mph. Short over the top action, accurate to the bag, quick release.
Defense: Above average actions, quick clean exchange, soft hands, fluid feet. Strong receiver, quiet behind the plate. 2.03-2.08 pop times.

2. Tucker Kohl, New London, 2020
Body: 6-foot-0, 193-pounds. Strong build, solid lower half.
Positional Profile: C
Run: 7.52 runner in the 60. Ball of foot runner.
Hit: RHH. Slight open stance, smooth loading action, leg lift stride. Loose swing, level path, showed gap to gap contact in BP.
Power: 86 mph exit velocity from the tee. Bat strength present.
Arm: RH. C - 72 mph. Over the top slot, short draw.
Defense: Gets slight uphill out of the crouch. Showed agility, good block and recover with bounce. 2.10-2.26 pop times.

3. Logan Schulfer, Stevens Point, 2021
Body: 5-foot-11, 170-pounds. Athletic build, sloped shoulders, strong lower half.
Positional Profile: RHP/C
Run: 7.52 runner in the 60.
Hit: RHH. Couched setup, wide base. Short stride, loads hands back, solid balance Uphill path, works down to up creates hard topspin contact. Above average bat speed.
Power: 81 mph exit velocity from the tee. Bat strength, occasional pull pop.
Arm: RH. C - 83 mph. Long over the top slot, true carry to the bag. Plus arm strength.
Defense: Long exchange and release, average hands. 2.13-2.19 pop times.

Best of the Rest (Listed Alphabetically)

Ethan Bennett, Oshkosh North, 2022
Body: 5-foot-8, 165-pounds. Sturdy lower half.
Positional Profile: C
Run: 8.68 runner in the 60.
Hit: RHH. Balanced stance, short stride, loads hands back, smooth load. Deliberate bat path, front foot hitter, long uphill, lifts contact.
Power: 81 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 65 mph. Long high 3/4 slot.
Defense: Long exchange, average hands, occasional drift/knee receiving. 2.33-2.51 pop times.

Jose Concepcion, Hortonville, 2020
Body: 5-foot-11, 195-pounds. Solid build, some strength.
Positional Profile: C
Run: 7.27 runner in the 60.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, short leg kick trigger, loads hands back. Level path with length, firm swing.
Power: 94 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 71 mph. Long over the top slot.
Defense: Tall out of the crouch, hands work receiving. 2.36-2.57 pop times.

Adam DeHart, Xavier, 2021
Body: 5-foot-10, 200-pounds. Proportional build, strong lower half.
Positional Profile: 3B/C
Run: 7.59 runner in the 60.
Hit: RHH. Open setup, short stride, minimal lower half. Level path, short to the baseball, deliberate at times. Upper body controls swing.
Power: 90 mph exit velocity from the tee. Bat strength over bat speed.
Arm: RH. C - 70 mph. INF - 71 mph. Short high 3/4 slot, played similar from both positions.
Defense: Tall setup in the crouch, short footwork. Tall on the infield, two hands. 2.11-2.26 pop times.

Nicholas LaVigne, Appleton West, 2022
Body: 5-foot-11, 175-pounds. Lean frame with strength.
Positional Profile: 1B/C
Run: 7.49 runner in the 60. Shorter stride.
Hit: RHH. Balanced stance, smooth load, slight leg kick trigger, average balance. Short level path, loose hands, middle of the field approach, flashed strength.
Power: 87 mph exit velocity from the tee. Showed above average hard contact, occasional pull side.
Arm: RH. C - 71 mph. INF - 71 mph. Short over the top slot.
Defense: Average hands, flashed athleticism behind the dish. Feet played through the baseball on the infield, good feel for the bag and actions. More comfortable at 1B. 2.17-2.27 pop times.

Tyler Lawson, Escanaba Area (MI), 2021
Body: 5-foot-7, 130-pounds. Smaller frame, proportional build, live body.
Positional Profile: C/OF
Run: 7.05 runner in the 60. Quick twitch runner, above average for his age.
Hit: LHH. Balanced setup, loads hands back, short lift and replace stride, average balance. Level path, line drive hitter, opposite field contact, singles type.
Power: 79 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 71 mph. Short over the top slot.
Defense: Showed actions out of the crouch, average hands, short footwork. 2.19-2.26 pop times.

Michael Maloney, Pulaski, 2021
Body: 5-foot-7, 188-pounds.
Positional Profile: C/3B
Run: 7.78 runner in the 60.
Hit: RHH. Open setup, short stride, slight bat wrap load. Path has length, pull side approach, average bat speed.
Power: 78 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 71 mph. INF - 74 mph. Short high 3/4 slot.
Defense: Showed best behind the plate, solid block. Infield actions play at a corner spot. 2.25-2.50 pop times.

Logan VanLaanen, Bay Port, 2021
Body: 5-foot-11, 235-pounds.
Positional Profile: C/1B
Run: 8.00 runner in the 60.
Hit: RHH. Slightly open stance, short toe tap stride, average balance. Short uphill path, timing varies.Power approach, lifted contact.
Power: 86 mph exit velocity from the tee. Bat strength, flashed pop.
Arm: RH. C - 70 mph. Short over the top, average play.
Defense: Short footwork, blocks well, quiet receiver, hands work within frame. 2.26-2.44 pop times.

Joshua Witt, Ashwaubenon, 2022
Body: 6-foot-1, 235-pounds. XL build with strength.
Positional Profile: C/1B
Run: 8.61 runner in the 60.
Hit: RHH. Tall open stance, short leg kick stride, average balance. Path works slightly uphill, lunges at times, pull-side approach.
Power: 86 mph exit velocity from the tee. Flashes power, bat strength present.
Arm: RH. C - 64 mph. INF - 70 mph. Short over the top slot.
Defense: Tall out of the crouch, more natural around the bag. 2.30-2.42 pop times.

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