Fox Cities Preseason ID: Middle Infield Analysis

March 24, 2015

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor - Wisconsin/Illinois

The middle infield prospects were led by a pair of two-way talents that may have even better upsides on the mound. Nathan Burns (West Bend West, 2017) an Jake Sommers (Hortonville, 2015) both showed the best set of hands defensively. Several others made the list who project more with their bat at the next level but may see position changes in the future, never the less, good athletes on the baseball field.

Top Middle Infield Prospects

1. Nathan Burns, RHP/MIF, West Bend West, 2017
Highly projectable right-handed pitcher, 6-foot, 155-pound two way player, lanky athletic build, sloped shoulders. Tall and fall delivery is easy and repeatable, good rhythm, stays slightly closed throughout, squared landing and athletic finish. Arm action is clean, works quickly with length and looseness, high ¾ slot. Fastball has command, arm side run with late life through the zone, 82-83 mph. Off-speed pitches play up, well beyond his age. Curveball has 11/5 shape, sharp action, can drop for strikes, has conviction, 72-74 mph. Excellent feel for his changeup, fastball arm speed, advanced arm side action, ability to command it, sat 77 mph. High ceiling pitcher with advanced repertoire and highly projectable frame that will get bigger and stronger. Offensively hits from an open stance, leg kick stride, lower half works well. Athletic hitter, loose hands, middle of the field approach, short path with extension, 84 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively moves well on the infield, good actions and soft hands, feet work well. Athletic arm action, throws well on the move, arm carries across the diamond, 85 mph across the infield.

2. Jake Sommers, RHP/MIF, Hortonville, 2015
6-foot-2, 175-pound two-way player, athletic frame, good athlete with occasional quick twitch. Projects best on the mound possible two-way prospect at lower level but arm on the mound projects much higher. Delivery is athletic with good tempo, works online, squared landing, follows the finish. Athletic slide step from the stretch. Arm action is quick, gets on top of the baseball and works downhill, loose arm action. Fastball sat 87-89 mph, found the zone repeatedly, good finish through hitting zone. Curveball is hard, fastball arm speed, 11/5 shape, sharp action, dropped for strikes, 74-75 mph. Changeup has sink, mostly kept down, fastball similar arm speed, 78-79 mph. Throws all three pitches aggressively, good upside. Raw abilities on the mound, didn’t see any varsity innings last year. Bat plays well, open stance, toe tap stride, drops hands at load. Hands are quick, athletic hitter, good bat speed, shows some quick twitch. 89 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively showed arm strength across the diamond (85 mph), winds up some to release, arm is athletic, can play on the move. Hands work and shows good mobility on the infield. 7.20 runner in the 60.

3. Nate DeYoung, MIF/RHP, Xavier, 2018
High ceiling freshman, 6-foot-3, 180-pound left-handed hitting two-way player, lean athletic frame, younger brother of 2016 graduate Matt DeYoung. Projects best with the bat, advanced hit tools. From the left side stance is open, smooth load, short stride, gets lower half involved and maintains strong balance. Good barrel awareness, hard contact, loose athletic swing with slight uppercut, power potential swing. Short path with extension, fluid hitter with bat speed. 84 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively showed some actions, hands work, size and footspeed will eventually move him to a corner position. Arm played at 84 mph across the infield, loose arm action that can play athletically. On the mound has a clean arm action, high ¾ slot. Fastball has slight run, 74-75 mph, topped at 77 mph. Curveball has 12/6 shape, 62-64 mph. changeup has slight arm side run, 69-70 mph.

4. Boyd Sansone, MIF, Menomonee Falls, 2016
5-foot-9, 170-pound middle infielder, solid frame carries some strength. Has footspeed, 6.93 runner in the 60. Actions work defensively on the infield, hands show softness, footwork has potential to be better based on 60 yard dash. Arm action is short, high ¾ slot, athletic arm action, plays well on the infield, 75 mph arm strength across the diamond. Right-handed hitter, slightly open stance, short stride, lower half works linearly. Front foot type hitter, inside out type bat path, bat control that can spray line drives to the opposite field, stays inside the ball. 87 mph exit velocity from the tee.

5. Carson Jacques, MIF, De Pere, 2016
6-foot-1, 180-pound middle infielder, solid build with strength. Right-handed hitter, balanced stance, short stride, lower half works. Showed quick hands at the plate, line drive gap to gap type guy, compact swing, repeats. God bat speed, college caliber bat speed, 84 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively showed infield actions, funnels to transfer, some lateral movement. Hands work well, may be best suited for third base at the next level, showed some arm strength and the ability to come get the bunt play. Arm played over the top, short arm action, showed occasional carry, accurate arm. 77 mph across the diamond. 7.45 runner in the 60, laser timed.

6. Colton Burt, OF/MIF, Wautoma, 2016
5-foot-9, 170-pound outfielder, athletic build carries some strength. Good runner, ran the fastest 60 time of the event, 6.89 runner, laser timed. Speed should play well for him in the outfield, raw defender, appears to have more experience on the infield. Plays with a long arm action, over the top slot, played at 82 mph from the outfield and 79 mph across the diamond. On the infield looks to project as a second baseman, moves well laterally, exchange is long at times. Offensively hits from the right side, Open stance, short stride, late loading action. Hands are quick at the plate, line drive gap to gap type. Good bat speed, 90 mph exit velocity from the tee.

7. Nolan Kelliher, MIF, Middleton, 2018
Lanky, 5-foot-11, 150-pound middle infielder, slender build, some projection. Showed some infield actions, plays through the baseball, hands have upside. Arm played at 74 mph across the diamond, high ¾ slot, arm action showed some length, 74 mph across the diamond. Right-handed hitter, balanced stance, short stride, good balance, overall good setup. Path works with slight lift, hits with rhythm, athletic hands, lower half can get stronger. 80 mph exit velocity from the tee. Ran the 60 at 7.56.

8. Bryce Cross, MIF, Hortonville, 2017
5-foot-11, 165-pound middle infielder, athletic build. Right-handed hitter, slightly open setup, short leg lift stride, smooth loading action, athletic hands. Path is short, line drive gap to gap hitter, good approach, hands work, good approach, occasional hard contact to pull side. 76 mph exit velocity from the tee. Showed good actions on the infield, mechanically sound, sets u and plays through the baseball. Showed athletic movements, occasionally can get too quick. Arm played at 72 mph across the diamond, loose high ¾ action. 7.34 runner in the 60, laser timed.

9. Bryce Bradison, MIF/RHP, De Pere, 2017
6-foot, 145-pound two-way player, lean athletic frame with projection. Right-handed hitter, balanced stance, average stride, linear lower half. Good bat path, stays inside the baseball, opposite field approach, occasionally lunges. 76 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively showed athletic actions defensively, fluid defender, slow exchange, long transfer. Arm action is long, high ¾ slot, 73 mph across the infield. On the mound arm and delivery are clean, balanced and athletic. Fastball is mostly straight, 72-74 mph, topped at 75 mph. Breaking ball has 11/5 action, showed feel, 59-60 mph. Changeup has sink, 63-65 mph.

10. Tony Krueger, OF/MIF, Appleton North, 2018
5-foot-10, 140-pound multi-positional player, average frame, thin build, body projects. Defensively showed solid arm strength for his age, 72 mph across the infield and 77 mph from the outfield, high ¾ slot, easy athletic arm action. Moves well at both positions, plays through the baseball, feet worked properly. Left-handed hitter, open stance, smooth quiet loading action, leg kick stride, maintains strong balance. Hits off of a firm front side, showed the ability to back spin line drives, handles the bat well. 74 mph exit velocity from the tee. Ran a 7.85 in the 60.

Best of the Rest (Listed Alphabetically)

Hunter Barber, MIF, Oshkosh West, 2017
5-foot-11, 172-pound infielder, good frame, athletic shape. Hits from the right side, open setup, short stride back to square, toe tap timing, average balance. Solid approach, up the middle type hitter, line drive, took a good round with repeatable solid contact. 78 mph exit velocity from the tee. 8.08 runner in the 60. Did not take defensive evaluations.

Ethan Bartels, MIF/RHP, Green Bay West, 2015
6-foot, 130-pound two-way player, slender build. Right handed hitter, open stance, arm bar load, long swinging stride back to even. Level path with some length, 67 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively plays with a loose, high ¾ arm action, 64 mph across the diamond. 8.48 runner in the 60. On the mound worked with regular effort. Fastball was 62-65 mph, touched 66 mph. Curveball has gradual 12/6 shape, 58-61 mph. Changeup has slight arm side movement at 60-62 mph.

Jordan Brewer, MIF, Oshkosh West, 2018
5-foot-7, 125-pound middle infielder, slight frame, young build. Defensively plays with good actions for his age, arm action is short and quick, over the top slot, accurate arm and quick release, gets rid of it well, 72 mph across the diamond. Hits from the right side out of a balanced stance, short stride, late trigger. Line drive type hitter, opposite field contact, 73 mph exit velocity from the tee. 7.68 runner.

Ryan Brouch, MIF, Appleton West, 2018
5-foot-10, 155-pound middle infielder, medium frame and build. Well above average defensive actions for his age, showed soft hands on the infield and the ability to play through the baseball, natural infield defender with smooth actions. Arm action is short, showed a quick release, 69 mph arm strength across the diamond. Ran the 60 at 8.11. Offensively hits from the right side, balanced stance, short stride, loads hands back. Path has some length, sweeping path, 80 mph exit velocity from the tee.

Bryce Edwards, MIF, Westosha Central, 2017
6-foot, 150-pound middle infielder, thin build. Right-handed hitter, open stance, short stride, average balance. Handsy swing, lot of wrist action, short path, in and out of the hitting zone, long path. 78 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively arm action is short, over the top slot, accurate arm, 70 mph across the diamond. Ran the 60 at 7.82.

Jacob Friederick, MIF, Winneconne, 2017
5-foot-10, 165-pound middle infielder, medium frame and build. Hits from the right side, balanced stance, short stride, setup starts with weight on back side. Longer path, slight uphill plane. 82 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively plays with a short firm arm action, high ¾ slot. 67 mph across the diamond.

Alex Gerhardt, MIF/RHP. Fox Valley Lutheran, 2016
5-foot-8, 160-pound two-way player. Right-handed hitter, balanced stance, arm bar load, short stride, high back elbow. Path is level, line drive type hitter. Showed bat speed, 82 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively uses a short arm action, ¾ slot, 74 mph arm strength across the diamond. Hands showed abilities, average footwork, 7.44 runner in the 60. On the mound Fastball worked at 76-77, touched 78, threw strikes. Curveball has 11/5 gradual action, 61-62 mph. Changeup flashed arm side action, 68-70 mph.

Nick Goudreau, RHP/MIF, Appleton East, 2016
6-foot, 160-pound left-handed hitting two-way player. Tall and fall delivery, short over the top arm action. Straight four seam fastball at 78-79 mph, touched 80 mph. Curveball flashed sharp action, 12/6, 62-65 mph. Changeup has arm side action, 67-69 mph. Showed athleticism, good runner at 7.08 in the 60. Left-handed hitter, balanced stance, short stride. Pull side hitter, longer path, right center line drives, stays flat through the zone. 82 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively plays with a short firm arm action across the diamond, 68 mph across infield. Average hands.

Eric Hietpas, MIF, Little Chute, 2017
5-foot-9, 160-pound left-handed hitting infielder. Hits from a slightly open stance, short stride, loads hands back. Hands dominate swing, path is level, works around the baseball some, line drive type with some pull tendency. 76 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively arm plays at 70 mph across the diamond, short over the top arm action, deliberate actions. Ran the 60 at 7.35.

Lane Koehler, MIF, Appleton West, 2017
5-foot-10, 175-pound middle infielder, average frame with medium build. Hits out of a slightly crouched setup, left-handed hitter, drops hands at load, short stride. Uppercut path, lacks extension, mostly opposite field contact. 80 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively arm plays short and over the top, 62 mph across the diamond. Ran the 60 at 7.90.

Michael Larsen, MIF, Southern Door, 2016
5-foot-10, 145-pound left-handed hitting middle infielder. Above average runner for age, 7.18 in the 60. Hits from an even stance, short stride. Spray type hitter, middle to opposite field contact, simple path. 70 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively looks to field with hands out in front, plays with a short arm action, high ¾ slot, 74 mph arm across the diamond.

Charlie Mead, MIF, Appleton West, 2016
5-foot-10, 155-pound left-handed hitting middle infielder. Balanced stance, arm bar loading action, short stride. Leans on back side, slight uphill path, produced opposite field fly balls, occasionally late timing, showed some bat speed. 83 mph exit velocity from the tee. On the infield showed softer hands, good hands on the back hand play. Arm plays with a short action, gets underneath it, 69 mph arm strength but accurate to his target. 7.38 runner in the 60, laser timed.

Evan Ostertag, RHP/SS, Green Bay East, 2016
6-foot-1, 155-pound two-way player. On the mound arm works with length, high ¾ slot. Fastball is mostly straight, occasional finish, 77-78 mph, touched 79 mph. Curveball has 11/5 shape, flashed action, 63-65 mph. Changeup works at 63-67 mph. Offensively hits from a balanced stance, longer stride. Long level path, occasionally late getting started. 70 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively arm played at 72 mph across the diamond, high ¾ slot, showed some accuracy. 7.91 runner in the 60, laser timed.

Jake Weisgerber, MIF, Xavier, 2016
5-foot-11, 180-pound middle infielder. Right-handed hitter, open stance, loads hands back, reverse toe tap stride. Path is short and level, pull side approach, works around it some, showed some bat speed. 84 mph exit velocity from the tee. Defensively arm plays with some length, high ¾ slot, 74 mph across the infield. Showed some body control, average infield actions, can get rid of the baseball quicker. Ran the 60 at 7.60.

Fox Cities Preseason ID: Middle Infield Analysis

Top Middle Infield Prospects

Best of the Rest (Listed Alphabetically)

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