Malcolm
Moore

at Folsom HS - Stanford commit; Is near the top of both our state rankings and is also nationally ranked in the class. As a 6-foot-1 185-pound LHH catcher who can HIT, he's going to stay there for the foreseeable future. Quiet set-up at the plate, upright and open, he starts with a subtle knee lift as he goes from open to slightly closed. That lower body does create some need to go around the ball. Starts with relaxed elbows and during the load his back elbow elevates slightly, indicating his desire to look for the ball down and in. The homer was on the first pitch of his 2nd at-bat as he looked fastball and dove out to get it, hooking it over the fence in straightaway left field. It wasn't slammed but his bat speed and hand/forearm strength were enough to get it out of the yard. His first at-bat was a two-strike pitch, a fastball up and in that he fought off to get past the 3rd baseman. He found a way to get his hands inside it and found the barrel on a pitch that was well out of the zone and wasn't were he was protecting with two strikes. That swing showed high level hand eye coordination and swing adjustability. The power will play as a plus future tool and the hit tool should play no less than average (relative to the pro game). Defensively he is a quality receiver both in the top and bottom of the zone and both sides of his body, gets in multiple positions to receive, showed strong soft hands, willingness to block (though can control the block better), and all the important catcher intangibles. Clearly enjoys playing and being a teammate. From this look the raw arm strength and his catch/throw have room to improve, and as a 2022 player, of course he isn't a finished product. The best velocity on a throw between innings was 74 mph and most of the throws, both in game and in between innings were a bit short of the bag, with some tailing action at the end, lacking carry. He tends to stand up too erect in getting the throw off. Pop times were regularly 2.22-2.26 on the in-game throws, with a low time of 2.12 (warm-up throw) on a pitch that was up in the zone. The times we saw at the area code underclass tryouts were much better. In any case, it's one day, one look and there will be many future looks at him.

Area Code Underclass tryout - Stanford commit; not an extended look but showed off swing and raw power potential during BP round then in two competitive AB plate appearances he went F8 and 4-3, showing his middle of the field approach and bat speed. Good balance and as a left-handed hitting catcher, his stock will keep rising. The raw arm strength didn't show up great in this look but have seen better.

Fall tournament (10/26-10/28) - Drew immediate attention with the 6-foot-1 frame and then understanding that he's heading into his freshman season. Looks to be one of the top freshman players in the region and the ceiling is significant. Does not look like a freshman and then displayed tools and talents that also are well-beyond his years. Plays with palpable energy, showed off advanced (given his age) block skills, a strong arm (though release is a little long) and soft hands. Strength shows up in strong receiving skills, can stick a pitch and present it well. Made picks of pitch in dirt and a snap throw that was strong. Warm-up pop times were 2.15-2.18 and again, given the age, he's well on his way to being a plus thrower. Offensively he's on the plate and has good presence in the box. Left-handed hitter with good bat speed and an aggressive move to and through the ball. Starts with a wide open stance that just might be a little too open as he can cut himself off on certain pitches as he gets his front foot back to square position. Filet knock to left field he turned into a hustle double.