Darius
Day

5/17/13 - Day is an Arizona commit. Ranked No. 2 in the class of 2014, No. 8 overall. Day shows advance bat speed from his clean left handed stroke, shows the ability to make hard contact. Shows a pull side approach. Defensively is an advanced defender, shows advanced arm strength, tracks the ball well, smooth defensively actions. High level athlete.

2/17/13 - Strong build, wide shoulders, narrow waist, athletic frame 6-foot, 190-pound left handed two way player. One of the top prospects in the Class of 2014, projectable athlete. Legitimate two way prospect at the next level.  On the mound delivery shows little effort, rhythm is smooth, direction is on line, finish is athletic, delivery is highly repeatable. Arm action is loose, separates hands early, high ¾ arm slot. Fastball shows runs, easy life, thrown with command, 86-87 mph, touches 88 mph. Breaking ball has 11/5 shape, keeps it down, 68-72 mph. Change up has minimal action, 75-78 mph, thrown with comparable arm speed. Defensively shows athletic feet, plus foot speed, 6.68 runner. Arm works well, showed carry, lacked accuracy, 91 mph from the outfield. At the plate hits from the left side, slightly open stance, smooth load, short stride, athletic setup. Athletic swing, easy pop, short path with uphill tendencies, smooth swing. Line drive, gap to gap hitter, above average bat speed, 86 mph exit velocity from the tee, could see even more carry with added extension.

6/14/12 Day continues to show why he is the top prospect in the Class of 2014. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound outfielder ran a 6.89 60 while showing top-level defensive skills. Day moves fluidly through the ball and topped at 87 mph from the outfield. Offensively, Day has a smooth left handed stroke with power potential to all fields.

1/22/12 Day once again proved that he is the top Class of 2014 prospect in Illinois. The athletic 5-foot-11, 170-pound two-way talent does everything at a high level. Day has all the tools and character makeup to be a top-level national prospect. He is a physically strong athlete who has the quick-twitch athleticism to continue to get better and better in the coming years. At the event, Day had the strongest arm from the outfield, clocked at 89 mph, and has been up to 90 mph at a previous PBR event. The left-handed hitting Day also showcased a loose, explosive swing, one that is quiet and compact until contact. He gets excellent extension after contact, and the ball explodes off his bat with backspin carry to all fields. Furthermore, he recorded the top exit speed of the event, 88 mph (off the tee). Day also ran a 6.95 60.  On the mound, Day continued to impress. The left-hander showed clean mechanics, and easy, fluid arm action and feel for three pitches. His fastball topped at 86 mph, sitting at 84-85, while his 68-70 mph curveball had good depth and sharp late bite. He also commanded a 71-75 mph changeup. But make no mistake: as good as Day was on the mound, his extremely bright future will certainly be in the outfield.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Day looks to be one of the premier Class of 2014 prospects in the state, as he showed extremely well in all facets of the game. Day graded out as the top defensive outfielder at the event, including all the top-level sophomores who participated. Day showed impressive arm strength from the outfield with throws coming in at 86 with plus carry and accuracy. Day moved well and showed good footwork, playing through the baseball and taking good routes. At the plate, Day displayed a level and balanced swing to go along with advanced bat speed for his age. Day also showed explosiveness in his lower half, which translated into hitting the ball with some power. He also displayed some foot speed running a 7.26 60.

If there’s a better Class of 2014 prospect in the state, we haven’t seen him yet. Day is an athletically built, physically advanced 5-foot-11, 170-pound two-way prospect who possesses all the tools to be an elite national prospect. While Day showed extremely well on the mound, there’s little doubt his future will be as an outfielder. Day was clocked at 90 mph from the outfield, which broke the PBR record at an underclass event. Not only did his throws have plus life, but he was on target with everything. He also moves with fluid purpose in the outfield. Offensively, the left-handed hitter exhibited a quick, balanced and explosive swing. He generates tremendous bat speed through the zone and gets excellent extension after contact. The ball jumps off his bat with backspin carry. Day also ran a 7.11 60. On the mound, the left-hander continued to impress. Day commands three pitches for strikes, including an 82-84 mph fastball with hard arm-side action. His changeup, in the 70-71 range, also looks to be an advanced pitch for his age, as it demonstrated some fade down in the zone. Day, who comes from an over-the-top arm angle, showed the ability to throw his 63-65 mph curveball for strikes as well. Judging by the ease with which his arm works, Day should be working in the upper-80s not far down the road.