Dayton
Murphy

INF Dayton Murphy (Crystal Lake South, 2024) certainly left a positive impression on our scouts after a quality all-around showing on Sunday. The 5-foot-9, 155-pound sophomore showed a repeatable right-handed stroke in BP, staying short to the baseball with sneaky barrel strength and gap-to-gap feel. Murphy’s glove may be his biggest asset as he projects to stick somewhere on the infield in the long-term. He owns an innately advanced feel for himself on the dirt, moving with tempo and rhythm with comfortably nimble feet throughout. He also recorded the day’s hardest throw across the diamond, reaching an 87 mph high, and his arm is capable of accurately playing from multiple angles, too. Murphy joins a quality list of name-to-know prospects from the Fox Valley Conference as we prepare for the spring season. 

Positional Profile: SS/2B
Body: 5-9, 155-pounds. Wiry, athletic frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced stance. Minimal pre-pitch load and rhythm, short stride. Repeatable swing, stays on balance. Short path, works uphill through the zone. Consistently on time. Flashed juice off the barrel and worked gap-to-gap.
Power: 89.4 max exit velocity, averaged 84.6 mph. 332’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 87 mph. Above average arm strength. Quick, compact arm action. High 3/4 arm slot.
Defense: Smooth, athletic actions. Quick feet. Above average hands. Under control on the move.
Run: 7.15 runner in the 60. 

Positional Profile: SS
Body: 5-8, 150-pounds. Projectable frame.
Hit: RHH. Simple, athletic setup, smooth load to the back leg, long stride.  Quick bat, short level swing, full plate coverage, line drives to the gaps.
Power: 86.14 max exit velocity, averaged 74.65 mph. 316’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 83 mph. Short arm action, high 3/4 slot, throws play accurate with carry.
Defense: Pre-pitch hop, works to the baseball, plays from the ground up, advanced double play turn.
Run: 7.59 runner in the 60. 

Positional Profile: SS/2B
Body: 5-7, 125-pounds. Thin, athletic frame.
Defense: Plays athletically, quick fluid footwork, soft hands, clean exchange.
Arm: RH. INF - 73 mph. Short, loose arm action, 3/4 slot.
Hit: RHH. Athletic in the box, slightly open balance setup, toe tap. Athletic, simple swing; fluid hands help it project as he develops. Smooth load, short stride, short bat path, long through the zone.
Power: 72 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.71 runner in the 60.