Jack
Swaney

Northern Illinois signee, ranked No. 88 overall in the state’s senior class. Highly physical 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame, also a key piece on the Rockets’ state championship football team. Started at first base and hit in the two-hole in a win over Joliet West. Strong left-handed swing that stays on a level plane through contact with real impact off the barrel. Drilled a no-doubt home run to the pull-side in his second at-bat, left the yard again that way in the bottom of the sixth in a key spot. Finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. A potential middle-of-the-order type impact bat at the next level that should be the main run producer for Rochester throughout the spring.

Verbally committed to Northern Illinois.

Uncommitted. Strong, physically built 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame that’s imposing on the diamond and football field, where he plays tight end and defensive end for the Rockets. Left-handed hitter that hit in the two-hole. Has a presence to him at the plate, works in rhythm from a simple, controlled operation. Clear bat strength, stays short and direct to the baseball, covers the whole plate and drives the ball where it's pitched. Was on the barrel twice with authority in this look. Swatted a double the other way in his first at-bat, squared a hard single back up the middle later on. Polished with feel to hit, competed at the plate with minimal swing-and-miss. Has the potential to be a true impact bat at the next level with middle-of-the-order type power. 

A trio of Jack Swaney (Rochester), Ryne Woods (Batavia) and Jack Cozzi (St. Edward Central Catholic) are physical left-handed hitters who put up some above-average metrics and warrant attention moving forward. Each recorded max batted distances at 366 feet or farther – Swaney’s high of 384 feet led the event; Cozzi’s round was a memorable one, as he showed barrel feel off a naturally lofted plane that produced an average batted distance of 276 feet, among the day’s best.

Positional Profile: 1B/OF
Body: 6-3, 225-pounds. Thick, strong build.
Hit: LHH. Balanced setup, fluid load and short stride. Strong, loose hands, natural lift, gap-to-gap approach, ball jumps off the barrel at times.
Power: 98 max exit velocity, averaged 89.2 mph. 384’ max distance.
Arm: LH. INF - 78 mph. Short out of the glove into a 3/4 slot.
Defense: Steady actions, two-hand gather out front.
Run: 7.33 runner in the 60. 

Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 28 in the Illinois 2024 class. Strong-bodied, 6-foot-1, 225-pounds, trimmed up a bit since our last look. Left/left prospect, started in left-field and hit out of the four-hole for Springfield. At the plate, Swaney is noticeably comfortable in the box, taking healthy swings and putting a charge into the ball whenever he makes contact; loading his hands in pre-pitch and throwing them through the zone with natural lift, easy bat-speed. In the outfield, Swaney’s jumps and reads seemed to have improved since our look last year, tracking down some balls that were in the gap and holding his own with sneaky speed.