Kyle
Hayes

Kirkwood CC commit, ranked No. 32 in the Illinois 2021 class. Strong 6-foot-1 220-pound frame, advanced strength in forearms and lower-half. The top-ranked first-baseman in the Illinois 2021 class. Started his day at first and then moved over to third base after a few innings. Defensively shows soft hands with feel for both corner infield positions. At first-base, displayed the ability to handle short hops and showed athletic footwork around the bag. At third-base, showcased a strong arm across the diamond, sure-handed and showed above-average body control on the slow roller play. Offensively; confident presence in the box, starts in an open stance, long stride. Quick bat that works quick through the zone, advanced bat-speed. Showcased his power/quick bat by turning on a 92 mph fastball for a no-doubt home run in his first at-bat of the game. Tracks pitches in and around the zone well. 

Showing some of the top raw power at the ProCase, the powerfully built, 6-foot-1, 220-pound Hayes has a swing geared for power. With strong hands and good use of his lower half he blasted balls to his pull side, averaging 309’ on his BP swings with a best of 398’. He was also a TrackMan favorite with his big thunder, posting a mark of 102 EV off the bat during BP and a 29.6 average launch angle. Hayes also ran a 7.62 sixty and showed an average arm (79 mph) with 2.07-2.19 pop times behind the dish. However, his arm strength played down due to below average carry and accuracy. He will need to clean up his drawback during his transfer and some extra length to his footwork, but he has plenty of power to profile to first base if the tools of ignorance don’t work out.

Positional Profile: C
Body: 6-foot-1, 220-pounds. Physical, broad-shouldered, powerful build.
Hit: RHH. Narrow setup, long stride, hands get separation. Simple, powerful swing, creates leverage and bat speed. Flashed big pull-side power potential.
Power: 99 mph exit velocity from the tee. Advanced barrel strength. Some of the best raw power in the state.
Arm: RH. C - 78 mph. Short arm action, high 3/4 slot.
Defense: 2.11-2.20 pop times. Stays quiet behind the plate, wide/square setup, soft hands, strong wrists, presents pitches in the zone. Clean out of the crouch.
Run: 7.56 runner in the 60.

Positional Profile: C 
Body: 6-foot-1, 210-pounds. Wide-shouldered, muscular, physical build.
Hit: RHH. Tall setup, long stride and overall quiet swing. Loose, strong hands, creates advanced bat speed and bat strength. Long path through the zone, natural lift, gap-to-gap approach, made consistent hard contact. One of the more impressive rounds of BP on the day.
Power: 99 mph exit velocity from the tee. Future power potential to all fields.
Arm: RH. C - 82 mph. Short, quick, strong arm from an over-the-top slot; Throws carried and were consistently around the second-base bag.
Defense: 2.01-2.07 pop times. Quick, athletic feet out of the crouch, clean glove-to-hand, works directionally. Steady hands, deadens blocks.
Run: 4.68 runner home-to-first. 

Positional Profile: C
Body: 6-foot-1, 210-pounds. Physical, strong, barrel-chested frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced, slightly open setup, smooth load, short stride and maintains balance. Fast bat, advanced barrel strength, ball jumps off the barrel, uphill path and pull power.
Power: 96 mph exit velocity from the tee. Advanced bat strength, powerful bat.
Arm: RH. C - 79 mph. Short arm action, over-the-top slot; Throws carry, were true and consistently.
Defense: 2.00-2.18 pop times. Athletic for size. Clean and quick out of the crouch. Plays with bounce and energy. Soft, receptive hands.
Run: 7.47 runner in the 60. 

Positional Profile: C
Body: 6-foot-1, 200-pounds. Physical, barrel-chested, strong frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced, slightly open setup, short stride and maintains balance through contact. Advanced bat speed, quiet aggressive swing and strong wrists. Short bat path, natural lift in swing, pull approach and power potential.
Power: 90 mph exit velocity from the tee. Present bat strength with power potential.
Arm: RH. C - 78 mph. Short, loose arm action, high 3/4 slot.
Defense: 2.09-2.15 pop times. Athletic fielding position and actions, soft hands, quick release.
Run: 7.65 runner in the 60. 

6-foot-1, 210-pound, catcher with a strong frame, thick lower half. Right-handed hitter, hit in the three hole. Athletic setup, confident in the box. Took multiple aggressive swings, looks to damage the baseball and ready to hit the first pitch. Finished 1-for-3 with a hard line-drive single to left-center field. Behind the plate, square big target, flexible hips, willing blocker, presents glove, strong wrists, receptive hands, sticks pitches in the zone. Clean release, true arm from behind the plate. Follow 2021 catcher.