Mitch
Trees

6/4/14 - Ranked No. 7 in Illinois’ 2014 class; No. 21 overall. Signed at Louisville. It’s no secret that Illinois’ 2014 catcher class is as good as we’ve seen in many years.  The top catch-and-throw prospect in Illinois could hear his name called early in today’s MLB Draft.  6-foot-2, 190-pound physical athlete, with defined lower half.  Registered 79-81 mph from the crouch down to second, 1.95-2.01 pop times.  Trees has great feet and a quick transfer, with above average to plus arm strength.  He is aggressive in throwing behind runners, and blocks and recovers well, popping up quickly looking to throw.  Offensively, hits from an open stance with a high back elbow.  Swing shows some stiffness, and looks to be squeezing the bat pre pitch, but also is a result of muscle-bound frame.  Ran 4.58 to first on a double-play ground out (7.27 runner in 60).  Lined out to left on a back –up cutter in second AB, slightly jamming himself.  Singled to center in third at bat, staying back nicely on a breaking ball up in the zone.  Bat lags behind catch-and-throw skills, but shows athleticism to make adjustments down the road.

4/23/14 Ranked No. 8 in Illinois’ 2014 class; No. 30 overall. Signed at Louisville. It’s no secret that Illinois’ 2014 catcher class is as good as we’ve seen in many years. On Wednesday, Trees confirmed yet again that he is unquestionably the top catch-and-throw prospect of the bunch. Glenwood attempted to steal once, and Trees threw the runner out by two feet, a 1.93 knee-high, gloveside laser. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder also has extremely athletic feet and receives well. Offensively, he went 0-for-3 with a bases-loaded walk. In the fifth inning, he squared up line shot right at the centerfielder.

2/2/14 - Trees is widely considered the top defensive catcher in Illinois. The Louisville recruit has extremely athletic feet and receives with a level of polish and maturity above his peers. And he guns runners down at a high clip thanks to his extremely quick transfer, directional footwork, accuracy and arm strength. And he accomplishes it without cheating, meaning he stays low, which benefits the pitchers (and umpires). At the Super 60, he recorded pop times ranging between 1.88-1.93 and was clocked at 80 mph from the crouch. Physically, he has an athletically built 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame with a strong lower half. Offensively at the Super 60, Trees showed significant improvement with his rhythm and timing, though being the only right-handed hitter of the bunch - and doesn’t show the same power potential - puts him at a disadvantage with the other names on the list. Trees registered 95 exit velocity and ran a 7.27 60.

1/22/12 -Trees is a physically impressive 6-foot-2, 190-pound athlete who is one of the premier prospects in the class. Defensively, Trees is the most advanced catcher we’ve seen in Illinois’ Class of 2014. He possesses extremely athletic feet, soft hands and arm strength (79 mph from the crouch). Trees delivered strikes on the glove-side of the bag, with top pop times of 1.93 and 1.97. His catching mechanics are advanced well beyond his age. For his size and strength, Trees is a superlative athlete, evidenced by his 7.29 60 and the fact that he was also a standout at third base, where he demonstrated concise lateral movements, clean footwork and arm strength (80 mph).  Offensively, Trees has an advanced approach and a balanced setup.  From his strong, explosive lower half, he generates excellent barrel whip through the zone, flashing plus power potential from the right side. In all, Trees should be one of the most coveted catching prospects in the Midwest.