Owen
Young

Lewis commit, currently ranked No. 208 in the state. Hit out of the leadoff spot and started behind the plate for the Tigers. Primarily stood out behind the plate, active and willing blocker, works to keep the ball in front to both sides, deadens the ball in front. Strong hands that handle velocity with ease, works to present pitches around the zone. Clean glove-to-hand with fluidness and ease on throws to second, works in-line and creates carry on his throws to second with life and accuracy. Scrappy right-handed hitter, quick/direct hands that work to control the barrel, finished the day 1-for-3 with a single.

Lewis commit. Young went 5-for-8 for the Tigers over the weekend, helping lead Joliet West to a 2-1 record including a win over No. 13 O’Fallon (2-2) to begin the season. Out of the leadoff spot, Young had an outstanding .785 OPB in the first week of play hitting a double, a triple, and two home runs while driving in four. He also drew five walks and a hit-by-pitch. Joliet West also defeated Belleville East (0-2).

Lewis commit, and currently ranked No. 208 in the state, had a big day offensively for the Tigers batting leadoff and going 2-for-3 with a triple, a home run, two walks, three RBI, and a run scored. The strong and sturdy 5-foot-9, 200-pound right-handed hitter uses a step-back trigger before swinging with a direct and flat bat path that creates natural loft. His home run in the top of the seventh inning gave the Tigers much needed insurance on their way to a victory over No. 13 O’Fallon. Young also impressed with his leadership capabilities even before coming into the game later to catch, and is a clear leader on this Joliet West squad. Young continued to swing a hot bat in the Wildcats’ second game of the day, swatting the first pitch of the game over the left field wall for a home run.

Verbally committed to Lewis University.

Young was a stand-out performer behind the dish throughout the weekend, and committed to Lewis University shortly after. Compact frame with a thick lower half, 5-foot-9, 200-pounds. Quality defensive actions behind the dish. Quick out of the crouch with solid arm strength to cut down runners on the base-paths. Pull-side approach at the plate with strong hands. On the barrel for a majority of the weekend, launching a home-run on Monday en route to a championship win. 

C Owen Young (Joliet West, 2024) is a recent Lewis commit who stands at a compact, strong 5-foot-9, 200-pounds. The right-handed hitter has strong hands and a compact swing that works flat through the zone while using the whole field and flashing jump off the barrel; registered a 91.6 mph exit velocity. Defensively, he is a quality receiver that presents a low target with quiet hands and a receptive glove with the ability to present pitches and get underneath the pitch at the bottom of the zone. 

Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-8, 180-pounds. Compact, strong frame.
Hit: RHH. Wide, strong base, fluid load and stride. Strong hands, flat path, direct to the ball, ability to backspin the baseball and hard line-drive contact.
Power: 94 max exit velocity, averaged 87.3 mph. 320’ max distance.
Arm: RH. C - 73 mph. INF - 78 mph. Short, clean arm action, high 3/4 slot.
Defense: 2.06-2.13 pop times. C: Highly-athletic, quick glove-to-hand release at times behind the plate. Soft hands, active feet and stays directional. INF:  Corner infield profile, active feet, plays with body control, two hand gather out front.
Run: 7.29 runner in the 60. 

Owen Young (Joliet West, 2024) put together a strong defensive workout with a low pop time recorded at 1.89. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound, compact catcher also ran a 7.28 and was on the barrel during his round of BP, showing strong hands with a 75% sweet spot percentage, via TrackMan.

Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-8, 180-pounds. Strong lower half.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, quiet load, minimal stride. Level path, direct to the baseball, line-drive approach, controls the barrel, easy effort.
Power: 90.6 max exit velocity, averaged 84.2 mph. 282’ max distance.
Arm: RH. C - 74 mph. Short arm action. High 3/4 arm slot. Consistently around the second base bag.
Defense: 1.96-2.03 pop times. Fluid actions. Soft hands. Deadens the ball out front.
Run: 7.32 runner in the 60. Strong well-proportioned frame.

Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-8, 180-pounds. Strong lower half.
Hit: RHH. Athletic setup, short stride with quiet hands.  Quick hands, level plane, on the barrel to the pull-side.
Power: 88.98 max exit velocity, averaged 77.72 mph. 260’ max distance.
Arm: RH. C - 73 mph. INF - 71 mph. From behind the plate; short over-the-top slot, carry with accuracy to the bag. From the infield; Short/clean 3/4 slot.
Defense: 2.02 - 2.14 pop times. From behind the plate; soft hands with a quick transfer, directional feet out of the crouch. From the infield; clean transfer with the ability to keep the ball in front to both sides.
Run: 7.46 runner in the 60.