Kaeson
Ernst

6-foot-5, 187-pound, long-levered, high-waisted projectable prospect, worked out as a position player as well but on this day it was his performance on the mound that really stood out. He oozes upside with his frame and long, loose, quick arm which makes it easy to dream on his current 82-85, T86 mph fastball making big jumps in the future. Ernst also showed feel for his three-pitch repertoire which includes a mid-70s curveball and 75-77 mph changeup. Name to watch in the coming years.

Positional Profile: RHP/1B
Body: 6-5, 175.5-pounds. High-waisted frame, long levers, projectable.
Hit: RHH. Slightly open setup, quiet hands pre-pitch, toe-tap stride works back to even, linear lower-half. Steep path with a compact finish, balanced, worked the opposite field. 61.7 mph bat speed with 8g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 93 mph max exit velocity (64.5 avg.); 265-foot max batted distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 84 mph. Long, loose arm action, 3/4 slot.
Defense: Athletic and fluid actions, feel to make plays on the move, clean transfer.
Athletic Testing: 7.76 runner in the 60-yard dash; 20.90-inch max vertical jump.
Vizual Edge: 69.05 Edge Score.

Delivery: Stretch-only delivery, high leg lift with tuck, clean mover, tall/fall down the mound.
Arm Action: RH. Long and loose arm path, 3/4 slot.
FB: T86, 82-85 mph. Comes out of the hand clean, plays straight. T2225, 2173 average rpm.
CB: 73-74 mph. 11/5 shape, depth, sharp action. T2139, 2067 average rpm.
CH: 75-77 mph. Plays with fade, throws with intent, lands arm-side, feel. T2018, 1946 average rpm.

RHP/INF Kaeson Ernst (Geneva, 2028) is a two-way talent with upside on both sides. A projectable, high-waisted 6-foot-4, 176-pound frame. At the plate, Ernst utilizes a simple swing that is long through the zone with a line-drive approach. Ernst had an average exit velocity of 88.1 mph (95.4 mph max) and a max distance of 312 feet. On the mound, Ernst utilizes his long levers for an easy delivery with a loose, uninterrupted arm action. His fastball sat 79-81 mph while topping out at 82 mph with a two-seam shape, having an average horizontal movement of 14.6 inches and an average induced vertical break of 10.4 inches. Ernst’s changeup shows heavy movement as it has an average horizontal movement of 21.2 inches while sitting 73-75 mph. He also showed a slider that sat 70-73 mph with an average horizontal movement of -5.2 inches and an average induced vertical break of -4.5 inches.

Kaeson Ernst, Geneva (IL), 2028
Positional Profile: RHP
Body: 6-5, 180-pounds.
Delivery: Easy, long-levered delivery, high leg-lift.
Arm Action: RH. Loose and uninterrupted arm action, high 3/4 slot.
FB: T82, 79-81 mph. Plays with arm-side run, life through the zone. T2179, 2089 average rpm.
SL: 70-73 mph. Tight 10/4 shape. T2079, 1972 average rpm.
CH: 73-75 mph. Heavy arm-side fade, feel for the zone. T1865, 1736 average rpm.

Positional Profile: 3B
Hit: RHH. Wider, balanced setup, simple lift/place stride. Longer path through the zone, loose hands, line drive approach, simple, balanced, middle/pull-side approach. 67.6 mph bat speed with 7g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 95 mph max exit velocity (88.1 avg.); 313-foot max batted distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 79.00 mph. Full arm circle, whippy 3/4 arm action.
Defense: MIF: Soft two-hand funnel into body, plays through the ball, flashes fluid actions, clean double play turn, natural feel for the position. 1B: Athletic feet, some natural feel for the position.
Athletic Testing: 7.82 runner in the 60-yard dash; 16.20-inch max vertical jump.
Vizual Edge: 70.4 Edge Score.

Ernst started Cangelosi’s game at Franklin Field and put together an eye-catching out. Ernst is listed at 6-foot-1, 155 pounds with obvious physical characteristics that indicate development throughout his high school years. Our first look at Ernst was back in April at the Lockport Rising Stars ID where some of his spin and movement metrics were extremely impressive. The numbers certainly back what Ernst flashed on Friday as his two-seam fastball had well above-average movement. Ernst’s arm got around quick and loose to pair with an easy operation down the mound. The ball came cleanly out of his hand while his fastball sat in the low-70s and topped out at 75 mph. The right-hander also showcased a genuine three-pitch mix that contained a CH and a CB. Ernst’s CB showed promise as it had some movement that will continue to develop over the coming years.

Positional Profile: 1B
Body: 6-1, 155-pounds. Trim, high-waisted frame.
Hit: RHH. Narrow, slightly open setup, knee-knocks into a medium stride. Relaxed hands, flat path through the zone, looks to stay middle/away.
Power: 81 max exit velocity, averaged 67.1 mph. 241’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 67 mph. Loose arm action, plays from multiple slots.
Defense: Plays low to the ground, clean and quick transfer, moves with ease laterally.
Run: 8.53 runner in the 60.

Delivery: High leg-lift, coils into balance point, tall/fall lower half, long stride down the mound.
Arm Action: RH. Long, loose arm action, 3/4 release.
FB: T74, 71-73 mph. Plays with heavy arm-side run, true two-seam feel, has feel to spin, feel for the strike zone. T2114, 1967 average rpm.
CB: 62-63 mph. Short 11/5 bite, developing feel for the zone. T1965, 1878 average rpm.
CH: 66-68 mph. Plays with arm-side run, keeps down in the zone, developing. T2008, 1940 average rpm.