AJ
Manicchio

ENY All-Star (September 2017):

Manicchio stands in at 5-foot-10, 160-pounds with a lean athletic frame. Offensively- Righty sets up square to the pitcher with his feet just outside shoulder width. Shows a slight knee bend with an upright torso holding the bat out in front of the back shoulder using little pre-pitch bat movement. On pitch, his trigger is a quick stride forward while his hands move back slightly. Could use more aggressive lower body rotation to get the legs involved with the swing. Has quick hands to the hitting zone with an upward lift barrel action throughout into a high two-handed finish. Demonstrated good plate coverage with line drive ability up the middle and to the pull side during batting practice rounds. Recorded an exit velocity of 75 MPH.  Defensively- Good footwork and approach to get underneath the baseball. Shows good crow hop mechanics gaining ground on the throw towards the intended target. Moves well left/right and was accurate on the throws. Recorded a positional arm velocity of 77 MPH. Pitching- Sets up on the right side of the rubber with a simple side step and a mid-thigh leg raise. Breaks down well with good separation into a high ¾ release point. Utilizes whole body frame well during delivery with consistent mechanics. Has a strong finish getting himself into a proper fielding position. Fastball range was 72-73 MPH and peaked at 75 MPH with some arm side run. Curveball was 61-65 MPH with 2/7 action and a sharp break. Overall a talented 2020 grad to keep an eye on.