John
Russell

Physical: Lean, athletic build at 6-foot-2, 180 lbs. 7.1 runner in the 60.

Offensively: Balanced stance with the feet wide and even; gains ground with a leg hang and stride while the hands load straight back getting some barrel tilt; strong effort from the lower half; good feel for the barrel yielding a 66.7% line driv rate through the middle and pull side. Peak exit velo 89 MPH per Trackman. 

Defensively: Low set up with feet slightly off set; athletic straight line footwork; quality catch and release with a strong arm through a 3/4 slot. C: 77 MPH

Physical: Tall and projectable, 6-foot-2, 175-pound build with feel for his body. 7.08 runner in the 60-yard dash with length in the strides.  

Offensively: RHH. Tall and upright stance with a slight bend in the knees of a balanced setup as the hands work with slight rhythm at the ear. Utilized a toe-tap with some glide to a stiff front side in order to initiate a flat barrel path into the hitting zone. The hands worked well through contact, but occasionally got too far on the front side creating a weak launch position in the posture. When staying back, generated natural lift to the pull-side and present gap to gap prowess during batting practice. Recorded a max of 83 mph bat-exit velocity per Trackman Baseball and a top of 23.40 mph hand speed according to Blast Motion. 

Defensively: The primary catcher showcased likeable qualities behind the dish with adequate feel while receiving with a soft glove hand at the catch point. Pop times ranged from 2.00-2.10 displaying powerful straight line footwork out of the crouch coupled with advanced catch and throw skills on the bag. The arm worked powerfully through a high ¾ slot with quickness and well above average strength. Beat the ball to the spot while blocking creating downward chest angles on the baseball. C - 79 mph. 

Physical: 6-2, 175-pounds. Tall build, ability to add muscle. 7.12 runner in the 60; 4.32 home-to-1B.
Offensively: RHH. Tall upright stance, slightly bent at the knees, toe tap load action, loose hands Upward swing path, quick bat speed that gets through the zone, strong two-handed swing. Strong contact pull side/middle. 83 MPH raw exit velocity.
Defensively: 2.05-2.15 pop times. Low stance, solid footwork, gains ground on accurate throws around the bag. Long arm swing with a 3/4 arm slot. C - 71 MPH.  

Last Chance Preview – Downstate (October 28, 2018)

Proportional, athletic frame. Wiry build with projection left at 6-foot, 145-pounds. Offensively – Tall, narrow set-up with upright posture. Feet start slightly open to the pitcher before taking low forward stride. Loose rhythm in hands as they load to sync up with lower half movement. Balanced, controlled hitting actions with level swing. Hands generate noticeable barrel whip thru the zone. Creates leverage after contact with firm front side. Projects for more power in future with additional strength. Defensively – Clean, projectable defensive actions behind the plate. Athletic set-up with control of a soft glove hand while receiving. Gets out of crouch quickly and aligns glove side with target. Short, compact arm action with loose, whippy finish from ¾ slot. Backside comes thru on all throws.