Michael
DeStefano

Wiry, athletic build at 5-foot-11 160 pounds; the left-handed hitting middle infielder ran a personal best 6.90 60. Offensively- Spread stance at the plate; small stride with a heel lift. Up-down pre-pitch barrel action; stays behind the ball well with an aggressive lower half; barrel lags in the zone with a late one hand finish. Personal best 91 MPH exit velocity with the ability to work line-to-line with some new found punch to the gaps. Defensively- Steady defender with hands working out in front; over the top release with a suitable left side arm at 83 MPH across the diamond. Could play 2B/3B or shirt to OF if needed with his athleticism. 

Slight, athletic build for the LHH middle infielder; ran a 7.25 60. Offensively- Slightly open stance; quiet take back with an explosive effort out of his lower half; line drive approach. Exit velocity was 83 MPH Defensively- Starts upright; works through the ball; short take back with a high 3/4 release. Arm strength checked in at an improved 78 MPH. 

DeStefano stands in at 5-foot-10, 150-pounds with a lean athletic frame. Ran a 4.69 home to first. Offensively- Lefty 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 high above the back shoulder using little pre-pitch bat movement. On pitch, his trigger is a knee raise in to stride forward while his hands move back slightly to get into the hitting position. Good lower body rotation getting his hips cleared and utilizes his whole-body frame within the swing. Shows quick hands to the hitting zone with a level barrel path throughout into a high two-handed finish. Demonstrated good plate coverage and the ability to hit to all fields during batting practice round. Swing is fluid and only will get better with added strength. Recorded an exit velocity of 80 MPH. Defensively- Footwork and approach to baseball are sound. Quick feet with quick hands make fielding mechanics smooth and fast. Funnels into chest well and gets into the throwing position correctly with aggressive footwork towards his intended target. Accurate on throws and moves well left/right as well as on the run. Recorded a positional arm velocity of 68 MPH. Pitching- Sets up in the middle of the rubber with a simple side step into a high leg kick above his hip crease. Good drive down with appropriate separation getting into a good throwing position with a high ¾ release point. Utilizes whole body when throwing and repeats delivery on different pitches. Fastball sat 77-79 MPH and peaked at 81 MPH with good arm side run. Changeup has good arm side sink and sits 70-71 MPH. Curveball shows good 2/7 action and is 65-67 MPH. Overall a high end 2019 prospect to keep an eye on. Will only get better with added strength and his continued development.

NY Games (June 25-27, 2017)

Athletic frame at 5-foot-10, 150 pounds that projects well at the next level, ran a 60 time at 7.49 which needs to improve to stay in the middle-infield. Offensively - loose and fluid swing, brings bat through the zone on a level plane and gets full extension on follow through with an exit velocity of 71 MPH. Easy to see him adding power as he grows and learns to engage his lower body. Defensively - smooth and fluid with soft hands, uses advanced footwork to gain momentum for throws across infield at 76 MPH. Pitching - late action on fastball at 78-80 MPH induces consistent, weak contact, mixes in curveball with tight 2-to-7 shape at 68-69 MPH, uses downward plane to keep change-up at 70-71 MPH low in the zone.

Preseason All-State (February 20, 2017)

DeStefano stands 5-foot-8, 140-pounds with some next-level projections. At the plate he swings from the left-side, back load on the pitch, slight pause in his hands before he attacks the ball. Signs of some early juice projection from short fluid bat-path, athletic full finish. Exit velocity off a tee was 79 MPH. Defensively, active lower half, attacks the ball with a more direct path, open glove with a quick transfer and release from a high 3/4 slot. As he develops he should continue to smooth out his fielding mechanics. On the mound, overall clean mechanics with a long stride, high-3/4 slot release with a fastball sitting 77-78 MPH. Fastball has some late depth to the arm-side, but shows more late life during full extension to his opposite arm. Change up sat 69-70 with a more gradual fade to the arm-side.