Steven
Carullo

Sturdy, athletic 5-foot-10, 175-pound catcher, ran a 7.51/60. Offensively - effective load with appropriate pre-pitch movement, keeps hands inside ball, very compact path and bat plane is level through contact with an exit velocity of 85 MPH showing above average bat-speed with a short extension; Defensively - stays low through the receiving process, smooth transfer to throwing hand, will need to adjust release point to improve accuracy, velocity improved from summer up 4 mph to 77 MPH with POP time at 2.00-2.09, absolute next-level backstop who needs to find a home.

Sturdy, athletic 5-foot-10, 175-pound catcher, ran a 7.51/60. Offensively - effective load with appropriate pre-pitch movement, keeps hands inside ball and bat on level path through strike zone with an exit velocity of 87 MPH; some evidence of lower body engagement early in swing but tends to straighten up before contact. Defensively - stays low through the receiving process, smooth transfer to throwing hand, will need to adjust release point to improve accuracy, velocity at 73 MPH with POP time at 2.03-2.13.

Carullo is a solid 5-foot-9 170 pound catcher who ran a 7.79 60 and 4.47 home-to-1B. Offensively- Slightly open setup; hands work straight back into a strong launch position. Stride gets back to even with some weight shift to his front side; hands sweep through the zone with pull side/line drive results. Will have better barrel control keeping hands inside contact longer. Exit velocity was 84 MPH. Defensively- Low to the ground, compact setup; exchanges feet tight to the plate while gaining ground towards 2B. Short action from a high 3/4 slot, arm strength at 70 MPH with pop times ranging from 1.91-2.04. As arm strength continues to improve, Carullo's stock will rise.

Top Prospect Preview (January 16, 2017)

Carullo, a 2018 right-handed hitting catcher/outfielder, stands at 5-foot-9 and weighs 175 pounds, ran a 4.62 from home to first. Offensively- Starts with an open balanced lower half, hands above the back shoulder and barrel of the bat resting on the back shoulder parallel to the ground. Initiates the swing with a moderate shift of weight to the back side while the lead foot elevates striding forward landing on the toe, with the hands loaded straight back slightly outside the back shoulder and barrel of the bat getting slightly more than 45 degrees with a slight wrap towards the pitcher. Displayed an ability to drive the ball, located middle in, from the pull side gap to the center of the field. Recorded an exit velocity of 83 MPH on the day, but could significantly improve the bat speed with an ability to keep the hands behind the rotation of the hips and stay more linear, keeping the back knee deeper than the lead knee, from contact thru extension. Defensively-  Triangular primary setup is athletic, with the elbow above the knee and glove in front of in front of the left shin guard. Receives the ball well, using a shift of hips and sway and ankle sway getting around the ball on the inner and outer third to give quality presentation. Displayed a quick release, but could be quicker as the hands drop below the chest as the ball is transferred with a circular motion rather than a more direct straight transfer from the center of the body. Showed a quality top pop time of 1.90 (range of 1.9-2.0) and arm velocity of 71 MPH. Strong bodied catcher that has some tools to build on and help a program at the next level.