Brayden
Lybarger

2/9/20 Pitching Delivery Notes: Michigan Commit. One of the top arms to follow this spring. Fluid and efficient mechanics especially with the lower half. Ball jumps out of the hand through a ¾ slot very loose arm and a repeatable delivery. Hardest bullpen we have seen him throw to date. Fastball: Mixes two fastballs with two completely different movement patterns. Four-seam tends to cut the plate in half while his two-seam has heavy arm side movement. Fastball Spin Rate: 2222-2280 Slider: Potential wipeout pitch. Offering would play at most D1 levels today. Consistency will be key moving forward. Would like to see the pitch in the zone with more consistency. Slider Spin Rate: 2280-2386 Changeup: Solid third offering. Thrown with similar arm speed and has the potential to be a plus pitch if tunneled well.

Body Type: 6-foot-5 178-pound tall thin frame.
Mechanical/Delivery Notes: Explosive lower half. Tight arm action. Slightly falls off glove side.
Fastball: 84-88mph. Average spin rate 1,900-2,000rpm’s. 2 seam moves 9.5-12 inches to the arm side. Fastball more resembled a left-handed slider on times, running over half the plate.
Curveball: 72-74mph. 11/5 movement.  Slider 76-78mph.  
Pitchability: Needs to be in the zone more consistently.
Additional Comments: High potential. Guy to follow that has a chance to be one of the top arms in the midwest.

Body Type: 6-foot-5, 178 pound thin, projectable frame.
Mechanical/Delivery Notes: Throws with good intent from a tall back leg. Short, compact arm action with high ¾ arm slot.
Fastball: 84-87 mph. In and out of zone with lots of life. Showed plenty of arm side run.
Curveball: 63-67 mph. Tight, 11-5 spin. Breaks late. Swing and miss potential.
Changeup: 68-69 mph. Thrown with good arm speed. Commanded the pitch with arm side run.
Pitchability: Fastball showed great life and plenty of arm side run. Secondary pitches show the potential to be above average. Needs to fill the zone up more consistently.
Additional Comments: Velocity should continue to increase as it has done over the last two years as he continues to fill out and gets stronger. Increased command and secondary development will make him one of the most sought after RHP’s in the region.

6-foot-5 178-pound projectable right-handed pitcher. The lanky Lybarger works at a slow tempo through a compact and efficient delivery. Works down the mound in good direction with level shoulders while finishing slightly closed at foot contact. Fastball sat 83-86 mph during his session. Creates a lot of downward angle coming out of a ¾ slot. Flashed some late arm side run at times. Slider was thrown at 73-74 mph with tight rotation sweeping across the zone. Has potential to be a plus pitch in the future. Also offered a curveball, at 66-68 mph the pitch has a slurvy 11/5 action. Lybarger rounded out his repertoire with a 77-78 mph changeup. The pitch was mostly straight but offers deceptive arm action. Lybarger is one to keep an eye on over the next couple of years, there’s plenty off room to add strength and he is a good candidate for a velocity jump this spring/summer.

Standing 6-foot-5, 170-pounds with the longest of limbs, Lybarger may have the highest ceiling of any player that I saw at the event. Although his arms seem to hang down nearly to his knees, Lybarger’s right arm does not take a long path to throw the ball, but rather is whippy-quick in the back before releasing out of ¾ slot. His fastball sat 83-85, touching 87 mph early and featured a great deal of natural sink and arm side life. That sink and life made him difficult to catch which influenced the strike zone a bit, but nonetheless, makes Lybarger an arm to follow very closely moving forward. He has a simple delivery with normal tempo and works linear down the mound. Because his arms are so long and the stroke in the back is so short, it almost appears like he is slinging the ball from the ¾ slot when viewing in person. His slider was short and tight at 75-76 when thrown at its best, and has a strong chance to develop into a weapon in the near future. He also exhibited feel for what was a wicked changeup at times with some sink and heavy run at 73-74. Overall, the frame and quickness of Lybarger’s arm really stand out right now, and with the flashes that his arsenal showed, he has a chance to make big jumps soon, especially as he fills out his thin frame.

6-foot-5, 170-pound righty with tall, thin frame. Quick tempo to his delivery. Starts squared on the rubber. Small rocker step into inward leg lift. Uses short arm action. Ball comes out easy. Fastball has arm side run at 80-81 mph, up to 84 mph. Slider breaks on one plane at 69-71 mph. Good hand speed to the pitch Curveball has tight break and depth at 64 mph. Both are effective out pitches already. Changeup is thrown with good arm speed at 66-67 mph. Although ceiling is higher on the mound he also worked out as a position player. Athletic infield prospect showed fluid actions defensively. Hands were soft fielding each attempt cleanly. Footwork was smooth with nice lateral movement. Throwing velocity across diamond was 78 mph. A right-handed bat that does a nice job staying balanced through swing. Path is level with natural loft in there. Showed feel for the barrel with the ability to generate backspin and carry. Much more pop to come as he fills out projectable frame. Upside as a prospect is on the mound but the bat is intruguing as well.

60-yard dash: 7.42
Infield Velocity: 78
Exit Velocity: 77

Swings with intent from both sides, swing plays, should see easy increase in pop as he fills out frame. Swing is efficient from both sides. Loading sequence in fluid and creates energy/timing. Path is downhill with developing bat speed. Line drive approach. In the infield he is mechanically sound and has feel for the spot. Still growing into athleticism. Hands are soft and glove skills are above average. Future looks bright on the mound. The righty has a long limbed, projectable frame with a ton of room to fill out. Arm works well through a high-¾ slot. Expect much more velocity to come. Showed impressive pitchability for his age. Breaking ball has an 11/5 shape and was consistently in the zone. Puts solid spin on the offering that showed potential of growing into an out pitch.

FB: 76-80
CB: 61-65
60-yard Dash: 7.94
Infield Velocity: 82
Exit Velocity: R74, L72

A switch-hitter. Starts in a taller setup from the left-side. Uses a small leg lift for timing, Bat moves back to a strong launch position during his stride. Path is level and he does a nice job getting on plane. Strength is well above average and bat speed is developing. Swings with intent. Very similar approach mechanically from the right-side. Looks more comfortable and consistent in the right batters box. Maintains natural tools. Present line drive pop with much more to come as he fills out his projectable frame. In the infield he uses smooth, efficient footwork approaching the baseball. Actions are athletic and he is mechanically sound. Ball skills are well above average for his age. Solid defender. He is one of the right handed arms to watch in the class of 2021. He throws from a natural ¾ arm slot, and his mechanics are pretty polished for his age. He uses a lot of upper body torque to gather his momentum. The front foot tends to open up slightly upon impact but still finishes towards the plate. He does a great job of getting on top of the fastball keeping it downhill. The fastball has some late arm-side cut to it as well. His curveball sweeps across the zone on a 10/4 tilt. He also offers a changeup with some fade that appears to still be developing. Both of his offspeed pitches appear to be developing punch out pitches.

FB: 78-83
CH: 76-77
CB: 62-67
60-yard Dash: 7.8
Infield Velocity: 77
Exit Velocity: R76, L75