Layton
Hicks

2/17/18

6-foot-3 and 215-pound right-handed pitcher with projectable frame. Hicks has a compact delivery that starts off very quick then slows down after his leg lift. Has some counter rotation in the upper body before loading into the hips. Shows good direction finishing slightly closed at foot contact. Working out of a ¾ slot the fastball sat 73-76 MPH. Shows good feel for a breaking ball that has some depth at 64-67 MPH on a 11/5 tilt. Final offering was a 65-66 MPH splitter that shows swing a miss potential with late sink through the zone. Two-way prospect. A physical bat from the left side. Starts open and uses a short stride to square himself back up. Goes with a slight back load with hands prior to accelerating the barrel through the zone on a level path. Strength stands out in swing with some hand speed as well. Middle of the lineup type who showed regular gap pop with flashes of pull side power. At third base he moves light on his feet with above average lateral mobility for frame. Fields the ball nicely, out in front of his body showing soft hands through fielding. Glove looks to be reliable. Transfer is fluid and he threw across the diamond with accuracy. Solid defender.

Home to First: 4.94
Infield Velocity: 72
Exit Velocity: 79

1/28/17
On the mound, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound righty starts with a slower tempo that speeds up prior to release. Works through a high-¾ slot with some quickness to his arm. Arm action is longer and he lands in line to home plate. Was anywhere from 73-74 mph with his fastball, topping at 77 mph. Uses a splitter for his lone secondary pitch. The pitch comes in at 64-66 mph with late. Has solid feel for it with enough downward action to miss barrels. A lefty swinger that starts open and gets back to even through a short stride. Hands stay simple during loading sequence. Swing is compact and barrel gets in and out of the zone quickly. Worked primarily to his pull side in batting practice. Showed gap to gap pop to his pull side. Defensively, he shows average footwork around the bag. Would like to see him come off quicker with more bend in his knees. Throws from a ¾ slot with short arm action.

IF Velocity: 72
Home to 1st: 4.71
Exit Velocity: 77