Taber
Stokes

Body: 6-foot-1, 165-pound athletic and projectable frame with room for added strength and size in the future.

Hit: RHH.  At the plate starts with a slightly open stance and upright posture.  Hands get set slightly above shoulder height with a high back elbow.  Lower half works linearly through the swing into a firm front leg at contact.  Short leg kick stride that gets back to neutral and has 50/50 weight distribution between the feet at contact.  Maintains good balance and body control throughout the swing.  Head stays behind the ball at contact point.  Has good overall bat speed.

Power: 88 mph exit velocity off the tee and 84 mph exit velocity in BP.

Arm: RH.  INF-78 mph.  High ¾ arm slot with a clean/quick arm action.

Defense: In the infield attacks the ball with smooth rhythm and proper footwork for a middle infielder.  Fields the ball with soft hands and good glove action.  Shows good lateral range to both the glove hand and backhand sides.  Has good internal clock and strong rhythm throughout the fielding process.  Advanced SS actions for the 2023 class.

Run: 4.58 runner to first base.

The 2023 infielder put his smooth defensive abilities and athletic swing to work throughout the week showing he can play anywhere on the infield and look very comfortable.  During the workout portion Stokes made consistent line drive contact with exit speeds reaching up to 91 mph to go along with his 25 mph hand speed according to the Blast Motion sensor.  Where Stokes really shines is his ability to defend at a high level during the games showing his smooth rhythm and very good body control.  Programs looking for a steady defender that can stay at shortstop will find that in Stokes, as he has shown the ability to show up and play defense everyday at an impact position to go along with a balanced swing that continues to show improvement each time we see him.

Taber Stokes: SS/2B, (2023) Mustang, OK. 6-foot, 155-pound athletic frame. At the plate, Stokes had an exit velocity of 86 mph. Started in a balanced stance with a arm bar low load, then used a short stride just before his swing. Had quick bat speed, upward swing plane and level finish. He created loud contact and found multiple barrels. Gap to gap approach. Above average in the infield, his best throw was registered at 76 mph; has sure soft hands, a developing quick exchange and consistent developing feet. Glovework is shown deep Showed a short arm action with a ¾ slot. Clocked a 60 time of 7.23 at the event.

Showcased a lean and projectable 5-foot-11, 140-pound frame with feel for his body. The right-handed hitter starts with a balanced, even stance using a leg-hang to initiate his swing. Generated a slightly uphill bat path through the baseball with regularity while demonstrating feel for the barrel. Hit into a stiff front side recording a 77 mph bat-exit velocity from the tee. Registered a 7.84 60-yard dash. The primary middle infielder flashed active footwork that arrived to the ball on time with regularity. Created downhill momentum coupled with smooth transfers on accurate throws of 78 out of a fluid, high ¾ arm-slot. 

A 5-foot-11, 140-pound slim frame; SS/2B. At the plate, the right-handed hitter had a max exit velocity of 79 mph. Starts in an open stance with a big load, then uses a toe tap before his swing. Shows a level swing plane and average bat speed, and he ends his swing with a level finish. In BP, shows a middle to opposite field and flat approach with nearly all barrels. While in the infield, made throws across the field up to 69 mph; showed a quick exchange, sure hands and quick footwork. Showing consistent accuracy to the bases, he had a loose arm action with a high ¾ slot. He recorded a 60 time of 7.88 at the event.