Nate
Taylor

More high-level arms took the mound for both clubs as RHP Nate Taylor (Buford HS, GA; uncommitted) was next for the Padres. With a high effort delivery and good arm speed the uncommitted talent found the zone with 90-94 mph fastballs. He spun a near average breaking ball at 82-83 mph at 2500-2750 rpm, but his best pitch was an average to better at times 86-87 changeup. He killed spin down into the 1400s with most in the 1600-1700 range for some sink.

Underclass Games - Infield Analysis 

Positional Profile: SS/RHP Power arm
Body: 6-foot-1, 195-pounds. Proportional build, strength throughout, physical lower half with room for more.
Hit: RHH. Open setup with weight loaded onto back-side, hands start near ear and drop on load, short stride, good balance. Barrel path is short to the zone, gets extended through and lifts the ball with driving force, quick hand speed.
Power: 93.5 max exit velocity, averaged 81.6 mph. 296’ max distance. Present gap-to-gap power.
Arm: RH. INF - 86 mph. Long, loose arm action, mostly high 3/4 slot, can drop down to a lower slot while maintaining accuracy.
Defense: Plays through the ball with a confident glove and body control, fields out front and funnels into midsection, clean on exchanges, at-times packs as he gets his feet underneath.
Run: 7.47 runner in the 60. 

Uncommitted. 6-foot-1, 185-pound right-handed pitcher, athletic build, lean strength throughout, more to come. Started vs. Houston County in the pivotal Game 3 in the Elite 8, picked up the W, going 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Has pitched big innings for Buford all season long. Calm demeanor on the mound, focused intensity. Arm works long on the back-side, athletic and quick enough where he gets out front on-time, high ¾ slot, falls off at-times. Fastball sat 84-86, run action. Curveball, 69-72, 12/6 shape, some sharp/swing and miss, good feel, consistently threw for strikes. Threw some pitches at 79-81 that had cut action

Another 2024 on the Buford side that made a huge impact was RHP Nate Taylor. At 6 foot 1, 190 pounds, he has the build of a college wrestler with a strong lower half and lean muscled upper body. However, the frame has room to fill out and more velo should come with it. He fired in nasty cutting FB’s at 84-85 T86 that missed barrels. Nate has a well paced delivery with a lengthy full circle arm action from a ¾ slot. His secondary pitches were of the same quality, featuring a 78-79 mph CH with run and sink that maintained FB arm speed perfectly. He also flipped in a 73-75 CB with consistent shape for strikes. 

Uncommitted. 6-foot-1, 185-pound right-handed pitcher, athletic build with lean strength, has become a reliable arm out of the Wolves bullpen early in the season. Picked up a W in relief against Jesuit (FL), going 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K, 0 BB. Confident and poised on the mound. Arm works with some length on the back-side, shallow stab, arm remains in motion, ¾ slot, quick arm speed. Rides lower half down the mound, keeping momentum towards home, some effort in delivery. Fastball sat 84-86, touched 87 and 88, more in tank Slider, 73-74, downer, good feel for, potential swing and miss.

Physical: Athletic / projectable 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame with length in the limbs. 7.92 runner in the 60-yard dash. Offensively: RHH. Tall, open stance with the hands showing quick and controlled rhythm by the ear in the setup. Utilized a toe-tap stride to initiate a flat barrel path through the hitting zone, low effort swing with high level bat to ball skills. Showed athleticism in the lower half with adjustability on pitches down in the zone, was able to match pitch plane early and often in the stroke. Took his talents to game action where he knocked the ball around working with a gap to gap approach at the plate leading to multiple extra base hits. Recorded a peak bat-exit velocity of 85 mph per Trackman Baseball with more on the way as he continues adding strength, should project as a middle of the order bat down the line. Defensively: The primary shortstop featured rangy, fluid actions during defensive evaluations with a medium center of gravity and quick first step in either direction. Liked to use banana routes to extend range, and got downhill through the baseball with active footwork fielding off of the inside of his left foot, accurate and smooth transfers and repeatable high ¾ arm-slot across the diamond. Made the play on the run with ease with ability to throw across his body. INF - 78 mph Pitching: RHP - Wide side rocker step into a medium-high leg lift with slight hip coil, displayed good lower half drive towards the plate jolting the arm through a high ¾ slot with quickness through the arm circle. FB ranged from 74-76 T77 mph with an upwards of 2136 spin per Trackman Baseball, mixed in a sharp 64-66 mph SL with good hand speed and late bite across the zone horizontally.

Physical: 5-foot-11, 165 pounds; athletic, strong build. 7.46 runner in the 60. Offensively: RHH. Open wide stance with bat waggle; drops hands into load position, hanging stride to forward move. average effort and stays behind the ball well with short swing path.  Hard contact to the pull side; peak Trackman exit velocity of 88 MPH. Defensively: Low to the ground athletic set up; quick first step and covers ground well laterally, good footwork. soft hands that he works in center of body, clean transfer; moderate arm swing & standard 3/4 slot. INF - 77 MPH. Pitching: Glove side set up, knee to chest leg drive with a closed stride and straight-up finish. Short arm swing with high 3/4 arm slot. FB: T 74MPH, 72-74 MPH. FB had impressive carry and ride. SL: 59-62 MPH. SL has good sweeping & late downward movement. CH: 61-62 MPH. CH had some late fading movement.

5-foot-7, 140-pound right-handed hitter starts from a square stance and utilizes a leg-hang stride to begin. Showcased a short swing path while routinely staying inside the baseball. Registered a bat exit velocity of 68 mph and ran a 9.63 60-yard dash. Displayed athletic actions defensively with accurate 63 mph arm strength across the diamond. The righty sat 63-67 on the mound out of a high 3/4 arm slot. Also showed a feel for a curveball with 11/5 rotation at 53-58 and a changeup at 57-60.