Anderson
Hayes

Putting together one of the more electric outings on the weekend was 6-foot-7, 215-pound Notre Dame commit RHP Anderson Hayes (Oconomowoc, 2024). Hayes is currently ranked No. 24 in the state of Wisconsin and it wasn’t hard to see why on Saturday afternoon. Hayes was dominant, using a high-spin fastball (2500+ RPM) that worked from 87-89 mph with life out of the hand. Hayes complemented his fastball with another high-spin offering in the form of a sharp slider (2600+ RPM) that got very uncomfortable swings throughout the outing. Hayes finished his day with three no-hit frames, with the only baserunner reaching via a walk, while also punching out six.

Positional Profile: RHP/1B
Body: 6-7, 215-pounds. Tall build with present strength.
Delivery: Methodical windup, high leg kick with toe point into tall and fall delivery, closed stride, crossfire action.
Arm Action: RH. Shorter arm arc, 3/4 slot.
FB: T85, 83-84 mph. 4S plays mostly straight, 2S plays with hard running action. T2652, 2535 average rpm.
CB: 72-74 mph. 12/6 action, sharp. T2607, 2557 average rpm.
CH: 78-80 mph. Downer action, some fade action. T1702, 1640 average rpm.

RHP Anderson Hayes (Oconomowoc, 2024; Valparaiso commit) is listed at an attention grabbing 6-foot-7, 215-pounds and he put together a solid ‘pen during out time in Windsor. Hayes ran his two-different fastballs, a two-seam and a four-seam, up to 84.6 mph and sat 83-84 mph. The four-seam plays mostly straight with some occasional arm-side run; the two-seam features more run, roughly more than 13’ on average. One of the more impressive things about his fastball is that he spins it at an average of 2534 rpm which makes this pitch seem even that much harder. Hayes’ feel to spin transfers over to his curveball that averages 2556 rpm and plays with short 11/5 action. He also is able to effectively kill spin on a changeup, roughly 1640 rpm on average. 

Hayes is a highly projectable 6-foot-6, 210-pound righty in this junior class, and this fall he broke out as a true pitching prospect. In the winter, we saw Hayes at the Madison Preseason ID, where he sat 79-81 mph with his fastball but it was packed with projection. This fall, we started to see this projection play out as he was able to run his fastball up to 86 mph with a clean and easy delivery. His breaking ball is also a suitable offspeed offering as it flashes late 11/5 break in the low-70s. With as much upside as Hayes brings to the mound, it wouldn’t be surprising if we start to see Hayes keep climbing in velocity as he continues his prep career. 

Positional Profile: RHP/1B
Body: 6-6, 190-pounds. Towering frame, high-waisted with long-limbs.
Delivery: Tilt and topple delivery with some effort, short stride, lands close to home, upright finish.
Arm Action: RH. Short arm action, high 3/4 slot.
FB: T80.6, 79.4-80.6 mph. Throws four seam and two seam for strikes. T2314, 2260 average rpm.
CB: 68.5-69.4 mph. 11/5 shape, lower half zone command. T2317, 2197 average rpm.
CH: 72.0-76.5 mph. Late arm side run. T2270, 1657 average rpm.

Hit: RHH. Tall, even setup. Closed stride.  Vertical set, vertical entry, lifting through impact. Hard contact to all fields.
Power: 96.1 max exit velocity, averaged 86.9 mph. 336’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 79 mph. Long loop, deep pocket, low 3/4 release.
Defense: Big target, shows footwork around bag.
Run: 7.75 runner in the 60. 

Hayes is listed at an attention-grabbing 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, with obviously long levers and a high waist that has him towering over peers. While working a tall/fall style with a short stride, a high ¾ slot with an upright finish, and a short arm action that he repeats well given his age and size. The fastball is packed with projection, evidenced by its average spin rate of 2,260 rpm that already generates high vertical action for its 79-81 mph velo range. The curveball offers a short wrinkle action while spinning at 2,300 rpm, and the changeup averaged 1,600 rpm with effective arm-side run and fade.

6-foot-2, 140 pounds; thin, lanky frame with long levers. A right-handed hitter, demonstrated some barrel feel over the weekend by going 4-for-8 and he used his levers to create some firmer contact than expected. Short, simple bat path off an uphill plane. Barreled a deep double to left-center against Cangelosi Sparks North.