Prep Baseball Report

North AL Preseason All-State: Quick Hits, Catchers


Austin Sharp
Alabama Scouting Director

HARTSELLE, AL - The North AL Preseason All-State, one of the top events of the year, was held on Saturday, January 18th at Hartselle HS Indoor in Hartselle, AL. This event was an invite-only event that consisted of prospects from the 2025-2029 classes. These players went through extended pro-style workout that included batting practice using Trackman and Blast Motion, ran the 30-yard dash using VALD Performance due to weather, and much more. Pitchers were able to throw in simulated bullpens during the workout and were able to get numbers and metrics off of our Trackman unit, such as pitch velocity, spin rate, horizontal & vertical movement & much more. There were some players who showed up and continued to build off of prior performances, but there were also some new names who jumped onto our radar with a strong showing on Saturday.

Kicking off our post-event coverage for this event, we begin our Quick Hits edition by highlighting some of the top catchers in attendance at the event. Please continue to check back over the next week, as we will release other leaderboards and individual scouting reports on each player present at the event. 

Jaylen Crocker C / American Christian Academy, AL / 2026

Uncommitted. 6-foot-3, 208-pounds. Physical build with lean strength and potential room to continue to add. A former Prep Baseball Future Gamer from this past summer. Currently ranked as the top uncommitted catcher in the 2026 class in Alabama. Quality traits both sides of the ball making him a well-rounded prospect. Physical right-handed hitter with more power tool currently, but has shown the ability to flash some hit tool in the past. Hits a in a slightly-crouched stance and stays in his lower-half throughout the swing. Separates well during his load using a simple leg kick for timing. Has some good hand quickness. Doesn't take much effort to generate higher exits off the barrel, as he consistently peppered the back of the net with line drives during BP. Posted a top EV of 101.2 mph, while averaging 94.7 mph. One of the better defensive catchers in attendance, showcasing some polished recieving skills and above-average catch-and-throw ability. Possesses strong wrists which give him ability to stick pitches on/around the corners of the zone. Has handled some higher-caliber arms well during the spring and summer. Posted pop times ranging 1.97-2.00 and peaked at a 75 mph catcher velocity. Looks primed for a big spring.

Tayte Dunn C / Northridge, AL / 2026

Uncommitted. 6-foot-1, 180-pounds. Medium build. Some present strength scattered throughout. Another talented uncommitted catcher in the 2026 class in Alabama who will be making a sizable jump in the next rankings cycle. Popped at a Fall ID a few months ago, and continues to build off of prior performances as one of the better catchers in attendance at this event. Has quality skills on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the right-hander has a smooth, efficient swing that works cleanly through the zone, and consistently produced firm contact back up the middle and to the pull-side gap during his round of BP. One of the more polished right-handed swings from the event. Frequently on the barrel, and posted a top EV of 94.7 mph. Behind the plate, Dunn showcased some of the best catch-and-throw abilities with a strong arm and accurate throws to the second-base bag. The junior led the event with pop times ranging 1.91-1.94 consistently, and topped at 81 mph on his catcher velocity, which was also tied for 1st. Flexible behind the plate, the backstop handled his arms well during the bullpen session and will continue to develop into a quality reciever. 

Jeremy Menhennett C / St. Luke's Episcopal, AL / 2027

Uncommitted. 5-foot-11, 194-pounds. Quality strength to build and a solid overall athlete. One of the last prospects to sign up for the event, but certainly made a strong impression both offensively and defensively and was near the top of most statistical categories for catchers. Offensively, the right-hander possesses a short, connected swing with the ability to get on-plane early in the zone and hammer balls gap-to-gap within his approach. Starts from a slightly-open stance, but works back to square using a simple stride for timing mechanism. Incorporates the lower-half well by generating strength from the ground-up during the swing, allowing him to generate higher exits during BP while peaking at 98.5 mph while averaging 95.1 mph. Defensively, he showcased some of the best arm strength from the crouch on throws to second base with average accurary peaking at 81 mph, and should continue to lower his 2.03-2.12 pop times with a quicker transfer in the future. A multi-sport athlete while serving as a talented quarterback on the gridrion, as well.

Jonah Inman C / OF / Cullman, AL / 2026

Uncommitted. 5-foot-11, 164-pounds. Lean, high-waisted build. Plenty of room to add future strength. One of the better left-handed swings from the event with the ability to repeat it well and square up the baseball with consistency. More hit tool carrying the profile currently, but could tap into some power in the future with more strength. Minimal wasted movement throughout a square stance and simple load. Stays short during the swing and moves the barrel through the zone with good accuracy to generate solid contact. All-fields hitter with a more line-drive approach and an upward path during the swing. Polished approach that has shown the ability to transfer to in-game performance last spring and this summer. Has added roughly 15 pounds since last January, and elevated his top EV from 81.3 mph to 94.0 mph. Posted pop times ranging 2.12-2.17 and peaking at a 75 mph catcher velocity. Has some ability behind the plate defensively, but could make a potential move to a corner outfield spot in the future.

Haines Bridges C / Vestavia Hills, AL / 2027

Uncommitted. 5-foot-11, 217-pounds. Compact, physical frame with tons of present strength, especially in the lower-half. Possesses a prototypical catcher build. Attended the Birmingham Preseason ID a couple weeks ago, and continued to show off impressive offensively ability and power at this event. Offensively, the right-hander hits from a slightly-open, crouched stance and works back to square using a short, efficient stride for timing while shifting his hands back. Looks to hammer the ball to the pull-side with lift and authority using an upward path through contact. Has present bat speed with average of 74.4 mph. Recorded a top EV of 98.7 mph during his round of BP and peaked at a 349 ft. max estimated distance in the process. Defensively, the junior backstop recorded pop times ranging 2.00-2.11 and peaked at a 75 mph catcher velocity. Had good accuracy on his throws to the second-base bag using a quick transfer. 

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