Prep Baseball Report

SoCal ProCase Spotlight: C Charlie Saum


Les Lukach
State Scouting Director

    

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FULLERTON, CALIF. - When you’ve played on National Teams throughout your high school career it’s hard to not be a regularly discussed name. When you’re one of the top catchers in the State of California, it’s almost impossible to fly under the radar. Such is the case for ‘21 catcher Charlie Saum of Thousand Oaks HS and a Stanford commit, currently ranked #15 overall in the state and the #1 catcher in his class. 

Being a “household” name carries with it plenty of pressure, something Saum seems to thrive on. At 5-foot-11, 185-pounds, Saum has the type of loose, athletic frame that has ample room for strength gains to further cement his position in the long run.

With 67 representatives from 22 MLB Organizations in attendance, some teams 2-3 deep, and the talent on the SoCal ProCase roster, Saum set out to show that his overall ranking in the state of California is for real and worthy of MLB scouting interest heading into the 2021 draft.

THE REPORT: 

Body: Five-foot-11, 185-pounds. Long, lean, and wiry strength throughout the frame with significant lower half strength you’d expect from a catcher. 

Hit: Shows the ability to get and keep the barrel on plane through the swing into through to extension. Flashes pull side power presently with the ability to go the other way with line drives. His impact position ranks amongst the highest scores registered by Blast Motion which allows him to make adjustments to pitches more easily, something he showed in-game. 


Power: With a max exit speed of 99.90 mph and an average speed of 85.26 mph, Saum possesses the type of projectable power seen in elite college and everyday professional players. Average distance was 232 ft. with a peak of 380 ft. 

Arm: Power arm that registered an 80 mph speed from the crouch with pop-times in the 1.91-1.94 range with throws on the bag. Throws flash carry with some run to the first base side of the bag. 

Run: Clocked a 7.46 sixty yard dash time on a grass surface.

Summary: Saum has the look of a catcher who is going to continue to develop both physically and in his overall game. With a frame that could easily withstand the addition of 20-25 pounds, Saum is a high ceiling, high floor catcher who, should he decide to honor his commitment to Stanford, thrive in the Pac-12 where he will likely have an opportunity to play early and often. The commitment is a reflection of his commitment in the classroom and those smarts are on full display as you watch him set up hitters with his pitch calling. He’s a quiet defender with quick feet and a fast arm making it tough to steal bags on him. The commitment will make it difficult for pro scouts to pull him away from when it comes to the MLB Draft next year. However, his skill sets and projection will make it tough for scouts to not kick the tires and gauge his interest in bypassing the Pac-12 and hopping right into pro ball. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

There will be additional events in Northern CA scheduled for October 10 & 11, stay tuned!

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
SoCal Uncommitted Senior Games CA 09/13 Amerige Park
Norcal Uncommitted Senior Games CA 09/26 Islanders Field
SoCal Underclass I.D. Camp CA 10/10 Great Park
SoCal Upperclass I.D. Camp CA 10/10 Great Park
SoCal Underclass I.D. Camp II CA 10/11 Great Park
SoCal Upperclass I.D. Camp II CA 10/11 Great Park


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