Kansas City Winter Open: Catcher's Analysis

On February 16, Prep Baseball Report - Missouri/Kansas held the Kansas City Open at Mac N Seitz Baseball in Kansas City, Missouri.  Over 70 players attended in the 2021 to 2018 classes. 

Players can now updated their profiles with a ProspectPlus subscription, while scouts and recruiters can add players on the ScoutPlus dashboard.

Player profiles have been updated with profile picture, running times, velocities, and videos.  Today will take a closer look at the catchers from the event. Players are listed in alphabetical order below.

This group of catchers included seven from the one from the 2018 class, two from the 2019 class, 2020 class, and two from the 2021 class. Five catchers posted pop times below 2.00, five had positional velos of 75 mph or higher, and four had an exit velo of 90 mph or better.  Here is a closer look at the catchers from the Kansas City Open.

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Chayton Beck C / OF / Liberty, MO / 2020 Beck is a strong and athletically built 6-foot-1 170-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2020 class.  He ran a 4.82 home to first and has an 81 mph exit velocity. At the plate, starts with a balanced stance, smooth load to back side, no wasted movements, middle to pull side contact, level path though the zone, repeatable.  Behind the plate, pop times between 1.97 and 2.06-seconds, 74 mph positional velocity, high three quarters release, smooth transfer on time with feet, clean transfer, quick catch and throw, accurate throws, some with carry.

Jacob Crooks C / RHP / Lees Summit West, MO / 2020 Crooks is a physical 6-foot-3 190-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2020 class.  He ran a 4.21 home to first and has a 94 exit velocity.  At the plate, starts slightly open, toe tap to stride, level path, quick hands and fast bat speed, occasional pull power, high finish in hands.  Behind the plate, pop times between 1.98 and 2.12-seconds, 73 mph positional velocity, high three quarters arm slot, clean exchanges, slightly staggered base in set up, throws are mostly accurate and most have carry to the bag.

Michael Daggett RHP / C / Paola, KS / 2020 Daggett is a lean and loose 6-foot 135-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Kansas’ 2020 class.  He ran a 4.31 home to first and has an 82 mph exit velocity. At the plate, balanced stance, some hand load with in line stride, short and level bat path to extension, consistent line drives to the middle of the cage during hitting evals.  Behind the plate, pop times between 1.91 and 2.09-seconds, 77 mph positional velocity, slightly staggered base, over the top release, quick jab step, creates momentum to throw, exchange on time with quick feet, mostly accurate throws, some with carry.

Zach Dillman C / RHP / Lee's Summit West, MO / 2020 Dillman is a 6-foot 170-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2020 class.  He ran a 4.36 home to first and has a 90 mph exit velocity.  At the plate, started in both open and slightly closed stance, some hand load, mostly pull side contact with occasional power, quick and loose hands.  Behind the plate, over the top release, quick feet on time with clean exchange, pop times between 1.98 and 2.08-seconds, 77 mph positional velocity, mostly accurate throws with carry to the bag.

Hudson Leach C / RHP / Oak Park, MO / 2020 Leach is a well built 6-foot2 181-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2020 class.  He ran a 4.47 home to first and has a 93 mph exit velocity. At the plate, balanced stance, bring stride leg to back then back in line to stride, loose and quick hands, hands generate bat whip, aggressive swing with power to pull gap.  Behind the plate, pop times between 1.94 and 2.05-seconds, 78 mph positional velocity, balanced set up, over the top release, aggressive out of the crouch, clean transfer with quick feet, throws have carry and are mostly accurate.

Corbyn Meyers C / 1B / Spring Hill , KS / 2020 Meyers is a 6-foot 175-pound left-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2020 class.  He ran a 4.81 home to first and has an 82 mph exit velocity. At the plate, starts slightly open, controlled leg lift to stride, natural lift to swing path, some hand load, quick bat speed, accelerates to ball, mostly pull side contact during hitting evals.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.02 and 2.34-seconds, 75 mph positional velocity, staggered thin set up in base, over the top release, feet create momentum to throw, mostly accurate throws, some with carry to the bag.

Nick Modrcin C / 1B / St. James Academy, KS / 2018 Modrcin is an athletically built 6-foot-2 185-pound left-handed hitting catcher in Kansas' 2018 class.  He ran a 4.44 home to first and has a 91 mph exit velocity. At the plate, starts with open stance, in line stride, loose hand with slight lift to path, middle to pull side contact. His pop times were 2.08 to 2.14 with a 74 mph velo, offset feet in set up, short over the top release, exchange on time with fluid footwork, creates momentum to throw, throws have carry to the bag and are accurate.

Jackson Nicklaus C / 3B / Andover, KS / 2021 Nicklaus is a 5-foot-9 150-pound  switch-hitting catcher in Kansas’ 2021 class.  He ran a 4.50 home to first and has a 80 mph exit velo from both sides of the plate. At the plate, thin and balanced set up, no wasted movement, quiet hands, level path through contact, feel for the barrel, loose hands, consistent middle of the field contact.  Behind the the plate,  2.09 to 2.30-second pop times, 70 mph positional velocity, staggered set up in base, high three quarters release, fluid actions with fluid footwork, accurate throws with occasional carry.

Jarin Nitsche C / 3B / Smithville, MO / 2019 Nitsche is a strong 6-foot- 215 right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2019 class.  He ran a 4.32 home to first and has an 85 mph exit velocity. At the plate, balanced stance, reverse toe tap, short in line stride, occasional pull side power with look and quick hands.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.13 to 2.25-seconds, 70 mph positional velocity, short high three quarters release, quick jab set on time with clean transfers, mostly accurate throws.

Max Stuart C / 2B / Kirksville , MO / 2019 Stuart is a 6-foot-2 215-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Missouri’s 2019 class.  He ran a 4.36 home to first and has an 84 mph exit velocity. At the plate, starts slightly open, high and controlled leg lift, in line stride, some hand load, level path, hands work inside the ball, mostly middle to opposite gap contact. Behind the plate, pop times between 2.12 and 2.34-seconds, 77 mph positional velocity, balanced stance, over the top release, feet create first momentum to throw, fluid exchange, mostly accurate throws, some with carry.

JD Van Horn C / 3B / Ottawa, KS / 2020 Van Horn is a 5-foot-11 165-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Kansas’ 2020 class.  He ran a 4.56 home to first and has a 78 mph exit velocity. At the plate, balanced set up, some pre-pitch rhythm in hands, small and smooth weight shift in back side, slightly closed stride, level path, gap to gap line drives, has ability to go the other way.  Behind the plate, 2.02 to 2.20-second pop times, 73 mph positional velocity, high three quarters arm slot, quick transfer with fluid footwork, works through the catch wit momentum, fluid footwork, accurate throws, occasional carry.

Adam Young C / RHP / Olathe South, KS / 2021 Young is a 5-foot-10 140-pound right-handed hitting catcher in Kansas’ 2021 class.  He ran a 4.77 home to first and has an 82 mph exit velocity. At the plate, thin and open stance, controlled leg lift, slightly open stride, mostly middle to pull side contact during hitting evals.  Behind the plate, pop times between 2.22 and 2.38-seconds, 70 mph positional velocity, offset feet in set up, over the top release, clean exchanges, somewhat accurate throws to the bag.

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