With the year coming to an end, our staff is taking some time to highlight and reflect on the most viewed profiles in Missouri throughout 2023. We’ll be counting down to the top spot, starting with No. 10 earlier in the week working our way down, releasing the most viewed name prior to the end of the year.  

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We've already released three stories, which you can find here:

+ No. 10 Tytus Cissell
+ No. 9 Drew Dickerson
+ No. 8 Trey Snyder
+ No. 7 Kade Durnin
+ No. 6 Leo Humbert
+ No. 5 Henry Vedder

We’ll keep making our way to No. 1 on our list today with the fourth most viewed profile in the state this year, INF Caeden Cloud (Nixa, 2025; Kentucky commit). 

Cloud’s prospect prominence started at the A’s Scout Day in late February, where he burst onto the scene in front of our staff. He was one of the top names in attendance as just a sophomore and firmly put himself onto the prospect radar as a must-see name for our staff during the spring season. 

From 3/4/23: “...Cloud also really runs, dashing to a 6.76 time in his workout, and he was 88 mph across the infield, which led all underclassmen at this event. Cloud produced easy juice at the plate, squaring balls up at 89 mph on average, and reaching a 96.8 mph high on his loudest barrel without much effort to his swing.”

(2/22/23)

The positive momentum for Cloud didn’t stop there, as he thrust himself into an everyday role as the starting shortstop and middle-of-the-order bat for a Nixa club that made a run to the Class 6 Final Four. We saw him live a handful of times during the spring season, where he showed effortless athleticism on the infield and a right-handed swing that oozed all sorts of upside. 

Cloud more than earned himself the opportunity to represent Missouri at the PBR Future Games in late July, and he actually came away from the event as one of the top prospects on a loaded ‘Show Me’ state squad. He kicked his week off by beaming a triple, racked up a handful of other barrels, and played adequate defense on the dirt to further improve a profile full of positive value already. Cloud’s week caught the attention of Shooter Hunt, who ranked the Nixa star as the No. 2 prospect in attendance within his ‘Shooter’s Standouts’ piece: 

From 8/11/23: “...Cloud was clearly one of the biggest winners of the event, and likely spent a significant amount of time fielding phone calls on August 1. High-waisted at 6-foot, 175-pounds, the twitchy shortstop posted a max exit velocity of 98 mph, but it was his adjustability and pitch processing that elevated his upside into the upper echelon at the event. Incessantly hitterish with each look, the barrel turn and balance stood out with each swing as he demonstrated innate ability to move the barrel around while getting off dangerous swings while remaining in control. Equally as confident in his hands on the infield, Cloud’s likelihood of sticking at shortstop, combined with his showing as a “real bat” makes his prospect value that much higher.”

We saw Cloud again at the A’s Scout Day in late September, shortly after he committed to Kentucky. In this brief look, Cloud’s workout was as impressive as his showing in LakePoint not that much earlier, and he did nothing but keep building his case as an upper-tier prospect in the class.

From 9/26/23: “...continued to solidify himself as a high-end name-to-know in not only Missouri’s junior class, but on a national scale, too. Cloud, who represented Team Missouri at the Future Games this past summer, holds present strength on a 6-foot, 175-pound frame, though he’s still plenty capable of adding more muscle mass. Cloud does a little bit of everything at a high level, starting with an easy, rhythmic right-handed swing that authoritatively impacts the baseball gap-to-gap. He jumped all over an inner-half heater for a triple in-game and blasted balls on repeat during BP, averaging 90.7 mph per swing with a 96.3 mph max exit velocity and 370 foot peak batted distance. Defensively, Cloud’s actions will keep him on the dirt moving forward, as he’s a fluid, free-flowing presence on the infield that pairs his soft hands with a natural internal clock. Everything comes easy to Cloud and he’s able to slow the game down naturally, which is a trait most upper-tier prospects possess.”

(9/23/23)

As he continues to grow into his frame and physically develop, Cloud’s tools should only tick up and that, combined with his polish and feel for the game makes for a highly valuable all-around profile. Expect the Nixa native to become more and more popular in professional circles as his high school career progresses with a blend of floor and ceiling in his game. 

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