Diamondskills Summer All American Camp: Catcher Analysis
August 27, 2019
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The Diamondskills Summer All-American Camp was held on July 16-17 2019 at St. John's College. Over 50 players from around the region performed in front of over 30 colleges and the PBR Scouting Staff.
Today we begin our player evaluations from the event and break down the 13 catchers that were in attendance.
Top Performers
Dylan Winebrenner C St. John's College 2020
Projectable athletic frame at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds with present strength and room to add more. Hits from the right side with an athletic stance, feet on line, and hands set back. Small stride landing slightly closed and hands make minimal load. Displayed hand strength and bat speed getting through the zone. Lower half finished with some explosion and head is behind at contact. Winebrenner showed a line drive approach that used the backside of the field well and showed power potential to all fields. Exit velocity was 87 mph. Behind the plate shows plenty of arm strength and carry on throws. 78 mph positional velocity from a short arm action out of a high three-quarter arm slot. Pop times ranged from 1.90-2.00. Ran a 7.38 60.
Sean Garvin C Loudon County 2020 (Mount St. Mary's)
Projectable athletic frame at 6-foot, 175-pounds. Hits from the right side with a square athletic stance, small pickup to stride landing on line, and hands show some rhythm while making a minimal load back. Short level path to the ball, swing had line drive tendency, and used the middle of the field well. Has the strength to produce more power at the plate, but approach was solid throughout his rounds. Exit velocity of 89 mph. Behind the plate feet worked through the throw, had a quick exchange, and flashed a short arm action with some arm speed and a 75 mph positional velocity. Pop times ranged from 2.0-2.08 and showed some carry.
Casey Gibbs C/3B St. John's College 2021
Athletic projectable frame at 6-foot, 170-pounds with room to add strength to an already solid frame. From the left side starts with an athletic open stance, small stride forward, and lands slightly closed. Hand speed and barrel strength getting through the zone with some uphill tilt to the swing. Mainly stayed gap to gap, but flashed ability to pull hands in and turn on the ball. From the right side Gibbs has an open stance, but slightly more upright. Hands are more direct to the ball and bat path levels out. Line drive tendency from the right side and used the whole field well. Exit velocity was 81 mph. Behind the plate Gibbs had a quick exchange that got deeper at times, but got the ball out of the hand quick. Short arm action and throws from a three-quarter arm slot at 77 mph. Throws had carry and were consistently around the bag. Pop times ranged from 1.90-2.01. At third base showed active feet, soft hands, and solid glove presentation. Quick exchange and release from a low three-quarter arm slot at 76 mph across. 60 time was 7.09.
Best of the Rest (In Alphabetical Order)
George Childers OF/C Walkersville (MD) 2021
Compact athletic frame at 5-foot-8, 145-pounds. Athletic stance from the right side that starts closed and lands closed after a small toe tap stride. Hands back at foot strike, barrel gets in zone early, and stays through the ball on contact. Slight uphill tilt to the swing, high two handed finish, and maintains balance throughout. Exit velocity was 77 mph. Feet are active behind the plate, clean exchange, and a short arm action from a high three-quarter arm slot. Positional velocity behind the plate was 67 mph and pop times ranged from 2.07-2.22. In the outfield short choppy steps on approach, utilizes pro-step to release, and finishes through the throw. Full arm circle and throws from a high three-quarter arm slot at 72 mph from the outfield. Ran a 7.16 60 and displayed some athleticism and versatility that should continue to improve as he adds strength.
Anthony Escobar C St. John's College 2022
Projectable frame at 5-foot-10, 158-pounds. At the plate Escobar starts with an open stance from the right side, uses a bigger stride forward, and lands on line. Hands are pre-set back and are short to the ball. Bat path is slightly uphill and Escobar utilized a gap to gap line drive approach during his BP rounds. Exit velocity was 74 mph. Defensively the feet worked through the throw and body stayed in line. Clean exchange to a very short arm circle and throws from a high three-quarter arm slot at 63 mph. Pop times ranged from 2.28-2.38. In the infield feet were active, head stayed down through the catch, and arm action was short. Threw from a three-quarter arm slot at 61 mph across the infield.
Benjamin Gruodis-Gimbel C Sandy Springs Friends (MD) 2020
Compact athletic frame at 5-foot-9, 155-pounds. Switch hitter with a square wider stance from the left side. Quick pick up and put down striding slightly closed, hands load high and are quick and short to the ball. From the left side had pull side tendency and flashed some power in the swing. From the right side had a similar wide stance, but starts slightly more open and lands on line. Had a little more of a line drive approach from the right side, but showed ability to pull hands in and turn on it when needed. Appeared to be a little more loose and free from the left side. Had an exit velocity of 85 mph. Behind the plate Groudis-Gimbel worked through the throw against a firm front side, had a quick exchange to a short arm action, and threw from a three-quarter arm slot at 74 mph. Throws were consistently in line and pops ranged from 2.02-2.14. Ran his 60 in 7.28.
Vinny Hall C/SS St. John's College 2022
Thin athletic frame at 5-foot-7, 140-pounds. Hits from the left side with a square athletic stance, small toe tap stride, and finishes slightly closed. Hands load back to a slight arm bar, hands displayed some quickness and were short to the ball, and barrel had a slight uphill path. Worked gap to gap and should develop more strength in the swing as he fills out. In the infield had quick active feet on approach, quick clean exchange to a short arm action from a three-quarter arm slot at 72 mph across. Behind the plate Hall flashed some consistent pop times that ranged from 2.12-2.18 and a 70 mph velocity. Throws were pretty consistently in line and around the bag, feet gained ground on throws, and Hall had a quick exchange and short arm swing to a three-quarter arm slot. 60 time was 7.50.
Flynn Howard C St. John's College 2022
5-foot-10, 140-pound thin athletic frame with some projection left to it. Slightly open athletic stance from left side. Small leg lift and stride forward landing on line, short to the ball with a slightly uphill path, and stays on through contact. Line drive tendency in his rounds, but flashed ability to pull hands in and turn on it when necessary. Exit velocity was 70 mph. Replaced feet behind the plate, worked through the throw against a firm front side, and had a deeper exchange. Arm action was short and threw from a three-quarter arm slot at 72 mph. Pop times ranged from 2.16-2.28.
Brendan Kleiman C/OF Sherwood (MD) 2021
Projectable athletic frame at 5-foot-10, 150-pounds. Open athletic stance at the plate, strides in slightly closed, and hands back with a vertical bat. Strength getting through the zone and an explosive lower half to finish. Pull side dominant with some power potential in the swing and an exit velocity of 85 mph. Staggered stance behind the plate that was a little quick out at times, but had a clean exchange and short arm action from a lower three-quarter arm slot at 74 mph. Pop times ranged from 2.00-2.08. In the outfield slow controlled pace on approach, average hands to catch, and an average arm circle that displayed some arm speed getting through from a low three-quarter arm slot at 77 mph. 60 time was 7.75.
Jack Mehler C/1B Wootton (MD) 2022
Athletic frame at 5-10, 150-pounds. Athletic open stance from the right side with hands set high and forward. Small stride forward landing on line, hands make quick load back, and has a short quick path to the ball. Slightly uphill path and high finish to the swing. Used the whole field, but did a nice job pulling hands in and working the pull side when needed. Exit velocity was 72 mph. Behind the plate feet Mehler showed consistency with throws around the bag after a quick exchange and throw from a shorter arm action and high three-quarter arm slot. Arm strength was 63 mph and pop times ranged from 2.34-2.45 which will get better as he adds strength to the frame. Ran a 7.53 60.
Tucker Millikin C/3B Smithfield 2021
Solid frame at 5-foot-9, 155-pounds. Millikin hits from the right side with an upright open stance. Knee to knee leg lift, lands on line, and hands load back to an arm bar. Flat bat path that is quick out of the zone and had a line drive approach spreading it around the field. Exit velocity was 80 mph. Behind the plate Millikin had a clean exchange and throws that ranged from 2.18-2.25 that were consistently around the bag. Arm action was short and throws from a three-quarter arm slot with a 68 mph velocity on the pop.
Maxwell Simpson C St. John's College 2021
Strong projectable frame standing 6-foot-3, 205-pounds. At the plate starts on line with a wider athletic base. Small leg lift, hands load back with a slight bat wrap, and lands on line at stride. Swing path is slightly uphill and showed some gap to gap power potential at the plate with an 86 mph exit velocity. Behind the plate used a quick jab step to get in line with the throw, clean exchange, and a short arm action. Displayed some accuracy around the bag and some arm strength to go with it. Put up a 73 mph positional velocity and pop times ranged from 2.08-2.14.
Gavin Swaney C/OF Walkersville (MD) 2021
Athletic frame at 5-foot-10, 159-pounds. Hits from the right side with a slightly narrow open stance. Direct load back and strides forward landing on line. Level path that was quick in and out of the zone, line drive tendency, and used the middle of the field well. Exit velocity was 79 mph. Feet were active behind the plate and worked through his throws with a quick exchange and release. Short arm action and throws from a three-quarter arm slot at 72 mph. Pop times ranged from 1.98-2.09. 60 time was 7.71.