Inside the Rankings: 2023 Catchers
November 22, 2019
Over the course of the last 10 months, we have had the privilege of seeing-scouting thousands of NY players in all the graduating classes. As a result, we have started our "Updated Rankings" winter push for all classes - 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020.
The 2023 NY Player Rankings received the bulk of our attention over the last two weeks, and have seen their first rendition go live earlier this week. Over the course of the next few weeks we will be taking a deeper look inside the new 2023 rankings. This week, we take a look at five catchers that found themselves in the initial top 10, why they are there, and a little bit about the player.
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Dalton Harper C / 3B / Maryvale, NY / 2023CEVETTE'S QUICK HIT: Harper stands 5-foot-8, 185-pounds with a strong, stocky build - well suited for the backstop position. Shows a ton of confidence in the box, relaxed approach with plenty of aggressiveness through contact. The barrel path is short and compact producing above average power to both gaps. No signs that his barrel-speed won't continue climbing. Defensively he presents a wide visible target, soft hands, footwork needs to keep improving but the transfer is already next-level. Arm-strength is premium (77 mph) with pop-times hovering the 2.0 flat in the showcase setting. He's physically advanced, has shown he can handle 3B duties and tops our 2023 initial rankings at No. 1. |
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Christian Alicea C / RHP / William Floyd , NY / 2023CEVETTE'S QUICK HIT: Similar to Harper, Alicea stands 5-foot-7, 165-pounds with a durable frame. Also like Harper, the bat is really advanced. Loose hands in the box, loads back for timing with plenty of explosiveness with the barrel through the zone. Barrel stays mostly level through contact with full extension, clear signs that his barrel-speed will continue to climb along with his power. Defensively, wide setup with soft receiving skills. The footwork is solid but has room for growth, the arm-strength is impressive at 73 mph, and the pop-time in the showcase setting was 2.06. Alicea comes in the initial 2023 NY rankings at No. 5. |
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Jackson Cook C / OF / Horseheads, NY / 2023CEVETTE'S QUICK HIT: Cook is the wild card for me. At 5-foot-11, 135-pounds the room for physically growth is massive, while the current skill set foundation is really strong. In the box, the lefty has rhythm with a repeatable barrel path - natural lift, pull-side power with impressive barrel speed for his size. As he continues to add strength, the bat profiles really well. Defensively, well-trained, solid footwork, arm-strength currently at 70 mph but signs that will increase with strength. The glove-to-hand transfer is clean and quick, aiding his showcase pop-time as low as 2.01. Overall, the tools are present and the athleticism is above average for his position. 2023 that should be fun to watch grow. He enters the initial 2023 rankings at No. 6. |
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Liam Haywood C / 1B / Trinity Pawling , NY / 2023CEVETTE'S QUICK HIT: Haywood stands 6-foot-1, 215-pounds with plenty of current strength to his frame. In the box the ball explodes off his bat, showing power to both gaps. Best way to describe Haywood's approach; Simple and strong. There's little movement pre-pitch, the load is short, the hands are strong and compact, and the bat-speed is above-average (90) for his age. Defensively the frame has obvious benefits in terms of being a "target", the receiving skill set appear sound, and the arm-strength this summer was 68 mph. Two things stand-out to me; Improve footwork and increase arm-strength. If Haywood can do those two things this off-season, watch out for the Trinity Pawling freshman this spring. He enters the initial 2023 rankings at No. 8. |
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ADAM AGRESTI / C / KENNEDY CATHOLIC, NY / 2023CEVETTE'S QUICK HIT: Agresti stands 6-foot-0, 190-pounds with a physical, durable build. His BP display at the Jr. Future Games was impressive. Very active hands, wide base, loads back for timing with his hands firing direct to the ball on a short path. The bat-speed (81 mph) will continue to jump as he matures. Defensively, his catching skills are all sound but show room for improvement. Very clean glove-to-hand transfer, arm-strength was consistent at 70 mph, showcase pop-time of 2.05. With a focus on strength this off-season, Agresti should see those pop-time ranges drop, and his power at the plate climb. Fun player to keep close eyes on in 2020. He enters the initial 2023 rankings at No. 9. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| 2020 Preseason All-State - Southern Tier | NY | 02/14 | 434 Sportsplex |
| 2020 Preseason All-State - Hudson Valley | NY | 02/15 | Paul Gerry Fieldhouse |
| 2020 Preseason All-State - WNY | NY | 02/17 | Total Sports Experience (Gates) |
| 2020 Preseason All-State - CNY | NY | 02/18 | Accelerate Sports |
| 2020 Preseason All-State - Capital Region | NY | 02/19 | All-Stars Academy |
| 2020 Preseason All-State - Long Island | NY | 02/20 | Long Island Sports Complex |
| 2020 Jr. NYS Games Trials - Downstate | NY | 02/21 | Warriors Baseball Academy |
| 2020 Preseason All-State - Downstate | NY | 02/21 | Warriors Baseball Academy |
| 2020 Jr. NYS Games Trials - Upstate | NY | 03/01 | 434 Sportsplex |
| 2020 Northeast JUCO Day | NY | 06/03 | Dutchess Stadium |