Prep Baseball Report

NW Futures - 2022 Grads (Pt. 2)


Dan Jurik
Scouting Director - Pacific Northwest

At the end of February we held a Scout Day event for the NW Futures baseball academy. Scout Days are designed to focus on the players within a specific organization.

For a full statistical release of all players at the event click here

Pre-season events such as this provide players with the opportunity to build their profile with the most up-to-date information and video footage. All players in attendance receive an online profile with their verified statistics, player report, picture and video. Additionally, all subsequent stories written about a prospect will be linked to the player’s profile, ultimately creating a one-stop shop for recruiters.

Furthermore, the top players will be listed in our statewide player rankings and overall national rankings. 

Tonight, we finish our look at the group of 2022 prospects who attended that day. 

2022 GRADS

Noah Imboden LHP / OF / Kalama , WA / 2022

6-foot, 175 pounds with a lean build. Uses an angled set-up from the wind-up with glove side mostly towards catcher and his back foot already in a pre-set position on the pitching rubber. Works with a slow, controlled pace into leg lift. Lead knee coils towards back shoulder as he stays tall with hands set in a high position. Shows some bend as he separates but avoids collapsing or tilting shoulders. Front side stays closed at landing, allowing him to create a proper sequence between his hips and upper half. Full, continuous arm path with a loose, aggressive finish thru release. Gets considerable extension out over his front leg, flattening back out and keeping eyes on target. Has some present pitchability with a solid 3-pitch mix. 

Ryne Jensen RHP / 1B / Hockinson , WA / 2022

Big, durable frame at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds. Sets-up with tall, upright posture and both upper/lower half aligned with pitcher. Very few moving parts as he uses a slight weight shift onto his backside before taking a short step forward into landing. Hands stay back beyond his rear shoulder as stride foot gets down. Keeps hands inside of the ball as he lets it travel into the zone. Showed best contact in BP to middle/oppo. Stays tall with his lower half which creates a high, uphill finish to swing. Defensively, creates some pre-pitch movement with his footwork to get him in a wider, more athletic position. Stays in his legs as ball approaches and avoids bouncing up and down or fluctuating his eye level. Displayed a clean exchange on all his opportunities throughout defensive workout. Uses a high takeaway into throwing motion with a compact arm path and ¾ release point. On the mound, keeps everything simple with a slow paced, repeatable delivery. Gets into a waist high leg lift after taking a side step to initiate his wind-up. Shows some drive off of his back leg after he separates his hands. Subtle shoulder tilt as he works down the mound and gets into landing. Minimal cross action in his delivery at landing. Uses a very similar takeaway with same compact arm action from the infield. Uses a ¾ release and gets backside thru after he finishes all of his offerings. 

Kyle Memarian 3B / SS / Skyview , WA / 2022

5-foot-11, 155 pounds with an equally built frame and sloped shoulders. Lower half starts narrowly open in the box. Has some bend in his legs while staying in a balanced set-up. Front knee drifts back to create some weight shift before taking a smooth forward stride. Hands show consistent, loose movement that syncs up with his actions into landing. Flashed a quick, ‘handsy’ type of swing throughout BP with a gap-to-gap type of approach. Barrel has a high, loose finish after contact. Defensively at 3b, gets started in a wide stance with athletic posture. Light on his feet with some pre-pitch movement before taking initial step on the ball. Works to get just outside of the ball as it approaches so he can carry his momentum all the way thru into his throws. Quick hand actions throughout. Moves well to his glove side. Very short, bent arm action into a ¾ release point. 

Casen Reed LHP / OF / Mountain View, WA / 2022

Wide-set frame with athletic build at 6-foot, 175 pounds. Starts with his weight centered in a balanced stance with some knee bend. Hands start relaxed & slightly away from body before pulling back as he gets to landing. Hips open up first as barrel stays back at a flat angle prior to launching swing. Keeps swing inside of the ball, producing mostly line-drive contact. Noticeable hand speed at the plate. Holds his balance and posture thru contact. In the OF, takes short and controlled strides. Comes thru the ball with a balanced, deliberate tempo. Quickly adjusts shoulders to align with target after he funnels ball in. High exchange into side shuffle and short arm action. High, over the top release. On the mound, pitches with a quick paced delivery and consistent throwing actions. Stays tall into a high leg lift with eyes on target. Shows some bend in his backside at hand break but avoids any shoulder tilt as he takes a short forward stride. Arm path gets extended early and stays high throughout, showing the ball directly behind him. Works downhill from an over the top release with some looseness in his arm out front. Stays tall thru his finish. 

Noah Shepherd OF / Skyview, WA / 2022

6-foot, 175 pounds with a developed upper half. Shows an upright stance in the box with slight lean onto his back leg to create early weight shift. Keeps flexion in rear knee as he goes into leg lift and takes forward stride. Hands start above rear shoulder then lower slightly as he pulls them back. Keeps his weight centered at foot-strike. Creates a quick, direct swing with aggressive hand speed. Doesn’t use a lot of moving parts to create his bat speed. High finish after contact with ‘scissor’ type of action in lower half. In the OF, keeps a controlled and deliberate pace to his actions. Avoids getting too rushed or aggressive as he comes thru the ball. Receives just in front of glove-side leg while using short, continuous footwork as he gets into exchange. Side shuffles with lower half into a full arm path with a high ¾ release. 

Justin Taylor C / 3B / Camas, WA / 2022

6-foot-1, 155 pounds with lean strength throughout.  Wide set up at the plate with a slightly open lower half. Takes a low leg lift into short forward stride and creates clean direction with his base. Hands show a relaxed, short load prior to landing. Maintains flexion in his lead arm, allowing for a clean, compact swing. Relaxed, contact approach throughout BP with easy barrel action. Stays tall into his finish with some lift after contact. Behind the plate, keeps his actions quiet while receiving. Using a staggered stance with glove-side leg angled forward. Works to keep eyes behind the ball. Gets direction with a clean shuffle out of the crouched position. High exchange into quick, bent arm action with a high ¾ release. 

Reece Walling OF / 1B / Prairie, WA / 2022

6-foot-5, 190 pounds with an extra large frame and significant projection. Starts with his lower half open and front side turned in slightly towards pitcher. Has a bit of weight pre-shifted onto backside before taking low leg lift. Hands stay relaxed & quiet, using more of a scap load as he gets closer to landing. Keeps long levers in his upper body short and compact. Barrel works inside of the ball as hands stay tight to body. Easy swing with the chance to hit for impressive power as he gets stronger. Moves well in the OF. Footwork comes easily and he keeps a controlled pace as he works thru the ball. Strides lengthen out after he receives ball and gets into throwing motion. Uses a step-behind shuffle with slight hop action to get momentum behind ball. Long, clean arm path with high ¾ slot. Profiles well to corner OF.