Prep Baseball Report

NW Futures - 2021 Grads (Pt. 1)


Dan Jurik
Scouting Director - Pacific Northwest

Vancouver, WA - 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 while recording the same statistics, video and player information as an open registration event. 

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 take a look at half of the impressive group of 2021 prospects who attended that day. 

2021 grads

Nick Alder SS / 2B / Columbia River , WA / 2021

Athletically built at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds with pound for pound strength. Relaxed set up in the box with some weight pre-shifted onto back leg. Loose, rhythmic actions in the hands. Uses a low, forward stride into landing. Upper half stays tight, compact with consistent bend in his lead arm as he gets into swing. Creates easy bat speed with some barrel whip thru contact. Moves easily on defensive with controlled, deliberate actions. Maintains control of glove hand while on the move laterally. Shows feel for working thru the ball in rhythm and keeping momentum going as he exchanges into throw. Short, clean arm action from lower ¾ slot. Fluid hands on double-play feeds. 

Drake Bird C / 1B / Chelan, WA / 2021

6-foot, 180 pounds. Lean build with proportional frame. Wide set-up with feet slightly open to pitcher. Crouched, athletic stance. Short, quick forward stride to square up lower half as hands begin subtle load into hitting position. Barrel gets on plane deep in the zone, stays level into contact with slight uphill finish. Gets full hip rotation against a firm front leg. In the OF, shows clean footwork approaching ball. Keeps ball centered while funneling in. Exchanges at chest height into takeaway. Short arm action with high ¾ release. Behind the plate, receiving ability continues to show development and he’s added some polish to his actions. Popped a 1.96 on his best throw down to 2nd. Ball flight shows consistent carry and stays on the bag. Arm path has tightened up from our last look at him during Area Code workout. 

CYLE CALCAGNO

OF / SS / BARLOW , OR / 2021

Wiry build at 5-foot-11, 160 pounds with a high-waisted frame. Upright posture in the box with front foot a bit open to the pitcher. Slight knee bend as he gets into high leg-kick. Gains some ground on his forward move while keeping hands loaded near back shoulder. Balanced, low effort swing. Lets barrel work inside of the ball. Stays tall thru contact. Fields with a deliberate tempo on defense at SS. Stays under control while getting into fielding position. Works down to the ball with slight hip hinge and bend in his lower half. Uses side shuffle towards target with a low exchange into throwing motion. Arm slot varies depending on throw. In the OF, uses longer strides to cover ground. Stays behind ball & then comes thru with a more aggressive tempo. Arm action gets longer, more fluid compared to INF. Continuous arm path syncs up with his footwork allowing him to get more velocity on the ball out of hand. Maintains high ¾ release point with accurate ball flight. 

Brady Culp C / 2B / Heritage, WA / 2021

6-foot, 160 pounds with a lean build and square frame. Wide, balanced set-up in the box with lower & upper half aligned with pitcher. Hands start away from body with a relaxed barrel. Gains ground on forward stride while using a subtle hand load. Hips fire first and allow barrel to get thru the zone easily, with repeatable effort. Flat swing plane into high, one-handed finish. Stays tall at contact and creates significant leverage in lower half. Steady defender at SS with sure-handed actions. Stays wide in pre-pitch set up. Uses short, choppy strides to stay active while ball approaches. Funnels deep into his posture while getting into throwing motion. Compact arm action with ¾ release. At C, presents a low target while letting hips sink beneath the ball. Keeps upper half tall/upright. Glove arm stays bent/quiet while receiving. Clean exchange into short arm action. Adjusts release point to high ¾ in order to work downhill on his throws. 

Riley Fender 1B / 3B / La Center, WA / 2021

Projectable frame with a tall, long build at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. Slightly open stance in the box with bend in his lower half and upright torso. Keeps head back as he takes forward stride to square up to pitcher. Hands stay tight to body and use a scap load to get into better launch position. Produced best contact to middle of the field with level, direct swing. Short, 2-handed finish after contact. Covers ground easily at 1B with easy, long footwork. Does a solid job of staying low with hips for a taller INF’er. Bounces off the bag for 3-6-3 double play feed while staying balanced throughout. Wide catch radius while handling throws from across the diamond. At 3B, maintained the same wide, balanced fielding base. Used a quicker exchange with short, choppy footwork as he got into throwing motion. Has long levers in upper body but manages to keep arm action tight, bent. Low ¾ release point with the ability to adjust when on the move. 

HARRISON HOWELL (Portland commit)

RHP / OF / HOOD RIVER VALLEY, OR / 2021

5-foot-11, 190 pounds with some current strength to his frame. Sets-up with feet just outside of shoulder width in the box. Lower half starts open while front side keeps aligned with pitcher. Hovers on backside as he uses a knee-knock style load into his forward stride. Noticeable strength/quickness in his wrists that creates considerable barrel whip thru the zone. Generated consistent, hard contact with a uphill path as he finishes swing. On the mound, uses a clean, repeatable delivery. Stays tall at leg lift while keeping eyes on target. Holds tall posture on backside as he pushes down the slope. Full arm path after hand break. Gets more compact at landing. Hides ball well up until release with hand speed out front. Works from a ¾ slot with consistent intent on all of his offerings. Showed feel for 3-pitch-mix. Throwing actions are balanced & controlled, which should allow Howell to maintain his stuff deep into starts. 

REECE MCKENZIE

SS / 2B / SAM BARLOW , OR / 2021

Compact frame at 5-foot-7, 145 pounds with an average build. Square, upright set-up at the plate with bend in lower half. Uses a low leg lift that shows continuous motion as he gets to landing. Hands stay near back shoulder with a subtle hand load that puts barrel at a better angle once his stride foot gets down. Fluid, compact swing with a feel for contact. Everything works together in the box and looks very ‘hitter-ish’. Defensively, uses short, active footwork that should keep him in the INF long-term. Flashed slight hop in his pre-pitch approach. Loose hips allow him to stay low on ball while still keeping athletic posture in his upper half. Quick, natural actions with his hands on exchange and double play feeds. 

Michael Miller LHP / 1B / Skyview, WA / 2021

Stocky, sturdy build at 5-foot-8, 215 pounds. Strong lower half. Upright set-up in the box with an open stance. Low leg lift with a subtle weight shift before taking forward stride. Hands stay high and back as he gets to landing. Direct, compact stroke to the ball with some quickness in the barrel. High finish after contact. Uses a pre-pitch hop in his defensive stance when playing off the bag. Lands in a wide stance with slight bend in his lower half. Comes off the bag with short, choppy footwork on 3-6-3 double play feed. Compact, bent arm action with high ¾ release. Pitches with a simple, quick paced delivery on the mound. Slight cross action in his stride at landing. Stays tall on his back-leg as he works down the slope with an average length stride. Arm shows full extension after hand break then gets to tighter arm path with high ¾ release. Shows extension out over front leg with an aggressive finish. 

Sawyer Parkin RHP / SS / Columbia River, WA / 2021

Sloped upper half with an athletic frame at 6-foot, 170 pounds. Tall, relaxed posture in the box. Barrel starts on rear shoulder before he begins low leg lift. At leg lift, angles knob of bat towards catcher & gets hands in better position to begin swing. Creates easy bat speed thru the zone. Shows scissor-action with his lower half as he finishes thru contact. Sound defender with clean INF actions. Moves laterally with steady, deliberate tempo. Controls his footwork so he’s able to work thru the ball & get into throwing motion with same rhythm. Clean, loose arm action with the ability to adjust slot and throw accurately on the run. Athleticism from the INF translates well to the mound. Shows a repeatable delivery with consistent balance and body control. Has some movement in his hands that syncs up with lower half. Separates with weight gathered over the rubber and slight drop and drive action on back leg. Front hip opens up and gives him clean direction towards his target. Clean arm swing with some looseness at release. Repeats ¾ release point on all of his offerings. 

COLE PETERSON

OF / LHP / SAM BARLOW, OR / 2021

5-foot-8, 155 pounds with a lean build and proportional frame. Narrow, slightly open stance in the box. Hands begin out over the plate, away from body. Creates considerable stretch as he gets into high leg kick and loads hands to back shoulder. Lands in wide, athletic stance, creating a level swing plane with a flat path after contact. Loose, one-handed finish. In the OF, uses short and quick footwork when approaching the ball and tracking. Comes thru with an aggressive tempo. Uses a side shuffle with lower half to create momentum and get direction towards his target. High exchange into long, full arm path and ¾ release. On the mound, flashed a balanced arsenal with feel for his secondary offerings. Pitches with a quick paced tempo. High leg lift with a glove tap for timing as he begins to work down the slope. Slight cross action with an average length stride. Shoulders stay level throughout. Same full arm path from outfield with a ¾ release point.