South Texas Underclass Games: Corner Infield Analysis
August 31, 2018
COLLEGE STATION, TX - Some of the top underclass talent from South Texas converged on the campus of Texas A&M on Tuesday for the PBR Underclass Games. Today, we continue our coverage with the corner infield analysis.
Top Performers
MJ Rodriguez, 1B/C, Veterans Memorial HS, 2020
A strong, sturdy 5-foot-11, 225-pound frame, there are few 2020 sluggers with Rodriguez’s tools. The right-handed hitter starts in an athletic, slightly-open stance with some wiggle in his hands. In conjunction with a small leg lift and a low-to-high load, Rodriguez showed loose wrists, a compact, lifting swing with uncommon force among rising juniors (105 mph exit velocity), hitting multiple batting practice balls off of and over the left field wall. His bat lags well through the zone, tremendous feel for his barrel, with a great understanding for the rhythm in his swing, and incredibly strong at the point of attack. At catcher, he showed a short, quick arm stroke with carry (76 mph) and accuracy around the bag. Playing at first base, he flashed soft hands, good footwork, and solid fundamentals. For college coaches looking for a thumper in the middle of their lineup, there are few 2020 players with Rodriguez’s power potential.
Malikai Wickley, 3B/1B, Reagan HS, 2020
Tulane commit. A strong, projectable 6-foot-, 190-pound frame. The right-handed hitter sets up in the batter’s box with his hands high in a balanced, athletic stance. In rhythm with a toe-turn, he bars his hands before showcasing a swing with serious juice. Has a soft lead leg, shifts his weight well, explodes over his front side with a swing that minimizes extracurriculars. Creates separation for his bat to extend through the zone and does well to find the baseball out in front. Has the bat speed (88 mph exit velocity) and barrel awareness to provide enough pop to remain a corner infielder. A third baseman working at shortstop, Wickley flashed softs hands and a consistently smooth release from a ¾ slot. Turned the double play ball with fluid actions and showed the capability of changing arm angles when necessary. A big riser in the 2020 rankings, Wickley’s skill-set should only continue to grow.
Kauner Porter, 3B/RHP, Samuel Clemens HS, 2020
Already-strong, projectable 6-foot-3, 198-pound frame. The right-handed hitter is athletically wide in the batter’s box, utilizing compact movements to produce a high-effort hack. His hands stay high in conjunction with a slight leg lift, showcasing quick bat speed. Porter’s bat showed good lag through the zone with natural launch, and during batting practice, he produced loud contact to the pull side. On the infield, he played the baseball with controlled tempo, setting his feet and firing bullets to first base (90 mph). For a bigger guy, Porter showed solid lateral agility and a quick transfer.
Peyton Havard, RHP/3B, Bridge City HS, 2020
A burly, 5-foot-11, 220-pound frame. In the batter’s box, the right-handed hitter starts in a tall, athletic stance with his hands parallel to his center. In rhythm with a slight leg lift, he loads his hands straight back with a subtle wrap before showcasing a swing with natural lift. He creates plenty of separation for his barrel within the zone, working his hands tight to his midline, displaying easy power due to flexible wrists. During batting practice, he sent a ball flying off the left field wall with little effort. On the infield, Havard has the capability of throwing the baseball with a loose arm and from diverse angles, with plenty of juice (topped out at 89 mph). Unique to his frame, he showed solid lateral agility with soft hands.
Best of the Rest (Alphabetical)
Jonathan Isbell, 1B/RHP, Klein Collins HS, 2020
Wiry, projectable 6-foot-2, 160-pound frame. Starting in a wide, somewhat-bent stance with broad elbows and a high bat, the right-handed hitter’s hands move down-and-out in sync with a lead leg that mimics his top-half. His swing moves flat through the zone, producing a number of line drives during batting practice. At first base, he played with good feel for the position, bouncing around the bag and showing footwork. On the mound, Isbell works from a submarine slot with, 72-75 mph fastball flashing some arm-side run. His curveball, clocked at 68 mph, worked from a ? window, consistently throwing it for strikes.
Trajan Lee, RHP/1B, Houston Christian HS, 2021
With a sturdy, 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame that isn’t done filling out, Lee has the look of a budding slugger. The right-handed hitter starts in tall and narrow in his set up with his hands back, you probably couldn’t fit a bat between his feet as he starts in the box. Though, that doesn’t last long, as Lee strides forward with a big leg kick, while his hands work down and back up as gears of a swing designed to do damage. Despite a lot of movement in his approach, he does well to keep his head centered on the baseball. With strong hips and hands, Lee transfers his weight unlike most rising sophomores. At first base, Lee plays the position with confidence and a lot of bounce, also showing off an athletic right arm.
Caden Norman, 1B/RHP, Smithson Valley HS, 2020
A projectable 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame. The right-handed hitter starts in a marginally open but athletic stance, with his hands high, showing some wiggle. In his load, he rocks his hands before wrapping the bat in rhythm with a long stride in his lead leg. Norman flashed some barrel awareness with line drives to his pull-side, the result of an aggressive hack. A corner infielder, Norman showed a fundamentally sound approach fielding ground balls and a short, but whippy arm stroke throwing across the diamond. He did well to keep his hips low and flashed good footwork around the bag.
Dakota Palmer, LHP/1B, Needville HS, 2020
A strong 5-foot-11, 185-pound frame. The left-handed hitter sets up in a relaxed stance with his bat resting on shoulder, and his lower half slightly open. Mid-pitch, Palmer coils his hands down-and-back while he hitches his lead leg into his stance. He showed a smooth lefty swing with hands that drive down towards the top of the baseball, as he understands how to shift his weight and explode over his front side. Strong at the point of attack, he sprayed line drives throughout the yard during batting practice. A corner infielder working at first base, Palmer emphasized ball security, and showed natural rhythm around the bag with good footwork. Throwing with a shorter arm stroke, he flashed a quick release and fluid exchange.
Tate Van Poppel, RHP/1B, Argyle HS, 2020
Strong 6-foot, 190-pound frame. The right-handed hitter sets up in a slightly-bent stance with his bat behind his head. A small leg lift and stride forward come before a compact swing that generates solid bat speed (87 mph exit velocity). Generates good top-half torque with an athletic two-handed finish, keeping his head on the centerline well. With an efficient bat path, Van Poppel pounded line drives on the barrel throughout the yard during batting practice, showing some pull-side power. A corner infielder working at first base, he demonstrated soft hands and good footwork when shifting his body towards his target. Displayed solid fundamentals and an understanding of how to properly maneuver around the bag.
Carson Wilson, 3B/C, Fort Bend Clements HS, 2020
A strong 5-foot-7, 165-pound frame. The right-handed hitter starts in a relaxed, balance stance, with his hands in a traditional setup. As he initiates a modest leg kick, his hands work down-and back in good rhythm with his lower half. His bat lags through the zone, drives his hands down towards the baseball, and has a good feel for his mechanics and when to get his foot down. Consistently connected on the barrel to his pull-side during practice. A corner infielder working at shortstop, Wilson flashed advanced actions, as well as a loose ¾ arm stroke. Showed soft hands, good tempo and a smooth double-play pivot.
Oscar Zepeda, RHP/1B, Incarnate Word Academy, 2020
Projectable 6-foot, 160-pound frame. The right-handed hitter starts in an athletic stance with his hands high. A subtle leg lift accompanies a down-and-back load, as he generates a swing with a knob-first approach. Short through the zone with some bat speed (85 mph exit velocity), he gets from Point A to Point B efficiently. At first base, Zepeda flashed soft hands with decent carry throwing to third base (81 mph) from a short, ¾ arm stroke. Showed a quick release and demonstrated confidence around the bag.