Waco Preseason ID: Infield Analysis

WACO, TX - Following a great trip to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Convention, Prep Baseball Report hosted the second Preseason ID Event of the early spring at Waco ISD Stadium. Cool and rainy weather cleared the way for sunshine and breeze to host forty players for a great day of baseball. Here is the infield analysis from that event.

Infielders

Top Performers

College recruiters are going to want to take note of 2022 SS Travis Sanders (Copperas Cove HS) as he is going to get a lot of attention early in his high school career. Already ranked No. 53 in the PBR Class of 2022 Overall Rankings, Sanders has a long-limbed 5-foot-11, 155-pound frame and the kind of actions on the infield that standout at a young age. He moves with smooth footwork as he plays through the ball with easy rhythm, soft hands, midline exchange, gains a ton of ground to throw with a quick arm stroke across the diamond. Offensively, the right-handed hitter has loose-quick hands with a compact, aggressive hack as he transfers his weight with ease.

Cason Gregory, SS, Cleburne HS, 2020
Lean-athletic frame at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds. Defensively, Gregory can really pick it at shortstop with smooth footwork, soft hands, and the ability to gain ground and throw strikes to first base. The swing works with loose hands and a leg kick that provides leverage and rhythm and relaxed finish. The uncommitted junior has gotten stronger this off season, improving his 60-yard dash time to 6.94-seconds and posting an exit velocity of 87 mph. His defensive actions have already caught the eye of college recruiters, and we expect for that trend to continue as he keeps adding strength and plays on a solid high school team.  

Wesley Mitchell, 3B/RHP, Houston Christian, 2020
Mitchell already looks like a college baseball player at 6-foot-3, 182-pounds, with a high-waisted, athletic, lean-strong frame. The right-hander topped out at 86 mph on the bump, sitting mostly 82-83 mph, working from a high-¾ slot with an athletic, cross-body delivery. Flashed a quality curveball with tight 11/5 rotation for a strike, and showed feel for his changeup at 72-77 mph. Lots of upside moving forward. Offensively, the right-handed hitter took a solid round of BP, showing rhythm and strength as he drove the ball with gap power. His hands work easy through contact as he generates a leveraged hack with a loose finish and powerful transfer, posting a top exit velocity of 90 mph. On the infield, the footwork, actions and arm strength make him an intriguing, projectable corner bat.

Rhett Grosz, 3B, Midway HS, 2020
6-foot-1, 180-pound frame with muscular lower half. Grosz had an all around solid day, showing smooth footwork on the infield with tempo, rhythm through the ball, and the ability to throw on the run. The right-handed hitter ran a 7.21, posted a top exit velocity of 91 mph, and homered to left field during BP. He starts from a tall, neutral stance and uses a leg kick load as he triggers his hands back and down, tipping the barrel forward. Quick bat through the zone with strength at contact.

Thomas Soto, SS, Round Rock HS, 2021
Soto stands 5-foot-10, 155-pounds and bounces around the field. The switch hitter has loose hands from both sides of the plate with whip in the barrell. From the left side, he uses a toe tap load as he coils his hips to provide leverage through the zone. Aggressive hack with lift and quick hands. From the right side, he is a bit more balanced with a varied toe-tap leg kick but still delivers the barrel with solid aggression and strength for his size. At shortstop, Soto plays through the ball aggressively, with sometimes flashy actions that catch your eye, but there is still the substance that recruiters look for with smooth footwork, tempo, soft hands, fast exchange on double plays, and the ability to throw from different slots with carry over to first.

Garrett Williams, SS, South Grand Prairie HS, 2020
Williams stands 5-foot-9, 160-pounds with a lean-strong frame. The right-handed hitter posted a top exit velocity of 88 mph, driving balls on a line through the middle of the field. Loads back smooth as he triggers his hands into a high wrap then takes a short, controlled stride. Simple transfer, quick hands and an efficient path produced strength at contact with quality barrel control. On the infield, Williams has soft hands, plays low, then funnels that ball to the middle as he gathers up to throw from a high slot with a top velocity across the diamond of 81 mph. Gets rid of the ball quickly on the back hand, and can make the two handed run through play, both accurate throws.

Jack Nielsen, 1B/3B, Southlake Carroll HS, 2020
Nielsen has a strong, projectable frame at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds. The right-handed hitter starts from a stacked stance, then triggers his hands in sequence with a short leg lift that creates separation as he lands. His hands work efficiently through the zone with strength at contact, and more to come. Can throw the head of the barrel and posted a top exit velocity of 90 mph. Soft hands at first base, plays over his toes, clean exchange into a long arm swing with a top velocity across the diamond of 80 mph.

Patrick Baca, C, Vandegrift HS, 2020
Baca is not even close to filling out his young frame at 5-foot-9, 140-pounds, but he can really play catch with athletic actions at both shortstop and behind the plate. He is an elite receiver with soft hands and good mobility, allowing him to do a nice job on the low strike. Accurate throws to second, posting pop times of 2.0, 2.01, 2.08, 2.08, and 2.14, as well as running a 7.02 60-yard dash. The movement patterns, arm swing, and quick footwork suggest that Baca is going to continue to catch the eyes of recruiters moving forward as he can play in the middle of the field. Offensively, the right-handed hitter starts from a balanced setup with flex in his lower half. Smooth load into a short stride, flat path through the zone with looseness in his hands, line drive approach and top exit velocity of 80 mph. On the infield, his quick feet and ability to throw from different slots and play on the run standout to the scouting eye. He threw with a top velocity across the diamond of 79, the arm works easy with accurate throws from a midline exchange.

Landon Pyles, SS/2B, New Braunfels Canyon HS, 2021
Pyle has quality energy about him on the field, with a quick-twitch, smaller frame at 5-foot-7, 141-pounds. The right-handed hitter starts from an open, crouched stance, then loads back early as he triggers his hands, and uses a controlled leg kick to stride forward. Inside out path as he rotates his upper body to contact, transfers his lower half, and has a loose-high finish. On the infield, Pyles has a quick first step with smooth footwork and covers ground to both sides laterally. Fields the ball slightly deep, fast exchange into the midline, throws from a short arm swing with a top velocity of 77 mph.

Best of the Rest (Alphabetical)

Tanner Creel, OF/LHP, Troy HS, 2021
5-foot-11, 145-pound, lean frame. The left-hander works from a ¾ slot with a short arm circle and smooth tempo down the mound. His fastball was 73-76 mph. He pumped strikes with his changeup at 69-70 mph. Curveball flashed depth with 1/7 rotation at 68 mph. Offensively, the left-handed hitter starts from a neutral, tall stance with relaxed hands. Smooth load back using a leg kick as he coils his front hip and cocks the barrel behind his head. Mostly flat path through the zone with contact to the pull side during BP and a top exit velocity of 76 mph. In the outfield, he plays through the ball with soft hands and threw 77 mph to the dish. At first base, he showed relaxed footwork around the bag with quality glove action on picks, and started the double play with accurate throws and top velocity across the diamond of 68 mph.

Graham Danziger, OF/2B, North Forney HS, 2021
5-foot-5, 140-pounds. The right-handed hitter showed feel to hit with rhythm and strength at contact during BP, posting a top exit velocity of 88 mph. Uses a leg kick load as he coils his hips and triggers his hands with a slight wrap that allows him to create leverage. Does a nice job of transfering his lower half through contact as his hands work with looseness through the zone, and he sprayed line drives through the middle of the field. In the outfield, he plays through the ball with tempo and an athletic crow hop, throwing with a top velocity of 74 mph. On the infield, he has a quick first step and showed the ability to cover ground and threw with a top velocity across the diamond of 72 mph.

Ryan Davis, 1B/3B, Midway HS, 2021
Davis still has room to add strength to his projectable frame at 6-foot-5, 200-pounds. The left-handed hitter has a simple swing that he repeats well. Quiet setup, smooth load, balanced leg kick as he strides forward, creating separation and leverage. Posted a top exit velocity of 90 mph, made hard contact, and projects for more power in the future. At first base, he has a clean exchange into a longer arm swing with a top velocity of 78 mph.

Tynan Gunn, 1B/RHP, Vista Ridge HS, 2022
Gunn has a strong frame for a freshman, standing 6-foot, 220-pounds. The right-hander works from a high-¾ slot with a short arm circle. His fastball topped out at 78, sitting mostly in the 75-77 range. Spun his curveball at 64-66 mph with shorter break. Threw his changeup around the zone at 66-70 mph. A two way player and right-handed hitter, he has current gap power and posted a top exit velocity of 90 mph. Starts from a slightly open stance with flex in his lower half, coils his front side as he raises up to load before taking a controlled stride, landing square and firing his back hip to transfer his weight. Short path to contact with slight lift and strength in the barrel. At first base, he plays through the ball with average rhythm and clean exchange into a short arm swing with a top velocity of 79 mph across the diamond.  

MacLean Harkins, 3B/RHP, Westlake HS, 2020
5-foot-11, 170-pounds. The right-hander works from a high slot with a smooth, tall-and-fall delivery, high leg lift, and good direction down the mound. His fastball has some tilt at 78-80, topping out at 81 mph. Changeup is a solid secondary pitch at 73-74 mph with arm side fade. Curveball had early break with 12/6 rotation at 63-66 mph. Offensively, the right-handed hitter starts from a tall, relaxed stance, before using a smooth load as triggers his hands and cocks the barrel forward. Short, controlled stride, lands balanced, flat path through the zone, line drive approach and top exit velocity of 86 mph. Defensively, Harkins has smooth footwork as he plays through the ball with quality posture and soft hands out front. Quick exchange into an accurate throwing motion with a top velocity across the diamond of 79 mph.

Jackson Higginbotham, SS/2B, Midway HS, 2020
Long-limbed, lean frame at 6-foot-2, 170-pounds. The right-handed hitter starts from an open stance with flex in his lower half. Triggers his hands back and down as he coils his front side then takes a short stride, landing sqaure. Slots the barrel early, then works on a slightly uphill path as he rotates to contact. Homered down the left field line during BP. On the infield, he made a nice play to his glove side and spun around to make an accurate throw to first base with a top velocity of 73 mph.

Tannahill Love, 3B/2B, All Saints Episcopal, 2020
6-foot, 205-pound sturdy frame. The right-handed hitter starts from slightly open stance, then loads back before he strides forward, walking away from his hands. Aggressive swing as he transfers his weight and hits off his front foot. Hard contact during BP with a flat path, line drive approach and top exit velocity of 82 mph. On the infield, he plays his glove low with a flat back to get his hands out front. Midline exchange with fundamental shuffles create direction on throws across the diamond with a top velocity of 77 mph across the diamond.

Patrick Nichols, RHP/3B, Robinson HS, 2021
Nicholas has a lean-muscular frame at 5-foot-11, 150-pounds. The right-hander has a fairly loose arm swing, working from a ¾ slot with an in-line delivery and smooth tempo down the mound and finishing with an athletic back side. His fastball sat 76-78, while his curveball had short downer break with 12/6 shape at 66-68 mph. Changeup has quality arm side fade and depth at 71-72 mph. A two-way player and right-handed hitter, Nicholas triggers his hands down and back with rhythm as he sinks into his lower half to load as he strides forward. Glides onto his front foot as he transfers his weight. Flat path to contact with a relaxed finish, he posted a top exit velocity of 77 mph. On the infield, he creates momentum on his throws with directional shuffles and threw 76 mph across the diamond.

Justus Revill, SS/2B, Blooming Grove HS, 2021
5-foot-11, 160-pounds. The right-handed hitter starts from an open, tall stance. Relaxed load, short stride, slightly up hill finish with a top exit velocity of 75 mph. On the infield, he has fundamental footwork, fields the ball right of center, clean arm swing with a top velocity across the diamond of 78 mph.

Canyon Rollins, 3B/OF, Grapevine HS, 2020
Rollins has a high-waisted, projectable frame at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds. Began the day with a 7.08 60-yard dash, then made hard contact during batting practice with an aggressive hack to post a top exit velocity of 86 mph. Starting from a wide base, the right-handed hitter uses a leg lift to load as he triggers his hands, then takes a short path to the ball. Mostly line drives during BP with top spun balls to the pull side. In the oufield, he play through the ball with rhythm and easy crow hop that produced a top velocity to the plate of 76 mph. On the infield, he plays through the ball with staggered footwork, then uses directional shuffles to create momentum with a top velocity of 75 mph from a short arm swing.

Jordan Rozenblum, 2B/3B, JJ Pearce HS, 2019
Rozenblum has gotten in better shape since we saw him last summer, now coming in at 5-foot-10, 160-pounds. The right-handed hitter has an aggressive hack with quick hands that drove the ball with some juice during BP. Handles the bat with feel for the barrel an natural lift. On the infield, he has a quick first step and does a nice job of playing over his toes with his hands out front. Solid glove actions, quick exchange with feel to start and finish the pivot. Throws with above average effort across the diamond at 76 mph.

Tate Van Poppel, RHP/1B, Argyle HS, 2020
Van Poppell has a strong, durable frame at 6-foot, 190-pounds. Simple, tall-and-fall delivery with an easy gather on his rocker step. Medium arm stroke from a high slot, his fastball topped out at 80, sitting mostly 76-79 mph. Throws a 12/6 curveball for strikes at 62-64 mph. Changup is a solid pitch with arm side depth for a strike at 65-68 mph. Offensively, the right-handed hitter starts from a tall, slightly open stance then triggers his hands back into a slight wrap with tilted shoulders. Easy stride forward, lands balanced, inside out path with a top exit velocity of 91 mph. At first base, he plays through the ball with a quick exchange and directional footwork. Made accurate throws to bases with a top velocity across the diamond of 78 mph.

Ralston Vance, SS/OF, Burnet HS, 2022
Vance has a young, wiry, still developing frame at 5-foot-10, 123-pounds. The right-handed hitter starts from a slightly open stance, then loads back easy with rhythm, using a balanced leg kick as he triggers his hands and strides forward. Flat, inside out path produced line drives in the midde of the field. On the infield, he has quickish footwork with a clean exchange into a low-¾ slot with a top velocity of 63 mph across the infield.