Prep Baseball Report

West Milwaukee Preseason I.D.: Catcher Analysis


By Wisconsin Staff

The second showcase of 2020, the West Milwaukee Preseason I.D., took place on Feb. 16 at STiKS Academy where over 70 prospects were in attendance, ranging from 2020 to 2023 high school classes.

Two weeks ago, we began our post-event analysis by publishing our Quick Hits and Stats Story.

Now that videos have been posted into profiles, we’re onto the final form of analysis for this event, position-by-position scouting reports, beginning today with the event’s catchers. This was a small but competitive group, led by two of the best backstops within their respective classes: Charlie Jarvis (Catholic Memorial, 2022) and Thomas Curry (Arrowhead, 2023).

Keep on reading below for full reports on each of the 12 catchers who attended the West MKE I.D. event, and stay tuned tomorrow for a look inside the day’s infielders.

TOP CATCHER PROSPECTS

1. Thomas Curry, Arrowhead (WI), 2023
Positional Profile: C/ Emerging as one of the top catchers in the state's freshman class.
Body: 5-foot-10, 190-pounds. Compact build with proportional strength, especially in his lower half.
Hit: RHH. Tall/balanced setup, slightly open, hands set high, bat resting on shoulder. Small, balanced leg lift, slight bat wrap in load, short stride. Fast, strong hands create quick bat speed; aggressive approach. Bat path is compact, direct to, on an incline through contact. Hits in rhythm while maintaining balance, despite aggressive hacks.
Power: 92 mph exit velocity from the tee. Consistent hard contact with advanced bat strength.
Arm: RH. C - 77 mph. Short, over-the-top arm action with accuracy and carry through the infield.
Defense: 1.97-2.18 pop times. Above-average, natural actions. Hands show softness, footwork is clean and fluid, consistent transfers.
Run: 7.71 runner in the 60.

2. Charlie Jarvis, Catholic Memorial (WI), 2022
Positional Profile: C/OF A natural athlete with above-average actions for the position; among the top-ranked sophomore catchers in the state.
Body: 6-foot-0, 185-pounds. Athletic look; strength in frame, especially in his lower half.
Hit: RHH. Athletic/balanced setup, pigeon-toed feet, hands set high, smooth/fluid load. Short leg lift stride to even, maintains balance through aggressive swings. Athletic hands consistently barrel balls on plane. Short, fast bat path; whippy barrels, extension through contact.
Power: 90 mph exit velocity from the tee. Repeats hard gap-to-gap contact.
Arm: RH. C - 78 mph. Short, over-the-top throws with carry and some accuracy.
Defense: 2.00-2.22 pop times. Athletic, flexible setup; fluid footwork, soft hands.
Run: 7.12 runner in the 60. Athletic straight-line runner.

3. Sam Holling, Waukesha West (WI), 2021
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 6-foot-0, 165-pounds. Athletic, lean build; wiry strength in levers.
Hit: RHH. Balanced/athletic setup, open front foot. Load back, slight wrap, simple and short toe-tap stride. Balanced finish through contact. Easy, simple, short path. Repeats well in bat speed off level plane, with one-handed extension finish.
Power: 87 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 78 mph. Short, over-the-top throws with carry.
Defense: 2.04-2.09 pop times. Actions are consistently quick. Hands are soft and demonstrated an ability to soften blocks; quiet receiver.
Run: 7.55 runner in the 60.

Best of the Rest (Listed Alphabetically)

Alec Campbell, Milton (WI), 2022
Positional Profile: C/1B
Body: 6-foot-2, 180-pounds. Lean, lanky frame; projectable. Long levers, high waist.
Hit: RHH. Quiet/balanced setup, brief load. Maintains balance through contact. Short, direct path to the ball. Loose, level bat path. Repeats easy, line-drive contact.
Power: 86 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 76 mph. Short and loose throws from an over-the-top slot. Above-average arm strength.
Defense: 2.19-2.35 pop times. Footwork is fluid and quick. Transfers are consistently clean.
Run: 7.69 runner in the 60. 

Ethan Graham, Wausau West (WI), 2022
Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 5-foot-7, 145-pounds. Slender build with some strength in lower half.
Hit: RHH. Tall/open setup, hands set high. Simple load, strides to closed. Long, steep path with a pull-side approach.
Power: 80 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 75 mph. OF - 79 mph. Short, loose throws from a high 3/4 slot in the outfield. Behind the plate, short and loose arm action from am over-the-top slot.
Defense: 2.20-2.45 pop times. In the outfield, athletic approach, fluid actions. Behind the plate, above-average actions, quick footwork with clean exchanges.
Run: 7.50 runner in the 60. 

Camden Hoier, West Bend East (WI), 2023
Positional Profile: C/1B
Body: 6-foot-1, 185-pounds. Above-average size for age; large, proportional build.
Hit: RHH. Balanced, even setup, hands set high. Hands drop into bar load back, short stride.  Average bat speed off a level, flat plane; occasional top spin.
Power: 85 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 70 mph. Short arm action from a high 3/4 slot; directional out of the chute, with accuracy.
Defense: 2.31-2.50 pop times. Controlled, direct actions from the crouch. Above-average feel to block.
Run: 7.71 runner in the 60. 

Nic Maldonado, South Milwaukee (WI), 2022
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 6-foot-0, 210-pounds. Tall frame, strength in the lower half.
Hit: RHH. Tall/balanced setup, slight closed; some pre-pitch rhythm. Smooth back, leg kick stride, stays closed. Pull-side approach. Flashed bat speed/strength; some finish in extension through contact.
Power: 87 mph exit velocity from the tee. Above-average strength through contact when synced up to his pull-side.
Arm: RH. C - 72 mph. Short arm action from a high 3/4 slot.
Defense: 2.25-2.61 pop times. Feet work directional out of the crouch.
Run: 7.23 runner in the 60. 

Ryan Mikoda, Arrowhead (WI), 2022
Positional Profile: C/2B
Body: 5-foot-8, 150-pounds. Some strength in lower half; high waist.
Hit: RHH. Balanced/open setup; hands set high. Big leg kick in load, strides back to even. Long bat path that works on an incline.
Power: 76 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 70 mph. INF - 77 mph. Short, over-the-top throws with some accuracy; similar arm action while on the infield.
Defense: 2.12-2.25 pop times. Quick and clean exchanges; showed softness in block. On the infield, hands also showed soft funnels.
Run: 8.01 runner in the 60. 

Shane Pecoraro II, Muskego (WI), 2023
Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 5-foot-10, 148-pounds. Lean, lanky frame; room for growth.
Hit: RHH. Athletic/balanced setup, hands set high, crouch and coils in load, lunge stride to square. Steep, short to contact; level bat path.
Power: 75 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 66 mph. Short throws from a high 3/4 window; some accuracy to the bag.
Defense: 2.19-2.45 pop times. Flexible setup; hands can play soft.
Run: 7.31 runner in the 60. Athletic, direct gait for age.

Jack Sandvik, Pewaukee (WI), 2022
Positional Profile: C/RHP
Body: 6-foot-1, 175-pounds. Tall, lean frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced, simple setup. Slight wrap to load, short toe-tap stride. Short, level bat path with a line-drive approach.
Power: 80 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 70 mph. Short, high 3/4 arm slot. Throws showed some accuracy.
Defense: 2.25-2.44 pop times. Showed ability to block and had clean exchanges.
Run: 8.35 runner in the 60. 

Ed Michael Santini, Waukesha West (WI), 2022
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-foot-11, 165-pounds. Durable lower half.
Hit: SH. Tall/open setup; hands set high, horizontal bathead. Leg kick to coil load, short stride closed, balance through contact. Long, level bat path, flashed bat speed and strength to his pull-side, extension in finish. Fluid rhythm.
Power: 77 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 74 mph. Short, high 3/4 throws with accuracy.
Defense: 2.19-2.33 pop times. Clean exchanges; showed softness to block.
Run: 7.66 runner in the 60. 

Ethan Schoeps, Richmond-Burton (IL), 2023
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-foot-11, 145-pounds. Thin, lanky frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, slightly open, toe-tap stride, lands open. Long path to the ball, bat works off an uphill plane, pull-side approach.
Power: 75 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 66 mph. Long arm action from a high 3/4 slot, accurate throws to second.
Defense: 2.34-2.54 pop times. Average hands, fluid/fundamental footwork, showed above-average blocking skills.
Run: 7.62 runner in the 60. 

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