Justin
Deal

Vs Aptos: Athletic build and actions to play in the middle of the field. Continues to show the defense to play at the next level at multiple spots in the infield. Glove is soft and works out front independently allowing him to show strong range and the release to get the ball out. During his AB’s he was right on pitches with a good approach looking for pitches up he can attack; squared up an 85 MPH FB to mid-CF.

at San Benito - Uncommitted. Medium frame with high waist and athletic build showing some strength in the upper half. Defensive skills continue to show up being able to make tough plays look easy at the position. Quick feet with the ability to move laterally showing instincts in the position and being able to read hop. Strong glove hand that presses through the ball with clean transfers to throwing hand. Made a great play on the move working glove through the ball on in-between hop staying in rhythm and throwing a strike to 1st. Arm fits on the left side of the diamond with the ability to throw from different angles and having the ball get out quickly when turning double-plays. Liked how he plays with confidence and control at the position. Offensively keeps a balanced, slightly bent knee stance with high hands and a high back elbow.  Big knee lift and tuck showing balance as he loads hands down into shoulder. Shows adjustability on pitches with ability to bend over the plate while allowing swing to work through contact. Oppo approach with hands staying inside the baseball and swing having a short-upward arc and high shoulder finish. Drove the ball the opposite field three times with a hard hit 1B before 2B on ball that carried over RF head and deep flyout. Agile out of the box with a fluid stride (4.90-5.05T). Skills to play all infield positions at the next level.

2/12/19 - Vs Aptos - went 2 innings in the scrimmage where his fastball worked 80-83 mph touching 84 early in the outing. The delivery and arm has a bit of effort but worked efficiently with his pitches and getting soft contact. The slider was 70-74 mph with flashes of short, hard break mainly using the pitch for punchouts and to the glove side. During his outing he struck out two and didn’t walk any, scattering a few hits. Monterey needs some pitching this year and Deal looked really good on the hill. He also showed his athletic ability being able to move around the infield playing at 2B and SS where his arm and footwork fits well. At the plate, he didn’t have much happen, but the swing showed compactness just missing on a couple pitches. Uncommitted middle infielders with two-way versatility are something teams are always looking for.

10/7/18 - Central Coast Open - 5-foot-10, 165-pounds, athletically proportioned and put together like an athlete. Ran a solid average 60 yd dash at 7.37 on a slower surface. At the plate works from a narrow stance with high back elbow and even hands. Utilizes a foot lift with slight knee tuck and stays in his back hip for a long time with quiet hands. Showed a quick bat (85 MPH exit velo) from a direct path while driving liners through the middle of the field. Flashed barrel control with more gap to gap power in future. In the infield showed excellent timing and rhythm from SS with strong footwork while maintains low hips and a flat back.  Arm flashes average (80 MPH) that plays up with ability to throw with quick release and multiple angles including knowing how to use his hops.

2/20/18 - Compact build on a 5-foot-9 165-pound frame with wide shoulders. Has lean and wiry strength throughout his body. Smooth fielding shortstop with above average range and positional versatility around infield. On defense he plays very controlled with excellent footwork and smooth fluid actions. Moves well laterally and has quick reactions to come get ball when needed. Moved to 3rd base in game and didn’t miss a beat after the starting pitcher went to shortstop. Average arm that flashed more when needing to get rid of the ball. At the plate utilizes a wider stance keeping feet outside shoulders and back elbow up. Smaller load with rock back/forward on pitches. Bat path can over emphasize top hand leading to turning over and chopping balls. Best swing has ability to play gap to gap when he lets bottom hand stay strong and drive through pitches. More quick than fast, shows smooth, under control stride with ability to change speeds.