Hayden
Birdsong

Kernels Collegiate League: Unknown to my eyes previously to this look, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-hander impressed with a smooth, repeatable delivery and clean arm action, although there is some length in back. He ran his sinking fastball into the 88-90 mph range early in the game, before settling in 86-88 with spin rates in the mid-2100s. He flashed an average 77-79 mph changeup with a low 1400-1550 spin rate. He featured three breaking balls; a slider-shaped offering at 78-81 mph, a true curve from 71-73 (2600 rpm) and a blender at 76-77 mph which played to my eyes on this look as his top pitch. Overall, he worked easy, mixed pitches and changed speeds well. He is a bit long to the plate (1.5) and he did allow a stolen base, but he counters his stretch time home by varying his looks and hold times. With continued development expect Birdsong to become a professional prospect in short order. He has the body type, delivery, arm action and breaking ball spin rates to expect another jump in his velocity. Birdsong pitched his freshman year at Lake Land College and has committed to EIU for this upcoming school year. (Seifert)