Austin
Stone

Stone is a physical 6-foot-4, 245 pound prospect.  The right-handed hitting first baseman has put in a lot of work since I saw him this summer.  His frame is noticeable stronger, his stuff on the mound was improved, the swing was eye opening and the actions around first base were fluid.  Right off the bat, he showed the added strength on the tee, with an exit velocity of 87 mph. The initial set up is athletic and square. He uses a leg lift to start the transition of weight to the back leg, before whipping the bat-head through the hitting zone on a direct, flat plane.  The finish stays on plane well through contact, producing a lot of loud, hard contact.

Defensively, he was 78 mph across the diamond at first base.  The feet are light and fluid as he moves to get into a balanced fielding position.  The glove is relaxed out in front. The hands are soft as he transitions through the ground ball into the throwing position.  The hips and shoulders get the body in line with the target and the arm-swing is quick. His finish stays in line with the target, with good balance.

On the mound, the delivery is simple and creates a consistent line with home plate.  His tempo is fluid, allowing the arm to work quick. The higher arm-slot leads to a fastball that shows heavy sink in the range of 79-81 mph.  He throws two breaking pitches. The slider is a hard, tight pitch at 72-73 mph. Then he mixes in a big over-hand pitch that ranges 69-70 mph.  He also showed the feel for a nice change-up at 75-76 mph.

Stone really stood out at this event!  The work he has put in, really stood out.  He is a guy that has a chance to be a two way guy at the next level. 

Tee Exit Velocity- 87 mph

INF Velocity- 78 mph

The 6-foot-3, 260 pound right-handed hitting first baseman has continued to develop since I saw him over the winter.  He had one of our higher tee exit velocities at 86 mph.  The swing is simple and showed showed his raw strength.The barrell is direct and he stays on plane through contact.Over at 1st base, he moves well.The feet are light and he gets into good fielding positions.  The glove is soft and he transitions to throw well.  The arm was 77 mph across the diamond.  He also ran an 8.4 sixty.On the mound, The fastball was 79-81 mph, with good arm side run.  He stays over the backside and does a good job of staying in line.  The slider has developed into a good pitch, with tight, late movement.  The pitch sat 67-69 mph.  The change-up was 73-75 mph with good action.  Both secondary pitches have developed nicely since the winter.I like the jump he’s made since the winter.  He looks to be a solid two-way prospect.

Tee Exit Velocity- 86 mph
INF Velocity- 77 mph

6-foot-3, 165-pound right-handed pitcher. The fastball sat 75-76 mph, arm side run and downhill at times. The spin pitch is big in shape, sat 67-68 mph. The changeup is a work in progress, sitting 70-71 mph. The delivery is online with the feet and above 3/4 in slot. The tracking of the front shoulder needs to be aligned as he comes offline prior to getting the stride foot down. The post foot is on top of the rubber, should be posted in front of the rubber. The lift is repeated and the arm works long on the backside. There is a small amount of effort in the delivery. Interesting arm to me, with better posture and direction he could turn into a good one. The frame is big and thick.

6-foot-3, 265 pound right handed hitting 1st baseman.  Threw 75 mph across the diamond.  The feet were soft and athletic.  The glove works well and gets through the ball into the throwing position.  The arm path is long and clean.  The bat had a tee exit velocity of 81 mph.  The set up begins slightly open and spread.  Uses a knee to knee load to get back to square.  The hands move back nicely into the launch position.  The path is aggressive and flat through the zone.  Shows the ability to drive the ball to the pull side.  Showed well at this event. He’s a physical guy that shows athletic ability on both sides of the ball.  He’s a guy to follow. On the bump, the arm showed well.  The fastball was up to 76 mph with tilt.  The breaking pitch was 64-65 mph and showed well at times.  The changeup was a good pitch at 69-70 mph.  The action and arm speed was good.  The delivery showed good tempo.  Balanced well over the back leg before driving on line toward home plate.  The arm path was quick and clean.  Ball had nice arm side run.  I think with the clean mechanics and the arm speed, a jump in velocity is coming soon.  Definitely a guy to follow.

Tee Exit Velocity- 81 mph
INF Velocity - 75 mph

6-foot-2, 235-pound right-handed pitcher and first baseman. Threw 73 mph during the infield portion of the workout. The feet need to be smoothed out and the glove is soft. The swing is clean, wide in base. The bottom half stays under control throughout the swing. The front foot is picked up and put down as the ball approaches. The path is flat, strong at contact. Uses a 1-handed finish after contact. On the mound, the fastball touched 74 mph. The spin pitch is 62 mph, big in shape. The changeup is 69 mph, needs a spin adjustment.  The delivery is online with the feet, the frame is big and thick. The slot is above ¾ and works clean. The lift is repeated, coil at the top of the lift. The tracking of the front shoulder needs to be aligned, also has a hard glove pull as he gets into foot strike.

INF Velocity- 73 mph