Dalton
Harper

Physical: 5-foot-9, 200 pounds; Sturdy, proportional build. 7.42 runner in the 60.

Offensively: RHH. Open setup, with feet shoulder width apart; flat bat to start. Drops hands on the way back with a moderate leg kick for timing. Slides weight forward pre-contact. while showing a strong lower half. Showed a flat swing path with a finish around the back.  More line drives than fly balls and ground balls with a peak exit velocity of 104 MPH via Trackman.

Physical: Thick, durable 5-foot-8, 185-pound frame with strength throughout the movements. 7.90 runner in the 60-yard dash. 

Offensively: RHH - Balanced, crouched stance with the barrel resting over the backside in a Kris Bryant-esque setup; utilized an early barrel tip coupled with a toe tap stride in order to initiate the bat head through a violent, slightly uphill path. The bat speed was evident at the dish (70 mph average / 78 mph peak) giving way to explosive pull-side contact (97 mph bat-exit velocity). A 58.3% hard hit rate (batted balls over 90 mph) hints at some form of consistency offensively, as does a 33% line drive rate per Trackman Baseball. Notched a solid 315 foot batted ball distance with room for more on the launch. 

Defensively: The primary backstop flashed solid receiving skills from a left knee down and traditional setup; pop times got as low as 1.96 with easy strength out of the crouch, held posture well allowing for lower half drive towards the bag once in-line, strong 73 mph arm strength from a quick, high ¾ v-slot. Blocked well with lateral movements following the glove hand .. The third baseman featured average footwork arriving on time with the feet from a moderately low posture; soft glove hand fielded off the middle of his body, accurate 81 mph arm strength across the diamond giving him some positional flexibility at either corner IF spot if need be. 

Physical: 5-foot-8, 185 pounds; strong, physical build. 7.87 runner in the 60.

 Offensively: RHH. Balanced stanc with feet even and bend in the knees; hands start above the shoulder with the bat down; gains ground with toe tap stride while hands load down and back with the bat getting vertical. aggressive lower half hitting into a stiff front side with slight up hill path with bat speed up to 70 mph and 51% on plane efficiency.  gap to gap juice with natural lift; peak Trackman exit velocity of 89 MPH.

 Defensively: C: slightly off set and low to the ground, athletic, straight line foot work, confident glove with quick, clean transfers. 3B: Uses prep step; , active foot work playing through the ball routinely, solid glove work fielding the ball in center of the body; short arm action to a 3/4 slot with carry on the ball. 1.98-2.04 pop times. C - 74 MPH. INF - 79 MPH.  

Physical: 5-foot-8, 153-pounds. Strong projectable frame.
Run: 8.18 runner in the 60.
Hit: RHH. Balanced stance, slightly open, small leg kick into the load action, strong bat speed Level through the zone, strong hands at the point of contact.
Power: 94 MPH raw exit velocity. Clear power pull side and up the middle.
Defense: 2.07-2.13 pop times. C: Low stance, strong base, ball transition is fast and from the shoulder, accurate throws around the bag, INF: Consistent footwork on approach, fields the ball slightly off-center on his back foot, shuffles to release.
Arm: C: Quick arm swing, 3/4 slot, INF: Short arm swing, 3/4 slot . C - 72 MPH. INF - 79 MPH.

A strong build at 5-foot-6, 174 pounds. Ran an 8.01 in the 60 yard dash. Offensively- the right handed hitter stands in the box with a slight bend in the knees. Starts with the feet together then takes a short stride towards the pitcher before entering the hitting zone. Strong bat path through the hitting zone. Ball jumps off the bat. Good use of the lower half. Top exit velocity was 87 MPH. Defensively- the catcher displayed a big target for pitchers. Displayed active footwork behind the plate. Quick exchange and release on throws to 2B. Top throwing velocity was 77 MPH. Pop time range was 2.06-2.14. As an infielder, aggressive approach to the baseball. Displayed smooth funnel actions and a quick release from a high ¾ arm slot. Moves well side to side. The top throwing velocity from third base was 76 MPH.

Sturdy 5-foot-4 150 catcher/3B who hits from the right side. Harper ran a 4.86 home-to-1B. Offensively- Even setup with feet spread outside the shoulders; flat barrel that lifts during load. Short stride with an aggressive swing into the zone; impressive 79 MPH exit velocity for the 2023 grad. Showed some drive to the opposite field gap. Defensively- Compact setup behind the plate; quick transfer with a short arm action. Gains ground on pop step with a bit of a slinger's release; short follow through. On the bag accuracy with one hop. Arm peaked at 55 MPH with a pop time range of 2.37-2.52. At 3B showed some active feet moving through the ball; short arm action with low 3/4 release. Was 68 MPH across the diamond.

June 2018 

With a short stocky build, Harper is a all around solid catcher. While behind the plate, he is very smart and sets up well for pitches. He has very quick reaction and breaks down excellent on balls in the dirt. He has a quick transfer from the glove and pops up well when throwing the ball down to second. At the plate he has a short compact approach, and he keeps his hands inside goes opposite fields with power.

Rising Stars Instructional (February 25, 2018)