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By Chris Kemlo and Dylan Hefflinger
PBR Ontario Director of Scouting and Ontario Editor in Chief

Top 12 Stories for The Year 2014

Although PBR Ontario started up just three months ago Chris Kemlo, PBR Ontario Director of Scouting, looks back at the year in review and put together a list of the top stories for 2014.

To start off the list, Chris chose a long running piece that has provided players and parents with valuable knowledge when it comes to recruiting.

To follow that up we looked at "The Recruiting Trail" which updates where all the prospects across the province have been visiting, who they are getting attention from, and who they have committed to.

Now Chris has chosen to look two outstanding prospects who lead the 2017 class as the two top prospects in Canada. When watching them on the field, they could be called the "Hall and Davis Show"

Each day we will reveal the next story on the list. A hint for the next story is the word "catching".

A rundown of the stories: Note: We will be conducting a Twitter contest to vote on the top 12 stories for 2014 once the 12 stories have been posted.

• Recruiting Essentials
• The Ontario Recruiting Trail

Hall and Davis Lead 2017 Class

The 2015 Ontario class this year is led by two big names, Demi Orimoloye and Josh Naylor. For the past few years, these two feared hitters have been the top two prospects in the Country, each being number one and number two on lists across North America as the top ranked Canadian prospects. Both players posses similar strengths, but will also contribute in different ways throughout the game.

We could easily find ourselves in a similar situation when it comes to the top two prospects in the 2017 class from Ontario, Adam Hall and Cooper Davis.

Hall is a 5-foot-10, 150-pound athletic shortstop who has the opportunity to be a five tool player. Power will be the interesting factor and we will continue to see how that tool develops as he has shown surprising power outbursts for his size and age. Offensively, Hall is very quiet at the plate, hands are up in a good position to hit and involves his lower half very well. The bat speed and hand eye coordination, mixed with his quick hands allow Hall to produce hard contact to all fields. Not very often do you see Adam give away an at-bat. The other asset offensively for Hall is his speed. Routinely a 6.50-6.55 in the 60-yard dash, Hall makes smart decisions on the bases and takes advantage of his legs. Defensively, has been clocked at 89 mph across the diamond with clean arm action. Has tremendous body control which allows him to make plays going left or right. Hands are soft with good actions and feet stay in sync. Has made some highlight reel plays during Tournament 12 that make you think that this kid can’t be just 15 years old. The actions and ability are all there for Hall to stay in the middle of the diamond. The one thing about Adam is he seems to have this maturity about him, almost a professionalism approach, which seems bizarre to say when describing a 15 year old prospect. The way he handles himself and acts on the ball field, added with his skill and talent make me think he could be a very special player.

Davis, a 5-foot-10, 168-pound centre fielder who like Hall, has athleticism written all over him. Watching Davis play, the most obvious tool is his speed with 60-yard dash times being clocked at 6.45. What Davis does well is that he can translate that 6.45 speed into the game. Some players can fly in the 60 but have trouble turning that over into game action, not Davis. Whether it’s getting out the box, stealing a bag, or tracking a ball down in the alley, it’s easy to see the explosiveness he has in his first two, three steps. At the plate, the left-handed hitting Davis made some big improvements from this time ago last year. Along with being stronger, he seemed to keep a line drive approach and really concentrate on not trying to do to much other than make hard contact. His hands worked well through the ball, spraying balls all over the field during batting practice. Defensively, Davis’ arm plays well with good actions and some carry to his throws. Easy to think his arm will continue to get stronger with his proper mechanics and throwing actions. He is your prototype centre fielder who has the ability to run down balls with his game changing speed, all well keeping his body under control.

From watching Hall and Davis play and speaking to their respective coaches, what these two have in common is their will and desire to be the best. Both work extremely hard, and have a confidence in themselves that every player needs. It will be very interesting to see how these two will lead the 2017 class and what the future has in store for each. One thing you can count on is that it is going to be fun watching Adam Hall and Cooper Davis continue to grow and develop for the next two plus years.