Ryan
Ragone

Ragone, a lefty-hitting 2018 catcher, stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs a solid 215 pounds, ran a 8.47 60.  Offensively- Starts with a base of the feet slightly more than shoulder width apart. Hands are above the back shoulder with the bat parallel to the ground. Initiates the swing with a shift of weight to the backside, hands loaded off the back shoulder, while the front foot comes up with minimal movement towards the pitcher. Hands tend to get ahead of the rotation of the hips costing some bat speed. Showed strength and ability to drive the ball to the pull side and opposite side gaps when the sequence of the swing stayed consistent. If the hands can stay behind the rotation of the hips, will improve on the recorded exit velocity of 82 MPH. Defensively-  Primary stance is athletic with the base evenly centered and feet slightly more than shoulder width apart. Glove hand is quiet and relaxed as the ball crosses home plate, presents the ball well especially on the lower third pitches, working the hand from under the ball. Showed a quick release with a good transfer from the center of the body creating a short arm action to second base. Throws showed good accuracy as well as good carry, registering a respectable pop time of 2.06 and an arm velocity of 74 MPH which was a 6 MPH increase from last year. Pitching- Starts from center rubber with the hands held in front of the chest. Gets to the gathered position by stepping towards first base while the hands remain in the center of the body. Waist high leg kick while the hands remain quiet in the center of the body. Creates early hand separation enabling the arm to have long action and stay in sync with the lower half. Stabilizes the landing and creates positive drive towards home, staying tight with the front side enabling good extension on release. Fastball showed late life as well as being a bit on the heavy side from a high ¾ arm slot. Fastball topped out at 82 MPH an increase of 6 MPH over the past year. Slider showed tight spin and 10-to-4 break while topping out at 73 MPH. Change-up showed depth and had good differential from the fastball at 74 MPH. Solid build and strong player seems as if he may be able to be a two-way player at the next level.