June 12 Athens Wood Bat Showcase Scout Analysis: Outfielders

June 12 Athens Wood Bat Showcase Positional Scout Analysis: Outfielders

Twenty-one players went through the workout as outfielders and showcased their skills. Three players showed an OF velocity reading above 85 MPH and several others showed polished skills in the outfield with very accurate throws to the plate. This will wrap up our individual positional analysis from the June 12 event at Athens High School. .

Avery Seaton (2021, OF/RHP, Madison Academy) 5’10 190 lbs.-  The bat really plays for this 2021 outfielder. Starts with a slightly open stance and does a nice job with the weight transfer in the swing. The hands and barrel really work inside the ball and he showed big-time juice to the middle of the field with some tilt in the swing. Natural instincts in the outfield and advanced athleticism make him a nice prospect in the outfield. Showed big time on strength up to 88 mph from the grass.

Stuart Edge (2020, RHP/OF, Bob Jones) 5’11 180 lbs.- A ton of tools in this ‘20 grad. Showed nice speed in the outfield and during the 60 yard dash. Was 87 mph from the outfield with very accurate throws and the ball seemed to really explode out of his hand. Had one of the better BP rounds of the day with an even stance and a short leg kick creating some juice off of the barrel really showed plus pop to both gaps and the barrel stayed through the zone a long time. Physical player.

Alex Wade (2022, OF/RHP, Madison Academy) 6’2 165 lbs.- The 2022 grad shows plenty of athleticism with everything on the field. Ran a sub 7.0 60 yard dash and was 86 mph from the outfield to go along with a 93 mph exit velocity off of the tee. The tools are already in place and will likely continue to increase as he fills  out physically from an already tall, lanky build. Fluid actions all over the field. Love the barrel control from a very solid setup at the plate. Continually showed tilted line drives to both gaps during BP.

Reis Browning (2020, RHP/OF, East Limestone) 6’1 150 lbs.- Showed a real open stance at the plate with the hands sitting back in the stands. Did a nice job getting his front foot down on time which triggered the rest of his swing. The bat path had slight tilt and continually showed pull side juice. Solid, simple swing. Nice actions in the outfield and did a nice job resetting the feet to make the throw. The ball came out of the hand well and stayed on plane to the plate. Athletic outfielder.

Chandler Brewer (2021, OF/1B, Hazel Green) 6’1 195 lbs.- The bat plays for this outfielder, who can also play 1B.  Has some physicality to his game. Started slightly open at the plate and had a simple approach on the front side. The swing was short and really got his hands through the baseball at contact and stayed on plane for a long time. Showed some juice. In the OF, he showed feel for the position and stated on line with the throws. Was 82 mph from the OF.

Barrett Brown (2022, RHP/OF, East Limestone) 6’0 150 lbs.- Another athletic outfielder that showed well on the day. Ran a sub 7.0 60 yard dash and showed big-time pop off the bat with a 98 mph exit velo off of the tee. The approach at the plate is simple and there’s not a lot of wasted action. Loved how the hands got back to the launch position in the swing path was level. There is some strength in the hands. Did a nice job with the lower half in the swing. The outfield skills are very solid with nice feet before and after the catch. The ball comes out of the hand well and he does a nice job of using his core strength in his throws.

Wade Passler (2020, OF/LHP, Huntsville) 5’11 170 lbs.- Slightly open stance at the plate with a high leg kick approach to generate some juice. The head stayed still throughout the swing with the hands and barrel stayed inside the ball. This consistently produced line drives to the middle of the field. Love the finish of the swing and he really created some torque with the lower half.  One of the more impressive outfielders on the day with very fluid actions attacking the ball and through the throw. Throws were consistent and on line and he did a nice job with his momentum through the throw. Solid player.

Parker Willoughby (2020, OF/LHP, Athens) 6’1 175 lbs.- Has really progressed since we saw him a year ago. The frame has filled out and the speed has improved. From the left side he showed an even stance and simple movement of the hands to get to the launch position of the swing. The hand stayed inside the bowl in the finish was high, creating some tilt in the swing path.Impressive actions in the outfield with some natural instincts with the feet. The throws were consistent from a quick transfer. There is still more velocity in him.  Like the all-around make up of this player.

Dillon Acosta (2020, OF/2B, James Clemens) 6’0 175 lbs.-  really gets the weight back on his pre-pitch routine and has a small toe tap approach. Hits off the front side a bit from a level swing plane. Showed a bit of an inside out approach forcing his hands inside the ball. This resulted in loud contact from gap to gap. Fluid actions in the outfield attacking balls in front of him. Did a nice job resetting his feet and keeping his weight moving through the throw as the ball came out very well.

Nicholas Whitten (2021, OF/LHP, Deshler) 5’9 160 lbs.-  slightly open stance from the left side with a very simple approach with the hands. The bat barrel stayed upright in the launch position and he showed nice top hand strength to the zone. The approach seemed to be middle to oppo. Showed nice accuracy on his throws from the outfield and the ball stayed on plane to the target. The transfer was fairly quick and the feet worked well before the catch.

John August Busch (2021, OF/ RHP, James Clemens) 6’0 165 lbs.- The stance was narrow and the feet were open to begin. He continually stayed in the middle of the field during his round of BP and showed a fairly level swing path. Could add some more pop by using his lower half a little better. Outfield play seemed very simple for him as he showed athletic actions and nice hip flexibility during the catch and throw process.

Nick Stoner (2021, OF/RHP, Athens) 5’11 156 lbs.- Showed a wide base at the plate and a very simple toe tap approach which kept the swing very simple. The hands and barrel worked inside the ball from a level swing plane. This resulted in hard ground balls and line drives during his round. Liked the outfield actions as he did a nice job of getting to his glove side on ground balls and showed a quick transfer and nice feet moving to make the throw. His throws were accurate and stayed on plane to the plate.

Johnnie Keahey (2020, OF/RHP, Priceville) 5’10 145 lbs.-  slightly open stance and showed some tilt in the swing path. Appeared to be heavy pull side but showed some juice with the barrel. Does a nice job of getting his backside through during the swing. Solid during outfield drills and moved very well getting to the ball. The arm works and he did a nice job of getting rid of the ball on time.

Brandon Wilbanks (2023, OF/1B, Sparkman) 6’0 140 lbs.- Slightly open toe tap approach from the left side with the hands set high in the stance. Has a tall, lean frame that should continue to develop over the years. Showed some major tilt in the swing but really leveled the swing plane out on balls up in the zone.Tracked the ball very well in the outfield and did a nice job getting to his glove side on ground balls. Should add arm strength in the future as he develops and gets the ball back a little more in his throwing motion.

Ryan Harness (2021, OF/LHP, Madison Academy) 5’8 150 lbs.- Even stance with the feet from the left side for this 2021. The top half and lower half of the body worked very well together which created a nice synced up swing. Did not try to do too much and kept his hands and barrel inside the ball. He showed the ability to hit to all parts of the field.Very solid actions approaching the ball in the outfield and was very fluid with the catch to throw part. Solid fundamentals.

Logan Mooney (2023, LHP/OF, Ardmore) 5’9 120 lbs.- Young player with some solid fundamentals that should continue to develop over the next few years. At the plate he started with a slightly open stance with the feet and created some whip through the zone with the barrel. The hands worked well inside the ball and he stayed in the middle of the field. There was some nice feel to his outfield play as he tracked balls very well and showed a quick transfer from the catch to the throw. The arm will continue to get stronger but the setup is solid.

Logan Beasley (2022, OF/RHP, Austin) 5’10 160 lbs.- Nice rhythm in the swing and the hands worked very well. The swing was synced up nicely and he created some torque in the lower half with a slightly tiled barrel path. Solid, consistent play in the outfield during the defense a portion of the work out. Every throw was on target and easy to handle on the back end. Really like the actions of this young 2022 grand.  Solid fundamental skills.

Holden Stanfield (2021, OF/2B, Lauderdale County) 6’3 165 lbs.-  tall, lanky athlete that moves very well. Showed a wide set up at the plate with the hands set back in the stance. Was real simple in his approach and very compact with the barrel. No wasted movement in the swing and the lower half and upper half of the body worked well together. Liked his approach in the outfield with very fluid footwork attacking balls in front of him. The momentum of his body worked well and he did a nice job with the transfer and staying through his throw.

Joseph Thallas (2022, OF/RHP, East Limestone) 6’0 153 lbs.- Even stance and slightly bent in the knees with the beginning of the swing. The front foot and the hands do a nice job of getting separated before attacking the hitting zone.The swing path is level and he does a nice job of getting his top hand through at contact. Very aggressive on plays in the outfield and was consistent with his throws to the plate. The arm strength will get stronger as he continues to mature physically.

Cameron Hill (2021, LHP/OF, Priceville) 6’0 135 lbs.- The feet start square and the front foot got down on time to allow the hands and barrel to get through the hitting zone. Showed a middle of the field approach and a level swing path which resulted in line drives and hard ground balls during his BP round. Really gets rid of the ball quick after fielding in the outfield and showed a nice long arm action on the throws. Could add some more arm strength by staying through his throw a little bit longer.

Kaiden Davis (2022, LHP/OF, East Limestone) 5’9 124 lbs.- Sprayed the ball to all parts of the field during BP from a slightly even stance and the knees slightly in. Can add some more pop by getting his hands back to launch the swing. Did a nice job of staying through the hitting zone and keeping the barrel on the ball as long as possible. In the outfield, his transfer was very quick and he did a nice job of fielding ground balls off to his glove side. Like the actions before the catch and the arm will continue to get stronger as he develops.

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