Arkansas Insider: Unsigned Infielders

December 22, 2015

By: Zac Bottoms
Arkansas Scouting Director

A look at five infielders that are uncommitted in the 2016 graduating class. This group is a solid mix of players with advanced skill set.

2016 Harrison Rutledge, MIF, Maumelle HS
Rutledge is a 6-foot 165-pound middle infielder with an athletic frame and a thin build. He shows good athleticism running a 6.78 sixty. Defensively he plays through the baseball with fluid footwork and a quick exchange. He throws the baseball 79 mph across the infield. Offensively he registered an 81 mph during exit speed velocity. He is a raw hitter that out athletes balls and finds barrel on a consistent basis. Overall Rutledge is a raw athlete that can really defend.

2016 Mackenzie Seats, MIF, Sylvan Hills HS
Seats is a 5-foot-9 145-pound middle infielder with an athletic frame and athletic build. He is a polished defender with soft hands and a quick exchange. He plays through the baseball with fluid footwork. Offensively he has line drive swing that stays in the hit zone for extended period of time. He maintains balance throughout his swing. Overall Seats is a skilled player that will continue to improve as he adds strength.

2016 Cooper King, MIF, Harrison HS
King is a 5-foot-8, 185-pound middle-infielder with a medium frame and a physical build. Offensively he has a compact swing with a line drive bat path, and good bat speed. He produces exit velocities of 86 mph at Arkansas Top Prospects Games. Defensively he has soft hands and smooth actions as he plays through the baseball. He has a quick exchange with an accurate arm with carry. Athletically average with first step quickness and good lateral movement. Overall King seems to be a hardnosed kid that enjoys playing the game and is very sound at all phases of the game. My overall assessment from this year is the more I have watched him the more impressed I become due to the consistent play.

2016 Jordan Volner, CIF, Nettleton HS
Volner is a 6-foot-3 215-pound left-handed hitting corner infielder with a large frame and an average build. He is the top uncommitted left-handed hitter in the state. He starts from a tall stance with a smooth load. He has a short stride and attacks the baseball with a line drive swing. He produces exit velocity up to 90 mph. He would improve his power production if he would not come out of his lower half as quick. Defensively he plays through the baseball with average hands. He has a fluid exchange and a strong accurate arm. Overall Volner is a solid left-handed hitter that should be able to hit for doubles and home run power at the next level.

2016 Gip Burrow, INF, Lake Hamilton HS
Burrows is a 5-foot-9 160-pound infielder with a medium frame and an athletic build. He showed the best actions during out infield evaluation portion of the day. He played through the baseball with soft hands, fluid footwork, his quick exchange and an accurate arm. His velocity across the infield was 73 mph. Offensively he has a compact line drive swing that allowed him to hit the ball to all fields. He starts from athletic stance, with a smooth load and attacks the baseball with fast bat speed at 85 mph. He would benefit from adding strength but overall a solid player with good actions. Overall he is a plus defender with a solid swing, with a plus motor and instincts.