PBR Success Stories: 2020 1B/OF Henry Politz
May 5, 2020
Our goal at Prep Baseball Report is to provide athletes with a platform to showcase their talents and be able to play baseball at the next level. One of the biggest events for uncommitted players is the PBR Future Games. The Future Games is an event for uncommitted sophomores and juniors that allows them to represent their home state and showcase themselves in front of over 300 college coaches. Over the last three years, 45 players from the Future Games have gone on to commit to play college baseball.
We wanted to look back at the 2018 Future Games which featured 18 players committing to play college baseball. The players from the 2018 team will be heading into their freshman year of college next year and we wanted to ask them about their time with Prep Baseball Report. Today, we talked to 2020 1B/OF Henry Politz about his time spent with PBR and the amount of exposure he was able to receive at their events.
Henry Politz, 1B/OF, Jesuit, 2020, Holy Cross
Henry Politz, a graduate from Tampa Jesuit High School was a participant in the 2018 Prep Baseball Report Future Games. Henry was ranked No.3 overall in the state of Florida at first base for the 2020 class and has committed to Holy Cross.
Question:
What impact did Prep Baseball Report have on you being recruited and signing with Holy Cross?
Answer:
Prep Baseball Report certainly helped me through the recruiting process in a number of ways, the most notable being the introduction to showcase events. Before high school, I didn’t really have any experience with showcase events. It wasn’t until I started doing the annual Pre-Season Invitational at IMG that I really got a true showcase experience. These events allowed me to look around and see how I stack up to other high school players in Florida. Not only that, but all the metrics were measured, recorded, and posted on social media. This gave me an opportunity to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses, compare those metrics with the metrics of other guys at the event, and then make a plan to raise my game and improve my skills. By continuing to improve these skills every year, I kept getting progressively better and better. These improved skills came to the forefront last summer, as I performed well enough to earn a spot on Holy Cross’s roster.
Question:
What Prep Baseball Report showcase stood out to you most?
Answer:
The most eye-opening PBR showcase has to be that PBR Future Games. I mean that was an incredible event. So many scouts from what seemed like every Division 1 school in the country. Since it was in Indiana, it was really cool to see all of the Big 10 and Big 12 schools represented, given that I am used to seeing primarily ACC and SEC schools scouting games in Florida. While Holy Cross did not see me specifically at the Future Games, I definitely gained legitimate college interest from some other schools after my performance at that event. It didn’t matter what time of day we were playing, there were always a substantial amount of scouts at each of our games. Not to mention, Grand Park is, in my opinion, one of the best venues for high school baseball in the entire country. Also, dividing the teams into states added a significant team aspect to the showcase. Everyone competed that much harder because the players want to represent their state well. Overall, a really great event.
Question:
What was the experience like working with Prep Baseball Report?
Answer:
Working with Prep Baseball Report was a very beneficial experience and time well spent. Whether it be getting me quality game reps at the Pre-Season Classic to get me ready for the high school season, or giving me tons of exposure to college scouts at Grand Park, PBR has undoubtedly helped me develop as a player and continue my career at the next level. Coach Freeman and Coach Maerz did a great job coaching Team Florida at the Future Games and they undoubtedly got us lots of college exposure. They were also able to keep it fun during such a critical recruiting time, and that helped myself and my teammates to relax and enjoy the experience. Once again, my experience with PBR was definitely a positive one and it has certainly helped me in advancing my baseball career. Thank you to the entire PBR organization for all the help and assistance y’all have given me throughout my high school career!
If you are still looking for that college commitment, check out our summer showcase schedule and receive the exposure you need to have the opportunity play at the next level.
Recent News
Scouting Report
Strong and athletic frame at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. Accuracy and carry on throws from the outfield. Average hands and fluid footwork with clean exchange fielding ground balls. Balanced setup at the plate with leg kick to create rhythm in the swing with level bat path and pull-side power.
Big frame at 6’3 230. Will stick at 1B. The Tampa Jesuit prepper has big power potential from the left side. Great bat speed and level bat path. Moves pretty well for his size. Calm approach with loose hands. Worked the middle of the field well.
At 6-foot-2, 220 pound he has a big, strong XL frame. Defensively, he is a sound first basemen as the feet work well around the bag. Behind the plate hands work, needs some added flexibility, but feet worked well and pop times were 2.0-2.16. Offensively, the switch hitter is a bit more aggressive from the right side. Working uphill with present strength and bat speed with an exit velocity of 93 mph and power potential. Left-handed, he works uphill, can get a little rotational, but has a feel for the barrel and uses the lower half well. A lot of power potential from both sides, may stick more at first, but is a solid option behind the plate as well.
A strong bodied, 6-foot-2, 220 pound C/1B. Defensively, he moves well at first and behind the plate showed ability to block and receive with pop times that ranged from 2.0-2.15. His calling card is his bat. He has a strong lower half, starting a a bit crouched, he can fight against his front side and not get to extension consistently. When he does clear the back side and work through the ball he shows present power with above average power potential. Had a single in game one. Left handed power with ability to catch and play first.
Big, strong frame. The switch hitter has an uphill swing from the left side that shows power potential. He uses e strong lower half well and stays balanced throughout the swing. Right handed, he is a bit more spread out and simple. Still uses the lower half well, but can get long at ties. Power potential from both sides of the plate.
Uncommitted. Currently stands at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds with a strong, athletic build. Stood out at the plate where he showed above average bat speed and consistently showed the ability to square the ball up from both sides of the plate. Gap-to-gap power and drives the ball. Catcher with power from both sides of the plate, registering an exit velocity of 92 mph. Behind the plate he shows strong hands and solid footwork with accurate throws to the bag that topped out at 76 mph. Clocked in at 8.0 seconds for his 60 yard dash time.