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Nashville Stars Scout Blog

Joe King, LHP, Ezell-Harding, 2022
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Vandy commit southpaw looked sharp in his bullpen with Nashville Stars Scout Team.  Improved present strength after growing two inches and adding ten pounds of mass to frame with powerful lower half.  Same quiet, repeatable delivery that's slightly up tempo with more controlled sequencing while working down the slope. Effort in the delivery but quick arm working up to a H 3/4 slot pounding the zone with three pitch mix.  FB jumped out of the hand at sitting 88-91, T92 (1987-2128 rpm) with late, arm side life. Threw with intent and attacked both sides of the plate, locating well.  Showed sharp SL at 76-78 (2218-2343 rpm) with 2/8 action that would sit in the zone then bottom out late.  SL creates a difficult tunnel off dashing FB, which he can land for strikes or execute a chase offering.  King's CH has made great strides showing more feel and getting more action at 78-80 mph. His running FB elevated spin rate creates more horizontal 2 seam action and less sink, and his CH is similar with spin rates at 2017-2048 rpm.  The number two prospect in the '22 class has a wicked three pitch mix from the left side that is tough to handle and should put him on some draft boards in summer 2022.

 

Christian Lim, LHP, MBA, 2023
Stanford Commit dazzled at the 2020 PBR Future Games, given his advanced three pitch mix and the stuff only gotten sharper since early August.  All three offerings have made a velo jump, making times on hitters even tougher.  Same, repeatable hybrid windup with quick arm working up to 3/4 slot.  FB sat 87-89 with laminar express arm side run and impressive spin at (2180-2301 rpm). In comparison to other 2-seam/sinker arms, the elevated spin rate allows Lim's FB action to stay up and carry through the zone with mostly horizontal action.  Sharp CB at 73-75 (2065-2281 rpm) with 1/7 action, shaping into the swing and miss offering we saw flashes of this summer.  Diving CH at 77-79 (1548-1776 rpm) with great arm side action and deception off FB.  An impressive southpaw out of this deep '23 group. 

 

Braxton Orr, SS/RHP, CPA, 2023
First look at the 6-foot-3, 175-pound two-way prospect out of CPA. Lanky projectable frame with plenty of room to add mass and fill out frame.  Quiet delivery while staying loose with the arm accelerating well up to true 3/4 slot.  Ball comes out the hand clean and decelerates his arm in follow through.  Attacking the zone with FB at 83-87, T88 (2018-2232 rpm) with slight arm side action.  1/7 action slurvy breaking ball at 71-73 (2017-2218 rpm), more CB right now cause of depth, but expect this to develop into SL as he gets more feel.  Threw a nice CH at 75-77 (1479-1695 rpm) with fade from LHH, located around the zone while really using his long fingers to grab seams to kill spin and create action.  Also showed unique forkball at 73-75 with flashes of swing n' miss bite, darting mostly arm side with occasional late cut.  Positionally, seems to have the tools to play up the middle. Relaxed, tall stance getting the foot down to catch consistent barrels, spraying to all fields. Strong athlete, who will certainly contribute on both sides this Spring, and should be shooting up the rankings in the next update. 

 

Hadley Maxwell, RHP, FRA, 2022
6-foot-2, 195-pound right-hander has made steady strides and is showing a potential wipe out secondary offering.  Good frame with some projection while continuing to build mass since seeing him in early July. Delivery has a lot of Mike Clevinger feel to it, restless feet, quick initial step and pace, with big finishes.  Long, quick arm working up to H 3/4 slot.  Lively FB at 84-86 (2092-2335 rpm), which hasn't made a big jump in velo, but improved life through the zone and less cut than we saw this summer.  Attacks the bottom of the zone and improving spin allows him to compete up as well.  Best secondary is 12/6 action CB at 69-71 with high spin at 2381-2518 rpm. Hides it well through delivery and really spins it, getting good depth and bottoming out with late bite.  Showed CH at 75-76 (1572-1671 rpm) with good arm speed and some fade for a solid third offering.  

 

Zion Rose, C, Brother Rice (IL), 2023
The no. 1 prospect in the Illinois 2023 class and Louisville commit; 6-foot-1, 190-pounds hulking frame with good athleticism. My first look at Rose, but just a different sound coming off the wood bat. The ball jumped off the barrel during his rounds of BP, showing power to all fields favoring the pull side. Generates great bat speed with quick hands while consistently catching barrels, creating hard contact. Really impressed offensively with the swing and process approach, while showing improvements behind the dish.  Handled some top end stuff, showing soft hands and good pitch presentation.  Managed the staff well with feedback on pitch action and looks to be developing into an above average defender behind the plate. 

 

Kenneth McKinley, OF, Ensworth, 2022
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound outfielder has made tremendous strides since last seeing him this summer at Lakepoint, where he showed flashes of big pop from the right side. Great projectable frame with present lower half strength and plenty of room to add more. More squared up, balanced stance with small leg kick and simple load, improving his timing leading to more consistencies in swing path.  Easy bat speed and showing more confidence in the box. Really raised his floor with the development of the hit tool, proving to be more of a consistent offensive contributor.  Strong runner, who uses his long spider-like legs to cover some serious ground from all three outfield positions.  

 

Reggie Cooper, OF, Stewarts Creek, 2022
First look at the 6-foot-1, 185-pound outfielder out of Stewarts Creek HS. Proportional frame with some present strength throughout. Tall stance with tight hands, working back gradually creating good head-hands separation without arm barring load.  Small leg kick while generating above average bat speed and strong rotational sequencing. Consistent timing getting the foot down and letting the swing work.  Peppered line drives to all fields, and when Cooper stays in his lower half, showed he can drive the ball into the power alleys.  

 

Jaxon Sheffield, OF, Tullahoma, 2023
The 5-foot-7, 170-pound Tullahoma OF has really grown into his frame shedding some baby fat and improving his physicality after starring for the football team this Fall.  Proportional frame with some strength and really handled the barrel from the left side.  After getting overpowered by Vols commit Jake Fitzgibbons in my first look in March, Sheffield won't have many games like that in 2021, as he'll look to take next step and overpower opposing arms.  Balanced stance with small stride, getting the barrel on plane early creating consistent barrels.  Strong barrel control with some pop and looks to wallop baseballs to the pull side. The youngest brother of Jordan (Rockies) and Justus (Mariners), who both were skilled two-way players at Tullahoma in their time, looks to be an impact LHH position player as we head into the Spring season. 

 

Michael Waddell, OF, John Overton, 2022
First look at the 6-foot-1, 170-pound outfielder out of Overton HS. Lean, athletic frame with some projection.  Wider stance with high hands working into controlled gather and no stride.  Shows quick hands and the bat really whips through the zone with some uphill trajectory.  The load is a touch long but hand speed and explosiveness makes a nice recovery allowing him to spray the ball around the yard.  Plenty of barrels in his rounds of BP and should be an intriguing follow throughout the year. 

 

Easton Dillard, SS, CPA, 2023
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound infielder out of CPA has cleaned up some things at the plate, and is starting to emerge into a prospect.  Medium, athletic frame with slight projection.  Switched to more open stance with more balance throughout swing.  Controlled load and moderate leg kick, using the body to generate bat speed rather than trying to muscle the ball.  Catching barrels more consistently with heavy dose of line drives and some gap juice. In what should be a deep infield group at CPA, Dillard will look to get in the mix and could be in for a big summer.  

 

Logan Michalak, C, Summit, 2023
The 5-foot-8, 140-pound backstop out of Summit has always shown to be a solid receiver and blocker while managing a skilled Spartans staff. Lean, medium frame with room to add strength.  Tall, balanced stance with big leg kick.  Compact load with solid bat speed and flashes of some potential power for frame. More hit tool at the moment with some free swing in there, looking to slash balls into holes of the defense.  Quiet behind the plate with good low target presentation, as it remains to be seen how the arm plays this Spring. 

 

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