On Aug. 22, the PBR Illinois team hosted the first event of its kind: the 2024 Top Prospect Games. In an attempt to gather the state’s best incoming freshmen in one place, the staff invited over 50 of Illinois’ rising Class of 2024 prospects to participate in the showcase.

We opened our analysis of this event by reporting on the day’s highlights inside of this Quick Hits post, published just a couple days following the showcase. Later that week, we examined the event’s measured data that we gathered inside this Statistical Analysis.

Today, we’re returning to this event as we begin to roll out our scouting reports from the 2024 Top Prospect Games. Our position-by-position analysis begins with the day’s catchers, led by one of the top players we’ve seen in this class to date: Collin Mowry (Lincoln-Way Central), who is already committed to Louisville.

Mowry is a stand-out athlete, a good runner for his age, and he carries above-average strength in a 5-foot-10 build. His athleticism allows him to project well defensively at third base or even second, but it’s his future behind the plate that looks especially bright. He’s an advanced receiver with aggressive and quick catch-and-throw traits, and his strength allowed him to produce some of the hardest and farthest batted balls at this event. Illinois has some special underclass talent to familiarize yourself with, and Mowry is among them.

And as talented as Mowry is, C/RHP Angel Jimenez (Taft) isn’t too far behind. He’s another above-average athlete and it shows defensively. He’s quiet and efficient from the chute and his throws carry with accuracy – and not just for his age. Jimenez’s loose right-handed swings and fast hand speed make it easy to project on, and his aforementioned arm strength has helped him become a genuine prospect from the mound, too.

Read these two’s full scouting reports below, as well as the rest of the catchers who made it out to this select 2024 event.

TOP CATCHING PROSPECTS

1. Collin Mowry, Lincoln-Way Central (IL), 2024; Louisville commit.
Positional Profile: C/INF; One of the top 2024s we have seen to date,
Body: 5-10, 169-pounds. Athletic build; strength throughout his frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced quiet setup, hands load, short stride and stays on balance.  Strong fast hands, creates advanced bat speed. Short uphill bat path, consistently on the barrel with authority and worked gap-to-gap.
Power: 90 mph exit velocity from the tee. Was at the top of nearly every TrackMan category; Led the event in Max exit speed during BP; 96.05 mph (average of 89.83 mph). Also, led the way in longest average distance 282', almost 40 more feet than his nearest peer.
Arm: RH. C - 78 mph. INF - 85 mph. Short arm action, over-the-top slot and throws carried from behind the plate and across the infield.
Defense: 2.11-2.17 pop times. Profiles as a C/3B. Showed equally as well at both but has a bright future behind the plate. Advanced actions, quick feet, highly-repeatable out of the crouch. Soft hands, strong wrists with the ability to stick pitches in and around the zone. Athletic defender on the infield, showed all the tools and actions to stick there, if he so chooses.
Run: 7.20 runner in the 60. Above-average runner for age and position.

2. Angel Jimenez, Taft (IL), 2024
Positional Profile: C/RHP; High-follow 2024 catcher.
Body: 5-8, 152-pounds. Compact build, strength in lower half.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, smooth load and leg-lift timing trigger. Easy effort in swing, loose hands, creates whip. Bat stays level through the zone, consistently on the barrel and worked gap-to-gap with fluid rhythm.
Power: 86 mph exit velocity from the tee. Max hand speed of 24.60 mph, fourth-best of the event, according to Blast.
Arm: RH. C - 80 mph. Short arm action, over-the-top slot. Throws come out of the hand with life and carry, consistently around the second base bag. Routinely showed off a strong, accurate arm in game play as well.
Defense: 2.07-2.15 pop times. Advanced receiver, quiet and soft hands behind the plate, deadens blocks out front. Clean and efficient out of the crouch with minimal effort.
Run: 7.20 runner in the 60. Above-average runner for his age.

3. Seth Impson, Springfield (IL), 2024
Positional Profile: C
Body: 5-9, 150-pounds. Athletic, well-proportioned build.
Hit: SHH. Switch-hitter, showed well from both sides. Right-handed swing looks to be slightly ahead of left-handed. Balanced setup, pre-pitch rhythm, short stride. Simple swing, athletic swing, controls the barrel, stays short to the ball at times and line-drive approach.
Power: 83 mph exit velocity from the tee. 73.50 mph max bat speed, according to Blast.
Arm: RH. C - 74 mph. Short, loose arm action, plays from an over-the-top slot.
Defense: 2.05-2.19 pop times. Vocal behind the plate. Plays with bounce, athletic actions. Clean, quick and efficient out of the crouch; works on-line and gains ground through release. Flexible hips, soft hands and soft blocker.
Run: 7.70 runner in the 60. 

4. Randall Nauden, Marian Catholic (IL), 2024
Positional Profile: C
Body: 5-10, 175-pounds. Wide-shouldered, physical, mature build.
Hit: RHH. Open tall setup, smooth load and short stride. Advanced hand strength, quick bat, short bat path and loud contact when swing syncs. Worked gap-to-gap with a chance to have big pull-side power in the future.
Power: 90 mph exit velocity from the tee. According to TrackMan, recorded the top distance off the bat of 359' during BP.
Arm: RH. C - 79 mph. Short arm action, over-the-top slot and throws flashed carry and life when on the bag.
Defense: 2.08-2.18 pop times. Steady hands, directional and gains ground on release.
Run: 7.39 runner in the 60. Well above-average runner given his frame and age.

5. Kyle Hartmann, Sycamore (IL), 2024
Positional Profile: C/INF
Body: 5-8, 135-pounds. Wiry, athletic build.
Hit: RHH. Balanced, slightly open setup, smooth load and leg-kick timing trigger. Aggressive swing, looks to drive the baseball, short level bat path that gets extension through contact. Fluid rhythm and pull-side tendencies.
Power: 80 mph exit velocity from the tee. 27.50g max rotational acceleration; third best of the event, according to Blast.
Arm: RH. C - 72 mph. INF - 73 mph. Arm played short and over-the-top from the crouch.
Defense: 2.18-2.26 pop times. Worked out on the infield and behind the plate. Natural catcher actions. Soft hands, athletic out of the crouch, flexible hips and plays light on his feet. Quick, clean release.
Run: 8.44 runner in the 60.

Best of the Rest (Listed Alphabetically) 

Conner Durkin, Lincoln-Way East  (IL), 2024
Positional Profile: C
Body: 5-9, 170-pounds. Athletic, wide-shouldered build.
Hit: RHH. Balanced, slightly open setup, minimal load and short stride.  Strong hands, uphill bat path and gap-to-gap approach.
Power: 82 mph exit velocity from the tee. Max bat speed of 70.10 mph during BP, according to Blast.
Arm: RH. C - 70 mph. Long draw out of the glove, comes out of a short high 3/4 window.
Defense: 2.61-2.69 pop times. Squared setup behind the plate, reliable hands.
Run: 7.57 runner in the 60. 

Joshua Gutierrez, Saint Ignatius College Prep (IL), 2024
Positional Profile: C
Body: 5-9, 160-pounds. Well-proportioned build.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, minimal load, short stride and finishes on balance. Simple quiet swing, stays short to the ball, feel for the barrel, line-drive approach, pull-side tendencies and fluid rhythm throughout.
Power: 82 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 70 mph. Long arm action, 3/4 slot.
Defense: 2.15-2.26 pop times. Balanced squared setup behind the plate. Steady hands, clean release, replaces feet.
Run: 8.25 runner in the 60. 

Sir Jamison Jones, St. Rita (IL), 2024
Positional Profile: C
Body: 5-9, 165-pounds. Durable build with strength in lower half.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, smooth load and short stride. Easy strength in swing. Short, uphill path, feel for the barrel, uses the middle of the field with fluid rhythm throughout.
Power: 80 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. C - 63 mph. Short arm action, over-the-top slot.
Defense: 2.54-2.76 pop times. Tall, slightly open setup in the crouch. Soft hands, clean directional transfer.
Run: 8.23 runner in the 60. 

Zachary Pyles, Warren Township (IL), 2024
Positional Profile: C/1B
Body: 5-11, 200-pounds. Strong, physical frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced, open setup, leg-kick timing trigger. Hands stay on top and short to the baseball at times, advanced bat strength for age. Pull-side tendencies during BP.
Power: 88 mph exit velocity from the tee. Max exit velocity of 89.40 mph during BP, according to TrackMan. Finished game play 2-for-2 with two RBI’s.
Arm: RH. C - 71 mph. INF - 76 mph. Short arm action, high 3/4 slot.
Defense: 2.22-2.36 pop times. Worked out at first base and behind the plate. Potentially first base profile down the road. Steady first base defender, showed feel around the bag on the 3-6-3 double play ball.
Run: 7.75 runner in the 60. 

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