PBR At The Rock 13U/14U: Five to Follow - Catchers
June 10, 2019
The first PBR at The Rock Championships of the summer took place from May 31 to June 2 at The Rock Sports Complex in Franklin, WI. Dozens of the best 13U and 14U teams in the entire Midwest competed in front of the PBR Wisconsin team over the weekend.
Shortly after the tournament’s end, the team compiled an in-depth analysis on some of the weekend’s top performers. You can find those notes in our Scout Blog here. As well as daily rundowns of the three-day highlights.
Day 1 Quick Hits
Day 2 Quick Hits
Day 3 Quick Hits
This will be a four-part series, beginning with the catchers, where we plucked five names to follow at each position from the tournament. The first piece of this series will highlight five catchers, listed in alphabetical order, that impressed the PBR Wisconsin team over the weekend.
CATCHERS
Cooper Cohn, C/RHP, McHenry, IL, Pro Player Canes, 2023
Athletic, projectable frame, two-way player. Started on the mound for Pro Player Canes on Sunday against Indiana Bulls. Pitched 5.1 innings, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk, 4 earned runs, and 6 hits. Quick, short arm action. Had a high ¾ arm slot and landed square on his finish. Fastball sat at 75-78 mph, topped at 80 mph. Curveball had an 11/5 shape and ranged from 61-63 mph. Changeup arm action was similar to his fastball, sat 67-68 mph. The right-handed hitter went 1 for 2 at the plate with a double and a walk. Defensively, showed natural instincts behind the plate on Friday against Indiana Elite. Adept blocker that boasts an above-average arm with carry. Smooth receiver, presents the ball well, clean/quick transfer of the baseball. 1.98-2.13 pop time in between innings, threw a runner out as well. Overall, has the tools necessary to stick behind the plate in the long-term.
Thomas Curry, C, STiKS Baseball Academy Black, Arrowhead, WI, 2023
Curry also looks the part from behind the dish. He looks to be high-level backstop at the next level, demonstrating the ability to block, receive, and has plus arm strength for his age. The future Arrowhead prospect has a strong, athletic frame and is already an advanced receiver and blocker. He was popping the 2.19-2.37 range between innings with the help of his plus arm strength for his age. From the right-handed batter’s box, Curry also takes an advanced approach at the plate and flashed the kind of bat strength that produced gap-to-gap results. In Day Two action, Curry went 1-for-2 with a single and hard line-drive out hit right to the second baseman. It looks like he’s going to have a chance to make an early impact in high school if he keeps this pace up.
Solen Munson, LHH, C/CF, Dubuque Hempstead, IA, Quad City Cannons, 2023
Son of former MLB catcher Eric Munson. For Munson, he demonstrated some premium arm strength from behind the plate. He showed it off several times on Days Two and Three, most notably from his knees. Pop times ranged between 2.29-2.45. At 5-foot-10, 140 pounds, Munson possesses a typical strong catcher’s build. His defensive actions stood out the most, with accuracy. He’s a natural receiver with soft and quiet hands, and showed above-average skills as a blocker. On day three, split time between center field and catcher. Made a diving catch on a ball over his head in center. On top of his defensive prowess, Munson swings a compact left-handed bat that flashed some jump off the barrel hitting out of the two-hole.
Randall Neuden, C/RHP, N/A, Top Tier Americans, 2024
Premium build; strong, durable lower half. Profiles best as a catcher. Showed advanced actions out of the crouch for his age, popping between 2.34 and 2.43 – and that 2.43 mark came in-game when he fired a strike on the bag to nab a would-be base stealer. He has typical catcher actions; short arm action, throws featured carry, and he showed some side-to-side agility as a blocker. Right-handed hitter, balanced/athletic setup, open front foot, brief and simple bat wrap load, weight shift back. Level bat path, above-average bat strength. On the mound came out of the pen in the championship game. Stock repeatable delivery with short arm action and big arm strength for age. Fastball played at 74-78 mph with four-seam finish up in the zone. Typically served as Americans’ starting catcher, led Top Tier with two hits, including his team’s only extra-base hit (a double).
Mark Wagner, C, Neuqua Valley, IL, 29ers Baseball, 2023
5-foot-9, 180-pound right-handed-hitting catcher. Strong, physical build. Started behind the plate for 29ers on Friday night. Slightly open balanced setup, short stride with a slight leg kick, slight bat tip during load. Hands separate well, level path through the zone. Patient approach at the plate, worked a full-count walk in his first at-bat. Adept blocker behind the plate, squares himself up with the ball. Pop times ranged between 2.32-2.44, threw a runner out in game. Quick, clean transfer, fluid footwork, arm has carry to it. Vocal on the field, showed the ability to handle a staff.