PBR At The Rock 13/14U Five to Follow: Outfielders
June 12, 2019
The first PBR tournament of the summer took place from May 31 to June 2 at The Rock Sports Complex in Franklin, WI. A handful 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, our team compiled an in-depth analysis on some of the weekend’s top performers. You can find those notes here.
Day 1 Quick Hits
Day 2 Quick Hits
Day 3 Quick Hits
This is a four-part series where the top performers at each position (C, INF, OF, P) from the tournament will be highlighted. Below are some standout outfielders listed in alphabetical order that caught the eyes of the PBR Wisconsin team.
OUTFIELDERS
Max Clark - LHP/OF
Clark is establishing himself as one of the top players in the Midwest’s 2023 class, if not, the country. He combined to go 6-for-7 at the plate over the weekend with three walks and a pair of doubles. At 5-foot-11, 158 pounds, Clark is an elite athlete with quick-twitch ingrained in his game. In the left-handed batter’s box, Clark hits from a balanced/open setup with pre-pitch rhythm. His hands load back, small front foot hang to help his quick trigger. His hands are ultra-quick and his bat speed is electric through the zone, and he demonstrates a mature feel for the barrel – he knows when to unload and when to take what he’s given. When he’s not on the mound, he patrols center with confidence where his footspeed helps him track down fly balls on efficient routes. He’s also a highly talented pitching prospect. From the left side, Clark pitched the Bulls’ first game on Friday night. He has a smooth, repeatable, and easy delivery with a quick arm from a high ¾ slot that surprises hitters. Fastball, 82-84 mph, touching 85 mph multiple times and even reaching 86 mph once, with little effort. Curveball, 1/7 plane, with above-average depth, flashed bite occasionally. He knows how to hold baserunners, too, and can incorporate an effective slide step when he needs.
Tyler Hansen, OF/RHP, Rock Island, IL, Quad City Hitmen Elite, 2022
Looks to be one of, if not the best athlete on the field when he is playing. Hansen showed plus athleticism for his age in center field and on the base paths for the Hitmen. Hansen stole multiple bases for the Hitmen. He also possess a plus arm for his age when he almost threw out a runner advancing to third on a bang bang play. At the plate Hansen showed an advanced approach at the plate, presenting a still head and getting his “A” swing off on pitches in the zone, showing that he has a plan at the plate. Hansen finished with a line of 1-2 with a base hit to center field, and a base on balls. Looks to be a top level player at the next level. In the Hitmen’s second game on the day Hansen got the ball. Hansen’s fastball sat around 74-76 mph, with his fastball topping out at 77mph, curveball at 59, and a changeup at 60-63 mph. At the plate in game 2 against PTA Cardinal Hansen went 1-1 with a single and a base on balls.
Frederick Ragsdale, OF, Lyons Township, IL, Lou Collier/DBA’s, 2023
5-foot-3, 115-pound left/left outfielder. Light-footed top of the order type spark plug, easy athlete, smooth easy run tool. Premium defender likely to stick in centerfield. Short compact bat path, balanced approach, line-drive punch and run type hitter, can spray to all fields, above average off the bat for his size. One of his more impressive at bats finished with a line drive up the box against a tough left-on-left matchup.
Tommy Townsend, OF, Sycamore, IL, Top Tier Americans, 2023
Another standout for the Top Tier Americans was left fielder Tommy Townsend. The 6-foot, 155-pound left-hander went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk out of the four-hole for Top Tier. He consistently made hard contact to his pull-side and showed an advanced approach at the plate for his age.
Brayden Dowd, OF, Brother Rice (MI), Midwest Astros, 2023
5-foot-7, 130-pound left-left outfielder, athletic build. Started in center field and moved to first base Friday night for Midwest Astros. Went 1-for-3 with a double, run scored, and walked in the leadoff spot. Hits from a balanced setup with a wide base, short stride, and a slight leg kick. Swings a quick, fluid bat with rhythm throughout, patient approach at the plate. Defensively, read the ball well in center field and has above-average speed for his age.