By Chris Fuller
Kentucky Scouting Director

The 2016 Top Prospect Games took place on June 14-15 and afforded more than 150 players from around the state the opportunity to showcase their abilities to the PBR Kentucky staff and numerous college coaches in a combination showcase/game play event.

CLICK HERE to view the top statistical performers and statistics for all players in attendance.

The following is an in depth look at the position players from Team 3 (Gray. Please note that this is position player analysis only. Those position players who also pitched at the event had their pitching performance featured in a previous article.

middle infielders

Braeden Lee, SS, West Jessamine, 2017
60 Time: 7.08, Position Velocity:  IF-78, Exit Velocity: 83
5-foot-10, 150-pound RHH hits from a balanced stance, short stride, displays loose hands and good feel for the barrel, keeps the barrel in the hitting zone a long time which produces line drive contact to all fields, went 1-for-3 in game play with a single to LF and a line out to first base, used in-game speed to steal two bases. Showed well defensively with very soft hands and moves athletically in both directions, short ¾ to high-3/4 release with solid arm strength. Didn’t quite run his best 60 on this occasion (6.95). Fundamentally sound player with good upside.

Bailey Martin, SS, Simon Kenton, 2018
60 Time: 7.39, Position Velocity:  IF-78, Exit Velocity: 79
5-foot-7, 135-pound RHH showed significant improvement in all measurables from fall event. Hits from a balanced stance with a short stride, shows some quickness in hands that gets the barrel through the zone, gets good involvement from lower half, line drive type hitter with a gap to gap approach, went 0-for-3 in game play making hard contact on one occasion. Shows athletic actions and body control defensively, has the ability to throw from multiple arm slots accurately, hands are soft, accurate throws with solid arm strength, very fundamentally sound player.

Ben Daniels, 2B, Paintsville, 2018
60 Time: 7.26, Position Velocity:  IF-73, Exit Velocity: 85
5-foot-7, 150-pound RHH hits from an open stance and gets square with a short stride, pre-pitch bat waggle that quiets before he triggers swing, compact swing produces line drive contact, has solid bat speed through the zone, found the barrel consistently in BP, went 0-for-3 in game play. Displayed athletic actions and soft hands defensively, fields out front and funnels to body, good body control and ability to throw on the move, average arm strength from a short high-3/4 release with accurate throws.

catchers

Jackson Webb, C, Elizabethtown, 2019
60 Time: 7.28, Pop Time: 1.94-2.00, Position Velocity:  C-79, Exit Velocity: 88
5-foot-11, 200-pound RHH with strong/physical frame. Hits from a balanced stance, short stride, stays quiet with little wasted movement, has a very compact swing that produces good gap to gap power, went 0-for-2 in game play reaching base on an error, ran best 60 time date and showed his most arm strength behind the plate, has a quick release with room to improve footwork, continues to show consistent sub-2.0 pop times. Webb is a potential high-level 2019 prospect.

Peyton Fannin, C, Rowan County, 2017
60 Time: 7.51, Pop Time: 2.15-2.22, Position Velocity:  C-69, Exit Velocity: 76
5-foot-10, 165-pound RHH hits from a balanced stance, short stride, flat bat path, lacks lower half finish at times, line drive type hitter with gap to gap approach, average bat speed, went 1-for-3 in game play with a single to CF. Average receiver, short ¾ release with average arm strength. Fannin ran his best 60 time to date.

outfielders

Kyle Browning, OF, Lafayette, 2018
60 Time: 7.00, Position Velocity:  OF-88, Exit Velocity: 83
5-foot-10, 170-pound RHH showed solid tools across the board and impressed in game play. He didn’t run his best 60-yard dash at 7.00 (we’ve seen him at 6.9), but he showed a big jump in arm strength at  88 mph from the outfield from a high-3/4 release. He hits from a balanced stance and has a fairly flat bat path through the zone that resulted in him squaring the baseball consistently with good bat speed and some hand quickness. Browning showed good pop in stroking two doubles to the left-center gap in his three at bats in game action.

Eric Kelso, OF, Atherton, 2018
60 Time: 7.22, Position Velocity:  OF-79, Exit Velocity: 74
5-foot-11, 145-pound LHH, hits from a wide/slightly open base with short stride, can close off front side at times, average bat speed, line drive type hitter with a gap to gap approach, offensive game should continue to evolve as he works to add strength to frame, went 1-for-3 in game play with a single to LF and reached on an error. Defensively, works through the ball well with athletic actions, long high-3/4 release produced slightly above average arm strength for age.

Dylan Jones, OF, Nelson County, 2017
60 Time: 7.63, Position Velocity:  OF-84, Exit Velocity: 88
5-foot-7, 145-pound RHH hits from a balanced stance, shot stride, average balance, minimal load, line drive type hitter with gap to gap approach, went 1-for-3 in game play with an infield single. Showcased well defensively with good arm strength and very accurate throws from a long over the top release, attacks the ball and plays through it aggressively, showed better movement in the outfield than straight line speed would indicate.

corner infielders

Blake Graham, RHP/3B, Butler County, 2017
60 Time: 7.14, Position Velocity:  IF-82, Exit Velocity: 85
6-foot-2, 190-pound RHH has an athletic frame, hits from a balanced stance with a short stride and minimal load, has a short swing path and gets to extension through contact, consistently squared the ball in BP with line drive contact, works the middle of the field well, went 1-for-3 in game play with a single to RF and a stolen base. Provides good athleticism at the hot corner, adequate hands and good lateral movement, arm strength plays well across the diamond from a high-3/4 release.

Gunner Smith, 1B, Newport Central Catholic, 2018
60 Time: 7.89, Position Velocity:  IF-71, Exit Velocity: 89
6-foot, 215-pound RHH has a physically strong frame, hits from a slightly open stance with a short stride to get square, as strength generated bat speed, shows significant power, especially to the right-center field gap, ball jumped off his bat in BP. Shows adequate hands and footwork defensively, average arm strength with accurate throws, best tool is his bat and established himself as one to keep a close eye on in the 2018 class.

Josh Graves, 3B/RHP, Nelson County, 2018
60 Time: 7.71, Position Velocity:  IF-79, Exit Velocity: 87
6-foot-1, 185-pound RHH with strong and athletic frame, continues to show improvement in foot speed and arm strength, hits from a balanced stance, mid-length stride, stays fairly quiet with little wasted movement, swing path produces occasional lift and ball jumps off the barrel when he squares it up, has significant power potential, went 0-for-3 in game play. Showed well defensively at third base with soft hands and accurate throws across the infield from a long high-3/4 release, good body control and ability to throw on the move. Continues to improve overall game.

Ethan Glenn, 3B/RHP, Spencer County, 2018
60 Time: 7.88, Position Velocity:  IF-79, Exit Velocity: 87
6-foot, 195-pound RHH showed improved measurables across the board from last fall. Hits from a balanced stance with a long stride, gets to front side early on occasion, shows power to the pull side when timing is in sync, keeps the barrel in the zone with a fairly flat bat path, went 0-for-2 in game play. Shows solid corner actions with soft hands, arm is loose from a long high-3/4 and plays well on the left side of the infield. Glenn continues to progress in his overall game.

Ryan Smiley, 1B, Harrison County, 2018
60 Time: 7.46, Position Velocity:  IF-71, Exit Velocity: 82
6-foot-2, 175-pound LHH with a lean frame, hits from a balanced stance and loads back with front foot, swing path gets steep at times, shows flashes of quickness in hands, line drive type hitter, went 1-for-3 in game play with an infield single. Showed solid hands and footwork defensively around the first base bag, average arm strength but made accurate throws on all plays, could be a left-handed bat to watch as he continues to get physically stronger.