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 4 (Navy). Please note that this is position player analysis only. Those position players who also pitched at the event will have their pitching performance featured in a subsequent article.

middle infielders

Austin Rayno, SS, Logan County, 2018
60 Time: 7.28, Position Velocity:  IF-77, Exit Velocity: 82
5-foot-11, 155-pound RHH hits from a slightly open stance and gets square with a toe tap and short stride, uses lower half well, hands are loose and create some barrel whip, line drive type hitter with gap to gap approach, went 2-for-4 in game play with an infield and bloop singles, showed aggressiveness on bases with two stolen bags. Showcased good defensive actions with athleticism, moves well with fluid feet, hands are soft, good body control above average arm strength from a high-3/4 release. Rayno is certainly a 2018 prospect to keep a close eye on.

Thomas Emberton, 2B, Western Hills, 2017
60 Time: 7.13, Position Velocity:  IF-78, OF-83, Exit Velocity: R-85, L-79
5-foot-10, 155-pound prospect took BP from the right side only (has switch hit in the past). Hits from a balanced stance with a toe tap and short stride, showed a line drive, middle of the field approach in BP, went 0-for-4 in game play with three infield pop ups, ran his best 60 to date. Shows soft hands and athletic actions, moves well laterally and has the ability to throw accurately from multiple arm slots, arm strength continues to increase, also has ability to play outfield and showed solid arm strength and accurate throws from a shorter high-3/4 release.

Clayton Mehlbauer, SS, Trinity, 2017
60 Time: 7.21, Position Velocity:  IF-78, Exit Velocity: 83
5-foot-11, 160-pound RHH showed an improvement in all measurables. Hits from an open stance ans uses an aggressive leg kick and stride, shows some looseness in hands, flat bat path produced line drive contact to all fields in a good round of BP, went 0-for-3 in game play reaching base on an error and stealing a base. Impressed defensively with soft hands and fluid feet, moves athletically and shows the ability to make accurate throws on the move, showed best arm strength to date. Mehlbauer continues to make solid strides in his overall game.

catchers

Tyler Wood, C, Central Hardin, 2019
60 Time: 7.56, Pop Time: 1.97-2.02, Position Velocity:  C-76, Exit Velocity: 91
At 6-foot-1, 205-pounds, the RHH has a physical frame that translates to big power for the young catcher. He shows the ability to drive the baseball, especially to the pull side out of a balanced stance with a slight leg kick and mid-length stride, also showed some opposite field pop in game play when he was robbed of a hit on a nice running catch, finished with an 0-for-3 day. Defensively, he has solid arm strength and has consistently recorded sub-2.0 pop times at each event he has attended. Wood possesses some of the most power of any Class of 2019 prospect the state has to offer.

Wyatt Stevenson, C/RHP, Christian County, 2019
60 Time: 7.71, Pop Time: 2.09-2.16, Position Velocity:  C-77, Exit Velocity: 84
5-foot-11, 185-pound LHH is put together well and has established himself as one of the top young left-handed hitters in the state. He hits from a wide base and uses all fields well with a smooth swing and good approach as evidenced by his two-run double to left field in game action. Behind the plate, Stevenson shows well above average arm strength at 78 mph from the crouch. Pop times showed a slight improvement and should continue to get better. Does a solid job receiving and blocking behind the plate.

corner infielders

AJ Hacker, 1B/RHP, Rowan County, 2019
60 Time: 8.19, Position Velocity:  IF-79, Exit Velocity: 83
6-foot-2, 195-pound LHH hits from a balanced stance, short stride, good rhythm in swing, loose hands, maintains excellent balance, worked the middle of the field well in BP with consistent line drive contact, went 0-for-3 in game play, registered best exit velocity and ran best 60 time to date. Has good hands at first base with solid footwork, good arm strength and accurate throws. Hacker has a chance to be one of the top left-handed hitters in the 2019 class.

Reece Ison, 3B, Prestonsburg, 2017
60 Time: 7.36, Position Velocity:  IF-80, Exit Velocity: 89
6-foot, 180-pound RHH with strong frame, hits from a balanced stance, short stride, uses strong lower half well to generate good bat speed, flashes power to the gaps, short swing path with good extension through contact, took one of the best rounds of BP all day, went 1-for-3 in game play with a single to RF. Shows adequate hands at third base made some high throws but arm strength plays well on the left side of the infield. Bat is his best current tool.

Mason Hazelwood, LHP/1B, Mercer County, 2017
60 Time: 7.17, Position Velocity:  IF-88, Exit Velocity: 90
6-foot-6, 211-pound LHH hits from a slightly closed stance with a long stride, big uppercut swing, has raw power to the pull side, went 2-for-3 in game play with two singles, good athlete for size, stole two bases. Has soft hands at first base and uses athleticism to his advantage at the position, big arm strength with accurate throws.

outfielders

Peyton Brown, OF, West Carter, 2018
60 Time: 6.84, Position Velocity:  OF-87, Exit Velocity: 88
5-foot-9, 170-pound RHH hits from a balanced/wide base with a short stride, has a shorter swing path and shows some pop for his size, registered his best exit velocity to date, posted one of the top 60 times of the event, went 1-for-3 in game play with a single to CF. Uses athleticism to his advantage in the outfield, plays through the ball well and has good carry on throws from a high-3/4 release, showed his best arm strength to date. Brown has to be in the discussion of top outfielders in the 2018 class.

Jaren Lovely, OF, Magoffin County, 2017
60 Time: N/A, Position Velocity:  N/A, Exit Velocity: N/A
6-foot-1, 175-pound LHH was unable to participate in the position player workout due to attending the East Coast Pro workout. In game play, he continues to show his progression as one of the top left-handed bats in the 2017 class taking consistently good at bats. He flew out to deep RF on a ball that appeared to be heading for a home run but got cut down by the wind. He also flew out in two other AB’s that included a SAC fly and RBI.

Cameron Walker, OF, Boyle County, 2017
60 Time: 6.95, Position Velocity:  OF-83, Exit Velocity: 86
6-foot-1, 180-pound, RHH hits from a balanced stance, short stride, minimal load with a simple and repeatable swing, showed occasional power to the pull side in BP, runs well, went 2-for-3 in game play  with two singles and a stolen base. Has room to be more aggressive in his outfield approach, has a short high-3/4 release with above average arm strength, made occasional accurate throws to the third base bag.

Nicholas Wooden, OF/RHP, Logan County, 2018
60 Time: 7.25, Position Velocity:  OF-85, Exit Velocity: 86
6-foot, 135-pound RHH hits from an open stance and squares up with a short stride, shows some quickness in hands, short swing path with line drive contact and gap to gap approach, head tends to tuck as swing triggers, hit well in game play going 2-for-4 with two solid singles, showed aggressiveness on base paths with three stolen bases. Plays through the ball well in the outfield, loose and athletic arm produced some accurate throws from a high-3/4 release, good arm strength.