DFW Underclass Trials: Middle Infield Analysis

MIDDLE INFIELDERS

Top Performers

Tyler Talbert, RHP/SS, Flower Mound HS, 2020
Athletic build with strength at 6-foot, 165 pounds with a projectable frame. Talbert has a well-rounded skill set.  He flashed arm strength from the field (90 mph from shortstop, 91 mph from right field) and had athletic and fluid actions in both places.  In the infield, his feet are constantly moving to put himself in positions to play into hops, and he works through the ball fielding inside his left leg and generates momentum and direction to first base.  He is able to show off his arm, and have a quick release because of his fundamental footwork. He also has soft hands in the infield with some swagger in his actions, and made a nice sliding play deep in the hole at short.  At the plate, he stays behind the ball well with his body to create space for his barrel to work, and to work slightly uphill through the baseball with good intent in his swing, quick twitch barrel actions, and explosive backside drive he made loud contact throughout batting practice; 85 mph exit velo off a tee. Ran a 7.02 laser-timed 60.

Alex Gonzales, SS/OF, Argyle HS, 2020
5-foot-11, 180 pounds with strength throughout his frame.  Gonzales impressed with his power and his ability to barrel up the baseball in batting practice; 90 mph exit velo off the tee.  He has an athletic stance with some swagger in the box, he has a smooth load with rhythm throughout the swing and has excellent balance.  He creates some natural lift, and he drove balls to the gaps with the ball jumping off his barrel with relative ease. He also ran an impressive 6.85 laser-timed 60. On the infield he flashed soft hands, was 76 mph across the diamond, and made a smooth and flashy play on the run.

Carson Ozmer, SS/3B, Guyer HS, 2020
6-foot-1, 175-pound projectable athletic frame.  At the plate, Ozmer hits from the right side with some pop (89 mph exit velo off the tee) in an athletic stance with some rhythm in his body.  He has excellent balance and barrel control with a smooth load back with his body and gets separation in his hands in the load. He uses a low smooth leg kick to shift his weight back and then through the baseball and gets good extension through the hitting zone with his barrel.  He drove balls to both gaps in batting practice. In the infield he has athletic actions, was 81 mph across the infield with carry and accuracy. He works around the baseball and plays through the ball with his momentum working in-line to first base. He has a clean and quick transfer to release, and has some swagger in his actions.  Ozmer ran a 7.44 laser-timed 60.

Austin Thorp, 2B/SS, Colleyville Heritage HS, 2020
Five-foot-8,140-pound frame.  Showed the ability to control his body in his swing from both sides of the plate, uitilizing a small rhythmic leg kick.  Has loose barrel actions from both sides, exit velos of 82 mph from the right side, and 80 mph from the left side. Has a slightly steeper plane in his swing from the left side, with a higher finish.  In the infield he showed quick twitch abilities with his actions. Thorp has quick feet in the infield, and put himself in good positions to work through the baseball in line to first base, was 79 mph across the infield.  Ran a 7.05 laser-timed 60.

Cole Crosby, SS/2B, Alamo Heights, 2020
Crosby has a lean-strong, athletic frame at 6-foot, 165-pounds. The right-handed hitter has a smooth hack with a clean path through the zone that creates natural lift with an exit velocity of 85 mph. Smooth load back using a slight, controlled toe-tap as he triggers his hands back, cocking the barrel behind his head before landing square with good separation. Transfers his weight down into his legs as his hips fire the barrel with good lag through the zone. Loose hands, bat stays in the zone a long time. On the infield, Crosby has solid footwork with good tempo and soft hands. Accurate arm stroke across the diamond with a top velocity of 81 mph.

Ty Johnson, SS/OF, Marcus HS, 2021
Five-foot-10, 160-pound frame.  Johnson has a really smooth swing from the left side and uses his body and backside well to drive through the baseball at the point of contact; 87 mph exit velo off a tee. Has quick twitch actions with his barrel with good extension through the hitting zone and a level planed swing with minimal head movement. In batting practice, he drove balls to the gap in right-center with consistency.  He showed a quick release with accuracy from the infield and was 77 mph across the diamond. He consistently put himself in positions to work through the ball and make plays, and changed arm angles on the run efficiently. Johnson ran a 7.35 laser-timed 60.

Reece Parrott, SS/OF, Newman Smith HS, 2021
Five-foot-11, 160-pound frame. Parrott handled the bat well in batting practice with a fluid swing, he has an abbreviated smooth leg kick, separation in his hands, and a level planed swing with a low finish and good extension through the zone; 75 mph exit velo off a tee.  He peppered line drives consistently off the barrel to all parts of the field. In the infield he has fluid actions, soft hands, and throws with accuracy from different arm angles; 76 mph. Ran a 7.43 laser-timed 60.

Ian Mason, SS/3B, Euless Trinity HS, 2020
Impressive 6-3, 210-pound frame with tons of strength and broad shoulders.  Mason pounded the ball in batting practice making loud contact with carry, and intent in the swing.  He hits from an athletic stance with a controlled leg kick and a smooth load, has fluid actions and balance throughout his swing. Finishes his swing high with a little authority, and he possesses swagger in the box.  In the infield, he showed quick fluid footwork, and was 79 mph across the diamond with accuracy. Mason ran a 7.35 laser-timed 60. Mason has a high ceiling at the plate, and should be a nice power bat to watch at Euless Trinity and beyond.

Luke Fricks, SS/2B, All Saints Episcopal School, 2020
Athletic frame, Five-foot-7, 145-pound.  Showed quick twitch ability at the plate, with fluid actions and easy pop; 85 mph exit velo.  He gathers his body with a low leg lift, and his actions are smooth throughout the swing to create bat speed.  In the infield, he showed soft hands with really smooth footwork and exchanges. He worked through the ball, fielding the ball consistently on the left side of his body and showed the ability to change arm angles with accuracy.  Throws with a short, quick arm action, 81 mph with some carry. Fricks ran a 6.94 laser-timed 60.

Best of the Rest (Alphabetical)

Roger Brinegar, SS/2B, South Grand Prairie HS, 2020
5-foot-8, 165-pound frame.  At the plate, Brinegar took aggressive swings with the intent to drive the baseball.  He has a smooth load back with his body and hands, using a toe tap for timing and separation purposes, and when his front foot comes down he is in a wide crouched stance.  He flashed pullside pop in batting practice with an exit velo of 80 mph. Threw 74 mph across the diamond from shortstop.

Graham Danziger, OF/2B, Forney HS, 2021
5-foot-5, 125-pound frame. The right-handed hitter has an athletic hack with good rhythm and loose hands, using a fluid leg kick to generate separation and leverage. Quick hands, good feel for the barrel, loose finish, easy lower half transfer as he gets off his back side through contact. Current line drive power with an exit velocity of 78 mph. Ran a 7.29 laser-timed 60. On the infield, Danziger has quickish footwork and soft hands as he funnels the ball to the midline of his body. Long arm stroke from a high-¾ slot with a top velocity of 70 mph across the diamond.

Bryson Evans, SS/C, Comanche HS (OK), 2022
Five-foot-seven, 140-pound frame.  Handled the bat well in batting practice, finding the barrel consistently with a flat barrel action through the zone. Has good extension through the zone with the barrel, on plane, and has a low finish; Exit velo 80 mph. Had a 2.11-2.40 pop time, and showed accuracy with low throws on the bag at 74 mph. Stays low when throwing, and has good direction with his footwork to second base. In the infield he moved laterally well, approached the ball with fluid and quiet footwork. Throws were very accurate both behind the plate and from shortstop (75 mph from the infield). Evans ran a 7.38 laser-timed 60 yard dash.

Ricky Gonzalez, RHP/SS, St. Joseph HS, 2020
5-foot-8, 165-pounds with broad shoulders and more room to add size and strength in his frame. Gonzalez has a smooth swing at the plate, maintaining fluid rhythm and balance throughout his swing. Showed off his fast bat speed and powerful swing driving balls into the gaps with carry, also by posting an 84 mph exit velocity off the tee. In the infield he showed that he has a loose arm action, 75 mph across the infield.  He ran a 7.45 laser-timed 60. Off the mound he pounded quality strikes with his fastball (79-80 mph) and his changeup (67-68 with depth), he also threw his breaking ball with an 11/5 shape at 63-65 mph. He throws with a short high ¾ arm action, and his delivery is compact and fluid.

Jackson Higginbotham, SS/2B, Midway HS, 2020
6-foot-1, 160-pound frame with room to further fill out.  Higginbotham hits from the right side of the plate with an open stance, is athletic with a low center of gravity, and a tall upper body posture.  He has good balance throughout his swing, and a level swing path; he recorded a 76 mph exit velo off a tee. Higginbotham ran a 7.73 laser-timed 60.  In the infield he throws from a high ¾ slot with 72 mph arm strength.

Brooks Howson, 2B/SS, Benbrook HS, 2020
6-foot, 165-pound frame with long limbs.  Howson hits from the right side of the plate and posted an 81 mph exit velo off the tee.  In batting practice he controlled his barrel and hit low line drives with backspin across the field.  He starts in an athletic stance, and gets more into his legs in his load and stride. He has a flat barrel action, and has an aggressive swing with the intent to hit the baseball with authority.  In the infield, he has quick feet and takes small quiet steps in his approach to the ball. He has soft hands, and funnels the ball into the middle of his body while he sets his feet to throw. Howson was very accurate with his throws and topped out at 78 mph across the infield.  He ran a 7.60 laser-timed 60.

Tristan Lackovic, 2B/OF, Independence HS, 2020
Five-foot-11, 160-pound frame.  Lackovic had a 78 mph exit velo off the tee.  He hits from the right side, in an open stance with most of his weight pre-set on his backside.  He stays behind the ball with his body, has minimal head movement, remains slightly open when his front foot strikes, and showed the ability to control his barrel with good extension and hit balls hard into right center field.  Lackovic ran a 7.23 laser-timed 60 and threw 65 mph across the infield. Also made a nice sliding play to his backhand side.

Ryder LeClair, RHP/SS, Irving MacArthur HS, 2022
LeClair has a young frame at 5-foot-5, 120-pound frame. The right-handed hitter starts from a tall, slightly open stance. Slight toe-tap lap load as he shifts his weight back and triggers his hands, engaging the barrel to work on a flat plain through the zone produced low line drives with an exit velocity of 70 mph. On the infield, LeClair has quickish footwork with soft hands and threw 65 mph across the diamond.

Dylan Lee, C/SS, Hutto HS, 2020
Lee plays with a bounce in his step, real energy and quality body language. At 5-foot-9, 170-pounds, the rising junior has natural baseball actions behind the plate, and on the infield. At shortstop, Lee has quick footwork and soft hands as he plays through the ball with rhythm. Clean exchange into a loose arm stroke with accurate throws to first base and a top velocity of 71 mph. Easy arm swing with a mid-line exchange and his arm works well from different slots with relative ease. The right-handed hitter has a balanced setup with quickish hands through the zone, middle of the field approach with line drive power and an exit velocity of 82 mph.

Cade McBride, 2B/3B, Rockwall Heath HS, 2020
5-foot-10, 150-pound frame. The right-handed hitter starts from a slightly open, wider stance before loading back, lifting his front leg with him into a big leg kick as he strides forward, triggering his hands down and back, landing with good separation. Maintains good posture in his upper body, solid barrel awareness, loose hands, strong contact during batting practice with an exit velocity of 84 mph off the tee. On the infield, McBride has quick footwork with good timing as he plays through the ball with soft hands and a clean exchange. Plays low, quality glove actions, throws with a short arm stroke with a top velocity of 77 mph across the diamond.

Luke McBride, SS/3B, Rockwall Heath HS, 2020
5-foot-10, 150-pound frame. The right-handed hitter starts from a slightly open, stacked stance before shifting his weight back with a simple load as he triggers his hands down then back. Lands closed, fires his lower half and transfers his weight through contact as he works on a flat plane with good lag in the barrel. Line drive power with an exit velocity of 79 mph. On the infield, McBride has soft hands out front as he funnels the ball to the mid-line with a clean exchange into an elbow dominant arm stroke from a ¾ slot with a top velocity of 72 mph across the diamond.

Samuel Miller, RHP/SS, Lake Highlands HS, 2020
6-foot, 162-pound frame. Miller posted an 81 mph exit velo from the right side.  He uses a low leg kick to create weight shift through the baseball, and has a short path to the ball with a level swing plane. On the infield, Miller has smooth footwork to go with a quick exchange and the ability to throw from a lower slot to get rid of the ball quickly. Moves well, accurate throws with a top velocity of 78 mph across the diamond. Ran a 7.38 laser-timed 60.

Darren Nichols, 2B/OF, Pilot Point HS, 2020
Five-foot-9, 145-pound frame.  Off the mound Nichols was 67-68 with his fastball, threw his  changeup consistently around the zone at 60-61 mph, and his curveball had 11/5 action to it at 55-56 mph. Nichols ran a 7.48 laser-timed 60. He recorded a 76 mph exit velo off the tee and hit balls consistently to the right side of the field in batting practice.  Threw 66 mph across the infield with good direction in his footwork, making accurate throws to first.

Gabe Ramirez, 2B/SS, Liberty Christian HS, 2020
5-foot-10, 150-pound frame. The right-handed hitter starts from a tall, neutral stance, using a toe-tap load as he pinches his knees together and triggers his hands, tilting the barrel behind his head before striding forward, carrying his hands with him. Inside out path, strong top hand, and middle of the field approach produced a top exit velocity of 77 mph. On the infield, Ramirez has quickish footwork with good rhythm and soft hands. Arm works well from a ¾ slot with tilted shoulders and a top velocity across the diamond of 67 mph.

Tino Ramirez, SS/3B, Jesuit College Prep, 2020
5-foot-10, 150-pound, high-waisted, lean muscular frame. The right-handed hitter starts from a slightly open, wide base before he loads back, lifting up his front foot and walking away from his hands as they trigger back and he glides forward. Aggressive hack, good energy in his lower half with quick hips and a clean weight transfer. Quick-strong hands, flat path and gap power during batting practice with an exit velocity of 79 mph. On the infield, Ramirez plays with a bounce in his step, quickish footwork, soft hands and throws from a low-¾ slot with a top velocity of 72 mph across the diamond.

Jacob Rodriguez, OF/RHP, Colleyville Heritage HS, 2020
5-foot-9, 150-pound frame with broad shoulders. The right-handed hitter starts from a tall, open stance with relaxed hands. Smooth load as he turns inward and triggers his hands, striding forward, hitting off his front foot. Quick bat through the zone, strong hands, loose finish on an uphill plane with an exit velocity of 83 mph. Good approach during batting practice with the intent to do damage in the middle of the field, line drive power, hard contact with carry into the gaps. On the infield, Rodriguez has a quick first step and shows good range with long strides when he moves laterally. Threw with a top velocity of 81 mph across the diamond with carry in the arm.

Austin Testerman, RHP/SS, Whitewright HS, 2020
5-foot-11, 145-pound frame with a high waist. Testerman ran a 7.24 laser-timed 60.  At the plate he has a wide stance with a smooth load back with his hands and body, does not stride, and maintains excellent balance in his swing with a level swing path.  He controlled the barrel at the plate hitting low line drives all over the yard with a simple swing. Across the infield he had 81 mph arm strength.

Kannon Torres, C/SS, Robert E. Lee HS, 2021
Torres has a young, long-limbed frame at 5-foot-10, 130-pounds. The right-handed hitter starts from a tall, slightly open stance with relaxed hands before using a reverse leg lift to load back as he triggers his hands, tilting the barrel into a strong launch position. Short stride length, lands balanced, good barrel lag through the zone before he throws the head through contact with an exit velocity of 82 mph. Current line drive power, but that should improve as he continues to add strength. On the infield, Torres plays through the ball with good rhythm, quick feet, and soft hands that play low and funnel the ball to the midline every time. Loose arm swing from a ¾ slot with a top velocity of 75 mph across the diamond.

Jake VanTilburg, OF/2B, Arlington Heights HS, 2020
Five-foot-10, 160-pound athletic frame with strength.  VanTilburg recorded an 89 mph exit velo off the tee. He has a wide base from the right side of the plate, with a smooth and early load, and has an easy swing.  He hit consistent hard line drives off of the barrel in batting practice. In the outfield he works through the ball smoothly with fluid footwork and a clean exchange, and ball showed some carry through the cutoff man; 78 mph from the outfield. In the infield, he works around the ball well, fielding balls on the left side of his body and generating momentum and direction in his throws across the infield; 76 mph from the infield.  VanTilburg also ran a 6.93 laser-timed 60. VanTilburg has a well-rounded skill set with smooth and easy actions no matter where he is on the diamond.