After knocking out some action in warm-weather states the first couple months, I ventured to Michigan for a quick weekend trip to SS Alex Mooney (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep, MI). A Duke recruit, he has a lean, athletic frame with room for added strength, on top of what he already possesses.

In a three-game look--one non-league game Friday and a league doubleheader Saturday--Mooney was 6-for-15 with a double, three RBIs, seven runs scored and three stolen bases. He has a patient approach and takes a simple, balanced swing that produces loud contact just about every time. In most lineups, Mooney wouldn’t see anything near the zone, but he’s surrounded by eight other guys who will play at the next level. He controls the zone and when he gets a pitch he can drive, he doesn’t miss. He didn’t get down the line as well as in the past on a groundout Friday, maybe being a little banged up, and he fouled a ball off his foot Saturday that slowed him a bit, but there’s no reason to think he’s anything less than an above-average runner in the future. He impacts the ball consistently, which should develop into more home run power, and he moves well at shortstop, showing solid actions and an average to above average arm. With his positional value and ability to hit, don’t be surprised if we hear his name in the first round come July.