The final day of the 2018 PBR Future Games saw two of the events’ top players put the finishing touches on standout weeks. In the midday game, Team Minnesota-Iowa’s 2021 SS Aaron Downs (Pella HS, IA) blasted a double and flashed the leather on the infield. Downs is an elite athlete who is twitchy in all aspects of the game, and whose drive and energy elevates him to being a premier prospect in the class. He finished the week going 3-for-5 with two triples and a double to go along with five walks and a hit by pitch. He also tallied seven stolen bases and five runs batted in. His body control and bat speed are special, especially given his young age, and it is exciting to dream on the possibilities of what he will become in the future.

2020 3B Reuben Church (Maryville HS, TN) put an exclamation point on an impressive week by driving a no-doubt grand slam to the opposite field in his first at-bat of the final game of the day. The physical, 6-foot-2, 195-pound third baseman also hammered a line out deep to left field that would have sailed over the fence had it not been for all of the top spin on the ball. Confident in his approach, Church sets up closed in a slight crouch with his hands held below the back shoulder. He uses a simple hands load before working uphill through the zone with impressive strength. His quick hands combine with strong leg drive to produce a powerful, balanced swing. Combining his power potential with a chance to be a plus-defender at third base, and Church has a high-ceiling that will be exciting to track over the next couple of years.

 

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