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OC Preseason All-State: Catcher Analysis

January 15, 2020
PBR California Staff

                     

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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA. - The Road to the California State Games began at the second annual Orange County Preseason All-State held at JSerra High School. Players descended on St. Pierre Field to show their fall/winter progress in the leadup to the spring season just a few weeks away. The invitation only event drew over 200 requests which was narrowed down to the 80 participants selected.  

Players were put through a customary pro-style workout that included a laser-time 60-yard sprint, a round of batting practice, a defensive workout that includes double-play turns for infielders, and concluded with bullpen sessions for pitchers. We purposely did not include games because we didn’t want to put pitchers who aren’t ready to face live hitters in that situation.  

As we dive deeper into our notes and videos we will release more post-event content. Earlier we released our Quick Hits highlighting 20 early standouts, the Statistical Analysis and now we'll take a look at the catchers from the event.

(Note: For full notes of all viewings on players click into their profile where all videos have been uploaded.)

 


Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: Five-foot-10, 170-pounds, stout build with broad shoulders and strength in the lower half. Showed off his athleticism in the defensive portion of the workout where he drives out of the crouch into throwing position where he registered a 2.02-2.11 pop-time range. Throws were within range of the base. At the plate he’s quick to the ball with a short path and excellent barrel control. Drove balls to both gaps repeatedly. During pens he showed a deep hip setup with a wide base. Sticks pitches and blocked well showing fair lateral quickness.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: Physical, compact frame with strength throughout. Torrez had an all-around day consistent with what we’ve seen from him in the past. Ran a 7.28 laser-timed 60 before taking to on-field BP that saw him show his impressive barrel control from the left side. Uses a simple setup with a toe-tap timing tool before whipping the barrel through the zone on plane with fast hands. Consistent line drives off the barrel. Catch/throw is where Torrez stood out where he sets up quietly with a deep crouch and while most catchers stand as the ball nears, he dips before rising creating explosion out of the crouch. Maintains thumb under ball while moving low-to-high and sticking pitches.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: A veteran of PBR events, it’s always a treat for us to have Briones because he is one of the best catchers in his class in the state and because he’s a great, great kid. After posting a modest 7.41 60 time, Briones proceeded into the hitting wheel where after pounding an 85 mph exit velo he took to pounding the gaps with line drives with the type of consistency with the barrel we’re accustomed to seeing from him. Behind the dish he’s quick out of the crouch - watch his video, he does not cheat - with a powerfully accurate arm that produced event best pop times (1.89-1.97) on five throw downs that were all on or close enough to the bag to allow a middle infielder to make a play on a runner. Caught bullpens and showed improved agility, particularly to the hand side where he got the chest in front more easily than in past viewings. 

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: A 2019 California State Games participant, our scouts are very familiar with Kay. The senior appears ready for a breakout season if what he showed with the bat is any indication. Already a very strong defensive catcher - consistent pop times of 2.01-2.12 - Kay showed a more compact swing that gets the barrel to-and-through the zone on plane allowing him to use his strength to drive balls into the gaps. Behind the plate he uses a wider, athletic setup providing a large target. There’s rhythm to his motions behind the plate where he’s quick out of the crouch and shows good lateral movement. Handled upper-80’s velocity easily during the bullpen session.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: Felix has added strength and mass to his frame since our last viewing and it’s paying off at the plate for the uncommitted junior catcher/third baseman. Posted a 90 mph exit velocity topping his previous best at PBR event. Catch and throw has improved significantly after cutting out some upper body movement that was causing timing issues. Popped in the 2.01-2.05 range with throws at or within playmaking area. Showed well defensively at third base as well where the footwork played up since last viewing. Arm was accurate.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: The #19 player overall in the Class of 2023 State Rankings and showed this weekend why he’s already such a highly regarded player. Appearing to have added somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 pounds, Velazquez’s newfound strength paired with his sweet left-handed swing was a pleasant surprise. After posting an 88 mph exit velocity, he pounded the right-center field gap with line drives with backspin. It’s a simple swing without a lot of wasted motion allowing him to produce a consistent barrel plane. Behind the dish the strength gains appear to have aided with athleticism as he’s quicker to point when needs to shuffle. Popped in the 1.99-2.09 range with throws on the bag. Exchanges were quick and clean.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: After showing well at the SoCal Top Prospects Games last fall Little once again showed his overall athleticism present ability to handle himself at multiple positions and an improvement in metric across all but one category since last viewing. In the outfield he showed athletic actions and footwork in attacking balls and funneling out front. Arm is livelier than his velocity (81 mph) would indicate, perhaps due to its accuracy. Athleticism continues behind the dish where he’s quick out of the crouch and into throwing position. Arm is lively with throws having significant tailing action while most where on the bag or within playmaking reach. Simple load and go at the plate where he uses his quick hands to drive barrel through zone. Strength continues to develop at the plate where he was more line-drive focused favoring the opposite gap.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: The junior catcher is like many catchers in that you appreciate his skill set more with each and every viewing. He’s in great shape physically and translated that into some of the best numbers he’s posted at a PBR event in the 60 (7.02) and pop-times (1.94-2.02). He’s an athletic catcher with quick actions out of the crouch. Doesn’t cheat on throwdowns to second base. Showed enough athleticism/understanding of angles/arm strength during the outfield portion of the workout to lead you to believe he can handle the position. Favors the pull side at the plate where there’s significant strength presently. Uses a simple toe-lift trigger before and explosive lower half drives hands to contact with excellent feel for the barrel.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: Solid overall catchers build at 5-foot-11 184 pounds. Showed the skill set of a well coached catcher as he received well, repeated his catching mechanics and kept his body inline on his throws to second. Throwdowns were consistent as 4 of 5 throws were on the bag while averaging 2.03-2.11 on his pop time. Slight pause in his arm swing slows down his throwdowns overall and leaves room for immediate improvement on his pop time with a quicker release. Simple approach at the plate as the lower half uses a simple toe-lift trigger to set himself up for contact. Line drive ability to all fields with bat to ball contact. Strong overall build and lack of explosiveness with the lower half show untapped power and with the right adjustments could make an immediate impact on the uncommitted market.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: Currently the #9 ranked catcher in the state for the 2022 class. Showed an athletic build and some physical gains in his 5-foot-10 185 pound frame. Hustled throughout the showcase and was one of the few players that prepared on the side prior to his name being called. Presented a compact set-up, solid blocking actions and was active behind the plate. Throwdown accuracy was 50/50 despite a 1.99-2.10 pop time average. Offensively showed athletic actions and desirable modern swing mechanics as he launched the ball with a leg kick and long powerful swing. At times he put too much weight on his back foot to try and create batting practice power which he will have trouble replicating in game at the next level. Shows the tools behind the dish and at the plate that will garner him division 1 attention. 

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: The University of San Francisco commit and 2019 PBR ProCase participant showed physical gains in his 6-foot-2 185 pound frame with room for more. Desirable left-handed hitting catcher who possess an ideal frame at the next level. Above-average receiver behind the plate, showing emphasis on getting the thumb under the ball and worked low to high. Pop-time showed improved at 1.94-2.08 but struggled with accuracy as only 2 of 5 throws were on the bag. Classic left-handed swing with contact and power potential. Early season showing did show some timing issues but the lack of wasted movement shows the means for quick timing adjustment. Continued physical growth coupled with overall gains mechanically behind and at the plate are needed to make the next step.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: Strong, mature catcher frame at 6-foot 195 pounds. Sets up with a wide base with solid catcher awareness and framing ability. Handled harder throwing pitchers with ease and showed leadership skills during the bullpen session. Throwdowns to second were quicker than meets the eye as his pop time of 1.94-2.11 showed well. Accuracy was average as 3 of 5 throws were on the bag and could be improved immediately by controlling his front side better. Simple approach at the plate led to a solid batting practice showing with gap-to-gap contact. Strong frame coupled with a more powerful swing approach could put him on the college radar sooner rather than later.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: Average build with room for more in a 5-foot-10 160 pound frame. Quality overall showing from one of the younger catchers in the event as he presented projectable skills. Quiet set-up with quick reactions and was able to handle a 2020 pitcher well during the bullpen segment of the showcase. Arm-strength is slightly below average but put a consistent pop-time showing at 2.01-2.12 with 3 of 5 throws at the bag. Offensively is raw but modern swing mechanics show line-drive ability with some pop potential. Overall skill set with down the line projection and ability to play other positions make him a name to watch.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: Left-handed hitting catcher with a solid build at 6-foot 170 pounds. Currently the #120 player in the state for the 2021 class. Ran well for the catching group as he posted a 7.11 60-yard dash. Showed good actions while catching and handled the pitchers well during the bullpen session. Favored the one-knee catching set-up and was able to show some blocking skills during that time. Pop-time of 2.01-2.08 showed 4 of 5 on the bag but three of the throws were on hops. Showed quick bat speed and low hands which should serve him well with velocity jumps. Timing is key to his load and contact point and could create swing and miss. Solid skill set and athleticism behind the plate make him an uncommitted name to watch

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: Strong and stout catchers build in a 5-foot-9 200 pound frame. Compact and quiet offensive set up led to consistent contact and showed the ability to handle higher velocity. Lack of wasted movement is ideal and the addition of a more explosive lower half could really enhance his swing. Defensively moved his feet fairly well and set up inline with the bag at a consistent rate. Showed a pop-time range of 2.11-2.38. Received well with solid catching actions. Gives a good low target and focal point for pitchers to sight in on.

Scouting Report

OC Preseason All-State: Long and lanky raw catchers build at 6-foot-4 204 pounds with lots of room to fill out. Sets up behind the plate with a wide base and takes up a lot of space. Big target for pitchers to sight in on but needs to be more calm receiving. Foot speed lacked causing some accuracy issues and registered a pop-time range of 2.14-2.22. Offensively showed a short swing for his size with some bat speed. Hunches over some and plays smaller than his size but shows potential to create power down the line. Young catcher with a big frame that will be a name to watch down the line if he can harness his raw talents.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
Winter Update Series powered by Monterey Bay Pirates CA 01/17 Monterey Bay Pirates Facility
California Far North Preseason I.D. CA 01/18 Chico HS
Winter Update Series powered by South Bay Sport Training CA 01/19 South Bay Sports Training
NorCal Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) CA 01/25 Islanders Field at River Islands
Winter Update Series powered by Paradigm Sport CA 01/26 Paradigm Sport
Winter Update Series powered by EM Sports CA 01/27 EM Sports - Long Beach
Winter Update Series powered by EM Sports CA 01/28 EM Sports - San Diego
Winter Update Series powered by FBK1 CA 01/30 FBK1
Super 60 Pro Showcase NATIONAL 02/02 The MAX - McCook, IL
Winter Update Series powered by Mike Murphy Baseball CA 02/08 MMB - Walnut Creek
SoCal Underclass Games ID - Los Angeles CA 02/09 O'Malley Family Field
Winter Update Series powered by EM Sports CA 02/10 EM Sports - Rancho Cucamonga

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