Socal ProCase Player Spotlight: C Andrew Pyle

Body: 6-1, 205 pounds. Strong compact build. Body is starting to fill out throughout the frame but it isn’t hindering his athleticism. 

Hit: Simple stroke with a solid approach. Sets up in a wider base with hands that stay neutral and tight behind his head throughout his load. Pyle rocks slightly onto his backside and uses a small stride to start his move forward. Back elbow works under nicely which allows the barrel to work on a more level plane. Finishes with an extended high barrel. Used the middle of the field throughout the round showing good feel gap to gap. 

Power: 96.47 max exit velocity and 353ft max distance. Bat speed is above average for his level averaging 71 mph and maxing out at 75 mph via Blast metrics. 60% hard hit percentage throughout his round. Current wall ball power to the pull side. 

Field: Showed above average catch and throw during his defensive workout and game action. Pop times ranged from 1.93-2.02. Quick glove exchanges into throwing hand during throw downs. Shifts body slightly when receiving during throw downs to get better aligned with 2nd. Also showed solid pitch framing ability with being able to have a soft and quiet glove when receiving higher velocity pitching. 

Arm: 76 mph from behind home plate. Quick snappy arm action that is needed behind the dish. ⅘ accurate throw downs during the defensive workout. Had the quick Austin Overn dead to rights at 2nd during game action if it weren’t for a bad tag. 

Run: 7.16 laser timed 60. Quick athletic start that starts downhill but shifts to a more higher chested sprint. Quiet head throughout with solid strides. 

Summary: The Long Beach State commit during this year’s ProCase showed all the necessary skills to become a solid college catcher. Hit tool is there where he had one of the only five hits during game action. Power tool still needs some developing but with some better utilization of his body during his swing I can see that changing. Catching ability is one of the best in the state across the board whether you are talking catch and throw, pitch framing, blocking, etc. Besides the skill set Pyle showed a loose and competitive energy which is exactly what you like to see out of players in a showcase format. He is definitely a guy to keep an eye on and because of his performance at our ProCase, I’m making it a personal mission of mine to see him more this summer and heading into the 2022 season.