Underclass Games: Class of 2015 Position Player Analysis
October 28, 2013
By Sean McCann
Prep Baseball Report Kansas
On Saturday, October 19th Prep Baseball Report Kansas hosted the Kansas Underclass Prospect Games, our first-ever event at Tointon Family Stadium in Manahttan, Kansas. The invite-only event was limited to 35 players split into two teams. Below are the scouting reports on the Class of 2015 position players in the event. All of the position players have video clips hitting and fielding posted in their profiles, to see the video of a player click on their headline to be directed to their PBR profile.
EVENT RANKINGS - CLASS OF 2015 POSITION PLAYERS
1. Casey Kelley, OF, Shawnee Mission Northwest HS, Class of 2015: Kelley is a prime athlete with a 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame. During batting practice he showed a balanced set-up, smooth load, short stride and excellent balance throughout his swing. Kelley has a gap-to-gap approach with a short level bat path and good extension. His exit velocity registered 92 mph on the radar gun, the highest of anyone in camp. In game 2, he went 1-for-3 with a stolen base. In the outfield he showed quick footwork and clean exchanges. His arm action is long and loose and his throws have carry to them. His OF throwing velocity was 83 mph. He ran an impressive 4.27 home to 1B, the 2nd best time in camp. Kelley has more work to do to become a highly skilled baseball player, but his raw tools across the board stood out among players at this event. His freak-ish talents aren’t limited to the baseball field either as he currently holds a 4.83 GPA and is ranked 3rd in his class of 403 students. To read Kelley's pitching evaluation from the camp click here.
2. Noah Croft, C, Olathe South HS, Class of 2015: Croft brings the rare combination of speed and strength to the catching position – in an impressive 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame. He hits from the right side, has a wide stance, relaxed hands and no stride. His exit velocity was timed at 89 mph. He went 2-for-5 in the doubleheader. Behind the plate he threw well utilizing quick feet and a strong arm. He led all catchers in the event with a pop time of 1.94 seconds and throwing velocity of 82 mph. His home to 1B time was an impressive 4.34.
3. Clint Jennings, IF, Lee’s Summit HS (MO), Class of 2015: Jennings is a 5-foot-9, 155-pound right-hand hitting infielder. At the plate he has a balanced set-up, smooth load and short stride. His swing path is level with good extension built to hit line drives. His exit velocity registered 81 mph. In the games, Jennings put on an MVP-like performance going 4-for-5 with a walk and stolen base. In the infield he showed good hands and feet with some arm strength – clocked at 83 mph, the best of any infielder in camp (also registered a 85 throwing from the OF). He ran a 4.49 home to 1B. He’s the little guy that plays large.
4. Logan Geha, C, Lee’s Summit West HS (MO), Class of 2015: Geha is an athletic 5-foot-10, 160-pound catcher with an advanced defensive skill set. Hitting-wise the right-handed Geha has a balanced set-up with smooth load and a short stride. He showed a short path to the ball and has a gap-to-gap approach. His exit velocity was timed at 84 mph. His game at-bats were very competitive. In game one, he reached base 3 times, going 2 for 2 with a walk and stolen base. Geha excels behind the plate showing solid receiving skills throughout the game. His throws in the defensive workout and in games were accurate with good carry. His throws to 2B were clocked at 75 mph with a 1.98 pop time. Geha ran a 4.52 to 1B. He’s the rare junior in high school who profiles out to be an early contributor at the college level behind the plate.
5. Blake Shinkle, IF, Blue Valley Southwest HS, Class of 2015: Shinkle has a thin, athletic 6-foot, 155-pound frame. The right-hand hitting middle infielder has a balanced set up in the box, smooth load, short stride and excellent balance throughout his swing. He has bat speed and good extension - an advanced gap-to-gap line drive type of approach. His exit velocity was 81 mph. As he often does, Shinkle stood out in the games going 3-fot-6, including a double and stolen base. In the infield he wasn’t as sure-handed as we had seen him in the past. His throwing velocity was 72 mph. He ran a 4.22 home to 1B, the best time in camp. Shinkle is also an excellent student with a 3.90 GPA.
6. Tyler Mars, 1B/OF, DeSoto HS, Class of 2015: The right-hand hitting 1B/OF has a strong, athletic frame at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds. At the plate he has a wide stance and short stride. He has loose hands, good bat speed and extension. His exit velocity was clocked at 91, the 2nd highest in camp. Mars stood out in game 1 – collecting a walk in his first at bat, then crushed a ball to centerfield for an out in his second followed up by lacing a triple in his final at bat. During the defensive evaluations he moved well and made several accurate throws in both the OF and at 1B. His best throw velocity-wise was 81 mph. He ran a 4.68 home to 1B. Look for Mars to put up big offensive numbers this spring.
7. Jordan Henning, OF, Spring Hill HS, Class of 2015: Henning is an athletic 5-foot-11, 162-pound left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing outfielder with solid across the board tools and plenty of room to fill out physically. During the hitting workouts he showed a balanced, slightly open stance. He has a smooth load and short stride with good balance throughout his swing. His short, level swing with loose hands is built to deliver line-drives to left centerfield. His exit velocity was timed at 75 mph. He collected two singles in the games. In the outfield drill work he showed good feet and hands with a loose over-the-top throwing motion. His top throwing velocity was 79 mph. He ran a 4.47 to 1B.
8. Ty Herrenbruck, 3B/OF, Olathe East HS, Class of 2015: Herrenbruck is a strong-bodied 6-foot-3, 195-pound right-handed hitting third-baseman/outfielder. In batting practice he showed a balanced set-up and level swing with good extension. Mostly a gap-to-gap approach but also showed some pull pop. The powerful Herrenbruck registered the 3rd best exit velocity at 89 mph. In the first game he drove the ball to centerfield and right field for two loud outs in his first 2 at bats. In game 2 he went 1 for 3 with a walk, including a triple to right centerfield. Defensively, in the outfield and at third base he showed good athleticism and a long, loose arm. His throwing velocity was timed at 70 with a home to 1B time of 4.52. Herrenbruck also carries an impressive 4.11 GPA.
9. Brock Mason, RHP/IF, Blue Valley HS, Class of 2015: The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Mason is an athletic right-hand hitting infielder. He hits from an athletic, balanced set-up and uses a slight leg kick. He is short to the ball with bat speed and finishes with extension. He registered an 87 mph exit velocity. On the infield he showed soft hands and fluid footwork. He has some effort to his throws and a top throwing velocity of 78. His home to 1B time was 4.51. Mason is a very solid player and 2-way prospect. Mason also showed well on the mound at this event, click here to read more.
10. Jesse Hutmacher, OF, Olathe Northwest HS, Class of 2015: Hutmacher is a 5-foot-8, 155-pound, L-L outfielder who performed well in all phases. During batting practice he showed a simple, middle-oppo approach. He has a slightly open stance, smooth load and short stride. His bat path is short and it produces line drives. Hutmacher’s exit velocity was timed at 74 mph. In the game he went 2 for 3 with an RBI double. In the outfield he showed good feet and hands – he has a nice, loose throwing motion and was one of the more accurate throwers in the group. His throwing velocity clocked in at 78 mph. His home to 1B time was 4.31.
11. Michael Sinks, RHP/IF/OF, Lawrence HS, Class of 2015: The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Sinks has a tall, balanced set up at the plate with a clean load and simple leg kick stride. The right-handed hitting infielder/outfielder has excellent balance throughout his swing. He has loose hands and is short to the ball and finishes with good extension - a simple, repeatable swing. In game 2, he went 1-for-2 with a walk. In the outfield he showed good hands and delivered accurate throws using long arm action (top velocity 80 mph). In the infield his feet worked well and had solid infield actions and good enough arm (infield throwing velocity was 78 mph). He ran a 4.63 home to 1B. Sinks is a very solid all-around player that will do a lot of different things to help his team win games - including pumping strikes on the mound, to read his pitching evaluation from this event click here.
BEST OF THE REST
Matt Armstrong, C/OF, Lakin HS, Class of 2015: Armstrong hails from Lakin, KS, a small town in far Western Kansas. Due to his rural location he was unable to play fall baseball. The 6-foot, 160-pound catcher hits from a crouch set-up and uses a leg kick. He’s a right-handed line drive hitter that swings on a fairly level path. His hitting exit velocity was timed at 77 mph. In the games he reached base twice with a HBP and single. As a catcher his best throw to 2B was timed at 2.29 with a throwing velocity of 71 mph. His home to 1B time was 4.67.
Jace Burdette, LHP/1B, Maranatha HS, Class of 2015: Burdette is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound LHP/1B that throws left and bats right. Hitting he has a balanced set-up and no stride. He has a slight up-hill swing and is a gap-to-gap type of hitter. His exit velocity was timed at 84 mph. At 1B, Burdette has good footwork around the back, average hands and a quick exchange. His best throwing velocity was 74 mph and home to 1B time was 4.73. To read Burdette's pitching scouting report from this event click here.
Thomas Elms, RHP/OF, Blue Valley Northwest HS, Class of 2015: Elms is an athletic 6-foot, 145-pound outfielder. Hitting he showed good balance and rhythm. The right-handed hitter has a long stride but kept his bat bath fairly level. He has a line drive approach and registered a 76 mph exit velocity time. In the outfield he showed fluid footwork and threw from a ¾ slot with accuracy. His throwing velocity was 76 mph with a home to 1B time of 4.41. Click here to read Elms' pitching evaluation from camp.
Brady Kaplan, 1B/OF, Liberty North HS (MO), Class of 2015: Kaplan is a solidly built 6-foot-2, 200-pound 1B/OF. At the plate he has a wide stance, short stride and short simple load. During batting practice he showed a short, but powerful swing delivering a series of hard hit line drives. He has very good balance throughout his swing. His exit velocity was clocked at 86 mph. In game 2, Kaplan went 1 for 3 with a walk and line-out to shortstop. In the outfield he showed average feet but good hands resulting in clean exchanges on his throws. He ran a 4.73 home to 1B. Kaplan is also an outstanding student with a 3.98 GPA.
Kyle Klomfahs, OF, Olathe Northwest HS, Class of 2015: Klomfahs is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-hand hitting outfielder. At the plate he has a tall, balanced stance, starting open and striding closed. He has an inside-out swing with a short finish. His exit velocity was clocked at 82 mph. In the game he went 0 for 2 with a walk. In the outfield he has average feet and hands with a long, sling type throwing motion and produced several accurate throws to 3B. He ran 4.78 home to 1B.
Joe Parsa, OF, Shawnee Mission South HS, Class of 2015: A 6-foot, 175-pound right-hand hitting outfielder, Parsa hits from a tall, balanced stance using a fluid load and simple swing. His exit velocity was timed at 81 mph. He collected a hit and a walk in six plate appearances in the games. In the outfield he showed good actions, threw from a ¾ slot and made accurate throws. His throwing velocity was clocked at 79 mph. He ran 4.45 home to 1B.
Nathan Reeder, OF, Shawnee Mission Northwest HS, Class of 2015: Reeder is an athletic L-L outfielder with a 5-foot-9, 162-pound frame. In batting practice he hits from a crouch with an open stance. He has a slight uphill path trying to pull the ball. His bat speed was timed at 82 mph. In game 1, he went 2-for-3 with two hits and reaching on an error. In the outfield he showed a quick exchange and short, quick arm action making accurate throws to 3B. His outfield throwing velocity was clocked at 83 mph, one of the best marks in the camp. He ran a 4.47 to 1B. Reeder is also an excellent student with a 4.40 GPA and 27 ACT.
Garrett Steins, LHP/1B, Lafayette HS (MO), Class of 2015: Steins is a mammoth 6-foot-5, 220-pound left-hand hitting first-baseman. During batting practice he showed a balanced, open set-up . He has a gap-to-gap approach with some lift. His exit velocity was clocked at 81 mph. At 1B, he had average footwork, a clean exchange and long arm action. His throwing velocity was clocked at 68 mph. His home to 1B time was 4.75. Steins also pitched an inning at camp, click here to read about it.
ADDITIONAL underclass prospect games covereage
- KS Underclass Prospect Games Results10.23.13
