By Chris Fuller
Kentucky Scouting Director

Today we take a look at the outfield prospects from the July 9 Underclass Showcase at Bellarmine University.  A few of the highlights:

Joseph Graf (2015 Paul Laurence Dunbar) ran the top 60 time of the event at 6.78, followed by Nolan Simpkins (2015 Butler HS) at 6.88.

Graf also showed the best arm strength of the group at 82 mph.

Zach Reddington registered the best tee exit velocity of the group at 84 mph.

The following is an in depth look at all of the primary outfielders in attendance at the event.

2015 prospects

Joseph Graf, OF, Paul Laurence Dunbar HS, 2015
5-foot-11, 157-pound, left-handed hitting prospect with athletic build, showed good speed with an event best 6.78 60 yard dash, shows an athletic arm from the outfield at 82 mph with online carry, can continue to work on attacking and playing through the ball on the ground.  At the plate, hits from balanced setup, short stride, shows an opposite field approach, showed some bat speed with 81 mph tee exit velocity.

Nolan Simpkins, OF, Butler HS, 2015
5-foot-11, 168-pound, left-handed hitting prospect with athletic build, showcased good speed with a 6.88 60 yard dash (6.75 at previous event), athletic feet, plays through the ball, throws registered 74 mph (77 mph previous event).  At the plate, hits from a balanced setup, short stride, hands show good quickness, tends to cut off lower half and has a mid to opposite field approach, has a chance to be a solid player at next level with continued work on swing and arm strength, registered 80 mph tee exit velocity.

Zach Reddington, OF, DeSales HS, 2015
6-foot-2, 170-pound prospect with lanky build, projectable frame, shows good hands, slight hesitation in playing through the ball on the ground, athletic arm at 80 mph with online carry.  At the plate, hits from a balanced setup, slight load, short stride, middle of the field approach, room to get more consistent lower half torque and backside turn in swing, ran 7.57 60 yard dash, showed bat speed with 84 mph tee exit velocity.

Johnathan Dukes, RHP/OF, Muhlenberg County HS, 2015
6-foot, 195-pound prospect with strong build, can continue to improve hands in OF, shows some athletic movement, throws registered 77 mph with online accuracy.  At the plate, hits from a slightly closed setup, short stride, shows a pull approach, ball jumps when barreled up, has the potential to hit for power with more consistent lower half use, ran a 7.37 60 yard dash, 80 mph tee exit velocity.

Blake Urbanek, OF, Henry Clay HS, 2015
6-foot-3, 150-pound prospect with lanky and projectable frame, shows some athleticism in outfield, plays through the ball, throws registered 77 mph, accurate arm.  At the plate, hits from a balanced/athletic setup, short stride, gets lower half involved to generate some bat speed through the zone, consistently barreled up the baseball in his round with a middle of the field approach, line drive hitter,  ran 7.81 60 yard dash, 81 mph tee exit velocity.

Tyler Klondike, OF, Ballard HS, 2015
5-foot-6, 172-pound prospect, shows soft hands and plays through the ball well, throws registered 72 mph from the outfield.  At the plate, hits from an open setup, squares front side with a short stride, gets some lower half involved in swing, flat bat path, front foot gets down late at times, gap to gap approach, ran 7.82 60 yard dash, 77 mph tee exit velocity.

Alex Doyle, OF, Collins HS, 2015
6-foot, 155-pound, left-handed hitting prospect, ran a 7.25 60 yard dash, shows good feet in the outfield with throws of 69 mph.  At the plate, hits from balanced setup, short stride, hands show some quickness, shows a lot of pre-pitch hand movement, gets some lower half involved in swing, registered a 70 mph tee exit velocity.

2016 prospects

Brett Slusher, OF, Beechwood HS, 2016
6-foot-2, 175-pound prospect with an athletic frame and good projectability, showed good speed with a 7.08 60 yard dash, throws of 73 mph from the outfield, young prospect should continue to show improved arm strength.  At the plate, hits from a balanced/crouch setup with a short stride, uses lower half well, flat bat path, showed a gap to gap approach, barreled up several pitches in his round, showed some bat speed with 82 mph tee exit velocity.

Tyler Horsley, RHP/OF, Ballard HS, 2016
6-foot, 155-pound prospect with lanky build and projectable frame, ran a 7.33 60 yard dash and showcased an 81 mph outfield arm with online carry.  At the plate, hits from a balanced/crouch setup, uses a tope tap trigger, minimal stride, showed some improved lower half use over previous event, increased tee exit velocity 2 mph to 76 mph, shows promise on mound (featured in pitcher write-ups).

2017 prospect

Jaren Lovely, OF, Magoffin County HS, 2017
5-foot-10, 115-pound, left-handed hitting prospect, shows athletic outfield actions, plays through the ball, throws registered 77 mph, accurate arm.  At the plate, hits from a slightly closed setup, short stride, gets some lower half involved in swing, shows the ability to make hard contact the other way with a gap to gap approach, ran 7.81 60 yard dash, 72 mph tee exit velocity, young prospect will continue to develop with added strength and physical maturity, potential to be solid left-handed bat.