Nashville Rising Stars ID: Catcher Reports
May 9, 2024
NASHVILLE, TN - The Prep Baseball Tennessee Nashville Rising Stars ID was held on Sunday, April 7th at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, TN. This event was an open event that consisted of players from the 2028-2029 classes from Volunteer state. Players went through an extended pro-style workout that included batting practice using Trackman, ran the 60-yard dash using Swift Performance, and much more. Pitchers were able to get numbers and metrics on TrackMan. There were some players who showed up and continued to build off of prior performances, but there were also some new names who jumped onto our radar with a strong showing at the event.
Continuing our post-event coverage for this event, we take a look at the scouting reports from the Nashville Rising Stars ID.
Click HERE to view all position stats from the event.
CATCHER REPORTS
Grady Callaway, Davidson Academy (TN), 2028
Positional Profile: C/RHP
Body: 6-1, 165-pounds. Wiry and lean frame with explosive movements at present. High ceiling physically as he continues to develop.
Hit: RHH. Wide athletic stance with knees bent, hands begin in an ideal position at 45 degrees pointed behind the body. Small shift rearward launches the body off of the back leg with great acceleration, as the body rotates through. Matches the path of the ball through the zone, with the intent to backspin the ball into the gaps. Above average metrics at present with great pullside pop. The bat path will play at an extremely high level.
Power: 92 max exit velocity, averaged 82.4 mph. 354' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-75 mph. Great arm action behind the plate with quick motion, + arm strength at present behind the dish.
Defense: 1.94-2.10 pop times. Gets out of crouch and 1KD stance very well with good forward momentum towards second. Gets to shins quickly when blocking.
ATH: 7.59 runner in the 60.
Crew Chance, Christ Presbyterian Academy (TN), 2028
Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 5-9, 175-pounds. Large frame with present strength in the lower half, still developing athleticism should
Hit: LHH. Athletic stance with a slightly past shoulder width base. Knees begin slightly bent with the hands slightly front of the body at shoulder height. Small stride loads the backside before it launches through a braced front leg. Slight scissor action of the backside as the swing goes. Matches the path of the ball very well with consistent hard barrels. Lived up the middle into the right center gap. Gap to gap power at present that will continue to increase as he ages.
Power: 88 max exit velocity, averaged 83.3 mph. 327' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-74 mph. On target throws with a low arc, all throws were on target.
Defense: 2.06-2.13 pop times. Gets good momentum from a 1 knee down when throwing to second. Has a good feel for getting under the ball when receiving that will continue to get better.
ATH: 7.27 runner in the 60.
Brody Hilliard, LIPSCOMB ACADEMY (TN), 2028
Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 5-10, 155-pounds. Lean frame that will hold muscle and size very well as he progresses in his development.
Hit: SH. Slightly wider stance with his hands starting at the back of the body at letter height. Shift of weight rearward with a small leg kick, hands push back before launching with the swing. Swing moves linear through, tendency to stand up through the swing raising eye level at times. Level bat path stays through the zone well, driving balls from gap to gap.
Power: 84 max exit velocity, averaged 73.2 mph. 313' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-74 mph. Works out of a traditional stance on throw downs. Stays in his legs well and gets good forward momentum towards the bag. Utilized a 1 knee down when catching bullpens with a feel for framing.
Defense: 2.03-2.17 pop times. On target throws from a quick prototypical catchers arm slot, still developing arm should add velo and lower poptime.
ATH: 7.60 runner in the 60.
Albert Smith, THE ENSWORTH SCHOOL (TN), 2028
Positional Profile: C
Body: 5-10, 180-pounds. compact athletic frame with present lower half muscle and potential for more.
Hit: RHH. Neutral width stance with his feet slightly open, with his hands beginning above his shoulder. Small stride back to even starts the swing, as he rotates off the backside. Finishing over the left shoulder. Showed the ability to hit line drives to the whole field with a quick bat that will gain more umph as his body progresses physically.
Arm: RH. C-73 mph. Accurate throws from a quick and short arm path, still developing arm expect more arm strength in the coming years.
Defense: 2.01-2.07 pop times. Worked on both a traditional stance and a one knee down. Gaining good momentum towards second on throw downs.
ATH: 7.49 runner in the 60.
Jack Rhodes, LIPSCOMB ACADEMY (TN), 2028
Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 6-0, 155-pounds. Athletic mover with long limbs, still fairly lean with lots of room for added size and strength.
Hit: LHH. Tall setup with his weight favoring his backside, his hands begin above his rear shoulder at ear height. A small leg lift and large forward move creates good separation as the hands resist the move. Backside launches and the swing rotates around the center of balance. Has great length through the zone, easily catches balls out front with natural backspin. His large forward move has some change in eye level which could cause an
Power: 86 max exit velocity, averaged 73.0 mph. 238' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-71 mph. Accurate throws often on a short hop from a short and quick arm action.
Defense: 2.00-2.27 pop times. Stays in legs well out of a traditional stance, gains good momentum straight towards second. Received during bullpens with one knee down, with a good feel for framing.
ATH: 7.28 runner in the 60.
Bo Daniel, Christ Presbyterian Academy (TN), 2029
Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 5-9, 145-pounds. Long and lean frame, should hold muscle well as he develops.
Hit: SH. Tall set up with slightly past shoulder width stance. Little weight shift into a toe tap before the body launches at footplant. Bat is flat through the zone producing varying contact to the pullside. Inconsistent timing through the swing produces inconsistent ball flight.
Power: 81 max exit velocity, averaged 69.0 mph. 262' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-70 mph. longer action behind him to a high three quarters release.
Defense: 2.05-2.25 pop times. Gains good ground forward towards second on throw downs, can stay in legs better to save time. Worked out of both a crouch and one knee down. Received during bullpens mostly with one knee down, early feel for framing.
ATH: 7.67 runner in the 60.
Brady Thomas, EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (TN), 2028
Positional Profile: C/1B
Body: 6-0, 210-pounds. XL frame with great strength throughout, has shown increased athleticism with room for more improvement.
Hit: RHH. Very tall setup pre pitch with his hands beginning right next to his ear. Little movement prior to a small foot lift and the swing launches. Hands are in a good position at footplant before the body rotates through. Bat has a whipping action through the zone, thanks to quick hands and good rotation. Drove balls to the pulllside with some zip. Much more power in the body will come available as he learns to move better.
Power: 87 max exit velocity, averaged 72.8 mph. 287' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-69 mph. On target throws with a quick arm action.
Defense: 2.24-2.35 pop times. solid transfer from glove to hand, gains ground towards second although doesn t stay in his legs in doing so. Good feel for receiving when catching bullpens with soft hands.
ATH: 8.86 runner in the 60.
Caleb Hutsell, Station Camp High School (TN), 2028
Positional Profile: C/RHP
Body: 5-11, 150-pounds. High waisted with long arms and legs, lean at the moment with room to hold good weight in the future.
Hit: RHH. Begins with a wide stance with his hands at the rear shoulder. He shifts his Weight onto his backside with the front foot raising slightly. Shows good connection with the back shoulder and lower half as the swing comes through. Turns the barrel well behind the body which creates a good path through the zone. Can be flat at times which results in more ground balls.
Power: 81 max exit velocity, averaged 65.4 mph. 263' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-67 mph. Very raw still developing arm strength, longer action with varied accuracy.
Defense: 2.25-2.44 pop times. Gains some momentum going to second out of a traditional crouch, could stay more in the legs throughout. Worked in a one knee down catching bullpens with basic feel for receivinG
ATH: 7.97 runner in the 60.
Dalton Meihls, Cookeville High School (TN), 2028
Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 5-7, 135-pounds. smaller lean frame at present with lots of room for physical development.
Hit: RHH. Twitchy movements pre pitch with a bigger leg kick. He creates good separation at foot plants before the backside launches. The bat comes through the zone differently every swing, has a tendency to drop the barrel with weak pop ups the other way. Rotates well and has much more pop in the tank.
Power: 72 max exit velocity, averaged 63.5 mph. 216' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-66 mph.
Defense: 2.44-2.59 pop times. Very raw actions behind the plate, good transfer out of glove on throw downs with some gained ground out of a traditional stance.
ATH: 8.23 runner in the 60.
Bryce Terrill, Lincoln County (TN), 2029
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-6, 139-pounds. Still on the younger side but has shown solid growth in the past year. Look for him to continue to develop in the next year.
Hit: RHH. Simple setup with his feet slightly past shoulder width. Loads into his back leg with a toe tap before the swing goes. Ends with a balanced finish. Still developing physically and appears unsure what to do with longer limbs. Great base of a swing with a clean bat path that will clean up nicely as he develops further.
Power: 68 max exit velocity, averaged 55.8 mph. 189' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-55 mph. OF-76 mph. On target rhows mostly utilizing the turf, look for lots of development in the coming years
Defense: 2.27-2.70 pop times. Good footwork out of a crouch on throwdays, should develop more speed and explosiveness with age. Soft hands when receiving that should only get better.
ATH: 8.57 runner in the 60.
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