DFW Preseason ID: Outfield Analysis

PLANO, TX - The talent in Texas always amazes our scouting staff and we were fortunate to see a ton of high end players on Saturday at the DFW Preseason ID. This week we roll through the positional analysis, and today the outfielders are up. 

Homer Bush, OF, Southlake Carroll HS, 2020
Bush has a ton of upside in an athletic, long-limbed, high-waisted frame at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds. He started the day with a 6.58 60, and left the yard during BP, posting a top exit velocity of 87 mph of the tee. The right-handed hitter starts from a tall stance, then loads back smooth as he triggers his hands down and back, using a reverse leg lift before he strides forward, walking away from his hands, creating a ton of separation. Mostly linear weight shift as his hands slightly sweep through the zone with an uphill path that allows him to elevate the baseball to the pull side. In the outfield, he played through the ball with soft hands and rhythm in his footwork, creating solid tempo and a top velocity to the dish of 86 mph.

Jacob Stephens, OF, Plano West HS, 2021
After spending the fall on the gridiron for the Wolves, Stephens is back in the full swing of baseball, and the right-handed hitter now stands 6-foot, 185-pounds with strength throughout his athletic frame. He showed strong, quick hands during BP with sneaky pop to the pull side. Using a leg kick for timing, he works on a mostly flat plane through the zone allowing a lot of room for error and posting a 93 mph exit velocity. Gets to full speed easy with quick footwork, running a 6.82 60-yard dash. In the outfield, he can cover ground, which he showed running down several balls during BP, and he has a loose arm swing from a high-¾ slot with a top velocity of 89 mph to the dish.

Russell Etheridge, OF/3B, Denton Guyer HS, 2020
Etheridge has a projectable frame with strength throughout at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds. The switch-hitter started the day with a 7.07 60-yard dash. From the left side he creates natural lift with a tall setup and low hand position. Reverse leg lift to load as he triggers his hands back and strides forward. Rotates his lower half to transfer weight with authority, while his hands work fast through the zone on a slightly uphill path and sits into his lower half on the finish. Launched balls through the middle of the field and posted a top exit velocity of 97 mph. From the right side, he has a similar setup with twitchy hands that trigger as he lifts his front leg. Creates quality separation that allows him to deliver the barrel with gap power. In the outfield, he plays through the ball with rhythm and threw 86 from the outfield from a ¾ slot.

Nicholas Moore, RHP/OF, Plano West HS, 2021  
Moore has an athletic, lean-muscular frame at 6-foot-1, 170-pounds. The right-handed hitter has a simple swing that he repeats with ease, showing strength in the barrel and loose hands that created a 91 mph exit velocity. Barrel stays in the zone a long time with plenty of lag, middle of the field approach with lots of line drives on the barrel. In the outfield, Moore plays through the ball with smooth rhythm and throws with a long, loose arm swing for a top velocity of 83 mph. Moving forward, Moore’s athleticism and ability to play multiple positions should allow him to catch the eye of college recruiters.

Alan Benhardt, LHP/OF,  Frisco Independence HS, 2021
Benhardt has a high-waisted frame at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds. The left-handed hitter took a solid round of BP, shows quality feel for the barrel as he stays in the zone a long time with plenty of lag and a loose finish. Simple load back as he triggers his hands and takes a short stride, landing square with separation. Quick hands through the zone as he shifts his weight and rotates through contact. Short path to the ball on a mostly flat plane with strength in the barrel. He threw 86 from the outfield where he plays through the ball with athletic actions, smooth footwork, and an accurate arm stroke. 

Josiah Lewis, OF/RHP, Home School, 2021
Lewis has an athletic frame at 6-foot-1, 180-pounds, with a lean-muscular build. A long stride runner, he started the day with a 6.82 60-yard dash. The right-handed hitter starts from a tall, narrow stance, then triggers his hands down as he uses a low-hanging knee-to-knee leg lift before striding forward, walking away from his hands and sinking into his front side. Delivers the barrel with authority for a young player (90 mph exit velocity), with strong hands and loose finish, flashing pull side pop on a home run foul. In the outfield, he plays through the ball with rhythm in his footwork and an easy crow hop that allows his arm to work well with a top velocity to the plate of 86 mph.

Ryan Davenport, OF/SS, Dripping Springs HS, 2019
Wiry, quick twitch frame at 5-foot-10, 160-pounds. The left-handed hitter starts from a wide, slightly open stance, then loads back smooth and lifts his hands as he cocks the barrel forward then strides forward, walking away from his hands, landing with separation and stacked shoulders. Quick hands deliver the barrel with good whip in the barrel as he stays in the zone a long time. Hard contact from the middle to pull side during BP, athletic hack with a loose finish. In the outfield, he plays through the ball with confidence, rhythm, and a clean exchange into his crow hop with a top velocity of 84 mph. 

Zane Raba, OF, Reagan HS, 2020 
Raba has added strength this off-season, now standing 5-foot-11, 180-pounds. Started the day with a 6.75 60-yard dash. The left-handed hitter starts from a tall stance as he waggles the barrel back and forth, then triggers his hans back, taking a short stride. Quick strong hands through the zone with a gap approach as he rotates through contact with a high finish, creating hard contact during BP, posting a top exit velocity of 90 mph. In the outfield, he has quick footwork through the catch, throwing form an over the top slot with a short arm circle and top velocity of 82 mph.

Best of the Rest (Alphabetical)

Jacob Aldridge, OF/LHP, Plano West HS, 2020
Aldridge started the day with a 6.74 60-yard dash. The switch-hitter has a quick-twitch frame at 5-foot-10, 165-pounds. His swing mirrors each other from both sides of the plate, working with a controlled leg kick, short, flat path, line drive approach and top exit velocity of 82 mph. In the outfield, he cuts distance as he plays through the ball with a clean exchange to get rid of the ball quickly from a high-¾ slot and top velocity of 80 mph. On the mound, the left-hander works from a high-¾ slot with a short arm circle, level shoulders, drop-and-drive delivery with a short stride down the mound. His fastball topped out at 75 mph, sitting mostly 72-74. His curveball has 1/7 shape with gradual depth at 61 mp, and his changeup came in at 63-66 mph.

Gehrig Butz, OF/SS, Frisco Heritage HS, 2021
Butz has a sturdy frame at 5-foot-10, 174-pounds, with a strong lower half. The right-handed hitter made hard contact during BP, showing feel for the barrel with strength and lift from the middle to pull side of the field. Starts from a crouched stance with a wide base and low set hands. Loads back with a smooth leg lift, staying stacked in his lower half as he cocks the barrel then strides forward. Quality weight transfer as his back leg delivers leverage and gains the same amount of ground as his stride foot. Good lag in the barrel through the zone, working on plane with upward finish and loose lands to produce low effort power with a top exit velocity of 84 mph. In the outfield, he threw with a top velocity to the plate of 78 mph.

Jalen Davenport, RHP/OF, Klein Collins HS, 2020
Davenport has a muscular frame at 5-foot-10, 180-pounds. Started the day with a 6.92 60-yard dash. The right-handed hitter has strong hands and posted a top exit velocity of 87 mph. Works on a flat path through the zone with feel for the barrel, making hard contact during BP. In the outfield, he threw with a top velocity of 87 mph from a long arm swing and high-¾ slot.  

Tyler Harris, OF/1B, Celina HS, 2020
Harris has a quick-twitch frame at 5-foot-11, 160-pounds, and started the day with a 6.83 60-yard dash. The left-handed hitter from a slightly open stance, then loads back as he turns inward, taking a short stride. Stays behind his front foot as he rotates to contact with quick hands that work on a flat path. Line drive approach with sharp contact during BP and top exit velocity of 90 mph. In the outfield, he plays through the ball with soft hands and good glove action out over his lead foot into a clean exchange to throw from an over the top slot with a top velocity of 80 mph to the plate.

Zachary Harrison, OF/SS, Aledo HS, 2021
5-foot-11, 160-pound frame. The right-handed hitter starts from a narrow, open stance with flex in his lower half and relaxed hands. Turns inward as he takes a linear stride, gliding forward, cocking the barrel and keeping his hands back. Hands work quick through the zone with line drive power and top exit velocity of 87 mph. Plays athletic through the ball in the outfield, using a quick exchange and long clean arm swing to produce a top exit velocity of 85 mph.

Eli Salazar, OF, Midland Lee HS, 2019
Salazar has a broad shouldered frame at 5-foot-9, 190-pounds. The right-handed hitter has good rhythm and quick hands to go with solid barrel awareness. He posted a top exit velocity of 92 mph off the tee and drove the ball to the pull side during BP. In the outfield, he played through the ball with tempo and threw with a top velocity of 79 mph to the dish.

Owen Shaw, OF/1B, Marcus HS, 2021
Shaw is a young, left-handed hitter that stands 5-foot-10, 155-pounds. Starting from a slightly open, stacked stance, he triggers his hands down and loads back, taking a short stride, landing balanced. Hands work efficiently through the zone on a mostly flat path with feel for the barrel and contact approach with top exit velocity of 86 mph. In the outfield, he threw from a high slot with a long arm swing and high front side with a top velocity to the dish of 77 mph.

Joel Shea, OF/1B, Frisco Memorial HS, 2020 
Shea has a strong, projectable frame at 6-foot-4, 205-pounds. The right-handed hitter posted an exit velocity of 91 mph off the tee and homered to left-field during BP. Using a toe-tap load, he triggers his hands back as he strides forward, creating room for the barrel to work through the zone. Loose hands through the zone with a high finish and fluid transfer from his lower half created carry to the pull side with hard contact. In the outfield, Shea plays through the ball with rhythm and throws from a ¾ slot with a top velocity to the dish of 82 mph. 

Peyton Sutherland,SS/RHP, Allen HS, 2021  
Sutherland has a lean, athletic frame at 6-foot, 168-pounds, and does a little bit of everything on the field well, from playing both infield and outfield, to pitching. The right-handed hitter posted a top exit velocity of 85 mph off the tee, and showed a line drive approach during BP. Loads back as he triggers his hands into a front arm bar, short stride, lands balanced as his hands work through the zone on a flat path. In the outfield, he plays through the ball with the type of footwork and glove action that most infielders have, and threw with with a top velocity to the dish of 77 mph. 

Aaron Tidmore, LHP/OF, Parish Episcopal, 2020 
Projectable, long-limbed frame at 6-foot-3, 175-pounds. The right-handed hitter takes an aggressive hack with strong hands, using a toe tap load for timing. Pull side approach, made hard contact in BP with juice from the left-centerfield gap to foul down the left field line, and posted a top exit velocity of 93 mph. In the outfield, he plays through the ball with soft hands gathered exchange, and his arm works well from a high-¾ slot with a medium arm stroke that produced a top velocity of 82 mph.