Fort Worth Preseason ID: Quick Hits
January 5, 2023
FORT WORTH, TX - On Tuesday, January 3rd, the PBR TX staff traveled to Weatherford College to host the Fort Worth Preseason ID. The event consisted of players from all high school classes participating in a pro style workout. They started by running a 60, using swift performance timing gates, then moved into the defensive workout. The day was capped off with a round of batting practice followed by pitchers throwing bullpens. Today we take a look at some of the standouts from the event.
Quick Hits
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Urim Ibrahimi 3B / SS / Mansfield Legacy, TX / 2023Ibrahimi had a complete day. He showed his versatility all over the field, and did everything at a high level. The Sr. from Mansfield Legacy started his day by running a 6.98 60. During the defensive portion, Ibrahimi showed good footwork and soft hands at short. He has more than enough arm strength to stay on the left side of the infield. At the plate, consistently had mid 90’s exit velo with above avg. bat speed. He had a 79.2 max bat speed on the day. He does a good job of using the big part of the field. The Midland College commit ended his day by throwing a bullpen that saw him get up to 87 with the fastball. There will be more velo as we get into the spring, but it’s a clean operation and he moves down the mound well. Ibrhaimi is part of an extremely talented Mansfield Legacy team, and it will be fun to watch him and his teammates try to make another deep run this year.
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Krue Lowe 1B / OF / Wakeland, TX / 2024Lowe showed up with the same sweet swing from the Left side we have grown accustomed to seeing. He looked more physical from the last time I saw him, and he drove the ball with more authority. Lowe has the ability to hit the ball with authority from foul line to foul line. He starts with a slightly open stance and has the ability to keep the barrel in the zone for an extended period of time. There is still some projection in his frame, and as he continues to get stronger there is some more power in there. He has good footwork around the bag at 1st and he may also play some OF this spring for Frisco Wakeland, which only adds to his versatility.
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Ethan Ho C / 3B / Rock Hill, TX / 2024Ho was another player that showed a lot of versatility on the Day. The Jr. from Prosper started off by running a 6.93 60 and then throwing 90 from the OF. Where Ho really caught my eye was during the catching portion. The athleticism showed up there with quick feet and a good arm. His pop times ranged from 1.93 - 2.01 and also showed the ability to receive and stick pitches while catching bullpens. At the Plate, the RHH showed + bat speed with an event best max bat speed of 84.2 which should allow him to tap into some power and drive the ball to all parts of the field. Ho opened some eyes and will be a must follow this spring at Prosper Rock Hill.
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Cade Julius RHP / OF / Mansfield Legacy, TX / 2025It was my first time seeing the younger Julius, and he definitely opened some eyes. The 6’4 195 Soph. stepped up and touched 87 with his first pitch in his pen. There is plenty of projection left and I expect that number to keep rising. He worked exclusively out of the stretch and started with his hands high. It is long and loose out of the glove and as he continues to get stronger and grow into his body, the arm action will continue to repeat itself. When he is on time he throws the FB with good angles and generates some sink and ASR. He also showed a tight breaking ball on the day that he threw in the 72-75 range. He threw it from the same slot as FB and it showed late bite with good depth. He flashed a developing Change as well that has good ASR, and as he continues to throw it and gains confidence with it, it should turn into a quality 3rd pitch. Julius is going to make some big strides in the next year, and I expect that velo will continue to climb
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Jackson Melanson RHP / OF / Boerne Champion , TX / 2025Rankings StateRank: 56 / POS: 12
Melanson showed up to Weatherford and you immediately could tell he attacked the offseason and got stronger. Jackson attacks every bullpen and moment with a purpose to get better. His fastball was 83-84 with the usual heavy sink to it. I expect his velo to continue to climb as we get deeper into the spring. He is a strike thrower and shows confidence throwing his FB to both sides of the plate. The other thing that really stood out was the progression of the two breaking balls. They had two distinct shapes, his spin numbers have taken a jump on both pitches and he showed the ability to throw both for strikes. He rounded out his arsenal with a changeup that is a bit on the firmer side, but has good ASR and he throws it with good conviction. Melanson continues to improve with each outing we see him, and I expect some big things from him this spring
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Andrew Allen C / 2B / Timber Creek, TX / 2025Allen really opened my eyes on Tuesday, as he showed skills on both sides of the ball. Where he really stood out was behind the plate. The soph. from Keller Timber Creek has quick feet and a quick release that allowed him to generate pop times from 1.94 2.14. He also received well during the bullpens showing strong wrist and the ability to stick a pitch. He also looked solid taking ground balls and was 84 across the diamond. He profiles best as a 2nd baseman on the dirt. At the plate, Allen showed the ability to get the barrel to the ball consistently. There is some length in the swing that he needs to shorten, but the barrel to ball skills are there. He has good bat speed and showed some power potential. As Allen continues to get stronger he has the potential to turn into a really good catcher who can hit as well. |
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Brayden Lara SS / 2B / Weatherford, TX / 2026Lara, a ‘22 JFG Team Texas member, continues to make strides and has all the tools to be a high end player. He is a good athlete, who has good explosiveness and bounce, which should allow him to play all over the field. He is a 6.8 runner with a really good initial burst. He has good hands on the infield, with the quickness to play all the infield spots. I could see him sticking at short long term as the arm continues to get stronger. At the plate, Lara has a simple operation without much excess movement. As he gets more comfortable and allows the athleticism to play in the swing more, Lara is going to have gap power and be a threat on the bases. Lara continues to improve every time I see him and just another high end Weatherford HS product. |
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Alex Cooley SS / 3B / Rockwall-Heath, TX / 2026This was my 1st time seeing Cooley and he opened up some eyes with a good day overall. The frosh from Heath has a good, physical frame for his age. He has some current strength with room for plenty more. He showed good hands on the infield and a really good arm that saw him register 86 across the diamond. Right now, he projects best at 2nd or 3rd base. At the plate, Cooley is very direct and short to the ball. He is geared to hit line drives back up the middle right now, but as he continues to get stronger and find his own rhythm, Cooley should develop some pull side power. Cooley has a lot of tools, and being at a school like Rockwall Heath and playing for Coach Harvey, I expect Cooley to maximize those tools. |
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Dylan Cheek SS / OF / Rockwall, TX / 2026The big winner for me on the day was Cheek. The ‘22 Team Texas JFG member carried the momentum he had at LakePoint at the end of last summer right into the new year. You can tell he is another one that took advantage of the offseason. He looked quite a bit stronger and his foot speed has improved as well. He was 91 across the diamond and showed the ability to make all the plays on the left side of the infield. At the plate, Cheek put on a show. He hit the 1st 3 balls out of Roger Williams Ballpark and consistently showed off mid 90’s exit velocity. He has really good rhythm at the plate, and is always hitting from an athletic position. Cheek goes to the other powerhouse in Rockwall, Rockwall High. With Coach Rose and the seniors they have, Cheek should benefit from the leadership around him. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| Houston Preseason ID | TX | 01/07 | Rice University (Reckling Park) - Houston, TX |
| San Antonio Preseason ID | TX | 01/08 | Marion High School - Marion, TX |
| South Houston Preseason ID | TX | 01/14 | Alvin Community College - Alvin, TX |
| Dallas Preseason ID | TX | 01/15 | Lake Dallas High School - Corinth, TX |
| Central Texas Preseason ID | TX | 01/16 | Salado High School - Salado, TX |
| Houston Rising Stars ID | TX | 02/25 | Cotton Ranch Sports Complex |