Brady
Hormel

Fresno Easter Classic 4/16 - 4/17/2019 - Nevada Commit. Continues to show the bat speed with two hard hit singles to right side; first one was a shot off the 2nd baseman. Quick feet and athletic actions in the middle of the field with the ability to get angled for turns on double plays and to move through the ball; strong arm with easy carry. / Routinely sets the table for Buchanan and the left-handed hitter did so in this one, flipping a single to left on a tough pitch and getting on base ahead of the Ortiz homer. His bat control and grind it out style of hitting is reminiscent of big leaguer Daniel Murphy. Has pullside home run power and oppo gap power, all with good bat control and high hitting IQ. Can hit multiple pitches and seems to always be on balance. Defensively he's about as steady as they come, playing below the ball and putting to work outstanding fundamentals. Accurate arm is good enough at SS given his angles and release and move to and through the ball. Very good baseball player.

Fresno Easter Classic - Nevada Commit. Showed footspeed, arm strength and very quick bat. Quick hand speed with ability to really turn the barrel through the zone. Hit an absolute rocket down the RF line for HR to win game in bottom of the 7th. Above-average arm with ability to stick on the left-side of the diamond; made a great play in 6-hole letting arm loose and having carry across the diamond. Made a very good defensive play on 2nd base side of the bag nailing a runner to end the inning stranding a runner during 1st game against Bullard.

vs Franklin HS - Uncommitted (inexplicably) shortstop smoked a line drive double in first at-bat to deep right-centerfield on a fastball from LHP Stevens. Stevens doesn't throw hard but he has well above average breaking stuff and also a change-up, so Hormel jumping the fastball early in the count in left/left situation was significant. Just about all his teammates frequently got down in the count and had to deal with the crafty left-hander's breaking ball and that generally doesn't end well. Hormel is not only a talented hitter, with a bat that stays in the zone and a willingness to let the ball travel, but he's also smart with an approach he trusts. He can filet a ball to left and he can drive it to right. There are times I feel like I'm watching a Daniel Murphy type of hitter when watching him. He's more of a gap/gap hitter with doubles pop but there is enough bat speed and good barrel awareness to speculate that he can jump some pitches and hit the ball over the wall. Defensively he moves around with energy and light feet. Yes, the body type isn't the prototypical middle infielder and maybe that has had some schools off him. Who knows. He has soft hands, confident actions, a strong arm and feel for playing defense. Whether he stays at shortstop or not, that's up to someone else, but he can make the everyday plays well beyond the high school level.

USA PDP workout Stockton (CA) - Remains uncommitted as of this report, evaluation took place at USA PDP workout. Thick body type, positive physical projection will be something to monitor. Possesses good hitting hands, bit of Daniel Murphy type swing and approach with wristy and handsy swing, high step stride and timing mechanism, sees ball well, good lower half balance, has very solid hitting tools. Quick release on defense with near average arm, range and footspeed likely relegates him to 3rd base but instincts could allow him to compete at 2nd base. Two live at-bats resulted in 4-3 putout vs LHP and K on 85 mph FB from RHP.

Uncommitted. 5-foot-10, 190-pound physical, well proportioned and strong frame. Strength throughout the body, with well defined strength in the lower half. Hormel, the 75th ranked player in the state for the 2019 class, flashes big potential with the bat where he uses his strong lower half along with an uppercut swing that stays through the hitting zone to generate big power. He keeps his hands close to the body at the shoulder before a right leg lift triggers his swing. Hormel has exceptionally fast hands with a swing that is short to the ball and long through it. He shows very good feel for the barrel and keep it through the hitting zone throughout his swing. Defensively Hormel is gifted with incredible arm strength that allows him to make all the throws from all angles and areas on the field. The arm really works at shortstop. His pre-pitch routine is consistent and his anticipation of where the ball is going is off-the-charts. The anticipation coupled with a quick first step allows Hormel to get to balls deep in the hole or behind the bag at second. Couple that with his arm strength and most of those hits turn into outs. Hormel plays the game with a lot of confidence and that spills over to his teammates. He encourages teammates and is an obvious leader in the dugout and on the field.