Austin
Cates

Body: 6-foot-0, 200 pounds. Developed, athletic build. Strong lower half. Improved physicality has helped his effectiveness on the mound. His broad shoulder may allow him to add more strength to his frame.

Delivery: Tall, narrow set up. Starts mid-left side off the rubber. Clean, quick motion. Tall/tilt type delivery. Repeats well. On line stride with a balanced finish. Extends well over his front side. 
Arm Action: Long, loose arm action. High 3/4 arm slot. Repeats well on each of his pitches. 

FB: Max 84 mph. Sat 81-84 mph. Avg. Spin Rate - 1522 RPM. Has some downhill action on his FB. Flashes of ASR present on his two-seam. 

CB: 71-72 mph. Avg. Spin Rate - 2005 RPM. 11/5 shape. Flashes of some back up action. Works well off his FB when he gets it out front. 

6-foot-0, 205-pound right-handed pitcher, stocky, developed build, proportionate strength. Starts on middle-left side of rubber, Cates has a smooth delivery, simple, repeatable mechanics, drop and drive type. Loose, long arm action, high ¾ arm slot, level shoulders, throws downhill. Stride is on-line, lands slightly closed, tends to fall to the first base side. He uses a three pitch mix: FB, CB, CH. Fastball, sat 80-81, downhill action, slight arm side fade, works around the zone. Changeup, 72-74, split change grip, sinking action, arm side fade, down in the zone. Curveball, 71-72 mph, slight arm curls, 12/6 shape, flashes of back up action. 

Uncommitted 6-foot 205, Cates has a large, wide frame with a strong lower half and present strength. With changes in body composition, he may be able to offer some utility at third base, but Cates is better suited to first base play at the next level. He has solid defensive actions with playable arm strength, but lack of true speed will limit range at third. During batting practice, he maintained mostly a pull side approach with flashes of power, making consistent contact. In game, he was aggressive at the plate and took confident swings. He definitely feels at home in the box. Defensively, he made good showed good reads off the bat and worked to stay in rhythm on ground balls.

Austin is put together well with broad shoulders and thick lower half. He showed fundamental mechanics and arm action down the mound but there could be more in there with a more aggressive drive and hip rotation. FB registered 74-78 while the CH came in at 70-71. Austin showed breaking pitches, 68-70, that had some nice lateral movement.

Cates has a large, wide frame with a strong lower half and present strength. With changes in body composition, he may be able to offer some utility at third base, but Cates is better suited to first base play at the next level. He has solid defensive actions with playable arm strength, but lack of true speed will limit range at third. During batting practice, he maintained mostly a pull side approach with flashes of power, making consistent contact. In game, he was aggressive at the plate and took confident swings. He definitely feels at home in the box. Defensively, he made good showed good reads off the bat and worked to stay in rhythm on ground balls. 

Austin is put together well with broad shoulders and thick lower half. He showed fundamental mechanics and arm action down the mound but there could be more in there with a more aggressive drive and hip rotation. FB registered 74-78 while the CH came in at 70-71. Austin showed breaking pitches, 68-70, that had some nice lateral movement.

Youthful, 6-foot 205, Cates has a thick frame with the size and speed that will lend better to first base.  He has solid infield actions that will play up on the right side of the diamond. Present arm strength and carry are enough for the “hot corner” but will be a larger advantage at first.  Offensively, he hits off of a narrow base for someone his size with a “hansdy” uphill swing that creates frequent topspin. Future adjustments allowing him to tap into his core strength could provide the ability to hit for more consistent power down the road.

Cates throws from a high ¾ slot with solid zone feel. He maintains an upright delivery and will frequently spin off his front side. His fastball ranged 75-77 with some arm side run. His breaking displayed spin with occasional depth at 66-69. Cates showed a serviceable changeup 70-71. With a 3-pitch mix, body and effort lend to a ceiling in a relief role.

2/10/19 -Thick, 6-foot 205, Cates is a burly infielder with present weight and strength in his lower half. His youth may bring growth, allowing him to lean. He has reliable infield actions and fields ground balls with confidence.  Speed and range will lend in a move to first base but with work and development of his physique, he may be able to stay at the hot corner. He has enough arm strength and will develop multiple angles for necessary throws.  Cates is a left-handed hitter with a simple, small stride and a two-handed finish on a narrow base for his size.  He leans a little at the waste, compelling him to generate a little length to swing around is head with an uphill path.  He frequently creates top spin on contact, looking to pull most of the time, but when he catches it right it is easy to see some power down the line.

He repeats an upright delivery from a high ¾ slot with a short arm swing and has the ability to get out over his front side. His mid 70s fastball is straight and finds the zone regularly. He pre-grips his breaking ball that has solid shape when down in the zone. He maintains feel for a straight change up, creating a potential 3 pitch mix guy down the line. Velocity and overall pitch definition need to improve to be a factor on the mound at the next level but youthful size and strength make for interesting follow.