Grady
Smith

Smith stands in at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds. Ran a 8.50 – 60. Offensively- Smooth trigger prior to pitch getting body set. Good lower body rotation utilizing whole body frame in the swing. Level barrel path throughout the zone demonstrating line drive ability up the middle and to the pull side. Recorded an exit velocity of 81 MPH, 3 MPH fast than his previous best mark of 78 MPH set in August 2017. Defensively- Good footwork and approach to the baseball. Quick funnel into the chest with a fluid transition from the glove to the throwing hand. Moves well left/right and in on the run. Was accurate on throws across the diamond. Recorded a positional arm velocity of 65 MPH. Pitching- High leg lift into a good separation. Could use more lower body going down the mound with a strong follow through to get into a better fielding position. Fastball was 72-73 MPH and peaked at 75 MPH showing good arm side run

Campus Series-Oswego (August 15, 2017)

Smith stands an athletic 5-foot-11, 165-pounds with room to grow. Offensively- Smooth load, front leg. Compact, mostly level through contact, short extension. Exit velocity was 78 MPH, up 1 MPH from last October. Defensively- stays through the ball, slightly choppy steps to the ball, ¾ slot at 66 mph to the bag (previous best was 70 MPH). Pitching- Wide setup with a high knee lift. Arm action is short and back releasing from an over-the-top slot. Fastball sits 72-73, topping out at 75 MPH. Curveball was 65 MPH with loose shape. Changeup was 69 MPH with fastball handspeed.

Last Chance Preview (October 30, 2016)

Smith, a 2018 right-handed hitting middle infielder, stands at 5-foot-9 and weighs a solid 140 pounds, ran a 8.64 60. Offensively- Begins with an upright stance with a slight bend in the knees with the hands held in front of the back shoulder and barrel of the bat slightly more than 45-degrees. Gets to the launch phase of the swing using a significant leg kick while the hands are loaded straight back lowering and getting outside the back shoulder. During batting practice showed the ability to drive the ball well from the opposite field gap to the middle of the field. Gets a bit hard with the landing of the lead foot which locks in the lead leg causing the front hip to rotate out and having the hands drive prematurely to the ball which cost some extension and drive. Recorded an exit velocity of 77 MPH, but with better extension and leg drive that number should increase fairly quickly. Defensively- Athletic and fluid movements to the ball but hands get outside the body when moving to the baseball. Fields the ball a bit deep, funneling to the waist where the transfer takes place. Throws showed good accuracy but carry and velocity could improve if the transfer was higher creating a shorter arm action which could keep the upper and lower more in sync. Recorded an arm velocity of 70 MPH on the day.