Tyler
Smith

Physical: The Auburn commit’s body has taken on new shape with additional physicality since the last time we saw him. Now features a solid blend of strength and athleticism in a 6-foot, 195-pound frame. 

Offensively: LHH - Balanced, even setup with the torso featuring a minor shift downward through the shoulders with rhythm. Utilized a slight gather-load coupled with a short lift and replace stride to initiate the bat head through a workable, slightly uphill path and into the hitting zone. Generated loft in the approach (46% fly ball rate) yielding plenty of backspin to the pull-side gap. Recorded a peak bat-exit velocity of 96 mph / top batted ball distance of 339 feet during batting practice. A 71% on-plane efficiency per Blast Motion points towards solid bat to ball skills in the box. 

Pitching: LHP - The southpaw featured above-average feel on the mound where he shines first and foremost. Utilized an up-tempo delivery with a fluid, whippy arm coming through a high ¾ slot on the front side. A sturdy base was mechanically sound allowing for a strong push outward towards the plate. Everything worked on time evidenced by a solid 50% zone rate on an 87-89 mph FB with noticeable arm side run during his pen. Mixed a sharp 72-74 mph SL he threw with confidence as the “out pitch” getting up to 10 inches of sweep across the plate. Countered with an 80 mph CH that can show “swing and miss” at times, diving to the arm side up to 14.8 inches paired with a standout 67% zone rate. All offerings were commanded with confidence, should be a big spring for the suddenly now-imposing lefty.

The Auburn commit showcased advanced feel for a lean and athletic 6-foot, 160-pound frame with fluidity in everything he does and room to add strength as he matures. The primary left-handed pitcher sat 78-81 mph with present arm-side run out of a fluid, high ¾ arm-slot showcasing easy athleticism in the arm-swing. Mixed in a 67-69 mph curveball displaying sharp 1/7 depth allowing for swing and miss potential. Countered with a quality 73-74 mph changeup featuring noticeable arm-side fade and same arm-speed as the fastball. Threw three pitches with confidence and advanced command, added strength should only sharpen velocity on all offerings. The left-handed hitter begins with a balanced, even stance utilizing a lift-and-replace stride to initiate his swing. Generated a slightly uphill barrel path with athleticism in the lower-half allowing for pull-side lift and hard barrels to all fields during batting practice. Showcased noticeable feel for his hands yielding an 80 mph bat-exit velocity and ran a 7.27 60-yard dash.

5-foot-11, 145-pound primary left-handed pitcher sat 74-75 mph with cut-action from a repeatable high 3/4 delivery. Demonstrated solid feel for a 59-61 mph curveball that featured 1/7 spin and was two-plane at times. The southpaw flashed a 66-68 mph changeup with small cut that was thrown with advanced sell. The left-handed hitter starts with loose hands in a square stance and utilizes a short lift-and-replace stride to initiate his swing. Displayed balance with a strong lower half during batting practice driving balls to the middle of the field consistently. Showcased present pop evidenced by a 77 mph bat-exit velocity and recorded an impressive 4.12 home-to-first time. Flashed long, athletic actions in the outfield while registering accurate 76 mph arm-strength from his position.

+ 2019 PBR Junior Future Games Selection (14U Team Pennsylvania)