Breaking down the Baseball team: Outfield

Now that the Fall is behind us, I wanted to take a look at where the team is. Instead breaking down the whole team in one thread, I'm going to split it up into a few threads.

I'm going to start with the outfield.

The roster sits at 46 right now and we need to be at 40 for the Spring. Lape is the only one that I know for sure won't play in 2024 because of TJ surgery.

Some players obviously have position versatility so I took some liberties in where I put them based on where I think they are best suited. I have Frey and Brown in the OF and Pearson in the IF.

So by my list we have 10 outfielders.

1. Kling
2. Bingham
3. Brown
4. Frey
5. Larson
6. Ruddell
7. Paul
8. Mitchell
9. Cooley
10.Dale

This is how I have them ranked right now and it can change in a second. As always with Jay, best bat will play.

Kling- I believe the fastest guy on the team, strong arm and I watched him put a ball over the bleachers this fall. I also like his approach to be baseball. Always hustles and puts in max effort. In short he is the most talented outfielder we have on the team in my opinion. The negative might be his BA this Fall. I haven't seen the cumulative stats for the Fall but I'm guessing his BA is not spectacular. I don't catch every scrimmage so sometimes I'm bias to the ones I make and I could be off with the comment. Let's just say if the bat gets hot he will be a superstar in this league.

Bingham- The credentials are there. I think he was third in the lineup for an Omaha team in Arizona before an injury. Had 10 HRs and a good BA last year. He is in good shape and has plenty of speed. His experience is a major plus. The negative would be that he didn't really stand out in the Fall. He was decent this Fall on offense and defense but didn't stand out. To be fair, not many players stood out this Fall offensively.

Brown- I wouldn't be shocked if the cumulative stats show Brown with the best BA on the team this Fall. In the outfield he has good speed and a good arm. He also played a good bit of 1B this Fall and of course he is an outstanding pitcher. I noticed him second in the lineup agaist the Cajuns and for the purple and gold scrimmage Friday. He was also was in the starting OF against the Cajuns. I don't if he can stay there but he has a good of shot as any.

Frey - It's hard to ignore Frey's size and he is a really good athlete. He is one of the true power bats on the team. If the bat turns on he will be in the lineup somewhere. Like Brown he has played some 1B and DH is also an option. I didn't see anything in the Fall that says he is a must start. He is still going to have earn it in my opinion but he is not far away.

Larson- Larson has good pull side power. He also seems to be confident hitter overall. Defensively he has good speed and seems capable of handling the position. Jay said he was on the best hitters to make it to campus and I tend to believe him. I don't think it will be if this guy emerges but more of when he emerges. He might be a year away but I think he will make an impact on this year in some capacity.

Ruddell - He is in good shape and has been one of the more consistent hitters on the team. He has also seen time at 1B in an effort to get his bat in the lineup. I'm sure he can handle 1B with reps but he looks like he is learning the position.

Paul - Paul is also in good shape and is one the better defensive outfielders on the team. He can definitely handle CF. His bat has been okay but hasn't caught my eye as anything special.

Mitchell - I have liked Mitchell since I read his profile. Seeing him in the Fall hasn't dulled my expectations for him. He is 6'3" with room to grow. He seemed content to hit line drives this Fall but the power potential is there. He also a switch hitter. He seems to have a mature, patient approach at the plate that I like. He could be a year away but I think he will be a really good outfielder on this team by next year.

Cooley - He is a little light in the pants right now but I did watch him drive a couple of doubles to the wall. There is talent here but I don't think we will carry 10 outfielders and I think he could be a candidate to redshirt. I don't want to sell him short, so we will see what the Spring brings.

Dale - He has a little more size than Cooley but he was injured for much of the Fall with a hip injury. I would think right now he could be another redshirt candidate but I would like to see more in the Fall.

Summary: Plenty of depth and the future looks bright. I want to see some players emerge at the top and show they can significantly impact this season. Kling inparticular needs to become a superstar in 2024.