08/26/2018 - College PREP - Lebanon (Nashville), TN
Michael continues to shine on the diamond. He did show in the OF for the first time at the event. Foot speed has improved as he ran his best 60 time to date. In the OF, he displays outstanding defensive abilities and utilizes his quick feet well in his lateral movement as he displays range. He works to get behind balls but needs to play through more with momentum to his target. At the plate, he continues to show as a switch hitter with similar abilities from both sides. Hands are quick (83 mph exit velocity) and work through an aggressive swing path. He takes a hack and has strength in his swing. He makes consistent contact and shows a feel for the barrel through a line drive approach. Power will increase as he utilizes his lower half more efficiently. On the mound, fastball shows a range of 67-71 mph. Breaking ball displays 11/5 shape with gradual break. He maintains arm speed on his changeup but throws too hard, resembling fastball. Stock on the mound will continue to rise as he builds more arm strength through a long toss program.
05/27/2018 - College PREP - Murfreesboro (Nashville), TN
Michael continues to show improvements in his baseball abilities and he has a promising future on the diamond. Foot speed has improved as he ran his best 60 time to date. At the plate, he continues to show as a switch hitter but projects best at a LHH. He has improved from the left side, now displaying solid hitting / power potential through an open setup. Hands are quick (81 mph exit velocity) and work through an aggressive swing path. He has strength in his swing and shows a feel for the barrel through a line drive approach. In the OF, he displays smooth / fluid actions. Feet are active as he takes proper routes / angles in tracking down balls. He works to get behind balls, playing through with momentum to his target. On the mound, arm strength has improved as he threw his top velocity to date at 75 mph. Fastball showed range of 70-75 mph with arm side run. Breaking ball displays 10/4 shape with gradual break. Changeup shows arm side run but slows arm speed, tipping off pitch to hitters. Stock on the mound will continue to rise as he builds more arm strength through a long toss program.
05/28/2017 - College PREP - Murfreesboro (Nashville), TN
Michael continues to show improvements in his baseball abilities and has a promising future on the diamond. He is a high-energy player that gets after it on the field. At SS, defensive abilities have improved as he displays clean / fluid actions. Feet are aggressive as he attacks balls but needs to play through more with his body. Glove action is soft / sure but will benefit by presenting more out front. At the plate, he continues to show as a switch hitter and has improved his hitting abilities and power potential, displaying similar abilities from both sides. Hands are loose / clean and work through an aggressive swing path. He stays inside the ball, utilizing all fields through a solid line drive approach. On the mound, arm strength has improved as he threw his top velocity to date at 73 mph. Fastball showed a range of 70-73 mph. Breaking ball displays 11/5 shape with gradual action. He maintains arm speed on his changeup with cutting action. Stock on the mound will continue to improve as he builds more arm strength through a long toss program. He did workout behind the plate with pop times showing in the 2.31 range with accuracy on his throws. Michael has a lot of potential with time and room to progress his game.
01/13/2017 - Baseball Factory National Spring Training at Pirate City
Michael is a compact SS/RHP prospect whose intangibles are off the charts and he will do whatever it takes to improve. He is a very steady defender at short, the hallmark of a good middle infielder, as he makes plays consistently and helps the other infields out. He does a good job working around the ball to field with momentum going to his target to make on line throws. His footwork around the bag and on double plays is smooth and efficient make quick turns and feeds. At the dish, this switch hitter works the count with good plate discipline to not expand the zone and give away strikes. He has a smooth, balanced swing and makes solid contact to all fields to get base hits from both sides of the plate. Leveling out his swing path will lead to more line drives and base hits as he progresses. On the bump, he works with good tempo to keep hitters off balance and shows a repeatable delivery to keep his command and control. His fastball reaches the upper 60's and he compliments it with a cutter that shows sudden, late break and can be an out pitch. We look forward to keeping an eye on Michael as he continues his development.
12/27/2015 - Baseball Factory Winter Classic - Session 2
Michael is a coachable player who works hard every time he steps onto the field. In the MIF - he has active / quick footwork moving well on the balls of his feet. He covers ground laterally and gets his mitt on almost anything hit to the left side of the diamond. Exchange is clean with accurate throws to 1B. Playing through the ball and using more of his lower 1/2 to throw will help to get more into his throws. As a hitter - Michael stand in with good zone awareness waiting for his pitch (drew 4 walks at the event). He is a situational type of hitter and is able to move a runner when his team needs it. Hitting against a firm front side (avoiding drifting) will help to get more pop off of the barrel. This 2020 grad has tools with still a ton of time to develop to get to where he wants to be.
05/31/2015 - Interactive Video Program - Murfreesboro (Nashville), TN
This young switch hitting 2-way player continues to develop his skills. At SS, Michael is aggressive as he hustles into position behind the GB. He is sure handed, gathers well and has a quick/clean exchange to throw. With the bat, he currently shows more natural from the right side. He remains balanced with a solid base. Quick hands whip the barrel through the zone as he connects and drives the ball. On the mound, Michael has repeatable mechanics and throws strikes. FB now tops out at 64 mph. Working to drive off the rubber with his lower 1/2 and finish with more extension on his follow through will help to improve his abilities on the bump. Only a 2020 grad - Bracken has a ton of time and will only continue to progress in his game.
01/16/2015 - Baseball Factory Spring Training at the Yankees Training Complex
Michael is a coachable player who is willing to make adjustments to get the best out of his skills. Offensively, this switch hitter has patience at the plate, not swinging at much out of the zone (drew 4 walks at the event). He has fluid rhythm and works back into a loaded position. He barrels the ball up and drives the middle of the field. Swinging against a firm front side and not letting his front side drift will help him to progress at the plate. A 2B, he is a quick twice defender. He moves well into a square fielding position and gathers well. Continuing to strengthen his arm through a long toss program will aid in his defensive development. Bracken also got on the mount and threw 2 effective innings. He works at a quick pace and doesn't give hitters time to settle. He maintains level shoulders and works in-line toward the dish. More extension on his finish/follow through will improve effectiveness on his FB. A young, 2020 grad - Michael has the hard working mentality to get to where he wants to be.
11/13/2014 - Baseball Factory Select Training & Competition at Pirate City
Michael is a hard worker who has the drive and willingness to improve. With the bat, he currently shows a little better from the left-side. Bat speed is quick as he connects and hits line-drives. He keeps his head still and tracks the ball well into the zone and off of his barrel. Developing an earlier load and finishing with more extension through his finish will both help him to progress offensively. At 2B, Michael is aggressive and comes to get the GB. He has a clean exchange and works in-line toward his target at 1B. Presenting his glove out in front earlier will help to work from the ground-up. Michael also got on the mound and threw. He works to a controlled balance point and keeps level shoulders, working in-line toward the plate. He works quickly at his pace. FB now tops out at 58 mph. Developing more extension on his finish will help to improve effectiveness on his pitches. Bracken is a coachable player who still has a lot of time to progress.
05/25/2014 - Interactive Video Program - Murfreesboro (Nashville), TN
Michael continues to work hard on his game. At the plate, he is a switch hitter who steps into the box with good balance, ready to hit. He squares the ball up and uses his lower 1/2 well. At 2B, he is aggressive in his approach and fields the ball cleanly. On the mound, Bracken keeps his eyes on the target and works in-line toward the dish. FB tops out at 54 mph with changeup being thrown at FB arm-speed. Overall abilities in his game will improve with work on the following.
Infield
1. Play through ball
2. Glove presentation
Offense
1. Swing path
2. Contact points
Pitching
1. Arm strength
2. Lower 1/2 drive
05/19/2013 - Interactive Video Program - Lebanon (Nashville), TN
Michael is a young, 2-way player who plays 2nd base and RHP. Defensively, Michael has firm hands, active feet, and he moves okay laterally. He centers the ball well, gets rid of it quickly, and has accuracy to his target. On the mound, Michael has a short arm action, level shoulders, and good direction toward home. Offensively, Michael is equally as good from both sides of the plate. He has a square set-up, good balance, and he makes consistent contact. Abilities can improve with work on the following.
Infield
1. Field out front
2. Long toss
3. Play through ball
Pitching
1. Balance point
2. Avoid falling off
3. Arm action
Offense
1. Lower 1/2
2. Shorten / level off swing
3. Load / stride