01/12/2018 - 2018 Under Armour All-America Pre-Season Tournament
Michael continues to show as a prospect on the diamond. Behind the plate, pop times were in the 2.01 range with accuracy and on line carry on his throws. Feet are active, working in line to his target as he gets rid of the baseball quickly. He plays with a ton of energy and shows the ability to handle a pitching staff with his receiving / blocking skills. At the plate, this LHH continues to shine. Hands works inside the baseball as he utilizes all fields. Barrel accuracy is a plus with baseball jumping off the bat when centered with power showing best to the pull side. Michael has a ton of potential and is a sure player to follow.
10/11/2017 - Arizona Senior Fall Classic
Michael showed very good abilities both offensively and defensively during his time in Arizona. This strong, left-handed catcher has an athletic set-up at the plate, good balance, and fast bat speed. Michael makes hard contact, gets good extension through the ball, and can work it gap to gap by staying back and driving it patiently. Behind the plate, Michael has a good base, a low target, and a strong/accurate arm to 2nd base. He is quick to block, deadens it softly, and gets rid of the ball quickly to his target. Michael is a nice prospect at the next level!
06/03/2017 - 2017 Under Armour Showcase: Baseball Factory's National West
Michael is a well-built catching prospect who plays the game with the right approach and an athletic skill set. As a left-handed hitter, Michael has a tall, open stance with a centered balance. He gets into his load with an on-time leg kick and maintains a quiet head. He has an on-plane swing path and gets good extension to produce square contact. Michael has a line drive approach with the ability to spray the ball to all fields. Behind the plate, Michael has an effective setup with a solid base. He stays square to the pitcher and presents a low target receiving the ball with a firm glove. He has a clean exchange leading into a short arm action throwing from a high 3/4 arm slot. He has good momentum through his release producing consistently strong throws down to 2B with POP times ranging from 1.96-2.18 seconds. Overall, Michael is a well-rounded catching prospect who can hit giving him high upside on the diamond.
01/13/2017 - Under Armour All-America Pre-Season Tournament
Michael continues to show a promising future on the diamond. Behind the plate, feet are active as he gains ground and works through a clean / transfer exchange as he gets rid of the baseball quickly. Throws display accuracy but will benefit by building more arm strength through a long toss program. Hands are soft as he lets the ball travel and tracks well, sticking in the zone. He shows off his athletic abilities through the blocking process as he deadens balls out front and is quick to recover. At the plate, he shows an athletic setup. Hands are quick and work through an aggressive swing path. He has strength in his swing and works to stay inside the ball, utilizing all fields with gap to gap pop. Power will increase as he works to utilize his lower half more efficiently.
10/19/2016 - Arizona Junior Fall Classic
Michael is a strong built catching prospect who has great upside and graduates in 2018. As a left-handed hitter, Michael has a tall stance with a firm front side and square stride. He has a good load and explosive bat speed with a direct swing path. Michael effectively utilizes his hips producing consistent contact. He has raw power and potential to add. Behind the plate, Michael has a good setup and presents a solid, low target. He has active feet and moves well laterally. Michael has a clean exchange leading into a short arm action from a 3/4 slot. He throws are consistently online with POP times ranging from 2.05-2.19 seconds. Overall, Michael is a talented prospect who can certainly become an impactful player on both sides of the ball.
01/15/2016 - Under Armour All-America Pre-Season Tournament
Michael showed as a very toolsy player that can do it with the glove and the bat at the Under Armour All-America Pre-Season Tournament with Baseball Factory. Offensively, the lefty got to a good hitting position consistently with a quiet head and loose actions. He displayed strong barrel accuracy with a direct bat path and hit with gap pop. Behind the plate, he showed quiet movement to stick pitches with sure hands, and had a clean exchange to throw, staying in the low 2.0 range with his pops. He was a good game manager, handling the pitching staff well, and instilling a sense of confidence with his blocking ability. Overall - Michael is just a sophomore that looks to have a very bright future in the game.
12/27/2015 - Under Armour Baseball Factory Recruiting Classic
Michael is a talented LHH catcher who projects well. At the plate, this lefty stands in well with an athletic/balanced setup and fluid/rhythm to load. He remains patient and waits for his pitch (drew 4 walks at the event). This lefty's stroke is smooth as he connects with pop, hitting the ball where its pitched using the entire field. Behind the plate, Michael sits in well with flexion and sway. Quick footwork allow him to move laterally in front of pitches in the dirt, centering/deadening the ball off of his chest. He replaces his feet well and has a smooth transfer/exchange getting rid of the ball and putting it on the 2B bag with accuracy - pop times of 1.99. Michael is a very coachable player who loves to compete. He is one to keep an eye on over the next few years.