Ventura Braves Scout Day: Quick Hits

Cooper Casey SS / 2B / Foothill Technology, CA / 2027

Casey has long been a favorite of mine in the Ventura County region for his sound athleticism that combines with a strong overall baseball toolset, which shows up not only in showcase workouts, but has also played at a high level in game play across numerous live looks. Yet again, Casey rose to the top of the players in attendance with one of the best overall showings from the athletic testing portion, running the second fastest 60 in attendance (6.90), the second highest vertical jump, and the RSI score. The athletic ability in Casey translates into how he swings the bat and moves at SS with a strong hit tool and the type of actions that will stick up the middle long term defensively. Using a Baum Bat during BP, Casey lined the ball through the middle of the field at a high clip while posting a max EV of 87.4 MPH and a max distance of 295' using the wood bat, while posting a sweet spot rate over 50%. He plays downhill with tempo and body control at SS to attack balls in front of him and to his glove side while showing confidence attacking to his backhand side with a quick transfer and accuracy in an 80+ MPH INF arm velocity. Casey might be smaller in stature, but is far from lacking in athleticism and baseball tools to be a next-level player.

Finn Schulze SS / 3B / Ventura High School, CA / 2026

This was my first opportunity to get eyes on the future Ventura College Pirate, who is a German national who transferred to Ventura High School to play baseball and pursue opportunities at the collegiate level. Similarly, to the previously mentioned Cooper Casey, Schulze is medium in build at 5'11 and 165 lbs., but not lacking in next level athleticism posting an event best 6.74 60-yard sprint and a 20+ MPH max run speed, while testing the best in each of the VALD jump tests. The twitchy athleticism he showcased in the athletic testing portion carried over to how Schulze moved on the baseball diamond. His swing showed off present quickness in the turn while flashing impact at contact, wearing out the middle of the diamond with solid contact consistently over two rounds of batting practice. Schulze posted a 92+ MPH max EV while blasting a 335' max distance and a nearly 50% sweet spot rate, showing quality angles to go with the quality of his solid contact. Defensively, the SS showed bouncy actions moving around the dirt with confidence, going to his glove side and downhill on the baseball with quickness and body control. He is more confident setting his feet to throw, but did flash some comfort to play at tempo and should soundly stick on the INF dirt and up the middle. Headed to junior college to continue his baseball development process, Schulze's talents for Schulze are trending in the right direction with plenty of four-year college baseball ability in the future.

Rainen Tolentino OF / RHP / Foothill Technology, CA / 2026

Tolentino will start at the junior college level following a strong high school career at Foothill Technology High School. During his time in high school, the two-way product showed impact in his bat with a power profile approach and some upside on the mound with a riding FB that set up a quality SPLT. During the workout, the highlights of Tolentino's baseball profile were consistently on display. Over two rounds of batting practice, he hammered the baseball with authority and at quality angles to the damage portions of the field (middle/pull side). Rainen peaked at 99.3 MPH on his EV, which was a new personal best in front of our staff, while the 75% sweet spot rate he showed was also a new personal best in front of our staff. The swing for Tolentino features intent with an approach focused on power over hit, but the consistency with which the RHH gets to his best swing while showing feel for his timing and contact point has increased over the years, giving him a chance to keep tapping into increased power production at the next level. On the mound, the right-hander has an aggressive delivery that works down the mound with tempo and intent, which provides deception for hitters as the ball appears to explode on the hitters. His arsenal is highlighted by a quality FB that neared 82 MPH on the day while showing nearly 20" of avg IVB and sets up a heavy tumbling SPLT that averages right around 4" of IVB, giving an aggressive north/south attack profile on those two offerings with an interesting SLD behind it and the makings of a CB that has some potential to it. The frame for Tolentino is solid with some present strength to it and can be improved/polished in the coming years at JUCO to tick his athleticism and baseball profiles up and open some four-year college opportunities in the future.

Jack Sweeney C / SS / St. Augustine Academy, CA / 2027

Joe Reyes LHP / 1B / Santa Paula, CA / 2028

Reyes is another wiry but athletic younger player in the Braves program who showcases solid overall tools with natural athletic actions in how he moves and boasts upside with the type of projection you can put on his frame to take his tools to another level. Reyes is a prototype frame at 6' with higher hips, length in his arms, and broadness to his shoulders that you can imagine at least another 20-25 lbs. on his present 140 lbs. frame, but there is room for potentially even more. His swing flashes some present twitch in how the hips turn, the hands whip through the zone, and a line drive-based stroke that shoots the ball through the middle of the field around 80 MPH with plenty of upside in the future to increase his impact. While the arm displays accuracy in the OF up to mid 70s on his throws and a loose, quick action that gives you plenty to like about him as an LHH OF prospect in the future. It's more what he shows on the mound that really intrigues me for a next-level future for the Santa Paula-based southpaw. The delivery is low effort with athleticism in the move down the mound while showing loose quickness in his arm stroke to repeat the operation consistently while pounding strikes into the zone. His arsenal at present might not jump off the page with a mid to upper 70's FB that shows both 4-seam and 2-seam shapes that have potential, backed by a quality upper 60-low-70's CHG that tunnels off the 2-seam shape, and finally a CB which, even in its lower 60 present velocity range, will spin north of 2300 RPMs while tunneling off the 4-seam FB shape. Each pitch is thrown for strikes with the ability to attack all four quadrants of the K-zone with different pitch types, and much like his offensive profile, you can dream on where Reyes can go in the future as his frame matures. It will be a name to keep tabs on in the coming final two years of his high school development process at Santa Paula and within the Braves development program.

Joaquin Martinez C / 3B / El Camino High, CA / 2030

The Braves' developmental program boasts three teams across three age groups, with each focused on different areas of the amateur baseball process (skill development, game competition, and recruiting exposure). The youngest group of Braves is in the 2030 graduating class, who are gaining valuable experience while preparing for their first seasons of high school, working with the coaches and resources inside the Braves program. One of the beneficiaries of this process is the talented Martinez, who showcased some interesting present tools for a rising 8th grader at the plate. His swing starts from a lower hand set with a linear-based forward move that relies on his hips, shoulders, and hands to deliver the barrel with authority at contact. Over two rounds, BP Martinez was consistently on time and on the barrel, with his contact reaching 80+ MPH on his max EV and averaging 75+ on his EV with an intriguing ability to hit the ball at quality angles, evidenced by his 90% sweet spot rate. The hit tool for Martinez appears to already be emerging and still a developing frame heading into high school. The impact can continue to trend up in the future, which very well can make him a name to be known in the future and will be one I keep tabs on as he progresses in his high school career. Defensively, there is some feel for what he does behind the plate in the receiving process, but like most young catchers, his pitch presentation, timing at receive, agility in the block, and pure arm strength can all be improved over the coming years. Still more raw than polished in his overall profile, there is plenty to like about where Martinez is at presently, but even more so intrigued about where he can go in the future.