Prep Baseball Report

Prep Baseball KC Winter Watchlist- Catchers


LJ Hatch
Director of Scouting- Prep Baseball Tournaments KC

Prep Baseball Kansas City Winter Watchlist

As we roll through the winter, our Kansas City staff has a short list of players we’re especially fired up to see as showcase season heats up ahead of a massive 2026 spring. Follow along as we highlight some of the standout players we’ll be tracking at winter showcases, names we’re excited about now and expect to make serious noise heading into 2026.

Catchers

Carson May C / 1B / Olathe East, KS / 2026

Carson May was one of our favorite 2026s to watch this past year, and his bat earned him an invite to showcase his skills on the national stage at the Super 60 Pro Showcase. May posted exit velocities into the 108s, and also showed off his defensive tools behind the plate with an 86 mph catcher velocity and pop times ranging from 1.87–1.98.

 

 

Teddy Lubin C / OF / Shawnee Mission East, KS / 2029

Teddy Lubin is one of the more exciting 2029s in the Kansas City area, and he didn’t disappoint at the MOKAN Preseason ID last weekend. Lubin showed off a power bat, posting an average exit velocity of 87.5 mph, and also displayed quality defensive tools with pop times ranging from 1.94–2.05.

The 2025 Junior Future Gamer will look to compete for a spot at Shawnee Mission East this spring.

 

 

Charlie Foote C / 1B / Blue Valley Southwest, KS / 2028

Charlie Foote has all eyes on him this winter as he looks to separate himself as the No. 1 ranked catcher in the 2028 class. This past weekend at the MOKAN Preseason ID, he posted a max exit velocity of 95.1 mph with an average of 87.8.

Behind the plate, Foote showed a 78 mph catcher velocity and pop times in the 1.99–2.06 range. He saw significant time at catcher for Blue Valley Southwest last season as a freshman, and he’ll look to take over as the guy this spring.

 

 

Joshua Garcia C / 1B / Mill Valley, KS / 2027

Garcia is an under-the-radar catcher in the 2027 class that we could see having a big year. The Mill Valley backstop has been a regular at our events and continues to draw interest thanks to his skills behind the plate. Josh was in attendance last weekend at the MOKAN Preseason ID and posted solid numbers, including a 73 mph catcher velocity and pop times ranging from 1.98–2.08.  

 

 

Lucas Stueve C / OF / Liberty, MO / 2029

Lucas Stueve is a 2025 Junior Future Gamer from Team KC and is a name we’ll be keeping a close eye on this year. He’s as steady as it gets behind the plate, and we believe his tools will continue to take off as he moves through high school and competes in the Royals Scout Team program this year.

At the MOKAN Preseason ID this past weekend, Stueve posted a 74 mph catcher velocity and pop times ranging from 1.95–2.08.

 

 

Colin Zimbelman C / 3B / Basehor-Linwood, KS / 2027

A 2025 Future Gamer for Team Kansas, Colin Zimbelman is a name to follow this spring and summer. Zimbelman has been behind the dish for the Royals Scout Team, where he’s handled an impressive pitching staff, and we can’t wait to see what he brings this spring.

He was at last weekend’s MOKAN Preseason ID and posted a 76 mph catcher velocity with pop times ranging from 1.89–2.14.

 

 

Carter Laubach C / OF / Lawrence Free State, KS / 2028

Along with Charlie Foote, Laubach has a lot of eyes on him this winter after serving as one of the catchers for Team Kansas at the Central Super Sophomore Games this past year. Laubach is a solid 5-foot-10, 180-pound sophomore who will look to work his way into the mix at Lawrence Free State this spring.

At the MOKAN Preseason ID, he posted pop times in the 2.00–2.08 range and a 74 mph catcher velocity.

 

 

Follow along as we take a deeper look at some of the players we’re excited to see develop through winter training as they prepare for a big spring season. Be sure to follow @PrepBaseballKC on X and @prepbaseballkc on Instagram. You can also follow me on X at @ljhatchpb and on Instagram at @ljhatchprepbaseball for more content as we navigate the winter leading into spring.