Max
Flower

10/18/13 - Physical build with long legs showing present, athletic muscles throughout. Tall stance with slight bend in the knees and wider, open stance; high hands and high back elbow with flat bat bouncing on the shoulder. Leans into back hip with slight lift of the front foot while pulling hands into back pocket and lifting bat to N/S. Hands works down and through the ball tucking back arm tight to body; when on time shows quickness in his hands with a compact bat path that finishes upwards creating hard contact. Times where wide step pushes body out front and off balance with hands breaking from load; mainly against offspeed on outer half of plate showing swing and miss. Long stride length with forward lean and quick feet while running to 1st (4.62 time); runs better underway and shows flashes of more inline speed when needed. Above average first step in CF with loose hips able to turn and cover large amounts of space. Made a highlight reel play going into RCF with full dive on ball hit over his head. Fringe average arm that plays up due to ability to create positive angles and utilize quick release to keep ball online and get it in quickly. Hit in cleanup spot during scrimmage game while showing off defensive ability in CF; if bat can make enough contact could be impact player hitting behind table setters.

11/7/19: XL and physical frame easily passing the eye test with a strong and powerful frame looking every bit the power threat in the middle of the lineup for the Golden Bears. Keeps strong posture with high hands and high back elbow allowing the upwards swing to create easy lift and leverage on the baseball; during BP he made the field look tiny showing plus raw power and the ability to hit them to any part of the field. That same power carries over to games where if you make a mistake with the FB he knows what to do with it, both in plus counts and with two strikes; finished the day 4-for-5 with a HR, 3 1B’s and 3 RBIs. The approach will need to adjust a bit as he swang through breaking balls early in the count and will chase if he’s behind; with current approach I can see the Ks piling up for him but also doing damage as a low average power threat. Defensively he’s a corner profile with enough arm strength to be an asset keeping throws firm to all bases and using his feet well to get around the baseball.

10/18/18 - Physical build with long legs showing present, athletic muscles throughout. Tall stance with slight bend in the knees and wider, open stance; high hands and high back elbow with flat bat bouncing on the shoulder. Leans into back hip with slight lift of the front foot while pulling hands into back pocket and lifting bat to N/S. Hands works down and through the ball tucking back arm tight to body; when on time shows quickness in his hands with a compact bat path that finishes upwards creating hard contact. Times where wide step pushes body out front and off balance with hands breaking from load; mainly against offspeed on outer half of plate showing swing and miss. Long stride length with forward lean and quick feet while running to 1st (4.62 time); runs better underway and shows flashes of more inline speed when needed. Above average first step in CF with loose hips able to turn and cover large amounts of space. Made a highlight reel play going into RCF with full dive on ball hit over his head. Fringe average arm that plays up due to ability to create positive angles and utilize quick release to keep ball online and get it in quickly. Hit in cleanup spot during scrimmage game while showing off defensive ability in CF; if bat can make enough contact could be impact player hitting behind table setters.

8-5-2018: 6’4/220 pounds. Former standout football player who brings upside and athleticism to the baseball diamond. Extra large frame with a wide upper body and considerable projection left. Moves well in the outfield with effortless, yet powerful strides. Shows enough athleticism and arm strength to stick in center field. Actions are clean and will improve with more seasoning. Generated consistent line-drive contact during batting practice with a relaxed swing. Hands stay inside of the ball. Keeps the barrel level thru the zone. Minimal lift/power in the swing even though his size/strength should allow him to drive the ball more effectively. Still refining his hitting approach. Presently produces a high ‘K’ rate but a low OBP. When he does connect, it’s loud contact and the ball shows good backspin. Overall, with his size and athleticism, Flower could break out in a big way this junior season if the offensive game starts to develop. (D Jurik)