Romeo
Briones

Briones got the starting nod for the Highlanders, and safe to say he was the correct choice as he was almost unhittable through four innings of work. The lefty was efficient and a joy to watch as he commanded the zone with ease, utilizing a four-pitch mix of FB/CH/CB/SL that kept hitters on their toes and led to plenty of uncomfortable swings from Wolverine hitters. What really surprised me was Briones’s ability to land his breaking stuff on the corners of the zone. There was a stretch in the fourth where the swings and misses spiked, and it looked like he had another inning (or two) in the tank, but his day ended at 4 IP, 4 K, 0 ER. Overall, Briones put together a poised, efficient outing that showed a feel for pitching beyond his age: steady tempo, consistent strike-throwing, and the confidence to expand late in counts once he got ahead. If the command of the secondaries continues to trend like this, he’s going to give lineups a tough time the rest of the spring.

Romeo Briones, Helix (CA), 2028
Positional Profile: LHP/1B Physical, left-handed two-way with clear strength at the plate
Body: 6-0, 231-pounds. Thick, strong build with present physicality.
Delivery: Stretch only. Is more power-based than loose, using his strength to drive down the mound. Stays fairly direct to the plate and finishes with weight moving through the throw. Delivery fits a physical, strength-driven profile.
Arm Action: LH. High three-quarter slot with a firm, compact arm path. The arm comes through with intent, and the release window stays fairly consistent.
FB: T82, 79-82 mph. Heavy arm-side action and shows a hard, running look through the zone. T2007, 1821 average rpm.
SL: 71-71 mph. Short, firm break with a cutter-like feel at times. Functions more as a disruptor and early-count strike option than a big chase breaker. T2182, 2160 average rpm.
CH: 74-74 mph. Higher spin with late arm-side fade, running away from barrels, disrupting timing. T1686, 1686 average rpm.
ATH: 7.51 runner in the 60. 1.76 and 4.18 in the 10 and 30 yard splits.

Romeo Briones, Helix (CA), 2028
Positional Profile: LHP/1B Physical, left-handed two-way with clear strength at the plate
Body: 6-0, 231-pounds. Thick, strong build with present physicality.
Hit: LHH. Strong, slightly open setup with a grounded, powerful base. Hands start just above the shoulders. Heavy hand load with intent to do damage. Swing is built around strength and leverage, with a pronounced rotational move through contact. Ball jumps off the bat with carry, especially to the pull side.Shows ability to drive the ball in the air and produce extra-base type contact. Path works on a lifted plane, and while there can be some swing-and-miss tied to the intent, the quality of contact stands out when on time. 74.2 mph bat speed with 7 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 103 max exit velocity, averaged 90.9 mph. 365' max distance.
Arm: LH. INF-78 mph. Short arm circle with some whip-like action. Accurate on turning double plays off the bag.
Defense: Shows a strong, sturdy presence at first base with reliable hands. Moves well around the bag for size and handles routine plays cleanly.
ATH: 7.51 runner in the 60. 1.76 and 4.18 in the 10 and 30 yard splits.
Vizual Edge: 78.4 Edge Score

Romeo Briones, Helix (CA), 2028
Positional Profile: LHP/1B Physical player with a four-pitch mix and shows strong hands and consistent line-drive contact.
Body: 6-0, 235-pounds. Big, physical frame with strong shoulders.
Delivery: Works exclusively out of the stretch. Short leg kick, long stride when coming downhill. Fluid movement.
Arm Action: LH. Shorter arm action, fast motion. Loose out of the hand.
FB: T82, 81-82 mph. Late glove side cut. Consistent strikes. T2230, 2157 average rpm.
CB: 71-73 mph. High spin breaker, tight shape. T2462, 2420 average rpm.
SL: 73-76 mph. Sweeper profile, locates primarily to back foot of RHHs. T2247, 2188 average rpm.
CH: 75-77 mph. Dives late to the arm side. T1799, 1645 average rpm.
ATH: 7.86 runner in the 60. 1.95 and 4.42 in the 10 and 30 yard splits.

Romeo Briones, Helix (CA), 2028
Positional Profile: LHP/1B Physical player with a four-pitch mix and shows strong hands and consistent line-drive contact.
Body: 6-0, 235-pounds. Big, physical frame with strong shoulders.
Hit: LHH. Narrow, slightly open with a heavy bat waggle, toe tap stride. Heavy barrel, level path. Hits the ball consistently low and on a line. 70.2 mph bat speed with 6 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 101 max exit velocity, averaged 90.2 mph. 343' max distance.
Arm: LH. INF-79 mph. Low 3/4 arm slot, whippy action.
Defense: Relaxed approach to the ball, glove out front, smooth transfer.
ATH: 7.86 runner in the 60. 1.95 and 4.42 in the 10 and 30 yard splits.
Vizual Edge: 64.82 Edge Score

Briones stood out as a two-way follow with a strong 6-0, 235-pound frame and intriguing metrics on both sides of the ball. On the mound, the left-hander worked 81-81.8 mph with his FB, showing carry through the zone and late glove-side life. He featured a high-spin CB at 71.2-72.8 mph with a tight, short shape, a SL at 73-75.6 mph with subtle sweep, and a deceptive CH at 74.6-76.7 mph with late fade—offering a well-rounded arsenal with effective velo separation. Offensively, Briones delivered loud contact from the left side, peaking with a 101.2 mph max exit velocity (3rd best at the event) and averaging 90.2 mph. His 60% hard hit rate combined with a level swing path produced consistent impact from gap to gap. Also flashed a 79 mph INF velo from 1B capping off a strong showing as a two-way product.