Joey
Gainer

C Joey Gainer (St. Francis, 2025) Athletic 5-foot-9, 181-pound frame, contributed on both sides of the ball during Sparks North-Black’s 8-0 win Friday morning. The right-handed bat went 2-for-3 with a pair of loud extra base hits, including a pull-side gap double in the second inning and pull-side gap bases clearing three RBI triple in the fourth inning, extending his team’s lead to 5-0. Utilized an open stance, small leg kick, minimal load, quick and direct hands, connected arms, and forceful hip drive; limiting excess movements with the upper body. Defensively, he back picked a runner from his knees after a leadoff hit in the fifth. Also, displayed a traditional squatted stance, tight one knee down stance, and a kickstand one knee down stance with adequate low pitch timing. An impressive showing for the uncommitted Gainer, Illinois’ No. 124 overall rated prospect.

Uncommitted. Wheaton St. Francis went 2-0 in the opening week with wins over Wheaton Academy (2-1) and Glenbard West (0-4) and Gainer was a big reason why. In their two games, Gainer went 6-for-9 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, a walk and five RBI. His biggest performance was against Glenbard West where he went 5-for-6 with a triple, a homer, four RBI, and a run scored.

C Joey Gainer (St. Francis, 2025) was another prospect that had a strong showing both with the glove as well as the bat. At the plate, the right-handed hitter works direct to the ball with a loose and flat path, staying through the baseball and in the hitting zone for a long time, also reaching up to 91.9 mph for his max EV. Behind the plate, Gainer has a quick/clean transfer, working in-line with the plate with a short arm and over-the-top release to produce a pop-time as low as 1.97 seconds.

Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 5-11, 180-pounds. Sturdy frame with present upper body strength.
Hit: RHH. Upright, slightly crouched setup. Minimal load, short stride, linear lower half, stays balanced through finish. Short path to the ball, flat path with some extension through the ball, stays in the zone a long time. 55.2 mph bat speed with 10 G’s of rotational acceleration.
Power: 92 max exit velocity, averaged 80.1 mph. 276’ max distance.
Arm: RH. C - 76 mph. Short to the ear, over-the-top slot, plays true to second.
Defense: 1.97-2.04 pop times. Sure-handed receiver, works to present strikes. Clean glove-to-hand, quick transfer, works in-line, quick into block, deadens the ball out front.
Run: 7.30 runner in the 60.

Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 5-11, 180-pounds.
Hit: RHH. Open setup, rocks into backside, lower half coil, gains ground. Controlled, loose, direct path, barreled the ball consistently up the middle. 76.3 mph bat speed with 2 G’s of rotational acceleration.
Power: 92 max exit velocity, averaged 85.5 mph. 322’ max distance.
Arm: RH. C - 76 mph. OF - 82 mph. OF: Short, high 3/4 slot. C: Short, quick, one-hop to target, accurate, high 3/4 slot.
Defense: OF: One-hand gather, attacks the ball, works in-stride, quick to release. C: Steady hands, quick, clean transfer, quick first step, one-hop throws to bag, athletic blocker.
Run: 7.11 runner in the 60.

Joey Gainer, St Francis (IL), 2025
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-8, 171-pounds. Defined upper half.
Hit: RHH. Tall, narrow setup, open stance, small leg lift into short stride. Quick hands extend through swing, natural uphill path, barrels the ball up the middle. 76.9 mph bat speed with 4 G’s of rotational acceleration.
Power: 89 max exit velocity, averaged 79.9 mph. 317' max distance.
Arm: RH. C-75 mph. INF-76 mph. Short, 3/4 slot.
Defense: 2.14-2.28 pop times. Easy movement, hands work together well, quick feet.
ATH: 7.36 runner in the 60. 1.77 and 4.05 in the 10 and 30 yard splits.
Vizual Edge: 75.38 Edge Score

C/INF Joey Gainer (St Francis, 2025) is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound, compact, right-handed hitting two-way prospect, who led the event with an average bat speed of 76.9 mph. It’s a quick, strong bat that plays uphill and he worked the middle of the field throughout his round, registering a T89.3 mph exit velocity. Behind the dish, he has a quick first step with a quick and clean transfer paired with an accurate arm that played at 75 mph from the crouch and a low pop time of 2.14. Showed equally as well on the infield, playing easy and low to the ground. Multi-positional prospect to follow moving forward.

Positional Profile: C/SS
Body: 5-10, 180-pounds. Strong, durable frame, developed lower-half.
Hit: RHH. Open setup, stride works to even. Strong, loose hands, stays on-plane, uphill through the zone and pull-side lifted contact.
Power: 90 max exit velocity, averaged 83.9 mph. 251’ max distance.
Arm: RH. C - 71 mph. Short arm action, operates from a high 3/4 angle.
Defense: 2.19-2.34 pop times. Flashed soft hands behind the plate, clean and quick transfer. Stays low through his target, gains ground.
Run: 7.55 runner in the 60.

Positional Profile: C/SS
Body: 5-9, 160-pounds. Well-proportioned frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced, slightly open setup. High hands. Smooth load and strides short. Attacks the baseball with intent. Short and uphill bat path. Pull-side approach with intent to elevate that way. Power upside as physical maturity continues.
Power: 87.3 max exit velocity, averaged 82.1 mph. 304’ max distance.
Arm: RH. C - 70 mph. Short, over-the-top slot.
Defense: 2.11 - 2.39 pop times. Sure-handed, strong wrists, works under the ball to present pitches around the zone. Feet work directionally out of the crouch, gains ground on throws.
Run: 7.73 runner in the 60.