Owen
Murphy

Notre Dame commit, currently ranked No. 2 in Illinois and No. 32 in the country. Lean frame, round shoulders with an athletic build, 6-foot-1, 195-pounds. Started on the mound for Riverside-Brookfield and went six innings with 14 strikeouts, no walks, two hits allowed and didn’t allow a single run. The right-hander’s arm plays short and clean throughout his arm circle, moving into a consistent ¾ slot with above-average arm-speed, repeating with ease. Murphy utilizes a controlled pace throughout his entire delivery; coiling into a flexible leg-kick before moving athletically down the mound from a slightly bent back-knee at balance point, remaining in-line to the plate with his stride and landing with a slightly closed front foot. The Notre Dame commit was in control the entire time he was on the mound, controlling the glove side of the plate to righties with his fastball throughout his outing; cruising at 91-93 mph while reaching back for 94 mph multiple times, also showcasing exceptional control over the zone - playing with noticeable life out of the hand and running action to the arm-side. Murphy hardly needed a second pitch, going to the breaking ball only a few times throughout his start but flashing it when necessary; playing at 77-80 mph with tight spin, acting slurvy at times off a sharp 11/5 plane with depth. He flashed a slider/cutter in warmups at 84 mph, entering the zone from a short 10/4 plane and playing with late action. Murphy also showcased his knack for handling the bat; hitting out of the two-hole and finishing the day 2-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs, a walk and a stolen base. His approach at the plate is highly mature for his age, controls the zone, sees the ball deep and is selectively aggressive. Minimal wasted movement, moving with a fluid load into a repeatable/short stride; coils slightly before footplant and flashes quick, strong hands and a direct swing that stays flat through the zone. Murphy is one of the premier two-way athletes in the entire state, and has a legitimate chance to see time on both the mound and at the plate at the next level, the only question is what the next level will be.

Murphy doesn’t jump out physically, standing at about 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, and the tools aren’t super loud, but he’s a good athlete and does a lot of things well on both sides of the ball. A legitimate two-way prospect, the needle might point a little more toward him being a pitcher long term. In four innings across two appearances, he allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out 10. From a high-3/4 slot, he has an athletic delivery and pitches with regular effort, pumping low-90s fastballs with life. His slider is firm, ranging from 84-89 with hard, late break. He also mixes in a 75-77 curveball with good spin and sharp downer break. At the plate, he keeps the barrel in the hitting zone and can drive the ball to all fields. He has good actions on the infield and first-step quickness. His throws are accurate with plenty of carry. In five games, he went 4-for-9 with a double and home run.

Positional Profile: RHP/3B One of the most polished and impressive arms in the class.
Body: 6-1, 190-pounds. Strong, athletic build.
Delivery: Smooth tall/fall delivery with easy effort, shoulders remain leveled throughout, works in line with home, lands squared and finishes athletically.
Arm Action: RH. Long loose arm action, high 3/4 slot.
FB: T92, 90-92 mph. Four seam type, flashed arm-side runs, thrown for strikes. T2515, 2337 average rpm.
CB: 73-76 mph. 11/5 break with sharp actions, ability to throw for strikes. T2525, 2487 average rpm.
CH: 84-85 mph. Fading action, near fastball arm speed, thrown for strikes. T1917, 1873 average rpm.
CUT: 79-83 mph. Short, late horizontal action; tight, strikes.

Hit: RHH. Simple, balance stance, smooth pre-pitch load, short stride. Quick hands, long level swing path, creates leverage to the pull side, works gap-to-gap, fluid rhythm.
Power: 98.08 max exit velocity, averaged 94.56 mph. 371’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 79 mph. Short loose arm action, high 3/4 slot.
Defense: Athletic works, pre-pitch hop, fields low to the ground, feet work, soft hands.
Run: 7.45 runner in the 60. 

Notre Dame commit. Ranked no. 59 in the entire country for the 2022 class. Proportional, athletic 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame with more room to add strength. Got the nod for RakeCity against Elite Baseball Training early Saturday morning. Playing up an age level, Murphy fit right in with the ‘21 class and was flat-out dominant. An exceptional athlete that moves tremendously well on the mound, Murphy sat an easy 88-91 mph throughout his outing and touched 92 mph several times in his fourth inning of work. His fastball velocity plays up a tick or two because of the spin he gets on it, in the 2,300 to 2,500 RPM range, and the extension he creates downhill. It was a fastball heavy outing for Murphy, but he did work in some sharp sliders in the later innings that sat 78-80 mph with a 2,100 to 2,200 RPM average. The Fighting Irish commit threw five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and he struck out nine batters. Murphy has a tremendous ceiling on the mound. 

Positional Profile: RHP
Body: 6-foot-1, 180-pounds. Athletic, proportional frame.
Delivery: Highly-athletic on the mound, strong front side, on line with target, lands square with present rhythm throughout, easy velocity.
Arm Action: RH. Short, loose, lively arm action, high 3/4 slot.
FB: T92, 89-91 mph. Comes out easy, plays mostly straight with heavy action, strikes to all corners of the zone.
CB: 75-79 mph. 11/5 shape, plays down in the zone.
CH: 81-84 mph. Near fastball arm speed, showed arm-side run, strikes.

Positional Profile: SS
Body: 6-foot-1, 180-pounds. Athletic, proportional frame.
Hit: RHH. Athletic setup, active pre-pitch movement in hands, smooth load, leg lift timing trigger.  Quick hands, long path, generates easy lift, favored his pull-side, power potential.
Power: 92 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Arm: RH. INF - 83 mph. Long, loose arm action, high 3/4 slot.
Defense: Athletic defensive actions, smooth, fluid footwork, fields out in front. Soft hands, clean funnels, quick to release, plays through the baseball.
Run: 7.2 runner in the 60. 

Verbally committed to Notre Dame.

2019 Future Games: 6-foot, 175-pound, right-handed pitcher; highly-athletic, loose-bodied, projectable, young look. One of two 2022 pitchers on Team Illinois. Created a lot of buzz after his one-inning performance in the first game. Struck out two in his one inning. Live, athletic arm action, works fast from a ¾ to high ¾ slot. Pounded the bottom of the strike zone with all of his offerings. Fastball, lively, control at the bottom of the zone, late run and sink, sat 84-87 mph. Featured a sharp slider, thrown with intent, tight spin, swing-and-miss pitch, 73-74 mph. Flashed a changeup in warmups with late fade action, thrown for a strike.

6-foot, 170-pound right-handed pitcher, athletic frame and actions with room for added strength, high upside. Simple delivery, leg coiled at sturdy balance, drop and drive delivery, extends in-line to home, foot strikes square, athletic throughout with quick twitch, smooth rhythm. Arm plays short and loose, hides on back side, quick arm speed, high ¾ slot, regular effort. Showed a three pitch feel in the zone. Fastball came out easy, straight with run at times, sat 84-85 mph. Slider, tight and late 11/5 break, throws it with conviction, 77-79 mph. Changeup faded and ran to his arm side,72-76 mph.