07/14/2015 - Official Scouting Report- Baseball Factory National World Series at Pirate City - Session 1
Xavier made great strides in his game since we last saw him in March. In the OF, he takes a quick first step and tracks down fly-balls to his right and left. He secures the ball, is sure handed and makes accurate throws into his target. Continuing to get reads off of the bat and work on getting quicker jumps/reads will help to take his defensive game to the next level. At the plate, Cruz shows a balanced setup while working back into a strong loaded position. He tracks pitches into the zone and waits for hit pitch. He has plus barrel accuracy and squares the ball up consistently. Firing the barrel on a shorter/more direct path will help to increase pop off of the barrel. Cruz also got on the mound and competed. Ball comes out of his hand a little deceptive, making it an uncomfortable at-bat for hitters. He works quickly and doesn't give them time to get settled. More lower 1/2 drive off of the rubber will help to tap into some added velocity on his FB. Only a 2020 grad - Xavier is a hard worker who still has a ton of time to develop his skills.
Xavier "X-Man" Cruz had an experience of a lifetime. He was given an opportunity by Baseball Factory to participate with the Under Armour National Team at Pirate City in Bradenton, FL. A place where professional ballplayers come from all over the world with big dreams and aspirations to have a chance to train hard and hone their skills in order to make it to the major leagues.
Xavier slept in the same dorm rooms, trained in the same batting cages and played on the same ball fields as the professional ballplayers do. He was given his own professional locker for the week with his name plate. His uniforms were professionally cleaned for him everyday by the Pirate City staff and hung in his locker, ready for him before he took the field. Xavier was also given free baseball cleats, compliments from Under Armour, for making the National Team.
The Baseball Factory coaching staff was top notch and did an excellent job with the boys. Among the instructors there was Talmadge Nunnari, who served as the GM and Field Manager of the Pensacola Pelicans, a Professional Independent League Team and who reached the Major Leagues with the Montreal Expos. He was an All American while playing at Division 1 Jacksonville University. Also there were Nelson North and Rich Pasquale, and many more college university program coaches, Division 1 players and former Major League players from the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays.
The time, experience and coaching he received from all of these baseball minds will prove to be priceless. Xavier was also given life coach seminars in order to help teach planning and execution in order to know what it takes to become a successful person in baseball and life in general.
Baseball Factory Under Armour National Team, 14u Tri-State Arsenal Prime, USSSA All American North East Regional Team, USSSA All American Top Performer, Long Island Whalers 14/13u, 12u, Homerun leader for Long Island Whalers 12u, CP Stars 11u, Homerun leader for CP Stars 11u, 10u, 9u, Long Island Indians 8u. Cal Ripken State Champion, Cal Ripken Metro New York MVP, Cal Ripken 2x Tournament Champion, Baseball Heaven Tournament Champion, Cooperstown All-Star Village Semi-Finalist, Homerun leader for Long Island Whalers at Cooperstown All-Star Village, Easton XL1, Easton Mako, Marucci, Nike, Tucci Lumber, Mizuno, BoomBah, class of 2020.
