Player Profile: Tommy Coyle

 

Tommy Coyle is a University of North Carolina shortstop who is listed as an infielder on the Bourne Braves roster. He played second base during his Freshman and Sophomore campaign. This Tarheel was ranked as the 115th overall prospect for the 2012 draft by minorleaguerundown.com. His tarheelblue.com profile says he is one of the most consistent players on the team. Tommy was recruited out of Germantown Academy (Chalftown, PA). Coyle’s scouting report raves about how great his speed is. This left-handed batter has been clocked 6.69 in the 60 yard-dash. His Sophomore year, he led the team with 18 stolen bases in 24 attempts. I will definitely be putting the stopwatch on him around the bases. College Baseball Daily ranked him as the 82nd best player in the country in October 2011. He has turned 27 double plays this season, and has a .912 fielding percentage with 228 chances. Coyle is currently sitting 8th in the conference with 46 runs scored, and ranks 6th with 5 triples. With the Braves last year, he was second on the team with a .315 average and appeared in 29 games. Coyle’s 12 runs, 2 doubles, and 16 RBIs were all good enough to earn him an appearance in the Cape Cod League All-Star game.

He shows great patience at the plate, ranking 10th in the ACC with 35 walks. Matt Clements of Inside Carolina on Scout.com asked Tommy about his hitting approach, Coyle replied “I feel like I am a better hitter when I see a couple pitches. I am not scared to strike out and pretty confident with two strikes. My game plan is to see a couple pitches and wait to see if I can get a pitch to drive or get some damage with. If not I feel pretty comfortable with two strikes.” I posted a video above. In the video, you can see that Tommy lets his hands fall into the hitter’s slot very well. His stance is wide and he takes a small stride towards the pitcher. His hips and hands move very well together, and he does an excellent job of attacking the baseball out in front. I think Tommy Coyle is a very nice addition to the Braves’ roster, and I look forward to seeing him fly around the bases with great frequency.