Five Underrated Outfielders To Watch This Spring

With high school softball in full swing now in almost every state, some players are playing their final prep seasons before heading off to college, while others are just getting their recruiting journeys started.   From seniors who are already committed to underclassmen just starting to make names for themselves, here are five underrated outfielders to watch this spring from all across the country.    Shelby Bragg is a left-handed hitting slapper whose skill set has made her one of the top high school players in Ohio. In 55 career games, the junior is batting .585, and through seven games this year at the time of this writing, she had 13 hits in 19 at-bats. She is also more selective at the plate than many slappers, with 25 walks and just 12 strikeouts over her high school career to date. In her first two seasons, she was a combined 37-for-38 on stolen base attempts. This year, Bragg is staying put in the box more and driving the ball to the outfield, which her speed allows her to easily leg out triples. She can bunt, slap and hit away, always keeping the defense on its toes. Defensively, Bragg can play all over the diamond, though her wheels certainly make her an asset in the outfield.     Chloe Younggren is putting up eye-popping power numbers so far as a junior. Through 24 games at the time of this writing, she was batting .613 with 16 home runs, 41 runs scored and 39 RBI. Combined with twice as many walks as strikeouts, that gave her an OPS of 2.239. She has a nice, easy swing with power that seems almost effortless, along with the ability to turn on even outside pitches and pull them over the fence. But Younggren is more than just a power hitter—she can hit seeing-eye ground balls to the opposite field and even beat out a bunt for a hit. She is able to play all three outfield positions and is a standout in the classroom as well, with a 4.0 GPA.     Lacy VanTuinen is a rare breed in that she excels at both catcher and center field, but no matter where she's playing, she can deliver at the plate. Through 36 high school games between her freshman and sophomore years at the time of this writing, VanTuinen was hitting .553 with 16 homers, 62 RBI and 57 runs scored. She had struck out just seven times and had a 1.900 OPS, and so far this year she already had nine stolen bases in 17 games. VanTuinen has a lightning-quick bat with power to the pull side, the opposite field and the middle of the diamond. She has attended camps in recent months at Oregon, Florida, Tennessee and Arizona State.     Raegan Ruyle is one of the best all-around prospects in Nebraska and can play several positions on the field, though she is at her best in the outfield. Nebraska has its high school season in the fall, and Ruyle batted .656 in 33 games with 22 doubles, four homers, 57 RBI and 58 runs scored. She walked 22 times with just five strikeouts, finishing with a 1.855 OPS and 20 stolen bases in her junior campaign. Those 22 two-baggers set the Class C state record for a single season, and she hit several of them the other way. Batting from the left side, she packs plenty of power into a relatively small frame and can even turn on balls well out of the strike zone.     Kymorie Myers has raked for three seasons as one of the top prospects in Missouri. As a junior last fall, the Southern Illinois commit hit .514 with a school-record 56 hits, including 16 doubles, seven home runs, 47 runs scored and 46 driven in, and also walked 13 times with only nine strikeouts. She was a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts and played solid defense in the outfield and at first base. A left-hander both at the plate and in the field, Myers tracks balls well in center and right and uses the whole field on offense. She is a three-time first-team all-conference honoree and has been named a first-team all-state selection each of the last two years.

With high school softball in full swing now in almost every state, some players are playing their final prep seasons before heading off to college, while others are just getting their recruiting journeys started.