Five Players Who Flashed Leather All Summer Long

It's one of the oldest sayings in sports: defense wins championships. Being able to go out anywhere on the softball field and know there's a vacuum at that position is a huge relief for coaches at any level. Developing those skills starts early, and the five players below have shown incredible talent with their gloves already.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five players who flashed their gloves all summer long, helping their teams win big games.    [player_tooltip player_id='101857' first='Annabel' last='Raftery'] played in 33 games for JSerra Catholic this year as the team's primary catcher. In that time, she did not make a single error. She had 339 putouts in 345 total chances. There were eight players who tried to run on her, and she threw out all of them. Annabel has a capable bat, and has continued to develop at the plate while mastering the most difficult defensive position on the diamond. She's hoping to continue enhancing that craft over the next three years off a spectacular season that saw her earn All-Orange County Third-Team honors.     Molly Mayfield is already one of the most decorated catchers in all of high school softball. She is widely seen as one of the best defensive catchers in the county. For the past three years, she's been a brick wall behind home plate, not only for Niceville, but also for three different high-level club teams. The hard work has paid off, as she's already been invited to Division I camps at colleges such as UConn. Molly's abilities seem to only be improving as the years go on, and she's sure to blossom into a must-have prospect in the next two years.     Rylynn Klemz is a rare athlete who spends her time either behind the plate or in the middle of the diamond. As a two-sport athlete who has also put together strong performances on the basketball court, Rylynn continues to impress every time she takes the field. She won Rookie of the Year honors at North Newton this year and was named to the All-Conference team after a strong freshman showing. Once again, she's a prospect who didn't commit a single error behind the plate or in the field, working as a strong addition to both her North Newton and Sox Fastpitch squads.     In her first taste of varsity ball, Mary Wood committed just two errors in 18 games, good enough for an 88.2% fielding percentage. It was a strong first-year showing, but this year, she took a massive leap forward. Working primarily as a catcher and infielder, Mary has showcased an ability to flash the leather anywhere her coaches put her. She's developed strong defensive versatility that allows her to continuously see the field each game and make a significant impact for her team.     Reese Legaspi was a big part of Brimfield's success this spring, serving as a key piece of a squad that went 33-4 with a first-place, 9-1 record in conference play. She handled some catching duties and split time at both corner infield spots, sometimes rotating in games to fill whatever holes her team had. Like other players on this list, Reese went the entire season without booting a single ball. She helped turn at least three double plays and assisted on 10 outs. That type of freshman season is one that quickly springboards prospects into the national conversation.

It's one of the oldest sayings in sports: defense wins championships. Being able to go out anywhere on the softball field and know there's a vacuum at that position is a huge relief for coaches at any level. Developing those skills starts early, and the five players below have shown incredible talent with their gloves already.