Copy of Clayton Keyes
OF Clayton Keyes
Hometown: Calgary, Alta.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6’ 1” 215 lbs.
Teams: Okotoks Dawgs, Canadian Junior National Team/C-Central Arizona.
Previous Teams: DBacks Langley Blaze, Pony Express, Kansas City Royals Scout Team.
Coaches: Allen Cox, Val Helldobler, Jeff Duda, Doug Mathieson, Jamie Bodaly, Greg Hamilton
Twitter Handle: @claytonkeyes02
Rated: Ranked Listed 312th on Baseball America's top 500 (05/05/17), down 146 spots ... 338th on Perfect Game's top 500 combined list of HSers and collegians (25/05/17), was not listed on last top 500 combined ... Listed 254th on Perfect Game's top 500 high school list (05/05/17), up 170 spots ... Ranked 166th on Baseball America's top 200 list of high schoolers and collegians (05.04/17) ... Listed 424th on Perfect Game top 500 HS list (4/3/17), down 25 spots ... Ranked 399th on Perfect Game's top 500 HSers in North America (02/02/17) ... Listed 395th on Perfect Game’s top 500 high schoolers (11/7/2016) ... 2016 _ 281st (up from 284th) on Perfect Game’s top 500 high schoolers ... Ranked 41st among HS OFers.
Perfect Game Scouting report
339. Clayton Keyes, of, Okotoks Dawgs Academy
R-R, 6-1/215, Calgary, Alb.
College Commitment: Central Arizona
Keyes was eligible for the 2016 draft and was selected in the 17th round by the Toronto Blue Jays. He originally committed to play at Central Arizona Junior College but decided to return to Canada for the fifth year of high school that is an optional part of the Canadian educational system. As Keyes didn’t turn 18 years old until this January, his age fits in exactly with a 2017 prospect anyway.
Keyes biggest tool is his right handed power potential. He has a thick and extra strong football upper body with a long and loose swing that generates very good bat speed. He’s also a near-plus runner underway and has solid arm strength in the outfield.
What they are saying: "Best athlete in the country ... problem is he does not show it every day. Takes too many pitches." _ NL scout.
"Made the right decision by not signing a year ago ... Has basically been a pro since March 16 - facing pro pitching in Arizona and Florida ... Had zero problem with pitch recognition." _ Veteran scout.
2017 season _ Leading up to the draft: Was at private workout for the Mariners at Safeco Field and Globe Life in Arlington, Tex. for the Texas Rangers ... Dominican trip: Batted .125 (1-for-8) before injuring his back ... Extended spring trip: Hit .143 (4-for-28) with an RBI ... Singled facing the Braves ... Knocked in a run against the Braves with a single Singled and stole a base against the Tigers ... Singled against the Tigers ... March trip: Hit .360 (9-for-25) with four doubles, two triples, three RBIs ... Doubled facing the Red Sox ... Double vs. Jays ... Two doubles against the Jays, to centre off Zach Jackson, 22, again over left field fence off Andrew Case, 24 ... Doubled in sixth, tripled in eighth for two RBIs against the Tigers ... Doubled to 3-for-5 with a triple, RBI, two stolen bases facing Rays, After triple beat throw home on contact play on grounder to 2B ... At Perfect Game West MLK Upperclass championship: Doubled in pair of runs in 7-6 loss to Citius at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Az.
2016 season _ Jupiter World Wood bat championship: With Kier Meredith, shared stolen base lead with six, hitting .319 ... Playing Florida Atlantic, he cleared the trees with wood bat, college players had trouble leaving with metal ... Tournament 12: Fastest man in the building ran 6.47 60 ... Fall Florida trip: Three run homer facing Astros ... Singled, stole against Braves ... Doubled in a run against the Jays ... Area Codes Games at Long Beach: Second trip, this one with INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.), INF Jason Willow (Victoria, BC), OF Cooper Davis (Mississauga, Ont.) and 1B Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC) ... Cuba trip: Threw out a runner at third ... Run-scoring infield single ... Threw out a runner at the plate and singled in loss in loss ... Threw out a runner at the plate ... Dominican summer trip: RBI single against MLB Prospects ... Homered against Dodgers ... Two hits and stole a base facing the Mets ,,, Tripled against the Mariners ... Knocked in a run against the Tigers ... Stolen base against Phillies ... Singled, stole a bases against the Jays ... Knocked in only run against Yankees ... Singled against Twins ... Private workout by the Mariners at Safeco Field ... Extended spring trip: Three-run homer over batter’s eye at Bobby Mattick Training Center facing Jays RHP Gunnar Eastman, 24, who pitched for the rookie-class Gulf Coast Jays last year going 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 14 games as he walked 20 and struck out 15 in 25 innings ... Singled against Tigers ... Only had the two hits, but the drive over batter’s eye was most impressive ... In Arizona: Opposite-field homer against the Arizona Diamondbacks minor leaguers on a 95 MPH fastball .... In Florida: tripled against Puerto Rico ... RBI double vs. Phillies minor leaguers ... At Okotoks camp ... “Some say that there is not a lot of room for projection, I mean ‘what you see is what you get’ but I like what I see, a lot. Only thing I worry about is the bat. He’s strong as a bull.”
2015 season _ Jupiter World Wood bat championship: Second with maximum exit velocity of 105.6 ... Fall trip to ESPN ... Singles vs Astros ... Jupiter, World Wood Bat: Doubled and knocked in three runs as Langley beat PG Navy Select in World Wood Bat ... Tournament 12 ... Ran 6.72, seventh fastest clocking on the carpet ... Area Codes Games at Blair Field in Long Beach: 3-for-9, hitless in two at-bats in 5-4 loss to the Oakland Athletics, 1-for-2 two walks and a run scored as the ball left his bat with a 104.2 exit speed, singled in his only at-bat in a 1-0 win over the Texas Rangers (exit speed of 102.1 mph).
2014 season: 10th best OF velocity at National Underclass West (83 MPH)
Honors: 2017 ... Rawlings-Perfect Game Preseason All-American, All-Region Teams Canada/Puerto Rico Region ... 2016 ... At Jupiter World Wood Bat earned Perfect Game All-Tourney Team hitting .316 (6-for-19) with triple, three RBIs, six stolen bases, .856 OPS ... Perfect Game Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American .... Canada/Puerto Rico All-Region 1st Team ... 2015 _ PG Underclass All Americans/All Regions Underclass Honorable Mention
Drafted by _ Toronto Blue Jays 17th round in 2016, had scholarships offers to Washington State and Central Arizona College, elected to stay back a year.
Perfect Game Scouting Report 2016: (281 over-all) Keyes is the best athlete among a group of Canadian prospects in this year’s class that is unlikely to match the parade of top picks that the 2015 class from Canada produced. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Keyes, whose mother immigrated to Canada from Nigeria as a talented track athlete, has an interesting combination of 6.7 speed in the 60-yard dash and a strong right handed swing that produces lots of raw bat speed and power potential.
Baseball America Scouting Report, 2016: Keyes is 17 and could attend a another year of high school in Canada, or Central Arizona JC, or join the rebuilding program at Washington State. His youth and present strength make him an attractive pro prospect, as he runs well for a 5-foot-11, 210-pounder. The average runner and right-handed hitter plays center field for Canada’s junior-national team and has shown power potential, even to the opposite field, and some bat speed. He’s raw offensively and swings-and-misses a lot against quality pitching.
Perfect Game Report 2014: Keyes from Pony Express Baseball hails from Canada but looked like he had a football body that belonged on the gridiron down in Texas or Florida. The 6-foot, 210-pound athlete’s best present tool, though, was his speed, which he showed off several times chasing down deep fly balls in centre field.