New York Yankees Scout in Attendance to Watch Baylor Star
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Scout for the New York Yankees, Mike Leuzinger, has been at recent Baylor baseball games, recording the at-bats of Baylor shortstop Travis Sanders.
The redshirt junior was highly touted coming into the season, making the preseason All-Big 12 team after transferring to Baylor. He also won his first midseason award, making the Round Rock Classic All-Tournament team after playing immaculate defense over the weekend.
Travis Sanders' most valuable tool is likely his ability to pick it at the SS position. Standing 6'2", his length and agility make him an infielder capable of defending at the next level.
The Texas Tech transfer only has one error so far in the season. While the Baylor defense can be shaky, Sanders is a cornerstone at one of the most important positions.
Besides his defense, Sanders is head and shoulders above the rest of the Bears' lineup this season in batting average, hitting .463 through 11 games. This rate lands him 47th across the league in BA while having one of the highest numbers of at-bats.
'Super Scout' in Waco
The Yankees' "super scout," Mike Leuzinger, has been scouting baseball talent since 1992, advocating for the likes of overlooked players like Matt Kemp, Josh Bell, and Robbie Grossman.
He is currently assigned to the Texas/Louisiana area, scouting baseball talent at the high school and college level. According to the Monroe Times:
Mike emphasizes that scouting is far more than attending games and checking batting averages and won-lost records. Although many high school and college players have great statistics, very few can make it to the majors—to the "big show."
The scout has to consider, "What kind of player can this guy be in five or six years?"
Trying to look through Leuzinger's eyes, Travis Sanders is a defensive-minded contact bat. Scouts likely don't care much that he is averaging almost .500 at the plate so far this season.
They will be looking at swing mechanics, asking, "Can more power be added to this swing?" or "is there enough bat speed for the next level?"
The New York Yankees in particular have a tendency to trade for/draft talented shortstops (drafting three in 2025), as they are often the most athletic and flexible people on the field, capable of playing other positions.
Scouts like Mike Leuzinger have very good pattern recognition; Travis Sander's draft stock will have a lot to do with how well he fits into these patterns.
Bennett is an undergrad student at Baylor University, studying journalism on the sports track. He is from the DFW area and grew up playing and watching sports, which inspired him to pursue sports writing.
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