TPA Nationals 10u Elite — Team Assessment
Spring 2026 · through 15 games · generated June 8, 2026
Eight more games on the books since the 7-game snapshot, and the bats have sorted themselves
into a clear order. Three things drive this assessment: Cooper Johnson has separated as the
No. 1 bat, Michael Thomas is producing at a middle-of-the-order level in his at-bats, and two
regulars (Biggs, Smith) are working through cold stretches that show up in the strikeout column.
The early hot numbers from James Cooper and Parker have settled — that's small-sample
normalization, not a slump. Both are still core. The full order bats every game; this is just
the sequence that gets the most out of it.
Recommended batting order
| # | Batter | OPS | OBP |
SLG | Why here |
|---|
| 1 | Jed Packham | 1.215 | .538 | .676 | .538 OBP, 7 SB at 87.5%, 91% contact, 3 K — gets on and into scoring position |
| 2 | Parker Reeke | 1.285 | .579 | .706 | 94% contact, 7-for-7 stealing, low K |
| 3 | James Cooper | 1.724 | .724 | 1.000 | 100% contact, 0 K all season, .643 w/ RISP |
| 4 | Cooper Johnson | 1.884 | .722 | 1.161 | Top OPS, 10 XBH, 15 RBI — the power spot |
| 5 | Bailey | 1.797 | 1.120 | 1.120 | 7 XBH, .750 w/ RISP — drives in the top of the order |
| 6 | Michael Thomas | 1.655 | .588 | 1.067 | 82% QAB, 100% contact, 5 XBH |
| 7 | Waylon Reeke | 1.107 | .607 | .500 | Team-high walk eye (8 BB), 90% contact — high-OBP turnover |
| 8 | Mantzouris | 1.225 | .600 | .625 | .600 OBP and .600 w/ RISP keep the line going |
| 9 | Owen Robey | 1.093 | .593 | .500 | .593 OBP acts as a second leadoff back to the top |
| 10 | Carson Biggs | 0.817 | .469 | .348 | Still draws walks (9 BB) — gets on even when the hits aren't falling |
| 11 | Fletcher Smith | 0.841 | .472 | .472 | 9 RBI — drives runs in when he connects |
| 12 | William Findley | 0.851 | .375 | .476 | 3 XBH — pop at the bottom of the order |
All 12 bat, every game (10u continuous order — the only reason a name is missing is
travel). Jed leads off on a .538 OBP and 7 steals at an 87.5% clip — he gets on and into scoring
position in front of the 3-4-5 bats, where a single brings him home. Slots 1–6 are the run-producing
core; 7–9 is a high-OBP wave that feeds the top back over; 10–12 are the bats running cold right now,
sequenced so the hot core comes up most often. As Biggs and Smith heat back up, they move up.
What moved since 7 games
Trending up
- Cooper Johnson — OPS 1.563 → 1.884. Now the clear No. 1 bat: 10 XBH, 15 RBI, 75% QAB.
- Michael Thomas — 1.405 → 1.655 with an 82% QAB and 5 XBH. Producing like a middle-order bat — the only caveat is he has the fewest plate appearances of the regulars (17), so a few more at-bats confirm it.
- Mantzouris — 1.033 → 1.225, .600 OBP / .600 RISP.
- Waylon — 0.933 → 1.107 on a .607 OBP and 8 walks.
- Packham — 1.099 → 1.215.
Cooling / watch
- Carson Biggs — 1.236 → 0.817. RISP fell to .222 with 8 K. The eye is intact (9 BB) — it's the contact, not the approach.
- Fletcher Smith — 1.206 → 0.841, .368 OBP and 7 K. Pressing a bit.
- Owen Robey — 1.314 → 1.093, and 0 extra-base hits so far. OBP still strong (.593) but it's all singles right now.
- James Cooper / Parker — both off their early highs. Small-sample regression, not a slump; both remain top-5 bats.
Pitching
Staff ERA and WHIP run high across the board — normal at 10u, where walks and wild
pitches drive most runs. The differentiator is first-pitch strikes and walk avoidance, so the depth
chart is built on strike-throwing, not ERA.
| Arm | IP | FPS% | Strike% |
BB | K | BAA | Role |
|---|
| Bailey | 19.1 | 62.0 | 68.9 | 3 | 7 | .420 | No. 1 — most strikes, fewest walks per IP |
| James Cooper | 10.0 | 58.3 | 61.0 | 5 | 9 | .426 | No. 2 starter — team-high 9 K |
| Waylon | 6.1 | 67.4 | 65.5 | 0 | 1 | .500 | Strike-thrower — 0 walks. Bridge innings |
| Smith | 4.0 | 44.0 | 52.0 | 4 | 8 | .400 | K upside; needs to get ahead in counts |
| Mantzouris | 3.1 | 41.7 | 54.5 | 2 | 4 | .350 | Lowest BAA on staff; first-pitch strikes are the unlock |
Plan shape: Bailey + James Cooper carry the bulk; Waylon is the
reliable strike-thrower to bridge innings; Smith and Mantzouris are matchup/relief. Keep Bailey
as the arm you hold for a tight one. Confirm who threw in the last game before finalizing — rest
days govern (USSSA: 1–20 p = 0 days, 21–35 = 1, 36–50 = 2, 51–65 = 3, 66+ = 4; 75 daily max).
Defense & depth
- Shortstop is thin. Only Packham (43 inn) and Waylon (16) have real SS reps,
and Packham has 6 errors there (.786). Worth building a third option in practice — Biggs, Bailey,
and James Cooper are the 2B/SS candidates — before a tournament forces it.
- Catcher load. Parker has caught 34 innings — the most on the team by far.
Findley (11), Michael Thomas (9.2), and James Cooper (catch-eligible) are the relief valves;
spread the load so Parker stays fresh in bracket play, and watch the 4-inning recovery flag.
- Best gloves by fielding %: Cooper Johnson (.952), Findley (.941), Parker (.933).
Put the steadiest infield behind whoever's throwing the most strikes.
- Center field is Robey's (33 inn); Parker and Michael Thomas have spelled him.
Three things to act on
- Get Michael Thomas a few more at-bats up the order. He's producing at a
middle-order level (82% QAB, 100% contact, 5 XBH) on the fewest plate appearances of the group.
More reps confirm it's real — and his roster note ("limited innings") is out of date and worth
updating.
- Build SS depth in practice. One travel weekend or pitch-count crunch and there's
no proven backup behind Packham. Get Biggs or Bailey live innings there now.
- Stay patient with Biggs and Smith. Both are cold for different reasons — Biggs
is still working counts (9 BB), Smith is pressing (7 K). The order above keeps them contributing
while they work out of it, and they climb as the bats come back.