Each fastball Brady House saw whizzed by a foot off the plate, a nearly unhittable offering that left the Winder-Barrow High School shortstop with his bat on his shoulder, waiting for his free pass. He had dealt with that approach before during his senior season, with teams unwilling to leave a ball in the zone for House to mash.
On this occasion, though, House began creeping in, crowding the plate, hoping for a mistake. While he took first base earlier in the game after watching four waste pitches fly by, House was determined to get at least one swing, one opportunity to deal damage against a team afraid of letting him do just that.
And then House saw it. The one mistake pitch, still thrown off the plate — just not far enough to elude the high-ranked prospect’s bat. He swung, blasting an opposite-field home run during an at-bat in which the opposition had no interest in letting him swing at all.
“It’s kind of like, just another day,” said Brian Smith, House’s coach at Winder-Barrow High School in Winder, Georgia. “He does stuff like that.”
When Smith thinks back on House’s senior season, that plate appearance sticks out most. There’s the initial amazement, watching House hit an outside fastball that well and that far as an 18-year-old. There’s also a burst of excitement.
But Smith has grown accustomed to jaw-dropping plays and balls hit with authority, ever since he first saw House play as a 12-year-old. Each year, as House grew taller and stronger — filling in his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame — Smith saw his power grow, his fielding improve and his persistent work ethic remain.
The Nationals saw all that, too. Washington selected House with the No. 11 pick in the first round of the MLB Draft on Sunday night, selecting a shortstop who never settled once he saw his name at the top of prospect rankings throughout high school.
“He has a desire to really do this,” Smith said. “High school kids, they’re at times up and down with it. But that’s the thing: He’s been laser-focused on this goal for a while now, so it’s good to see him get rewarded.”
Smith could tell early on House would be special, stemming from the shortstop’s time on the USA Baseball team that won the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in 2015. The main question in Smith’s mind back then, though, was if House would plateau.
But Smith quickly learned that wouldn’t be the case.
“Brady grew early,” Smith said, “but he continued to get stronger and faster and better at baseball.”
House reshaped his diet, focusing on nutrition all on his own to get his body in the right shape for a professional career. When the coronavirus pandemic waylaid his junior season, he continued working out at his high school’s outdoor cages and the weight room in his basement. That allowed him to maintain his strong performances throughout his senior season.
Even as teams pitched around House, he hit .549 with 12 doubles, eight homers and 20 RBIs. Smith said he chose to use House as the leadoff hitter so fewer teams would intentionally walk him straight away, because “if you walk him, it’s a double.” House had 21 stolen bases in his senior year.
House’s skills at the plate have long been his main draw. When asked what he’d bring to the organization, House said “power and contact, for sure.” But he doesn’t want to be defined as a two-dimensional player, either, pointing to his work ethic and desire to prove he can play shortstop at the major league level.
Smith agrees that House has the talent needed to stick at that spot, even if some experts see a player of his size fitting in more easily at third base. House has flashed the leather plenty, although Smith said there’s still room to grow in the field.
“I don’t think he’s anywhere close to how good he can be defensively,” Smith said. “He’s a very consistent, high-percentage fielder now, but if you watch some of those big-league shortstops, you can see there’s another level that Brady will get to with the right coaching and the right time being spent on that.”
But Smith also said House has the athleticism and skill to play all over the field if that’s what a team requires, potentially opening up spots in a lineup to place House’s bat.
“If it didn’t work, or it’s what’s best for the team, he could easily move to third, second, left field, right field, center field,” Smith said. “He’s played first before. So he can do it. Eight positions. And I know they’re not going to try to move him behind the plate, but he probably could do that, too. But literally, eight positions I think he could play professionally at a good level.”
Before Smith would talk with scouts about House’s mechanics or physical attributes, the longtime coach would steer the conversation his way.
There’s so much that pops about House, from his arm to his ability to crank balls far over the outfield fence — even if the opposing pitchers are avoiding the zone. But Smith wanted to highlight something else about House, something that those coming to practices and games might not see so easily.
“He’s a genuinely good-hearted kid,” Smith said. “This’ll be my 27th year coming up, and I cannot think of one negative to say about this kid.”
• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.
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