2015 PG/EvoShield Underclass National Championship: Day 1 notes
Randy
Abshier (2018, Chula Vista, Calif.) continued with the spillover
theme of quality left-handed pitching from the day one recap and
checks several boxes that colleges recruiters look for in a young
prospect; long, loose projectable build, present stuff on the mound
with feel, and the added bonus of being left-handed. On top of all of
that Abshier is still just fifteen years old but he does a nice job
of showing his coordination on the mound as he controls his long
6-foot-4, 175-pound build rather well for a pitcher his age. With the
difficult task at hand Saturday afternoon of having to face a loaded
SACSN National Team that is full a high D-I commits, Abshier held his
own and was able to stay off barrels for the majority of the outing
while living around, and mostly down, in the strike zone.
His
frame is more than ideal and Abshier is able to already run his
fastball up to 88 mph early, which he did frequently, and will
continue to gain velocity as he continues to add muscle onto his
growing frame. The uncommitted Abshier worked in the 84-87 mph range
for the first few innings of his outing and showed a short yet fast
arm action coming through the back before creating good angle towards
the plate, adding another factor into the equation for the opposing
hitter. He began the game working comfortably to his arm side with
consistent running life but by the second and third inning he started
to work glove side with intent while still showing the running life
to his heater.
He
only flashed a couple of changeups in this particular outing but he
did a nice job of maintaining the arm speed and extended
three-quarter release while generating fading life down in the zone
on the 73-74 mph offering. Rounding out his three-pitch mix was his
curveball which feature 1-to-7 shape in the mid-60s with some depth,
though he worked mainly off his fastball from the first pitch to
last.
Aaron
Eden (2018, Los Angeles, Calif.) looks as though he may be entering
his senior year of high school, not his sophomore year with his
strong and physically imposing 6-foot-3, 215-pound, broad shouldered
frame. As it is now Eden shows a rather fast and loose arm action
which resulted in an 83-85, topping 86 mph, fastball with extension
out front and late life on the pitch. The uncommitted Eden used his
long arms to his advantage as he showed the ability to get on top of
the ball and when he did so he was able to generate heavy and late
life to his fastball, resulting in weak ground ball contact sprayed
throughout the infield. He does a nice job of landing online with his
lead foot towards the plate and as he continues to incorporate more
lower half into his delivery there’s no reason that there won’t
be more velocity on the way.
Throughout
the first couple of frames Eden showed a breaking ball in the
upper-60s which gave another look to the hitters as it featured short
11-to-5 life. Eden needed just two runs from his teammates en route
to a complete game victory, striking out six batters over his seven
innings of work though the frame, age, and life on his fastball are
just as impressive as the overall performance.
Speaking
of young players, Jasiah Dixon (2019, Riverside, Calif.) was
recently named the No. 8 prospect in the Perfect Game class of 2019
rankings and he appeared to warrant the distinct with his high level
of athleticism both in the outfield and in the batter’s box. When
you’re able to get 4.20/4.21 run times from home to first on a
rising senior you take note as that’s an above average time on the
scout grading scale so when a player who just began his freshman year
of high school turns in times like that you take notice. Already
listed at 6-foot, 150-pounds, Dixon is going to continue to get
stronger and fill out with muscle, something that could lead to even
faster times down the line and become a game changing tool.
Staying
short to the ball with his righthanded swing while showing nice bat
speed, Dixon lined a ball into center field last night past the glove
of the outstretched fielder and was able to race around to third base
and did so rather easily. Just as he is running, his defensive
actions in center field are loose and easy and when his speed is
taken into account he should be able to cover ample ground into
either gap. Dixon also showed off his arm strength on a sharply hit
ball back up the middle as he came up throwing to first base in an
attempt to back pick the runner who took a wider turn off the bag,
delivery an online strike the the runner was just able to beat back
safely.
Brandon
Madrigal (2020, Moorpark, Calif.) was handed the ball for the CBA
Bulldogs and though he won’t denter high school for another year he
impressed with his overall stuff on the mound. Listed at 6-foot-1,
170-pounds, Madrigal came out showing a clean and extended arm action
which proved capable of producing a fastball that bumped 83 mph and
sat in the 79-82 mph with short running life to his arm side. With a
slight hip turn at the top of his delivery, the righthanded Madrigal
showed the ability to work on top of the ball to go along with his
command of the strike zone as he was able to work in and out to
either side of the plate. To go with his fastball Madrigal was able
to throw his curveball for strikes in the low-60s, featuring some
depth to it and feel of the strike zone. He’ll certainly be an arm
to watch moving forward, especially given his present ability at such
an early age.
Yet
another quality lefthander to take the bump, Patrick Wicklander
(2018, San Jose, Calif.) offers a similar package to that of Abshier
as he projects well with his 6-foot-2, 175-pound squared shouldered
frame which will be able to handle strength gains moving forward. The
uncommitted Wicklander remains very short and hidden with his arm
action through the backside but it’s also quick and helps produce a
fastball that bumped 86 mph in the first inning before settling into
the 82-85 mph range. He worked almost exclusively off his fastball in
the first inning and was able to do so effectively by living down in
the zone to either side of the plate with late running life to his
arm side. As the innings built up Wicklander continued to incorporate
his off speed with the changeup being the first offering to come out.
He did a nice job of maintaining his arm speed and arm action on the
pitch as each came across in the 73-75 mph range while showing some
downward fading life to it. To give him a full four-pitch mix,
Wicklander also showed both a curveball (1-to-7 shape at 68-71 mph)
and a slider (73-74 mph with sharper break), each coming out of the
same slot while the slider served as his go-to in the third inning.
Having
seen righthander Weston Bizzle (2017, Memphis, Tenn.) throw
more than a handful of times this summer it becomes evident how
consistent and effective he is on the mound as he does the same thing
each and every time he takes the bump. Already committed to
Vanderbilt University, Bizzle worked very comfortably in the 87-89
mph range yesterday afternoon, never dipping out of that range for
his four innings of work, regardless if it was the windup or stretch.
Attacking hitters with his fastball from a high three-quarter arm
action, Bizzle was able to elicit his fair share of swings and misses
based off the strength of his fastball while collecting the
strikeouts, which included punching out the side in the fourth
inning. With a back turn at the top of the delivery adding deception
to his delivery, Bizzle flashed a changeup at 80 mph and appeared to
throw both a curveball and slider, each for strikes and each with
comfort and feel.
I
touched on the strength that Cole Turney (2017, Richmond,
Texas) possesses in his lefthanded swing in yesterday’s recap and
will do so again after what he did in his final at-bat of the day.
Down in the count with two strikes, the University of Arkansas commit
was thrown a soft curveball down in the zone and though he was out in
front on the pitch he was still able to get enough of the ball as he
delivered a two-hop double to the right-center field wall for a
standup double. That type of strength and bat speed aren’t often
found in a player just entering his junior year of high school and
those are some of the reasons why Turney is ranked the No. 7 player
in the nation.
Chase
Sanguinetti (2018, Tampa, Fla.) continued to swing a hot bat for
the SACSN National Team and in all three at-bats yesterday the
Florida State commit was able to find the barrel of the bat. One of
only a couple players to barrel up Abshier, Sanguinetti squared up a
fastball and lined it back up the middle for one of the louder hit
balls of the game before later turning on a pitch and picking up
another single through the pull side hole. In his final trip to the
plate the left-handed hitting Sanguinetti was able to elevate a ball
that just continued to carry and nicked off the center fielder’s
glove close to the warning warning, allowing him to reach base for
the third time of the game.
As
promised yesterday I was able to check back in on Tyler Hardman
(2017, Lake Elsinore, Calif.) who to this point has put together one
of the loudest performances with the bat in the entire tournament.
Standing with a strong 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame that appears
stronger in person, Hardman began CBA Marucci’s night game with a
hard triple to the opposite field gap, showing a short and powerful
swing with strong hands and plenty of bat speed. Regardless of where
the pitch is or what type of pitch it is Hardman showed that he’s
going to hit it over his next two at-bats. Showing leverage to his
pull side, Hardman turned on a fastball and put it into the pull side
gap for a standup double before muscle a curveball off the end of the
bat over the third baseman’s head for a single, his third hit of
the game.
Tony
Jacob (2019, Acton, Calif.) may not have flashed the 85 mph he
did this summer with his fastball but then again he didn’t have to
as the young left-hander showed off his advanced pitchability and
feel for the strike zone early and often in his start yesterday
afternoon. Listed at 5-foot-10, 155-pounds, Jacob has long limbs for
his frame and projects well moving forward, both physically and in
terms of overall stuff on the mound. With a full arm action coming
through the backside, Jacob showed balance and rhythm in his
mechanics which help him to repeat and in turn fill up the strike
zone. Jacob worked in the 79-82 mph range early with his fastball and
is able to generate extension out front while locating down in the
zone to either side of the plate. He may just be entering his
freshman year of high school at Mater Dei but he’s already able to
command his fastball like an upperclassman and does so while showing
consistent running life to stay off barrels. Not only does he show a
feel for both a changeup and curveball, but he does so while
repeating his mechanics and overall arm action allowing each pitch to
play up. His changeup came across at 67 mph with some life down in
the zone and his curveball showed big 1-to-7 shape in the low-60s and
both project nicely moving forward.
– Jheremy
Brown
A
plethora of quality righthanded pitchers took to the mound over the
course of the games on Saturday.
2017
righthander Quinn Flanagan (Chandler, Ariz.) has a good frame
and ideal pitchers body. There are a number of talented righthanders
from the state of Arizona, and Flanagan has certainly put himself in
position to be discussed as one of the best 2017 pitchers that the
state has to offer. The 6-foot-3,180-pound righty has a
well-proportioned frame and lean, muscular athletic build. The
University of Arizona commit should be able to easily handle
additional weight as he continues to mature, but at present Flanagan
has good present strength and body control. With a long and loose arm
action, Flanagan works to a high three-quarters arm slot and the ball
comes out of his hand very cleanly. In the early going he was
predominately working in the 87-89 mph range with his fastball,
occasionally touching 90 mph. He was able to use the heater
effectively both down in the strike zone and above the letters, where
it had late riding life, to induce chases and swings and misses.
As
with most prep pitchers Flanagan’s present feel and command for his
offspeed pitches lag behind his fastball command, but he did show the
ability to throw both his changeup and curveball for strikes. His
upper-70s changeup has some slight fading action and shows solid
potential, as he maintains solid armspeed and arm-action on the
offering and keeps it down in the strike zone. Similarly, Flanagan’s
69-72 mph curveball flashes solid depth and late finish, and although
he can get around the pitch on occasion, he threw the offering for
strikes often and has the hand and arm speed to continue tightening
the pitch so that it should continue to be a quality offering for him
at the next level.
2017
righthander, third baseman and catcher Cade Cavalli (Bixby,
Okla.) showcased some of his talents on the mound on Saturday as
well. The University of Oklahoma commit has an extremely projectable
6-foot-4, 185-pound frame and he certainly looks the part. Cavalli is
a very good athlete and he has solid body control and a loose, easy
gait. There is some energy and late effort in his up-tempo delivery,
with some head snap at release, but Cavalli showed an ability to
harness his moving parts and throw strikes over the course of his
outing on the mound for the Midwest Elite 17u White team.
Throwing
from a high three-quarters arm slot, the ball comes out very cleanly
from his hand and Cavalli has a long, loose arm action with good arm
speed, all of which portends well for even more velocity down the
road. His fastball sat in the 86-89 mph range, touching 90 mph a
couple of times, and the heater had solid late life down in the zone,
with some armside running action generated from an early frontside.
He showed that he could work down in the zone consistently and was
able to work to either side of the plate. His slider is still a work
in progress, as the pitch has short tilt and depth, and he had a
tendency to get underneath the pitch and leave it spinning, but he
has the overall athleticism to make it into a quality pitch with more
reps and experience. Cavalli is still a bit raw on the mound, but he
projects extremely well and should be a fun player to watch develop.
2017
righthander Matthew Sauer (Santa Maria, Cafli.) was a member
of USA Baseball’s 17u National Team Development Program, and the
uncommitted righty has plenty of present interest from college
coaches. It was easy to see why Sauer is such a highly valued player
on Saturday, as the 6-foot-4, 185-pound righty struck out the side in
his first inning of work on just 11 pitches, all fastballs. The long,
leanly built Sauer has the loose, athletic, projectable frame that
evaluators covet, and he should continue to add velocity to his
current 87-90 mph fastball as he fills out and adds more strength.
Sauer has a clean hand break, long and loose arm-action, and good arm
speed, and his fastball shows quality late life to either side of the
plate so he presents a difficult at-bat for hitters. Sauer was
particularly effective when working down in the strike zone with his
fastball, as he did well in the early innings of his start.
His
secondary offerings are still developing, but as with Cavalli and
Flanagan, Sauer has the athleticism and armspeed to grow into the
offerings and make them into consistent quality offerings at the next
level. Currently, his 69-72 mph curveball offers varied 12-to-6 to
11-to-5 break and shows solid depth and decent shape, but it can come
out of his hand early and be picked up. Still, he throws the pitch
for strikes and there’s potential for it to be tightened and used
at the next level to change eye levels and timing. Similarly, Sauer’s
75-77 mph slider has shorter tilt at present, and he can get around
the pitch, but with additional reps and experience he should be able
to gain a more consistent feel for the offering.
2017
righthander Alex Gallegos also showed off some impressive
velocity and fastball command. Pitching for the GBG Marucci 2017 Navy
team, Gallegos piqued the interest of those in attendance as he
worked in the 86-89 mph range consistently over the three innings
that I saw. Gallegos is has a tall, lean frame with a high waist, and
there is plenty of room for him to add additional muscle mass and
strength. He has extremely long limbs and his overall size and moving
parts can make it difficult for hitters to pick up the ball out of
his hand. The uncommitted righty only threw fastballs, but he was
extremely effective as the 86-89 mph heater was thrown from a
three-quarter arm slot and showed late sinking action. Additionally,
Gallegos showed that he could work to both sides of the plate with
his fastball, although at times it was a bit more laborious to locate
to the low and outside quadrant to right handed hitters. Still, he
showed quality control with developing command and the size and arm
strength that make for an intriguing package.
While
Saturday certainly seemed to be the day of the pitcher, a number of
position players also have impressed over the first few days of the
tournament.
2019
shortstop/second baseman Cody Freeman (Rancho Cucamonga,
Calif.) and 2019 shortstop/second baseman Jordan Sprinkle
(Indio, Calif.) form a scrappy middle infield partnership for CBA
Bulldogs White. Only rising freshman, both Freeman and Sprinkle look
well ahead of their years defensively. Despite their compact stature
and young age both are very fundamentally sound in the infield,
showing good instincts, quick first steps, soft hands and the ability
to make plays in the hole or on the run. Over the first couple of
days of the tournament, both have made solid plays on slow rollers
while manning the shortstop position. They are still growing and
developing, as one would expect out of high school freshman, and as
they get stronger they should become weapons in the batter’s box as
well because they already have disciplined, advanced approaches at
the plate.
Gabe
Briones (Perris, Calif.) is one of the more highly regarded class
of 2019 players. The 6-foot, 170-pound catcher is currently ranked
No. 6 in the class by Perfect Game and he recently committed to the
University of Southern California. The strong-bodied Briones also has
a very advanced defensive skillset as he handles pitching staff well,
has lateral quickness with the ability to block and smother balls in
the dirt. Similarly, Briones has good footwork with a quick release
and was timed as low as 2.01 on pop-times down to second base,
extremely impressive for a freshman in high school. At the plate the
righthanded hitter flashes solid bat speed and impressive present
strength off of the barrel.
Not
many teams east of the Mississippi made the trek out to participate
in the event, but one of the few that did—CrabFest
All-Americans—are a solid group. 2017 outfielder Gerald Buchanan
(Olney, Md. has a solid, strong build on top of his compact 5-foot-9,
180-pound frame. Buchanan showed some versatility and athleticism,
playing at shortstop in the first game on Saturday, while serving as
the CrabFest starting pitcher in their second contest on Saturday.
Buchanan is still raw, but he has some tools to work with, as he is
an above-average runner and shows solid instincts on the basepaths,
and has some armstrength as well, hitting 86 mph on the radar gun in
his first inning on the mound.
2017
third baseman Maceo Campbell (Upper Marlboro, Md.) is a bit
bigger than Buchanan, measuring in at a listed 5-foot-11, 195-pounds.
Campbell has a physical, strong frame and he still moves pretty well
in the field, showing solid footwork and actions at the hot corner.
At the plate he has a middle of the field approach, and while he
lacks consistent extension in his swing, he has the present strength
to hit balls hard and muscle them into the gaps.
Finally,
a pair of California natives were particularly impressive in brief
viewings on Saturday. 2017 outfielder Jonny Deluca (Agoura
Hills, CA), who is committed to the University of Oregon, performed
well at the West Underclass Showcase a few weeks ago and he displayed
some of his talents again last night. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound switch
hitter displayed solid, quick hands and a quality two-strike approach
at the plate and when he got on base his speed continued to be weapon
on the basepaths. Deluca is a heady player, with good instincts and
he uses his speed well.
2017
shortstop Tyler Bosetti (Vacaville, Calif.) has a slender
athletic build with wiry strength in his 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame.
He looks the part in the infield with polished, clean actions at
shortstop and he plays the game with a lot of energy and focus. At
the plate, the righthanded hitter flashed solid bat speed, and he
drove a ball into the left center field gap for a double, that was
measured by TrackMan as traveling 330 feet in the air and at 92 mph
off of the bat. He is currently uncommitted.
– Andrew
Krause