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Ryan
Zeferjahn (2016, Topeka, Kan.) toed the rubber for the Astros
Scout Team/FTB Tucci in one of the morning time slots on Saturday.
The righty’s start was one of the better attended and more highly
anticipated performances of the day, and the tournament to date.
While Kansas is not particularly thought of as a baseball hotbed
fellow Sunflower State righty Riley Pint is arguably one of the top
prep pitchers in the 2016 class, and Zeferjahn showcased an
impressive blend of raw stuff and projection that should have
crosscheckers and directors making the trek to Topeka as well. The
6-foot-4, 190-pound righty has a large frame and slender, athletic
build with broader shoulders, long limbs, and plenty of room to fill
out and continue adding strength as he matures.
He
showed quality athleticism and balance throughout his delivery, and
while he initially scattered the ball within the strike zone in his
first inning of work, Zeferjahn really settled in nicely in his
second and third innings of work. The righty’s fastball sat between
90-93 mph throughout his outing, and he was able to spot the pitch to
both sides of the plate, while keeping it down in the zone
consistently. Zeferjahn has a loose, medium-to-extended arm action
and he works through a small wrap on the backside with quality
armspeed and releases from a three-quarters arm slot.
Zeferjahn’s
fastball (and fastball command) provides a nice, stable foundation
for his arsenal, and while he did not use his changeup, he has
flashed solid feel for the pitch at past events. Instead, Zeferjahn
used his slider early and often, showing quality feel for the 77-78
mph offering that flashed above-average potential. At times the pitch
lacked depth and featured more sweeping action, but as he threw it
more often and got comfortable, the offering flashed good tilt and
two-plane depth with late glove-side finish. It is easy to envision
Zeferjahn adding more velocity as he matures and gets stronger, and
with sustained performances like the one he had on Saturday, he could
hear his name being called in the early rounds of the 2016 draft in
June.
Alex
Kiriloff (2016, New Kensington, Pa.) impressed on the summer
showcase circuit, performing well at both Perfect Game National
Showcase and the Perfect Game All-American Classic, where the
outfielder/first baseman won the homerun derby contest. Kirilloff has
a physical and well-proportioned 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame and he has
surprising athleticism and footspeed, as he’s been clocked as low
as 6.67 seconds in the 60-yard dash. As evaluators have seen more
of Kirilloff in the outfield, the more they’ve come to believe that
he has a solid chance of profiling at the position (rather than his
primary listed position of first base) at the next level. For all of
the quality secondary tools, the bat is where Kirilloff stands out.
The lefthanded hitter has cut down a bit on his pre-swing movement,
but he still uses a nice leg lift trigger and shows good rhythm,
balance, and weight shift throughout his swing. He has impressive
strength off of the barrel with good bat speed, and a fluid and
slightly uphill swing path. He’s able to generate natural loft and
carry, and he squared the ball up often in his two games on Saturday.
He’s not just a pull hitter either, as he hit the ball with
authority to center and left center field, including a double over
the center fielder’s head that was measured at 98.6 mph off of the
bat by TrackMan. The Liberty commit is one of the top pure hitters in
the draft class and he’ll certainly be one of the most watched prep
bats in the Northeastern area this spring.
Delvin
Perez (2016, Loiza, Puerto Rico) has some of the loudest tools in
the 2016 class, and while the shortstop is still rather raw his
upside is tantalizing. The lean 6-foot-3, 165-pounder is a tremendous
athlete that is full of quick twitch, but questions remain about his
hit tool. Perez has struggled at times against spin and offspeed
offerings this weekend, but he still flashes impressive juice and
strength, and he drove the first pitch he saw on Saturday morning (an
86 mph fastball) for a double into deep left-center field that
registered 96 mph off of the bat. There are far less questions about
Perez’s defensive acumen, and he was magnificent in the field again
yesterday, showing easy range to either side and smooth actions.
Additionally, Perez wowed those in attendance by diving to nab a slow
roller hit up the middle with the bases loaded and throwing home
accurately from the seat of his pants to home plate to cut down the
lead runner.
Ray
Gaither (2016, Coppell, Texas) is a high-end two-way player that
is currently committed to Dallas Baptist. The 6-foot-3, 220 pounder
has showcased very good hitting tools in the past, but on Saturday he
was solid on the mound. Gaither has an up-tempo delivery with a side
step into his leg lift and a slight hunch over his frontside. While
he can work a bit across his body, Gaither flashed decent command of
his 90-93 mph fastball. He has good armspeed working through to a
three-quarters’s arm slot and there is some deception in his
delivery. Gaither also flashed some feel for his breaking ball, a
76-79 mph curveball with quality depth. At times he got too far on
the side of the pitch but at its best the offering has hard downer
action and finish with 11-to-5 break.
Casey
Legumina (2016, Chandler, Ariz.) pitched very well for GBG
Marucci. The 6-foot-1, 190 pound righthanded pitcher has flown under
the radar, and while he might not possess the loudest pure stuff or
an extremely large or projectable frame, the Gonzaga commit has a
tremendous feel for pitching and solid command of his fastball and
breaking ball. Legumina has some deception in his delivery with a
slight pause and drift at the apex of his left lift, and he was able
to repeat his mechanics very well throughout his six innings of work.
While he came out firing his fastball up to 92 mph in the first
inning, he settled more comfortably into the 86-89 mph range for most
of his start, and was able to spot the offering to either side of the
plate with equal aplomb. He also showcased advanced feel for his
breaking ball, which showed more horizontal tilt and sharp glove-side
action in the upper-70s and a bit more depth in the mid-70s. Both
breaking ball varieties were effective in their own right, and
Legumina showed that he could keep the offering down and out of the
hitters’ swing paths consistently.
Spencer
Van Scoyoc (2016, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) is an extremely projectable
lefthanded pitcher. The southpaw has been to numerous Perfect Game
events, including this past June’s National Showcase, and the
Arizona State commit was very sharp when he took to the mound on
Saturday afternoon. The 6-foot-4, 195 pounder is very loose, free,
and athletic in all of his movements and he’s very clean
mechanically throughout his delivery. He touched 90 a handful of
times with his fastball, predominately working in the 86-89 mph
range, and he projects to add more velocity as he gets stronger
physically and matures in the next few years. Van Scoyoc also has
impressive pitchability, as he showcased very advanced feel of his
offspeed stuff for a high school lefthanded pitcher, easily working
in a quality 72-74 mph curveball and 79-80 mph changeup and locating
both for called strikes throughout his outing.
Ulysses
Cantu (2016, Saginaw, Texas) has helped lead the Texas Scout Team
Yankees to a perfect 3-0 record in pool play thus far thanks to his
advanced feel for the barrel and ability to impact the baseball. The
Texas Tech commit has a sturdy 6-foot, 205-pound body and strength in
his hands and wrists. The righthanded hitting third baseman stays
balanced and measured throughout his swing mechanics and he’s able
to match his swing plane with that of the pitch and manipulate the
barrel very well. He’s hit a number of balls hard this week,
including a double to left field (102.1 mph off the bat) and a
home run to left field (93.5 mph off the bat) on Saturday morning.
Kenyon
Yovan (2016, Beaverton, Ore.) has a larger frame than Cantu, but
they are rather similar players as both profile at the next level as
third baseman. Like Cantu, Yovan has considerable strength throughout
his body and he’s a well-rounded overall player with solid hitting
tools. The University of Oregon commit has solid bat speed and can
impact the baseball, showing good lift and strength off of the
barrel, particularly to the pull side.
Eric
Heatter (2017, Jamesburg, N.J.) was very impressive in earning a
complete game win over a loaded Astros Scout Team/FTB Tucci lineup
that contains a number of highly-rated prospects. The 6-foot,
180-pound southpaw pounded the strike zone with a solid three pitch
mix. In the early going his fastball was up to 88 mph, before
settling into the mid-80s for much of his seven inning outing. The
Rutgers commit competed extremely well, and it is clear that he knows
how to pitch as he did a tremendous job of mixing in his 74-77 mph
slider and a low-70s changeup with equal effectiveness and comfort.
Isaiah
Kerns (2016, Lewistown, Pa.) is listed as a primary third
baseman, but the West Virginia commit showcased some interesting arm
strength on the mound in a brief appearance on Saturday morning.
Kerns, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound righty worked in the 90-92 mph range
with his fastball. Kerns has a compact arm action and it is clear
that he’s still a bit raw as a pitcher, but he flashed a low-80s
changeup and a mid-70s breaking ball and it would be interesting to
see him for a more extended period of time rather than a dozen or so
pitches.
– Andrew
Krause
Calvin
Greenfield (2017, Chicago, Ill.) on Day 3 of the WWBA World
Championship, the nation’s second ranked catcher in the 2017 class
proved he’s every bit deserving of that ranking by showcasing some
loud tools on both sides of the field. Defensively, Greenfield sets
the tone with high energy and a take charge mentality. At 6-foot-1
and 190 lbs, Greenfield plays light on his feet and displays
efficient footwork whether he’s dropping to block or popping to
throw. His slow squat position allows him to stay balanced when
receiving and his strong hands and wrists keep the glove quiet. When
he does pop to throw, the Florida commit has a quick release and
throws on a line to the bag. If he’s working with a pitcher who’s
somewhat quick to the plate, it will not be easy to run on him.
At
the plate he sets up with his hands high, but is able to load quickly
and quietly with solid timing. The barrel drops into the zone quickly
before he puts a short, compact swing on the ball. The swing plane
stays level through the zone and allows him to spray line drives to
all fields. With his already solidly built frame and big broad
shoulders, Greenfield has the space to add more strength where he can
start to develop more in-game power.
On
the same East Coast Grays/Chain Baseball squad as Greenfield were a
few other guys that stood out. Outfielders Garrett Hodges
(2016, Guyton, Ga.) in right field and Dalton Griffin (2016,
Guyton, Ga.) roaming in center. Both guys showed some skills at the
plate. Hodges possesses some serious bat speed and barrel control
which was evident on a ball that left his bat at 96 mph. Hodges was
also heads up on the bases where his natural instincts took over
allowing him to be aggressive. Griffin Showed a good idea of the
strike zone and really impresses in centerfield with a lightning
quick first step and direct routes to the ball. He looked completely
comfortable tracking the ball while going back which isn’t
something you see everyday at this level.
Ole
Miss landed two very impressive players at premium positions with
Dulin Dodgers teammates, shortstop Grae Kessinger (2016,
Oxford, Miss.) and catcher Thomas Dillard (2016, Oxford,
Miss.). Kessinger stands 6-foot-2, has long and lean limbs making him
look even taller. His body is still projectable and his upper body
should fill in nicely. Body aside, there are some very loud tools
here. The bat speed is legit and it allows him to turn on just about
any inside pitch with authority. He has a very good feel for the
barrel and controls it well. There was some loud contact off of his
bat, especially on his well struck double to leftfield. Kessinger
keeps his hands inside the ball so well that he was looking to pull
everything, which is fine as long as it’s working. His swing path
gets a bit long at times, but the bat speed is able to make up for
it. There is some natural uppercut in his swing and when he gets
stronger, the power potential is going to be very real.
Defensively,
Kessinger uses his long limbs to his advantage. The long strides he
gets allows him to range very well to his right or left, but he looks
very comfortable going left and using a smooth backhand to get balls
deep in the hole. His actions are quick and smooth as are his
transfers. There is plenty of arm on him and he will have no problem
playing on the leftside of any infield. He stays loose and athletic
on every play and plays with a very high baseball IQ.
With
Kessinger locking things defensively up the middle of the infield,
Dillard does the same from behind the plate. Built like a rock at
6-foot and 215-pounds, Dillard has thick and sturdy base that
suggests he will be a durable backstop for the foreseeable future.
For as strong and physical as he is, Dillard moves better than I
anticipated behind the plate and also on the bases where he was 4.5
runner down the line. He showed a quick pop out of his crouch and is
ready to throw. There is plenty of arm strength to keep opposing
running games in-check. He was consistently right at or just under
two seconds on his pop times, with his best being a 1.91.
Dillard
was dangerous today with a bat in his hand as well. The
switch-hitting backstop smoked an opposite field double batting from
the left side with a hard, but controlled swing. I didn’t get a
chance to see him from the right side, but as a lefty, he was
relaxed, balanced, and swings with purpose.
Another
player on this Dodgers team that made an impression was Drake
Frix (2016, Plainville, Ga). Fritz doubles as a catcher and
infielder and today played a solid game at third base and swung the
bat very well. Fritz, who is committed to College of Charleston,
showed a simple and balanced approach the plate. He didn’t try to
do too much and put a consistent level and quick swing on the ball.
He showed a good eye and a disciplined feel for the strike zone. By
properly using his fundamentally sound game, Fritz was able to rack
up at least three hits today while playing under the weather. I
respect his desire to play on the Jupiter stage.
Blair
Henley (2016, Fort Worth, Texas) Henley is committed to stay
close to home and attend the University of Texas. The 6-foot-2
175-pound righthander has a projectable frame and a three pitch mix.
His delivery is quick and balanced and his arm gets through with good
speed even with a slightly inverted arm action. Coming from a high
three quarter slot, Henley was able to stay consistent with his
release point and throw strikes with all three pitches. His fastball
was sitting 86-88 mph most of his outing while touching 89 a few
times. The fastball was at it’s best up in the zone where it was
more lively and explosive out of the hand. His go to breaking ball is
a bat missing slider that he throws anywhere from 77-79 mph. It has
good tilt and he is able to locate for a strike or get batters to
chase it as it sweeps down and away from righthanded hitters. The
future Longhorn will throw it in any count and isn’t afraid to
double-up on it. His third pitch was a slower spinning 73 mph
curveball. He didn’t throw a whole bunch of them, but there was
enough shape and feel to suggest it has potential to develop.
Riley
Self (2016, Coldwater, Miss.) is committed to play at Mississippi
State and the 6-foot-4 righty showed he’s got the arsenal to get
outs in the SEC. His arms whips through with excellent speed and
comes straight over the top. The arm stays free and easy all the way.
Self has a fastball that sat 87-89 most of the day, but ran a few up
to the plate as high as 91 mph with some very effective late tail and
sinking action. He uses his tall frame well by staying on top and
pitching downhill, making the sinking fastball even more effective.
To go along with his heater, Self mixed a deep and deceptive changeup
in the 81-82 mph range. Getting it deep is always a positive trait,
but there was some horizontal movement on it that made it even more
nasty. It isn’t a finished product yet, but there is the makings of
a nasty pitch here. His third offering in his bag was a decent 82-83
mph slider. There wasn’t consistent action on it, but when it’s
right, it’s a late sweeping pitch that generates some very awkward
swings. Self sequenced well, and the future Bulldog was able to get
into an early rhythm and cruised most of the way from there.
– Chris
King
Friday
night was the first time in a little over a year that righthanded
pitcher Nate Brown (2016, Hartland, Wis.) appeared in a
Perfect Game event and he picked the biggest stage to do so. With a
long and loose whip-like arm action the University of Florida commit
came out pumping the strike zone and turned in arguably one of the
more impressive performances to this point of the tournament as he
needed just 59 pitches to work five scoreless against a talent
Florida Burn squad.
A
native of Hartland, Wisconsin, Brown certainly looks the part as he
toes the rubbers standing at a strong and well proportioned 6-foot-2,
185-pounds and still has room in both his upper and lower half to
fill out with additional strength. Brown came out and immediately
impressed running his fastball up to 92 mph early on while sitting in
the 88-91 mph range all the while pounding the strike zone as he
started 18 of the 20 hitters faced with first pitch strikes. The
future Gator continued to fill up the strike zone after he got ahead
in the count and worked to either side of the plate showing complete
command of the zone as he repeated both his delivery and arm action
exceptionally well.
Brown
shows very god arm speed coming through the zone and with late whip
was able to produce both the previously mentioned velocity as well as
late running life that he used on more than one occasion to spill
back over the outer half to a righthanded hitter for a called strike.
The other aspect that makes Brown such an interesting prospect is the
feel for both his slider and changeup which give him a full starting
arsenal.
Thrown
consistently in the upper-70s and touching 80 mph Brown exhibited a
consistent feel for his slider, a pitch that featured late tilting
life and gave him a pitch to go in the opposite direction of his
heavy, late running fastball. The pitch would occasionally back up on
him later in the outing and gave the pitch more depth and look of a
curveball but when it was on it showed the potential to be an above
average pitch. A groundball pitcher, Brown flashed only a couple of
changeups but they were quality with late fading life at 78-79 mph
and he even showed one on a 3-2 count that just missed for his lone
walk of the outing. When you put all the ingredients that Brown
brings to the mound he’ll certainly be an eye to keep close tabs on
throughout the spring and as the June draft approaches.
Along
with being perhaps the most physical catcher in the 2016 class,
Perfect Game All-American Ben Rortvedt (2016, Verona, Wis.)
has continued to show the tool set to match and justify his lofty
ranking of 21st in the nation. Listed at 5-foot-10,
190-pounds Rortvedt is able to retain looseness in his defensive
actions which complement his catch and throw skills. The culmination
of both were put on display and helped the Arkansas commit produce a
sub 2.00-second pop time in game with above average arm strength and
accuracy to the glove. The offensive tools are there as well as the
lefthanded hitting catcher shows a long and fluid swing that keeps
the barrel in the zone while showing premium bat speed to the ball.
Another
Perfect Game All-American catcher who hasn’t really done a whole
lot of catching prior is Carlos Cortes (2016, Oviedo, Fla.),
one of the more highly regarded hitters in the entire country. A
both-handed thrower who typically plays second base for the Scorpions
throughout the summer, Cortes will take his reps in the outfield
lefthanded and of course suited up behind the plate yesterday
righthanded. While the bat will ultimately be the carrying tool if
Cortes is able to stick behind the dish it’ll certainly add to his
overall value come June and he didn’t look out of place by any
means for not frequently suiting up this summer. It speaks to his
overall athleticism as he did a nice job of both receiving and moving
laterally to block balls in the dirt. The game didn’t appear to
speed up for him either as he delivered a strike to second base on
the first attempted theft to get the runner by three steps while
putting an immediate end to the opposition’s running game.
Jordan
Roberts (2016, Euless, Texas) began to make some noise this
summer when reports of a big, hard throwing Texas lefthander surfaced
prior to the 17u WWBA National Championship. Those reports proved to
be true as Roberts worked in the 88-91 mph range and shortly
thereafter committed to the Arizona State.
While
his mechanics were a bit raw at that point of the summer the
6-foot-5, 240-pound Roberts has continued to refine his mechanics and
now shows better fluidity and balance with a deliberate tempo and
measure leg lift to begin his delivery. The stuff the lefthander is
able to produce is just as impressive as his physical build as
Roberts held 90-93 mph on his fastball over his three-plus innings on
the mound all while showing little effort and sound athleticism.
Despite still spinning around a harder front leg at release, Roberts
did a nice job of continuously working on top of the ball from his
high three-quarter arm slot which then allowed for consistent
downhill plane to either side of the plate.
He
proved to have a feel for the running game as well as he’d switch
up his looks out of the stretch and twice picked runners off showing
the comfort to hold his leg lift a little longer or give multiple
looks before driving to the plate. It’s not hard to envision more
velocity on its way for the Texas native as he continues to
incorporate additional lower half, especially considering how easy
the velocity comes to him now. Roberts pitched almost exclusively off
his fastball though he did flash a changeup or two in the upper-70s
that showed some fading life and a curveball between 76 and 79 mph
that served as a chase pitch to elicit swings and misses.
With
the type of resume that outfielder Connor Capel (2016, Katy,
Texas) has amassed throughout his Perfect Game career it’s not too
much of a surprise to see Capel continuing to swing a hot bat just as
he had at the WWBA South Qualifier. A highly athletic University of
Texas commit, Capel has always been able to find the barrel of the
bat from the left side and did so again yesterday putting a couple of
his tools on display at all once. Not only did Capel detect spin out
of the pitcher’s hand but he was able to stay back and then through
his swing as he lined the outer-half curveball into left field for a
two base hit, rounding first in 4.39 seconds.
Miles
Sandum (2016, Apple Valley, Calif.) has a couple of things that
scouts look for in that he’s big, strong, throws hard, and is
lefthanded. He was handed the ball to begin the game for the Marlins
Scout Team and certainly didn’t disappoint as the University of San
Diego commit opened the gates sitting in the 90-93 mph range with his
heater. Showing present strength throughout his long 6-foot-3 frame
Sandum works from a high three-quarters arm slot and uses his length
well to get on top of the ball and generate solid downhill plane. Out
of the stretch Sandum showed a bit more running life the fastball
while still working over his front side with extension out front at
release. He settled into the 88-90 mph range as the innings continued
on but still showed sharpness and late depth to his curveball at
73-74 mph, a pitch that featured 1-to-7 shape.
Markus
Ramos (2017, Ewa Beach, Hawaii) came as far as any prospect in
the entire tournament and though just a junior he impressed in his
couple of innings. Already committed to the University of Oregon,
Ramos came out and sat in the 86-88 mph range with an extended
three-quarter arm action and did a nice job of commanding the zone
with some riding life out of his hand despite his front side opening
early. His curveball was a true swing and miss offering in the
low-70s showing sharp break and big depth to go along with the 12-6
shape and has the potential to develop into one of the better
breaking balls in the 2017 class. While he worked mostly
fastball-changeup, Ramos did flash a changeup at 77 mph to give
hitters a third different look.
There
are certain players who you can go watch and pretty much know what
you’re going to get regardless of who they are playing. Vanderbilt
commit and shortstop Xavier Edwards (2018, Wellington, Fla.)
is one of those players and ranks amongst the top defensive players
in the country in the sophomore class despite not being one of the
biggest or most physical. Full of fast-twitch muscle and highly
athletic instincts Edwards shows loose and balanced actions at
shortstop where his hands are incredibly soft and fielding a ground
ball is second nature. There were a couple of ground balls where
Edwards came charging in to make an on the run throw though it was
the play that he completed to begin a double play turn that stood
out. With a runner on first and a slow chopper up the middle Edwards
came across the middle, gloved the ball and then shoveled it to the
second base with a simple glove flip to get the lead runner.
The
son of St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, Indiana University
bound Jacob Matheny (2016, Weldon Spring, Mo.) put his mark on
the Marlins quad yesterday, literally. Ranked No. 224 in the class of
2016 Matheny was able to turn the barrel through the zone on an inner
half fastball which he drove high and deep to left field, eventually
clanking loudly off the scoreboard.
Righthander
Garrett Acton (2016, Lemont, Ill.) looks to be one of the key
pieces to St. Louis’ 2016 recruiting class and certainly grabbed
the attention of the scouts who were on hand. With a strong and
durable 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame Acton came out working in the 88-91
mph range rather comfortably, touching a 93 with an up tempo
throughout his delivery. Acton uses a short and quick arm action to
help generate solid arm speed and remains balanced through his
delivery helping him fill up the zone with a three-pitch mix. While
he’s able to miss bats on the strength of his fastball and show
riding life up in the zone, Acton frequently mixed in an 11-to-5
curveball in the low-70s and a late fading changeup in the 79-81 mph
range.
– Jheremy
Brown
If
ever a single position player won a game for a team and potentially
saved their playoff chances, it was centerfielder Akil Baddoo
(2016, Conyers, Ga.) for the Braves Scout Team/Ohio Warhawks on
Saturday. Down 1-0 in the third inning to a talented Sandlot Scout
Team and playing without a lot of spark, the Warhawks put a runner on
third base with two outs. Baddoo, spurning traditional baseball
strategy in that situation, bunted up the third base line from the
left side and ran a stunning 3.65 to first base to barely beat the
throw and drive in the runner. With the game still tied in the sixth
inning, Baddoo led off the inning with a booming triple up the
right-center field gap and later scored on a sacrifice fly. It was a
very impressive performance for the Kentucky commit, both in his
athletic combination of speed and strength and in his obvious
enthusiasm for the game. He reminds this scout of a lefthanded
hitting version of another Georgia high school outfielder from about
25 years ago, Rondell White.
The
Warhawks were able to stay in the game and set the stage for Baddoo's
heroics due in part to two innings each of no-hit relief by
righthanders Owen Griffiths (2016, Aiken, S.C.) and Peyton
Henry (Pleasant Grove, Utah). Griffiths, a Clemson commit,
worked in the 90-93 mph range with his fastball with lots of 93's
early. He threw a 75-77 mph curveball that showed hard spin and bite
when he was on top of it and picked up a strikeout with a nice 78 mph
change up. Henry is a primary catcher with the prototypical short
catcher's arm action and came right at hitters with a 91-92 mph
fastball and mixed in an occasional big-breaking 76 mph curve. He
ranks 159th in the PG class rankings but does not presently have a
college commitment.
Sandlot
outfielder Conner Uselton (2017, Oklahoma City, Okla.) is
ranked 13th in the PG 2017 class rankings and the 6-foot-3, 185-pound
righthanded hitter has a very high offensive ceiling. His swing is
loose and low effort with lots of bat speed and he hits relaxed and
calm. Uselton squared the ball up hard twice in three at-bats,
lining a hard single to left centerfield and flying out deep to left
centerfield. He also ran a 4.39 on a ground ball out.
Team
Elite Prime clinched a playoff berth with a game left in pool play
with a 4-0 win over the Royals Scout Team behind the efforts of
lefthander Connor Thomas (2016, Omega, Ga.), who threw six
shutout innings, allowing only three hits and a single walk while
throwing only 68 pitches. Thomas, who is listed at a very optimistic
6-foot, 155-pounds, is the type of pitcher who won't excite pro
scouts out of high school but will win a significant number of games
at Georgia Tech, where he's committed. He touched 90 mph early and
worked at 87-88 mph much of the game, with most of those fastballs at
the knees. The southpaw liberally mixed a high quality slider that
got up to 83 mph early and spotted that hard biting pitch very well
in the same lower quadrants of the zone.
After
watching a couple of power-armed relievers in previous time slot
watching Braves Scout Team/Ohio Warhawks, the radar guns sparked
again at the conclusion of this contest. Team Elite brought out
6-foot-3, 220-pound righthander Austin Franklin (2016, Laurel
Hills, Fla.) to close and he did so effectively with a 91-93 mph
fastball and a hard breaking upper-70s curveball. Franklin is a
Samford commit.
I
watched Team Elite shortstop Nolan Jones (2016, Langhorne,
Pa.) play all over the country this past summer, which concluded for
Jones at the Perfect Game All-American Classic. I hardly recognized
him on Saturday. The Virginia commit has added what looks to be 15
pounds of muscle to his long 6-foot-4 frame and is now listed at 200
pounds. That extra strength is really going to help the lefthanded
hitting Jones at the plate and he had a nice game Saturday, driving
in one of the Team Elite runs with a firm single up the middle.
A
tip of the PG cap goes out to Chattanooga Cyclones shortstop Cade
Evans (2017, Hixson, Tenn.). The Cyclones had no problem scoring
runs during their four games of pool play that concluded Saturday,
putting 22 runs on the board. Unfortunately, they allowed 27 and
finished with a 1-3 record. Evans, a switch-hitter who batted
leadoff, went an eye-opening 10-for-14 at the plate with five stolen
bases and five runs scored. As of 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, those 10
hits were four more than any other player in the tournament.
Marucci
Elite righthander Easton McGee
(2016, Hopkinsville, Ky.) is a veteran of summer/fall circuit and
I've seen him pitch numerous times in the past three years and he
always seems to save his best efforts for Jupiter. That was certainly
the case last night as the Kentucky commit threw a complete game
five-hit shutout in 5-0 Marucci win over the South Charlotte
Panthers. The 6-foot-6 McGee topped out at 93 mph early and was still
at 90 mph on his 100th and last pitch of the game. He threw
80-percent fastballs, mixing in an occasional slider and curveball,
and was in complete command the entire game. If he repeats that type
of raw stuff and endurance during the spring high school season, his
stock could shoot up the draft charts with his athleticism and
projectability.
Jupiter
Trivia: In 2014 there were 199 pitchers who threw 90 mph or more at
the WWBA World Championships. Through the end of play on Saturday,
165 pitchers had reached that mark, putting the 2014 standard well
within reach with a day and a half of action left.
– David
Rawnsley
Righthanded
pitcher Charles King (2016, Coppell, Texas) enjoyed a
successful summer, including appearances at both PG National as well
as the PG All American Classic. Unlike most of the arms, King has
seemingly gotten stronger as we reach into late October, and that was
on display early Saturday. King started out very strong, working
93-94 with consistency and scraping 95, all from a loose and extended
three-quarters slot. The arm action is clean through take back into
the arm circle, and very quick through release, showcasing plus arm
speed. The looseness of the arm, when combined with his projectable
body and arm speed, certainly suggests that there is even more
velocity remaining in his future. He mixed in a shorter, quality
slider that can flatten out some, in addition to turning over a few
well-placed changeups in the mid-80s.
2017
lefthanded pitcher Dylan Gentry (Danielsville, Georgia)
opposed King’s Dallas Tigers team, and the underclassman lefthander
and University of Georgia commit showed both impressive present stuff
and an overall high ceiling. Gentry, standing 6-foot-2, 190 pounds,
is broad-shouldered with good present build throughout his body but
projects to continue getting stronger as well. Gentry generates
excellent plane to both sides of the plate by getting on top of the
ball from a high three quarters slot and driving downhill well,
despite slight horizontal trunk tilt, and really gets online with his
hips and shoulders. The delivery is clean with only mild effort, and
the overall mechanical profile is impressive. He worked in the 86-89
mph range with his fastball and certainly projects for more.
The
Ohio-based Midland Redkins took on the PRBAHS team out of Puerto
Rico, in an entertaining game featuring plenty of Division I caliber
talent. Outfielder Francisco Del Valle (2016, Santa Isabel,
Puerto Rico) showed off plus raw power potential with a short,
powerful lefthanded stroke that creates strength off the barrel with
very good backspin. He’s well built and physically strong, built
for an outfield corner with the ability to hit for both power and
average.
Outfielder
Nick O’Day (2018, Coatesville, Pa.) is highly ranked in the
2018 class, and for very good reason. He has highly advanced bat
speed with a clean, leveraged path, and has a case for some of the
best righthanded raw power in his class. O’Day’s teammate,
shortstop Cal Conley (2018, Loveland, Ohio), is a very
quick0twitch athlete with quality defensive actions and leftside
infield projection. He’s a switch hitter with feel for the barrel
from both sides of the plate, and more than enough arm to continue
profiling at the shortstop position.
Elite
Squad Prime is absolutely loaded top to bottom, making them the pick
of some to win this year’s WWBA World Championship. They’ve
cruised through pool play so far, on the backs of outstanding
pitching and a lineup that just won’t quit.
Catcher
Michael Amditas (2016, Boca Raton, Fla.) is a highly cerebral,
intelligent player with game-managing abilities behind the plate to
go along with professional projection in both his bat and glove.
Shortstop Colton Welker (2016, Coral Springs, Fla.) may
project best to third base at the professional level, but you’d be
hard pressed to find a safer bet amongst the prep bats in the 2016
class. He projects to at least major league average both with his hit
tool as well as defensively at third base, giving him potential high
round potential in the draft.
Righthanded
pitcher Evan McKendry (2016, Pembroke Pines, Fla.) started
this game for Elite Squad, and was as impressive as this scout has
ever seen him. With a clean, fast arm action that generates lots of
plane, he stays on balance and online through his delivery and
repeats it well. He came out sitting 91-92 with his fastball, showing
control of the pitch within the strike zone as well as some command
to both sides of the plate, complete with quality arm side life. His
favorite secondary pitch was a hard, tight slider in the low-80s.
It’s a bit shorter than a traditional slider, but the spin is very
tight and he gets two-plane tilt with the pitch. He showed feel to
spin a curveball as well in the low- to mid-70s, and the pitch got
better as the game wore on, with good depth and that same ability to
generate spin. He mixed in the occasional changeup, mimicking his
fastball arm speed well and getting some fading action when he really
pronated the release.
Righthanded
pitcher Anthony Molina (2016, Pembroke Pines, Fla.) came on in
relief, and showed quite differently than he has in the past. He’s
now throwing from a very low slot, very nearly sidearm, though
maintaining the low-90s fastball velocity and solid arm side life
that has endeared him to scouts for several years now.
Third
baseman Rylan Thomas (2016, Winter Garden, Fla.) is one of the
more physical players on the field whenever he steps onto it, and
he’s usually one of the players with the best bat speed on those
fields as well. He went 100-plus mph off the bat on a hard single to
left field, then showed his advanced barrel control by keeping the
barrel in the hitting zone just long enough on a fading changeup to
hook it down the left field line for a double.
Fellow
third baseman Joe Skinner (2016, Heathrow, Fla.) is a plus
runner with a large, still-projectable frame, and the lefthanded
hitting third baseman has begun to show flashes of all five tools,
making him extremely intriguing to follow into the spring and
eventually the draft in June.
Outfielder
Anthony Gonnella (2016, Riverview, Fla.) is playing for FTB
Mizuno in this event, and the still-uncommitted physical specimen is
showing big time thunder in his bat to go along with projectable
defense either at third base or in an outfield corner. He launched a
towering, deep fly ball 101 mph off the bat in Saturday’s action
that carried all the way to the batter’s eye in centerfield,
clocking a hang time of 6.34 seconds, and really making scouts drool
over the type of power he can create.
– Brian
Sakowski