2015
WWBA Underclass World Championship: Day 1 Notes
| Day 2 Notes | Day 3 Notes
Elijah
Gill (2017, Jacksonville, Fla.) pitched well for Elite Squad
Underclass Prime in the opening time slot of the action at the 5-Plex
in Fort Myers on Sunday morning. Gill, a UCF commit, is a primary
outfielder, but he sat in the 82-86 mph with his fastball. The
6-foot-1, 185-pound southpaw has a simple, repeatable delivery and he
works to a high three-quarters arm slot. His arm stroke is clean and
compact and he hides the ball pretty well throughout his delivery,
which helps the offering play up. When the heater is located down in
the zone, it shows some natural tailing life and was difficult for
hitters to consistently barrel the ball and make consistent contact.
Gill showed solid feel for his changeup, a fading offering in the
upper-70s that is deceptive in part due to a very similar arm action
and arm speed as his fastball.
Finally,
Gill flashed a low-70s curveball with some sweeping depth that
flashed some potential when he was able to get extended and release
the offering out in front. He’ll need to locate his fastball down
in zone consistently to be successful on the mound, but he certainly
has the athleticism and ingredients to pitch at the next level.
Dylan
Gentry (2017, Danielsville, Ga.), another 6-foot-1 southpaw, toed
the slab on Sunday for Team Elite Prime 17u. Gentry, a University of
Georgia commit, is currenly the 187th ranked player in the class of
2017. He also hides the ball well throughout his delivery and has a
medium, clean arm stroke that comes through the path quickly. He
reached 88 mph with his heater in the early going, settling into a
more comfortable velocity band of 84-87 mph in the middle innings of
his outing. He also showed quality feel for his curveball. While the
offering can sometimes be seen a bit early out of the hand, the
breaking ball has impressive depth and power finish with 1-to-7
break.
Tyler
Keenan (2017, Clayton, N.C.) was another key cog of the Team
Elite Prime 17u squad that fought off a scrappy Chain National 16u
team before bowing out to Marucci Elite. Keenan has impressive
strength in his imposing 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame. The uncommitted
corner infielder has serious raw power potential, and he’s tapped
into his power a number of times over the course of the summer,
excelling at both the BCS and WWBA tournaments earlier this year. On
Sunday, Keenan again displayed some of his bat speed and ability to
impact the baseball, comfortably turning on pitches located on the
inner half. At times Keenan can get a bit too pull-heavy in his
approach, but with his strength and bat speed he’s able to hit the
ball hard enough to muscle balls that he’s not able to hit off of
the barrel into the outfield for base hits anyway.
Kameron
Ojeda (2018, La Mirada, Calif.) has solid potential on both sides
of the ball. The 6-foot, 170-pound catcher withheld the heat and
humidity that Fort Myers had to offer on Sunday, catching three games
and helping the Placentia Mustangs make a deep run in the playoffs
before losing in the last time slot on Sunday evening. Ojeda is
athletic and moves well laterally with solid blocking skills. At the
plate he shows some upside from the left side. Starting with a narrow
base and even foot set, Ojeda has his hands close to his body but
gets them loaded on time and in a good position to attack the
baseball. He maintains good balance throughout his swing mechanics,
and he displayed an impressive ability to track off-speed offerings
out of the opposing pitchers’ hand for just a sophomore. When he
was able to get a pitch that he could hit, Ojeda flashed solid bat
speed and natural loft in his slightly uphill swing path, driving an
elevated fastball to deep right field for a double. The uncommitted
catcher is certainly a player worth keeping an eye on in the coming
years.
Donovan
Benoit (2017, Pensacola, Fla.) was a Junior National Showcase
participant in June and the 6-foot-4, 188-pound athlete flashed some
of his impressive tools again on Sunday. The Tennessee commit
displayed big arm speed from the mound, coming in out of the bullpen
and running his fastball up to 90 mph. Benoit shows good arm speed
coming through to his high three-quarters arm slot and he’s able to
generate considerable downhill plane. When he located his heater in
the bottom half of the strike zone, it was particularly difficult for
opposing hitters to do anything with. Benoit also showcased solid
hitting tools over the course of the Scorpions South 2017’s three
games on Sunday. Benoit has a short, efficient swing for such a lanky
player, and he generates solid bat speed in his line drive swing
plane. He hit a number of balls hard and also showed an ability hit
to the entire field with authority. He’s an interesting two-way
talent that will be fun to watch develop.
Raymond
Gil (2017, Miami, Fla.) was also a Junior National Showcase
participant that hit a number of balls hard on Sunday. Gil, a Miami
commit, is a sturdily-built 6-foot-1, 200-pounds third baseman that
is ranked as the 96th overall player in the class. Gil stays very
quiet at the plate with impressive balance and an ability to keep his
hands back on tough breaking balls and off-speed pitches. When he
sees a pitch that he likes, Gil attacks the ball aggressively with
good bat speed and a notable ability to whip the barrel with
authority. When everything is on time and in sync, Gil can really put
a charge into the ball, as he did when he drove a ball to deep center
field that just caromed off of the fielder’s glove for a double.
Fellow
Marucci Elite infielders, Taylor Young (2017, Calhoun, La.)
and Gabriel Holt (2017, Bonaire, Ga.) are also solid players
that are fun to watch play. Holt, a Winthrop commit and the 75th
ranked player in the class, has an impressive array of tools with
plus speed and good range and actions at shortstop. Young, currently
uncommitted, is also a very good defender of his own, and he made a
number of solid plays to both his left and right while patrolling
second base.
Ryan
Sublette (2017, Lemont, Ill.) toed the rubber for Elite Baseball
Training Chicago 2017 in front of a number of college coaches on
Sunday evening. The uncommitted righthander should have his fair
share of suitors after a strong performance. The 6-foot-2,
190-pounder has an athletic frame and good pitcher’s build with
long arms, sloped shoulders and some more room to fill out. Sublette
has solid athleticism, body control, and arm speed and he works to a
high three-quarters arm slot with a medium, compact arm action.
Running his fastball up to 89 mph, and sitting in the 85-87 mph
range, Sublette was able to induce weaker contact when he kept the
pitch down in the strike zone, which he did well enough in the early
innings.
At
times Sublette struggled to repeat his delivery, specifically having
some inconsistencies with foot strike and getting lower and upper
halves out of sync. Sublette also flashed a 69-75 mph curveball with
varied 12-to-6 to 11-to-5 shape. While the tightness and bite of the
breaking ball also varied, the pitch has real potential with the
righty snapping off a number of quality offerings with good finish
and late downer depth.
A
number of other righthanded pitchers also impressed on Sunday. Lyon
Richardson (2018, Jensen Beach, Fla.) came out of the bullpen for
Chain National 16u and ran his fastball up to 87 mph, sitting in the
84-86 mph range for most of his brief stint. He has some deception in
his delivery with later hand separation and a slight pause, which
help the offering play up even further.
Chain
National 16u’s starting pitcher, Boyce Kobluer (2018, Perry,
Ga.), didn’t flash quite the same velocity, working in the 80-83
mph with his heater, but he showed quality feel for his slider. The
slender 6-foot-1, 155-pound sophomore righty used the mid-70s
breaking ball with great success, and the offering flashed quality
two-plane depth, tight rotation, and late glove-side finish.
Blake
Baker (2017, Clermont, Fla.) came on in relief for FTB55 Elite
and the 6-foot-3, 185-pound righthanded pitcher displayed a quick arm
and some quality fastball velocity, working in the 86-88 mph range,
and topping out at 89 mph with his fastball. He has a slender build
with plenty of room to fill out, and if he uses his lower half more
consistently in his delivery he could see even more velocity in the
next few years.
– Andrew
Krause
The
seeding process left two of the most successful programs of the last
decade matched up against each other in the 8:30 a.m. game at
Clemente Field. If the Dirtbags 17's vs. Scorpions 2017 Prime
matchup had been in the finals instead it would be have been an
instant classic, as the Scorpions emerged with a 3-2 victory in nine
innings.
Catcher/third
baseman Brady Smith (2017, Niceville, Fla.), a Florida commit
and the No. 152 ranked player in the PG class rankings, was
unquestionably the star of the game for the Scorpions. A righthanded
hitter with a short and very quick swing, Smith doubled hard up the
left-center field gap but was left stranded. In the bottom of the
sixth with the Scorpions down 2-0, he doubled down the right field
line to plate a pair of runs and tie the game. In the bottom of the
ninth under the tie-breaker rules, Smith's check swing single plated
the winning run.
Smith's
teammate, shortstop Chris Seise (2017, Winter Garden, Fla.) is
one of the most projectable position players one is likely to see.
He has a very loose and live 6-foot-3, 175-pound build with a smooth
athletic grace to all his actions. Seise was especially impressive
on defense Sunday, turning a couple of double plays with flair and
skill, including one where he barehanded the feed from the second
baseman and whipped it to first base in one motion with the runner
bearing down on him. At the plate, Seise is a switch-hitter with
much more advanced bat speed and barrel skills from the right side of
the plate.
Righthander
Jack Leftwich (2017, Maitland, Fla.) was outstanding in relief
for the Scorpions, throwing three hitless innings, striking out five
and easily pitching out of two tie breaker innings. The uncommitted
junior worked in the 86-89 mph area with a long and loose arm action
and plenty of downhill angle from a high three-quarters arm slot.
His 73 mph curveball was an effective secondary pitch with good
depth.
The
Dirtbags reliever, righthander Jacob Brown (2017,
McLeansville, N.C.) was just as impressive in taking the loss,
working in the same 86-89 mph vein with very good life and
complimenting his fastball with a sharp upper-70s slider and a rare
but nice changeup. Brown, like Leftwich, does not have a college
commitment per the PG database.
Richmond
Braves righthander Conner Nurse (2017, Charles Town, W.Va.) is
listed at 6-foot-5, 190-pounds but that measurement appears to leave
off about two inches of his long legs. He's not only extra tall but
has a young look to him as well. Nurse throws from a busy windup
with a big side step start that needs to be simplified, as he not
surprisingly had better command with no drop in raw stuff from the
stretch. He has a compact arm action in back that hides the ball
very effectively and makes his fastball velocity, which was 86-89
mph, touching 90 in this outing, play up for hitters. He flashed
some depth on a mid-70s slurve but mostly pitched with his fastball.
It's easy to imagine Nurse as a high velocity righthander once he
physically matures.
Florida
Burn infielder Alex Arauz (2017, Sarasota, Fla.) has received
plenty of attention from college coaches this week as an uncommitted
junior. He's played all over the infield for the Burn and was the
starting shortstop for the powerhouse Sarasota High School team as a
sophomore, a rarity at that program. Arauz' best tool is his
righthanded bat. He has a fluid swing with very good extension
through contact and lots of present bat speed with more to come.
– David
Rawnsley
It
may have been a consolation game but righthander and University of
Georgia commit Cole Wilcox (2018, Chickamauga, Ga.) came out
attacking the zone, showing some of the better stuff on the mound
that I’ve seen all weekend. A durable 6-foot-4, 200-pound
sophomore, Wilcox is only going to continue to get stronger which is
scary to think about given the fact he opened the first inning
sitting at 89-90 mph and bumped a 91 then proceeded to work
comfortably in the 87-89 mph range for the next couple of innings.
Ranked as the 32nd best prospect in the entire 2018 class,
Wilcox joins several other arms from the state of Georgia to form
what has the potential to be an impact crop of arms.
His
front side opens early when driving to the plate but he does a nice
job of staying online with his upper body and works on top of the
ball, creating subsequent downhill plane with late and hard sinking
life. As you could imagine Wilcox proved to be a difficult at-bat to
square up even if he didn’t have the late sink as he lived in the
bottom of the strike zone and was able to induced steady ground ball
contact and swings and misses with both of his offerings. To
complement his fastball the future Bulldog showed a hard and powerful
slider up to 81 mph with late tilt from the same short and fast arm
action giving him a quality 1-2 punch with which he could miss bats.
A
recent commit to the University of Louisville, young lefthander
Carter Lohman (2018, Fishers, Ind.) made an impression over
his quick appearance, something he’s continued to do since the
summer tournament season. Listed at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, Lohman has
a young and very projectable build with long, lean limbs and solid
room to fill out over the next couple of years. With nice balance
through his delivery and a measured leg lift, Lohman showed a short
and quick arm action that produced an easy 82-85 mph fastball
featuring late and subtle life to his arm side. He does a nice job of
repeating his arm action through the back and creates angle from the
first base side and mixed in both a curveball and changeup from the
same release point.
While
he’s able to stay off barrels with his fastball life Lohman showed
tight rotation on his 1-to-7 breaking ball with short bite though
it’s his changeup that has the potential to be one of the best in
his class. Thrown rather firm at 78-79 mph, the pitch shows similar
life to his fastball which as to the deception, maintaining his arm
speed very well on the pitch while turning it over.
There
are certain arms who show very consistent from start to start and
second baseman Alec Sanchez (2018, Jacksonville, Fla.) is
similar in the sense that he squares up at least one to two balls a
game and seems to find the barrel more often than not from the left
side. Yesterday afternoon was no exception for the Florida State
commit as he turned on an inner half fastball to his pull side gap
for a standup double, plating two runs. He employs a high leg lift
trigger which serves as a timing mechanism and never disrupts his
timing, evidenced by the consistent barrel feel and ability to put
the ball in play.
Logan
Allen (2017, Deltona, Fla.) won’t be the biggest player listed
on a roster but the Alabama State commit doesn’t need to be as his
feel on the mound is as good as any pitcher in attendance this
tournament. At 5-foot-11 Allen showed an excellent feel for the
strike zone, evidenced by the opposing team having to wait until
about their fifth inning to pick up their first base hit. He sat
comfortably in the 84-86 mph range with his fastball from a short and
quick arm action with very strong command to either side of the
plate.
Allen
was able to take some off the fastball with intent and frequently
lived in the lower quadrants of the strike zone, only going up in the
zone to change the hitter’s eye level and get a swing and miss.
While moving the fastball throughout the zone with ease Allen also
showed a nice breaking ball in the low-70s and complemented both with
a changeup that peaked in the upper-70s coming out of the same arm
chute.
Altoon
Coleman (2017, Sanford, Fla.) again showed why he’s one of the
top righthanded arms in the 2017 class as he cruised through five
innings of work in the playoffs and showed the same quality stuff
that he seems to show every start. Committed to Florida State
University, Coleman came out and worked in the 88-91 mph range,
bumping 92 while showing a short and easy arm stroke through the
backside. With the ability to work to either side of the late while
showing arm-side run, Coleman allowed just a single hit over his five
innings while strike out eight. With a strong and broad shouldered
6-foot-2 frame Coleman did a nice job of mixing in his mid-70s slider
for strikes, a pitch that has continued to evolve as a go to offering
since the summer time. And while he usually pitches off his fastball
and goes to his slider when he needs to either finish a batter or
escape a jam, Coleman flashed a changeup at 80 mph yesterday, giving
him a third pitch moving forward.
Blaze
Alexander (2018, Cape Coral, Fla.) is a young 6-foot, 160-pound
infielder who has shown high level arm strength over FTB Black’s
first six games which will allow him to stay on the left side of the
infield at the next level. And while the arm strength stands out the
righthanded swing played yesterday as well and the bat speed projects
nicely for the Bishop Verot sophomore as he continues to physically
develop. Showing a handle for the head of the barrel Alexander got
extended and went with an outer half fastball which he deposited into
the right-center field gap for a standup double then went that way
again in his next trip to the plate to collect a single.
Jonathan
Gates (2018, Brooksville, Fla.) was featured in the recap earlier
in the tournament for his exploits with the bat despite being a
primary lefthanded pitcher and yesterday he took the mound, showing
true two-way potential at the next level.
One
of the top lefthanded pitchers in the entire 2018 class, you only
need about an inning to see what the uncommitted Gates is all about
on the mound and what makes him such a commodity amongst college
coaches. Listed at 6-foot-2, 170-pounds Gates obviously projects
physically and will continue to fill out over the next couple of
years of his school, though his stuff already stands out. Along with
arguably some of the best pitchability for a pitch his age, Gates
also showed some of the best fastball command as he was able to
repeatedly pound his 84-87 mph to his glove side with an equal amount
of comfort going to his arm side.
His
delivery is very balanced with steady tempo throughout and he works
with a short arm action through the back before driving to the plate
and filling up the strike zone. To exemplify the type of feel he has
for his overall stuff Gates is able to manipulate the ball and create
a distinct difference in terms of life and velocity on his breaking
ball showing hitters both a curveball and a slider, each for strikes.
His
slider is the more advanced of his two off-speed pitches at present
and on more than occasion he successfully back doored it to a
righthanded hitter showing solid command of the 76-78 mph offering.
Gates does a nice job of maintaining his arm slot on his curveball
just as he does his slider and shows more depth on the 1-to-7 shaped
73-75 mph breaker, giving him three pitches that can be thrown for
strikes in any count at any time.
Grant
Lavigne (2018, Bedford, N.H.) has been making noise with his big
lefthanded stick ever since the summer time and not much as change as
the young New Hampshire native continues to draw in college coaches
from all over the country. Listed at 6-foot-3, 215-pounds Lavigne dug
right in against Wilcox and twice barreled the ball up for hard and
loud contact. He did a nice job of staying balanced in each of his
two at-bats as he showed rhythm and incorporates his strength well to
create standout bat speed. In his first trip to the plate Lavigne
collected a ground ball single up the middle then proceeded to turn
on a fastball his second trip that he squared up and gave the first
baseman little time to react, reaching base for the second time on
the day.
Bryce
Reagan (2018, Amherst, N.H.) is another young and very
interesting player from the Granite State and recently made his
verbal commitment to Virginia Tech roughly one month ago. Listed as a
switch-hitter, Reagan took his reps from the left side as he faced
Wilcox and put a couple of quality swings on the ball, coming away
with a single. With two at-bats, Reagan’s swing that resulted in an
F9 was impressive as he shifted his weight well and showed fluidity
and leverage at contact and just missed squaring up the ball to his
pull side. With a projectable 6-foot-1 build Reagan put his defensive
chops on display with two different plays, the first of which showed
his foot speed and athleticism as he came charging in on a difficult
play and just narrowly missed getting the runner at first base. With
runners on first and third Reagan showed off his reactions as he made
a diving snare down the line on a hard hit ball that looked like
extra bases and a couple of runners driven in instead of the lone run
that came across the plate.
He
may not stand out physically but shortstop Jaylon Dyer (2017,
Horn Lake, Miss.) will grab your attention with the athleticism and
fast-twitch muscle throughout his 5-foot-7 frame. Situated at the top
of Marucci Baseball’s lineup Dyer showed a short and quick hand
path to the ball, exhibiting some bat speed and is able to really put
the pressure on the defense with his straight line speed. That same
speed translates defensively with his footwork and actions as he
moves freely and possesses big time arm strength across the diamond
which helps him make the long throw on the play deep in the hole.
– Jheremy
Brown
Playoff
day at CenturyLink Sports Complex, spring training home of the
Minnesota Twins, was a high profile, high emotion day with many close
games and even better pitching matchups.
Brandon
Knarr
(2017, York, Pa.) started for US Elite 17’s in their matchup with
Tri-State Arsenal, and while Knarr didn’t get the results he
wanted, the Notre Dame commit showed why he’s certainly a quality
Division 1 talent. Working 85-86 and touching 87 with good life,
Knarr’s fastball is a quality pitch that he can deliver to both
sides of the plate with angle and plane. He mixes in a 1-to-7 shaped
curveball and a shorter, harder slider to give varying looks to
hitters.
Opposing
Knarr was Brandon Neeck (2018, Chappaqua, N.Y.), a loose and
projectable lefthander who was up to 83 on this day with excellent
extension through release. The looseness and easiness of his arm,
when combined with the projection of his body, certainly speak to the
potential for serious velocity gains in the future.
Adam
Holland (2017, Erial, N.J.) hits leadoff and plays center field
for Tri-State, and the uncommitted junior was impressive in both
spots across all three games that the Arsenal played on Sunday. He
takes clean, direct routes in the outfield and has the above average
speed necessary to track down balls in the gaps, like any good
centerfielder should. He’s very compact and quick at the plate,
with a swing built for hard contact that shows off his gap-to-gap
power. He has the tools needed to hit at the top of a collegiate
lineup for years to come.
Brian
Morrell (2017, Wading River, N.Y.) came on in relief of Knarr,
and quickly impressed with his athleticism on the mound, as well as
his obvious arm strength. He worked 88-90 early but couldn't quite
harness it like he wanted to, so he backed off to more 86-88 and
found significantly more success. He liked to elevate the fastball to
gets swings and misses, and he certainly fits the profile of a future
power reliever for the Fighting Irish.
In
the 10:45 a.m. time slot, the world-renowned East Cobb Astros 16u
took on the Easton Rockets in a playoff matchup. James
Marinan
(2017, Boynton Beach, Fla.) was absolutely explosive in his first
couple innings, shutting down the Astros by working 87-90 to both
sides of the plate with heavy, bowling ball sinking action on his
fastball. The University of Miami commitment is cut from the ideal
“future power righthander” mold, standing 6-foot-4 inches tall
and weighing in at 210-pounds, with the type of durable frame that
will be able to hold up over lots of innings. The arm works well
despite a mild hook in the back of his arm circle, and when
consistently on top of his stuff, he showed three very solid
offerings with the potential command profile of a high quality
weekend starter.
Lefthander
Kevin Dowdell (2018, Montevallo, Ala.) is a primary outfielder
with big time quick twitch athleticism, but he also projects as a
potential two-way player at the collegiate level due to his upside on
the mound. He runs his four seam fastball up to 87 mph from the left
side, but seems to prefer working with his heavy, sinking two seam
fastball in the 82-84 mph range. He mixes in a slider in the low-70s
with good spin and shape, but the primary out pitch is his dynamic
splitter. Thrown in the 75-77 range, the splitter has outstanding
tumbling action with deception and velocity differential from his
fastball. The pitch, when turned over well, absolutely falls off the
table at the plate, generating lots of swings and misses from both
righthander and lefthanded hitters.
Cal
Conley (2018, Loveland, Ohio) is one of the best defensive
shortstops in his class, and he put those defensive tools on display
for the Midland Redskins on Sunday. He’s very athletic with the
quick-twitch actions needed to stay at the position long term to go
along with excellent range to both sides and an above average arm
that projects to get even stronger. He’s a switch hitter with
projectable hitting tools from both sides, staying on plane well in
his swing with consistent barrel control. He’s more gap-to-gap
right now with good contact skills, but as he continues to fill out
his 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame, he’ll certainly add some more
power.
Jordon
Adell (2017, Louisville, Ky.) has been well documented in these
recaps, as the toolsy junior outfielder has a case for being the
highest upside player in the entire class. He’s always been known
for high-level bat speed, raw power, physicality, and arm strength,
but in Sunday’s games he seemed to start taking a step forward in
terms of approach and pitch recognition. He worked several walks
throughout the three games EvoShield played, and by doing so he
endeared this scout even more to his skillset. He laid off tough
borderline pitches, didn't chase breaking balls down and out of the
zone, and overall seemed more comfortable in his approach at the
plate. As he continues to refine his approach and become a more
selective hitter, the closer he gets to his tremendous ceiling as a
power/speed outfielder.
Adell’s
EvoShield Canes teammate Noah Campbell, a 2017 prospect from
Durham, N.C., hits leadoff for the Canes, and shows more power than
you’d expect from a leadoff hitter. He can backspin balls into the
gaps from both sides of the plate, generating lots of torque via
separation in his swing, and then puts his plus speed into play by
turning would-be doubles into triples. He’s committed to South
Carolina and will almost assuredly play early once he gets on campus.
In
the final time slot of the day, the Evoshield Canes and Tri-State
Arsenal met in a heavyweight matchup for the right to make it to the
elite 8 on Monday morning. Evoshield prevailed 4-2, but it was a back
and forth game the whole way.
One
of the most highly ranked players in attendance, D.L. Hall
(2017, Warner Robbins, Ga.) took the mound for Tri-State, and while
he ended up on the losing side, it was very apparent very early what
makes the Florida State commit so highly regarded. His arm speed
immediately stands out, and when the first pitch of the game is 93
mph from an underclassman lefthander, people stand up and take
notice. He worked consistently in the 87-91 range with his fastball
before tiring a bit in the late innings, but also consistently missed
bats with the pitch, especially when commanded down in the zone. His
curveball projects to plus already, with tons of depth with
professional quality spin and tightness. The arm is loose and highly
projectable, and while he cuts off some by landing with a closed toe
resulting in crossfire, the arm is fast enough for him to still be
able to get to the glove side with his fastball.
– Brian
Sakowski