2018 righthander Justin Parish (Dacula, Ga.) impressed with a long, loose arm action for Signature Park. Parish offers good size and projection at 6-foot-2, 170-pounds with long limbs and plenty of room to continue to fill out. He landed online and used a crossfire element with a low effort finish through the ball. Parish worked with a 80-82 mph fastball with arm side life, but what stood out with him was his feel to spin. Parish utilized an 11-to-5 shaped curveball with good depth and very tight spin he worked over for strikes. He repeated the pitch from the same slot and replicated arm speed at 72 mph. It worked as a swing and miss offering with two strikes, but he was not afraid to throw it in any count.
2019 outfielder/righthanded pitcher Mikade Johnson (Dallas, Ga.) projects incredibly well on the mound at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds with the athleticism of a primary outfielder on the mound. Johnson worked 80-83 mph and topped out at 84 mph with arm-side life. There was a crossfire element that aided his deception working over a stiff front leg on the mound. It was a very short stride to the plate with low effort. Showed a medium arm action through the back with a slight hook through the back of his arm circle. Johnson filed the zone and could see his fastball velocity improve with additional lower half drive to the plate.
2017 catcher Paul McIntosh (Miami Gardnes, Fla.) showed a very imposing physical frame behind the plate for the Triton Rays. Catching the majority of their games, McIntosh impressed behind the plate with a strong arm. He turned in routine warmup pops between 1.92-2.00 and a 2.03 time in game. The ball comes out clean from the hand with carry to the bag and impressive accuracy. At the plate he utilizes an approached based on power. McIntosh will not be cheated in any count, swinging with intent to drive the ball with a long swing through the zone. When he makes contact there is loud impact off the barrel. His swing worked up through the zone with easy to envision power potential.
2017 righthander Daniel Alperi (Davidson, N.C.), already an Air Force commit, Alperi showed a quick, compact arm action on the mound with an online delivery. Challenged hitters up in the zone consistently with his 83-86 mph fastball that topped out at 87 mph showing arm side life. He showed clean glove side mechanics and was very balanced throwing from a three-quarters arm slot. He loads up on his back leg for his weight shift before coming down the mound well, staying tall through his backside. He was very aggressive around the zone, challenging up with his fastball and then working off of his curveball. Alperi showed an 11-to-5 shaped curveball with good depth on the mound and worked it over for strikes with tight spin at 70 mph. The pitch was a strong offering from a similar arm slot that kept hitters off balance. Consistency at release was one problem for Alperi as he worked with a variety of release points, but remained effective. It did not hamper his command as he threw over 66 percent of his pitches for strikes. He struck out an impressive 15 batters over six shutout innings for the Charlotte Stealth.
A pair of talented arms pitched for the Alabama Spartans in their opening night game and then again later over the course of the weekend. 2017 righthander Parker Henson (Decatur, Ala.) took the mound first for the Spartans and fired two strong innings. He utilized a two-pitch mix on the mound with a short, compact arm action. He had trouble repeating his mechanics, but worked around the zone enough in his start. His fastball worked 83-85 mph and touched 86 mph, but what was more impressive was his slider. He spun a hard, 10-to-4 shaped slider, flashing tilt at 74 mph with impressive replicated arm speed. The pitch is ahead of his fastball at present and offers a swing-and-miss pitch in a shorter stint. He used a very up-tempo delivery with a fast arm.
Backing him up out of the pen for the Spartans was 2017 second baseman/righthanded pitcher Dylan Murphy (Madison, Ala.). Though playing on the right side of the infield, Murphy certainly has the arm for the left side as he worked his fastball 83-86 mph the first night and on Sunday topped out at 88 mph. His fastball worked mostly true, but used it effectively and held that velocity. Murphy threw from an extended three-quarters arm slot with a compact motion through the back. He landed open down the mound with a crossfire element and kept hitters off balance with a three-pitch combo including a changeup and curveball. The curveball worked as a get-me-over type offering with depth at 75 mph and 11-to-5 shape, slowing his arm slightly. The better of the two off-speed pitches was his changeup thrown at 77 mph with fade to the lower part of the zone. He worked all three well showing good feel for sequencing on the mound.
Another Spartans’ arm that impressed on the mound was South Alabama commit, 2017 righthander Jake Christa (Owens Cross Roads, Ala.). Christa is a very physical 6-foot-4, 225-pounds with physicality and strength throughout his frame. He created good deception on the mound with a crossfire element and hid the ball well. Showed a longer, loose arm action through the back that allows for additional velocity projection with his present size. His fastball worked 84-87 mph and topped out at 88 mph and was aggressive with it inside on hitters. He threw a 10-to-4 slider as well, slowing his arm slightly, but with developing feel for spin. The pitch was a good complement to his fastball working hard inside on lefthanded hitters. Christa generated average extension down the mound but worked through the ball well and stayed on top of his fastball. He pitched very efficiently on the mound against a tough Upstate Mavericks Black team, holding their lineup to only one run while striking out eight batters over seven innings. More impressively, he got 13 swings and misses between his fastball and slider.
2017 shortstop Daniel Harris IV (Stone Mountain, Ga.) showed impressive defensive actions up the middle for CBA Georgia all throughout the weekend. He ranges very well with a quick release and strong arm across the infield. What makes his actions so smooth is his internal clock, with ability to read the batter out of the box and not rush himself through receiving the ball and throwing. He was accurate to the bag with little to no effort and showed good footwork around the bag. At the plate, he showed ability to impact the ball off the barrel with a linear swing plane. He showed some hand speed through the zone with a slash and dash approach at the plate letting his speed come into effect.
Starting that first game for CBA and then coming into the game in relief for their semifinal matchup was 2017 righthander Louis Davenport III (Tucker, Ga.). Davenport has a very lean, slender frame on the mound listed at 6-foot-1, 170 pounds with room to continue to fill out and add some good strength to his frame. He utilized a very long arm action in the back with a soft stab at the end of his arm circle. It was very quick through the action through, working downhill with a short stride to the plate. He landed slightly open on a stiff front leg. His fastball worked 83-85 mph and touched 86 mph. The pitch showed good plane to the lower third of the zone when he stayed on top, but straightened out some up in the zone. He showed ability to spin the ball as well with a 11-to-5 shaped slider at 76 mph with average spin and developing snap. Working on top of the pitch more would give it better tilt and offer a true swing and miss pitch. He fired 8 2/3 scoreless innings on the mound total allowing only one hit and striking out an impressive 12 batters.
Texas Tech commit, 2017 shortstop Gabriel Holt (Bonaire, Ga.), continued his hot stretch from this past summer playing with the Upstate Mavericks Black and hitting near the top of their order. Holt uses a unique timing mechanism with a deeper weight shift and big leg lift into his swing. He looked a little rushed at times in the box, but settled in as the games went on. He showed a line drive swing plane through the zone with good bat speed and hand speed. He connected on a pair of very hard hit balls in his third game on Sunday morning with big impact off the barrel. His hand eye coordination allows his swing to work through despite the deeper load and timing oriented swing to ensure his hands and bat are at a positive place at impact. Holt also showed his speed, previously posted a 6.51 time, on the bases with a turn on his inside the park home run of 4.50 down the line from the left side.
2017 catcher Connor Ledet (Charlotte, N.C.) was another impressive defensive catcher. Ledet showed strong receiving skills and the ability to handle an impressive pitching staff behind the plate for the Charlotte Stelath. He gained ground well through receiving, exploding up through his lower half. Ledet showed off a clean takeaway with strong transfer skills and a short, compact arm action. He turned in a 2.06 in game pop time with an accurate throw to the bag and warm-up pops ranging from 1.98-2.04.
The Elite Diamond Dogs had a pair of promising young arms go as well starting off with Spartanburg Methodist commit, 2017 righthander Deondre Smith (Summerville, S.C.). Smith started off with a deeper hip turn and leg lift on the mound turning his back nearly completely to the plate. He created deception and utilized a medium arm action and soft hook through the back. He showed good arm speed on the mound and landed online with a heel turn finish towards first base. His fastball came out clean from his hand with mostly true action, but he worked it effectively up and out of the zone, challenging hitters. Working 83-87 mph and topped out at 88 mph he worked primarily off his fastball and mixed in an 11-to-5 shaped curveball at 75 mph. The pitch flashed tight rotation, but ultimately served as a get me over pitch, but was used in the correct count and located well in the zone. He fired 5 1/3 shutout innings on the mound and struck out seven batters.
2017 righthander Austin Gray (Bradley, S.C.) was the second Elite Diamond Dogs arm to impress. Gray stands 6-foot, 180-pounds with athleticism and room to continue to fill out physically. He showed a very whippy arm on the mound with a longer arm action and showed looseness to it as well. He pitched with good tempo and funk on the mound and threw from an extended three-quarters arm slot. His fastball worked 83-86 mph with occasional arm side life and topped out at 87 mph. He worked downhill well with finish and showed his best command to glove side. He has trouble repeating his release point at present, but flashed the ability to get to both sides of the zone. He showed good feel for a changeup he used sparingly on the mound at 77 mph as well. The pitch offered a swing and miss option off of his fastball with good fade and depth.
2017 middle infielder/third baseman Brian Williams (Marietta, Ga.) impressed with both a line drive swing plane and smooth defensive actions as the third basemen for the Astros TECB 17u. In the game I took in, he turned around a mid-80s fastball to the gap that left the bat at 94 mph. His hands work quickly through the zone and he showed the ability to impact the ball off the barrel. His swing showed long at times and did not always stay on plane, but did flash the ability to do so. At third base he was sure handed with a strong arm across the infield. He was balanced through the ball and charged well, showing the ability to change arm slots.
2017 righthander Cody Rodgers (Senoia, Ga.) did not wow with velocity for Sox Baseball Dickinson, but impressed with command and his feel for spin. Rodgers has a lean, projectable frame at 6-foot-1, 165 pounds with plenty of room to continue to fill out and add strength. He threw very easy with a long, loose arm action and soft hook through the back. He repeated the action very well and matched his release point and location of his arm at foot strike. His fastball worked 78-82 mph with arm side life that played best when thrown up and out of the zone. He generated chase swings and misses with the fastball as well. What impressed most, as stated at the outset, was his feel to spin. Rodgers showed a big 11-to-5 shaped breaking ball with well above average spin that helped him generate a lot of weak contact off the barrel. The pitch was a nightmare of right handed hitters and got it over for strikes continuously. The curveball worked up to 68 mph with replicated arm speed and was thrown from the same high three-quarters arm slot.
Tying for the top velocity of the event was 2017 righthanded pitcher and shortstop Evan Baber (Smiths, Ala.) who topped out at 90 mph for the Triton Rays. Baber was recently a primary shortstop and has since transitioned to the mound with great success. Baber stands at a slight 5-foot-9, 170-pounds on the mound but that does not belittle his arm. He uses a longer, slightly rigid arm action through the back with a soft stab at the end of his arm circle. He comes through the ball well with good extension down the mound and finish through the ball. He lands closed with a heel turn finish and a shorter stride down the mound. He utilized a deeper hip turn at the top of his weight load on the back leg and torqued well through his hips to the plate. His fastball came out very clean from the hand and jumped on hitters up and out of the zone. Baber’s fastball sat 87-90 mph in the outing with incredible riding life to the pitch. When he wasn’t using that he was snapping off 10/4 shaped sliders with well above average spin at 83 mph. Both pitches filled the zone and he did so with limited effort at release. Baber was unafraid to throw his fastball inside to hitters on both sides of the plate and often get them to weakly roll over it or swing through it. In a game that only went four innings, only a hit by pitch ruined his perfect game as he struck out six batters on just 37 total pitches.
Matching that velocity was Triton Rays’ teammate 2017 righthander Austin Elliot (Ala.). Elliot was new to a Perfect Game event having not participated in one in the past. Elliot stood with a strong, filled out frame on the mound with good lower half drive to the plate. He used a big crossfire element with average extension down the mound and working over his front side. He threw with a short, compact arm action and a three-quarters arm slot. Elliot had a very up-tempo delivery with a deep hip turn at the top. His fastball worked 84-89 mph and peaked at 90 mph with arm side life that worked best up in the zone. He was inconsistent with his arm strength and leg drive to the plate, but he did show the ability to work hard through the ball. There was effort at his release as well and it did hamper command, but when dialed down to the lower velocity range he found the zone and generated weak contact. In his brief stint on the mound he did not show a breaking ball, relying solely on his fastball.
Pitching in the OTC Ballers’ consolation game was 2018 righthander Cam Marshall (Decatur, Ga.) who impressively tossed a one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts. Marshall relied on very advanced feel for spin on the mound with both his fastball and his curveball during his outing. His fastball only worked 81-85 mph, but it showed very impressive arm-side life and run up and out of the zone. He used a longer arm action from a high three-quarters arm slot and impressive ability to repeat for his age. He landed balanced with slight effort at release and in a good position to field. He did not have much extension through the ball, cutting off at times and showed a very short stride to the plate. His curveball showed impressive depth with 11-to-5 shape and power spin low and out of the zone. His curveball showed incredible spin up to 2,900 RPM per TrackMan. For reference, MLB average is around 2,300 RPM. Marshall used this combination to stay inside on hitters very well and challenge them to make contact which often led to frequent swings and misses or soft come-backers. He fielded his position very well and was athletic off the mound.
– Matt Czechanski
Lefthander Nate Lamb (2018, Chesnee, S.C.) impressed on the mound Sunday and he was able to showcase his repertoire as well as leave others wondering what the future could hold. Standing at a tall 6-foot-5, Lamb has a lanky body type and displayed a loose arm action, long arm circle, and delivers his pitches from the three-quarter arm slot. His motion was simple and he had a nice tempo about his delivery. His fastball sat at 82-85 and he topped out at 86 mph with the pitch. His fastball doesn’t move much, but he does a good job at getting downhill and releasing the fastball at a good angle to hitters. He threw a slider which had sharp, late break to it and ate up righthanded hitters down and inside. His curveball has 1-to-7 break with good depth and the change of speeds works in his favor. Lamb has a crossfire delivery and not much extension despite his size. He worked both sides of the plate with his fastball and did a good job at mixing in the off-speed pitches, but struggled at times with runners on base out of the stretch.
In the same game, Bailey Gillespie (2017, Springville, Ala.) impressed from the opposite dugout on the mound. Parsons, a righthander, has a medium build and is very projectable with room to fill out as he matures. He throws from the first base side of the rubber with a long arm action and a slight wrist hook. He is a high effort pitcher and has a head wag with intent on every pitch. His fastball was electric and it sat 82-84 mph on Saturday and topped out at 87. His fastball had very good life with some downward sink and was effective at inducing ground balls. The South Alabama commit also mixed in a slider that was effective with two strikes. The slider had 2-to-8 shape and movement and had sharp break to it.
Dalton Wilder (2017, Salem, Ala.) showed off his explosive ability on the mound as he tossed a complete game shutout in the semifinal round. Wilder has a medium build and throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a long arm circle. A righthanded pitcher, he has a crossfire delivery with a slight wrist hook in the back. He displays solid glove-side mechanics and has confidence on the mound. His fastball sat 82-85 mph and topped out at 87 with good arm-side run. He used his fastball primarily and attacked both sides of the plate with the pitch. He mixed in a curveball that he used to throw for strikes and to get swings and misses. He showed some backside collapse and overall use of his lower half, creating decent extension on the mound and throwing with intent.
Young righthander Miles Garrett (2020, Stone Mountain, Ga.) started the championship game of the freshman tournament and looked dominant early on. He has a very slender and wiry build (only 135-pounds) with clear room to fill out and get stronger. He pitches from the middle of the rubber with a long arm circle and a slight arm and wrist hook in the back. His fastball sat at 78-80 and he topped out at 82 mph, and although the pitch did not have much movement to it, Garrett’s downhill plane created some downward life on the fastball. He has a high leg kick with little extension and had an online delivery. He is a high effort pitcher who did a good job at attacking both sides of the plate but primarily sat on the glove side with his fastball. He has a curveball that came in at 65 mph with slow break. The pitch is a work in progress as he threw it sparingly, but he does have an off-speed pitch to throw and keep hitters off balance. He did a good job at maintaining velocity throughout the game as his fastball only dipped a little bit as the afternoon wore on.
Garrett’s teammate, third baseman Jordan Walker (2020, Stone Mountain, Ga.), had a big day at the plate and showcased some offensive skills. Walker has a medium build with some height and is definitely a projectable prospect. Walker has a wide stance with a high hand set and a high back elbow. He gets good extension on his swing and shows good feel for the barrel of the bat. He does a good job at getting the bat head out in front and showcased some raw power with a triple to the left field wall. His hands get directly to the ball and has some hand speed. Walker is still very raw as a player but he showed some tools and with further development could be a special player.
– Vincent Cervino