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2004 Top Prospects

Josh Copeland  RHP - 2004 - Palmetto, GA
Alabama

Copeland’s extreme arm strength -- 92 mph from the outfield, 88 from behind the plate and 95 from the mound -- tends to overshadow his overall skills as a pitcher and his above average power with the bat.

Javier Guerra  RHP - 2004 - Denton, TX
Arizona

Guerra’s unconventional delivery was toned down some from the fall and his fastball, 88-92 mph, was “just” in off-season form. But Guerra’s curveball was nasty and his change up might be the best in the country among the top power pitchers.

Stephen Chapman  OF - 2004 - Marianna, FL
Auburn

There really is no weakness in Chapman’s tool set right now. He ran 6.65, threw 87 mph from the outfield and showed the quickest hands of any hitter at the event.

Christian Garcia  RHP - 2004 - Miami, FL
South Carolina

Garcia’s former projectable 6-4, 175 lb frame is now a big league ready 6-4, 195+ lb body. He hasn’t lost any flexibility and his arm strength is eye opening; a Perfect Game record 88 mph from behind the plate and 91 mph from the hill. Could be an early pick as a pitcher!

Adrian Ortiz  OF - 2004 - Bayamon, PR
Pepperdine

This fleet footed Puerto Rican not only ran the fastest 60 time ever at a Perfect Game event, he did it twice (6.29, 6.34). Ortiz isn’t a one-tooled wonder, either. He threw well from the outfield, covered multiple zip codes in centerfield and went 4-5 in game at-bats with a slashing left handed swing.

Raudel Alfonso  RHP - 2004 - Hialeah, FL
Miami

Alfonso’s heavy low to mid 90’s fastball has been seen repeatedly during the last year but was tuned down to an off-season 89-90 in Fort Myers. What we saw for the first time was a plus 77-80 mph slider with hard downer bite to it. .

Emmanuel Miguelez  LHP - 2004 - Miami, FL
Miami

Miguelez stood out among the southpaws at the Showcase and was just as impressive in some ways as the more established prospects ranked ahead of him. His high 80’s fastball was almost a secondary pitch to his impressive curveball/change up combination and his mechanics were smooth and easy.

Hainley Statia  MIF - 2004 - Boynton Beach, FL
St. Petersburg College

Statia is an ultra smooth defensive infielder and switch-hitter. He has plus speed and above average arm strength and he shows excellent bat head control and fundamentals from both sides of the plate.

Jeremy Haynes  OF - 2004 - Madison, FL
Florida State

Haynes, a Florida State signee previously unknown to the showcase circuit, was perhaps the biggest surprise of the event. He has a big league body at 6-2, 185 and average to plus tools across the board.

Christopher Kirkland  C - 2004 - Knoxville, TN
Memphis

Kirkland’s 1.72 pop time in the catcher’s workout is the best ever recorded at a Perfect Game event and his 1.75 and 1.78 follow ups were just as impressive. Kirkland’s bat is getting stronger every time we see him.

Brian Van Kirk  C - 2004 - SW Ranches, FL
Florida Atlantic

Van Kirk’s raw catching tools don’t quite measure up to a Garcia or Kirkland but he’s a gamer. He may have had the best batting practice at the showcase and his bat speed is very impressive. Maybe the top hitter at this event.

Brandon Allen  OF - 2004 - Montgomery, TX
Uncommitted

Allen looks like a football player at 6-2, 235 lb and could attend any number of D1 schools to play linebacker. His tools include a strong arm and running ability. Allen is a very polished and talented left handed hitter who is just beginning to develop his power potential.

Bryan Augenstein  RHP - 2004 - Sebastian, FL
Florida

Augustine has a great pitcher’s body at 6-6, 215 lb and a easy, balanced delivery that creates a loose arm action and consistent release point. Augustine threw 89 mph in Fort Myers with a big sweeping 70 mph curveball but there’s plenty more velocity to come.

Ian Desmond  MIF - 2004 - Sarasota, FL
South Florida

Desmond’s defensive skills are above average at either shortstop or third base and he plays this part of the game with confidence. He has a big time arm, 90+ across the infield. When he shortens his swing a bit and gains the same sort of confidence in his bat, he’s a 5-tool type of talent.

Matthew McGahey  1B - 2004 - Jonesborough, TN
Virginia Tech

A hamstring twinge limited McGahey in the games but he put on perhaps the best power display in batting practice of any hitter. He’s plus strong and generates great leverage in his swing. McGahey is also a good athlete with a strong arm and surprising mobility for his size.

Ryan Webb  RHP - 2004 - Palm Harbor, FL
Wake Forest

Webb keeps getting better every time out. He was touching 90 in Ft. Myers with his usual nasty slider and had a more consistent release point on his pitches.

Tyler Beranek  1B - 2004 - Waukesha, WI
UNLV

Beranek gets everyone’s attention every time he steps into the batter’s box. When he’s aggressive, he hits the ball as hard as anyone in the country, but his approach can be tentative at times and the result is a jam shot to the right side. His potential is enormous, though.

Brian Juhl  C - 2004 - Katy, TX
Stanford

Juhl didn’t show us the power he did in Jupiter in October but he’s strong from both sides of the plate. Defensively, the Stanford signee is very polished in his throwing and fundamentals and should have no trouble adjusting to handling pitchers right away at the next level.

Daniel Jordan  3B - 2004 - Miami, FL
Florida International

Jordan ranks as one of the best pure hitters in the 2004 class. He has a strong upper body and quick hands and the kind of short, direct swing with wood that’s hard to teach a young hitter. Jordan’s defensive tools at third base are solid, too.

Jonathan Arencibia  C - 2004 - Miami, FL
Tennessee

Arencibia is a well-known talent who really elevated his level of play at the World Showcase. Along with his solid catch and throw skills, Arencibia shortened his game swing and really stung the ball against live pitching.

Aaron Brown  RHP - 2004 - League City, TX
Uncommitted

The whole focus on Brown will be how much strength he’s able to add to his lean 6-6 frame. He was 86-88 mph in Fort Myers but has shown us 92 in the past. Brown’s slider and split finger change are both quality pitches already.

Thad McBurrows  OF - 2004 - Lake Wales, FL
Florida

McBurrows threw better in Fort Myers than we’ve ever seen him. His velocity was good at 87-89 mph but not the low 90’s that we’ve seen him at before, but the big difference was his command. Some scouts still like McBurrows just as much as an outfielder. He’s a sub 7.00 runner with some juice in his bat.

Jonathan Nicolla  OF - 2004 - Rensselaer, NY
Duke

Niccola is an extra strong 6-2, 210 lb corner player with a surprisingly quick, short approach at the plate. He can hit him far and deep to any part of the field and his at-bat against Josh Copeland’s 93-95 mph fastball was one of the highlights of the event.

Jorge Castillo  1B - 2004 - Miami, FL
Louisville

Castillo hit the only home run during game competition at the World Showcase and showed the same type of power in batting practice. He has a smooth left handed swing and very good bat speed and power potential.

Leonard Zalopany  3B - 2004 - Koloa, HI
Hawaii

Zalopany came all the way from Hawaii to play at the World Showcase and it was very worth his effort. He hit the ball as hard as anyone at the showcase and any scouting director who saw his rocket off the right centerfield field wall on Sunday will want to see more this spring.

Andy Lentz  2B - 2004 - Woodinville, WA
University of Washington

Lentz is a professional hitter with a sound left handed swing and some surprising pop in his bat. It looks like he’s settled in well at second base after playing some outfield and his bat could be a major force at that position.

Michael Hollander  MIF - 2004 - Mandeville, LA
Louisiana State

This Louisiana native is one of the most under-rated prospects in the country. There’s no high school infielder in the country with a quicker release and shorter actions and Hollander runs 6.66 and swings the bat very well.

Ricky Prady  OF - 2004 - Sebastian, FL
Elon

Prady grabs your attention with his strong and angular 6-4, 195 frame. He’s an above average runner with good defensive skills in the outfield. How high Prady plays will be determined by how well his athleticism and long levers adjust with the bat.

Eric Evans  LHP - 2004 - Mobile, AL
Radford

Evans toyed with hitters at the World Showcase, mixing a mid to upper-80’s fastball with a 74 mph sweeping curveball and a sinking change up and hitting spots with each pitch. We’ve heard he’s been touching 90 and he has the rest of the package in place right now.

Sergio Miranda  MIF - 2004 - Bayamón, PR
VCU

Miranda is a high average line drive machine from both sides of the plate. He lacks the power projection that Jose Vidro had at the same age but is a step quicker and a better defensive player than Puerto Rico’s All-Star second baseman.

Tim Radmacher  RHP - 2004 - Rosemount, MN
Nebraska

We’ve seen Radmacher in the low 90’s in the past and he topped out at 87 in Fort Myers. He has a nasty 74 mph curveball that’s a strikeout pitch and a highly competitive, aggressive attitude on the mound.

Brian Murphy  RHP - 2004 - San Diego, CA
Wake Forest

Murphy traveled out to Florida from California and showed us a very quick right arm and good overall athletic ability. Murphy was steady at 88-89 and gets very little use of his strong lower half in his delivery. Low 90’s could be in his very near future.

Paul Cinder  RHP - 2004 - Longwood, FL
Uncommitted

Cinder draws instant attention with his 6-8, 230 lb frame that still looks lean and projectable. He touched 87-89 for us in Fort Myers with the makings of a good curveball and straight change.

Derrick McPhearson  OF - 2004 - Columbia, MD
Florida

McPhearson is a nationally regarded football wide receiver with blazing speed (6.38 60) and great athleticism. If he were to improve his raw bat speed he has high pick potential.

Paul (PJ) Treadaway  RHP - 2004 - Meraux, LA
Pearl River CC

Treadaway is a strong 6-4 right hander with some funky deception in his delivery and a live 88-89 mph fastball. Treadaway’s 72 mph curveball had some good bite to it and hitters weren’t getting very good swings off any of his offerings.

Edwin Roman  OF - 2004 - Princeton, IN
Uncommitted

Roman has improved his catching skills and throwing significantly in the past few months and deserves a chance behind the plate at the next level. His speed and switch-hitting power continue to make him a plus offensive player regardless of his position.

Sean Gallagher  RHP - 2004 - Sunrise, FL
Uncommitted

Gallagher is a strong 6-2 right hander with a compact arm stroke and a very quick arm. He gets very good downward plane on an 88 mph fastball that jumps on hitters. Gallagher’s curveball is a solid pitch, too.

Patrick Bryant  RHP - 2004 - Gulf Breeze, FL
Alabama

Bryant is a very projectable 6-4, 195 lb right hander with an effortless delivery and good present arm strength. He topped out at 88 mph at the World Showcase and averaged about 86 mph. Bryant’s best secondary pitch was a 74-75 mph change up that had good deception and sinking action to it.

David Philpot  RHP - 2004 - Jupiter, FL
Indian River State College

Philpot is a very athletic 6-4 right hander with long levers and good overall strength. Philpot threw 84-88 mph f, turning over what looked like to be a 2-seamer at the lower speeds and throwing a straight 4-seamer at 87-88 mph. We think there’s plenty more in Philpot’s arm..

Todd Gilfillan  C - 2004 - Austin, TX
Texas

Gilfillan is a live bodied catcher with a projectable body. He showed a very balanced tool set in Fort Myers. Gilfillan’s arm strength is solid big league average and he turned in a couple of pop times under 1.90. He looks like he’s going to be a high average hitter at the next level.

Carlton Smith  RHP - 2004 - Piscataway, NJ
Old Dominion

Smith is a very athletic right hander with a silky smooth delivery and loose arm. We didn’t see the 90 mph Smith had in Jupiter but he topped out at 87 mph with a 76 mph slider that had good depth.

Jim Cassidy  RHP - 2004 - Medway, MA
Uncommitted

Cassidy is a very live bodied athlete who showed us quick, loose arm and a live 89 mph fastball despite slightly dislocating his left shoulder diving for a ball in the outfield the previous day. He’s very projectable!

Dexter Butler  MIF - 2004 - Key West, FL
South Florida

Butler makes himself very hard to ignore at showcases. His defensive skills have improved in the last 6 months but Butler is a base hit machine who consistently stings the ball against the very best pitching in the country.

Adel Sotolongo  RHP - 2004 - Miami, FL
Florida International

Sotolongo is a strong armed right hander with a low ¾’s release point and a long, smooth arm action. He pitched in the 84-88 mph range in Fort Myers. He also threw a 78 mph change up that could develop into a solid pitch for him.

Carlos Sanchez  OF - 2004 - Lehigh Acres, FL
Uncommitted

Sanchez is a lithe 6 foot right hander with a very quick loose arm. He generated an 88-90 mph fastball with little effort and had good breaking stuff and command as well.

Tom Stack-Babich  OF - 2004 - Scituate, MA
Wake Forest

Stack-Babich has your classic right field tools. He’s strong and angular at 6-3, 215 lb and generates very good bat speed and leverage on his swing. He’s going to hit some long home runs at the next level. Stack-Babich also had big league average arm strength from the outfield and threw 85 mph off the mound.

Tony Thomas  MIF - 2004 - Valrico, FL
Florida State

Thomas is a live bodied middle infielder with deceptively strong shoulders and hands for his size. He is a 6.89 runner with a quick first step, a good arm and good infield actions. He also swings the bat very well.

Charles Cleveland  3B - 2004 - Odessa, FL
Florida State

Cleveland’s workouts and batting practice in Fort Myers weren’t noteworthy but he really turned it on once the games began. Cleveland showed us very good bat speed and power potential. He really threw the leather around at third base, too, making several outstanding defensive plays.

Ben Krosschell  RHP - 2004 - Highlands Ranch, CO
New Mexico State

Krosschell has a loose, whippy arm that generates a consistent 87-89 mph fastball that we’ve seen touch 91 in the past. His high 70’s slider is sharp and has good depth and he throws consistent strikes with both pitches.

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2005 Top Prospects

Justin Upton  SS - 2005 - Chesapeake, VA
North Carolina State

Power and increased upper body strength are the newest additions to Upton’s game this off-season and they showed themselves in both batting practice and games. The normal Upton speed and arm strength were in cruise control at the well above average level. Nation’s top “05” prospect.

Chris Dominguez  3B - 2005 - Miami, FL
Louisville

We had hoped to see the 6-5 Dominguez unleash his 90+ infield arm from the mound but that wasn’t to be. That would be the last part in being able to make a Troy Glaus comparison from the Angels’ development at the same stage.

David DiNatale  OF - 2005 - Parkland, FL
Miami

DiNatale’s bat speed was superior in Fort Myers, as was his game approach. It’s hard to remember that’s he’s a 2005 prospect at times with his mature skills and body. His arm strength remains top of the class, too.

Josh Zeid  RHP - 2005 - New Haven, CT
Tulane

Zeid has been showing us 90+ mph velocity all year and is still very projectable. His change up already ranks with the best in the country. Every time we see him throw we zero in on his curveball and he’s showing signs of improvement with this pitch.

Mark McClure  RHP - 2005 - Tampa, FL
Uncommitted

6’8” pitchers with smooth mechanics and loose arms are always exciting. McClure threw in the mid-80’s with little effort and he’s just going to keep improving as he gains strength.