Jupiter
Video Interviews: Carlos Delgado | Chad Raley of Marucci Elite | Murray Cook
JUPITER,
Fla. – There has been one big change in the Jupiter schedule the
past few years and PG National Tournament Director Taylor McCullough
was talking about it in the tower Thursday afternoon. The day's
schedule started at the unprecedented hour of 10:00 a.m. with a
series of exhibition games and workouts in advance of the first
official pool play game at 2:40 p.m.
McCullough
remarked, "It used to be, even a few years ago, that we had to
beg teams to play on Thursday. For many years we'd only play one game
on Thursday, an opening game at the stadium at 7:00 p.m. between East
Cobb and the locally based Palm Beach PAL. Now the place is full of
scouts and coaches the minute we open the gates Thursday morning and
the teams realize that. It's truly a five-day event now."
Five
exhibition games were played, including the annual contest between
the Ontario Blue Jays, representing eastern Canada, versus the DBacks
Langley Blaze, playing for the pride of western Canada. The Blue Jays
laid claim to this year's bragging rights with a 2-1 win.
The
exhibition contest between Marucci Elite and the Midland Redskins was
the most heavily scouted game but the Orlando Scorpions/Mets Scout
Team batting practice definitely attracted the most eyes before the
real games started. Cardinals Scout Team/FTB Chandler also took an
hour BP on the stadium field.
The
big highlight of the FTB batting practice, and pretty much both BP's,
was outfielder Lorenzo Hampton (2015, Miami Lakes, Fla.).
Hampton has a highly projectable 6-foot-4, 205-pound build that
reminds one of a young Jermaine Dye. He's currently ranked No. 196 in
the PG 2015 class rankings but has often struggled offensively due to
the length in his swing, only flashing his prodigious power
potential. Even with the wind blowing in hard from left field, the
righthanded hitting Hampton had no problem lifting balls over the
fence and drilling hard 300-foot line drives with carry. His hand
path was notably shorter than during the summer and the barrel speed
was big and right on time. It will be interesting to watch if he
carries the same swing into the games this week.
We've
frequently written about how PG All-American infielder Ryan
Mountcastle (2015, Winter Springs, Fla.) is best seen in games
rather than in batting practice. But even FTB head coach Jered
Goodwin, who doubles as Mountcastle's high school coach at Hagerty
High School, said that his batting practice today may have been his
best ever.
2016
infielder Bo Bichette (Terre Verde, Fla.) also put on a show,
alternating pulling hard shots down the left field line with rockets
up the right field alley. He also had little trouble cutting through
the wind when he pulled the ball, but the most impressive part may
have been his ability to drive the ball to different parts of the
field.
Read
more about the Scorpions BP below under Frankie Piliere's notes.
Five
players from the Elite Squad Prime also took BP with FTB, including
PG All-American Danny Reyes (2015, Miamii Springs, Fla.). And
while the Elite Squad Prime's Christian Demby (2015, Fort
Lauderdale, Fla.) is listed as a primary righthanded pitcher, his
showings this fall indicate that the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder might be a
higher ceiling hitting prospect. He showed outstanding raw bat speed
with a loose and extended swing.
A
pair of Loyola Marymount commits playing for different teams had very
strong performances Thursday afternoon.
Lefthanded
pitcher Tyler Watson (2015, Gilbert, Ariz.) threw five no-hit
innings in Marucci Elite's 6-0 win over the East Coast PG Grays. The
6-foot-5, 215-pound southpaw needed only 52 pitches, 40 of them for
strikes, topping out at 89 mph and showing a complete four-pitch mix.
Watson has a young body and young, tall-and-fall mechanics that can
get plenty more power from his lower half with some adjustments.
PG
All-American first baseman Devin Davis (2015, Santa Clarita,
CA) crushed a no doubt home run to left-center field in Chandler
World's early exhibition game but that was just a warm up for his
team's 8-5 pool play win over Chicago Scouts Association. Davis
tripled down the right field line in his first at-bat, roped a single
in his second at-bat that measured 104 mph off the barrel per
TrackMan, and later added a walk. He finished with three RBI and a
run scored.
Chandler
World received a strong outing from righthander Dallas Woolfolk
(2015, Southhaven, Miss.), who threw four shutout innings as Chandler
took a 8-0 lead before allowing a pair of runs in the fifth. Woolfolk
attacked aggressively with his fastball, using his heater for 59 of
his 65 pitches while pitching in the 89-92 range, touching 93 mph.
Woolfolk has shown a solid slider in the past but seemed content to
just pound the bottom of the strike zone with his fastball.
Baseball
is baseball and sometimes talented teams just don't play well. That
was the case with Elite Squad Prime in their 8-5 loss to Sandlot
Scout Team. While Elite Squad struggled with defense and throwing
strikes early in the game, they rallied from an early deficit to make
the game close at the end.
The
main factor for that could be attributed to Sandlot starter Austin
Hansen (2015, Lenexa, Kan.). The righthanded Oklahoma commit
threw five one-hit innings, allowing an unearned run and striking out
11 hitters. Hansen pitched in the 88-91 mph range with his fastball
and mixed in an upper-70s slider and lively changeup with maturity
and skill.
Elite
Squad starter Andrew Cabezas (2015, Miami Gardens, FL) showed
outstanding stuff at times, topping out at 94 mph and flashed a
hard-biting slider, but allowed four runs in his three innings of
work.
– David
Rawnsley
Already
noted above, the Orlando Scorpions/Mets Scout Team conducted a
workout prior to game action on Thursday morning at the Roger Dean
Complex and drew a considerable crowd among the scouts in attendance.
Here are some more notes of some of the more notable BP performances.
Brendan
Rodgers (2015, Longwood, Fla.) performing at an elite level is
not going to surprise anyone anymore, but the sound of scouts
settling in growing quiet even to watch him take batting practice was
fascinating to experience. Rodgers put on his usual extremely
professional showing, taking his hands in a direct path to the
baseball and producing line drives to the big parts of the field that
seem to have a second gear. You get the impression with Rodgers that
he can turn it on anytime he wants and hit a ball 420 feet, but what
he tends to give you is a very controlled, very loud round of rocket
line drives. And, that’s what he did on Thursday morning.
Carlos
Cortes (2016, Oviedo, Fla.) has put together some eye opening
performances in recent weeks, and he appears to be poised to make
Jupiter his official and loud introduction to the scouting world. On
a roster full of guys capable of putting on an impressive batting
practice display, it was the youngster, Cortes, that caught the
attention of scouts as much as anyone. Cortes gets to his back long
exceptionally well and his bat speed stands out even on a team with
no shortage of elite bats. He has above average pull-side power,
which he showed by putting one of the first pitches he saw in batting
practice about 30 field over the fence in right field. And he didn’t
disappoint in game action, later smoking a no-doubt homer in
Thursday’s final time slot.
One
of the simplest, most effective swings we’ll see in Jupiter belongs
to Nick Plummer (2015, Lathrup Village, Mich.), who like his
teammate Brendan Rodgers, took a very controlled, professional round
despite all the eyes on him. Plummer has shown major pull-side power
in past events, and to say he has low-effort life off his bat would
be an understatement. His swing path is extremely direct, and when
you couple that with one of the strongest looking frames in the 2015
class, the result is an incredibly dangerous hitter.
Cameron
Montgomery (2015, Windermere, FL) also showed some of the best
carry off his bat that we saw in batting practice on Thursday.
Particularly to the opposite field gap, Montgomery showed low effort
power and easy bat speed. His swing is naturally geared to lift the
ball, and he seems to be improving with each event.
Kep
Brown (2015, Mount Pleasant, S.C.) put on what ended up being the
best show of the day in batting practice for the Scorpions, launching
multiple towering shots into the trees well beyond the left field
fence at the Marlins’ quad. Brown has mastered the ideal
combination of using his extra long limbs to his advantage, but also
staying compact to the baseball. His swing seems to get more refined
each time we see him, and the ball jumps off his bat in a way that
few hitters in the 2015 class, college or high school, can match.
Thaddeus
Ward (2015, Fort Myers, Fla.) brought one of the sharpest,
late-breaking curveballs we’ve seen him from him yet on Thursday
afternoon. He worked mostly at 87-89 mph with his fastball, but he
quickly discovered his breaking ball was the pitch he had the best
command of on this particular day. He spotted it at 75-77 mph to both
sides of the plate and was willing to go it seemingly in any
situation, particularly when he was in trouble.
Luke
Shilling (2015, Clarkston, Ill.) did not have what would be
described as a successful day on the mound for the St. Louis
Pirates/Midwest Mets Scout Team, but if you were watching closely
enough you’d see a world of potential in this 6-foot-5 righthander.
Although he never found his command in his Thursday afternoon outing,
Shilling has room to strengthen his frame and add significant
velocity to his already lively 88-91 mph fastball. When he finished
his delivery, his fastball shows heavy two-seam life down in the
zone. He’s a long-term project, and his breaking ball will also
need significant work, but this is a name to remember down the road.
Mack
Lemieux (2015, Tequesta, Fla.) showed a good mix of pitches in
his Thursday night outing for Palm Beach Select, as well as a lively
85-88 mph fastball. He spotted his 72-74 mph curveball effectively,
and his ability to repeat his delivery should continue to bode well
for him. The polished lefty also showed a solid feel for his changeup.
We’ve
seen Ashe Russell (2015, Indianapolis, Ind.) more downright
nasty than what he was in front of one of the largest Thursday night
scout turnouts in Jupiter history. His fastball dipped to 88 mph in
his third inning of work, after working at 90-93 mph in the first
inning of his outing for the Canes. However, if you are looking at
velocity alone to see what makes Russell one of the elite arms in the
2015 class, you aren’t looking close enough. Russell spots his
breaking ball with outstanding precision and can backdoor it to
lefties at 79-82 mph. It’s a two plane breaker with slider shape at
times, but has the good depth and rotation of a curveball. He spots
it to both sides and he rarely made even a small location mistake
with it on Thursday night.
When
we first saw Edrick Agosto
(2015, Catano, P.R.) at the Sunshine East Showcase and then again at
the National Showcase, there was no denying his arm strength and
potential on the mound. But, there were flaws. Command was a
significant issue, as he missed to his arm side with his fastball,
and he struggled to consistently spin his breaking ball. Those issues
were mostly nonexistent for Agosto on Thursday night in front of a
big scouting crowd. And, perhaps most importantly, Agosto also
appears to have a made a physical transformation in recent months as
well, looking stronger, leaner, and more athletic on the mound. He’s
repeating his delivery, throwing strikes to his glove side and
showing big life on his 89-92 mph fastball. He also flashed big
diving action and good arm speed on his 78-81 mph changeup. His
curveball had varying shape and tightness, one at 74-75 and one at
78-79 mph. The latter of those was a sharp, swing-and-miss offering.
Agosto, with his extra large, powerful frame, will need to be
monitored very closely.
– Frankie
Piliere
One
of the most closely followed tandems of outfielders took the field
together as the Toronto Blue Jays Scout Team opened up pool play
against the Homeplate Chillidogs. Demi Orimoloye (2015,
Orleans, Ont.) has made tremendous strides over the past year and has
gone from being viewed as a lottery ticket of a prospect towards
early round consideration. His outfield teammate Tyler Williams
(2015, Peoria, Ariz.) has made similar strides and possesses a
similarly exciting combination of speed and power. Both are the type
of players who stand out from the moment they step off the bus with a
large frame and strong angular build.
Orimioloye,
who checks in at 6-foot-4 and 225-pounds, got the start in center
field, and while he wasn't challenged defensively he looked good
getting to the balls that did come his way. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound
Williams started in right and continued his signature sprints to and
from his position between every half inning. They both posted above
average home-to-first times from the right side, with Orimoloye
getting down the line in 4.20 seconds and Williams in 4.26. Neither
got a chance to show off their raw power but each had quality at-bats
against upper-80s to low-90s pitchers with at least one quality
off-speed pitch. More importantly each has made huge strides in
improving their respective swings.
The
Blue Jays Scout Team talent doesn't end with the high ceilinged
outfielders, as they also feature a trio of highly athletic,
undersized quick-twitch infielders in Jaxon Williams (2016,
Rosenburg, Texas), Jeremy Pena (2015, Providence, R.I.) and
Brody Cook (Silver Spring, Md.). Williams is the smallest of
the group, listed at 5-foot-8 but also manages to generate present
plus bat speed with impressive quick-twitch hand acceleration and
very quick feet defensively that paired well with solid arm strength
at shortstop in the opener.
Pena
started the game at third base and his athleticism and actions there
looked almost out of place because he's a middle-of-the-diamond type
of athlete who really stood out on the corner. He also went 1-for-3
with a double hitting out of the two hole.
Cook
is a high motor defender with actions that are about as quick as his
athletic infield teammates and went 1-for-2 with a run and a stolen
base.
Despite
their talented lineup, the Blue Jays Scout Team lost their opener to
the Homeplate Chilidogs 3-2. PG All-American middle infielder
Cornelius Randolph (2015, Griffin, Ga.) was one of the keys to
the victory, going 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Randolph has the
physicality of a typical first baseman, but is athletic enough to be
a solid defensive second baseman, where his powerful lefthanded swing
offers relatively massive offensive upside.
His
teammate Tristan English (2015, Williamson, Ga.), a two-way
standout at both ends of the battery, provides a quality partner in
the Chillidogs' one-two punch. English will take the mound at some
point this week and his arm is what made him a PG All-American
selection, though he's also a legitimate prospect with the bat and
his offensive tools project well.
Righthander
Jordan Schmits (2015, Sharpsburg, Ga.) nailed down the save,
working 87-89 mph with a fastball that set up his hammer curveball at
75-76 mph well, which caused some uncomfortable reactions from
hitters who typically see the baseball well.
Several
teams threw their aces in a short outing on Thursday night's opener
with the intended strategy of having them available to come back
again on Sunday for the playoffs. The Cardinals Scout Team/FTB
Chandler took that approach with All-American left hander Juan
Hillman (2015, Haines City, Fla.) who gave the Cards a two inning
head start that proved to be just enough in their hard fought opening
night victory. Hillman didn't blow up radar guns, but he absolutely
dominated. He threw 18 of his 23 pitches for strikes, striking out
all six batters he faced in a pair of clean frames. Hillman's
fastball sat 88-91 with plus command to all parts of the zone. He
landed his deep sweeping 2-8 curveball on either side with intent at
70-72 mph with nearly as impressive feel as his fastball, he also
flashed one changeup at 77 mph late in the second inning. He hides
the baseball well in his delivery and has a long loose arm action
from a mid three quarters slot and really rose to the occasion.
Hillman
wasn't the only impressive lefthander to toe the rubber for the
Cardinals Scout Team. Michael Zimmerman (Naples, Fla.) has
been widely viewed as a solid pitchability lefty who scouts had
pegged as being a player destined for a quality collegiate career at
the University of Florida, where he has been committed for a couple
of years now. He primarily works in the mid- to upper-80s, but
tonight he worked in the 86-88 mph range comfortably for the majority
of his two innings, though he reached the low-90s at times and topped
out at 91 mph. His curveball was inconsistent but he flashed a small
handful with sharp biting action with a three-quarters break as a
result of his low arm slot. He has a good fastball-changeup
combination that he kept hitters off balance well with, with a
low-80s changeup that features late tumble.
The
offensive highlight of the game for the Cardinals came on the
game-winning two-run home run off of the bat of first baseman Jason
Heinrich (Spring Hill, Fla.). Heinrich's shot broke a 4-4 tie and
the Cardinals Scout Team dugout knew it was gone off the bat as he
cleared the fence in left center easily despite the loft he put on
the baseball.
The
top offensive prospect on what is a perennial juggernaut of prospects
was arguably catcher Herbert Iser (2016, Miami Springs, Fla.)
who served as the designated hitter and batted in the bottom of the
order as an underclassman playing up on what is primarily a
senior-laden squad. Iser went 2-for-2 and has tremendous lefthanded
power; he's still learning to harness that power but he's already a
very dangerous hitter and his at-bats at the 2015 edition of the WWBA
World Championship will be watched very closely by throngs of scouts.
The
day's middle time slot featured an interesting matchup of two quality
arms who each have an attribute that enhances their profile, and they
locked up in a pitcher's duel that ended up 1-0.
Team
Elite Prime lefthander Evan Steele (2015, Marrietta, Ga.)
really looks the part at 6-foot-5 and a well proportioned 210-pounds
with a long-limbed frame that allows him to get extended out front.
Steele got the win, throwing six shutout innings, allowing just three
hits and walked two while striking out six, throwing 54 of his 79
pitches for strikes. He sat 86-89 with a low-70s curveball with sharp
slurvy break as a result of his low three-quarters arm slot that he
was able to land effectively and was especially effective when he
started it off inside against lefthanded hitters.
Steele's
opponent, right hander Chad Luensmann (2015, Altoona, Penn.)
sat 88-90 mph but his fastball played up a couple ticks because of
the sharp, late tailing life on it. His delivery has some funk to it
and he backed his darting fastball with a sharp slider that he showed
occasional feel for starting off in the low glove side corner to
induce chases in the mid-70s. He also showed a slower breaking
curveball with more depth in the upper-60s to low-70s and an
occasional low-70s changeup. Luensmann allowed just an unearned run
over five innings without issuing a walk, giving up only one hit and
he struck out a pair, inducing nine of his 11 batted ball outs via
the ground ball.
Undersized
outfielder D.J. Wilson (2015, Canton, Ohio) has a
feast-or-famine type of offensive profile given his aggressive swing
and approach. While he didn't have a loud first day, he had a hit and
made a couple quality plays in center field via second effort and
staying with plays that created an opportunity to steal an out. His
combination of plus speed and a high motor make him the type of
player who can singlehandedly swing the momentum of a game in his
team's favor, and has a similar type of game to Jeren Kendall, who is
currently a freshman at Vanderbilt, where Wilson is committed.
Wilson
wasn't the only Vanderbilt commit who made an impact for Midland in
their 2-0 exhibition win over Marucci Elite. Catcher Tyler Duvall
(2016, Lebanon, Ohio) saved multiple runs with his blocking and
receiving behind the plate and drove in an insurance run.
That
Midland Redskins exhibition game also allowed their youngest player,
switch-hitting shortstop Cal Conley
(2018, Loveland, Ohio), to get some reps against nationally based
Marucci Elite's talented pitching staff. Conley projects very well
and put together competitive at-bats from each side of the plate and
looked solid defensively at multiple defensive positions including
shortstop. He probably won't get to see much more playing time in
pool play as Midland's loaded roster of 2015 and 2016 prospects will
be expected to contend for a playoff berth, but in his future trips
to Jupiter Conley will play an increasingly significant role for his
teams.
– Todd
Gold
Alex
Speas (2016, Powder Springs, Ga.) continues to make nice strides
on the mound and was able to harness his power fastball, showing
better control and ability to work downhill. With long, loose limbs
and a lean, projectable build, the uncommitted Speas worked his
fastball in the 91-93 mph range for three innings of work, walking
only one batter while striking out seven. His arm is electric and is
able to generate that velocity with relative easy, leaving reason to
believe there will be more velocity on the way as he continues to
physically develop. Only flashing one or two curveballs in game
action, Speas pitched predominately with his fastball though he did
show a developing feel for his changeup during his pre-game bullpen,
a pitch that showed some dive down in the zone.
Ethan
Small (2015, Lexington, Tenn.) certainly opens eyes during Day 1
of the 2014 WWBA World Championship as the lefthander came out firing
early on in the game. Standing at 6-foot-3, 175-pounds, the
Mississippi State commit is extremely projectable with loose actions
and long limbs. In the first inning Small touched a couple of 93’s
on the radar gun, working mostly in the 90-91 mph range, showing 92’s
throughout the first inning and flashed one or two in the second
inning. As good as the velocity is though it’s the big angle Small
creates and ability to work downhill to both sides of the plate that
made him as effective as he was. There is a lot going on in his
delivery but Small is able to repeat it and with the moving parts his
delivery features, it makes it hard for the hitter to pick up the
ball, evidenced by the empty swings hitters were still putting on his
fastball when it was 87-88 mph later in the game.
Throwing
from a three-quarters arm slot, Small mixed in both a changeup and a
curveball, a pitch which he would manipulate both the shape and
velocity of. Though he slows his arm action a bit on his changeup he
is still able to throw it for strikes and creates nice fade to his
arm side with the pitch. When he would throw his curveball in the
low-70s the pitch showed short 1-to-7 life, but when he would put a
little more on it and was up to 76 mph with the pitch, he was able to
create sharper shape and more depth with the pitch.
Throwing after Speas was Zachary Shirey (2015, Spring, Texas) a Lipscomb commit who
continued the run of dominating pitching between the Dulin Dodgers/Rockies
Scout Team and the Atlanta Blue Jays. A strong 6-foot-2, 205-pound righthander
with broad shoulders, Shirey pounded the strike zone with his fastball that sat
in the 88-90 mph range, topping 91. Throwing from a lower arm slot, Shirey hid the
ball well and was induced some ugly swings from the opposition en route to
striking out eight of the twelve batters he faced. He worked low in the zone
with his fastball and held his velocity throughout, flashing a mid-70’s slider.
A
player that continues to make strides each time he takes the mound is
righthander Morgan McSweeney (2016, Hudson, Mass.) of Syracuse
Sports Zone. After working in the mid-80s and touching an 88 at the
Northeast Underclass Top Prospect showcase in mid-August, McSweeney
came out at sat 87-90 mph with his fastball in his one inning of
relief early Thursday morning.
Throwing
with a very short and compact arm action, the uncommitted McSweeney
is able to hide the ball well throughout his delivery and create
deception on his fastball, helping to play the velocity up even more.
He shows a quick arm and did a nice job of getting on top of the ball
to create downhill plane with life low in the zone. To complement the
fastball McSweeney showed a nice feel for a 12-to-6 curveball with
tight spin and depth at 70 mph, a pitch that will only continue to
develop with added strength and increased velocity.
Making
his Perfect Game debut Thursday afternoon was Dylan Thompson
(2015, Myrtle Beach, S.C.), a lean and projectable 6-foot-2,
185-pound righthander. The Coastal Carolina commit came out firing
and maintained the 87-90 mph velocity on his fastball throughout his
time on the mound. Throwing with a full arm action, Thompson was able
to create easy velocity and projects for more as he continues to
incorporate his lower half into his delivery. His front side was
opening early which caused his arm to drag, but when everything
stayed on line he was able to work low in the zone and showed big
arm-side run on the pitch.
Thompson
isn’t just about his fastball though, showing two other off-speed
pitches, both of which he threw for strikes. He maintains his arm
action on his changeup and displayed a nice feel for the pitch,
throwing it in any count. Thrown in the 79-82 mph range, his changeup
featured sink and fading life to his arm side. Thompson’s upper-70s
curveball showed 11-to-5 shape with late depth to it.
Not
listed on the Team Evoshield roster in the program, Josh Lowe
(2016, Marietta, Ga.) quickly had people coming behind the backstop
to find out who the loose, 6-foot-4 righthander was. After his first
few pitches more scouts came to ask as the Florida State commit was
working 88-90 mph with his fastball, touching 91 while showing a
loose and effortless arm action and late life on the pitch early on.
He
settled into the upper-80s with his fastball but continued to show
impressive off-speed, especially for an arm that was a primary
shortstop not all that long ago. Lowe showed a very good changeup in
the low-80s, coming out of his hand like a fastball, maintaining arm
speed with similar life to his arm side. He also showed a hard 80-81
mph slider with short 10-to-4 life.
South
Carolina commit Joe Rizzo (2016, Oak Hill, Va.) had one of the
louder hits for Team Evoshield Thursday night, turning on a fastball
that was up and in for a standup triple off the right field fence
that nearly got out. With a strong 6-foot, 205-pound frame, Rizzo is
able to create some big bat speed from the left side and moves well
going from first the third.
Each
year in the WWBA World Championship are a handful of pitchers who can
bring a contingent of over 200 scouts to a silence with their first
pitch in warm-ups. One of the arms that was able to do just that and
demand the focus of the onlooking scouts was righthander Antonio
Santillan (2015, Arlington, Texas).
Santillan
attended and threw in the 2013 16U WWBA National Championship but has
not been to any Perfect Game events or any of the circuit events
since. Starting the game at shortstop, the Texas Tech commit gave a
glimpse of what was to come on the mound on a ground ball up the
middle, showing athletic, gliding actions to the ball before
delivering a laser to first base.
Though
he only threw one inning of relief Santillan made his presence felt
on the national scene with both his fastball and hammer curveball.
Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot Santillan was able to produce
a 91-94 mph fastball with little effort and hard, late run to his arm
side. He worked down in the zone with his fastball and showed
multiple 94’s in the brief stint. Looking at just the velocity of
his breaking ball one would assume it to be a slider, registering at
82-83 mph, but it is in fact a curveball with very hard and late
break with depth and above average spin with an RPM of 2,808 per
TrackMan.
It’s
worth noting that Santillan is also a next-level shortstop with
obvious plus arm strength. A righthanded hitter, Santillan also went
2-for-2 with two hard hit singles, one up the middle and one to right
field.
Having
seen Cole Sands (Tallahassee, Fla.) throw a handful of games
this summer for the Scorpions one could tell that the Florida State
commit has altered the start of his delivery slightly. It’s nothing
drastic, but rather than having his hands start close to his body
before he begins his delivery, Sands now brings his hands up and over
his head and then goes into delivering the pitch. Regardless of how
he begins, the stuff that he produces remains consistent and he
showed three solid pitches Thursday night.
Having
been up to 95 mph this summer, Sands bumped 93 mph with his fastball
while working in the 88-92 mph range with downhill plane on the
pitch. Sands also showed better balance through his delivery and was
able to work down to his arm side consistently with his fastball.
Thrown like his fastball, Sands’ changeup comes out with the same
arm action but crosses the plate at about 10 mph slower, 80-81, and
with late fading life. The better of his two off-speed pitches though
is his power slider up to 85 mph, which when he stays on top, shows
hard downward life and is a very difficult pitch to square up.
Two
of the Perfect Game All-Americans on the Orlando Scorpions/Mets Scout
Team roster for the weekend, Brendan Rodgers (2015, Longwood,
Fla.) and Kep Brown (2015, Mount Pleasant, S.C.), both showed
off their hitting ability and collected hard base hits to the
opposite field Thursday night. Rodgers dug in for his third at-bat
facing a mid-to-upper 80s righthander who was working the outside
corner with his fastball that showed tail coming back over. Rather
than trying to pull the pitch, the Florida State commit extended his
arms and put the barrel to the ball for a hard line drive single.
Brown, who put on a mini show during batting practice earlier in the
day as detailed above, drove the ball to the opposite field like
Rodgers, though Brown’s was for a standup double to the
right-center field gap and came off the barrel at 96 mph.
An uncommitted junior, Haylen Green (Lufkin, Texas) came out firing and topped at 88
mph with his fastball early on before settling into the mid-80s,
showing a fast arm throughout his outing. He did a nice job of
creating angles with arm side life, especially when down in the zone. The young lefty also did a nice job of staying on line with lower half through
his delivery, repeating his arm action and flashed a slider at 77
mph.
– Jheremy
Brown