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2013 Top Prospects

Jon Denney  C - 2013 - Yukon, OK
Arkansas

Although he's played in many WWBA tournaments, this was the Oklahoma catcher's first PG showcase and it was an outstanding performance. Denney's combination of strength and short, quick actions will very likely make him a first round pick this coming June

Jan Alexis Hernandez  SS - 2013 - San Lorenzo, PR
Uncommitted

Hernandez looked outstanding on defense and stood out with his speed and aggressiveness on the bases, where he consistently wrecked havoc. Those are very good things for his first round potential in June, as usually he stands out for his plus bat speed and offensive potential.

Nick Longhi  1B - 2013 - Venice, FL
Louisiana State

Longhi's reputation as one of the top hitters in the 2013 class is well established but it is easy to forget some of his other skills and tools. He is very advanced defensively at first base and also threw 91 mph from the outfield, along with topping out at 89 mph as a left handed pitcher.

Ian Hagenmiller  3B - 2013 - West Palm Beach, FL
Palm Beach State

Hagenmiller keeps getting better and better, especially with the bat. He's immensely strong and his present bat speed ranks with just about anyone in the 2013 class. Just ask the shortstop who was "Charley Brown" undressed by the line drive he hit at 99 mph off the bat on Sunday.

Edwin Diaz  SS - 2013 - Vega Alta, PR
Uncommitted

Diaz was basically an unknown player before the WWBA World Championships last October but is now a top 100 prospect and maybe better. He has outstanding actions and a plus arm at shortstop and huge power potential at the plate. In fact, all his tools are in the plus area except his straight line running.

Dustin Hagy  RHP - 2013 - Deland, FL
Uncommitted

The 6-6/205 Hagy may have helped his draft stock more than any other player at the World Showcase. A mid-80's thrower this summer, Hagy topped out at 92 mph with two quality secondary pitches in a hard curveball and a change up and especially impressed with his competitiveness and approach in facing some very good hitters in front of a big crowd of scouts Saturday evening.

Nestor Cortes  LHP - 2013 - Hialeah, FL
Florida International

Cortes was one of the surprises of the event, a left hander with a Gio Gonzalez body and pitching style and maybe not coincidently from Gonzalez high school as well. Cortes was up to 92 mph with a plus change up and big breaking curveball and completely dominated.

Ronnie Healy  C - 2013 - Jupiter, FL
Union College (Kentucky)/Frederick CC

Healy has a great combination of bat speed and arm strength and tends to get overlooked at times in discussions of the best catching prospects in the country. He's also created some buzz in the scouting community on the mound and was 90-92 here after touching 94 at a scout's workout earlier in the week.

Johneshwy Fargas  OF - 2013 - Trujillo Alto, PR
Uncommitted

Fargas, who also plays shortstop, could develop into an elite level centerfielder with his combination of top end speed and plus arm strength. He didn't hit the ball as well in Fort Myers as he did in San Juan in December but has plus bat speed and lots of offensive potential.

Connor Heady  SS - 2013 - Prospect, KY
Kentucky

We are waiting patiently for the 6-0/165 baby faced Heady to start to physically mature and add strength, which actually adds to his prospect status. He showed very polished actions and skill defensively and especially at second base, while squaring up the ball hard consistently at the plate.

Brody Weiss  SS - 2013 - Castle Rock, CO
UC Santa Barbara

Weiss had got much stronger since last summer and that definitely shows in his bat speed and power potential, as the ball was coming off his barrel very hard. Not surprisingly, the son of the Colorado Rockies new manager has a very advanced feel for the game.

Carlos Diaz  C - 2013 - Bayamon, PR
Miami

Diaz is one of the PG staff's favorite players to watch play because of his constant enthusiasm and hustle, not to mention for how talented he is. It's hard not to think that if he was 6-2/195 he wouldn't be among the top half dozen catching prospects in the country.

Steven Sensley  OF - 2013 - Baton Rouge, LA
Louisiana-Lafayette/LSU - Eunice

Sensley has really improved since we say him at the Sunshine South showcase last June. He's bigger and stronger with different level of bat speed and arm strength. He resembles top prospect Dominic Smith in many ways physically and with his raw tools.

Hunter Martin  RHP - 2013 - Murfreesboro, TN
Tennessee

Martin is another player who showed he's really improved in the last half year. He topped out at 92 mph and threw a very good 80 mph slider to go with his big breaking low 70's 12/6 curveball. The hitters didn't have much of a chance.

Jacob Cordero Kuilan  OF - 2013 - Naranjito, PR
Bethune-Cookman

Cordero might have the best outfield arm in the 2013 draft class and you can hear the ball whiz past when he's throwing and you are down on the field. He's also run down to 6.59 and has very good bat speed, although he needs to stop trying to be a home run hitter and level off his swing.

Joe Jimenez  RHP - 2013 - Bayamon, PR
Florida International

Jimenez keeps getting better every time we see him and we see him frequently. He pitched steadily in the low 90's, topping out at 93 mph, and unveiled an upper 70's slider we'd never seen before that could become a very good pitch for him.

Luis Ciuro  C - 2013 - Santa Isabel, PR
Uncommitted

Don't be surprised when this young Puerto Rican, who plays high school ball in Florida, climbs up draft lists this spring. He has exceptionally quick hands both in his receiving/throwing behind the plate and in his right handed swing.

Dalton Duty  OF - 2013 - Palatka, FL
University of Central Florida

Duty has gained 10-15 pounds of very positive strength/weight since we last saw him and it really works well in his left handed swing. He also threw 92 mph from the outfield and graded out near the top of the scale defensively as an outfielder.

Malik Collymore  SS - 2013 - Mississauga, ON CAN
Missouri

The right handed hitting Canadian put on a show offensively both in batting practice and in games and put himself on the scout's map as a definite potential draft in June. The ball was exploding off his bat and he squared everything up. Collymore profiles at second base defensively.

Juan Soriano  1B - 2013 - Arroyo, PR
LSU - Eunice

The 6-3/225 Soriano has as much raw power as any hitter in the 2013 class. Contact will be an issue until he understands his swing better and he will show flashes where he shortens up and drives the ball to the middle of the field. He's also surprisingly quick and nimble around the first base bag and plays a solid left field.

Eric Williams  OF - 2013 - Rowlett, TX
Grayson County College

Williams has two very loud tools in his big arm strength and his plus raw bat speed. He's also a 6.76 runner. How he calms down the effort in his game and performs is the big question for scouts to follow. The Texan did add to his prospect intrigue by catching at the showcase and looking like he could have a future there.

Hunter Hope  SS - 2013 - Jupiter, FL
Tulane

Hope is moving down the defensive spectrum as he gets bigger and stronger but he's also improving his bat speed and power potential at the same time. Listed still as a shortstop, the 6-1/202 Hope is now a slugging 3B/LF type who crushed the ball in Fort Myers.

Cory Thompson  RHP - 2013 - Mauldin, SC
South Carolina

Thompson didn't pitch at the event, which is his primary position, although his arm was in good enough shape to throw 90 mph across the infield. He's a college level infield prospect but has a much higher ceiling on the mound, where he's topped out at 93 mph with a sharp curveball.

Rene Melendez Pena  C - 2013 - Humacao, PR
Miami-Dade College

Melendez has established himself as one of the best defensive catchers in the 2013 class even if he lacks elite level raw arm strength. His receiving ability and lower half quickness are outstanding. He swung the bat much better at this event than he has at past events, which was impressive.

Alexander Rivera Centeno  SS - 2013 - Arecibo, PR
Ellsworth CC

Rivera has run 6.51 and 6.57 at the last two PG events and thrown 90 mph across the infield both times. He also has some strength on his 6-0/170 frame that enables him to develop pretty good bat speed and some gap power.

Jordon Austin  OF - 2013 - Ocala, FL
Seminole State College

We're told that Austin is starting to get some real play in the scouting community at the beginning of his senior spring and that is not surprising. He's run as low as 6.55 in the 60 and has a fast and compact right handed swing that has lots of high level potential.

Taylor Blatch  RHP - 2013 - Stuart, FL
Florida State

Blatch is very polished for a young power pitcher with a fastball that topped at 92 mph. He mixes in an upper 70's slurve and quality low 80's change up well and has command of all three pitches. He's a 5-11 right hander that scouts might just up ignoring the size cliches on.

Hunter Simmons  OF - 2013 - Mountain View, CA
Utah

The 6-3/195 Simmons has very good raw bat speed and top of the line power potential. His challenge is going to be to simplify his timing mechanisms and shorten his overall approach to square up the ball more consistently. When that happens, watch out!

Kevin Abraham  C - 2013 - Miramar, FL
Florida Atlantic

Abraham is the type of player who looks better in games than he does in workouts. His swing gets shorter and crisper and you appreciate many of the little things he does defensively behind the plate. His tools definitely play, but his skills and maturity are a definite bonus.

Angel Luis Perez Rodriguez  SS - 2013 - Barceloneta, PR
Uncommitted

We've appreciated the 6-1/182 Perez' tools as a shortstop and right handed hitter in the past but he added another aspect to his prospect status at this event by topping out at 91 mph on the mound with a quick, fast arm action.

Christian Padin  2B - 2013 - San Juan, PR
Bethel College (Tennessee)/Northeast Texas CC

Padin still has some work to do in identifying his best position and refining his offensive approach but when you are a 6.5 runner with quick twitch athleticism and 90 mph infield arm strength, that's a nice tool base to work from.

Juan Escarra  3B - 2013 - Hialeah, FL
Florida International

Escarra looks the part of the top prospect as well as anyone with his 6-3/205 frame and has big left handed bat speed and power potential. He should be able to stay at third base defensively, where his arm strength is a plus.

Nelson Molina  SS - 2013 - Arecibo, PR
Miami-Dade College

The 6-3/170 Molina was one of the most projectable athletes at the event, with a lean high waisted build. He has extremely fluid and easy defensive actions at shortstop and showed enough present bat speed that you know he's going to keep getting batter as he matures.

Miguel Castellanos  OF - 2013 - Delray Beach, FL
Keiser University

The 6-3/190 Castellanos was a big surprise, as he had a MLB type body, ran 6.64 and threw 94 mph from the outfield without much effort. He had bat speed from the right side but hit with an exaggerated inside the ball approach that isn't serving his strength and size well.

Karl Ellison  C - 2013 - Naples, FL
Vanderbilt

Ellison really stood out in the games for his blocking and receiving ability on defense and is a mature, fundamentally sound catcher with a high energy level. He has the strength to hit with a short and simple line drive swing and the power to drive the gaps.

Jextin Pugh  RHP - 2013 - Duncansville, PA
Pittsburgh/Iowa Western CC

Pugh is a 6-3/225 first baseman with an absurdly strong build but he graded out much better as a right handed pitching prospect. He sat at 88-90 mph from an easy low effort delivery and showed a very advanced feel for a power curveball. He's a two-way college guy but a better professional pitching prospect.

Alvie James  OF - 2013 - Hollywood, FL
Broward CC

James is a very good athlete and ran the 60 in 6.94 and threw 88 mph from the outfield. But what he really stands out for his his bat speed and power potential. He takes quality at bats in the games and knows how to lift the ball.

Jake Rogers  C - 2013 - Canyon, TX
Tulane

Rogers is a catcher with solid college level catching tools but what really stands out about him as a prospect is his hitting ability. The ball really jumps off his bat hard and he projects to get bigger and stronger in the future.

Connor Justus  MIF - 2013 - Cartersville, GA
Georgia Tech

Justus doesn't stand out for his raw physical tools, which are solid without standing out in any one area, but for his overall feel for the game and his balance of skills across the board. He's going to be a very, very good college player at Georgia Tech.

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2014 Top Prospects

Nicholas Gordon  SS - 2014 - Windermere, FL
Florida State

Gordon was the top prospect at the event, regardless of class and including international prospects. His defensive instincts in the infield are superlative and if you wonder about his tools, he threw 92 across the infield and ran a 6.69, not to mention throwing 94 off the mound with a hammer curveball. When he even starts to get a bit stronger to where he can drive the ball consistently, he'll be the top overall prospect in the country.

Jordan Baker  RHP - 2014 - Sebring, FL
Navy

Baker was a very pleasant surprise, having gained 3-4 mph on his fastball since the summer and fall and now topping out at 91 mph. He has an unusually long and loose arm action and an extended mid 3/4's release point that is reminiscent of Jered Weaver, complete to the big sweeping breaking ball.

Jeremy Vasquez  1B - 2014 - Palm City, FL
Florida

Vasquez doesn't jump off the charts as an athlete but he's one of the best at the one thing that carries the most value in the game; hitting. He's a natural hitter who sees the ball, slows the game down and squares it up hard consistently.

Kyle Kemp  RHP - 2014 - Port Charlotte, FL
University of Central Florida

Kemp's standard delivery features a high 3/4's quick and compact arm action and a heavy fastball that will touch 90 mph with a sharp 74 mph curveball. He seems just as comfortable from a side arm cross fire delivery that results in a big sinking 87 mph fastball.

Jesse Lepore  RHP - 2014 - Beverly HIlls, FL
Miami

Lepore has a 6-4/190 build that looks plenty present strong and a quick, compact arm action that generates consistent upper 80's fastballs, topping out at 90 mph. His curveball has good depth at times but will have to be tightened up in the future.

Roberto Gonzalez  OF - 2014 - Orlando, FL
Miami-Dade College

Gonzalez is a very difficult player to scout, as he is immensely talented physically but his skills are still very much at the raw stage. Perhaps his most impressive tool is his left handed arm, as he threw an effortless 94 mph from the outfield and an easy 90 mph from the mound.

Luis Alvarado  SS - 2014 - Salinas, PR
Nebraska

The 6-5/185 Puerto Rican is just on the verge of exploding as a prospect, something that is more likely to happen as a right handed pitcher instead of at his primary outfield position. He topped out at 88 mph but his arm is loose and smooth and there is much more velocity in there as he gets stronger.

Michael Arroyo  C - 2014 - Ponce, PR
Uncommitted

Arroyo didn't have as strong of showcase as he did down in his native Puerto Rico at the Caribbean Showcase in December but he was still very good. He's a versatile and projectable athlete who can play all over the field and put a charge into the ball from the right side of the plate.

Roy Morales Rivera  C - 2014 - Lares, PR
La Salle

Morales had his full two-way tools on display for the scouts, who seem to be split 50/50 right now on whether Morales has a higher ceiling as a right handed pitcher with three very good present pitches and a great delivery or as a power hitting third baseman. Both have good and very valid arguments.