LATEST PG SHOWCASE REPORT
2004 National Open Top Prospect Showcase
Jamaal Thelwell is a 2003 catcher from Canada. We don’t really know at this writing what his specific background or eligibility level is. What we do know is that he has some of the strongest hands we’ve seen in a long time. Thelwell appears taller than his listed 5'9", and is solid throughout his frame. He hits from a very open stance, and has some backward lean and wrap to his swing that simply looked like a lack of instruction. What opened our eyes first was when Thelwell hit a line drive at shortstop that was 101 mph off the bat. You just don’t see that very often with wood bats. Thelwell hit some in batting practice that came off the bat the same way; with different sound and serious jump to it. We’d love to see him hit more in the future. Defensively, Thelwell’s catching skills are raw, although he shows a very strong arm from behind the plate. He looks like he has plenty of athleticism for a corner outfield spot for a college coach who wants his bat in the lineup. It was a short look, but this could be a real sleeper with the bat for an aggressive college program.