LATEST PG SHOWCASE REPORT
2007 West Coast Top Prospect Showcase
Frankie Avila is a 2008 RHP/3B with a 5'11'', 210 lb. frame from Fresno, CA who attends Central HS. He has a thick build on a stout, strong frame. Avila is a good baseball player, a 'gamer' type with baseball aptitude and good skill level. He will not blow anyone away with tools or a plus body but he is a winner and maximizes his ability. It was really fun to watch him approach the game. On the mound Avila has an easy arm action that works from an over the top slot. He has a compact, simple delivery and is a quality strike thrower. Avila has feel of four pitches. His fastball was 82-84 mph and he located it well. He gets good down action on a 72 mph curveball and also has baby slider or cutter at 75 mph. Avila's best pitch is his 74 mph changeup. It was consistently down in the zone and frankly is a dirty, out-quality pitch that he can throw at any time, as often as he wants, to both LH and RH hitters. As a high school hitter Avila is also strong with bat. He has a short swing and banged the ball to the opposite field, especially mistake pitches. Defensively he plays smart and has feel. He finishes plays and was particularly good going to the fence on pop-ups and closing on slow rollers. A college coach will have to look past Avila's body type and truly appreciate that he can pitch. Hopefully that happens and he gets an opportunity to deal in college.