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- -- WORLD SHOWCASE, FORT MYERS
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- 2004 Top Prospects
- Perfect Game World Showcase
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- 1. Josh Copeland RHP/3B
- Northgate HS Palmetto,
GA R/R 6’3/220 Signed 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.
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- 2. Javier Guerra RHP
- Denton Ryan HS Denton,
TX R/R 6’2/185 Signed 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.
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- 3. Stephen Chapman OF
- Narianna HS Marianna,
FL L/L 6’0/180 Signed 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.
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- 4. Christian Garcia C/RHP
- Gulliver Prep Miami,
FL S/R 6’4/190 Signed 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!
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- 5. Adrian Ortiz OF
- Puerto Rico Baseball Academy Caguas,
PR S/R 5’11/165
- 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.
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- 6. Raudel Alfonso RHP
- Hialeah HS Hialeah,
FL R/R 6’2/205 Signed Miami (FL)
- 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. .
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- 7. Manny Miguelez LHP
- Coral Reef HS Miami,
FL L/L 6’3/200 Signed Miami (FL)
- 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.
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- 8. Hainley Statia SS
- Trinity Christian Acad Boynton Beach,
FL S/R 5’10/165
- 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.
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- 9. Jeremy Haynes OF/RHP
- Madison County HS Madison,
FL R/R 6’2/185 Signed 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.
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- 10. Chris Kirkland C
- South Doyle HS Knoxville,
TN R/R 6’4/190 Signed Alabama
- 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.
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- 11. Brian Van Kirk C
- Westminster Academy SW Ranches,
FL R/R 6’0/195 Signed 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.
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- 12. Brandon Allen OF
- Montgomery HS Montgomery,
TX L/R 6’2/230
- 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.
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- 13. Bryan Augustine RHP
- Sebastian River HS Sebastian,
FL R/R 6’6/215 Signed 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.
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- 14. Ian Desmond SS
- Sarasota HS Sarasota,
FL R/R 6’3/185 Signed 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.
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- 15. Matthew McGahey 1B/LHP
- Science Hill HS Science Hill,
TN L/L 6’3/215 Signed Virginia Tech
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- 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.
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- 16. Ryan Webb RHP
- Clearwater Catholic Palm Harbor,
FL R/R 6’6/200 Signed 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.
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- 17. Tyler Beranek 1B
- Waukesha South Waukesha,
WI R/R 6’5/215 Signed 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.
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- 18. Brian Juhl C
- Katy HS Katy,
TX S/R 6’0/205 Signed 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.
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- 19. Daniel Jordan 3B
- Brito HS Miami,
FL S/R 6’2/195 Signed 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.
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- 20. Jonathan Arencibia C
- Westminster Christian
Miami, FL R/R 6’2/200 Signed 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.
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- 21. Aaron Brown RHP
- Clear Creek HS League City,
TX R/R 6’6/185
- 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.
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- 22. Thad McBurrows LHP/OF
- Lake Wales HS Lake Wales,
FL L/L 6’1/190 Signed 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.
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- 23. Jon Niccola OF/1B
- Columbia HS Rensselaer,
NY R/R 6’2/210 Signed 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.
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- 24. Jorge Castillo 1B
- Brito HS Miami,
FL L/R 6’2/200 Signed 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.
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- 25. Leonard Zalopany 3B/1B
- Waimea HS Koloa,
HI L/R 6’4/205
- 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.
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- 26. Andy Lentz Inf
- Woodinville HS Woodenville,
WA L/R 6’0/185 Signed 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.
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- 27. Michael Hollander SS
- Jesuit HS Mandeville,
LA R/R 5’11/180 Signed 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.
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- 28. Ricky Prady OF
- Sebastian River HS Sebastian,
FL R/R 6’4/195 Signed 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.
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- 29. Eric Evans LHP
- UMS-Wright Mobile,
AL L/L 6’1/190 Signed South Alabama
- 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.
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- 30. Sergio Miranda MIF
- PRBAHS Bayamon,
PR S/R 5’9/165
- 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.
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- 31. Brian Ward C
- Marina HS Huntington
Beach, CA R/R 5’10/205
- Ward’s stocky 5-10, 210 lb frame is
deceptive because his best tools are his quickness and short actions.
He had three pop times between 1.81 and 1.84 and his swing and bat speed
reflect the same type of quick, fluid action.
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- 32. Tim Radmacher RHP
- Rosemount HS Rosemount, MN
R/R 6’1/170 Signed 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.
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- 33. Brian Murphy RHP
- Torrey Pines HS San Diego,
CA R/R 6’2/190
- 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.
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- 34. Paul Cinder
RHP
- Lake Mary HS Lake Mary,
FL R/R 6’8/230
- 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.
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- 35. Derrick McPhearson OF
- DeMatha Catholic Columbia,
MD R/R 6’1/195
- 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.
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- 36. P.J. Treadaway RHP
- Archbishop Hannan Violet,
LA R/R 6’4/200
- 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.
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- 37. Edwin Roman OF/C
- Princeton Comm. HS Princeton,
IN S/R 6’1/210
- 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.
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- 38. Sean Gallagher RHP
- St Thomas Aquinas Sunrise,
FL R/R 6’2/205 Signed Florida
International
- 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.
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- 39. Patrick Bryant RHP
- Pensacola Catholic Gulf Breeze,
FL R/R 6’4/195
- 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.
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- 40. David Philpot RHP
- WT Dwyer HS Jupiter, FL
R/R 6’4/215
- 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..
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- 41. Todd Gilfillan C
- Westwood HS Austin,
TX R/R 6’2/190 Signed 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.
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- 42. Carlton Smith RHP
- Piscataway HS Piscataway, NJ R/R
6’1/200
- 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.
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- 43. Jim Cassidy
RHP/OF
- Medway HS Medway,
MA R/R 6’2/180
- 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!
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- 44. Dexter Butler
Inf
- Key West HS Key West,
FL R/R 6’1/190 Signed 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.
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- 45. Adel Sotolongo RHP
- Columbus HS Miami,
FL R/R 6’2/195 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.
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- 46. Carlos Sanchez RHP
- Lehigh Acres HS Lehigh Acres,
FL R/R 6’0/160
- 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.
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- 47. Tom Stack-Babich OF
- Xaverian HS Scituate,
MA R/R 6’3/210 Signed 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.
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- 48. Tony Thomas
MIF
- Bloomingdale HS Valrico,
FL R/R 5’11/170
- 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.
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- 49. Charles Cleveland
3B
- Tampa Catholic Odessa, FL
R/R 6’2/200 Signed 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.
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- 50. Ben Krosschell
RHP
- Highlands Ranch HS Highlands Ranch,
CO R/R 6’0/170 Signed 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
- PG World Showcase
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- 1. Justin Upton
SS
- Great Bridge HS Chesapeake,
VA R/R 6’2/180
- 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.
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- 2. Chris Dominguez 3B
- Pace HS Miramar,
FL R/R 6’4/215
- 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.
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- 3. David DiNatale OF
- Kings Academy Parkland,
FL R/R 6’1/190
- 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.
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- 4. Josh Zeid RHP
- Hamden Hall Country Day New
Haven, CT R/R 6’4/205
- 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.
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- 5. Mark McClure RHP
- Hillsborough HS Tampa,
FL R/R 6’8/200
- 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.
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