*College commitment information is submitted by players and college coaches
Nick Romero
SS - 2005 - Chula Vista, CA
San Diego State
Romero was the # 1 Prospect at the Sunshine West showcase. He has a good 6'0 180 pound athletic frame with very good body control and is also a top quarterback prospect in football. He showed a plus arm, advanced hitting approach and Big League actions in the field. He made some of the best defensive plays we've seen in a while and even pitched two shutout innings at 88-91mph. He can really get the bat through the zone quickly and has emerged as one of the top shortstops in California. He showed hitting ability and power from both sides of the plate and this weekend was the very first time he had swung wood in a game. We're interested in seeing what he does after an entire summer using it. If he gets his 60 time under 7 seconds he will have the complete package and will enter the fall as one of the top SS prospects for the 2005 draft. We have selected and Named him as an Aflac All-American giving everyone the chance to watch him play on Live Television, July 6th.
Roman Pena
OF - 2005 - San Diego, CA
Uncommitted
We love the way Pena plays the game. He ran a 6.68, threw with 87mph velocity from the OF and handles the bat like a veteran. He showed advanced pitch recognition at the plate jumping on early strikes or forcing pitchers to throw fastballs by getting ahead. He hit the ball hard from gap to gap staying inside the fastball in or driving the away pitch to LF. He has a very athletic 6 foot 175 pound frame and outstanding balance with his swing. He showed impact base-running ability with huge jumps on pitchers and remarkable baseball instincts. He plays the game hard ! On the mound he showed a live 84-87 mph fastball from either 3/4 or dropping down at times to sidearm. His breaking ball was a good pitch at 72-75mph and his change-up was equally effective around 77mph. He can get it done on both sides of the plate and is a good 2005 draft follow for next June.
Matthew Hall
SS - 2005 - Scottsdale, AZ
Arizona State
At 6'2, 175 Hall is a strong, lean SS who showed good range, a solid glove and a quick 1st step as he fielded nicely through ground balls. He handles the bat and shows some exciting traits that we saw over a year ago from 1st round draft pick and former team-mate Brandon Wood. We liked the way he waited for strikes and jumped on them whether it be a fastball or breaking pitch. He kept his hands inside the ball, showed some power potential with wood and has the defensive tools to compliment the bat. His arm is near average Major League level and his ball carreis nice across the diamond. He has good range at shortstop and was an easy selection for the PG National at Tropicana and we expect that he will be well visited by scouts in AZ over the next year.
Ryan Babineau
C - 2005 - Alta Loma, CA
UCLA
With the top catch and throw ability registering pop times between 1.81-1.95, Babineau put himself among the top catch and throw guys in the 2005 HS class. He did it from a naturally low receiving position, showed good footwork and a fast release with 80 mph velocity on his throws and accuracy. He has an athletic 6'2 180 pound build with projectablility. He showed good bat-speed with wood and some power potential to go along with above average athleticism for a catcher (7.09 in the 60). He has a very good overall catching package. He was selected to the PG National at Tropicana. He also has very good grades.
Joe Kent
LHP - 2005 - Billings, MT
Oklahoma State
Kent is a solid built 6'1 195 Left-hander who showed us a smooth delivery from 3/4 with a good looking curveball and an attractive down-hill delivery. The fastball came out of his hand easy and with 85-87mph velocity it had enough life to miss the sweet spot if a batter made contact. He is a projectable type with a good working arm and coming from cold weather Montana it looked to us that there is more to come. His curve broke on 2-planes in the 72-75mph range and was equally as good a pitch and a legitimate out pitch at the next level. He also swung the bat suprisingly well and got several solid hits. Kent is an athlete and there is plenty of untapped potential but what we saw in Arizona was already good enough to select him among the Nationas best players in the PG National at Tropicana, however he was unable to attend.
Jordan Ott
3B - 2005 - Westlake Village, CA
Uncommitted
At 6 foot 4 and a solid, lean 200 pounds Ott profiles well for either 1B or LF with a top power-potential type bat. He showed us that he is versatile enough now to play several positions with a 7 flat time in the 60 which was outstanding for a player his size. He showed soft hands and made impressive plays at 3B but he might get even bigger and end up down the road at 1B with his power potential and good glove. He swings the bat with authority and plays the game aggressively. He ended up with more line drive hits than anyone during the weekend and showed that he can really center the ball on the bat. He projects real well for a big guy and we liked the fact that he looked to drive the ball hard and not swing himself off balance looking for the HR because we think his power potential is a plus and he will end up hitting a lot of them. He was selected to the PG National at Tropicana for the following weekend and did not disappoint there either.
Daniel Vargas
SS - 2005 - San Diego, CA
Uncommitted
One of the more projectable infielders we saw in this event, Vargas has a smooth approach both offensively and defensively. He has all the right actions and covers enough ground for the SS position. He showed good MIF arm strength and accuracy with his throws and he also looked polished with the bat. In fact, he hit 2 wall shots in his last game off an 88mph fastball and 76 mph slider that showed surprising power with wood. That kind of power potential for a top defensive SS will attract lots of Top College programs from all over the country. His body projects in a big way and he was selected to the PG National at Tropicana but was unable to attend.
Jason Machado
OF - 2005 - Anaheim, CA
Uncommitted
Machado is a strongly built 6'1 175 with room to get even stronger and we think he will. He showed some nice power in his bat and tools that play easily in RF. His OF actions are very good, his arm is average at the Major League level and he can hit. His swing was a good simple stroke without any wasted motion, directly to the ball which he connected for hard hits routinely. His speed played better in the field and on the bases than it showed in the 60. He ran the bases aggressively and attacked strikes and he showed all around ability at a high level. He can also pitch with 88 mph velocity but we liked how he played the offensive side of the ball too much to project him on the mound.
Cory Burns
RHP - 2005 - Glendale, AZ
Arizona
We've seen Burns before and he showed his usual 87-90mph fastball with a good curve. He comes from a high 3/4 and gets a good downward plane to the plate. He has a strong 6 foot build that generated good arm-speed with an easy finish. He's an athlete on the hill and even showed good actions at 3B with some power in the bat and throwing the ball at 89 mph across the diamond. He was an easy selection to Tropicana and we think he will get even stronger and be showing low 90's velocity with command in the near future.
Nate Simon
SS - 2005 - Duvall, WA
Tulane
Simon is a smooth shortstop who showed the quickest feet of any infielder at the showcase, some of the best defensive actions and it all translated well in the games. His arm is playable for a middle infielder and his hitting ability was sharp. He's best suited as a 2Bman right now but we think he'll end up a top SS as he continues to fill out a very projectable frame and gain strength. We liked the way he stayed inside the ball and was able to show all field hitting ability for a player out of the Northwest. He was selected to the PG National at Tropicana and had an equally impressive weekend.
Alexander Meschi
RHP - 2005 - Mission Viejo, CA
UC Irvine
We've seen Meschi a few times over the last year and he has shown marked improvements each time. This weekend was no different. He showed more velocity (87-89 mph) from a smooth working arm action and a better curveball with much tighter rotation and a harder downward action. His arm works clean and he demonstrated the ability to control both pitches abusing the inside and outside corners of the plate, especially with the fastball. He is a top pitching prospect for Academic Colleges who have been following him and we think he can pitch at any of them. He was selected to the PG National showcase and is an extremely good student.
Joey Fandel
OF - 2005 - Oceanside, CA
Uncommitted
Fandel was one of the top hitting prospects at the showcase. He can swing the wood and drove the gaps as hard as anyone in attendance. He showed us very good natural actions in the OF with good arm-strength registering at 90mph on our gun. He also displayed sharp instincts and took good routes making some more-than-routine plays look easy. His quickness in the field plays better than his 60 time shows. But it was his fast bat and attacker approach at the plate that we liked best. He is a top player to follow.
Anthony Cusimano
MIF - 2005 - LaVerne, CA
Southern California
With a very projectable 6’0 155 pound build Cusimano impressed the entire PG scouting staff. He is a live-bodied SS who showed nice fluid and quick actions, deceptive power with wood that came from good bat-speed for his size and a very loose and easy working arm that registered 88 mph from deep in the hole at SS. Defensively he showed us all the right actions and a sure glove with sub-7 speed and he’s the type of player that Division 1 College Coaches are going to love. He played as hard as anyone and ran the bases extremely well showing impact running ability 1st to 3rd. Top player that needs to be watched closely.
Timothy May
C - 2005 - Mission Viejo, CA
Uncommitted
At 6 foot 3 and 195 pounds May has a good strong build and showed durability behind the plate. He’s a catcher with more wood power than most high schoolers. He can catch and throw with playable times and velocities but his bat is what separates him from the rest. He generates good bat-speed and some loft power with a smooth, slight uppercut swing. He showed gap to gap ability from a solid upright stance and the ball carried deep with regularity. He was selected to the National showcase in Tropicana and is a catcher that needs to be followed by the top schools on the west coast.
Jeff Breedlove
C - 2005 - Muskogee, OK
Uncommitted
Breedlove was the talk of the PG scouting staff. He was one of the top catchers in a showcase filled with great ones. If we could have taken him to our National showcase in Tropicana he was the next in line. He has a good solid body with quick footwork behind the dish and a canon for an arm. His consistent 1.89-1.90 pop time was sharp, on the bag without an ounce of cheating. He receives with soft hands, threw to the bases with 79mph velo and he can hit. Besides being Top caliber defensively he showed fast hands at the plate, good bat-speed and drove the ball hard. This is a hidden gem in Oklahoma that Division 1 coaches need to see. We feel there is no College he can’t play at and is going to generate some good draft interest as well.
Jake Pulliam
OF - 2005 - Midland, TX
Texas Tech
At 6 foot 3 and 205 pounds Pulliam was the most impressive specimen and also the most athletic overall player. His tools all played well but his body control and fast twitch actions stuck out to our staff. He ran a 6.87 and then a 6.88 in the 60 with an explosive start and powerful stride. He transferred that play to the field with a controlled aggressive approach in RF and at the plate. He swings the bat with big power potential and quick hands. He was another outstanding base-runner looking for the SB and getting great jumps. He played the game very hard. He was the next OF’r in line that we wanted to select for our National showcase but positional limitations didn’t allow it, not lack of ability. He could end up being a big-time Speed/Power player that always creates a lot of draft interest. He’s a top follow in Texas.
Brian Farris
C - 2005 - Altadena, CA
Uncommitted
After watching the 1st half of the first day we knew Farris was a top caliber Prospect. He popped repeatedly at 1.96 from a very low and relaxed receiving position and showed smooth actions doing it. He then took one of the best BP’s in the showcase showing an easy swing with natural power as the ball jumped off his bat. He offered little effort to generate good bat-speed and hit down on the ball creating a nice backspin that carried the ball a long ways. He continued to take good swings off live pitching and had a few real nice hits including 2 gap doubles that confirmed our suspicion of him being a complete player.
Jonathan Kutscherousky
OF - 2005 - Austin, TX
Texas A&M
With a linebackers body and good athleticism Kutscherousky showed some outstanding tools and ever-improving hitting ability at the showcase. He proved that he can run consistently under a 7 by registering times of 6.87, 6.89 and 6.93 in the 60. He played the entire weekend full-speed and threw with Big League arm strength as his ball carried better than ever to the base. He swung the bat hard and drove the 365 Gap routinely by staying on his back side well and centering the ball in BP. He is close to his ceiling physically but already has good Raw Power and shown signs of improvements with his swing. He seems to get better every time we have seen him and we think that trend will continue throughout the 2004 summer and fall baseball seasons.
Brett Beller
RHP - 2005 - Los Angeles, CA
Uncommitted
With a big frame and powerful delivery, Beller has an imposing figure on the hill and followed it up with a couple very good pitches. His fastball sat in the 85-87mph range topping out at 88 and his curveball that hitters missed by a foot partly because of the difference in velocity (65-67mph) and partly from the large break it showed. His change-up was only used a couple times but might end up being a real good out pitch. The ones we saw were impressive looking at 79 and 80mph. With his size and strength we think he’ll be hitting 90 soon. He was chosen to attend the PG National the following week.
Adam Robbins
OF - 2005 - Pinole, CA
Uncommitted
Robbins was one of the more projectable players that can play all areas of the game with good looking actions. He has a narrow frame with a medium build and is going to get a lot stronger. He presently showed nice hitting traits with quiet hands, bat-speed and swung it hard producing lots of sharp line drives. His actions in the field are solid with a natural way of transferring and throwing to the bases. He’s a very good base-runner and the way he covers ground in the OF and gets down the line is much better than the 7.04 time he ran in the 60.
Daniel Rose
MIF - 2005 - Coto De Caza, CA
St. Joseph's
Rose is a good player that showed the overall ability to do everything on the field at a high level with a good body that projects. His mobility is good at SS and his actions were natural and comfortable for his 6’2 frame. His arm played from the SS hole and at 85mph it carried like 90. Plenty for 3B down the road if he adds another 20 pounds of muscle. He ran a 7.12 and swung the bat within himself as he sprayed line drives showing good power. His power potential is big since he’s got strong hands and the ball came off his bat without much effort. He can even contribute on the hill at the College level with a mid 80’s sinker.
Robbie Platt
1B - 2005 - Albuquerque, NM
Uncommitted
Platt is a strongly built 1Bman that has enough skill now to play 3B but with added size will project him as a power 1B type. He has good strength in his forearms and generated bat-speed with his arms and body. His swing is a real good one for both power and average, short and quick on the load and directly to the ball with a fast full finish. It is a big fluid swing that we think will produce some outstanding power in the future and he can hit good pitching from what we saw. He’s also a ball player defensively with good hands and footwork around the 1b bag.
Michael Provencher
SS - 2005 - El Paso, TX
Uncommitted
Provencher has some very big tools for his size. He ran a 7.08 and threw with consistent 88-89mph velocity from the OF. His arm action was a short fast one from the OF, tailor made for a MIF and luckily we got the chance to watch him at SS. He appeared playable at both positions defensively and the actions and arm for a 2Bman were outstanding with good range there. He’s a switch hitter who chipped away at pitching with a quick swing and with his smaller frame he projects to add strength and more pop to the bat.
David Mann
OF - 2005 - Albuquerque, NM
Uncommitted
At 6 foot 6 and 210 pounds Mann has the body of a Pro athlete already. He handles it well showing coordination and he ran a 6.99 in the 60. He has enough speed to cover ground in the OF but we liked the way he handled the 1B bag even better. His arm plays better at 1B also. He swings fluid with a slight uppercut and he showed easy gap power. There a lot of power potential in that body so we have the feeling he will end up getting draft interest as a power hitting 1Bman.
Eric Anderson
RHP - 2005 - Phoenix, AZ
Portland
Anderson is a well proportioned athlete with a quick arm, short arm action and good strong finish. He showed an 84-87 mph fastball, a 73-75 mph slurve and one 71 change-up, all for strikes and all out of the stretch. He used a consistent release point and his powerful body will get even stronger in another year. He can also swing the bat with some bat-speed from a high hand position. He’s a stationary hitter who might be a 2-way type in College.
Will Oliver
RHP - 2005 - Escondido, CA
Uncommitted
Oliver has 2-way ability at a variation of positions. He’s a Right-hander who showed us some nice pitchability at 84-86mph and a good breaking ball at 70mph from a high ¾ arm slot. His arm was fast and loose and he is very projectable with a thin build and plenty of room to fill out. In the field he showed nice actions at both 3B and in the OF. He’s got the arm for both and he showed some pop with wood, mostly to the pull side.
Austin Roff
SS - 2005 - Colorado Springs, CO
Uncommitted
Roff is a young looking infielder who has a lot of potential. Much of what we saw will project for the better over the next year. As an infielder he showed outstanding actions with a good live body, soft hands, natural instincts and a near perfect approach. He did a good job in BP showing a smooth and level swing and we think when he fills out it’s going to be a big weapon added to an already impressive baseball package. He needs to be seen by all the Colleges because he’s a top follow for us.
Stephen Werner
2B - 2005 - Vancouver, WA
Uncommitted
Werner is a good player who showed D1 defensive ability by getting good reads on the ball, fielding with soft hands, throwing with good velocity without effort. He was unable to run the 60 due to a sore knee but it appeared that his feet are quick and he ran the bases well enough even with the injury. He also showed good power for his small frame. But on the mound he might be even more interesting. He threw with 85-88 mph velocity and spun a good 12-6 curve at 72 mph. We also saw a good looking change-up at 70 mph and with his live arm he might end up full time as a pitcher.
Matt Miller
OF - 2005 - Kirkland, WA
University of Washington
At 6 foot 2 and 205 pounds, Miller is a stong-bodied outfielder that carries some nice wood bat power. He can run well for his size and showed some good looking outfield instincts. His arm plays at the D1 level now and will likely get even stronger. He had good balance and body control for a powerful player his size. At the plate he showed bat-speed from both sides and quick hands with a slightly longer swing from the left side. On the right side he was much more natural and impressive with even better results. He is a high caliber player that can get it done at the D1 level and should be getting calls from most of the top schools in the Northwest.
Patrick Murray
1B - 2005 - Huntington Beach, CA
Santa Ana College
Murray can swing the bat and is a quality prospect at 1B for the next level. He is a strong line drive hitter who has a big 6’2 220 pound frame with athleticism for a player his size. He holds his hands high and hits down on the ball with good force. He can maneuver around the 1B bag well and showed us a quality glove there as well. His arm plays easily at 1st and with a good looking fluid swing we think he has done as well in HS as we saw in this showcase. If there was not as much depth in this years showcase he’d normally have been much higher on this list.
Bennett Askew
RHP - 2005 - Lenexa, KS
Uncommitted
At 6 foot 7 and 250 pounds Askew has an XL frame with lots to work with. He showed a classic high hands style and a hard stride into the ball in BP which generated some big power to left field. His swing and throw actions are low effort and easy but overall good looking. On the mound is where his largest potential appeared to be showing an effortless 80-82mph that could easily end up in the upper 80’s if he grows into the 6’7 frame and generates a bit more arm speed. His curve was mostly in the 70-71mph range and the change-up was his best at 72-74 with some deception. He is a must-follow this year for College Coaches.
Travis Scott
RHP - 2005 - Newbury Park, CA
Uncommitted
With a good athletic build and projectable frame, Scott showed good rhythmic defensive ability and nice swing mechanics attacking the ball in BP. He opened some eyes as a SS and ran very well from hone to 1st and on the bases but we liked him even better on the hill. He displayed some of the best pitchability in the showcase. His fastball was consistently in the 83-85mph range which was plenty of velocity to make his off-speed stuff very effective. His curve and change-up were both coming in at 68mph and what made them both effective out pitches was the control he showed with them. Definite follow for Coaches on the West coast.
Tim Hartland
C - 2005 - Waco, TX
Baylor
Under a good catchers’ frame with strong legs and a powerful body, Hartland showed some of the best pure catching actions and potential in the showcase. He has the perfect body for the position with durability defensively, arm strength and power at the plate. His pop times were all done without cheating even without a batter in the box, being consistently 2.00 – 2.09 which translated to true game pop times. He also showed us a nice line drive swing with very good lower half mechanics and lots of strength (power). He is a high caliber catching prospect in TX that we feel should be heavily recruited this summer by Top College programs.
Chad Robinson
RHP - 2006 - Las Vegas, NV
UNLV
With a projectable 6' 4 and 190 pound frame Robinson showed one of the most attractive arm actions in the Sunshine West Showcase. He has a low effort delivery and very easy working arm that produced 86-88 mph fastballs topping out at 89mph. It will not be long before he is cruising at 90+ mph and he is just a 2006 draft eligible player who already showed command and the makings of a good curve. He was selected to the PG National at Tropicana even as an underclassman based on his present ability and future potential. He is athletic for his size and has many playable aspects as a 3Bman, including his bat. He is one top '06 to watch.
Jeff Rapoport
OF - 2006 - Westlake, CA
UCLA
Rapaport was one of the top tools players to come out of the Sunshine West showcase not only this year but for the last several. As just a 2006 underclass outfielder he showed us plus running ability, a plus arm and Big League bat-speed with wood. He has advanced athleticism and an agressive playing style that jumped out at our scouts. We think he has the potential to hit good pitching down the road based on the actions we saw in Arizona and he was selected to the PG National at Tropicana to put those tools to the test. He is an exciting player that we plan to follow closely over the next 2 years.
Devin Shepherd
OF - 2006 - Oxnard, CA
Oklahoma
Shepherd is a big solid 6 foot 4 and 230 pound outfielder that profiles as a Pro and showed the tools of a Pro. He ran under a 7 for his size which immediately caught our attention, threw with 91 mph velocity from the outfield and showed some power with the bat. With those advanced tools we were not surprised to see him on base a lot in the games facing live pitchers. He was another 2006 player seleted to the National Showcase at Tropicana and we think he has a big future in the game.
Daniel Meadows
LHP - 2006 - Katy, TX
Temple
For a 2006 underclassman Meadows is very advanced. He has the body of a young Big Leaguer and the ability that projects easily at the ML level. He is listed as a primary position pitcher and as a left-hander with 81-84mph velocity, the makings of a nice breaking ball and a feel for pitching. But we were even more impressed with the way he swings the bat. He’s going to make lots of noise offensively with Pro scouts in the next 2 years. He has quiet hands and a real mature approach. His strike-zone judgment was excellent showing patience and when he saw a strike he jumped on it. From the Left side he had no problem staying inside the ball and for his 6’5 frame (with long arms) he was short to the ball with a nice compact swing. We think he should put full time duties into the LH swing. He lost no power and finished strong. Meadows is a top 06 prospect to watch and we think he’s the special type.
Austin Rauch
C - 2006 - El Cajon, CA
San Diego State
Rauch is another of the very top 2006 players we had at the Sunshine West showcase. He has an impressive body that’s already strong but still not at its ceiling. He is extra flexible for a big catcher and received the ball extremely well. He can move for his size and from an honest receiving position he popped times between 1.93 and 1.97 all around the bag giving the MIF a chance for the tag on each throw. His bat is powerful too as he has a big load and did not hold back. He took rips in games the same as he did in BP so we know he’s an aggressive swinger. Another top 2006 player that we think has the chance to be a good draft pick in 2 years.
Brice Kelly
MIF - 2006 - Austin, TX
Uncommitted
As and underclassman, Kelly has a real good body that projects for big things in a year or two. He’s an infielder that showed us defensive ability with hands and feet that already play in the MIF at the College level. He has a good low effort approach to how he fields balls making it look easy which tells us that he’s a natural. His arm Is better than the 80mph indicates with good carry and he can swing the bat with some power already. But that power is going to become big in a year with the way he projects.
Courtney Morgan
MIF - 2007 - San Diego, CA
Wake Forest
Morgan was the most projectable player in the event and it is easy to project what direction he is headed. He’s a slick fielding SS with a very small frame and all kinds of baseball ability already packed inside. His actions are outstanding and at the same time not trying to be flashy by making the plays quickly and efficiently. He has a good swing lacking only power which is understandable. He played 2B along-side the 1st overall pick in the 2004 Draft (SS, Matt Bush) and apparently learned a lot from him. He was one of only a few 2007 grads in the showcase and we can see early signs of a top player. He will be a fun player to follow over the next 2+ years.