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Tournaments  | Story  | 10/23/2020

WWBA 14u WC Breakdown

Tyler Russo      Jheremy Brown     
Photo: Dean Moss (Perfect Game)
Slade Caldwell, OF, BPA
Caldwell already ranks among the best of the athletes in his class, even while coming in at the youngest end, and continues to solidify that place each time out. Hitting consistently atop each lineup he’s listed in, the bat to ball skills already stand out and he finds a way to reach base in a number of ways. There’s impact speed that he uses both out of the box and on the base paths, while also showing he's able to patrol center field with relative ease.

Everett Johnson, OF, Canes 2025 National
Johnson is another left-handed lead-off type with similar bat to ball skills and should surely rank highly when the initial rankings for his class come out. He has impressed at a couple big events this fall, using his athleticism to get down the line well on hits in the infield and impacts with the speed on the base paths where he swipes a tremendous number of bags. In the outfield, the speed plays similarly, like when he made one of the best plays of the year for a prospect his age going back on a deep shot and saving the game with a fully extended diving catch.



Michael Torres, OF/LHP, Elite Squad 14u
Torres has impressed at a number of stops already this fall, competing against players all the way up to three years older than him and showing minimal signs of struggle. Once taking the field against those his age, he stood out in a big way finding the barrel consistently over the weekend to a .462 AVG while also striking out three in a brief two-inning outing where he was up to 84 mph with good life and feel for a breaking ball.

Reagan McCluskey, C, BPA
McCluskey is a well-built righ-thanded hitting catcher who impressed right away in Panama City when he picked up five hits in his first three games, finding the barrel easily and consistently and impacting it well to all parts of the field. It’s a simple and repeatable stroke as he works direct to contact and lets the strength do the work while also showing well in his tools behind the dish with quickness to his movements and a strong arm.

Patton Pinkins, RHP, Team Orlando 14u
Pinkins had, on paper, the best tournament from a two-way perspective and was awarded the Most Valuable Pitcher honors for his performance on the mound while also hitting at a .450 AVG with nine hits. Combining for just over ten innings of work across two appearances, he allowed just a single hit and no walks while striking out eleven. Up to 79 mph with the fastball, he pounds the zone with great extension to the plate from the length in his 6-foot-2 frame and has comfortability mixing in a tight slider that projects well with maturity.

Osjun Rivas, USA Prime National 2025
Rivas hits in the heart of one of the most talented lineups that participated in the 14u World and he handles the spotlight well. With loads of athleticism that plays well at the shortstop position and into his offensive approach, he’s a well-rounded prospect with a loose right-handed stroke that has great bat speed and impacts the ball well when he gets the barrel head out.

Jarett Sabol, C, BPA
Sabol was sound overall at the dish over the course of the weekend and showed off the best of his tremendous potential during his team’s second playoff game where he picked up a pair of very well-struck hits. The left-handed hitting catcher has good strength at present in his 5-foot-9, 171 pound frame and he uses it well into a simple and loose swing that matches plane consistently and shows ability to generate great contact when he’s on time.

Talan Holiday, RHP, TBT Ballers National
Holiday has made the early transition in his career focusing his time solely on the mound and it has boded him well as he threw five innings of one-run ball, allowing just a pair of hits and no walks while striking out six. Up to 77 mph here, and 79 mph in the past, he pounds the zone with good sink to the fastball and has no problem spinning in a quality breaking ball with good spin and great bite in the mid-60s.

William Hill, OF, Bulldogz Baseball The Show 2025
Hill is up there with some of the top prospects in attendance in terms of pure strength and he put it on display in a big way over the course of the weekend with four doubles in four games. The right-handed hitting outfielder uses his strength well to create consistent jump off the barrel like he did when he hit a towering ground-rule-double to the pull side gap. He also runs pretty well out of the box and on the base paths and covers ground especially well to both gaps from the centerfield position.

Wyatt Vincent, OF/RHP, Wow Factor 14u Premier
Vincent had a solid event on both sides of the ball as he finished with five strikeouts in seven innings of work on the mound while hitting to the tune of a .625 AVG and a whopping 2.000 OPS in 12 PA’s. He worked up to 79 mph with the fastball using good arm speed to generate enough life to miss bats while mixing in a projectable upper-60s curveball. Offensively, he has a number of good tools to project on with good bat speed, feel for the barrel and the obvious physical projection at 5-foot-11, 150 pounds.

Samuel Gideon, OF, BPA
Gideon came into the 14u World event with a pretty good year under his belt and did nothing but add to it with a .412 finish and three of his seven hits coming in the form of extra base hits. The long and projectable right-handed hitting outfielder already shows some strength to the swing and as he cleans up minor inconsistencies that come with being young, he should be a prospect monitored well into his high school career.

Cooper Gilkerson, 3B/RHP, Wow Factor Scout Team Pyles
In his first Perfect Game event, Gilkerson made the most of his chances as he hit at a .375 clip while also showing well on the mound in two different appearances. Listed as a primary third baseman, Gilkerson has length, strength and feel for the barrel but the biggest impression came from his potential on the mound. With a fastball up to 80 mph, feel for two good secondaries already in a curveball and changeup and the ability to sequence all three for empty swings, the upside should be something that is monitored well out of the Ohio Valley region.

Isaac Padilla, 3B/RHP, Team Orlando 14u
Padilla was tasked with the important duty of toeing the rubber in the semifinal game for eventual runner-up Team Orlando and was nothing short of excellent, needing just 77 pitches to complete the shutout with no walks and seven strikeouts. At 6-foot-0, 174 pounds there is some present strength to the body and he uses it well producing a fastball up to 80 mph while showing enough confidence in his stuff to play with timing and go right at hitters with three pitches.

Jackson Garland, RHP, Richmond Braves 14u American
There weren’t many more impressive outings than what Garland put together in his extended start that he got when he struck out 11 in just over five innings of work while scattering some hits and walks throughout. He has plenty of length that posits good upside as he projects well physically but he also uses it well into how he extends down the mound and creates an extended slot at times to create sink on a fastball up to 81 mph while mixing a breaking ball for swing-and-miss out of the same slot.

Korbin Reynolds, C, 5 Star 14u National
Reynolds picked up all three of his hits on the weekend in the same game but showed a number of things to like across all of his plate appearances through the weekend. A young and athletic right-handed hitting catcher, Reynolds showed defensive prowess behind the dish with good athleticism and instincts that project similarly to his offensive tools where he consistently found the barrel but needs the added strength that comes with maturity to improve the results.

Brandon De Goti, SS/RHP, BPA
De Goti was a crucial contributor to the success of the BPA team on their run to the semifinals with most of the impact coming from his time on the mound where he racked 11 strikeouts across ten innings of work. He stands strong at what looks like a better than listed 5-foot-9, 145 pounds and uses it all efficiently with great arm speed to produce a fastball that shows great life up to 82 mph and a true 12-to-6 breaking ball that can garner significant swing-and-miss already when he lands it.

Eric Fleetwood, 1B, Wow Factor 14u Premier
Fleetwood came out of the event listed as the top performer from a statistical standpoint on the offensive side of things and for good reason as his seven hits put him at a .583 AVG and a 1.782 OPS with four coming as extra base hits. At an extremely physical 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, there is obvious strength behind the swings he takes but he is able to stay simple enough to find the barrel at a good rate and garner good results because of it.

-Tyler Russo

Konnor Griffin, OF/RHP, Louisiana Knights
Griffin was awarded the PG 2-Way Player of the Year at the 13u PG Select Festival and what he showed in Panama City was nothing to the contrary. The young Mississippi native doesn’t look like your typical 14u player with his long limbed 6-foot-2, 170 pound frame, nor does he play like one. At the plate Griffin does an outstanding job of remaining balanced while generating leverage to his swing, consistently finding the barrel with a loose stroke and plenty of bat speed. He hit .500 on the weekend and closed out their playoff win on the mound, sitting 82-84 mph with a quick arm action and big running life to his arm side. 

Talin Gardini, LHP, Elite Squad
Gardini pitched twice out of the bullpen for Elite Squad, including a two inning stint in the playoffs in which he struck out 5. Strongly built at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Gardini goes to work once he toes the rubber with a simply, rhythmic delivery and a compact arm stroke through the back with solid extension out front. He worked in the low-80s over his time on the mound, topping out at 82 mph with good riding life up in the zone, challenging hitters and often winning. The fastball comes out clean and there’s certainly more to come which will only allow his big, deep curveball to play even more. 

Dean Moss, OF, Canes National
Moss is no stranger to the national scene already, playing the week prior in the WWBA Freshman and winning MVP honors at the 13u World Series this past summer. Jump forward to this past weekend and Moss was tied for the tournament lead with 9 base hits, several of which jumped off the barrel very hard as the young left-handed bat swings with plenty of intent and looks to create damage with every swing. He did just that in Panama City with more than a couple loud barrels and lift to his swing while letting his athleticism take over with quality defense in right field. 

David Shields, LHP Canes National 
Shields made the trip down from Pennsylvania and the young left-hander certainly made quite the impression during a near complete game effort in the playoffs. Having just eclipsed his pitch count restriction, Shields finished with a spectacular 6.2 innings in which he struck out 11 and maintained his velocity extremely well, still hitting 81 mph late in the contest. Shields’ arm action is smooth and fluid, working to an extended release which helped generate short running life while mixing and landing a short breaking ball for strikes in the upper-60s.

Noah Libed, OF/LHP, CBA Bulldogs
Libed is young for the 2024 class and he brought his skills with him from California to make an impression during his time in Panama City. Listed as a primary left-handed pitcher on his PG profile, Libed continuously showed well both in center field and atop the CBA lineup, where he put some good swings on the ball despite his final stat line, showing a loose and quick lefthanded stroke. Like his swing, Libed moves well in the outfield, covering plenty of ground in center field. He jumped on the mound later in the tournament, topping out at 80 mph while punching out 8 in 5.2 innings pitched. 

Rivers Kurland, OF/LHP, TBT Ballers
Last week we saw Kurland take the mound in the WWBA Freshman championship game where he went a strong 6.2 innings to earn All-Tournament honors. Jump to Panama City and the WWBA 14u World Championship and Kurland was again making noise, only this time it was with the bat. Athletically built at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, Kurland helped set the tempo of the TBT lineup with a loose right-handed swing, showing comfort turning on the ball while picking up an extra-base hit in three of the team’s four games. 

Jacob Kendall, SS/OF, 5 Star 13u National
Kendall, like others here, geared up in Oklahoma City for the 13u Select Festival and continued to swing it during his time in Panama City, just as he had done all summer. Despite his 5-foot-10, 140 pound frame Kendall is able to generate easy bat speed through the zone, showing a fluid path with natural lift which more than once led to an extra base hit, finishing with a .444 average and a pair of triples. Along with the hit tool and quickly developing pop, the young Floridian shows good timing at the plate and knowledge of the zone, drawing four walks as well.

Landon Schaefer, 3B, USA Prime National
Schaefer didn’t necessarily fill up the stat sheet for USA Prime during the WWBA Freshman but it’s hard not to be intrigued with what the Arkansas native brings to both sides of the ball. A long and lean 6-foot-1, 155 pounds, Schaefer uses his length in his swing well, showing fluidity through the zone while putting some nice swings on the ball in Panama City. Schaefer also showed off his athleticism at third base, moving well on his feet with balanced footwork while showing a strong arm across the diamond. 

Kayson Cunningham, SS/2B, USA Prime National
Cunningham, like others, played in back-to-back WWBAs with the Freshman and 14u tournaments and served as a table setter this past weekend for USA Prime, hitting .429 on the weekend while showing an ability to get on base, walking another 6 times. Once on base the young Texan was able to generate offense with his speed, stealing 9 bags while scoring another 6 runs. His defensive skills are just as impressive, giving him a well-rounded toolbox that all have proven to play in game. 

Jack Ruckert, SS, USA Prime National
Ruckert joined Cunningham, Schaefer and Rivas in the infield for USA Prime and continued to show well both with his defensive actions and left-handed swing. A 13u Select Festival alum, Ruckert was smooth in the dirt with balanced footwork, soft hands, and a strong arm which was on display to make the long throw from the six-hole. His left-handed swing was both smooth and fluid, keeping his barrel in the zone for a while hitting .333 on the weekend. He also made a brief appearance on the mound and was up to 81 mph. 

Jacob Parker, OF, Louisiana Knights
Parker is as physical a prospect as you would’ve found last weekend and what’s most important is his ability to incorporate that strength into gameplay. Already standing at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, the left-handed hitting Parker shows the ability to impact the baseball to all parts of the yard just as he did last weekend with four extra base hits, including an inside the park home run where the strength and foot speed were both on display. Parker drove in 8 and scored 4 runs of his own while hitting .333 on the weekend. 

Xavier Rivera, C, Potros 2024
Rivera entered the event as the only committed player in attendance having already decided upon Florida International and he proved to be a steady bat in the middle of the Potros lineup, hitting .400 on the weekend. He’s strongly built at 5-foot-9, 155 pounds and the strength plays in his hands, showing a shorter stroke to the ball with plenty of jump off the barrel to all fields. He drove in five over the course of his team’s four games and showed athleticism to his defensive actions, both behind the plate and over at third base. 

Noah Franco, OF/LHP, Canes National
Franco showed well on both sides of the ball for the Canes National club, including during his start on the mound in the championship game in which he went six strong innings of shutout baseball, working his fastball up to 80 mph with a quick arm action. He helped his own cause with a base knock, a run and a stolen base in the final game, continuing to show a handle for the barrel from the left side. Along with his performance in the championship, Franco finished with a .333 average which included a pair of triples. 

Ethan Porter, 3B/RHP, Elite Squad
Porter joined Gardini in making the trip from the West Coast into the thick of things for Elite Squad, showing off his two-way potential throughout the weekend. One of the stronger players in the lineup at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Porter is a switch-hitter who knows how to incorporate that strength from both sides of the ball with a quick path and strength in his hands, showing impact off the barrel. On the mound Porter was up to 81 mph with lots of natural cut and filled the strike zone while spinning a hard, downer curveball which he spun with comfort and conviction. 

Ryan Stover, RHP, Canes National
In order to make a run deep into a WWBA you need to have depth on the mound and receive a couple of big performances and that’s exactly what Stover delivered in the semi-finals with a complete game, three-hit effort in which he struck out 7 and didn’t issue a walk. The young Pennsylvania native continuously filled the strike zone with his fastball which topped out at 84 mph, tied for the event best while landing his low-70s breaking ball for strikes throughout. 

-Jheremy Brown
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