-Tyler Russo
WWBA 13u World Championship Standouts
Event Scout Notes
Chase Fuller, SS/RHP, Padres Scout Team
Fuller has started out his Perfect Game career as one of the most talked about names in his class with his performances at big youth events, including the 12U Select Festival. Fuller has put his name toward the top of the list as far as top two-way standouts at this point with loud tools on both sides of the ball. At the plate he has shown big time juice with a total of 13 home runs in the 2021 season. It will be interesting to see how this power translates to the big fields as he makes the transition next summer playing 13U competition full time. On the mound, he already proved what it looks like when he brings his low-80s fastball to the bump, with four strikeouts in five innings with only one earned run. It really is the whole package that draws the interest when talking about Fuller, as his entire game shows polish for his age with more to come as he continues to mature.
Jared Grindlinger, OF, Team Elite
Coming in at No. 3 on the final top performer list, Grindlinger racked up eight hits, including three extra-base hits, on the weekend as he proved time and time again why his bat is at the top of the lineup with his ability to control the barrel and find his way on base. When comparing his game to that of his older brother and Long Beach State commit Trent, there isn’t a whole lot to draw on at this point. The potential for that kind of projection though is what makes Jared’s game that much more interesting. With his display of barrel control, the development of more power like his older brother will really round out a well-balanced hitter with multiple offensive tools.
Andrew Bennett, OF/RHP, USA Prime
Is it the power at the plate or the power in the arm that stands out more for Bennett? In this look it was definitely the talent in the right arm that stood out more, as he ended up striking out seven of the nine outs he recorded on the mound. He was able to maintain his fastball velocity throughout the appearance while mixing in the firm breaking ball in the low-70s. To put some context to the breaking ball, he is capable of throwing it 10 mph harder than the average fastball for his class while still getting significant horizontal break on the pitch. While it didn’t stand out as much in this look, Bennett’s bat has also shown flashes of some of that same power that shows up on the mound with an extra-base hit on over 33% of his hits.
Cullen Weller, UTL, USA Prime
Weller can truly play all over the field. With the big shift on the size of the field it can be tough to tell where the speed is at for most of these kids as they get used to 90-foot bases. This is not the case for Weller, who displayed his athleticism and twitch in multiple facets of his game. With the stick he was able to use the middle of the field to get on base, driving the ball back up the middle more often than not. With the glove he really stood out behind the dish, moving well side-to-side and showing off his abilities as a willing blocker as he smothered balls to keep them close. He is also able to step out and fill some spots on different parts of the field, giving his club some versatility as they look to navigate through long weekends. His ability to fill multiple roles and continue to develop his athleticism will be key for his game moving forward.
William McIntire, C, USA Prime
If you are looking for probably the strongest catch-and-throw arm in the class, look no further then McIntire. The Texas native can absolutely sling the ball behind the dish. With the bases making the drastic 20-foot jump back from 70 feet to 90 feet, the throw to second jumps back 30 feet further. After watching McIntire throw on the big boy diamond, you can only imagine how few people tried to take bases on his last year with the shorter bases. It is not just arm strength though for the young catcher, as he has solid mechanics behind the dish, receiving the ball with firm hands that are able to beat the ball to the spot despite catching some of the higher velocity in the event. This ability behind the plate will be a fun one to follow as he shows so much promise at a young age with so much room to continue to grow and develop as a player.
-Colt Olinger