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Tournaments  | Story  | 10/3/2023

WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Day 5

Perfect Game Staff      Tyler Russo      Craig Cozart      Isaiah Burrows      Tyler Kotila     
Photo: Ben Goodacre (Perfect Game)
WWBA Underclass Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day3 | Day 4


Mason Ligenza (2025, Brockton, Penn.) was an immediate standout during playoff games. He’s a wiry 6-foot-5, 190-pound left-handed stick that oozes physical projection. There is real bat speed here and a tight turn with good impact off the barrel. He drove a ball to the opposite field gap and followed it up with a triple that screamed down the right field corner. He’s a quick-twitch athlete that gets it out of the box, and he’s capable of roaming center field at present with a potential to move to a corner if the frame develops. The bat and speed opened eyes in a huge way. He’s an uncommitted name to know with present tools and upside.  
 
Carlos Lugo (2025, Fort Lauderdale. Fla.) was a loud two-way player all weekend but immediately showed out on the bump. He lived on the barrel, hitting to the tune of .571 with four doubles and just spraying the pull side from a strong left-handed stick. Lugo really opened eyes on the bump as a left-handed pitcher, running it up to 89-90 mph and showing a devastating changeup to both sides of the plate with heavy arm-side fade. He has some deception to the delivery and can mix in a breaker, as well. Lugo’s two-way talents really opened eyes and there’s untapped upside on the bump. Big uncommitted name in the class.  

Ben Goodacre (2025, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada) had one of the best fastballs in my looks this entire weekend. It was a 87-88 mph offering but plays up with big jump out of the hand, showing good running life upwards of 2500 spin that missed bats up in the zone. It overpowered the zone. The West Virginia commit has a quick arm and a lean 6-foot-3 frame to build upon. He mixed in a shorter curveball and short two-plane slider that vary in shape. The fastball was certainly eye opening and really impressive.  



Donavan Jeffrey (2025, Chester, Virginia) had a towering three-run blast that left the yard in a hurry. It was a no-doubt shot to left that got a yelp from both dugouts. The Miami commit has some of the most prodigious power in the class and put it on display. Jeffrey is a full physical 6-foot-2, 220-pound athlete with real juice. He has explosive bat speed and separation. It’s pretty low tension power that plays to all fields and has been that way for quite some time now. On a star-studded MLB Breakthrough Series squad, Jeffrey made his presence felt once again.  

Jonathan Lopez (2025, Coral Springs, Fla.) showed out with the stick this weekend and earned MVP honors as a result. The FAU commit has a real handle for the barrel from a short left-handed swing and should stick up the middle for a long term. He’s a twitchy athlete with solid bat-to-ball skills. Works it to all fields and really works out good at-bats consistently. He’s a solid product on both sides with a clean set of hands and good footwork at short or second. Has all the traits of a Division I type player.  

Jonathan Griggs (2026, Atlanta, Ga.) showed out behind the dish and followed it up with a couple of loud barrels. He had an awfully impressive catch-and-throw on a caught stealing to third base, showing a real clean transfer and solid arm strength. He has soft hands and gains ground well. At the plate, Griggs is a heavy barrel with strength. He can torque it awfully well with some solid pull-side power that can develop. Has good traits playing up.  

Rylan Moses (2025, Portland, Tenn.) had a solid day at the plate and comes with a well-rounded profile. He’s a twitchy left-handed stick with a loose top hand and rhythm. Good contact off the barrel that played best to the pull-side gap. He has good contact skills and can reach top-end speed on the basepaths and roaming all three outfield spots. Good uncommitted profile in the 2025s.  

-Isaiah Burrows

Nick Diaz (2025, Parkland, Fla.) is a right-handed hitter with an extra-large, projectable frame. Diaz is listed 6-foot-5, with a lean 185-pound build. He has room to continue filling out the long-levered frame. The right-handed bat handled the stick well this weekend and continued that into Monda when the Original Florida Pokers 2025 squad went on a run. Diaz operates with a wider base, showing off an excellent feel for the barrel. He works from a wider stance with plenty of feel for the barrel to get on plane with pitches and do damage. He can work uphill through it and drive the ball in the air for success. The Georgia Bulldogs commit put plenty of really good swings on the ball this weekend, hitting .533 on the weekend, with a .600 on-base percentage, including 2 RBI.

Carter Derks (2025, Coral Springs, Fla.) has handled the stick well and also pitched well. He’s thrived on both sides of the plate and is a big reason why the Original Florida Pokers 2025 squad was able to make a run on Monday, primarily due to a walk-off single that plated the winning run, but his overall performance was strong. Derks is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame with strength that shows and some physicality throughout the build. He handles the bat well with a wider stance and some strength at impact, with good hand speed working through it. He hit .500 with a .545 on-base percentage, with 2 RBI to his credit. Derks also jumped on the mound, working from a higher slot with some whip downhill through release. Showing some arm speed. He had a controlled operation that he repeated well, working downhill. The Florida Atlantic commit pitched well. The fastball worked up to 89 mph on Monday, holding in the upper-80s. He showed a low-70s breaker in the mix as well. He threw 4 and ⅔ innings on the tournament, where he walked 1, allowed 4 hits, and punched out 7 opposing hitters.

Anthony Marsico (2026, Blauvelt, N.Y.) is a 6-foot, 170-pound outfielder who handled the stick well for the Canes Tri-State 17U squad. He had strength in the frame and was able to impact it well, especially pull-side. Produced some loud results with some thump off the barrel. He’s a right-handed bat with an even base and the hands high, with some barrel wrap. He whips the hands through the zone and is able to work to it out front. He has some whip through the zone with a good feel for the barrel. On Monday, he had a great 2-hit game that included a 3-run home run, lifting one high and deep to left field for a pull-side bomb. He would finish the tourney with 3 extra-base hits, including the homer to his credit.c

Carl Calixte-Cunillera (2025, West Palm Beach, Fla.) is a 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame with athleticism showing in a more slender build. Has strength showing, too, with the ability to impact the ball well. Calixte-Cunillera works from an even and spread base, with the hands set higher in the stance, working uphill through contact to drive the ball well. He worked backside well in his plate appearances on Monday. He has a simple and whippy stroke from the right side. The uncommitted right-handed bat was able to do a job. Simple step and stride into it. Takes a long path through the zone. Calixte-Cunillera hit .471 with a .526 on-base percentage. He managed 2 doubles and had 2 RBI to his credit.

Jack Nestler (2025, West Cornwall, Conn.) toed the slab for Canes Tri-State 17U in a 5 and 2/3 inning outing where he walked 2, allowed 3 hits, and struck out 6 opposing hitters in the process. Nestler has a more medium frame and build, working with a longer arm stroke through the back. Higher-set waist in the frame. He threw from a higher slot. The fastball worked the 83-86 mph range with arm-side run to it. He also showed a bigger 11/5-shaped breaking ball in the low-70s. He mixed pitches well and was able to stave off the opposition to keep his team moving through bracket play.

Aiden Smarrito (2025, Winter Springs, Fla.) toe the slab for Power Baseball 2025 Marucci, working against Nestler from above. The two sides got through 3 innings of no-hit ball before either side budged. Smarrito pitched well, too, working into the later parts of the game before the extra-innings tie-breaker sealed things. The 6-foot, 190-pound right-handed pitcher had a medium frame and build. He had a bigger leg lift up above the belt with some coil to it. He threw from a higher slot with a shorter release. The fastball worked in the mid-80s with some life to it, locating well north/south and changing the eye level. The ability to locate the fastball set him up well to drop in a breaking ball that worked the 68-71 mph mark for the most part. It was a knuckle curve with tons of depth to it and a sharp bite that was able to induce the swing-and-miss. Smarrito threw twice this weekend. He totaled 6 and 2/3 innings with a hit, a walk, and 6 strikeouts with zero earned runs.

Nickolas Rodriguez (2024, San Antonio, Texas) hit well this weekend. He’s got a 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame with strength throughout an athletic build. The uncommitted right-handed hitter has done a good job for Trosky National 2025 this weekend. He added some more hits on Monday, doing a good job producing as part of the team's lineup. He sets up with a wider base, the hands high, and uses a simple right-handed stroke to get the job done. He loads up over the backside and has plenty of feel for the barrel to be accurate and create some whip through the zone. Rodriguez hit well this weekend, managing a .429 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage. He had a double, a home run, and 2 RBI to his credit.

Thomas Giltner (2025, Hollywood, Fla.) took to the mound for the Original Florida Pokers 2025 squad on Monday and was able to strut his stuff. The uncommitted right-handed pitcher showed off the fastball/curveball combo that was tough on opposing hitters. Giltner is a lean and slender build in a 5-foot-11, 150-pound frame. He has a controlled and deliberate operation out of the wind-up with a leg lift, tucked, up above the belt. He threw from a higher slot and was able to attack hitters well. Giltner worked 83-87 mph on the fastball, holding the mid-80s. The pitch had an arm-side run and some angle to it. He trusted a breaker a ton as well. The pitch was a little slurvy, but it looked like it had 11/5 shape with tight spin and good bite to it. Giltner threw 6 and 2/3 innings on the weekend with 3 hits allowed, no walks, 12 strikeouts, and one earned run. He also hit .500, going 1-for-2 at the plate.

- Tyler R. Kotila


Taking the ball on the mound in the first round of playoffs for the Northeast Pride ’25 National was Ty Van Valkenburg (’26, NY). He looks the part physically at 6-4/205 and with his broad shoulders there is still plenty of projection remaining for the young arm. His delivery is methodical as he loads tall over the rubber and works through a full, slightly offline arm path. He leverages the ball downhill nicely, his fastball rides through the zone and played best in the bottom of the zone generating ground balls. The Miami commit came out hot in the 1st inning, running his fastball up to 89 mph and sustaining mid-80s. He settled into the mid-80s in the following frames but with his club clinging to a 2-0 lead, he showed the ability to reach back and recover his best velocity with runners in scoring position. He only threw a handful of breakers, and it needs some refining but flashed out-pitch potential. Van Valkenburg finished the 5-inning shutout on 89 pitches, allowing 5 hits, 3 walks and he struck out 3 batters as well.

Handling the duties behind the dish and setting the tone at the top of the lineup for Northeast Pride ’25 National, Devin Diaz (’26, NY) is the essence of playing with a high motor. The 5-10/180 backstop is one of the more polished catchers you will see in his class, and he makes his club better with his fiery competitiveness. He is agile, sits in deep behind the dish and excels with his lateral mobility. Active behind the plate, he loves to show off his advanced arm strength and back picked a runner at 1st base today in a pivotal situation. He uses a simple approach at the plate allowing his quick hands to deliver the barrel as he uses the middle of the field. He collects hits in bunches, his footspeed plays, and the Miami commit has the look of being an offensive catcher for the long-term.
 

Bouncing around the infield clay, showing off his quick feet and range to his left as well as right, Ray Yero (’25, FL) is an exciting prospect. The 5-10/170 middle infielder is explosive and densely muscled and plays the game more physically than his actual stature portrays. Playing short stop for CBU 2025 Scout Team Maruszak, he displayed excellent glove work with smooth actions and secures the ball with ease. He gets the ball out quick, his arm is solid with present accuracy and looks like he can stick in the middle of the diamond long term. All that said, his bat may be his carrying tool and it creates a lot of loud impact. Yero uses his lower half very well in his swing, there is a touch of length, but his hand strength accelerates the bat head in a blur. Uncommitted, he is a difference maker on both sides of the ball and will be an asset to a quality program at the next level.

A player that is just beginning to tap into his ability and grow into his projectable 6-2/185 frame is Drew Buchanan (’25, FL). Handling short stop for the FTB Rockets, he is rangy as he uses his long strides to cover significant ground and makes quick reads off the bat. He presents the glove firmly out front and uses a deeper funnel to transfer into his throws. Buchanan is instinctual in his moves and as he adds mass his game will get to the next level on the defensive side of things. Offensively, he is sound mechanically and shows feel for the barrel. There is length to his operation but as he adds strength it will be justified, and the power will start to play up. The actions on both sides of the ball are all there and now it’s just a matter of time and growth before he gets to the next level. There is a lot to look forward to with this athlete.

-Craig Cozart

2025 RHP/1B Evan Taylor (Ocean City, N.J.) made a couple of relief appearances on the weekend where his stuff stood out, per usual, but it was with the bat where made the most noise, really showing there’s some two-way viability in there. He’s strong and creates big bat speed, while he really doesn’t get cheated in the swings he gets off, which showed in picking up a double in all 3 of his games, including one that left the bat at 102 on one of the better swings we saw all event.

2025 RHP Christopher Cavalcante (Philadelphia, Penn.) is a strong 6’4/215 right-hander with the stuff and upside for college coaches to lock in on. He was 87-89 and uses his size to really power down the mound, allowing that fastball to play well in the upper part of the zone, while the firm slider he throws in the 79-80 range is a pitch with the components to be one that misses bats in bunches as everything comes together. It’s a power-arm foundation with a fast arm and upside.

2025 RHP Manuel Sostre (Cudahy, Wisc.) stood out immediately in terms of his projection at a long and lean 6’3/165, and the stuff is already effective enough to be impactful. He lived in the 84-87/88 range for the most part over 3+ innings, and he managed 6 strikeouts around some baserunners. It’s a lower slot release from a loose arm, which allows him to heavily sink the fastball, and the secondaries he shows are effective out of that slot as he gives a different look.


2025 OF Cooper Eggert (Lockport, Ill.) is a good athlete who swung it well at the top of the order for Cangelosi Sparks, and he’s a guy that certainly should garner recruiting interest. It’s a clean swing from the left side with both looseness to the hands and bat speed that he generates from strength in the wrists, while he naturally gets good separation and projects to hit for extra bases, while being a guy that can already run a good bit, as he adds more strength to the body.

2025 3B Macay Wagner (Richfield, Wisc.) hit .750 on the weekend, with a hit in every game, and has serious things to like in terms of both that and his physicality. He’s got a ton of strength in the swing, which comes from him being 6’2/205, and it translates given how well he creates leverage.

2025 3B Tyler Cripe (Parrish, Fla.) had a very good weekend from an offensive standpoint as he racked up 5 hits across just 3 games and did it from both sides of the dish. It’s an easier swing and he has excellent balance on both sides, which allows him to use the whole field, and his size/physicality both allow him to generate strong impact already and give him plenty of upside.

2025 LHP Micah Hays (Horseheads, N.Y.) is a physical pitchability left-hander who stood out in that regard on his way to 9 strikeouts over 5 good innings (0 walks). He lived in the 83-86 range, showing he can command both sides of the plate, and while the changeup is a good pitch that he tunnels well, the breaking ball is an ever better go-to with hammer traits and swing-and-miss upside.

2026 C Christian Olivares (Corpus Christi, Texas) has already been good at a number of stops on the circuit as just a ’26, and he showed big things again playing up this weekend. He’s got real physicality, and it shows in just how well he impacts the baseball, like when he took a fastball up in the zone and hit it just shy of the 400-foot mark in dead centerfield. It’s a compact swing, so he’s on the barrel steadily, but the strength he creates at impact is what stands out the most.
 

2025 OF Dario Romeo (Montreal, Quebec) hit at the top of the solid Canes Florida Scout Team lineup and showed huge hitting traits to get excited about if you’re a college recruiter. He’s got super twitchy wrists, which leads to pretty significant bat speed, and his propensity to be on time and on plane is something that stands out and profiles at the top of the lineup at any level.

2025 RHP Jeremiah Stewart (Chuluota, Fla.) got the ball for a playoff start against the talented MLB Breakthrough lineup and was outstanding as he worked four shutout innings, pushing him to double digit strikeouts over two outings on the weekend. He was up to 87, showing that he can command the fastball to both halves and down in the zone, while the breaking ball was a difference maker that he consistently tunneled to the bottom part of the zone and got whiffs.

2025 RHP Max Luzarraga (Matthews, N.C.) only threw a couple of innings, but the stuff really jumps out and he’s highly regarded in the class for a reason. He was right around the 87-90 range with the fastball, showing he can sink it and do so with ease, while the breaking ball is a short little hammer that he sells very well. It’s a projection profile with stuff that’ll stand out already, giving him the kind of upside to be one of the better arms in this class at the end.

2026 RHP Ethan Lee (West Nyack, N.Y.) was a standout at last week’s event, since he’s just a ’26, and that same stuff he showed was impressive amongst older guy this week. He’s a long and athletic righty with big stuff and big projection; he sat 89-91 in his single inning here, getting on top of the fastball well and living at the bottom of the zone, while the slider, at over 2800 RPMs a week ago, is a true put away pitch with all the makings of missing bats for the years to come.

2025 LHP Jackson Cotton (Missouri City, Texas) only faced a couple of batters, but it was pretty impressive stuff that showed he’s trending in the right direction. He’s a very athletic left-hander who moves down the mound well, and it’s a fast arm. He was just 87-89 with angle as he gets good downhill, even at just 6-foot, and the breaking ball is a true hammer offering. The traits here are very strong, and he’s got an up arrow next to him if the stuff keeps looking like this.
 

2025 RHP Sawyer Deering (Menasha, Wisc.) sits as one of the top uncommitted arms left in the country for this class at this point, and he showed why the stuff is so highly regarded in closing out a playoff win. It’s a hyper athletic profile in terms of delivery, body control and arm speed, while the stuff already jumps. He was almost solely 89-91 and gets significant straight line carry to it through the zone, while it allows him to tunnel a short downer breaking ball to miss bats. He has good traits to continue to trend upward, but he can already beat guys with his mix/stuff.

2026 LHP RJ Cope (Lawrenceville, Ga.) is already regarded as one of the top arms in the ’26 group, and this outing playing up was another box checked in a long line of big showings. He struck out 7 in under 4 innings of a playoff start and did so with ease. He lived in the 87-89 range with the fastball from start to finish, showing he can command either side of the plate with intent, while only needing to mix a few changeups off what was a dominant fastball attack.

2025 OF Jackson Miller (Jupiter, Fla.) has had no shortage of strong showings, and picking up a pair of extra-base hits during the playoff game we saw him was another. He’s an explosive and toolsy athlete who impacts the game in a variety of ways. He’s very consistent with finding the barrel, showing big bat speed and hands that can do damage, and he has no signs of slowing down as the game continues to speed up; he’s a heart of the order type of impact bat right now.

-Tyler Russo
 
Thomas Case (2025, RHP/1B/3B/OF, Watervliet, NY) Got the start for Allstars Academy Prestige 16u against Dirtbags National 2025 having himself a solid day on the bump. Case, A St.John commit, went 3 innings allowing just one run and striking out 4 in the process. Thomas is an athletic framed right hander with a loose whippy arm that showed great life with FB sitting 86-90 T92mph on the day getting tons of swings and misses with FB.

Braden Polsky (2025, RHP/OF, Cornelius, NC) was nothing short of spectacular on the other side for Dirtbags National 2025 against Allstars Prestige. Polsky threw 5 innings of perfect baseball while striking out 10 in the process. Medium framed right hander sat 80-84 range T86mph with tons of command and getting ahead early. Flashed SL at 79-81 with some good bite late.

Cole Hoffman (2025, RHP/OF, Poway, CA) took the mound for Trosky National 2025 against Midland Redskins 17u tossing 3 innings of shutout baseball. Hoffman, a sturdy physical player, worked from a higher ¾ slot sitting 82-86 T87 with FB while flashing a good feel for both CB and CH. Found success with offspeed late in counts leading to weak contact or swing and misses racking up 5 strikeouts.

Beckett Doane (2026, LHP, Noblesville, IN) had a marvelous day on the mound for the Indiana Bulls in their victory over MMW Colorado Victus 17u. Beckett is a long lanky left hander with tons of room to fill at 6’5 175 pounds. Doane flipped 4 innings of shutout baseball while striking out 9 and allowing 3 hits. Found tons of success with FB all around the zone especially up inducing multiple strikeouts. Complimented his FB well with sweepy SL at 73-74 mph that continued to keep hitters off balance.

Jonah Andrade (2025,MIF/OF, Oakville, ON CAN) had himself a day at the plate against ECB Astros 16u Navy racking up 3 hits which included a loud double to RF. Andrade is a smaller athletic framed player with really good bat to barrel skills consistently making loud contact and finding holes. Showed comfort in going to the opposite field as well getting himself a backside single and 2 RBI’s.

Jackson Dasher (2025, 3B/OF/MIF/RHP, Missouri City, TX) came in relief for Marucci Elite Texas Underclass giving them 4.2 innings of 0 run baseball in their win against C35 National. Dasher, a lean athletic framed right hander, displayed a great feel for 3 pitch mix of FB/SL/CH throwing each early and late in counts. FB sat 80-84 with good fading CH and SL/CB. Dasher struck out a batter with every pitch in arsenal on the way to a 5 strikeout performance.

-Nick MacDonald

Dylan Taft (2025, Oldsmar, Fla.) got the 8am slot at Terry Park started with a bang as he went to the opposite field for a long home run in the first playoff round. At 6-foot-3, 220-pounds, he’s got a ton of strength at the point of contact. The right-handed hitter hit .400 during the event with an OBP of near .500 as the uncommitted bat looks like a real power threat now and moving forward.  

Connor Blue (2025, O’Fallon, Ill.) went the full five innings and ran the heater up to 88 mph during Spects’ first playoff win of the day. He’s durably built at 6-foot-1, 185-pounds with a smooth delivery that he repeated really nicely. The breaking ball is sharp with healthy shape and bite to it and Blue showed the ability to land it while also maintaining his stuff deep into the outing. Blue also had a couple of knocks over the course of the day but the upside on the mound is exciting.  

Arguably the performance of the day came from Spects leadoff man Danny Wallace (2025, Lavista, Neb.) as the Oklahoma State commit finished No. 2 on the Top Performers list and on Monday alone had eight exit velocities north of 90+ mph. Wallace has super twitchy wrists with plus bat speed and made a habit of being aggressive in the box, jumping on pitches early in counts to try to do big damage. He had a number of laced singles and a couple of triples, one of which burned the CF and the other almost got out to left field. He hit the ball consistently hard with frequency and posted obviously healthy exit velocities on those barrels. There’s feel to recognize spin and has also been into the low-90s on the bump, so the arm plays in center. This was a huge coming out party for a top 100 prospect that looks like he’s only on the rise.  

Wallace’s teammate Blake Eckerle (2025, Hugo, Minn.) has a smooth left-handed swing and showed a willingness to use the whole field on a line. At 6-foot, 185-pounds, the Utah commit has good size and is adept at lagging the barrel through the hitting zone which results in true all fields contact that is hard off the barrel. It’s a simple swing with pretty good efficiency and the power will continue to tick upward as he adds strength.  

Conor Essenburg (2025, Manhattan, Ill.) was very good on the bump for Top Tier Americans, showing a clean and smooth delivery with pretty good stuff to boot. The Kansas State commit was up to 87 mph and lived mostly in the 82-85 mph range with good command of the fastball to either half of the plate. The curveball showed nice 1/7 shape with depth and will absolutely be a solid pitch for him moving forward. It was a strong start and Essenburg looked like a polished southpaw on the bump.  

Caden Williamson (2025, Broomfield, Colo.) had a solid weekend for the Slammers, hitting over .350 with a couple of extra base hits to his name. Williamson is 5-foot-11, 170-pounds with wiry strength and packs plenty of quick twitch on the frame too. He can run and throw from the outfield and showed the ability to backspin the ball to generate carry and extra base hit potential. He’s a good looking player and was a real threat out of the leadoff spot.  

Charles Pearce (2025, Superior, Colo.) earned MV-Pitcher honor thanks in part to his five inning complete game in bracket play. The right-hander was up to 89 mph and lived in the upper-80s with the fastball, showing a proclivity to attack and get ahead in early counts. The slider is firm in the upper-70s with short bite to it and functioned as a quality secondary pitch. Pearce totaled 8 innings on the weekend and was a strong presence on the bump.  

Carlos Lugo (2025, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) was filthy on the mound, closing out two games on Monday. The southpaw worked in the88-90 mph range and is a super competitor on the mound, coming right at hitters and daring them to try to hit the fastball. The heater got a good amount of life and was able to miss bats effectively. The changeup was very good too, a true weapon against right-handed hitters while he also showed a couple of breakers.  

-Vinnie Cervino
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