Jordon
Adell (2017, Louisville, Ky.) was one of the standouts of last
month’s Junior National Showcase. The Louisville commit shined at
both the plate and on the mound. While he has been clocked as high
90 mph off of the mound, Adell arguably projects better as a position
player, where he’ll have more of an opportunity to showcase all of
his impressive tools, including his phenomenal footspeed (clocked at
6.47 in the 60-yard dash). On Saturday, Adell displayed the same
monster bat speed and strength off of the barrel that he flashed at
Junior National, as he took advantage of an elevated 86 mph fastball
and deposited it well over the fence in left center field. The
contact was especially loud and was measured at 107 mph off of the
bat by the Trackman technology implemented at Lake Point. While he
struck out in his later at bat, Adell still showed solid pitch
recognition and was able to adjust and lay off of some tough
curveballs before bowing out on a well-placed fastball on the outside
corner. It is encouraging to see such strides from a player that had
recently been viewed more as a pitching prospect than an outfielder.
As he continues to get more at-bats and experience against high-level
competition, Adell should only continue to improve and make the most
out of his vast array of high-end tools, a large part of the reason
why he’s ranked as the 6th overall prospect for the 2017 class.
Dallas
Tigers’ starting pitcher Elijah Davis (2017, Shawnee, Okla.)
was on the opposing end of the Adell home run, but outside of that
one pitch not many balls were hit very hard. The Kansas commit was
able to navigate his way through an extremely talented and tough
Evoshields Canes lineup for seven innings and pick up a complete game
victory. Listed at 5-foot-9, 145-pounds, Davis doesn’t fit the
prototypical starting pitcher build, but he showed an adept feel for
the craft of pitching and owns a bulldog mentality. Davis hides the
ball very well in his delivery and has a clean, compact arm-stroke
that makes it tough for opposing hitters to pick up the ball. Over
the course of his seven innings, Davis sat in the 84-87 mph with his
fastball, which featured occasional cutting action and showed late
life and ride. While there is some effort in the delivery with a
noticeable head snap, Davis impressively had no issues holding his
velocity over the course of his start, and he even unleashed his best
fastball at 88 mph in the seventh and final inning of the game. Davis
also showed good feel for his breaking ball, a curveball with 1-to-7
shape in the 69-73 mph range. The offering has solid depth and
flashed late biting action, and Davis showed the ability to use it to
either garner called strikes or induce swings and misses out of the
strike zone.
Davis’
opposition and Evoshield Canes starter commit Mackenzie Gore
(2017, Whiteville, N.C.) pitched well in his own right. The
lefthanded pitcher recently committed to East Carolina, and it was
easy to see why college coaches would covet his services. The
6-foot-1, 160-pound southpaw has an athletic, projectable build and
has a dynamic delivery with a high frontside and deep release. As a
result, Gore is able to generate good extension out in front. His
fastball which sat at 85-87 and topped out at 88 mph really jumped on
hitters and the offering exploded on hitters at times, showing good
late riding action when located up in the strike zone. He also
flashed some feel for a low-70s breaking ball with 1-to-7 shape. At
times the pitch showed more sweeping life with 2-to-8 shape, as he
could get around on the pitch, but with his overall athleticism and
Gore projects very well going forward.
In
the afternoon and early evening games a number of uncommitted
pitchers stood out.
Like
fellow Texan Elijah Davis, Academy Select Sun Devils Ingram’s
Daniel Cole (2017, Harker Heights, Texas) put forth a gritty
complete game effort to earn a win against Team California Warriors.
At 5-foot-11, 180-pounds, Cole doesn’t own the prototypical
pitchers build but he showed an astute feel for pitching. In the
early going he worked in the 84-87 mph range with his fastball and he
held his velocity pretty well until the later innings, where he was
able to rely on his 68-70 mph curveball and 71-74 mph slider, both of
which were effective at times. Similarly, Cole flashed developing
feel for a mid-70s changeup.
Two
Dirtbags righthanded pitchers, Kyle Blendinger (2017, High
Point, N.C.) and Gage Herring (2017, Newton Grove, N.C.), both
showed interesting arsenals in their stints on the mound.
Using
an up-tempo delivery the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Blendinger displayed a
different look. The righty predominately used a three-quarters arm
slot, although he occasionally dropped down even lower and threw from
a near sidearm slot. With all of the funk in his delivery and
mechanics, he presents some tough at-bats for opposing hitters,
especially righties. His command wavered at times, but Blendinger
worked in the 87-91 mph rage, even bumping a 92 in his first inning
before settling in in the 85-87 range in the subsequent two innings.
Given his lower arm slot, the fastball had natural tailing action and
flashed big sink when he was able to harness the pitch down in the
strike zone.
Herring
also had some deception to his delivery. Like Blendinger, Herring has
a projectable frame, although he owns a more slender build and is
listed at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds. Herring has late hand separation and
has a whippy arm-action that can be distracting and help contribute
to some deception. Herring worked consistently in the 84-87 mph range
with his fastball, which showed similar arm-side run and sink.
Opposite
of Blendinger and Herring, another uncommitted righty stood out for
his impressive performance. Tri-State Arsenal starter Andrew
Dreznin (2017, Saddle River, N.J.) went the distance, throwing
seven strong innings to earn the win. At 6-foot-4, 195-pounds,
Dreznin is still growing and developing into his long, lean frame.
The projectable Bergen Catholic product came out sitting in the 85-87
mph range with his fastball, and he held his velocity pretty well,
dipping down to the 82-84 mph range more often in the last two
innings on a very hot, humid day. He showed a solid ability to repeat
his delivery and full arm action and he did a solid job of throwing
strikes over the course of the seven inning stint. At times he showed
better feel for his 74-78 mph changeup, with the bottom falling out
of the pitch and keeping hitters off-balance, and at other times he
seemed to favor his 69-72 mph curveball. Nonetheless, Dreznin did a
very good job of using both offerings when he needed to and he got
many swings and misses with both the diving changeup and the 12/6
curveball thanks to solid deception and repeating his armspeed and
arm-action. With his solid three-pitch mix and projectable frame,
Dreznin should certainly have a number of suitors over the next few
years.
A
number of other tall, long-limber pitchers toed the rubber on
Saturday.
At
a listed 6-foot-9, 210-pounds, Russell Smith (2017,
Midlothian, Texas) was the biggest of the bunch. The Texas Christian
commit obviously has extremely large frame and long limbs with a
slender build. He should be able to carry significantly more weight
at physical maturity. For someone with his size and age, Smith does a
pretty good job of repeating his delivery. The big southpaw uses a
high leg lift above the belt and has a hip turn at the apex of his
lift. There is some energy present with a stab and small wrap on the
backside, but he gets through it well and, as one would expect of a
player his size, create good extension from his ¾ arm slot. Smith
came out firing in the 86-89 mph range in the early innings before
settling into the 84-86 mph range with his heater, and with the
aforementioned extension it really got on hitters quickly. Showing a
head snap at release, Smith still flashed ability to command his
heater well and locate to the gloveside. He also showcased a quality
slider in the upper-70s that had good late tilt and two-plane depth.
With his solid feel for the pitch, it was a weapon against both
lefties and righties. Smith also flashed developing feel for a
changeup within the same velocity band, and while he got under or on
the side of a few of them, he did a solid job of repeating his
armspeed and arm action. He also mixed in a slow, low-70s curveball
with more depth than the slider, although he’ll need to tighten its
rotation and work on maintain the same armspeed in order for it to be
consistently effective. Nonetheless, with his size and quality
arsenal Smith has a very high upside and it will be interesting to
watch his development over the next few years.
University
of San Diego pledge Jonathan Worley (2016, San Diego, Calif.)
has an ideal pitchers frame and build. At 6-foot-5, 205-pounds Worley
has a high waist with broad shoulders and the aforementioned long
limbs to go with a lean, well-proportioned, and muscular build. He
was a recent participant of the National Showcase, where he displayed
an 88-91 mph fastball. On Saturday, Worley worked more in the 85-89
mph range in the early going. As with many of the pitchers included
in the recap, Worley has some deception in his delivery as he
features a big load on his back leg. He’s still able to maintain a
good line to the plate and get over his frontside with a slightly
crossfire release to a high three-quarters arm slot. The University
of San Diego commit features a loose, clean arm action and was able
to repeat his mechanics pretty well, although occasionally he did
open his frontside early. His fastball featured good downhill plane
and angle that plays well when located down in the strike zone.
Worley also showcased a slider in the 75-77 mph range with short
depth that flashed late break and finish to his gloveside. Similarly,
he flashed some feel for a slower curveball in the low-70s that
featured more depth and 11-to-5 shape. Consistency for both breaking
balls is still developing, but Worley showed that he had the ability
to throw both effectively at times, and as he continues to develop
and get more experience they should both be effective offerings at
the next level.
In
the early morning Christian Menendez (2016, Cape Coral, Fla.)
of Xtreme Tornadoes toed the rubber. At 6-foot-7 and 217-pounds
Menendez is yet another tall pitcher. Committed to play at Florida
Gulf Coast, Menendez has a thicker lower-half. His arm action is a
bit shorter and more compact in the back and he works to a
three-quarters arm slot. Most comfortable spotting to his armside,
Menendez showed an 83-86 mph fastball with arm side run and
occasional sinking action when located at the knees. At times he
labored to repeat his delivery, but that is to be expected for a
6-foot-7 pitcher who recently turned 16 years old. When everything
was synched up and on time, Menendez flashed ability to throw strikes
and confuse opposing hitters with his delivery full of arms and legs
and a late-breaking low-70s curveball that flashed some later depth
and bite.
Adam
Oviedo
(2017, Grandview, Texas) had a particularly solid performance both at
the plate and in the field. He had three hits in Academy Select Sun
Devils’ game against Team California, all well-struck singles to
left field. He displayed quick hands and the ability to get the
barrel through the zone quickly, bringing his hands inside and
turning on an inside fastball. In the latter two at bats, Oviedo who
is ranked 102nd by Perfect Game in the 2017 class, showed good
balance, pitch recognition, and ability to keep his hands back by
waiting on breaking balls and serving them to left field for base
hits as well. While patrolling shortstop, Oviedo showcased smooth,
easy actions with soft hands and good range to either side.
– Andrew
Krause
He
may only be entering his sophomore year of high school and be age
eligible for the 14u PG World Series that’s running simultaneously
but righthander Mackenzie Stills
(2018, Fayetteville, Ga.) came out of the Home Plate Chilidogs’
bullpen and showed his stuff belonged in the 16U portion of the
event. Detailed earlier in the week during the 15u WWBA National
Championship the uncommitted Stills came out and sat in the 90-91 mph
range in his first inning of work, showing the same full and easy arm
action through the back. Though listed at 5-foot-11, 175-pounds
Stills showed some of the better velocity of the opening day and did
so while working downhill and with harder running life to his arm
side. Something he didn’t show last week that he featured
frequently in his first inning was his changeup and it was working
for him early. Showing a steady feel for the 80-81 mph offering,
Stills did a nice job of mimicking the arm action he showed on his
fastball and featured some diving action down in the zone which
induced off balance swings and collected several swings and misses
against a talent opposing lineup. Along with showing velocity early
Stills showed a full three-pitch mix which was rounded out by a
mid-70s curveball that showed 11-to-5 shape and nice depth along with
the ability to locate within the zone.
A
Perfect Game veteran despite just heading into his junior year of
high school, righthander Weston
Bizzle
(2017, Memphis, Tenn.) has built a reputation of being one of the
most consistent arms in the class as he always shows quality stuff
and a strong aptitude on the mound. Committed to in-state Vanderbilt
University, Bizzle came out and sat in the 87-90 mph range with his
fastball which plays up some due to the downhill plane he’s able to
generate and the big hip turn at the top of his delivery which
certainly adds deception. Despite the high release point Bizzle is
able to generate short running life to his arm side and showed the
ability to work to either side of the plate with his heater whenever
he needed to. A true competitor on the mound Bizzle is able to miss
bats with his fastball but he’s also able to do it on the strength
of his curveball. Bizzle’s curveball features big 11-to-5 shape
pitch with solid depth in the mid-70s and it was with his breaker
that he was able to pick up the first of a handful of strikeouts in
the quick four inning stint. Though he showed his strongest feel for
his fastball-curveball combo, throwing either for strikes in any
count, Bizzle also flashed a changeup at 79 mph but worked mostly off
the two aforementioned pitches.
The
Team Elite Prime offense is a bit of a juggernaut as you look up and
down their lineup and not only are they physically impressive but
they can swing it with any team in the tournament. With a nice mix of
committed and uncommitted, barrel skills and strength types, the Team
Elite offense was able to put up a solid showing opening day and
while several player could be detailed, below are a couple that stood
out.
Situated
in the heart of the lineup you won’t miss the physically imposing
6-foot-3, 205-pound lefthanded hitting Tyler
Keenan
(2017, Clayton, N.C.) but on the off chance he sneaks by he’ll
quickly capture your attention with the contact he generates coming
off the barrel. The uncommitted Keenan is not only able to harness
his strength and have it play in his lefthanded swing but he shows
that it plays on a consistent basis and opening day was no different.
In their first game of the tournament against the Orlando Scorpions
Keenan showed fast hands in each at-bat but it was on his double to
the right-center field gap that everything came together as he showed
the quickness, the strength, and the natural lift all in a single
swing. He’ll show you big power to his pull side on a regular basis
and has all summer though last night he stayed inside a pitch and
lined it into left field showing showing the ability to effectively
use all fields.
It
comes as little surprise to anybody who has watch him hit throughout
the summer that Colin Hall
(2017, Alpharetta, Ga.) found the barrel and picked up a couple of
bats hits while not being afraid to use all fields. In one of his
early at-bats on the day the left-handed hitting and uncommitted Hall
lined a pitch through the 5-6 hole, something he has done more than
anybody this summer as he stays simple with his approach and shows an
uncanny approach for the barrel head.
Another
big bat and physically impressive frame in the heart of the Team
Elite order, 6-foot-4, 210-pound Golston
Gillespie
(2017, Hull, Ga.) made some noise last weekend with his big strength
and impressive bat speed from both sides of the plate. Facing only
righthanded pitching though his first two game Gillespie stayed in
the lefthanded batters and continued to show the fast hands and big
bat speed that generated some buzz over the last week or so. After
nearly knocking off the first baseman’s glove with a hard hit line
drive single early in the game the uncommitted Gillespie then kept
his weight back on a curveball and found the barrel once again,
driving the ball deep into right field for another knock in game one.
The
first of a few lefthanded pitchers who showed interesting
pitchability and advanced stuff on the mound, Ryan
Webb
(2017, Roswell, Ga.) got the start for the 643 DP Cougars and showed
off a solid present three-pitch mix. Listed at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds
the University of Georgia commit came out sitting in the 83-86 mph
range, continuously showing off his quick and loose arm action while
creating angle from the first base side. By working on top of the
ball Webb was able to create solid downhill plane from his extended
thee-quarters arm slot and was able to get his fastball on hitters
quick than what the velocity said. While he projects for more veto
with the incorporation of his lower half, Webb already shows the
ability to miss with his fastball due to the life and command of the
strike zone. Missing bats with his fastball Webb also showed the
ability to miss barrels with his big curveball in the 71-74 mph range
which shows quality depth from the same slot as his curveball.
Perhaps the best of his three pitches though is his changeup, a pitch
he only showed twice early and on each he induced broken bat contact.
Mimicking his fastball out of the hand, the future Bulldog showed an
advanced changeup at 75-78 mph and looks like his fastball every bit
of the way except for the last ten feet when it begins to dive away
from righthanded hitters.
Another
lefty who’s already committed to a high level school, Ryan
Eiermann
(2017, Naperville, Ill.) is a Texas Christian University commit and
like Webb above showed a solid feel for a full three pitch mix.
Working from an extended three-quarter arm slot Eiermann’s delivery
and arm action adds deception to an already difficult to hit 85-87
mph left-handed fastball. Eiermann cuts off his stride out front
slightly with his front foot but it doesn’t inhibit his ability to
throw strikes in the slightest and actually adds to his stuff on the
mound. Holding his velocity out of the stretch, Eiermann was able to
locate to his glove side effectively throughout his time on the mound
while showing nice balance and rhythm in his delivery. Everything
that leaves Eiermann’s hand comes out from the same slot which
includes a curveball in the low-70s and his changeup in the 75-77 mph
range.
Both
Shane Shifflett
(2017, Venice, Fla.) and Tyler
Shuck
(2017, Cape Coral, Fla.) showed off the defensive prowess on the left
side of the infield for a fundamentally sound Florida Burn
organization and each made a difficult play look rather routine early
in the game. A quick-twitch shortstop who’s currently uncommitted,
Shifflett showed his range deep into the 5-6 hole before quick
getting rid of the ball and delivery a strike to first base off his
back foot, an all around impressive play. Shifflett later singled
from the right side (he’s a switch-hitter) showing quick hands
while picking up a line drive single to center. Shuck, who’s listed
as a primary right-handed pitcher, got the start at third base and he
too showed off his athleticism on a slowly chopped ball in front of
him which he charged in a made a strong, accurate throw across his
body as his weight took him away from the bag.
He
may just be heading into his sophomore year of high school but Doug
Nikhazy
(2018, Ocoee, Fla.) already has international playing experience with
the 15u USA National Team and has continued to progress in his
overall stuff on the mound since the last time I saw him at a Perfect
Game event. With a broad and strong 6-foot, 185-pound build and long
arms Nikhazy came out and sat comfortably in the 84-87 mph range
throughout the outing and it regularly played up due to his advanced
feel for his secondaries. The Ole Miss commit shows a quick arm on
his fastball with it cleanly leaving hand while creating downhill
plane and angle to either side of the plate with intent. Though he
pitched mostly off his four-seam fastball, which already showed
natural life his to arm side, Nikhazy would mix in his two-seam
fastball at 83-84 mph showing even more life, especially when down in
the zone.
The
pitchability that the young lefthanded Nikhazy displayed last night
was more than advanced for his age as he threw both his curveball and
changeup at will and located each to either side of the plate as he
wanted. Maintaining the same short and quick arm action Nikhazy
showed quality depth and 1-7 shape on his curveball at 70-71 mph. The
feel for his changeup continued to develop over the out and
eventually served as a solid third offering as it featured proper
rotation and some sinking life in the 71-73 mph range while mimicking
his arm action of his fastball.
Already
committed to Oregon State Kevin
Abel
(2017, San Diego, Calif.) first opened eyes at Perfect Game during
the Sunshine West Showcase just a couple months back. And while his
fastball sits in the 84-86 mph comfortably at present, it’s his off
speed feel and future potential that truly sets him apart. Listed at
6-foot-2, 175-pounds Abel shows a quick arm with a near over-the-top
release and showed the ability to get his fastball to the lower
quadrants of the strike zone while projecting for more velocity in
the near future. It’s not often you find a young prep pitcher with
an advanced feel for a potential above average pitch, let alone two,
but that’s exactly what Abel showed late last night.
Of
the changeup and curveball it was the change that showed the biggest
potential as a future plus pitch, especially as he continues to add
velocity to his fastball. Nearly identical to his fastball out of his
hand, Abel’s changeup showed big “Bugs Bunny” life in that it
nearly dropped off the table the last ten feet and disappeared out of
the hitter’s line of sight. The life of the pitch made it a
consistent swinging and miss offering but even more impressive was
his command and feel for the pitch, throwing it in any count to
either side of the plate, working in or out with intent. Abel’s
curveball is another offering that showed above average life with
sharp and late bite at its best at 73-74 mph. The more he threw it
the better the feel and like his changeup it quickly became a swing
and miss pitch. Overall, the fastball velocity is going to come and
as it does the off speed is only going to play up that much more.
Any
time you watch Marucci Elite you’re almost certain to see something
loud from the prospects they have at the top of their order and in
the bottom of the first of the 8AM opening game it was outfielder
Jacob Pearson
(2017, West Monroe, La.) who provided the highlight. A lefthanded
hitter who is already committed to Mississippi State the overall
athletic exploits of Pearson are no longer a hidden secret after his
showing both at Junior National and through the previous two weeks en
route to being dubbed the No. 24 prospect in the 2017 class. With a
rather simple swing from the left side Pearson is able to create hard
jump off the barrel that just comes off differently than most players
in his class. Getting a pitch he could handle up in the zone Pearson
drove the ball deep to the right field fence, just missing a home run
while settling for a two run double while gliding in for a standup
double.
– Jheremy
Brown