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High School  | General  | 3/4/2016

Regional HS Preview: Northwest

David Rawnsley     
Photo: Perfect Game




For all of Perfect Game's regional previews as part of the 2016 high school baseball preview content, the Dream Team is available for free. The region top tools can be viewed with an Insider subscription. To learn more about Perfect Game's subscription packages and to sign up today please visit this link.




2016 Perfect Game High School Preview Index

Northwest Region: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming

The major college programs in the Northwest, who have on the whole done very well over the last few years, are probably very happy with the class of 2016 and have done an outstanding job of keeping the talent in the Region. Only outfielder/pitcher Michael Toglia from the players listed below is leaving the Northwest for college, venturing south to play at UCLA. The region is full of high-level college prospects with a variety of tools and backgrounds to suggest that they should keep getting better as they mature.

Federal Way High School first baseman Christian Jones is the top professional prospect in the region and features some of the best raw lefthanded power in the high school ranks nationally. A big spring on the mound from Oregon's versatile Kenyon Yovan could get him top five round consideration as well, especially if he continues to build on a fastball that is already touching 94 mph.

Washington infielders Morgan McCullough and Austin Shenton were the region's two most traveled players in the summer and fall and have gained valuable experience playing against top teams from around the country.

As usual, the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are lightly represented on this regional team. Idaho sophomore righthander Jacob Pfennigs is a talented youngster who merited a spot based on his very high potential ceiling on the mound.


Northwest Region High School Dream Team

C – Adley Rutschman, Sr., Sherwood (Ore.)
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Rutschman is a versatile player who has caught, played corner infield and pitched, but his highest ceiling position is behind the plate. He's a very strong righthanded hitter with lots of power in his bat and garnered All-State honors as a junior after hitting .444. Rutschman has also been up to 91 mph on the mound with a nice mid-70s curveball and could be a standout two-way college player at Oregon State. His versatility and athleticism continues over to the football field where he was an All-League linebacker and second team All-State kicker.

1B – Christian Jones, Sr., Federal Way (Wash.)
The 53th ranked player in Perfect Game's 2016 class rankings nationally and the top rated player in Washington, Jones is a powerful lefthanded hitter with outstanding bat speed and power potential. He put on a show at the Area Code Games in August and his swing reminds scouts of the Cleveland Indians Bobby Bradley, a second round pick in 2013. Jones hit .346-2-21 in 20 games last spring for Federal Way High School and could see a big jump in those numbers this spring. He is signed with Washington.

MIF – Morgan McCullough, Sr., West Seattle (Wash.)
McCullough was one of the most traveled prep players in the country last summer and fall after completing a .525-4-12 spring season at West Seattle High School, including only one strikeout in 20 games. He played at the PG National Showcase and the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars in June, picked up the 17u WWBA National Championship and the 17u PG World Series in July, spent August at the Area Code Games and the USA 18u National Team trials, traveled to Japan with the 18u team in September and traveled back to Florida in October for the WWBA World Championship.

MIF – Brady Whalen, Sr., Union (Wash.)
Whalen is extra tall for a middle infielder at 6-foot-4, 185-pounds but he is a natural shortstop with very balanced and easy actions working through the ball. On offense he's a switch hitter who is especially strong from the left side of the plate and only needs some more strength to really start impacting the ball hard. Whalen is signed with Oregon.

3B – Austin Shenton, Sr., Bellingham (Wash.)
Shenton plays shortstop for the Bellingham High School team but projects as a third baseman at the college level and has also played both right side infield positions at times. He's a lefthanded hitter with a very strong swing that produces lots of present power when he's looking to pull and drive the ball but he's also well versed in situational hitting and can use the whole field and hit for a high average. Shenton, who is ranked 144th in the class of 2016 by Perfect Game, and second in the state of Washington, is signed with the University of Washington.

OF – Preston Jones, Sr., Mountain View (Wash.)
Jones is a talented all-around athlete who also collected All-Region honors as a running back in football in addition to being named All-State in baseball. On the gridiron, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Jones ran for 1,726 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior and for over 4,000 yards in his high school career. On the baseball field last spring, the righthanded hitter posted a .538 batting average while stealing 19 bases and showing huge range in center field.

OF – Michael Toglia, Sr., Gig Harbor (Wash.)
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Toglia is a high-level all-around player who is a two-way prospect on the baseball field and averages over 20 points per game on the basketball court. He's a switch-hitter with lots of power projection and hit .333-3-17 last year while going 0-0, 0.95 with 25 strikeouts in 22 innings working with a fastball that can get into the low-90s.  Toglia also plays first base but his tool profile fits best as an outfielder as a position player. He is signed with UCLA.

OF – Troy Johnston, Sr., Rogers (Wash)
All you have to do with Johnston is look at what he's done in his three years as a starter at Rogers High School. As a freshman, the lefthanded hitter posted a .482-1-20 line, then followed up by hitting .500-1-9 and .485-1-15 the next two seasons. Johnston has also squared the ball up very consistently at high level events during the summer and just sees the ball exceptionally well at the plate. He's a very good runner with a center field/leadoff profile for the next level. He's signed with Gonzaga.

UT – Kenyon Yovan, Sr., Westview (Ore.)
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Yovan was a first team All-State 6A pitcher in Oregon in 2015 but is equally talented on both sides of the ball and is expected to both pitch and play corner infield if he attends Oregon next year. His fastball has already been up to 94 mph early this year from a fast-paced and deceptive back turn delivery, and he also throws a full  four-pitch mix, with a sweeping curveball being his best secondary pitch. At the plate, the righthanded hitter has a powerful swing that produces plus power to all fields.

P – Mitchell Verburg, Sr., Lake Oswego (Ore.)
Verburg has a prototype 6-foot-4, 195-pound pitcher's build and a high three-quarters release point that creates big downhill angle on a fastball that has reached 92 mph in the past. He also throws a slider that can get into the low-80s and shows big depth at times.  An Oregon State signee, Verburg went 5-3, 2.14 as a junior, striking out 95 hitters in 74 innings. He's a talented three-sport athlete who will end his high school playing days with 10 varsity letters combined between baseball, football and basketball.

P – Jordan Jones, Sr., Kentwood (Wash.)
Jones is a first team All-State 4A selection and went 8-0, 1.55 last year with 64 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 49 innings pitched, leaving him with a 17-2, 1.52 career record entering into his senior year. He works in the upper-80s with his fastball, with reports that he has touched as high as 93 mph, and has a well developed changeup he throws with confidence. Jones is signed with Washington.

P – A.J. Block, Sr., Newport (Wash.)
Block is a classic projectable lefthander with a young and athletic 6-foot-5, 190-pound build.  He went 7-1, 1.81 as a junior and has added 7-9 mph on his fastball over the last year and a half as he starts getting stronger.  Block has a full four-pitch mix that he can use and throws strikes with all his pitches, with a big downer curveball being his go-to pitch for strikeouts. He's signed with Washington State.

P – Brendan Ecklebarger, Sr., Woodinville (Wash.)
Ecklebarger is a big and strong 6-foot-3, 200-pound southpaw who is 7-2, 1.88 in his first two varsity seasons. He works with a fastball in the 85-87 mph range but his best pitch is a big-breaking curveball that has outstanding power to it in the 75-77 mph range.  Ecklebarger is signed with Washington.

P – Jacob Pfennigs, So., Post Falls (Idaho)
The state of Idaho has not had a high school pitcher drafted in the top 10 rounds of the draft since Bobby Jenks was a fifth round pick in 2000. The 6-foot-6, 180-pound Pfennigs is just a sophomore but he has a chance to be a national level talent and 2016 should be his coming out year. He tops out at 88 mph on his fastball with a loose and effortless arm action and shows tight spin on a mid-70s curveball.


Northwest Region Top Tools


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