2017 15u BCS National Championship Days 1-2 Scout Notes

The 5 Star National Moss team is chock full of impressive talent. Lucas Ismaili (2020, Dunedin, Fla.) is the team’s stud leadoff hitter and pitcher. He sets up to hit with a square, wide stance. Ismaili’s hands are quick to the ball, and he showed a line drive swing plane. His line drive tendencies paired with an up-the-middle approach should lead to plenty of hits. Ismaili has a good feel for contact, and can adapt to pitches even when fooled. As Ismaili grows his power should come as well. Ismaili got to finish out the game on the mound. He works from a traditional three-quarters arm slot with a fastball from 74-80 mph. Ismaili threw a curve and a changeup, too.

Orlando Salinas (2020, Corpus Christi, Texas) stands out at the plate. He starts from an even stance, and his hands are continuously in motion. Salinas features one of the more pronounced leg kicks, too. His lefthanded swing is incredibly fluid and smooth, and despite its fluidity, Salinas’ swing is aggressive. His above average bat speed and strength pair well with his aggressive disposition. He already has present power, which should only grow as he fills out his 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame, giving Salinas tremendous overall potential.

Pierce Chambers (2020, Treasure Island, Fla.) is a young catcher with plenty of ability. He sets up at the plate with a wide stance while his hands remain close to the body, and his hands stay this way throughout his line drive swing. Chambers clearly tries to shoot the ball up the middle or smash the ball to pull. He does have solid power currently, but his swing and approach at the plate will amplify this as he matures physically. Chambers showed good receiving skills behind the plate, and has the quickness needed to throw plenty of would-be base stealers out.

Mike (M.J.) Rodriguez (2020, Corpus Christi, Texas) possesses some of the best raw power in the tournament. He starts from a very tall, narrow stance and his leg lift is basic and is used mainly for timing purposes. Rodriguez gets plenty of lift in his swing and that will translate his exciting raw power into tangible home runs. If that wasn’t enough, Rodriguez had several long at-bats in Monday’s games while showing good patience. Rodriguez’ has an incredibly high ceiling if all the pieces come together.

Mark Tucker (2020, Atlanta, Ga.) is a projectable shortstop from Georgia, a switch hitter with the ability to drive the ball on both sides of the plate. From the left side he sets up with an open stance, with a very quick load, and he creates good bat speed with his speedy hands. His swing is incredibly level and should result in many balls being hit hard. Tucker’s bat stays through the zone for a long time too, which should help him make plenty of contact. He’s quick at second base as well, as his actions are smooth and fluid and shows good athleticism.

Joe Wozny (2020, Lake Grove, N.Y.) pitched well for Team Elite 15u Prime. His fastball velocity was immediately noticeable as he hit up to 85 mph on the gun and it constantly blew by hitters making them look silly. His long arm action and three-quarters arm slot helped create some downhill plane on the pitch as well as some late run. Wozny’s command of his pitches was inconsistent as seen by his four walks during the start. He’ll need to harness his command more if he’s to flourish at the next level. However, with his present stuff and life on pitches, Wozny has the tools needed to do just that.

Trejyn Fletcher (2020, Portland, Maine) supported Wozny’s good start by scoring three runs. Fletcher’s athleticism is immediately obvious, as even if Fletcher’s tools weren’t great his athleticism would help him compete. But Fletcher already has amazing tools, and he can really play. At the plate he starts with a high hand and back elbow placement. His small leg lift triggers his swing and explosive bat. Fletcher has no problem crushing pitches or making contact. Fletcher is an exciting prospect with the tools and athleticism to see continued improvement.

Colin Koprowski (2020, Canton, Ga.) is an interesting two-way prospect. He made an impressive start on the mound by throwing five innings and only allowed two runs. Koprowski throws from a high three-quarters arm slot with a short, compact arm action. He sinks well into his back hip in order to generate his 82-84 mph fastball. The pitch showed a good downhill angle with small arm-side run. His changeup is his best pitch, and shows good sink. Koprowski’s slider showed slight vertical movement. Koprowski’s bat is impressive, too, as he creates much of his bat speed from a quick rotation of his hips, and his loose swing will square up plenty of pitches. Koprowski finished the day on Monday going 1-for-3.

Colin Ahearn (2020, Lakeville, Mass.) is another promising, young pitcher. Ahearn throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and has a low-80s fastball. The pitch gets consistent arm-side run and plenty of swing and misses. Even when hitters don’t miss they have trouble squaring the pitch up. His curve showed good depth, but he struggled to throw the pitch for strikes. Ahearn’s changeup is a good pitch as it had impressive fade on occasion and could be a true strikeout pitch. Ahearn ended his outing after six innings without allowing a run while striking out four.

Nick Gavilla (2019, Melville, N.Y.) came down south to prove his talent in Florida, and he certainly has done just that. He finished the day on Monday going 2-for-3 with three RBI and the tools to back up a stellar performance. His lefthanded swing is clean and easy to repeat as he starts from a straight stance and takes a small step towards the pitch to begin his swing. Gavilla maintains his balance well through his swing, and transfers his weight into the point of contact. He gets good natural lift, which will help his power mature. If Gavilla can consistently get the barrel to the ball like he did on Monday he could be a prospect to keep an eye on.

The 15u BCS National Championship continued on Tuesday, and the Texas Bombers Elite continued their impressive run. Their leadoff hitter, Jorge Figueroa (2020, Southlake, Texas), is a slick fielding middle infielder with a good feel for hitting. Figueroa’s athleticism was obvious from his work in the field at second base. He demonstrated good range to both sides and an accurate arm. His hands are quick and easily adapt to tricky hops. At the plate, Figueroa starts his righthanded swing from a slightly open stance. A small toe tap triggers his load. His swing is short and direct to the ball. His line drive approach should help Figueroa spray the ball to all fields while hitting for plenty of power in the gaps. Figueroa is definitely a player to keep an eye on.

Yanluis Ortiz (2020, Grapevine, Texas) is a big bodied, 5-foot-11, 210-pound first baseman who can absolutely mash. Ortiz’ present physicality and ability to hit should make him one of the better power hitters in his class. When hitters’ swings are as powerful as Ortiz’ they’re usually prone to swinging and missing a lot, but Ortiz showed he can make contact at a consistent clip by fouling off numerous pitches and having long at-bats. His violent swing creates natural lift on balls put in play. Ortiz uses his lower half well to supplement his already huge power. Ortiz is verbally committed to the University of Miami.

Edison Ramos (2020, Euless, Texas) may not have the impressive power that Ortiz possess, but Ramos’ raw tools are outstanding and should translate to consistent improvement throughout his career. His lefthanded swing starts from an even stance with bend at the knees. With the pitch on the way, Ramos will turn his back slightly to the pitcher creating extra coil. Ramos then flows into a smooth, line drive swing plane while using the middle of the field. When Ramos pulls the ball he should have good power. Ramos’ 5-foot-11, 170-pound body is projectable, and the talent that Ramos already shows is another reason to be excited about his future.

One of the better pitchers on hand on Tuesday was John Pharris (2019, Dequincy, La.). He threw five innings of shutout ball while striking out six batters. He’s a tall 6-foot-4 righthander with a fastball in the mid-80s. The pitch gets plenty of downhill plane thanks to Pharris’ long limbs and three-quarters arm slot. His fastball generates plenty of swings and misses. Pharris’ slider is a work in progress, but at this age, Pharris doesn’t need anything other than his fastball to dominate opposing lineups. If Pharris’ slider reaches another level, he’s a prospect to watch. He is verbally committed to Louisiana State University.

Dalton Porter (2020, Leander, Texas) only got to throw one inning but it was enough to show his tremendous talent. He’s a lefthanded pitcher with a long arm action and up-tempo delivery. Porter’s fastball sat in the low-80s and often showed a little cut. His arm slot varies, and this inconsistency leads Porter to miss his spots. He’ll need to be able to repeat his mechanics better in order to throw more strikes. Porter occasionally tips his changeup by slowing down his arm, but the pitch does have good, short fade. His curve showed true 12-to-6 shape and worked best down in the zone. Porter is verbally committed to the University of Texas.

Jake Bulger (2020, Bowie, Md.) is already a big 15-year old. He’s 5-foot-11, 195-pounds and hits with the power of someone just as big. As a righthanded hitter he starts in a wide, open stance. He begins his load with an aggressive leg kick used mostly as a timing mechanism. His hands are quick through the zone and they help create good bat speed. Bulger does well to engage his lower half as well. His slight uppercut should add to the solid amount of power he already possesses. If Bulger can continue to hit this well he could be a phenomenal hitting catcher.

Shortstop is a primarily defensive position. Being able to hit comes second to the rigorous and lofty expectations of defensive greatness. Dustin Low (2020, Safety Harbor, Fla.) is definitely a slick fielding shortstop, but his bat is a plus too. His 5-foot-10, 145-pound frame is extremely projectable. Low showed an ability to cover plenty of ground in the field, and his arm strength will allow him to remain at the physically demanding position. At the plate, Low starts from a very narrow stance. He showed good feel for contract throughout the game, and his line drive swing plane will help continue this trend. As Low continues to grow, more power should come. Low is an all-around solid shortstop.

Alexander Haire (2020, Largo, Fla.) is another highly projectable position player. His 5-foot-11, 158-pound frame ranges the center field grass, tracking down fly balls. He showed he can cover plenty of ground, and his actions were mostly sound. At the plate, Haire sets up with an even stance with a high back elbow. His line drive oriented swing demonstrated good bat speed, and he will be able to hit the ball with better power once he fills out his body. When Haire starts to pack on the pounds, he will be someone worth paying attention to.

– Kyle Zwenge