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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/22/2017

17u PG World Series Day 2 Notes

David Rawnsley     
Photo: Perfect Game

Daily Leaders | Player Stats | Day 1 Notes

Midwest Elite righthander Brayden Lloyd (2018, Owasso, Okla.) turned in the pitching performance of the early event Friday morning, throwing 5 2/3 shutout innings against the powerful EvoShield Canes, leading Elite to a 4-0 victory. Lloyd was in complete command the entire time, working consistently at 88-90 whenever he needed it and showing an advanced ability to mix in multiple different pitches, including a two-seamer, a curveball and a changeup that kept the Canes hitters guessing the entire time. Lloyd's old fashioned, full hands-over-head delivery has plenty of deception to it as well. Lloyd does not have a college commitment at present per the PG database but could pitch at any school in the country based on this outing.

EvoShield Canes righthander Brandon Birdsell (2018, Willis, Texas) has notably calmed down and simplified his delivery since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year and it shows in his command, especially of a fastball that worked at 89-92 mph consistently for three innings and touched 93 early. Birdsell was able to spot the pitches to both sides of the plate effectively. His 80 mph slider had a short off-the-barrel break but may need to get either bigger or harder to be an effective pitch at the next level.

Dodgers Scout Team dropped two games Friday but outfielder Jack Herman (2018, Berlin, N.J.) did everything he could to change that. The righthanded hitter, who is ranked 73rd in the PG 2018 class rankings, went 4-for-5 with three RBI in the Dodgers two games, showing very good bat speed and barrel control along with his 6.5 speed. Herman also showcased his plus arm in a couple of different ways. He almost gunned down a runner going to third base on a play where there didn't even appear to be a play before Herman released the ball, plus he threw two perfect innings on the mound with a 88-90 mph fastball. Herman is committed to Maryland but will get plenty of attention from scouts the rest of the summer and next spring.




North East Baseball righthander Ryan Cusick (2018, Sudbury, Mass.) has an outstanding 6-foot-6, 225-pound build, size made even more interesting as he was listed at 6-foot-4, 170-pounds just two years ago at a Perfect Game underclass showcase. The Massachusetts native works from a well-controlled, low effort windup with a big stride towards the plate and a closed front side that forces him to throw across his body. Cusick's arm is loose and easy with great extension out front. He worked mostly in the 90-92 mph range, touching 94 mph once. The ease that Cusick throws with might have had something to do with how easily the San Diego Show hitters were squaring up his fastball, as he didn't seem to have much deception, but it's easier to learn deception and fastball movement that it is to learn to throw 94 mph. Cusick lowers his arm slot for an upper-70s slurve-type breaking ball with a sweeping break that he controls well but will have to make adjustments with the pitch at the next level.




Stars Baseball righthander Jacob Hardney (2018, Arlington, Va.) is another young pitcher with an outstanding pitcher's build that really projects. He stands 6-foot-5, 190-pounds with extra long arms that make him appear taller. He has a very low effort delivery with a high three-quarters arm slot that creates very good downhill angle to the plate. Hardney's fastball was very consistently at 87-88 mph for three scoreless innings and there is no doubt that there is more velocity there with physical maturity. He lands closed with his front leg and that keeps him from getting ideal spin on his breaking ball but he throws it hard at 74 mph and threw it for strikes. Hardney also showed a high level of athleticism for his size coming off the mound and fielding his position, an encouraging sign for his projection.

The Central Florida Gators finally broke out the bats after a quiet two games on Thursday, scoring 11 times in a run-rule victory. Infielder Tyler Callihan (2019, Neptune Beach, Fla.) put on a show out of the leadoff spot, going 3-for-3 and working the entire field with power. The lefthanded hitter opened up the game with a crushed triple up the right-center field gap. Callihan lined a single up the middle his second at-bat, then drove a ball up the left-center field alley for his second triple of the day in his third trip to the plate. Callihan has long been considered one of the top hitters in the 2019 class and his all-fields with power and speed approach on Friday just emphasized that. His body looks to be a bit leaner and firmer over the same time last year and he showed better speed on his triples as well.

PG All-American shortstop Nolan Gorman (2018, Peoria, Ariz.) had his third straight game with a pair of hits for the Gators and is now hitting .667 (6-for-9) for the tournament.




Coast Titans righthander Sam Knowlton (2018, Warrior, Ala.) is going to get plenty of attention as a 6-foot-7, 225-pound pitcher, but that attention is compounded by a fastball that was steadily 90-92 for two innings in the middle of the afternoon heat. Knowlton topped out at 94 mph a few weeks ago at the 17u WWBA National Championship. He works from the stretch, as many extra tall teenage pitchers probably should, and has an extremely steep downhill angle to his fastball from an extended high three-quarters arm slot. Knowlton did an especially good job of working the bottom of the zone. One thing that Knowlton will have to work on for the next level is his breaking ball. He currently changes his arm action significantly to a lower slot to throw his curveball and it would seem his present arm action and release would be conducive to a slider moving forward.




Continuing the big pitcher theme, lefthanded pitcher Luke Little (2018, Matthews, N.C.) is anything but little, listed at 6-foot-8, 220-pounds but appearing bigger and certainly bigger than Knowlton. Little does a good job of keeping his delivery simple for an extra tall pitcher and was able to repeat his delivery pretty well and stay around the strike zone, working mainly off an mid- to upper-80s fastball that topped at 89 mph for three innings. He mixed in an occasional hand position curveball and changeup and induced lots of groundball contact. Little is more of a long-term project than Knowlton but there is lots of potential for improvement as his coordination and strength catch up to his size.




PG All-American shortstop Brandon Dieter (2018, Covina, Calif.) continues to perform at a very high level for CBA Marucci and is starting to develop an aura on the field at Perfect Game events similar that enjoyed by 2016 PG All-American and 2017 Indians second round pick Tyler Freeman. Deiter went 2-for-3, with both hits being solid singles up the middle, and drove in two runs in CBA's come-from-behind 8-7 win Friday afternoon. He had a very distinctive swing on both hits, with a quick and direct path to contact and an easy barrel release through contact. Dieter also was outstanding on defense, showing range up the middle and quick hands on tougher hops.




US Elite’s Marcus Ronan (2018, Ashville, Pa.) is a very projectable 6-foot-2 lefthander with a loose and fluid arm stroke from a high three-quarters arm slot and a low effort release. Roman worked in the 88-91 mph range for four innings Friday afternoon, striking out six hitters and allowing only one hit. The significant thing about that velocity on a young pitcher, who looks eminently able to keep getting better, is that Ronan was only 80-84 at last year's 16u WWBA National Championship in July, meaning he has added eight mph in the last year. Ronan needs to get his release point more out front on his curveball more consistently but flashed his best breaking balls at 76 mph.

Six-foot-6, 210-pound first baseman Nick Hansen (2018, Orange, Calif.) has had a strong tournament thus far with the So Cal Birds, although he is surprisingly not committed to a school despite his tools, projection and 4.0-plus academics. Hansen's righthanded swing is understandably on the long side but he has very good raw bat speed when he attacks the ball and gets the barrel out front and has consistently shown good barrel skills. Hansen is also mobile and athletic at first base and should be an asset defensively. He went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI Friday, with one of those hits being a crushed double into the left field corner that sparked a seven-run Birds uprising.




Lefthander Mitchell Parker (2018, Albuquerque, N.M) is part of what a Four Corners scout called the "Trevor Rodgers effect," meaning that area scouts spent so much time in New Mexico seeing the 2017 first round pick and former PG All-American that they were able to uncover a significant number of 2018 prospects that they might otherwise be behind on at this time of the year. Parker, who topped out at 93 mph at the 17u WWBA National Championship, worked at 89-91 mph on his fastball with a 12-to-6 downer curveball in this outing, displaying a very fast left arm and a very lively fastball. His mechanics, while faintly resembling McKenzie Gore's, aren't consistent yet and there is lots of funk in his arm action in back before it starts coming forward, but there is no mistaking the sheer arm speed.

Righthander Jesse Bergin (2018, Studio City, Calif.) looks like he's going to be a very solid college pitcher who should be able to contribute at UCLA immediately as a freshman. He's a strong and physically mature 6-foot-3 athlete with a polished approach on the mound. Bergin threw four easy business-like innings, needing only 52 pitches, as the first of a trio of GBG Marucci pitchers who combined on a two-hit shutout Friday morning. Bergin was consistently in the 88-90 mph range with his fastball and throwing to spots, while showing feel for a mid- to upper-70s curveball and low-80s changeup.

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