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Summer Collegiate  | Rankings  | 9/22/2017

PGCBL top prospects

Patrick Ebert     
Photo: Travis Larner


2017 Summer Collegiate Top Prospect Index

www.pgcbl.com
Year Established: 2011
States Represented: New York
No. of Teams: 13
Regular Season Champion (best overall record): Amsterdam Mohawks (36-12)
Post Season Champion: Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs
No. 1 Prospect, 2016: Jeff Belge, lhp, Amsterdam (St. John’s)
First 2016 Player Selected, 2017 Draft: Jared Solomon, rhp, Utica (Lackawanna; Reds/11th round)

Player of the Year: Christ Conley, c, Jamestown (Canisius)
Pitcher of the Year: Matt Pierce, rhp, Albany (Siena)

Despite finishing third in the East Division during the regular season, the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs claimed their second league title in the last three years, knocking off some pretty stiff competition along the way. First, they beat Albany in a one-game playoff, then swept the league-favorite Amsterdam Mohawks in two games. That set up the championship series with the Jamestown Jammers, who led the West Division, taking two of three to secure the title.

For the second year in a row the league’s top prospect is also a former Perfect Game All-American. T.J. Collett, who missed most of his freshman year at Kentucky with a knee injury, is this year’s No. 1 prospect in the PGCBL following in the footsteps of St. John’s lefthander Jeff Belge. Both players have suited up for the Amsterdam Mohawks each of the last two seasons (as did nine other players listed among the league’s top 20 prospects). Although his season was cut short after breaking his foot, Collett hit .375 in 20 games with five home runs, showing his lofty potential at the plate.

League Pitcher of the Year Matt Pierce set the single-season PGCBL record for wins by a pitcher with eight, going 8-1 with a 1.71 ERA in 42 innings for the Albany Dutchmen.


 Top 20 Prospects
Rk. Player POS. B-T HT WT Hometown ST 2018 School YR Class Last Drafted
1 T.J. Collett C/1B L-R 6-1 235 Terre Haute IN Kentucky SO 2019 Twins '16 (40)
2 Houston Roth RHP R-R 6-3 205 Oxford MS Mississippi SO 2019 Never drafted
3 Will Holland SS R-R 5-10 175 Lawrenceville GA Auburn SO 2019 Never drafted
4 Tyler Mattison RHP R-R 6-4 210 Fort Ann NY Bryant^ FR 2020 Never drafted
5 Eric Rivera OF/3B R-R 6-0 175 West Park FL Florida Atlantic SO 2019 Never drafted
6 Josh Smith LHP L-L 6-5 230 Saline MI Grand Valley State* JR 2018 Never drafted
7 Matt Gorski OF R-R 6-4 195 Fishers IN Indiana SO 2019 Never drafted
8 Mathieu Gauthier RHP R-R 6-1 165 Candiac QC NC State SO 2019 Never drafted
9 Conor Grammes IF/RHP R-R 6-1 195 McLean VA Xavier SO 2019 Never drafted
10 Brett Rodriguez SS/2B R-R 6-0 200 Queensbury NY Wofford SO 2019 Never drafted
11 Devon Garcia OF R-R 6-0 181 Bowling Green OH Ohio JR 2018 Never drafted
12 Dustin Skelton C R-R 6-0 199 Olive Branch MS Mississippi State SO 2019 Blue Jays '16 (36)
13 Anthony Gonnella OF L-R 6-4 226 Riverview FL State College of Florida* SO 2018 Never drafted
14 Greg Marino RHP R-R 6-6 165 Centereach NY Stony Brook R-SO 2018 Never drafted
15 Allbry Major OF/RHP B-R 6-5 200 Indianapolis IN Xavier^ FR 2020 Never drafted
16 Andrew Saalfrank LHP L-L 6-3 205 Hoagland IN Indiana SO 2019 Never drafted
17 Russ Olive 1B/OF L-L 6-3 190 Chelmsford MA UMass-Lowell JR 2018 Never drafted
18 Brandon Reitz RHP R-R 6-1 175 Ocala FL Tallahassee CC* SO 2018 Never drafted
19 Thomas Lane RHP L-R 6-5 256 Georgetown MA Boston College JR 2018 Never drafted
20 Roel Garcia RHP R-R 6-4 220 Deer Park TX Rice SO 2019 Never drafted

* Transfer
^ Incoming Freshman


Top 10 Prospect Reports

1. T.J. Collett, c/1b, Amsterdam (Kentucky/SO in 2018)
A broken foot ended Collett’s summer early as he was enjoying a tremendous campaign at the plate. The former PG All-American slugger continued to show his offensive prowess, with a disciplined eye and a short yet powerful lefthanded swing that gives him exciting power potential. He hit four doubles and five homers in just 20 games, and his profile is similar to that of Kyle Schwarber, although Collett may be less likely to stick behind the plate moving forward due to the knee injury he sustained last summer (and also caused him to miss most of his true freshman season). While he does possess a strong arm, his incredible power from the left side of the plate and overall offensive upside makes his future defensive home less of a concern.

2. Houston Roth, rhp, Elmira (Mississippi/SO in 2018)
After leading the Ole Miss staff in ERA as a freshman, albeit in 28 2/3 innings, Roth continued to enjoy success in the PGCBL, posting a 1.75 ERA over seven starts while striking out 46 in 36 innings of work. Roth has the stuff to match his strong 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame, sitting in the 91-93 mph range all summer with a swing-and-miss slider that he commands very well. He effectively sequences between the two pitches, and his changeup has also developed nicely since beginning his college career. The overall progression of the pitch could determine his future role on the mound, although Ole Miss’ pitching depth may keep him in the bullpen for another season.

3. Will Holland, ss, Amsterdam (Auburn/SO in 2018)
As far as raw tools go, Holland stood out in the PGCBL this summer, with quick-twitch actions from a wiry strong 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame. In the league’s all-star events he threw 93 mph across the infield and ran a 6.7-second 60-yard dash. He also hit a home run in the game, and hit .298 overall this summer after hitting only .209 as a freshman at Auburn. His defensive actions at shortstop will help carry him until his bat catches up, and his overall offensive profile could receive a boost as he continues to add strength.

4. Tyler Mattison, rhp, Glens Falls (Bryant/FR in 2018)
The Bryant coaching staff was thrilled to get Mattison on campus, as those that watched him during his short summer stint wondered how he slipped through the cracks. An athletic righthander with a live arm, Mattison’s 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame leads many to believe he’s just scratching the surface, throwing his fastball from a loose arm action in the 90-93 mph range while mixing in a changeup that still needs work but showed progression. Overall the development of his secondary pitches is the biggest key to his future success at this point in time but he’s a name to watch closely for the 2020 MLB Draft.

5. Eric Rivera, of/3b, Amsterdam (Florida Atlantic/SO in 2018)
Coming off of a solid freshman debut at FAU, Rivera is an exciting talent and was named the MVP of the league’s Prospect Game as part of the all-star festivities. He has five-tool upside, running the 60-yard dash in 6.5 seconds while displaying good arm strength, from both the infield and the outfield with positional versatility. Rivera also had three hits in the game, including a double and a home run, on his way to being named MVP. Overall he hit .293-6-23 this summer, adding 10 doubles and nine stolen bases, giving him a promising overall profile.

6. Josh Smith, lhp, Elmira (Grand Valley State/JR in 2018)
This summer allowed Smith to gain some valuable time on the mound as he hasn’t pitched much in college, combining for only 3 2/3 innings in his two years at Kentucky after having Tommy John surgery his senior year in high school. He transferred to Division II Grand Valley State to get even more time on the mound, where his starts will be frequently attended by scouts. With an athletic 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame, the lefthanded Smith stands out, as does his 88-92 mph fastball and clean arm action. This summer he struck out 20 and walked 20 in 19 innings, signs of both his stuff and the need for more polish.

7. Matt Gorski, of, Amsterdam (Indiana/SO in 2018)
Gorski’s athletic 6-foot-4 frame allows him to stand out on a baseball field, and he enjoyed a successful freshman season at Indiana (.288-4-22) after being ranked 288th overall in the high school class of 2016. Gorski has plus speed on the basepaths and in the outfield, running a 6.5 60-yard dash while also displaying a plus arm and a potential plus bat. A righthanded hitter, he makes consistent, loud line drive contact, hitting .347 with six extra-base hits in 23 games before his summer was cut short due to a wrist injury.

8. Mathieu Gauthier, rhp, Amsterdam (NC State/SO in 2018)
After an up-and-down spring with NC State, Gauthier emerged as one of the better arms in the PGCBL this summer. With a 6-foot-1, 160-pound frame that has plenty of room for added strength, Gauthier currently throws in the 89-92 mph range with an extremely easy arm action, which leads many to believe he could be touching the mid-90s at some point, possibly as soon as this coming season for the Wolfpack. His slider has also come a long way, and as the pieces start to come together so should the results.

9. Conor Grammes, if/rhp, Elmira (Xavier/SO in 2018)
Grammes really stood out this summer as a two-way talent, shining at both the plate and on the mound after leading Xavier in batting (.341) as a freshman. He won the league’s home run derby as part of the all-star festivities and also served as Elmira’s closer, with reports of him reaching the 95-97 mph range with a mid- to upper-80s slider to boot, which his 16 strikeouts in eight innings can attest to. His 11 walks and 7.87 ERA point to a need for more experience, but he also led Elmira in hitting with a .377 average with 14 extra-base hits that included three home runs. Grammes’ swing and overall approach were universally praised by coaches in the league.

10. Brett Rodriguez, ss/2b, Elmira (Wofford/SO in 2018)
Rodriguez, along with Conor Grammes, gave Elmira one of the more exciting infield combos in the PGCBL. His tools graded very well, running a 6.6 60-yard dash while also throwing 94 mph across the diamond from the shortstop position. His speed on the basepaths helped him stand out, swiping 15 bases in 18 attempts with a contact-oriented swing that allowed him to hit .306 with more walks (37) than strikeouts (31). There’s a little bit of pop in the swing as well, but he’s at his best making strong contact from one gap to the next allowing his speed to stretch extra bases.

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