2017 Summer Collegiate Top Prospect Index
www.acbl-online.com
Year Established: 1967
States represented: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
No. of teams: 8
Regular season Champion (best overall record): Allentown (23-9)
Postseason Champion: Allentown
Player of the Year: Dominic D’Alessandro, 1b/dh, South Jersey (George Washington/JR in 2018)
Pitcher of the Year: Rhett Jacoby, rhp, Allentown (Maravian/JR in 2018)
Top 5 Prospects
1. Levi Stoudt, rhp, Quakertown (Lehigh/SO in 2018)
After an impressive freshman season in which he finished second in the Patriot League in ERA (2.34) in 62 innings of work, Stoudt carried his early college success over to the summer. While the results weren’t the same – 4.24 ERA in six starts spanning 29 2/3 innings – the stuff looked plenty good, sitting in the 91-93 mph range as a starter while touching 95 with a smooth and effortless delivery. He also mixed in an above average low-80s slider and a solid changeup.
2. Harrison Rutkowski, LHP, Trenton (Rutgers/FR in 2018)
Rutkowski, a 28th round draft pick by the Reds this past June, was the 284th prospect in the high school class of 2017 according to Perfect Game, and while he has yet to make an appearance for Rutgers the early college audition in the Atlantic League was favorable. A 6-foot-2, 225-pound lefthander, Rutkowski shows good arm strength with room for added velocity with increased strength, throwing his fastball in the 89-91 mph range while mixing in a hard curveball at 77-79 to go along with a low-80s changeup.
3. Rhett Jacoby, rhp, Allentown (Moravian/JR in 2018)
Jacoby was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year after tying for the league lead in wins (5) and strikeouts (52) with the third-best ERA (2.14) while walking only two batters in 42 innings of work. He added another dominant start in the playoffs for the league champion Allentown Railer while showing excellent control of his upper-80s to low-90s fastball. He’ll need to tighten up his secondary offerings, but there could be a little more left in the tank thanks to his strong yet still projectable 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame.
4. Jared Melone, 1b/3b, Allentown (West Chester/JR in 2018)
A solid athlete with the ability to play both corner infield positions, Melone was one of the leading run producers for the NCAA Division II champion West Chester Golden Rams, hitting .364 with eight home runs and 43 RBI during the spring. A solid hitter that uses the entire field with a direct and compact swing that generates gap-to-gap power, Melone carried that hot hitting into the summer, leading the league in hitting with a .450 batting average and 20 extra-base hits, four of which were home runs.
5. Jerry D'Andrea, lhp, Staten Island (Ramapo/SR in 2018)
D’Andrea could be an interesting senior sign out of Division III Ramapo, where he posted a 2.20 ERA as a starter during his junior year after posting 10 saves as a sophomore in 2016. He continued to start over the summer where he sat mostly in the upper-80s from the left side with his fastball showing a fastarm and good, natural late movement. He also throws an upper-70s slurvy breaking ball and a late-fading changeup.
Prospects 6-10:
Shayne Fontana, of, Lynn
Jim Bleming, ss/of, Lehigh
Jordan DiValerio, rhp, Saint Joseph’s
Jack Goan, c/of, Rowan-Gloucester
Bobby Shannon, ss/2b, Ramapo