WWBA World Championship Daily Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Now that the dust has settled from the 2017 WWBA World Championship the members of the Perfect Game scouting staff that handled the day-by-day scouting recaps provide their overall impressions on the players that stood out the most.

The breakdown includes five separate categories: Stars on Display, Hidden Gems, Bats Stepping Up, Arms on the Rise and the Net Wave of Talent. The players are listed alphabetically in each category, and it should be noted that the overall number of players that stood out is nearly endless from an event with the size and scope that Jupiter provides.

To view the individual daily recaps please click on the links as provided above.



Brandon Howlett, 5 Star National

Stars on Display

The players below are well-known commodities on the scouting scene and did nothing but cement their status as the top prospects eliglble for the 2018 MLB Draft.


Will Banfield, C, Team Elite Prime
Although the stat sheet says Banfield batted only .273 over the course of the event, it is the quality of those at-bats that excited the scouting community. Banfield routinely made loud contact to the pull side and worked at-bats well facing some impressive velocity. The bat speed is a good place to start and some scouts believe that the Georgia product has plus raw power too. The Vanderbilt commit has some of the best pure defensive skills seen over the past decade from a high school prospect, and with the hitting tools being so loud it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Banfield will be a first round talent come June.

Austin Becker, RHP, Canes National
Becker enjoyed a very good summer, and was arguably the highest-profile arm on display in Jupiter this year. He’s still a highly projectable righthanded pitcher with good athleticism and big-time arm speed, working his fastball up to 96 mph early on and showing the same potentially plus curveball that he flashed all summer. He only threw two innings, and scouts will be looking for a bit more consistency in the spring, but his high upside is undeniable.

Joe Gray, Jr., OF, Canes National
Gray may have only hit .267 in Jupiter but this is where scouting the box score is deceiving, as Gray put on arguably the best hitting performance of his career over the weekend. He’s done away with a bit of the rigidity previously found in his hand load, now more free-flowing, and as a result his raw hitting tools took a big step forward in that Gray consistently found the barrel in a loud manner, showing scouts the kind of consistent hard contact they’ve been wanting to see from the young Mississippian.

Preston Hartsell, OF, FTB/SF Giants Scout Team
Hartsell has long been known as a toolsy lefthanded hitting outfielder with big raw power, as evidenced by winning the home run derby at the PG All-American Classic. Coming into Jupiter, however, scouts wanted to see a bit more consistency in terms of his hit tool, not too dissimilar from Jordon Adell last year or Joe Gray, Jr. this year. Hartsell delivered on that, consistently barreling up the ball with power to all fields, on his way to earning MVP honors at the event.

Brandon Howlett, 3B, 5 Star National
Howlett showed why he will be a top player who will be talked about when the draft comes around next year. The strong third basemen had an impressive performance and showcased a solid swing with a lot of strength and power from the right side of the plate. He batted .500 with a .700 on-base percentage and flashed his power potential with a two-run home run in his first game and a 420-foot double with an exit velo of 99 mph in his second game.

Ty Madden, RHP, Texas Scout Team Yankees
Another top-100 ranked player (81) who impressed on the mound was Madden. He certainly has the look of a big leaguer with a physically imposing 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame,and what impressed the most was his ability to pound the bottom of the strike zone while tunneling his pitches effectively. The fastball was up to 94 mph with heavy downhill plane while mixing in a tight slider and going to his changeup with above average potential. Madden looks to be one of the better arms in Texas and will be the ace on a loaded Cy Ranch team this spring.

Jonathan Ornelas, SS AZ D-Backs Scout Team
Ornelas was a big-time performer last week in Jupiter as he displayed a smooth, rhythmic swing at the plate that can produce solid and consistent hard contact. He repeated his swing often, as he hit safely in six of seven games with a .417 average, two doubles, a triple and four RBI. The Tennessee commit will offer an impact bat for an MLB ballclub come June.

Nicholas Schnell, OF, Team Indiana
Scouts came into Jupiter essentially looking to confirm what they already knew about Schnell in that he’s a very good athlete with quality tools and a good feel to hit. They had that confirmed, for the most part, as Schnell continuously put his barrel to the ball and showed the same whole-field approach that he’s shown all summer. Still very slender, the hope is that Schnell really gets stronger over the offseason, and if he does, he’s a potential first rounder come June.

Garrett Wade, LHP, Braves Scout Team/East Cobb
Boasting one of the best secondary pitches among this year’s high school crop, Wade showed off his plus slider that worked in the 82-84 mph range with devastating bite to it. The fastball command was a bit off, however the velocity was its usual self in the 88-91 mph range throughout. The slider and curveball combination is the difference maker however, as he exhibits excellent command of the pitch and will haunt Alabama hitters next spring.

Owen White, RHP/SS, South Charlotte Panthers
After jumping onto the national scene as a young prospect, White continues to improve in almost every category and turned in one of the best performances of the event. With a complete game shutout, while only allowing one hit and striking out 13, White turned in a first-round type performance with a very sharp breaking ball and flashing feel for his changeup out in front too. The two-way talent is a polished position player as well, providing excellent defense on the left side of the infield and hitting .375 for the tournament.



Justin Jarvis, Canes National

Hidden Gems

This group consists of players that weren't necessarily on the national scouting map prior to their appearance at the WWBA World Championship but most assuredly are now.


Logan Clayton, RHP, Canes American
Statistically speaking, Clayton was one of the most effective starting pitchers during the whole weekend as the North Florida commit racked up 17 strikeouts over 10 scoreless frames. The righthander is a very projectable 6-foot-4, 180-pounds and is not even listed as a primary pitcher. Working his fastball up to 92 mph, Clayton showed swing-and-miss stuff including in a playoff game against BPA where he struck out 12 over six scoreless innings.

Dylan Delucia, RHP, Canes Prospects
The second straight underclassman to be named Most Valuable Pitcher in Jupiter, following in the footsteps of PG All-American Ethan Hankins, Delucia enjoyed an outstanding performance for the champion Canes Prospects. The uncommitted arm sits in the mid- to upper-80s and shows a really good feel for a slider. The final line on Delucia’s tournament was 17 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings pitched while only allowing one earned run.

Destin Dotson, LHP, Louisiana Knights
Uncommitted arms are always in high demand and Jupiter is always a good place for college coaches to see some of the best remaining available arms. Dotson made a big jump from the Underclass World Championship last year in terms of straight velocity as he worked in the 85-88 mph range during the event. As a 6-foot-7, physically projectable lefthander, Dotson shouldn’t remained uncommitted for much longer.

Justin Jarvis, RHP, Canes National
One can’t really call Jarvis ‘hidden,’ considering how good he was all summer on big stages, but it’s fair to say that he had one of the biggest rises of any player over the course of the summer. The UNC-Wilmington commit continues to show advanced feel for his delivery with a fast arm, creating big plane to the plate with a fastball into the 93-94 mph range and the physical projection necessary to add strength and velocity, which scouts will be watching for closely in the spring.

Oliver McCarthy, LHP, US Elite/Team Majestic
McCarthy isn’t so much a hidden gem from an unknown perspective, but hasn’t been on the national scene for a long time due to injury. He definitely showed some of that rust in his outing in Jupiter, but also showed off the legitimate pitching tools that made him highly sought after to begin with. He worked up to 88 mph from a free, easy arm stroke with whippy arm speed, and showed the makings of an out-pitch curveball as well. It was great to see him back on the mound healthy as we look forward to tracking his progress in the spring.

Drew Rom, LHP, SF Giants Scout Team-Christman
Rom has enjoyed a bit of a meteoric rise over the past eight months or so, beginning with his performance at the Great Lakes Indoor Showcase back in February. In Jupiter, he took another big step forward as he showed advanced command of his fastball, working it up to 91 mph, and flashed a consistently above average slider, a true weapon pitch for him. The Michigan commit is also a very good athlete and he’ll be one of the higher priority follows in the Ohio Valley area come spring.

Camden Sewell, RHP, Chet’s Lemon Juice
Sewell wasn’t quite undiscovered, he has been a Tennessee commit who impressed at PG events earlier this year, but his stuff was on a whole different level in Jupiter. The lean and athletic frame, looseness and arm speed all are indicative of future velocity gains to go with two impressive breaking balls, a curveball and slider, that each hover around 2,800 rpm in terms of spin rate.

Jake Sweeney, LHP, Team Indiana
Sweeney is a tall and strong 6-foot-7 lefthander with an effortless arm action. He throws from the three-quarters arm slot and gets great extension to homeplate which causes his fastball to really get in on hitters in a hurry. Sweeney has great body control given his large frame, which speaks volumes of his pitchability and ability to repeat his mechanics. His fastball was up to 90 and he showed feel for his curveball that had solid depth and quality break. He’s definitely an arm an MLB team should take a chance on when the draft comes around.

Victor Vodnik, RHP, BPA
Vodnik was a relative unknown on the national stage entering Jupiter, though he has become well known in California in recent months. Working up to 95 mph with his fastball and showing plus arm speed, as well as quality sink to the fastball, Vodnik burst onto the scene in a big way. He shows the makings of a plus breaking ball as well and will be followed very closely into the spring.



Cole Roederer, GBG Marucci

Bats Stepping Up

While this group of position players certainly were far from unknowns, each one used the big-stage opportunity in Jupiter to improve their already lofty standings in the eyes of scouts.


Sean Guilbe, IF/C, Rawlings National Scout Team
Some of the best righthanded power in the class belongs to Guilbe who put it on display yet again during Jupiter. The Tennessee commit launched two big flies over the course of the weekend, and with very good bat speed and loft, the offensive profile projects nicely. Guilbe also saw time behind the plate over the course of the weekend, something that will be important to follow as the spring progresses for his draft stock.

Adam Hackenberg, C, Canes National
Another physical righthander who showed off his loud pop was Hackenberg, who hit one of the hardest home runs of the event in the playoff for the Canes, a no-doubt shot that left the barrel at 101 mph. The Clemson commit launched two home runs and found the barrel of the bat more often than not resulting in a .375 average. The catch-and-throw skills stand out on the profile, routinely posting pop times in the sub-2.0 range, or close to it, and the power combined with the ability to stick behind the dish make for a strong profile.

Jorge Julio, Jr., SS/2B, Twins Scout team
Julio’s bat was on display this tournament as he showed looseness in his swing and solid bat speed that can produce pop from the right side of the plate. He turned heads as he had an extra-base hit in three of his four games during the tournament. The athletic middle infielder is a player who showed out on the big stage and will be someone clubs have to pay attention to as the draft nears.

Ryan Miller, OF, Ohio Warhawks
Miller, like almost the entire Ohio Warhawks lineup, was outstanding in Jupiter as he was able to get the job done at the plate by recording a hit in four of five games, hitting .667 with an on-base percentage of .692.  The Georgia Tech commit does a great job of swinging on a line drive plane and barreling the baseball and showed he can hit the baseball to both sides of the field with ease.

Jake Moberg, SS/RHP, GBG Marucci
One of the top two-way players in the class is Moberg, and although he didn’t pitch the offense was very strong for the UCLA commit. The power and strength off the barrel of the bat plays nicely to all fields and he finished with one of the highest batting averages of the event at .467. Almost half of his hits were for extra bases and he impacts the ball with a lot of strength. Moberg’s two-way potential is very intriguing at the next level but the offense was very loud in Jupiter.

Cole Roederer, OF, GBG Marucci
Roederer has a smooth stroke from the left side and put his tremendous bat-to-ball skills on display over the course of the event. The UCLA commit has a loose and short swing with the ability to get the barrelhead out in front of the plate very well. Roederer hit .333 for the tournament and showed very good plate coverage as well. The power will be the interesting tool to follow as he has flashed it at times but will be something to monitor in the spring.



Cole Henry, Louisiana Knights

Arms On The Rise

Similar to the Bats Stepping Up as listed above, this group of pitchers really stood out on the fields at the Roger Dean Complex in Jupiter.


Andrew Cossio, RHP, PNT Scout Team
Cossio was a relative unknown coming into Jupiter, and across two relief appearances really did a good job inserting himself into the draft discussion. The athletic righthander worked up to 92 mph with his fastball, showing good arm speed and twitchy athleticism to his delivery. He generates solid fastball life and shows the makings of a good slider too.

Lane Flamm, RHP, Midland Reskins
The Xavier committed righthander started Jupiter off with the theme that would come to be over the weekend: dominant outings. Flamm got the Midland Redskins a win on day one with a five inning, 10 strikeout performance. The quick-armed Ohio native worked in the 90-93 mph range with a hard-biting slider in the upper-70s. The swing-and-miss stuff is nothing new for Flamm, and in front of numerous scouts took another step forward on the big stage.

Kenneth Folch, LHP, FTB/SF Giants Scout Team
The rail-thin Florida International commit from Puerto Rico threw twice in this event, and showed a lot of the same things that have intrigued scouts all summer. He’s obviously projectable with lots of room to fill out remaining, with a loose arm that has produced fastballs up to 89 mph in the past (he was up to 87 at this event) and continually developing feel for his breaking ball.

Cole Henry, RHP, Louisiana Knights
After not having thrown at a PG event since the 2016 PG World Series, Henry announced his return in a big way with a dominant outing. The 6-foot-4 Louisiana State commit worked his fastball up to 94 mph and mixed in a hammer curveball that was up to 80 mph. Henry was almost untouchable during his start where he struck out nine batters over four scoreless while only allowing one run. There were a lot of strikes thrown and Henry will be followed closely leading up to the draft.

Jared Mack, RHP, Ohio Warhawks
Mack is an athletic, lean right ander from Texas who displayed good command with an ability to repeatedly hit his spots on the mound. Mack had not pitched for a while but had a solid mound presence and displayed athleticism and great usage of his strong lower half during his outing to give his team a quality start and the win to advance to the next round of the playoffs. He has solid body control throughout his delivery and understands how to tap into his athleticism to get the most out of his body and produce a quality start each time he pitches.

Aidan Maldonado, RHP, Reds Midwest Scout Team
One of the biggest upsets of the tournament came when Maldonado and the Reds Midwest Scout Team absolutely stifled last year’s runner-up, Team Elite Prime. The Illinois commit tossed three strong innings on the bump with a fastball that worked in the 90-93 mph range while topping out at 94. With a previous high of 91 mph earlier this fall, Maldonado showed a big jump with the velocity and the extension on his release allows for the velocity to play up even better.

Easton McMurray, LHP, Rawlings National Scout Team
McMurray ended up on the losing end of his outing in Jupiter but showed off impressive stuff regardless. The LSU commit worked up to 92 mph from the left side, creating good angles to the plate, with similarities to former Michigan lefthander Oliver Jaskie, who is now in pro ball. He also flashed a potentially average pair of off-speed pitches in his breaking ball and changeup, and he has legitimate upside on the mound moving forward.

Mitchell Parker, LHP, Canes National
With numerous strong performances on the night of day one, it might be Parker’s star who shone the brightest as the lefthander was nothing short of dazzling. The southpaw’s delivery and stuff make him one of the most uncomfortable at-bats at the amateur level, throwing his fastball up to 93 mph with angle and occasional cut as well as a late-breaking sharp breaking ball, both thrown with good extension on a downhill plane. Parker racked up the swings-and-misses with an absurd 15 strikeouts over five shutout innings. The New Mexico product will certainly garner a lot of attention in the spring as he boasts one of the stronger lefthanded profiles in the class.

Ethan Smith, RHP, Team Elite Prime
The most efficient and impressive outing of the entire event belongs to Smith, as his 77-pitch perfect game in pool play was one of the best single-game performances in the history of the event. The slider was the go-to weapon for the Vandy commit during his outing and Smith’s command of the pitch makes it one of the best in the class. The pitch works in the low-80s and he threw it almost the same amount as his fastball, which was up to 92 mph. Smith has been one of the most consistent performers on the amateur circuit, with a strong draft profile, and continued to show off his talents in Jupiter.

Benjamin Specht, RHP, Florida Burn Platinum
Specht, a Florida commit, displayed a solid feel for pitching and the ability to execute his gameplan as he struck out five in four innings in his start for Florida Burn Platinum last week. Specht has some solid upper body strength which helps him maintain his fastball velocity throughout his starts, and he’s able to throw his curveball and slider to both sides of the plate for strikes. He has feel for all four of his pitches, which leads to a hitter’s nightmare, as he will be a name to look out for as June approaches.

Kerry Wright, RHP, FTB/SF Giants Scout Team
You’re not likely going to miss Wright when he steps on the mound, as the righthander is incredibly physical at 6-foot-5, 235-pounds with lots of strength to his build. He also has big-time arm strength, working up to 94 mph and powering it downhill with authority while mixing in a slider that shows the potential to be an above average swing-and-miss offering.



Brennan Malone, On Deck O's

Next Wave of Talent

This category is dedicated to the underclassmen that performed at a high level at the 2017 WWBA World Championship and represents the future wave of talent we expect to play at a high level through this time next year.


Farmer Abendroth, RHP, East Coast Sox Select
Abendroth has a projectable frame and long lower half with an excellent ability to create plane and throw downhill while getting very good extension to homeplate. His fastball was up to 93 in Jupiter and he has an excellent power curveball in the upper-70s with very fast 11-to-5 break and big depth that misses plenty of bats. Abendroth showed a great ability to repeat his delivery and overall mechanics and he gets good life on his fastball. With his arm action, mechanics and room to still grow stronger, he’s definitely an arm that will make noise when the 2019 draft comes around.

Hunter Barco, LHP, Braves Scout Team/East Cobb
One of the best prospect performances of the weekend didn’t come from a draft-eligibe player, rather, it came from a 2019 in Hunter Barco. He was simply sensational in his outing against the Central Florida Gators, working up to 94 mph on at least one gun, generating plus arm speed and angle to the plate. Both his slider and changeup also showed plus at times, though the consistency was lacking, as to be expected from a high school junior. Regardless, Barco was one of the best prospects in attendance.

Isaiah Bennett, RHP, 5 Star National
Bennett has long been seen as one of the higher upside 2019’s in the class, and showed why all summer long at PG events. He only threw 2 2/3 innings in Jupiter but was his usual self, with plus projection and athleticism through his physicality, and a loose arm producing a fastball that peaked at 90 mph at this event. He also has good feel for his slider, and as he continues to get stronger the sky is the limit for Bennett.

Joseph Charles, RHP, Central Florida Gators
Charles, coincidentally, started against Barco in a matchup of two of the best 2019 arms in the country. Barco ended up getting the better of the matchup, but Charles showed big-time arm strength as well, working up to 94 mph with flashes of above average life while showing a hammer breaking ball in the 78-80 mph range with true curveball shape and easy plus potential.

Dylan Crews, OF, Scorpions Prime
With some of the best barrel skills not only in his class, but in the entire event, the sophomore for the Scorpions Prime continues to crush baseballs and Jupiter was no exception. The recent Louisiana State commit has extremely advanced offensive tools and racked up numerous 90-plus exit velocity contact. After coming away with a .438 average and finding barrel after barrel against some of the best pitching in the country, the No. 8 prospect for the 2020 class proved yet again how talented of a hitter he is.

Riley Greene, OF, FTB/SF Giants Scout Team
Greene’s FTB/SF Giants Scout Team squad fell in extras of the championship game, however the Florida commit put his impressive talents on display all weekend. Greene’s lefthanded stroke is naturally lofted with a lot of bat speed, and the swing displays excellent fluidity. The power is there, both in the frame and the swing, for the No. 3 prospect in the 2019 class and Greene certainly continues to put his offensive prowess on display.

Buddy Floyd, SS, Ohio Warhawks
Floyd is a sparkplug of energy who shows great promise in the field and at the plate. Floyd has a quick, compact swing with a good ability to hit the ball where it’s pitched and create good lift in his swing. He displays some fast-twitch actions in his movements at the plate, which helps create some solid pop for his size. In the field he does a great job of taking sure, quick steps to the baseball with the ability to field the ball well out front and consistently makes accurate throws to first. Floyd had seven RBI and a .421 average in eight games played.

Jared Jones, RHP, BPA
Jones is a 2020 righthanded arm with a high ceiling. He has a solid, athletic and projectable frame with room that still has plenty of time to grow and add some muscle. He has a very fast arm action that produces a fastball that gets out of his hand very cleanly with great life to the plate. He gave up just one hit while striking out five in 2 1/3 innings. He throws a tight breaking curveball as well with medium depth and 11-to-5 shape that he shows a good feel for and commands well. The University of Southern California commit has a bright future ahead of him and will be featured often in scout recaps throughout his high school career.

Blaze Jordan, 1B, Dulin Dodgers
Capping an incredible summer as a 14 year old from the class of 2021, Jordan deserves mention for his season-long accolades. His rocket home run on the first night of action in Jupiter will long be remembered, and it marked the sixth PG event he hit a home run at during the 2017 summer and fall travel circuit. He was named to the All-Tournament Team as both a hitter and as a pitcher, touching 89 mph with his fastball in four scoreless innings. In fact, it was the ninth time he earned All-Tourney honors, and the fourth time he received it for both for his hitting and pitching exploits. The bottom line is that onlookers will have the opportunity to watch Jordan in Jupiter three more times before his high school career comes to a close.

Mickey Maguire, 2B, Nelson Baseball School
Mickey Maguire has consistently squared the baseball up during the summer and fall and has a high contact swing with a strong, direct path to the baseball. With a spread stance and small load, he’s able to often be on time to the baseball and uses his lean frame to produce solid contact with each swing. Macguire had a .400 batting average (4-for-10) and reached base safely in all four of his games.

Brennan Malone, RHP, On Deck O’s
Some of the easiest fastball velocity and arm speed you will see comes from the right arm of Malone and he certainly had a vast array of scouts on hand to see him throw. The arm works well and he has been up to 95 mph in the past with a power curveball and even a changeup to boot. The No. 5 ranked prospect for the 2019 class has all the makings of a high draft pick and is an absolute follow to keep tabs on this spring and into next summer.

Jacob Meador, RHP, Dallas Tigers
Meador was phenomenal on the mound as he flashed a quality fastball that touched 93 with great life and a spin rate in the 2,400’s with excellent command and feel for his plus curveball that had a spin rate in the 2,600’s, with great depth and late, sharp 12-to-6 break. Meador faced a pretty solid Royals Scout team and threw a no-hitter and struck out 13 in five innings. The TCU commit has some very impressive stuff and will be a high follow for many scouts after his performance.

Alex Munroe, LHP, Tri-State Arsenal/Blackhawks National
Munroe is a talented lefthanded pitcher with an impressive ability to consistently attack inside on hitters. He has an advanced ability to throw strikes inside and cause awkward swings, which leads to weak groundballs. His fastball has some very late tail as it approaches the plate and he has feel for a solid 1-to-7 curve with good depth. Munroe allowed just one run and struck out five in three innings against a loaded ECB Yankees team in his one start of the tournament.

Stephen Reid, OF, Tri-State Arsenal Prime
Reid is a talented outfielder with a very strong and physical frame who showed he understands the importance of creating quality leverage in his swing and looks to create a quality launch angle each time he swings the bat with a great job of still being able to swing on a line drive plane. Reid had six RBI in five games with a pair of extra-base hits and is definitely a hitter who will increase his production in next year’s tournament.

Thomas Schultz, RHP, US Elite/Team Majestic
Schultz is a very physical righthander with one of the better sinkers in the class, showing plus sinking action on his 86-89 mph fastball, pounding it down in the zone and controlling the pitch well. He has feel for a curveball as well, another pitch he could consistently land for strikes.

Matthew Thompson, RHP, Banditos Scout Team
Another power-armed righthander, Thompson turned in a sterling performance in the playoffs for the Banditos, while touching 96 mph a day earlier in an abbreviated look. The arm speed is significant, easily a plus characteristic, with the fastball being his weapon of choice. The Texas A&M commit will flash a changeup and go to a power breaking ball in the low-80s with short bite. The No. 7 prospect for the 2019 class recorded 10 strikeouts in four strong innings during the playoffs.

Anthony Volpe, SS, Banditos Scout team
Volpe has a unique swing that supplies impressive and sneaky pop and he is often on time by consistently flashing above average bat speed with a good ability to repeatedly find the barrel. Volpe is listed at 5-foot-10, 168-pounds with a slender build and plenty of room to still grow with impressive hand speed and solid strength at the point of contact. The Vanderbilt commit also showed he possesses a great eye at the plate as he recorded a walk in four of six games and had an on-base percentage of .600.