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Tournaments  | Story  | 10/30/2018

Jupiter Impact Players

David Rawnsley      Vincent Cervino     
Photo: Anthony Volpe (Perfect Game)

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

Now that the dust has settled from the 2018 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.



Brooks Lee, BPA

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 2019 MLB Draft.


 Hayden Dunhurst, c, East Coast Sox Select
There is no clear top catcher in the 2019 class but both Dunhurst and Darius Perry did their best to claim that distinction. Dunhurst, who hit exclusively lefthanded in Jupiter, hit .304-1-8 with six walks while shining defensively. He was especially strong in the playoffs, going 3-for-3 with a walk and three RBI in the Round of 16 game and blasting a home run and drawing two walks in the quarterfinals.

Riley Greene, of, Giants Scout Team/FTB
The class's top hitter did what he seemingly always does, especially against good pitching, and that is hit. Greene went 6-for-14 (.429) with a pair of walks in six games, including a double and a pair of triples. The two triples couldn't have been any different. One was a high fly ball he didn't get all of but that carried 393 feet to the base of the center field wall. The other was a squared up missile that barely cleared the second baseman's glove but raced up the right-center field gap all the way to the wall.

Michael Harris II, of/lhp, MLB Breakthrough Series
Perhaps no prospect has increased their draft stock more this fall than Harris, as the two-way prospect gave a glimpse of what makes him such a coveted prospect. There’s legitimate bat speed from the left side with some pop, but his pro future ultimately lies on the mound where he sits 88-92 mph with a very fast arm and a good curveball too.

Rece Hinds, 3b, East Coast Sox Select
Hinds has the most prodigious raw power in the entire class and he certainly showed it as he hit .318 with more extra-base hits than singles. The most impressive hit might have been his two-strike home run to the opposite field that left the bat at 99 mph as he took an outer half 90 mph fastball and drove it 380-plus feet to give a glimpse of that power to all fields.

Brooks Lee, ss, BPA
Though, statistically, Lee's slash line doesn't look all that impressive, he's one of many lessons in not scouting the box score, as the young middle infielder did a lot of things to like from a scouting perspective in Jupiter. After a coming out party of sorts at the Area Code Games, Lee continued to swing the bat well, finding barrel after barrel right at defenders in at least 3-4 cases, and playing standout defense up the middle. 

Brennan Malone, rhp, On Deck O's
Malone has certainly had the captivating eye of the scouting community on him for quite some time now, and while he did end up on the losing end in Jupiter, he did nothing but further cement his stock near the top of the prep class of 2019 in his outing. He worked up to 97 mph with his fastball – a TrackMan-verified, event-best 97 mph – and continued to showcase his athleticism, arm strength and rapidly developing feel for his breaking ball. He's in line right now to be a high first rounder in June. 

Darius Perry, c, MLB Breakthrough Series
Perry is just one strong young man. He hit .500-1-4 (8-for-16) with two doubles in six games in Jupiter and consistently produced upper-90s to low-100s exit velocities off the barrel, which included a 406-foot no-doubt home run. Although Perry's swing can get long, he picked up two of his singles muscling the ball to left field while breaking his bat, but when he gets the barrel to the ball it's going to be hard and authoritative contact, most often to the pull side.

Joshua Rivera, 3b, Florida Burn Platinum
The co-MVP of the WWBA World Championship, Rivera was on fire throughout the weekend, showing a very fast and clean stroke with legitimate pop as well. The Florida commit played solid defense over at shortstop, though his future may be at third base, and his ability to impact the baseball with authority shone throughout the event.

Anthony Volpe, ss, Canes National
A Vanderbilt commit, Volpe has one of the most well-rounded profiles out of any high school prospect in the country and he put it on full display over the weekend. Volpe hit well, but what stood out was the impact off the barrel he had. Those skills, coupled with his exceptional glove at shortstop, make for a very intriguing draft prospect come next spring.

Bobby Witt Jr, ss, East Coast Sox Select
The No. 1-ranked player in the 2019 class had an excellent championship, hitting .360 (9-for-25) with a pair of doubles, five RBI and six stolen bases while hitting leadoff and playing steady defense at shortstop. Witt's speed was especially notable, as along with stealing the bases – many of them uncontested because of his jumps – he was also timed at 3.87 and 3.93 on two watches while beating out an infield hit. That is 80-grade speed on any professional scout's grading scale.




Shane Sasaki, DBacks Langley Blaze

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.


Octavio Corona, rhp, Blackhawks National
Corona has been on the radar a bit out in scout ball in California, but he brought his show on the road to Jupiter and got dozens of looks from scouts in the process. Corona is a bit undersized, but does project some through his body and the arm already works pretty well. He ran his fastball up to 93 mph with some idea of getting the ball to both sides of the plate and he shows the ability to land his curveball for strikes as well. 

 Brian Kalmer, of, AZ D-Backs Scout Team
Physical righthanded hitter Kalmer is listed at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds and put on display some raw power that makes him an intriguing draft prospect moving forward. On Day 1 of the event, Kalmer launched a 100 mph, 410-foot bomb deep to straightaway center. The power is a big asset for Kalmer and the Arizona State commit looks to be on an upward trajectory heading into the spring.

Theo Millas, rhp, DBacks Langley Blaze
A relatively unknown heading into the weekend, 2020 prospect Theo Millas put on a pretty impressive show in front of numerous recruiting coordinators in attendance. The uncommitted 6-foot-4, 200-pound prospect ran his fastball up to 91 mph with ease and generated very good sink on the pitch. The off-speed pitches project nicely and Millas shouldn’t remain an uncommitted prospect for much longer.

Ben Peoples, rhp, Royals Scout Team
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Peoples threw four innings againt USA Prime/Prospect National Team in pool play and was outstanding, allowing only one hit in four innings and striking out seven hitters. Peoples worked in the 90-93 mph range the entire outing while showing a solid 76 mph curveball and solid command of the strike zone. He was topping out at 90 mph in August, so this was a step forward for the Xavier commit.

Shane Sasaki, of, DBacks Langley Blaze
Few scouts had seen Sasaki outside of his home state of Hawaii before Jupiter but many, many more know him now after Sasaki lead the DBacks Langley Blaze into the Quarterfinals. The fleet-footed center fielder hit .421 (8-for-19) for the championship, with three doubles, a triple, four stolen bases and an event-leading 11 runs scored. Sasaki's only previous major stateside event was the 2018 PG Sunshine West Showcase this past June, where he ran a 6.50 60-yard dash, threw 94 mph from the outfield and was named the showcase's top prospect.

Cameron Weston, rhp, Midland Redskins 
A Michigan commit from Western Pennsylvania, Weston showed a lot of positive traits on the mound and the projection is there for a possible jump next spring. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound righthander can run his fastball up to 90 mph with life while mixing in both a developing curveball and a signature out-pitch in his split-changeup that gets hitters out regardless of handedness.

Kyle Wilson, rhp, Texas Rangers Scout Team
Wilson is a long and athletic 6-foot-4, 192-pound righthander who was throwing 80-83 mph last summer. In Jupiter the Wichita State commit was a steady 89-92 mph for two impressive innings and showed the ability to pitch to both sides of the plate from a high three-quarters arm slot that created lots of downhill angle. His curveball lacked relative power at 72 mph but it had plenty of spin and big 12-to-6 downer shape at times.

Vaughn Grissom, ss, Giants Scout Team/FTB
As Grissom hit in the middle of the star-studded Giants Scout Team/FTB lineup he was hardly hidden but scouts were able to see a pro-level hitting prospect when before they may not have evaluated him that way. The Florida International commit hit .538 (7-for-13) during the event with two doubles and a triple and showed outstanding righthanded bat speed. His 103 mph line drive triple to left-center field in one game was one of the loudest and hardest hit balls during the hitting intensive championship.




Caeden Trenkle, Houston Astros Scout Team/Elite Squad

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.


 Patrick Alvarez, 2b, Canes National
The North Carolina commit was a consistent force at the top of the runner-up’s lineup all weekend and Alvarez has a skill-set that translates nicely to the next level. He is very patient at the plate, an OBP of .667 in Jupiter, and is very selective with the pitches he swings at. When he does the batted balls often fall and he uses his above average speed to be a terror on the base paths.

Jamari Baylor, ss, Baseball U 
Baylor had a tremendous weekend at the plate in Jupiter, producing a slash line .625/.600/.938 for Baseball U, showing off the high-level tools that we've come to expect from him. Baylor is an ultra-twitchy athlete with the tools to stay in the middle of the diamond defensively, and his offensive abilities are excellent as well. He's also a high-level pitching prospect to keep an eye on, though we didn't get to see him on the mound in Jupiter this year. 

Jason Hodges, of, Chicago Scouts Association
Hodges was one of the most improved hitters in the country throughout the course of the summer and he showed in Jupiter that he hadn't slowed down. The extremely strong 6-foot-3, 210-pound righthanded hitter went .421-1-8 over eight games, including three doubles, a triple and a home run at Roger Dean Stadium. Hodges, who also runs a sub 7.0-second 60-yard dash and is an elite level student with a ride to Arkansas, has to be ranked among the top power bats in the 2019 high school class and is a potential Day 1 draft next June.

Brennan Milone, ss, Braves Scout Team/Team Elite
After his performance this fall and in Jupiter, Milone is rapidly establishing himself as one of the top prep hitters in the state of Georgia. The South Carolina commit barreled baseballs all weekend including a big triple off a low- to mid-90s arm and a long home run later in the event. Milone’s barrel skills and sneaky pop are advanced for the class, and he showed improvements in his actions at short as well.

Joseph Naranjo, 1b, CBA Marucci
Naranjo is already recognized as one of the top prospects in the class, however, the bat continue to makes strides and it wouldn’t be farfetched to say that Naranjo is perhaps the top pure hitter in the class. The Fullerton commit’s pure lefthanded stroke bodes well moving forward and Naranjo showed off his ability to manipulate the barrel in a particular game that saw him stroke two 95-plus exit velocity triples to each gap.

Sammy Siani, of, Royals Scout Team
Siani went on a tear over the weekend at Jupiter and it culminated with a .625 batting average and consistent, well-struck contact at the dish. The Duke commit is a good runner and defender in center field, and his smooth lefthanded stroke led to some big knocks, including a 103 mph exit velocity grand slam in their final game of pool play. Siani is a big name out of the Northeast and will be followed closely by pro scouts next spring.

Jose Torres, ss, US Elite 2019 National
The righthanded hitting Torres hit .647-0-6 with three doubles and seven stolen bases in Jupiter for US Elite and is now hitting .486 (34-for-70) over five high-level WWBA tournaments dating back to the 2017 WWBA Underclass World Championship. Torres, who is a 6.5 runner who projects to stay in the middle infield for a long time defensively, has also stood out at other national showcase events. He is committed to North Carolina State.

Caeden Trenkle, of, Houston Astros Scout Team/Elite Squad
Trenkle blew the doors of of the competition in Jupiter, slashing .667/.733/.834 for the weekend, and showing off high-level hitting tools in the process. The Oklahoma State commit showed off his usual solid athleticism and speed on the basepaths and put together an outstanding performance with the bat, continuing to show his advanced barrel skills and use of the whole field. 




Michael Prosecky, Chicago Scouts Assocation

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.


 Gavin Collyer, rhp, Braves Scout Team/Team Elite
Collyer turned in what might have been the most impressive start of his career under the lights on the opening night of the event. The Clemson commit sat 88-92 mph with good life on the fastball and maintained that velocity throughout. The slider flashed average and shows potential for better than that in the low-80s while also showing a good changeup in the upper-70s. The arm speed and projection make for a high ceiling, and Collyer is continuing to improve every time out.

Evan Fitterer, rhp, BPA
The UCLA commit turned in one of the premier performances of Jupiter with a complete game outing that saw him strike out 12 opposing batters. He sat in the 88-92 mph range for the entirety of the outing with plus arm speed and late, cutting life on the fastball. The breaking ball is more of a tweener but showed good potential with hard, biting life in the 77-81 mph range with above average spin rates as well.

Joseph King, rhp/c, Royals Scout Team
King has been a primary catcher for all of his developing baseball career but has been treated more and more like a primary pitcher throughout the summer and fall. King is listed at 6-foot-1 but eyeballs taller than that, with a lean and projectable athletic pitcher's build. He topped out at 95 mph in a relief outing in Jupiter and has already established a slider and changeup that he can throw for strikes. It's likely that the scouting community is looking at the Washington State commit as a primary pitcher between now and June.

Jacob Meador, rhp, Dallas Tigers
Meador was, in a word, unhittable during his performance as over four no-hit innings only three balls were put in play against him. Meador sat 89-91 mph for his performance showing off his patented big-breaking, sharp 12-to-6 curveball in the upper-70s. It wasn’t the breaking ball that was the story with this performance, as he struggled to land it early, but he showed off a very good changeup with fading life and maintained his stuff throughout his entire outing.

Tyler Nesbitt, rhp, Canes National
Nesbitt has been on the national scene for quite some time, but he picked up a ton of momentum this fall and carried it into Jupiter, where he threw a brilliant playoff game for the Canes and continued climbing up draft boards. He worked up to 93 mph with his fastball, sitting in the low-90s and getting double-digit swings-and-misses with his slider, a pitch that flashed plus with some frequency in this outing. 

Michael Prosecky, lhp, Chicago Scouts Association
Prosecky has been on the radar for years now, committing to Louisville early in the process and maintaining that commitment to present day. In Jupiter, however, he seemed to put it all together from a stuff and command perspective, reaching 93 mph with his fastball, throwing a lot of strikes to both sides of the plate, and flashing a pretty solid breaking ball as well. He's one to monitor closely in the spring in regards to the MLB Draft. 

Evan Vanek, rhp, Texas Rangers Scout Team
The 6-foot-3, 165-pound Vanek topped out at 90 mph at the 2018 17u PG World Series but has taken a big step forward since then and it doesn't look like he's anywhere close to his physical ceiling. The Texas A&M recruit worked 3 1/3 hitless innings over two relief appearances while striking out five hitters. Vanek sat in the 92-94 mph range with his fastball and showed plenty of spin on an upper-70s curveball. His mechanics are still developing along with his body but there is clearly a first rate arm there to watch carefully next spring.

Alejandro Torres, rhp, Giants Scout Team/FTB
Torres is the 106th-ranked player in the 2019 class and has a Florida International scholarship, so he's a well-established prospect. When the extra strong righthander is living in the strike zone he has some of the best stuff in the class, but Torres’ command has been known to come and go. If he can pitch in the zone like he did in his two-inning outing during pool play, Torres might not make it to FIU He sat 91-94 mph for two innings with a hard and sharp 80 mph curveball and had his way with hitters, striking out five.




Yohandy Morales, Banditos Scout Team

Next Wave of Talent

This category is dedicated to the underclassmen that performed at a high level at the 2018 WWBA World Championship and represents the future wave of talent we expect to play at a high level through this time next year.


 Ryan Bruno, lhp, East Coast Sox Select
Bruno has improved by leaps and bounds during the past year and has firmly established himself as one of the top southpaws in the 2020 class. He drew the start for the East Coast Sox in their first playoff game and got the win with 3 2/3 one-hit innings with six strikeouts. Bruno works in the 88-92 mph range with a hard curveball, and while he is still fine tuning his command, he has swing-and-miss stuff in the zone.

Marquis Grissom Jr., rhp, MLB Breakthrough Series
Grissom is just barely 16 years old but has already pitched at 28 different Perfect Game events. The tracking on his velocity improvement over that time is almost textbook perfect, but more impressive than the steady 88-91 mph he already throws is how he has developed as a pitcher. He fills up the strike zone with three quality pitches, with a hard downer curveball and a mature changeup working with his fastball, and shows a precocious ability to work to spots in and out of the zone. He threw 3 1/3 one-hit shutout innings in Jupiter over two relief appearances, striking out six and not walking a hitter.

Markevian Hence, rhp, Rawlings National Scout Team
The Arkansas commit put forth a gutsy performance that showed off not only his present stuff but the projection remaining moving forward for Hence. He’s only listed at 5-foot-11, but his arms hang down to his knees with very good arm speed that both project moving forward. The breaking ball has made strides from the summer and the physical projection, coupled with velocity, have the potential for Hence to blossom into a monster prospect over the next year-plus.

Dylan Lesko, rhp, Georgia PG Texas Orange
Lesko was the top-ranked 2022 to participate during Jupiter, as the No. 2 overall prospect for the class, and was outstanding during his start. The righthanded pitcher touched 88 mph on his fastball and missed a ton of bats leading to 13 punchouts over six frames. Lesko continues to improve every time out and the freshman has such advanced feel for his secondary pitches at such a young age that he could dominate in Jupiter for a few more years to come.

Robert Moore, ss, Royals Scout Team
Moore, who has already established himself as one of the more polished and talented middle infielders defensively in the 2020 class, led all hitters in Jupiter with a .727 (7-for-11) average. The hits weren't of the soft spray contact variety either. Moore, who is a switch-hitter but faced a steady stream of righthanded pitchers all event, had three doubles and a triple among his seven hits, many of those hard line drives into the right field corner. Moore is an aggressive player in all aspects of the game and plays above his 5-foot-9, 160-pound build at the plate.

Yohandy Morales, ss, Banditos Scout Team
With seemingly every scout in attendance settled in for the Brennan Malone/Jack Kockanowicz matchup on Friday night, it was Morales who turned heads as he took an elevated 95 mph fastball and drove it to the opposite field gap. Morales has some of the best hitting tools and power in the class and he showed it by hitting only extra-base hits in Jupiter. Morales could be in store for a monster year as an underclassman and is one of the premier 2020 prospects in the nation.

Kevin Parada, c, GBG Marucci
Parada turned in the top statistical performance of any hitter during Jupiter and the numbers the Georgia Tech commit put up were video game-esque. Parada drove in 13 runs with two home runs and batted .478 in seven games. Parada is a premier talent for the 2020 class and his combination of power that plays to all fields along with the physicality and strong arm make for a high-level prospect in the junior class.

Vince Smith, if/of, Team Elite Prime
Team Elite Prime was mostly made up of underclassmen in Jupiter this year, with most of their seniors playing with the Team Elite/Braves Scout Team combo team, and Smith stood out in a big way. With top-of-the-order tools and good raw pop at present go along with advanced athleticism and positional versatility, Smith is definitely a name to keep an eye on moving forward. 

AJ Vukovich, 3b, Chicago Scouts Association
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Wisconsin native has all the advantages of a tall hitter in his extension and leverage, but didn't show any of the disadvantages. The Louisville commit hit .444-1-5 with a double and a triple and consistently hit the ball hard in the middle of the powerful Chicago Scouts Association lineup. Vukovich's home run was a majestic 403-foot fly ball to left-center field that stayed in the air a long, long time.

Nate Wohlgemuth, rhp, Team Elite Prime
Wohlgemuth has been on the national radar for quite some time now and the Arkansas commit did nothing to change his lofty standing in the class of 2020 in Jupiter. He worked up to 95 mph with his fastball, pounding the strike zone with it, and got swings-and-misses with his breaking ball as well. 
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