2,074 MLB PLAYERS | 14,476 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story  | 6/30/2019

17U WWBA: Day 2 Scout Notes

Drew Wesolowski      Greg Gerard      Brian Treadway      Jacob Martin      Jacob Jordan      Matthew Arietta      Jered Goodwin      Ben Milks     
Photo: Rece Ritchey (Perfect Game)

2019 17u WWBA National Championship: Day 1 Scout Notes




Fresh off of a National Championship, Vanderbilt is certainly looking to reload for another run, and they have the talent committed across the next several classes to continue their run atop college baseball. Ryan Stefiuk (2020, Green Bay, Wisc.) is one of those premier committed players, and he showed why, as he always does, on Saturday afternoon. A lean, projectable lefthander, Stefiuk took the toughest of tough-luck losses, allowing a single run on three hits and one walk over six innings, striking out 11 in the process, but the GRB Rays still ended up falling to Premier Baseball Futures, 2-0.

Stefiuk has a lot of the ingredients that go into a potential monster of a pitching prospect, and given the projection it’ll be fascinating to follow him into next spring and then through his career in Nashville. The mechanical profile is somewhat unorthodox, with a short crossfire stride, a low-mid three-quarters slot, and a fair bit of effort through release; though the level of discomfort of the at-bats against him speaks to just how deceptive he is and how good the stuff is. He creates a ton of angle to the plate with good life on the fastball, working mostly in the 86-89 mph range and touching 90 mph a handful of times throughout the start. The breaking ball utility is excellent given his feel for the pitch, a mid-70s slurvy breaker, that he shows the ability to both land as a strike and bury it as a chase pitch. He throws a good amount of strikes with both the fastball and breaker, something that gives him a chance to be an immediate impact type of player at the collegiate level in addition to the quality of his stuff.

On the other side, Premier Baseball Futures countered with Cash McNicholas (2020, Spring, Texas), an uncommitted righthander who matched Stefiuk pitch-for-pitch. McNicholas worked in the 85-88 mph range mostly, peaking at 89 mph several times, and doing a nice job of hiding the ball through the back of his arm stroke before releasing from a straight over top slot, creating a nice combination of deception and plane to the plate. He worked in a curveball in the low- to mid-70s with 12/6 shape and good depth, and he mixed in a changeup in the upper-70s as well with some fade on it. He struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings to earn the win is what was an exciting game, and at 1-0-1, Premier still controls their own fate in the pool. 



Over at Brook Run, the East Coast Sox 17U Select club moved to 2-0 in pool play via an 11-1 victory. Ryan Bruno (2020, Wellington, Fla.) is one of the top arms in the entire class, and while there were some inconsistencies in this outing, during the second inning of his start, he looked the part of a first rounder. He’s got excellent size and projection at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds and looks the part of the high-level prospect that he is. The movement patterns of his delivery are likewise advanced, as he gets his body into an excellent position to throw with efficiency and power, and when combined with his physical projection and arm speed, gives him a tremendous velocity ceiling. As it sits, he ran his fastball up to 96 mph when he really reached back and let it rip, mostly operating in the 90-94 mph range with a good amount of strikes. He creates very good plane to the plate and is able to command the fastball down to both sides of the plate, pairing the heater with a slider and a changeup. Both secondary pitches flashed at least 55 (on the 20-80 scale) in this outing, with the slider showing good bite up to 80 mph and the changeup, thrown with conviction, in the low-80s with some fade.

Bruno is ranked as the No. 25 player in the 2020 class, a lofty and deserved ranking given his talent, though he’s still likely on his way up the list as he continues to get stronger and refine his secondary stuff. The ceiling here is, obviously, quite vast.

Slade Wilks (2020, Columbia, Miss.) had an extremely loud day at the plate, with a missile double over the center fielder’s head, an absolute rocket of a line drive home run to the opposite field, and a hard-barreled groundout up the middle. The strength stands out first and foremost, as Wilks looks like a veteran college player in terms of physicality, and that strength when combined with his other hitting tools allows him to have serious impact at the plate. He does an excellent job getting on plane with the barrel and striking the ball out front, controlling the barrel well and generating plus bat speed in addition to that strength. He doesn’t get cheated but he’s also never out of control with his swing, working to all fields with authority and not expanding the zone either. A Southern Miss commit, Wilks’ lefthanded offensive potential is amongst the best in the class, and he’s a solid fit in left field at the next level as well.

MGBA sent Vincent Latimer (2020, Stone Mountain, Ga.) to the mound to start against the East Coast Sox, and while his one inning stint wasn’t hit/run-free, there are things to like about his profile and overall upside. He ran his fastball up to 86 mph and sat 83-85 mph with plane to the plate and some ease of release, though the overall mechanical profile is quite raw. The consistency of the breaking ball came and went a bit, but the best curveballs showed some hammer potential, thrown in the mid- to upper-70s with lots of depth and good bite. He’s uncommitted for now, but there is intriguing upside in his right arm long term.

The Rawlings Arkansas Prospects earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over the Florida Aces later on Saturday night, and they did it on the strength of a complete game performance from Jack Dougherty (2020, Collierville, Tenn.). Dougherty, an Ole Miss commit, was solid throughout the duration, going the whole seven innings, allowing one run on six hits and three walks while punching out six. Dougherty wasn’t overpowering but consistently challenged hitters and threw a lot of strikes, with a fastball that mostly worked in the 84-88 mph range with flashes of devastating arm-side life at times. The body projects well as does the fastball utility, and while the breaking ball isn’t powerful yet, he consistently landed it for strikes when he wanted to and froze some good hitters with it in fastball counts.

Joe Reid (2020, Ozark, Mo.), fresh off of a strong PG National showing, is one of the more physically-built players here for sure, and that strength shows up on the diamond. His team had five hits in total and he was responsible for three of them, including a pair of doubles. The swing is direct to the ball without much extraneous movement, and he uses his combination of raw strength and the ability to leverage the ball off of his front side to produce consistently well-struck liners. Perhaps his most impressive hit was actually the single, because it came on a firm fastball at the top of the zone that Reid did a fantastic job going up and getting, getting on top of the ball and smoking a hard liner back up the middle. Reid is committed to Oklahoma State, where he’s got a chance to be a middle-of-the-order catcher, something that isn’t very common throughout college baseball. 



Hurston Waldrep (2020, Thomasville, Ga.) got the start for the Florida Aces in front of a solid collection of scouts, and showed off intriguing upside. A lean, projectable righthander with a quick arm, Waldrep ran his fastball up to 91 mph and settled into the 85-89 mph range for the most part, generating very good sink to the pitch at times. Perhaps most impressive was the offspeed stuff, with a curveball and a changeup that all the scouts gathered behind the dish decided was actually a splitter. The curveball really came on after the first inning and he threw a lot of them, working mostly in the 77-79 mph range with sharp, late, powerful 12/6 break and hammer depth. The pitch could be projected as plus long term given the feel for spinning the baseball and how consistently good the pitch was for stretches of this outing. The splitter was thrown firmly, in the 81-84 mph range, and once he found the feel for it, the pitch was yet another excellent weapon for him. He didn’t have the command of the pitch like he did his curveball and did bounce several, but obviously you want a splitter to end up at the bottom of the zone. It’s got good, late dive to it with deception out of the hand, and does round out his arsenal quite well. Uncommitted at this time, that surely won’t last long given the quality of the stuff and the projection. He will assuredly be a priority follow for Georgian area scouts heading into next spring.

-Brian Sakowski



Jackson Ritchey (2020, Huntingdon, Pa.) made the trek down from Pennsylvania to make his debut on the mound for Flood City Elite. The projectable righthanded pitcher showed an extra-large frame with a lean, wiry-type build and plenty of room to fill out down the road. He utilized his frame big time as drove down the mound gaining ground. Ritchey flashed an easy & fluid delivery with repeatable mechanics that will take him far in his baseball career. He delivered from a true three-quarters arm slot while working around the plate. The Virginia Tech commit showed a great fastball that had late life, sneaking up on hitters that sat in the upper-80s topping out at 88. He liked to work off his fastball as he pounded the inside half of the plate before working away late in the count to look for a swings and misses. His curveball showed slurvy actions with some depth in the lower-70s. He went on to throw 5 1/3 innings while striking out six batters and only walked two. Although his team fell just short, he showed to be a very projectable prospect and should be someone to monitor closely as the summer continues.

Cole Friberg (2020, State College, Pa.) is another prospect from the great state of Pennsylvania who made the haul down with Flood City Elite and he has made the most of his time here in Georgia. Friberg showed a medium frame with an athletic, strong build with mature attributes. The smooth-swinging righthanded hitter put on a show against a good arm from the opposing squad. He hit a hard single to left field in the first inning to kick off the action. His very next at-bat, he doubled down the right field line knocking in a run to tie the baseball game. He utilized a spread-out stance with high hands before creating some separation and getting extended. He had a great eye at the plate hitting in the leadoff spot and was not afraid to be aggressive. His first hit was the second pitch of the game, which set the tone early for the rest of the lineup. Unfortunately, while legging out a double down the line, he pulled a hamstring. Let’s hope this doesn’t affect his play this week as he is uncommitted and proved he has a Division I type skill set.

Davis Meche (2020, Lake Charles, La.) continued to show why he is one of the top ranked shortstops in the state of Louisiana for his class. Meche showed a medium frame with a very athletic, lean build. He also showed a fast twitch type skill set that will easily carry over to the next level as he moves forward. The Mississippi State commit lead his team at the plate today going 2-for-2 with a run scored. He showed a spread-out stance while slightly open before closing off. Showed some serious pop off the bat as he got the bat head extended making contact out front. With a somewhat uphill swing path, he barreled up the ball and then utilized his speed to create runs on the base paths. When he gets extended, the lefthanded hitter showed he could hit for power to the pull side. With the tournament rolling on, keep an eye on him to continue to showcase why he is so highly ranked.

-Drew Wesolowski

A pair of Texas Twelve Maroon hitters showed promise at the plate, each in their own ways. Jack Riedel (2020, Houston, Texas) is a lefthanded hitting middle infielder with plenty of athleticism and a really nice barrel feel. His ability to manipulate the barrel and put together high quality at-bats are obvious. Riedel sees the baseball well with good hand-eye and his eye at the plate all-around is impressive showing the ability to take quality pitches. Riedel was able to showcase his swing with looseness to his hands and balance to his shift into contact. The North Carolina commit collected a single in the morning game at Etowah High School sitting back on a breaking ball and knocking it back up the middle.

The other Texas Twelve hitter of note in the day’s action was uncommitted righthanded bat Logan Henderson (2020, Katy, Texas). Henderson is a smaller-framed player with plenty of twitch and quickness to his hands at the plate. He used his bat speed to leverage a baseball to his pull side for a long home run into the trees creating separation and a positive launch angle. The contact he made was very loud and the only doubt of the hit being a bomb was if it was going to stay fair, and it surely did. The Texas native was the designated hitter in the contest, but what he showed with the bat is certainly worth a follow moving forward. 



Lebarron Johnson (2020, Jacksonville, Fla.) proved why he is so highly touted as a huge projection piece for pro evaluators. Johnson stands at a projectable 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and ran his fastball up to 90 mph on Saturday morning. The righthander committed to the University of Florida produced an immense number of swings-and-misses with his fastball, curveball combination. The breaking ball was an out pitch for him as he showed lots of feel for it especially when ahead with two strikes to opposing hitters. Johnson uses a full arm action at take back while staying mostly online to the plate with his lower half. He did have a tendency to work across his body adding deception to hitters, but had effectiveness in doing so as well. His demeanor on the mound is very relaxed with confidence that he is going to make a sharp pitch with his next offering. Johnson is a supreme athlete who also runs a 6.61 second 60-yard dash. His performance on Saturday, which was highlighted by 11 strikeouts in five innings pitched, showed why he is one of the top arms in the 2020 class. 



South Carolina commit Cade Austin (2020, Chapin, S.C.) is a strong, physical righthanded pitcher who showed plenty to like during his start Saturday. The burly righty sat 88-92 mph with his fastball while also featuring a curveball that flashes average spin and 11-to-5 shape. The key to Austin’s success is his ability to sink the fastball, especially when down in the zone. The ball flattens out when up, but when located to the lower third the pitch featured above-average life and is going to produce a lot of ground ball contact. Austin throws with intent and the ball jumps out of his hand because of it. He uses his strong lower half and whipping arm to create his velocity and in doing so finished the day with four punchouts. 



In what might have been the most elite uncommitted arm throughout the event thus far, Travis Luensmann (2020, Altoona, Pa.) toed the rubber in front of a slew of college recruiters as well as plenty of professional scouts. Luensmann is a 6-foot-6 righthander who has broad shoulders and plenty of room to continue to fill out physically. The righthander uses a deceptive delivery with multiple moving parts and a long arm action to create velocity mostly in the 88-92 mph range. It is certainly noteworthy, however, that Luensmann did reach the mid-90s later on into his outing touching 93s and 94s as well as a lone 95 mph bolt. That fact makes Luensmann even more valued in the eyes of decision makers. His performance was really impressive in that he struck 11 opposing hitters during is complete seven inning game. The fastball is mostly straight while flashing life to armside at times, but the out pitch for him was his slider. The pitch was a really nice offering for him with tilt, and when thrown with conviction was very sharp. Luensmann is a high-profile arm and the brother of former Mets draft pick Chad Luensmann.

One of the loudest barrels of the day belonged to Wake Forest commit Nick Kurtz (2021, Lancaster, Pa.). Kurtz roped a double to his pull-side gap and although he is a primary lefthanded pitcher, Kurtz showed some of the best strength at impact as well as serious leverage to pull. Kurtz is an athletic and projectable kid as well standing at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds with plenty of room to continue to fill out. The hands work well into the swing and the bat whips through the hitting zone. He followed that double up with another base hit to his pull side knocking a single to right field. Kurtz also touches 84 mph with his fastball that projects for more from his ideal pitcher’s frame. 



Another high-profile name and outstanding athlete, Ty Floyd (2020, Rockmart, Ga.) took the mound for 643 Saturday afternoon. Floyd has a really quick arm with some compact tendencies to it but is able to produce low-90s velocity with it. Floyd, an LSU commit, showed the ability to reach back with noticeable intent to produce fastballs up to 93 mph while living primarily in the 87-91 mph range. There is obvious athleticism to Floyd’s delivery and the ball jumps out of his hand from his quick arm. The LSU commit worked to both sides of the plate effectively and while the command did miss at times the righty worked around it and made big pitches against a talented lineup. He showed a pair of off-speed pitches in his curveball at 74-75 mph that showed 40 grade spin on a professional scouting scale and a changeup that was really effective in missing the bats of lefthanded hitters. Floyd is certainly one of the top arms in Georgia in his class and it showed on Saturday as he struck out eight over the course of five innings pitched.

Floyd’s catcher William Lybrook (2020, Atlanta, Ga.) had quite a game as 643’s backstop behind the plate. Lybrook displayed quickness behind the plate coming out of his crouch and firing a strike to second base for a 2.01 in-game pop time. The uncommitted catcher threw a perfect strike to the bag as well as nabbing the runner trying to steal second base. At the plate later, he lined a single to center field showing an easy swing at the plate. Lybrook is an intriguing player behind the plate and has the potential to stick behind the plate as he shows athleticism and quick flexibility behind the dish.

The No. 1 player in the 2021 class is two-way star Brady House (2021, Winder, Ga.). House bats in the middle of Team Elite Scout Team’s batting lineup and is also a weapon out of the bullpen. House managed to touch 94 mph with his fastball and sat consistently in the low-90s with a three-pitch mix for strikes. He already looks the part of an arm even though his talent is shown off the mound as well. His hand speed into his swing is extremely impressive and the bat speed follows. He may have not collected a hit in this contest, but the swing is obvious in producing huge raw juice. On the mound in this contest, however, House was electric in three innings of relief work. House pounded the lower third of the strike zone with his fastball while breaking off a slider that was not touched by the opposing team. His perfect three innings were marvelous and are certainly worth following looking ahead to the 2021 MLB Draft.

Peter Capobianco (2020, York, Pa.) had a loud day at the plate with a pair of extremely hard barreled balls off of his bat. The uncommitted, strong righthanded-hitting third baseman is making his debut at PG events this week and has already showcased huge raw bat speed combined with a strong swing. That swing in his first at-bat on Saturday took an 89 mph fastball over the fence in left field for a no-doubt home run. Capobianco really whips the barrel through the hitting zone with lots of extension out in front. He swings with intent looking to impact the baseball to produce a high exit velocity and when on time, the ball really jumps as seen during Saturday’s action. 



Hayden Durke (2020, North Vermilion, La.) has shown throughout his time at Perfect Game related events that his stuff is noteworthy and his performance day in and day out on the hill is outstanding. Saturday was no different for the Louisiana-Lafayette commit who pitched a complete game with 10 strikeouts and just two hits allowed. Durke, who is comfortable throwing any of his three pitches, varied speeds and consistently kept hitters off balance throughout the contest. His fastball sat 86-90 mph from an effortless delivery and clean arm action that hides the baseball really well through the back. The fastball is mostly straight while working on a downhill plane to the plate. He mixed in a changeup that he uses to retire lefthanded hitters and a curveball that shows plenty of potential moving forward. The changeup fades to armside and the breaking ball has 12-6 shape from a similar tunnel as the fastball. Scouts can project on Durke and the future Ragin’ Cajun certainly has a lot to like on the bump.

In the late time slot that was pushed back due to a lightning delay, a pair of uncommitted righthanders ran their fastballs into the low-90s. Jacob Payne (2020, Madison, Miss.) is a physical righthander with a full, online arm that produced a fastball that sat 88-91 mph. His crossfire delivery as well as his big 11-5 curveball that was right around 2,500 RPM with its spin rate make him a really nice commodity for a Division I team. The command was an issue at times with his fastball, curveball combination but the righty from Mississippi worked around it to pitch effectively striking out eight against a talented lineup.

Turner Stepp (2020, Decatur, Ala.) is the other uncommitted righty who pitched into the low-90s with his fastball sitting 89-92 mph and mixing in an upper-70s curveball. He utilizes drop-and-drive mechanics into his delivery while staying online to the plate. When throwing his curveball with similar arm speed as his fastball, the pitch showed sharper bite and was effective in getting hitters onto their front foot. His arm action is full and he showed the ability to work around the strike zone well. An uncommitted 6-foot-3 arm with his kind of velocity as well as a secondary pitch in his curveball that has plenty of potential may not stay off the market for too long.

-Gregory Gerard

Rece Ritchey (2020, Huntingdon, Pa.) is a 6-foot-4, 170-pound lefthanded pitcher. Starting the game for Flood City Elite-2020, Ritchey began throwing his fastball at a high rate with high velocity. The Virginia commits fastball maxed out at 89 mph, while sitting comfortably in the mid- to upper-80s. Ritchey would occasionally throw in a slider that has a sharp break to it. The Huntingdon native looks tall on the mound as he looks every bit of his reported 6-foot-4 frame. Through his windup, he remains high on the mound until he explodes towards the hitter. As he explodes, his whole body drops as he lunges towards the plate. After each pitch, the southpaw finishes in a spot where he can comfortably field his position and is athletic enough to quickly get to first base when need be.

Kevin Karstetter (2020, State College, Pa.) is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound shortstop. Starting at the left side of the middle infield for Flood City Elite-2020, Karstetter displayed why he is one of the top shortstops in Pennsylvania. With a strong physique and the tools of an athlete, the Florida Atlantic commit showed strong offensive skills at the plate. He would stand at the plate with a slight open stance with very little movement to it. The State College native has a strong swing with quick hands. He displayed the capability to go down and get a pitch down and away and pull it on a line to left field.

Sebastian "Bazz" Jimenez (2020, Miami, Fla.) is a 6-foot-3, 198-pound catcher. At the plate for Florida Hurricanes 17U Platinum, Jimenez showed his worth as he helped his team to a convincing victory. The righthanded batter looked strong at the plate as his 6-foot-3 frame filled in the batter’s box. He has a very simple stance at the plate with little movement to go with it. The load is simple as his head remains steady and takes a quick path to the baseball. He makes solid contact with the baseball and is able to put it into play and get himself on base. The uncommitted backstop left his mark on the game as he took a pitch away and pulled it down the left field line for a bases-clearing double. Those three runs were more than enough as he helped his pitchers work through five shutout innings.

Tommy Lamb (2020, Grafton, Wis.) is a 6-foot, 175-pound lefthanded pitcher. Taking the ball for the Hitters 2020, Lamb turned in a dominant first couple innings and completely baffled the opposing hitters. The southpaw keeps a simple delivery with not a whole lot of movement that goes along with it. His fastball was able to hit the upper-80s while maxing out at 88. To compliment that velocity, the Oklahoma commit controlled a sharp slider that hitters had a tough time picking up and often didn’t even swing at. As if the slider and fastball weren’t already something that was difficult, Lamb has a 12-to-6 curveball that he works to get strikeouts with. The first couple innings were definitely his most dominant as each out in the first two innings came off of strikeouts, while four of them were batters going down looking. 



Paulshawn Pasqualotto (2020, Las Vegas, Nev.) is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound righthanded pitcher. Starting the game for San Diego Show, Pasqualotto turned in a controlling game as he led his team to a convincing victory. The righthander showed two pitches throughout the game; his fastball and his changeup. The fastball was consistently sitting in the low-90s, maxing out at 93. He had complete command of the fastball and was able to place it on the corners and even elevate it for swing-and-misses. To complement the fastball, the uncommitted pitcher would introduce a Bugs Bunny changeup that baffled hitters the entirety of the game. Coming in at low-70s, Pasqualotto’s changeup had a large drop off and would fade back towards the righthanded pitcher. The Las Vegas native seemed to have total command of all of his pitches as he carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and ended the game with a no-hitter. The pitcher worked efficiently as he turned in the complete game performance with only 84 pitches and struck out 12 batters in the process.

-Brian Treadway

Hector Alejandro (2020, Waterbury, Conn.) is an uncommitted righthanded pitcher with a lot of interesting upside. The Long Island Body Armor Titans pitcher owns a 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame with a large build. Starting with a medium leg lift, he gains good extension downhill and generates power from his strong lower half. Combine that with live arm action from a high three-quarters slot and the result is a fastball that averages 89-90 mph while touching 92 mph. He also threw a sharp 11-to-5 curveball that averaged 75 mph and could be thrown for a strike. Across two innings, he struck out three batters but struggled with command a little bit and also walked three batters. The raw pitching ability is certainly present, and he possesses interesting upside moving forward.

Christopher Ewing (2020, New York, N.Y.) showcased his ability on both sides of the ball despite his small 5-foot-9, 160-pound frame for Team BEAST 2020 Gibson. Defensively, the quick-twitch shortstop displayed good range, a smooth glove, an accurate arm, quick transfers, and above-average athleticism. He certainly has the range and footwork to progress as a shortstop, but his athleticism could give him some interesting defensive versatility moving forward. The righthanded hitter starts with a wide and slightly open stance with high hands. Using a toe-tap trigger for timing, he transfers his lower half weight nicely into a smooth swing with quick hands on a level plane. The upward extension in his backswing creates some elevation but he typically hits line drives. He displayed good barrel-to-ball skills lining a hard single to left-center field. His speed played well on the bases as he scored three runs during the second day of the tournament.

Virginia commit Channing Austin (2020, Brooklyn, N.Y.) displayed a projectable 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame and advanced barrel-to-ball skills. The righthanded hitter starts with a moderately-crouched and open stance with low hands. A medium leg stride and an ability to stay balanced assists in his effort to generate lower half power. His hands are quick and precede a fluid and smooth swing on a moderately upward plane. He elevated the ball while creating loud contact consistently. That combination resulted in a double to left field and a triple to right-center field. He already has strength and athleticism in his build but could project as a legitimate source of power once he fills out further. The primary third baseman was slotted in the lineup as an extra hitter for Team Beast 2020 Gibson.

From one Virginia commit to another, David Coppedge (2020, N. Chesterfield, Va.) showcased a projectable 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame for the Virginia Cardinals 2020’s. The shortstop displayed good range to both sides and a smooth glove. His highlight play showed him charge to and through a ball and make a quick transfer with an accurate throw to first base on the move. The righthanded hitter starts with an open stance and a high handset. Using a toe tap trigger for timing, he takes a large stride towards the pitcher before swinging on a moderately downward plane. His hands are quick and he has above-average contact ability hitting mainly ground balls and occasionally line drives. He has a good and selective approach at the plate but he is not afraid to swing. Based on his contact abilities and current frame, he could hit for more power if he fills out more and gains additional strength.

Jacob Farrar (2020, North Prince George, Va.) showcased a medium 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame with current strength and additional room to fill out. The righthanded hitter starts with a crouched and open stance with a high back elbow. Taking a small stride forward, he takes a fluid swing on a level plane. He typically hits the ball out in front and takes a line drive approach, mainly to the pull side. These tendencies were on full display as he lined a well hit double down the left field line for the Virginia Cardinals 2020’s. Primarily a third baseman, the Virginia Military Institute commit showcased a really good arm across the infield and fluid actions fielding balls. He showed a smooth glove and decent athleticism.

West Virginia commit William Bean (2020, Great Falls, Va.) is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound middle infielder with advanced abilities on both sides of the ball. Defensively, the quick-twitch shortstop showcased a really smooth glove with fluid actions and an above-average arm. The righthanded hitter uses a very open stance with high hands and a high back elbow. A long leg stride that hovers over the ground precedes a really fluid and smooth swing. His hands are really quick and he has the ability to hit the ball to all fields. The swing plane is level through the zone but he has the ability to elevate the ball, showcasing some sneaky power. His bat speed and present strength made loud contact several times during the second day of the tournament. He went 2-for-3 with a triple off the right-center field fence and a line drive double to left-center. He has legitimate five-tool potential.

-Jake Martin

Blaze Jordan (2020, Southhaven, Miss.) started his Saturday with a dominant performance in a 5-1 Dulin’s Dodgers 16U Ince win. He went 3-for-4 at the plate with his only out being a hard fly ball that was caught on the warning track in left field. The Mississippi State commit was extremely impressive at the plate as he proved once again that he is perhaps the purest hitter in his class. Every ball Jordan hit was a hard line drive, and he also showed an ability to effectively hit pitches outside of the strike zone. He gets his barrel on plane early as he gets full extension through the zone; leading to hard contact. With present power to all fields within his 6-foot-2, 218-pound frame, the power potential is endless as the right handed hitter continues to grow and get stronger.

Slate Alford (2021, Madison, Ala.) put on a good showing early Saturday morning as the starting third baseman for Dulin’s Dodgers 16U Ince. The highlight of the Auburn commit’s 1-for-3 day at the plate was a hard line drive double to left field. The 6-foot-2, 217-pounder projects very well in all facets. A muscular build with present power and a strong arm make Alford a player to watch as he continues to grow and improve. He also flashes the leather at third with effective range. In the batter’s box, the 16-year-old’s swing is smooth as he makes contact out front and creates his power within a strong lower half. The swing generates lift, as well as hard line drives. Look for a young talented Alford to continue to trend upwards over the coming years.

Briggs Rutter (2020, Columbia, Tenn.) was very effective as the designated hitter as he helped lead his team to a 5-1 win. The righthanded hitter went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. The Middle Tennessee State commit was impressive at the plate with a great swing. He gets the barrel on plane and extends through the zone without dipping his back shoulder. He also barrels the ball up well, driving both gaps with power. Physically, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame is presently filling out with a muscular build. Rutter is nationally ranked as a catcher, and projects well all around.

Josh Willitts (2020, Southampton, N.J.) was nothing short of dominant in his start for South Jersey Elite 2020 on Saturday morning. The righthander went five innings with seven strikeouts and three walks. He allowed no hits and one unearned run. A fastball with late life sat in the mid- to upper-80s and was up to 88 mph several times throughout the outing. A loopy low-70s curveball complemented the fastball nicely. The uncommitted 17-year-old showed feel for both of his pitches and pounded the zone. Mechanically, a long, whippy arm action works fluidly from an overhand arm slot. With a slow leg lift and quick arm, Willitts throws off hitter’s timing and generates a large amount of swing-and-miss. A lean build on a 6-foot-2, 193-pound projects well as there is plenty of room to add muscle.

Patrick Dunn (2020, Flower Mound, Texas) put together a quality start Saturday for D-Bat Elite Gavin. The 6-foot-6 righthander worked primarily off of his fastball that sat in the high-80s with arm side run, but he paired it with a mid-70s 11-5 curveball with depth that he showed feel for. In five innings of work, the uncommitted hurler struck out five while only giving up one hit and two walks. Dunn releases from a lower three-quarters arm slot and a compact arm action. He gets down the mound well and is not a high effort arm. There is certainly more velocity in the tank, and that will show as Dunn’s long lanky frame begins to fill out.

Zach Peters (2020, Crowley, Texas) dominated in Arlington A’s Acton’s 7-0 shutout win on Saturday morning. The righthanded pitcher threw six shutout innings with eight strikeouts while allowing two hits and four walks. The uncommitted 17-year-old fills out a 6-foot-5, 212-pound frame and throws a high-80s fastball that touched 89 throughout the game. The plane Peters creates with his height and high three-quarters arm slot makes hitting difficult for his opponents. A sharp 78 mph curve also gave hitters problems all afternoon. A fluid compact arm action projects well as Peters velocity comes easily to him. At 17, Peters projects well and has the potential to run his fastball up to the mid-90s in the next couple of years.

Tyler Roche (2020, Bronx, N.Y.) showed great potential Saturday in his start for Banditos Scout Team 17u. The St. John’s commit finished the day after going 4 2/3 innings and allowing three hits, three runs, and one walk with five strikeouts. A fastball with movement sat in the 87-90 mph range and was up to 91. The righthander matched his fastball with a high-60s to low-70s curveball that generated a good amount of swing-and-miss. With a long and lanky 6-foot-4, 173-pound frame, Roche gets down the mound well and throws fairly effortlessly. He is mechanically sound and utilizes a long fluid arm action with a three-quarters arm slot. The 18-year-old projects well and will add velocity to his fastball as he gets stronger, the mechanics project and will help him at the next level.

Tre Richardson (2020, Kingwood, Texas) showcased impressive raw talent on Saturday afternoon for Banditos Scout Team 17U. A 1-for-3 performance at the plate does not tell the whole story for the Baylor commit. Richardson possesses plus speed and is very good defensively with a great glove and strong accurate arm at third base. A wiry athletic build on a 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame projects well, and produces more pop than one might expect at the plate. In the batter’s box, he sets up in a slightly open stance with a very wide base. After a small hand load and toe tap, Richardson makes solid contact out front and flashed hard line drive power to left field. His only hit on the day came from a bunt single, where he beat out of a throw from third by several steps.

Chris Locurto (2020, Kennesaw, Ga.) led Nelson Baseball School 17U Black to a 3-1 win over Banditos Scout Team 17U on Saturday afternoon. The uncommitted 17-year-old went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Locurto’s home run cleared the left field wall by no less than 40 feet. It is safe to say the lefthanded hitter possesses power to the pull side. Locurto stands tall in the box with an open stance and shoulder’s width base. He starts his swing with a toe tap and minor hand load. He aims to make contact out front and drive the ball. Defensively, the right fielder also changed the outcome of the game with a sliding catch on a shallow fly ball late in the game with runners in scoring position. Physically, a lean build on a 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame projects well and will add power once it is filled out.

Mason Landers (2020, Shelbyville, Tenn.) had a monster game in a heartbreaking 12-11 shootout loss for Hit after Hit Outlaws-Mullins. Landers went 3-for-3 with three doubles, three RBI, a run scored, and a hit-by-pitch. He hits with easy power and favors the pull side. The righthanded hitter is disciplined at the plate and drives the ball with ease. He gets extended down through the zone with a fluid swing. The Belmont commit also played well at the third base, with a sound glove and strong arm, and he also made accurate throws. Physically, the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder fills out his large frame and shows present power. It was an all-around great day for an impressive young player.

-Jacob Jordan

Kaleb Corbett (2020, Louisville, Ky.) is a 6-foot, 200-pound righthanded pitcher and corner infielder for East Cobb Astros 17U Navy. An incoming senior in the fall at Fern Creek Traditional High School in his hometown, Corbett is usually known for his pitching abilities, as Perfect Game has him ranked as the third-best 2020 righthanded arm in the state for his class. On Friday, Corbett turned some heads with his bat as he hit very well anchoring an East Cobb Astros lineup at the East Cobb Complex. On Saturday, Corbett went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored, and an RBI. At the plate, Corbett uses a simple, line drive approach with an even setup and hands near his ear. He has a table-setter like approach at the plate and really did a nice job capitalizing on all the fastballs he saw, staying short and on-plan while shooting line drives into the gaps with regularity. Corbett was able to demonstrate advanced hand-eye coordination and made strong, hard, barreled contact, helping turn the lineup over time and again during the win. A good athlete, Corbett moved well on the bases with solid, average speed and awareness. Kaleb proved to be a solid competitor and battled hard this morning in a role he isn’t usually known for. Definitely plays the game the right way and showed that he will do everything he can to help his team win. Hit in an extra-hitter slot in the lineup so we did not get to see him with the glove, yet Corbett was impressive today, knowing his role and capitalizing on each opportunity presented to him.  Corbett will continue his baseball career at the University of Louisville following the completion of his senior year, as he is currently a part of a very impressive Cardinals incoming 2020 class.

Cy Fontenot (2020, Pineville, La.) is a 5-foot-11, 168-pound righthanded pitcher from Alexandria Senior High School, a quick jump over the Red River from his hometown. An incoming senior in the fall, Fontenot, who recently turned 18, pitched in relief this afternoon for his team, United, and kept his opponent at bay eventually earning the win, with a final line of two hits scattered over three innings and seven strikeouts. What was even more impressive is that Cy only needed 43 pitches to complete his assignment and finished his outing delivering nearly 70 percent of his pitches for strikes. Fontenot is sound mechanically and uses a smooth arm action that he delivers from a high three-quarters slot. He uses a sinker, slider combination and has good feel for both offerings with the ability to mix as he went and double up with both keeping hitters of both dexterity off balance. Cy’s fastball which had a high of 87 mph, currently has riding life through the zone with some sink. Slider (79-82 mph) compliments his fastball well and had good tilt. Control is better than command to this point, yet he showed the ability to really fill the zone with both offerings. Currently uncommitted, Cy is an exciting player to keep a tab on as he heads into his senior season.

Danny Heintz (2020, Morrisville, N.C.) is a 6-foot-5, 215-pound righthanded pitcher from Green Hope High School in Cary, a suburb of his hometown. A senior in the fall, Heinz took the ball for Dirtbags 17U Skrap Pak at East Cobb and was dominate over 4 2/3 innings of work. Throughout his outing, Heintz recorded seven strikeouts as he only allowed three hits, one earned run, and three walks. Heintz delivers from the first base side of the rubber with a slow, balanced wind-up. He regularly brings his stride leg up past his belt as he then loads his weight well on his backside. He deploys a drop and drive front leg and uses a clean arm action with a show in back and on-time delivery. Heintz did struggle slightly getting over his front side as he pivots around a stiff front leg, yet his arm remains quick with recoil upon release. Heintz used a two-pitch mix to keep his opponent flustered throughout his start. He has a fastball which is fringe-average and up to 89 mph with arm side run, and a curveball in the low-70s with good shape and depth. He showed keen pitchability of his repertoire and used both pitches in all counts to both dexterities. He had confidence in his stuff and competed each pitch on the mound. A good athlete, Heintz fields his position well. Exciting player to watch on the mound. Currently ranked as the No. 25 righthanded starter in his home state for the 2020 class making him an exciting player to monitor over the coming year.

Will Sanders (2020, Atlanta, Ga.) is a 6-foot-6, 195-pound righthanded pitcher from Woodward Academy in his hometown. Currently ranked as the top righthanded pitcher in the state and No. 11 nationally for his class, Sanders dazzled those in attendance with a spectacular pitching performance at East Cobb on Saturday. When all was said and done, Sanders went the distance racking up six innings of work in the run-rule shortened affair, allowed two hits, a walk, and struck out eight, needing only 73 pitches to complete his assignment. The 17-year-old has a very large and lanky frame with long extremities and a high waist. He has good strength to his current build and seems to still be able add more with further strength gain and development. On the mound, Sanders uses an abbreviated wind-up from the first base side of the rubber. He does a nice job keeping his weight back and loaded on his backside as his arm travels unrestricted in back in a long-circled, smooth, overall good arm action. Sanders displays good rhythm and timing with his arm and body and delivers his repertoire out front from a consistent three-quarters slot. Sanders has a lot of moving parts and showed good extension towards the plate prior to release which added deception and life to his fastball as well as effectiveness to his off-speed pitches. Sanders’ repertoire consists of a fastball that is already Major League average with fringe above-average stuff out of the gate (90 – 91 mph, 92 mph max) with sink and plenty of life, and a slider (79-80 mph) with tilt and good shape. A good athlete, Sanders was able to get himself in a good fielding position upon release and made all plays hit his way as well as moves well to cover bases off the mound. Sanders has tremendous confidence in his pitchability. He was able to mix his two-pitch mix in all counts which further increased his effectiveness. Tremendous upside talent who is fun to watch compete on the mound with his already advanced skillset. Sanders will continue his baseball career following his senior season at the University of South Carolina.

Samuel Swygert (2020, Springfield, S.C.) is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound righthanded pitcher from South Aiken High School located in neighboring Aiken, S.C. An incoming senior is the fall, Swygert will enter his senior year already with a South Carolina commitment in hand. Swygert is ranked by PG as the No. 7 righthander in his home state and he proved why on Saturday at East Cobb ending his outing with a line that read 1 1/3 innings pitched, with three strikeouts. Swygert also only needed 24 pitches to complete his assignment as he pounded the zone with his sinker, slider two-pitch mix. Sam used a full windup out of the bullpen from the first base side of the rubber. He has a high leg kick to his belt, and does a nice job getting loaded on his backside then drops and drives his front leg down the mound. Sam showcased a herky-jerky arm action, yet it travels unrestricted and releases his two-pitch mix from a three-quarters to low three-quarters slot. A very athletic kid, Sam did a nice job extending towards the plate and really getting over his front side for each delivery. Fastball is fringe average currently with life and ride through the zone. Fastball also appeared to have some run in the zone as well, especially early on in the outing. Better control than command to this point, Swygert had some difficulty controlling his slider, yet pitch did have tilt and okay shape when he got it right. Swygert displayed good athleticism on the mound as well. Overall, very high-upside talent with good pitchability and aggressive nature on the mound. Went right at his opponent. It will be exciting to see how high his ceiling gets during his senior year and collegiate campaign.

-Matt Arietta

Landon Lucas (2020 Columbia, S.C.) made a statement in the first inning on Saturday.  Hitting in the three-hole, in the top of the first inning,  he turned on a fastball and hit a towering home run into the trees beyond the left field fence.  He has a strong 6-foot-2 athletic build with strong forearms and very good hand strength.  He has a powerful swing that stays tight to his body and the barrel easily whips through for plus raw bat speed.  His hips are fast and uses movement to create rhythm and timing.  He shows intent throughout and does not get cheated. In the bottom of the first he jumped on the mound touching 91 mph with a quick arm and minimal effort.  His curveball shows promise in the mid-70s with sharp break and spotty command.  His upright delivery was inline and has upside as he refines and uses his lower half better.  He is a very high follow two-way guy.  College of Charleston commit.

Jack O'Dowd (2020, Nashville, Tenn.) continues to show one of the best hit tools in the class.  He uses a toe tap to gather over his back side and stays connected throughout his turn.  He gets length through contact and his swing really projects for future power. He is athletic and moves well in the field, showing sure hands and balance defensively.  He hammered a line drive to the pull side that was loud off the bat.  He identifies well and does not expand the zone, allowing him to string together quality at-bats. The lefthanded hitter has done nothing but find barrels every time he has played this summer.

Deric Fabian (2021, Ocala, Fla.) is a long and lean 6-foot-3 infielder with a high waist and slender hips. He is an ultra-projectable righthanded hitter with a loose and whippy swing.  He creates very good barrel speed and maintains it through contact.  His long levers allow him to create loft, and the ball explodes off his bat when squared.  He got extended on a fastball up in the zone and hit a towering home run to left field on Saturday.  He added another hit and two RBI as well.  He will be fun to watch as he adds strength over the next couple years. Florida commit.

Najer Victor (2020, Clermont, Fla.) is a very good righthanded pitching prospect who was recently up to 93 mph at the National Showcase in Arizona.  Saturday, he played center field for Power Baseball and hit in the two-hole showcasing why he should be in the discussion with the better two-way prospects in the country.  He has showed big range and plus speed in the outfield and base paths, a fast swing that had leverage and very good hand-eye coordination.  His approach is improving as he took an advantage count fastball and drove it deep to left field for a double, while latter shortening up with two strikes and hitting a sharp single to center field.  He will be exciting to watch as he continues to get game reps.

Will Frain (2020, South Hamilton, Mass.) is a well put together 6-foot-1 outfielder that is well proportioned and can add even more strength to his 200-pound frame.  He is balanced in the box and has elite core speed while getting excellent length through contact.  He controls the zone well and did not miss when the pitcher gave him a pitch he could drive.  The ball made a different sound off his bat. He squared up balls in all three at-bats including a triple off the center field wall.  His righthanded bat should not be uncommitted much longer.

Chase Burns (2021, Hendersonville, Fla.) is a very young looking uncommitted 2021 prospect with a long 6-foot-2 frame. He has not started to physically mature and can see very easy jumps over the next two years as he gets stronger and develops.  He had a slight crossfire that created some deception, but also caused some release point issues at times.  He did a good job staying connected on the back side and stayed strong in his lower half throughout his delivery.  He created very good angle with a three-quarters slot when he was on time with his process. He has very little effort in his arm and the ball exploded at release, he was 87-91/2 mph and maintained his velocity around 89 during his three innings.  His slider was firm and got depth when he got it to the glove side, it averaged 79 mph and could be a plus offering down the road.

Jake Deleo (2020, Norwalk, Conn.) is an extremely strong and twitchy athlete who seems to have explosiveness in all parts of his game.  The love of the game is obvious, and he plays it with an energy that is unmatched on the field.  He has a flat swing that stays in the zone for a very long time.  Deleo creates backspin that gives him carry to all parts of the field. Saturday, he hit a triple and a home run, the latter getting out in a hurry. He has the unique ability to change the game in a hurry.

-Jered Goodwin

Matthew Bedford (2020, Staten Island, N.Y.), the strong 2020 grad, showed an explosive delivery with repeatable mechanics. Throws from a mid three-quarters arm slot with impressive arm speed. The Notre Dame commit worked five innings, collecting two strikeouts. Bedford featured a fastball with good control and heavy life through the zone up to 91 mph complemented with a 10/5 breaking ball with sharp break creating a lot of empty swings.

Aaron Combs (2020, Bradenton, Fla.), a projectable righty, flashed a long delivery, getting extended out front very well, throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot. Displayed good feel for off-speed pitches relying on a 11/5 curveball with big depth at 69 mph and a harder, sharper slider at 76 mph. The Coastal Carolina commit also featured a fastball spotted up on both halves of the plate up to 90 mph. In his three innings of work Combs only allowed one hit while striking out five.

Starting at DH this morning for FTB Tucci-Berryhill was the uncommitted Connor Morgan (2020, Brooksville, Fla.) and he did not disappoint. Morgan showed fast hands to and through the baseball while creating good angle with present power to all fields. Morgan showed his power with a loud no-doubt home run to left-center field.

Cameron Arnold (2020, Mooresville, N.C.) got the start on the mound for the South Charlotte Panthers, working two innings while only allowing two hits and collecting five strikeouts. Arnold, a strong and athletic lefty, showed an easy delivery with good arm speed from a mid three-quarters slot. Kept hitters off balance consistently with a two-pitch mix including a fastball with heavy run up to 87 mph and a 1/7 curveball with good depth at 75 mph.

Leading the offensive effort for the South Charlotte Panthers on Saturday was Wes Turley (2020, Matthews, N.C.) Turley was able to drive in two runs behind two hits, including a hard single and a loud double. The uncommitted 2020 grad showed present gap-to-gap power in a fast, athletic swing with a direct hand path to and through the baseball.

Caden Wilson (2020, Kansas City, Mo.) worked five innings on Saturday collecting eight strikeouts while only surrendering one walk and two runs. The Missouri State commit showed explosive mechanics working down the mound to go along with plus arm speed. Wilson showed a heavy fastball up to 91 mph creating a lot of swing-and-miss, and complemented it with a sweeping slider at 79 mph.

The leadoff hitter for Rawlings Southeast 17U National was a constant threat at the plate and on the bases Saturday. Jonathan Ponder (2020, Lawrenceville, Ga.) collected two hits and one walk including one single and an impressive triple to the right-center field gap. Ponder showed a high intent swing, creating good jump off the barrel to and through the gaps to go along with impressive speed around the bases reaching third on the triple easily.

DRB Elite 17U coasted to the win in their game on Saturday largely due to the effort of Brandt Pancer (2020, Suwanee, Ga.) The uncommitted 2020 grad showed a long, athletic delivery with a long, loose arm action going to a high three-quarters arm slot at release. Showed the ability to run a heavy fastball by hitters up in the zone topping out at 92 mph. Works a 11/5 curveball with sharp break and good depth consistently for strikes in all counts. In his 4 2/3 innings of work, Prancer only allowed two hits while fanning nine hitters.

Ian Bahn (2020, Shoreview, Minn.) the strong, uncommitted 2020 grad, showed a deliberate delivery with explosive actions working to the plate. Throws from a mid three-quarters slot creating occasional run on the heavy fastball up to 89 mph, creating a lot of swing-and-miss throughout the outing. In 3 2/3 innings of work, Bahn allowed two hits while collecting seven strikeouts. Bahn showed a tight slider at 84 mph thrown consistently for a strike in all counts.

Evan Carter (2020, Johnson City, Tenn.) hit in the two-hole for DRB Elite 17U, scoring one run and collecting one hit. The one hit was a loud line drive double peppering the left-center field fence, showing the Duke commit’s smooth, easy swing with a slightly-elevated barrel path through the ball and good bat speed to go with present line drive gap-to-gap power.

-Ben Milks
PG Special Events
Travel, Lodging, Entertainment
PG Partners
Recommended
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2024 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.