2,076 MLB PLAYERS | 14,476 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story  | 7/19/2019

15u WWBA: Day 7 Scout Notes

Greg Gerard      Drew Wesolowski      Jacob Martin      Jacob Jordan     
Photo: Brooks Gay (Perfect Game)

2019 15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6




The top arm in the first playoff slot of the day belonged to South Charlotte Panthers ace Eli Jerzembeck (2022, Charlotte, N.C.). The righthander reeks of projection with a 6-foot-2 frame that has plenty of room to fill and time to do so. His fastball topped out at 89 mph early and touched 90 mph earlier in the week as well. Thursday he peaked at 89 in the first inning and settled into an 85-87 mph range for the remainder of his complete game. The fastball comes out clean from a clean and slightly compact arm action. He mixes in a breaking ball that has short, late biting action with a spin rate that peaks slightly above 2,800 RPM. The breaking ball is the difference maker for him as he misses bats with it consistently. Jerzembeck is a top of the class uncommitted arm in 2022 as he showed out in his second performance on the mound during 15u WWBA. He tossed all seven innings in round 2 for the Panthers as they started playoff action with a bye. The strike zone feel and command of his three pitches are well beyond his years as he went on to not walk a batter during his outing as well.

Nathan Fink (2022, Charlottesville, Va.) is an all-around impressive player as he has several impressive tools that stood out on playoff day. The righthanded hitting outfielder has a natural loft to his swing path looking to drive the ball with intent. He meets the ball out in front and creates loud contact when on time. On the day in this look, Fink connected on a double to the pull-side gap, showed a positive launch angle with power potential as he adds strength on a flyout to deep left field, and ripped a single through the 5-6 hole sitting back and reading spin on a slow breaking ball. On top of being a high level hitter, Fink is an outstanding fielding outfielder in center field as well. He tracks balls taking good first steps and running impressive routes to the ball. He runs well both down the line and in the middle of the Canes National 15u outfield. The Virginia commit is a top of the 2022 class talent and it showed on playoff day as his team advanced to the 15u WWBA semifinals.

Griffin Stieg (2022, McLean, Va.) is an interesting Virginia Tech commit with plenty of two-way potential as he can get on the mound and top out at 88 mph on top of really swing the bat well in the middle of the Stars Baseball 15u Colangelo lineup. In relief, Stieg sat mostly 86-87 during playoff day of 15u WWBA with a curveball that has plenty of depth to it. The breaking ball has plenty of projection with developing spin currently. He threw lots of strikes in this outing and also swung the bat well, although not collecting a hit in the scorebook. The upside is certainly there for Stieg as well as he has a projectable 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame. The swing the future Hokie has at the plate is downhill to the point of contact with plenty of bat speed created through the hitting zone.

Brooks Gay (2022, Abilene, Texas) has a loose arm action on the mound with a fastball that topped out at 87 mph. The righthander on the Dallas Tigers 15u Polk did not have the command that he wanted in this game but showed projectable offerings with a three pitch mix and his 6-foot-3, 165-pound frame. He is skinny and the arm is loose through the back with plenty of arm speed and the ball jumps out of his hand. He sat 84-86 mph mostly while touching 87 as well. The breaking ball is a sweeping pitch and the changeup is deceptive. He works down the mound with an online lower half and releases with shorter extension out in front. When getting fully extended into his release, Gay creates more zip to his fastball that gets onto hitters quicker. Gay, a rising sophomore from Texas, is an interesting follow moving forward.

Tall and projectable lefthander Oliver Santos (2022, Newport Coast, Calif.) traveled cross-country from California to Georgia along with his BPA team and pitched his squad into the third round of the playoffs with a solid six-inning performance. His skinny 6-foot-3 frame, as well as the 84 mph fastball he is already able to produce out of his arm, project well moving forward. Santos is a young prospect from the West Coast and his low-80s fastball project coming from an over-the-top arm slot and a full arm action. He creates a steep downhill plane from the arm slot he releases the ball from and misses barrels consistently with it. The off-speed pitches are both developing as he does have a tendency to slow his arm down on both his straight changeup and 1-to-7 curveball. With maintained fastball arm speed, the pitches will improve and make Santos even more effective. Currently however, Santos has promising stuff and with continued refinement can be a force on the bump.

Jake Hembree (2023, Hiram, Ga.) showed another projectable outing with his clean arm and advanced curveball for his age. The lefthander topped out at 84 mph with his fastball on this day and sat mostly 78-82 mph. Hembree has a projectable 5-foot-10 frame with plenty of time to fill out and a build that projects well. His breaking ball is the carrying tool and is going to intrigue college recruiters for years to come as he starts his high school years. Confirmed with Trackman, the breaking ball is tight with a spin rate in the 2400-2500 range although having lots of depth and upper-60s velocity up to 70 mph. He threw lots of strikes early in this outing but the command did get away from him later as he was pulled after six innings of two-hit baseball. The ball comes out cleanly out of Hembree’s hand as he gets good extension especially with his fastball. Hembree pitched the East Cobb Astros 14u Orange to a game one victory in playoff action on Thursday.

Calvert Clark (2022, Charlotte, N.C.) came out of the bullpen for Team Elite and showed promising stuff from his ultra-projectable 6-foot-4, 175-pound frame. Clark sat 86-89 mph with his fastball that came from a loose arm action with plenty to project on with additional refinement to his mechanics. The fastball jumps out of his hand and showed both varying life both cutting or sinking when located to the lower third of the strike zone. Clark projects physically as well as with his arm as a pitch in a big way. He flashed a slider that has potential but worked primarily off of the fastball as he blew the heater by batters often in this outing. He strides online to the plate and the two-way talent, who can really swing the bat at a high level as well, sits on his back leg to get his lower half incorporated well down the mound. Clark, a former 14u PG Select Festival participant, worked 1 1/3 innings and ultimately earned the win moving Team Elite 15u Scout Team into the third round of the 15u WWBA playoffs.



David Mershon (2022, Taylors, S.C.) is a quick-twitch middle infielder with tools in the batter’s box from both sides of the plate. Although not physical standing at 5-foot-7, 145-pounds, Mershon runs well down the line and can swing with quickness to his stroke from both the left and right side. Getting primarily looks from the left side on this day, Mershon has a compact stroke and confident approach with plenty of barrel skills. The right side is impressive as well with similar barrel skills and a good eye. He showed nice defense up the middle as well making a diving play in game two showing good range to his right and arm strength as his weight was carried away from the first base bag. Mershon got to his feet quickly with his fast-twitch muscles and fired a strike to first base. Mershon is a fun player to watch with high energy at the top of the Canes lineup.

Pitching in the third round for the Georgia Bombers was righthander Tripp Williams (2022, Demorest, Ga.). Williams offered up impressive velocity early in the game topping out at 87 mph and setting into the mid-80s after his first inning. The uncommitted righthander has a full arm action and an online landing down the mound. His performance was pretty special as he faced off against a loaded Team Elite team and did not allow a hit through his first 3 innings on the bump. His fastball has some life to it especially when down in the strike zone and he did a nice job of mixing his pitch speeds with a changeup that has outstanding sinking action keeping hitters off balance with it.

– Greg Gerard




With playoffs in full swing, Ashton Crowther (2022 New Port Richey, Fla.) took the mound for 5 Star Dobbs and did so with a winning mentality. The lefthanded pitcher has a long, lanky frame with plenty of room to fill out down the road. He flashed a clean, longer arm action with a fluid delivery as he pounded the strike zone with a good three pitch mix. He utilized a three-quarters arm action proving it difficult for opposing hitters to pick it up early. The University of Miami commit got plenty of swings and misses as he went on to pick up the win for his team pushing them deeper into the playoffs. His fastball sat in the low- to mid-80’s as it topped out at 84 while it showed next level arm side run. His off-speed stuff consisted of a slider showing tight spin in the low-70s and a nasty changeup, which was his best pitch, in the mid-70s that had advanced bite. He ended up throwing 4.0 innings while striking out 8 batters and didn’t walk a single batter. With his projectable frame, he will be a very interesting watch as his high school years roll on.



With 5 Star Dobbs showing a solid pitching staff, Tanner Zellem (2022 Fleming Island, Fla.) got it done at the plate Thursday. The uncommitted corner infielder has a medium frame with a very mature build and strong lower half. He put on an absolute show Thursday as he banged the baseball all around the park. In the first game, he went on to knock two doubles into the leftcenter gap. With his build, he showed that the strength was prominent as he used it to create massive bat speed while squaring up the baseball. Later in the day, he would go on to hit a solo shot over the left field fence that travelled just shy of 400 feet and left with an exit velocity of 98 mph. This was nothing new for the young man as he would go on to homer three times this week and his week is still not over. Keep an eye on this uncommitted power hitter as he shows all the tools necessary to take his skills to the next level and continue his power surge.



Making the long trip from Colorado, Tyler Mejia (2022 Castle Rock, Colo.) and the Slammers had high hopes of a deep playoff run that were cut short Thursday. Although they came up short, the lefthanded pitcher showcased some seriously projectable stuff as he went on to pick up a win early in the day for his squad. The southpaw flashed a long, wiry frame with more than plenty of room to fill out down the road. With repeatable mechanics, he worked both sides of the plate with both of his pitches and got a bunch of weak contact from it. The uncommitted lefty showed an easy, fluid arm action as he delivered from a true three-quarters arm slot. He showed as crafty and was not afraid to go after hitters as his confidence grew with the game going deeper and deeper. He showcased a fastball with late arm-side run in the low-80s while touching a few 83s early in his outing. After working off the fastball, he showed a very advanced slider that had depth as it sat in the low-70s. He also showcased a nice changeup in the low-70s that had late bite when down in the zone. He would go on to throw a complete game while only giving up four hits as he struck out 5 batters. Keep an eye on this Colorado native as he checks all the boxes for a projectable lefty at the next level.



Although the Dallas Tigers finished Thursday with a loss to BPA, Trenton Shaw (2022 Desoto, Texas) stood out in a big way. The extra-large frame and already filled out body proved to be a huge advantage for the young man. With him being the No. 2 overall prospect from his respective state of Texas, he went on to prove that ranking right showing lights out stuff on the mound. He would enter late in relief with his team down but that did not stop him from competing. He flashed an easy arm action with a flick of the wrist type delivery as he utilized a three-pitch mix. His fastball showed late life and heaviness to it as it sat 87-88 and seemingly could not be squared up by opposing batters. His slider showed medium depth as it looked to be a work in progress pitch. It showed tight spin when down in the zone. His changeup looked to be his swing and miss pitch as he did not change arm actions when he used it. All in all, with his frame, he is a very projectable arm/hitter out of the state of Texas, and he will be someone you want to monitor closely as he gets older.



With the Dirtbags Tap Out making a late run, Austin Cantrell (2022 Sugar Hill, Ga.) got the call to start in the third round of the playoffs. The lefthanded pitcher showed a large frame with a filling out build and some room to fill out down the road as well. He did a good job of transferring weight off his backside and then worked downhill attacking hitters. While he showed a next level type skill set, he worked the corners of the plate. Although he seemed to be a bit erratic at times, he settled down and came back to battle the next batter while not giving up any big innings. The uncommitted lefty showed a fastball in the mid-80s while topping out at 87 early in his outing. He also had a late diving changeup in the mid-70s that showed potential but his real swing and miss pitch was his slider. He showed advanced command with it as he threw it in all counts with no opposing hitters squaring it up. This projectable lefty looks to make big stride mechanically and if he does so, he will be a big prospect in upcoming years.

In a day filled with big arms, one prospect stood out big time at the plate. Fernando Hernandez (2022 Orlando, Fla.) from FTB Tucci would go on to hit a grand slam during the action Thursday. He took a high fastball and drove it over the left field wall as he electrified the crowd and his team. The homer travelled 375 feet as it left the bat with an exit velocity of 95 mph. He showed a very compact, quick swing as he got the bat head out front and he made loud contact all day as he found the barrel on the ball often. His skill-set behind the plate was solid as well as he did a good job of receiving the baseball showing soft hands. With his power already prominent, he will be someone to closely monitor in the future as any ball club has room for a power hitting catcher.



As 5 Star closed in on a championship run, Cole Mathis’ (2021 Cataula, Ga.) number was called in the third round of the playoffs to start on the mound against a solid BPA squad. Mathis showed a large frame with an athletic build and broad shoulders. The College of Charleston commit flashed a very mature skill set as he went on to carve up opposing hitters. With a dominant type mound presence, he filled up the strike zone with a good three-pitch mix. As he delivered from a high three-quarters arm slot, he struck out six batters in his 5 2/3 innings pitched as he picked up the win. His fastball proved to be his best pitch as he sat 85-88 early and then 83-86 late in his outing. His off-speed arsenal showed a big 11-to-5 curveball in the mid-70s that got some ugly swings and a late diving changeup in the upper-70s. Although his day was marked by a good outing on the mound, his bat proved to be plus as well. He hit a towering shot over the fence that was just foul. The opposing team went on to intentionally walk him two times. The two-way prospect will more than likely do both at the next level as he shows he can get it done at high level doing both. He is someone you should monitor because if he continues to make big strides, he will be in question for the draft in June of 2021.



As Mathis ran out of gas, Sullivan Brackin (2022 Jacksonville, Fla.) came in to relieve his teammate and he showed lights out stuff. The Florida commit utilized a long, lean frame with a wiry build and plenty of room to fill in the future. With a fluid delivery, he worked all four quadrants of the plate. Even though he had a slightly uphill finish, the velocity was present, and it proved to be a mismatch for the opposing hitters. The righthanded pitcher showcased a fast arm with an advanced feel on the mound. His fastball was his go to pitch as he worked off of it then went on to his off-speed stuff. The heater sat 85-87 with heaviness and his slider was shown in the mid-70s but he did not need to use it as the heater was too much for the opposition. He went on to strike out the side to close out the game and get the save for his team, pushing them deeper into the playoffs. With his skill set on the mound, he will be someone to follow along with here in the following years as he looks to be a big-time arm in the near future.



With FTB Tucci faced with an uphill battle playing Canes National, Kyle Larsen (2022 Sanford, Fla.) got the call from the bullpen and he entered the game with a bang. The Florida commit showed an extra-large frame with a thick, stocky build. He showed a very fast arm action with a more compact type delivery. His stuff proved to be lights out as he pounded the lower half of the zone. His fastball sat 88-91 and it had late life on it as he blew it by a handful of Canes National hitters. He also showed a nasty, tight-spinning 11-to-5 curveball in the mid-70s and a changeup in the upper-70s that looked to be a work in progress. Although he showed a very strong arm, the everyday first basemen showed a very big bat. He racked up multiple extra base hits in the playoffs including a missile into the left center gap of the quarterfinals off of an 88 mph fastball from the left side. That double left the bat at 98 mph and it proved to be some of the loudest contact of the game. The Florida commit will be an interesting watch down the road as he continues to crush baseballs and enter the game from the bullpen with a low-90s heater.

– Drew Wesolowski


Jacob Kendro (2022, North Huntingdon, Pa.) is a primary middle infielder with an athletic and projectable 6-foot, 160-pound frame with additional room to fill out. Playing shortstop for Flood City Elite 2022s, he displayed a smooth glove with above average range. Moved well and showed good reactions with lateral movement to both sides. Arm is decent and should continue to develop with age. The righthanded hitter swings on a level plane after using a small toe tap trigger. Has the ability to hit the ball to all fields but he generates more power to the pull side. Quick hands with linear extension in his arms create bat speed and some thump. During the seventh day of the tournament, he went 2-for-2 with a home run over the left field fence, two RBI and two runs scored.

Phillips Daniels (2022, Columbia S.C.) is a primary catcher with a medium and athletic frame, committed to The Citadel. Behind the plate he showcased a strong arm with quick feet and athletic movements. Daniels’ pop times clocked in consistently either just below or right above two seconds. His smooth hands assisted in his ability to receive pitches while his quick feet helped him block pitches to either side. The righthanded hitter swung on a level plane and kept his hands inside the baseball, typically making contact to the opposite field. He showed good bat-to-ball skills as he made contact on every single swing, using a selective approach and showing a good understanding of the strike zone.

Kentucky commit Carson Applegate (2022, Columbus, N.J.) showcased impressive ability on both sides of the baseball for the Keystone War Eagles. The primary shortstop showed mature mechanics defensively. With a smooth glove, good arm, solid range and athletic footwork, he displayed polished defensive prowess. The righthanded hitter keeps his hands inside the ball and frequently hits it to the opposite field. Some quickness in his hands create bat speed, but he mainly uses a contact-oriented approach with advanced bat-to-ball skills. His speed and athleticism played well on both sides of the ball. During the second round of the playoffs he went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, a walk and a triple to right-center field, where his speed was on full display. Applegate is projectable and polished talent on both sides of the ball.

Dylan Carey (2022, Parker, Colo.) is a primary shortstop with a large 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame and additional room to fill. Defensively, the large shortstop moved well and took athletic movements with good glove action. He showcased some solid range with a pretty smooth glove and an above average arm across the infield. The righthanded hitter starts in a moderately open stance with a wide base. Carey’s swing path through the zone has some upward extension and he made loud contact during both at-bats, one being a line drive single to right field and the other a grounder through the left side of the infield. Using an all-fields approach, Carey hit the ball with force and on a line, an effective recipe for a projectable power hitter moving forwards.

Brant Baughcum (2022, Snellville, Ga.) has a projectable 6-foot, 180-pound frame with current strength and additional room to fill out. The primary middle infielder played second base for Team Elite 15u Scout Team during the seventh day of the tournament. Defensively, he displayed athleticism in his movements as well as a smooth glove, quick transfers and a strong arm. His defensive skills would most certainly pass at shortstop, and probably anywhere else on the diamond. The righthanded hitter has a smooth and repeatable swing with quick hands. He created good bat speed on a level plane, taking a line drive approach. Baughcum projects for additional power as his frame continues to fill.

Tucker Toman (2022, Columbia, S.C.) proved why he is one of the top prospects in his class, displaying a top-of-the-line bat with a lot of projection. Sporting a 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame, he still has room to fill out but possesses present strength and athleticism. The primary third baseman showed good glove actions with athletic movements towards the ball and a solid arm. Hitting from both sides of the plate, he starts in an extremely narrow and open stance. Using his strong lower half, he swings with intent and generates force from the entirety of his body. Toman’s swing is really smooth and repeatable through the zone with quick hands for advanced bat speed and excellent barrel-to-ball and bat-to-ball skills. During the seventh day of the tournament he went 7-for-9 with two doubles and overall has a really projectable bat moving forwards.

Titan Kamaka (2022, Orlando, Fla.) is a primary shortstop with a medium 6-foot, 155-pound frame with clear room to fill out. The righthanded hitter worked primarily up the middle, going 2-for-3 with two line drive singles to center field. His above average speed played well on the basepaths as he compiled two stolen bases. Kamaka’s hands are really quick through the zone on a level plane with some upward extension in the backswing. He showcased advanced bat-to-ball skills and primarily hit line drives with force, meaning he should project for more power when he fills out further. Defensively, the shortstop displayed solid range, a pretty smooth glove, quick transfers and a good throwing arm across the infield.

– Jake Martin


Evan Siary  (2022, Inman, S.C.) was solid in his six-inning shutout outing for Canes National 15u on Thursday. In his six innings, the righthander allowed one hit and one walk with six strikeouts with a fastball that topped out at 88 and sat in the 85-87 mph range for the entirety of the game. Aside from the fastball, a tight mid-70s slider accompanied a low-80s changeup that was shown exclusively to lefthanded hitters. The fastball has some late life to it and he showed feel for all three pitches, landing them for strikes. The uncommitted 15-year old’s arm shows fluidity throughout a quick compact arm action with a three-quarters arm slot. The arm is clean and his velocity seems effortless.

Adam (AJ) Shepard (2022, Manassas, Va.) had quite the day for Canes National 15u. Through the three games he played in on Thursday, he went 3-for-6 with a double, home run, two runs scored, five RBIs, and two walks, and he also hit a home run on Wednesday. The Indiana commit has power to all fields and his two home runs in the past two days reflect that, with one going to the pull side in left field and the other to the opposite field in right field. Power is an obvious trait and he also has an incredibly smooth swing that generates lift. Shepard caught in two games and looked comfortable behind the plate. He is a good receiver with soft hands.

Tristan Smith (2022, Chesnee, S.C.) was electric in his start for Canes National 15u in their quarterfinals win on Thursday evening. The southpaw went 5 1/3 innings while allowing one run on three hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. His running fastball sat in the 89-91 mph range and touched 92 several times throughout the outing. He also showed a lot of feel for an impressive tight-spinning slider with a lot of bite; it sat in the upper-70s. Although he only threw it a couple of times, Smith showed an occasional mid-80s changeup to righthanded hitters. Smith’s arm works fluidly out of a long easy arm action with a high three-quarters arm slot. His mechanics are clean and is difficult on hitters. Smith is a big uncommitted arm in the 2022 class.

William Ross (2022, Winter Garden, Fla.) showed some upside on Thursday in his start for the Florida Dodgers Scout Team 2022. Although he allowed three runs on five hits with two walks, he still did some good things on the way to striking out five batters. The University of Florida commit’s fastball sat in the mid-80s and was thrown for strikes. It was paired with a low-70s sweeping curveball. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound righthander has a projectable body as well as a projectable arm. A long whippy arm action works well throughout and looks effortless before delivering the ball from a three-quarters arm slot.

Ryan Kennedy (2022, Manassas, Va.) showed potential in his start for Stars Baseball 15u Colangelo. His stats weren’t the best, but he showed a live arm that projects well on his 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame. A mid-80s fastball was up to 88 mph and was paired with a fading 79 mph changeup and tight-spinning mid-70s slider. The righthander’s compact arm action and three-quarters arm slot work well as he gets good extension down the mound. As Kennedy continues to improve and fill out his frame he has the potential to rise exponentially over the next couple years.

Kaden Martin (2022, Knoxville, Tenn.) showed off a pretty the live arm on the mound for the Team Elite 15u Scout Team on Thursday. The primary outfielder’s fastball touched 88 and sat mostly in the mid the 80s. The southpaw also showed a lot of feel for a high-70s changeup and high-60s looping curveball. Martin is ranked nationally as an outfielder but shows the potential to be a strong lefty on the mound. His arm works effortlessly and produces easy velocity from a long arm action with a lower three-quarters arm slot. Physically, a muscular build on a 6-foot-1 200-pound frame projects well with the arm and only adds to Martins upside.

– Jacob Jordan
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.