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Tournaments  | Story  | 8/15/2020

17u World Series Scout Notes: Day 5

David Rawnsley     
Photo: Ashton Larson (Perfect Game)
17u World Series Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

It’s always a bit disconcerting for a veteran scout to be watching the talented son of a player one scouted decades ago but watching Michael Marriott (2021, Tomball, Texas) throw today was certainly fun.  I watched his father, also Michael, throw for Spring High School in 1994-95, shortly after Josh Beckett was Spring’s standout pitcher.  Dad went on to be a fourth-round draft pick of the Marlins in 1995, although his professional career was derailed by injuries.  His son has a chance to be a higher pick next year if he stays on the same trajectory.  He worked in the 91-94 mph range on Friday for five innings for the Banditos Scout Team, striking out eight while allowing only three hits and one walk.  Marriott has a lightning quick arm action from a low effort and simple delivery and the ball explodes on hitters.  He throws a slurve type breaking ball that’s up to 82 mph with good depth and spin.  He’s not as physical as his dad, who was listed at 6-3/205 at the same age, but he has good upper body strength and overall athleticism.
 
Outfielder Ashton Larson (2023, Overland Park, Kan.) is one of the youngest players at the 17U World Series and he had an outstanding day on Friday.  The left-handed hitter faced Marriott three times and barreled him up twice, knocking out a double and a single, along with drawing a walk.  In the second game, Larson barreled up another double.  Although a Kansas resident, Larson has been staying in Houston working out with minor league players all summer and has added noticeable strength since he impressed at the Junior National Showcase in June.  He’s currently ranked 61st in the 2023 class and is already committed to Louisiana State.
 
Right hander Alain Pena (2022, Reynoso, Mexico) is a very loose and athletic 6-foot right hander who threw two innings today for Premier Baseball.  He has a very natural high ¾’s to over the top arm slot and a low effort delivery that produced an 88-90 mph fastball, along with both a curveball and slider that he tunneled well.  There’s plenty more velocity in their for the young Mexico native.
 
Although he didn’t post prospect level velocity numbers, BPA left hander Caden Ferraro (2023, Pearland, Texas) definitely deserves mention after throwing a complete game shutout in the Gold Bracket semi-finals for the eventual World Series champions, BPA.  Ferraro worked in the 78-80 mph range the entire time, liberally working in a breaking ball with plus feel that ranged from 64 to 72 mph.  He allowed seven hits and didn’t strike out a single hitter but need only 79 pitches over the seven innings to shut out an excellent Academy Select team.  It was almost tangible how frustrated the Academy Select hitters got as the game got into the later innings at Ferraro’s ability to throw strikes without ever giving them a pitch to really drive.
 
Mason Strong (2021, Santa Clara, Utah) was a very deserving Most Valuable Player for BPA.  The right-handed hitter finished with 11 hits in six games to go with eight RBI.  Most of his outs were hard barrels as well, including a drive to deep left field in the championship game that could have gone for extra bases if not for a nice play by the left fielder.  He’s now hitting .545 this summer at PG events and .417 for his four-year Perfect Game career.  The BYU commit can flat hit.
 
Strong’s top competitor for Most Valuable Player was his teammate, Colby Wallace (2021, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.).  Wallace stood out all over the field, showing his power at the plate, his strong defense in centerfield, including throwing a runner out at the plate in the semifinal game, along with registering a win and a save in 7 1/3 scoreless innings on the mound.  The 6-foot-4, 215-pound athlete is a Washington commit with a high physical ceiling. 
 
First baseman Mason Ruiz (2022, Bryan, Texas) was appearing in only his second PG event of his career for Twelve Baseball and his first in 2020 but left a big impression on the PG scouting staff.  He’s a strong 6-foot, 190-pound left-handed hitter who has both present bat speed and impressive patience at the plate.  He exudes confidence in the batter’s box like few hitters do and performs.  He’s also an impressive defensive first baseman with agile and quick feet and a strong arm.
 
Right hander William Maynard (2021, Tomball, Texas) last threw at a PG event last summer and was 83-86 mph.  Today for Twelve Baseball he was 89-92 for three plus innings with a fast and lively ¾’s arm action that hides the ball well in back.  He also threw both a slider and curveball with confidence and created plenty of swing and miss while throwing lots of strikes, often with little hesitations to his delivery that through off hitters timing.  Maynard is committed to Seminole CC but has a high D1 level arm and will have to be accounted for by professional scouts.
 
Probably the best and most welcome swing of the day came from ELEV8 Baseball outfielder Carter Brady (2021, Parkland, Fla.) in the 10th inning of the Silver Bracket semi-final game, a contest that ended up lasting almost three and a half hours.  Under PG tournament rules that loaded the bases starting in the 10th inning, Brady hit the first pitch he saw as the leadoff hitter deep into the trees in left centerfield for a Grand Slam.  The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Brady isn’t committed yet, although he received a PG 9 grade at the 2020 Sunshine South Showcase earlier this summer.
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