The 2020 iteration of the 14u National Showcase continued to up the ante set forth four years ago when Perfect Game first implemented the 14u showcase schedule, showing an ever-increasing depth in the talent pool as we saw several event records fall this year. With over 300 players converging upon JetBlue Park during the first weekend of August, the National Showcase continues to establish itself as the premier 14u event on the summer circuit.
As the 14u PG Select Festival enters its fifth year, 41 of the 46 players ultimately chosen for the 2020 14u Select Festival attended the 2020 14u National with 21 members off the East while 20 were selected for the West. The event itself may still be in its beginning years, but there’s no doubting the talent that has come through JetBlue over the last four years with countless future Division 1 commits coming through, some for their first PG Showcase while others continued to build upon numbers they posted at a previous regional event.
Mentioned above, several records fell this past August at the 14u National that stood since the first year, while others were tied, all of which speak to the continued development of talent at the younger ages. Big arms, talented defenders, and loud barrels were the norm as one walked between the five back fields at JetBlue with records being broken or tied throughout the weekend.
In the 60-yard dash, Georgia outfielder
Kameron Davis led the way with a blistering 6.59 though he wasn’t the only speed of the event with 35 players in total clocking a 6.99 or lower, six of whom went sub 6.70. The speed is just one tool to Davis’s overall game, albeit a big one, as the physically gifted 5-foot-10, 186-pound Davis already excels in two sports and certainly made his presence felt on the diamond throughout the three-day event. A righthanded hitter, Davis possesses a short yet fast swing, generating plenty of bat speed while showing the type of impact off the barrel you won’t typically find at the 14u level. Add into the equation that he’s a highly sought-after running back prospect as well, and Davis quickly captivates the attention of anybody watching in.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from such a large gathering of high-end talent concentrated at one complex over the three days was the sheer depth that this 14u group has to offer, equally impressive on both sides of the ball. Of all the arms to take the hill throughout the event, 127 pitchers threw 80 mph or better with the peak fastball and of those 127, 37 hit at least 84 mph during their time on the mound.
One of those arms who eclipsed that 84 mph mark was NorCal native
Ishaan Khambal, a 5-foot-11, 150-pound righthander who made quick work out of his three innings while showing some of the best stuff of the event. While Khambal may not be as physical as some of the other arms who touched big numbers, his arm is loose and plenty quick through the backside, producing a consistent 84-86 mph fastball which peaked at 87 and featured hard running life to his arm side. The difference maker however was his ability to spin a hard, tight breaker in the mid-70s with late biting life, leaving quite the impression with everybody who was able to see him toe the rubber.
The 14u National Showcase continues to grow into a premier event at the 14u level and this last group certainly raised the bar. With players getting to play against the best in live action and stack up their metrics against one another, it provides college recruiters another opportunity to evaluate these young prospects. In just the last week we've seen four players who attended the 2020 14u National Showcase give their verbal commitment to Power Five programs, a number that's guaranteed to climb moving forward.