2,075 MLB PLAYERS | 14,476 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story  | 7/4/2017

17u WWBA Day 4 Scout Notes

Photo: Perfect Game

Daily Leaders | Player Stats | Day 1 Notes | Day 2 Notes | Day 3 Notes

The Central Florida Gators definitely boast one of the more talented rosters of the entire event, and now that their roster is complete following the return of several players from Tournament of Stars, they are extra deadly from a competition standpoint.




Carter Stewart (2018, Melbourne, Fla.) got the start for the Gators on Monday morning and was his usual dominant self, allowing only a single earned run over the course of five innings to go along with eight strikeouts. Stewart personifies the idea of projection as he stands 6-foot-6 with a lean, highly athletic 200-pound frame with long limbs and lots of room to continue filling out his frame.

He worked 90-92 mph early on and settled in at 88-91 mph for the duration, extending extremely well and creating good downhill plane to the plate with above average control and the feel to work his fastball to both sides. The main draw to Stewart’s profile, however, is the curveball. It’s the best breaking ball in the class at this juncture, a true plus hammer with elite-level spin. It’s thrown in the low-80s and is usually in the 11-to-5 shape, though he can manipulate the shape a bit at times. It’s a plus pitch right now and has the potential to be plus-plus, to go along with an easy arm action, easily projectable velocity, and good strike-throwing ability. Stewart’s upside is undeniable, and he looks like a potential early pick in next year’s draft.

Nolan Gorman (2018, Glendale, Ariz.) returned from the Tournament of Stars and started at shortstop for the Gators on Friday. He made his presence immediately known in the first inning by blasting a line drive home run to left-center field, the opposite field gap for the lefthanded hitting Gorman. He’s been amongst the top hitters in the class of 2018 for some time now and shows no signs of slowing down. His hands work extremely well in his swing and he’s able to find the barrel all over the strike zone, with above average raw power and innate feel for the barrel.




Back at LakePoint, the Dulins Dodgers sent Ryan Weathers (2018, Loretto, Tenn.) to the mound and moved to 3-0 for the event with their victory. Weathers was dominant, allowing only two hits and one unearned run while walking zero and striking out nine in his five innings on the mound.

Weathers is a physical, strong lefthanded pitcher who is close to physical maturity, but that doesn’t really matter at this point considering how good his present profile is. His arm action is quick and compact, hiding the ball well to a three-quarters slot release and creating excellent angles to the plate from the left side.

His fastball worked 89-93 mph throughout his start, throwing consistent strikes with the pitch to either side of the plate as well as both up and down in the zone. It cannot be overstated just how much angle Weathers is able to create, which makes his fastball — already very good — that much harder to square up for opposing hitters. When combined, his velocity/angle/control all generate a very, very good fastball. He showed a curveball that he was able to consistently throw for strikes as well. Thrown in the mid-70s, the shape of the pitch varied between 2-to-8 and 1-to-7, but the control of the pitch was excellent and shows the ability to spin it and create depth.

Weathers also did his part to help the cause offensively, going 2-for-2 with a double and home run. His physical strength shows up in his swing, where he generates excellent bat speed and makes consistently very hard contact with the ability to work to all fields. The home run was crushed to left-center and his double was smoked up the right-center field gap, giving him interesting two-way upside at the next level.




The East Cobb Astros ran their record to 3-0 on Monday afternoon on the strength of an 11-1 victory. The tone was set early and often on the mound by Garrett Wade (2018, Hartselle, Ala.) who threw 3 1/3 perfect innings with eight strikeouts before coming out. He’s a highly athletic, still-projectable Auburn commit with a very fast arm. Wade does a good job creating angle to the plate from an extended three-quarters arm slot, aided in deception by throwing from a crossfire delivery that makes it extremely tough on lefthanded hitters to get a good look at his stuff.

He worked 87-90 mph in this start, doing a good job pounding the strike zone consistently at the knees and working the fastball to both sides of the plate. There’s good life to the pitch as well with arm side run that further aids in keeping the pitch off of barrels. His slider was dynamic on this day, thrown right around 80 mph with sharp, late break that elicited quite a few empty swings over the top of it. He was able to both throw the slider for strikes as well as to bury it down and out of the zone, and he tunnels the pitch extremely well.




Another player we were anxious to get a second look at following his performance at Perfect Game National a couple of weeks ago was Braxton Ashcraft (2018, Waco, Texas). Ashcraft is a righthanded pitcher playing with Marucci Elite-Texas this week. He’s extremely projectable, with a long-limbed 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame that has lots of room to continue filling out.

Ashcraft has a pretty sound delivery, loading well in his back hip and driving downhill to the plate, rotating well with his hips and landing online with good extension through release from a three-quarters arm slot. His fastball peaked at 90 mph early on in his start and settled in at 86-89 mph for the most part, showing good sinking action to the bottom of the zone when he was on top of his release. He mixed in a slider that showed average, tunneled well out of his release in the upper-70s with sharpness and depth when spun correctly. He also showed some feel for his changeup, thrown firmly in the low-mid 80s with good arm side action and feel for turning it over out front.

He’s got very good projection throughout his entire profile and has a solid foundation of strike throwing and present stuff with three pitches—it’s really easy to dream on what he could look like in the very near future.




At just about midnight at LakePoint, Jack Perkins (2018, Kokomo, Ind.) took the mound for the Indiana Bulls Black and immediately woke up everyone in the complex. We’ve long thought that Perkins would end up throwing pretty hard, as the physically-built righthander has always possessed some of the best arm speed in the entire class, and his profile took a significant jump forward late on Monday night (early Tuesday morning).

Perkins works with the aforementioned outstanding arm speed, and it’s been easy to project plus velocity from him for awhile now. On Monday he came out firing 93-94 mph bullets with good sinking life, showing much better fastball command than he has in the past as well. He settled in at 90-93 mph for the duration of his six-inning shutout start, striking out seven and only allowing a single hit. He showed off a legitimate breaking ball as well, a curveball in the upper-70s to low-80s with two-plane bite and excellent spin, landing it for a strike at times as well as burying it out of the zone.

It may sound strange, but it’s well within reason that Perkins will keep adding velocity to what is already an above average fastball, as the arm speed is so strong and the continuity of his delivery and arm action continue to take strides forward. He certainly made a big-time statement on Monday night, and will continue to be followed closely throughout the summer months and into the fall.

Another Bull who has really stood out over the past couple of weeks has been Nicholas Schnell (2018, Indianapolis, Ind.), a lefthanded hitting center fielder who has really impressed with his bat and overall skill-set. A Louisville commit like his teammate Perkins, Schnell has to have the Cardinal coaching staff excited about his potential at the next level.

He goes to the plate with advanced understanding and plan of what he wants to accomplish, and his approach is advanced as well, with a good knowledge of the strike zone and a willingness to work the count and take his walks. His hands work extremely well at the plate, loose and easy creating whippy bat speed, and he shows the ability to make hard contact on pitches all over the zone. He has loud tools throughout his profile, as an above average runner who has the ability to steal bases as well as a plus arm from center field to go along with his hitting tools, creating an extremely intriguing profile to follow.

– Brian Sakowski



The Dirtbags All-Blacks got the scoring started off during their early game on Monday and catcher Adam Hackenberg (2018, Palmyra, Va.) had a very loud contribution to that offense. The Clemson commit has a very strong and physical frame, listed at 6-foot-2 and 225-pounds, and that allows him to impact the ball with strength through the point of contact. Hackenberg keeps his hands close to his body throughout the load and the hands travel through an inside path where he whips the barrel through the hitting zone. He crushed a double to the pull side that left the bat at 102 mph. Hackenberg also has sound catch and throw skills with a solid arm and posted pop times sub-2.00 in between innings.




Some have come to expect an excellent outing whenever Ethan Hankins (2018, Cumming, Ga.) takes the mound and he continues to produce every time taking the hill; he also shows something new depending on the outing. On Monday, Hankins showed a reliance on the breaking ball. The pitch worked in the mid-70s but flashed sharpness and some tilt down and away from righthanded hitters. The Vanderbilt showed his confidence in the pitch and was able to throw it both for strikes and to induce ugly swings.

Hankins outing was par for the course to what he has shown in previous viewings. The 6-foot-6 physical specimen generates plus extension down the mound and the arm is loose and clean throughout the path. Hankins fastball sat 94-96 mph and showed very good life, with riding life up and in to righties and sink when in the lower portion of the zone.

The command of the fastball has been excellent and it was on Monday as well. He got on top of the ball consistently and could command the pitch wherever he wanted throughout the lower third of the strike zone, he also threw with extraordinarily low effort of course, and he racked up swings and misses throughout the game. Hankins is one of the best talents in this year’s class and he has been one of the most consistent talents as well.




Hankins’ backstop on Monday afternoon is the top-ranked catcher in the class Will Banfield (2018, Lawrenceville, Ga.). The fellow Vanderbilt commit is not only one of the most athletic catchers, but overall players in the class, and that is very evident behind the plate. Banfield has excellent lateral agility with twitchy movements and soft, sure hands. The arm strength is plus and he churns out consistent pop times sub-2.00 in-game, which included a 1.95 pop to nail a runner in the second inning. The exchange and release are lightning quick and he shows explosion into the downhill throws; the arm strength also plays well enough to nail runners simply from his knees. Banfield also has high-level hitting tools with excellent bat speed. Banfield knocked two singles to the pull side during the game and has continued to display increased barrel control and a feel for generating hard contact.

Righthander Alex Havlicek (2018, Oakland, N.J.) came in on relief of Hankins and showed solid pitching tools as well. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound arm has a solid and durable frame for that of a starting pitcher and threw from a long and loose arm action. The ball comes out of the hand cleanly from a high three-quarters arm slot and the fastball worked in the 89-91 mph range. The pitch was effective at garnering swings and misses while he also mixed in a curveball that showed sharp break in the high-70s.




One of the more dynamic talents in this event is Virginia commit Mike Siani (2018, Glenside, Pa.) who showed good tools both on the mound and at the plate. The twitchy-athletic two-way player stands at a listed 6-foot, 195-pounds and has excellent strength throughout the frame while not sacrificing any athleticism. He has extremely broad shoulders and it wouldn’t be hard to imagine him adding more strength to the present frame.

The tools present are extremely loud for Siani. He has plus bat speed at the plate with the ability to absolutely rope pitches such as his triple to the right-center field gap. The speed is pretty solid as well while registering a turn time of 4.45 seconds to first base and a straight time of 4.30 seconds. Siani does a good job at creating leverage and his hips will fire through the baseball to give him an intriguing power ceiling as the lower half and the strength are good foundational points.

The arm is easily plus as well with excellent strength and velocity as well as keeping the ball very low to the ground. A runner tried to tag up on a fly ball to centerfield earlier on Monday and Siani threw him out with relative ease.

He is also a strong talent on the mound where he had a very short arm action and lived 88-91 mph, topping out at 92 mph, with the fastball. He showed four pitches and the slider showed good potential as he could bury it low in the zone. Siani has an excellent set of tools with a very high ceiling and will be one of the top northeast names to keep an eye on for next June’s draft.

Mike’s younger brother Sammy Siani (2018, Glenside, Pa.) also showed strong tools and an interesting overall skill-set. Sammy is committed to Duke and batted leadoff during the week for the Philadelphia Whiz Kids where he showed an excellent approach. The plate discipline and zone awareness stuck out as he walked four times in two games. There is a clean and simple weight shift into the swing that he does so effectively and there is some present bat speed on a naturally lofted plane. The swing was incredibly loose and fluid through the hitting zone; he is also a solid athlete who can play center field or right field because the arm strength plays well. The skill set is similar to his brother’s but Sammy is a clearly defined prospect in his own right, having just been named to the USA 17u National Team, and will certainly be a name to watch for the 2019 class.

Harrison Stovern (2018, Fulshear, Texas) showed quick hands and strength during his game on Monday evening as he laced a hard hit double to the left-center field gap early on. Stovern has a pretty direct swing path and he gets it through the hitting zone cleanly despite a slight hitch in the back of the swing. The Harvard commit has quality size and sound hitting tools even though he is listed as a primary lefthanded pitcher. Stovern provided quality at-bats all night and did a good job at covering the plate well to stay alive and wait for his pitch to hit.

Catching the talented Jack Perkins was Kyle Richardson (2018, Zionsville, Ind.) and he showed high level tools behind the palte. The exchange and release are very quick for Richardson and there is solid arm strength that is released downhill to the bag. He threw out two runners on Monday night and registered pop times of 1.86 and 1.87 while doing so. The advanced catch and throw makes him a very talented prospect and one of the better uncommitted players of the tournament thus far. He showed a knack for getting the barrel on the ball at the plate and can drive the abll to all fields effectively.

– Vinnie Cervino
As most players at the 17u WWBA National Championship prepare themselves to enter their senior year in around a month, Jake Holland (2019, Miramar, Fla.) eyes his junior. One year of less development time can be exponential at this age, and it can put many at a disadvantage. Holland is the antithesis of this notion. This kid is already really good, and with one more year of development to go before he leaves the high school realm, he is only going to get better.

The University of Miami commit stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds. He’s showing a very good feel for the barrel, quick hands, and projectable. Simply put, he looks like an athlete in every capacity of his game. Utilizing his strong lower half to explode through the ball, he went 2-for-3 in today’s matchup, doubling to left field and singling down the line, driving in three runs in the process.




Teammate for Elite Squad 17u Prime, and fellow University of Miami commit, Triston Casas (2018, Pembroke Pines, Fla.) also stands out as an elite player in this year’s tournament and draws scouts to every game he is slated. With an extra large frame, Casas has a very athletic, imposing frame that intimidates before he even steps foot in the box. Standing with a wide base, he simply lifts the bat off the shoulder and utilizes his strong lower half to generate torque to jump the ball off of his bat. His tools are projectable and conducive to great success at the next level.

Righthanded pitcher Jack Gowen (Folkston, Ga.) impressed in a brief outing Monday evening, pitching one inning and striking out all three batters he faced. He stands at 6-foot-1, but appears to have a bigger, athletic build. In his three-hitter stretch, he showed three different pitches. His primary was a fastball that showed arm-side run at times, clocked at 89-91 mph. His secondary pitches were a combination of both a 11-to-5 curveball and a breaking ball that had the shape and velocity of which was more traditional to that of a slider. Sabato’s true weapon in his brief showing was his ability to change arm slots dramatically while still hitting corners. His primary slot comes from a lower three-quarters angle but will drop to submarine to change the hitter’s line of sight. It was a very impressive outing for the 17-year old.




Aaron Sabato (2018, Rye Brook, N.Y.) comes into the tournament as one of the high follows for scouts looking early to next year’s draft. The 6-foot-3 infielder is listed at 225 pounds, all of which is pure muscle evenly distributed throughout his frame. He utilizes his lower half to generate impressive bat speed as the ball jumps to a different sound off of his bat. As he proceeds to mature his swing, as well as he continues to get stronger, the University of North Carolina commit could be a nightmare for pitchers for a long time coming.

Grant Lavigne (2018, Bedford, N.H.) played Sunday at East Cobb Complex; yet even with three games going simultaneously the crack of his bat is one that is unique and echoes throughout. With a big, athletic frame, Lavigne has a big swing, generating good bat speed, natural loft and a lot of raw power when he finds the barrel. The Wake Forest commit showed good plate discipline in Monday’s late matchup, working a walk before driving a ball that got to the gap in a hurry for a double in his next at-bat.

– Travis Clark


Jordan Starkes (2018, Charlotte, N.C.) is a talented outfielder and Furman commit with solid speed, good awareness on the basepaths and a high baseball IQ. He has a simple up-the-middle and away approach at the plate and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Starkes has a strong, athletic frame and hits with a closed stance and hands high by his head. Starkes has a simple, high contact swing lead mostly by his top hand.

Luke Drumheller (2018, Charlotte, N.C.) went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and three RBIs. Drumheller displayed a great ability to create solid leverage and good pop on the pitch low in the zone with a hard RBI double in the first inning of his morning game. Drumheller has a athletic frame, with plenty of room to grow and get stronger. He consistently hit the ball with hard contact and showed he has good plate coverage as well with a two strike line drive single on a outside pitch that was on the black. Drumheller is a rising senior and is headed to Appalachian State next fall.

David Erickson (2018, Rehoboth Beach, Del.) is a Delaware commit with a small, athletic frame and possesses three quality pitches. He throws with a solid high three-quarters arm slot and does a great job of getting on top of the baseball and driving it down hard in the strike zone. He also displayed good mound presence and ability to repeat his mechanics even while pitching in the pouring rain. His fastball sat in the low-90s in his first inning of work, then sat mostly in the upper-80s throughout his outing and had consistent good arm-side run. He displayed a solid changeup with quality sink and a quality curveball with good, quick break as it approached the plate. Erickson threw four innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits and walked four while striking out seven.

Scott Youngbrandt (2018, Tinley Park, Ill.) is a Saint Louis commit and solid righty arm who threw five solid innings, giving up one run (unearned) on four hits and three walks while striking out nine. Youngbrandt throws with max effort and a high leg kick which allows him to produce a quality fastball in the upper-80s in the first three innings, reaching up to 90 and then settling in the mid-80s for the rest of his outing. Youngbrandt also throws a quality 12-to-6 curve that generated plenty of swings and misses and was his out pitch. Youngbrandt does a great job of locating his curve on the outer part of the strike zone with two strikes, making hitters think it’s a fastball headed high and away out of the zone then it breaks to the outside part of the plate to set up a punchout. During his outing, he flashed a changeup that has potential with decent fade in the low-80s.

Taj Bradley ( 2018, Stone Mountain, Ga.) is a talented outfielder on the East Cobb Astros 16u team who helped lead them to victory in both of his team’s games on Monday. Bradley went 4-for-7 on the day with a two run home run, four RBI and five runs scored. Bradley has a lanky, athletic build with long arms, which allow him to get good extension on his swing for plate coverage as well get his arms out to drop the barrel on the ball consistently for consistent hard contact. His home run that he hit in the Astros’ second game traveled a distance of 364 feet with an exit velocity of 94 mph. Bradley is currently uncommitted.

Spencer Keefe (2019, Canton, Ga.) is a middle infielder with large frame and projectable body. Keefe has a high ceiling and displayed some power today, hitting a leadoff home run in his first game of a doubleheader for the ECB Astros 16u team. It traveled 347 feet with an exit velocity of 94 mph. Keefe also showed he has a very patient approach and good knowledge of the strike zone as he racked up three walks in his second game. He hits with a leg kick trigger and gets his hands going to generate quality bat speed by wiggling the bat back and forth as the pitcher begins his motion.

Christopher Benavides (2019, Spring, Texas) threw five shutout innings, allowing only two hits and walked four while striking out five. Benavides fastball sat from 88-91 in the first inning of his outing, then remained consistently in the upper-80s range as he earned a win for the Houston Heat. Benavides has a small, athletic frame and gets good extension and follows through well with a consistent, long and tight over-the-top arm action. He is able to repeat his delivery consistently and maintain the same arm motion on his fastball and curve. His curve sits in the mid-70s, with solid 11-to-5 break and good depth. His spin rate on his curve reached as high as 2700 and he was able to use it go get ahead in the count and keep hitters off balanced.

– Brandon Lowe



A rainy Monday morning did not stop a loaded Dirtbags All Blacks team from putting on a hitting display. In the heart of the order batting third was shortstop Tate Kolwyck (2018, Bartlett, Tenn.) who showed all kinds of tools. Kolwyck got the offense going early with a solo home run to left-center field that left his bat at 99 mph, but what stood out to me more was his abilities defensively. At shortstop the kid can flat out play. He has impressive actions with a quick first step and soft hands. He picks well too and shows a strong playable arm across the diamond. Kolwyck is a flashy player with huge potential on both sides of the ball and a high ceiling.

Tri State Arsenal showed a trio of players with potential on Monday including pitchers Jason Hudak (2018, Mooresville, N.C.) and Chris Gerard (2018, Milton, Del.). Hudak started on the bump for Tri State and threw lots of strikes, too many at times. He shows a working arm and good angle in his delivery. His fastball sat 86-88 touching 89 with a long arm action and occasional arm-side run. He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot with a balanced delivery. He also mixed in a sweeping swing-and-miss slider in the upper-70s. Hudak is a UNC-Wilmington commit and has more velocity in the tank with a quickened arm.

Gerard came out of the bullpen in relief for Hudak and pitched very well. The Virginia Tech commit sat 85-87 with good plane and arm-side life. He showed a three pitch. He showed a very good 1-to-7 curveball with great depth and decent bite. He also flashed a fading changeup in the 78-79 mph range. Gerard pitches from a high three-quarters slot with a slow delivery. The ball comes out of his hand easy without much sign of effort. The future Hokie from New Jersey has more in the tank and knows how to pitch.




Probably the most impressive bat I have seen thus far this tournament has been Tri State Arsenal’s Charles Mack (2018, Williamsville, N.Y.). A primary shortstop that got the start behind the plate showed big power potential and excellent bat speed at the plate. His hands sit very low towards the middle part of his torso before getting them into position to hit up by his ear. He is such a strong hitter that makes hard contact to the middle part of the field. Multiple instances Monday Mack broke the triple digit mark on exit velocities with his best being a scorched double to his pull side, leaving the bat at 104 mph. Mack swings hard with leverage and can flat out hit. The lefthanded hitter also showed ability as a runner with a 4.22 second home-to-first time with a turn. For a primary shortstop that is not even listed as a catcher, Mack shows potential at the position. He moves well behind the plate and both his transfer and release are pretty quick. There is a lot to like in the Clemson commit, as his ceiling is very high.




Blaze Jordan (2021, Southaven, Miss.) with advanced skills in both strength and bat speed. Jordan is very strong for a rising freshman. With a 6-foot 215-pound frame, Jordan oozes with physicality. In Monday’s contest, Jordan put that strength on display by belting an opposite field home run that left his bat at 96 mph. On top of having an advanced bat with leverage, his arm strength is impressive as well. In turning a 3-6-1 double play, Jordan unleashed a strong throw to second base to start the turn. Jordan is a fun young athlete to watch swing the play. He will be a fun player to follow as he develops through his high school years.




In facing a loaded Dulins Dodgers team, Graham Firoved (2018, Virginia Beach, Va.) fared very well in a relief role for Tidewater Orioles.  Firoved impressed with his command and with how many swings and misses he created against a good hitting team. The Radford commit sat 90-92 touching 93 with plane and occasional life to his arm side. His delivery is smooth and online with little effort, throwing very easy. He throws from a slightly bent over three-quarters slot. Firoved also showed an upper-70s curveball with good bite.  The Radford Highlanders have a great commit in Firoved who should fair well in the Big South Conference.

Luke Bartnicki (2018, Marietta, Ga.) got the nod for the East Cobb Colt 45’s 17u Monday and settled in very nicely after getting through the first inning. His first inning tested him as he did have some bad luck go against him with weakly hit balls that found holes. Bartnicki sat 90-92 touching 93 with an effortless arm action. He mixed three pitches showing a slider and changeup along with his low-90s fastball. The sharp slider seemed to be his No. 2 pitch in the low-80s, but the changeup might be a more effective pitch and he could benefit by using it more. The changeup has fade and occasional sinking action with deception. Bartnicki’s velocity did drop after his first inning as well. Starting in the second inning, he sat 89-91 where he settled in and threw two consecutive perfect innings. Bartnicki has a unique delivery, but repeats it well. The Georgia Tech commit has a very high ceiling with more velocity in the tank.

– Gregory Gerard
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.