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High School  | General  | 4/3/2018

High School Notebook: April 3

Vincent Cervino      Jheremy Brown      Perfect Game Staff     
Photo: Perfect Game

The high school notebook is designed to share notes and video on players that stand out during the high school season and new features will be released regularly. This will include in-game looks, reports, analysis and video from Perfect Game's scouting staff. If you have news on a player in your area that is performing at a high level that we should have eyes on please reach out to Vinnie Cervino at vincent@perfectgame.org. Also feel free to share your video highlights on Twitter @vcervinopg.

High School Notebook: March 28


Owen White, RHP, Jesse Carson (N.C.)



One of the biggest helium prospects in the country thus far is righthander Owen White, and the pitching prospect showed a lot of what made him special during the summer circuit last year. The South Carolina signee is a plus athlete, he is a two-way specialist who could absolutely play shortstop for the Gamecocks next year should he get to campus, and that athleticism and feel only helps him on the bump. 

White has an easy and repeatable delivery with a fast arm that generated a fastball up to 93 mph in the first inning and sat 89-92 mph for the duration of the outing. The velocity is right around Major League average, but it has good life to the arm side and White maintains the velocity well the entire game as he was still bumping 91 mph in the fifth and final inning of the game. The command profile, coupled with the athleticism and delivery, projects to be above average, but he battled through some command issues in the first few innings. From the third to the end of the game White was in cruise control, sitting batters down as fast as they could come to the plate. 

The breaking ball has been the bread and butter in the past for White and it was pretty electric once he found the release point on it. It worked in the upper-70s for most of the night with sharp, late bite to it and significant tilt with 11/5 break. The pitch flashed above-average at various points throughout the night while projecting to be a plus pitch at the next level. Perhaps the most welcomed development in his arsenal was that of the changeup, which has the makings of an above average pitch at the next level, though he will need to shore up the command of said pitch in order for that to come to fruition. The change-piece sat in the 80-82 mph range and was effective when located low in the strike zone. 

White looks the part of one of the top prep righthanded pitching prospects in the country and he struck out eight batters over five innings in this start. Looking at the profile, you have a still-yet projectable righthanded pitcher who has three projected above average or better pitches at this level, and with a strong spring it would be foolish to not consider White in that mix around the 1C-2 round spot in the draft. 


Levi Kelly, RHP, IMG Academy (Fla.)



Another potential riser in term's of draft stock has been IMG Academy's Levi Kelly, who reports had around 95-96 mph as his top velocity this spring. The Louisiana State commit didn't show that top-end velocity during his start out on the west coast, but still showed a strong two-pitch mix and has the pitchability to be a quality draft pick come June's amateur MLB Draft. 

Kelly is a very physical and projectable righthander listed at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds per his profile. The delivery itself createz some funk and deception with his ability to hide the ball well through the point of release, and allows his fastball to play up from a shorter, online arm stroke in the back. Kelly mixed his pitches extraordinarily well, turning in about a 50/50 split in terms of both fastballs and sliders on the afternoon. 

The fastball had good, late life and sink from a higher three-quarters arm slot which also allowed Kelly to create downhill plane on the pitch due to his size and release point. The arm side life and sink helped to induce ground balls and show off what Kelly's true profile as a righthander is which is likely as a sinker-slider-type pitcher. The fastball worked well and he was able to throw a lot of strikes and pound the lower half of the strike zone well with the 89-93 mph offering. 

The slider flashed very good potential as it showed the ability to be an average Major League pitch, or a 50 on the 20-80 scale. The pitch showed short, but late bit and was best when he got on top of the pitch and buried it for swings-and-misses. The command was spotty at times, but when he got on top of the slider and pounded the strike zone, Kelly was tough to hit; he also mixed in a traditional 11/5 curveball in the mid-70s that he could get over for called strikes. 


Bryce Reagan, SS, IMG Academy (Fla.)



IMG Academy's roster is loaded with uber-athletic type position players and senior Bryce Reagan is no exception. The switch-hitting shortstop committed to Texas is the epitome of versatility as he presents matchup problems with any arm and also plays a very smooth shortstop. The arm strength is probably a bit fringy, however the glove work and range prove more than enough to trot him out at shortstop at the professional level. 

Reagan yielded few results in the box score, however his sure defense and strong at-bats impressed the scouting community on hand. The swing is strong from the right side, with his long limbs and lengthy frame creating natural leverage through the lower half that culminated in a smoked line out to third base. The path gets a bit long and inconsistent, but Reagan has natural feel for the barrel, something that will aid him as he faces higher and higher velocities in the future. 

He worked a walk during Monday's game but the glove work is what stood out. The instincts are quick and accurate at shortstop with the transfer and release being extremely quick which allows Reagan to get the upper hand on almost any opposing runner. The Texas commit has been generating some buzz in the scouting community, and for good reason, as the tools are there to be a top five rounds pick come June. 


Blaze Alexander, IF, IMG Academy (Fla.)



The arm strength is what everyone recognizes when you mention the name "Blaze Alexander" in scouting circles. The PG All-American recorded the highest ever throwing velocity from the infield during PG National, 99 mph across which would graded out easily to a 70 or 80 grade arm at the next level, and one can assume that the South Carolina signee is playing second base only because scouts know what the arm possesses. 

That said, the arm strength aside, the glove work is smooth from Alexander. He makes clean exchanges to the throwing hand with little effort, and if he can't play short at the next level third base would almost be a certainty. His double play turns were a key part in keeping this game close as he made turns with zip on the ball very easily and consistently as his arm strength aids the left side of the infield and can be the difference in turned double plays. 

Offensively, Alexander struggled a bit during this look. He recorded an above average run time of 4.22 seconds but had a tendency to swing-and-miss at sliders low and in the dirt. The bat speed and fluidity to the swing path are for real, and Alexander has showed big power in the past due to the bat speed, but laying off breaking pitches in the dirt will be something that scouts look for in the future as he takes his at-bats. Regardless, Alexander has had a huge spring, his three home run game a few weeks ago comes to mind, and he has solidified himself as one of the top position player prospects in this year's draft. 


Kameron Guangorena, C, St. John Bosco (Calif.)



Proving to be the difference in St. John Bosco's victory was Kam Ojeda's two-run mammoth shot late in the game. The Cal State Fullerton commit got his arms extended out in front of the plate and drove a 92 mph fastball well over the right field fence for a no-doubt blast that proceeded to be the difference in the game as the Braves secured themselves a 5-3 victory over the Ascenders. 

Ojeda is the top prep catcher in the state of California and it certainly showed throughout the course of the game. The arm strength and ease of his throwing actions behind the plate are evident with routine 1.9 second pop times in between innings. He handles the pitching staff very well, showing off quiet and strong wrists and the ability to sell borderline pitches due to the subtlety of his hands. He blocks balls well in the dirt and has all the makings of a prep catcher who will continue to play the position well at the next level. 

The hands are what stand out in the swing as they are incredibly loose and adjust well to the pitches he sees. The bat control stands out as Ojeda is able to make last second adjustments to offspeed pitches and allow the hand quickness to spoil good pitches from the pitcher. When Ojeda gets a pitch to hit, watch out, as he laced to hard hit balls during the game on Monday, a single and home run both to the pull side. He recorded one run time at 4.29 seconds to the bag, an average run time for a lefthanded batter, but all the more impressive from an athletic backstop. 

Ojeda had a strong summer on the circuit and is carrying that into his spring season. The catcher is a likely top five rounds prospect come this spring, and the St. John Bosco staff would likely concur, and Ojeda was the MVP of the Braves for a big victory during the National Classic. 


Patrick Wicklander, LHP, Valley Christian Schools (Calif.)



Patrick Wicklander has established himself as one of the top draft prospects in Northern California and the southpaw twirled himself a gem on Monday evening. The Arkansas commit was outstanding for 5 2/3 innings pitched on the mound as he walked three batters, hit another, but allowed zero hits over the course of his outing and was incredibly difficult to square up. 

The future Razorback's projectability is the place to start as his arm is very loose and the 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame has broad shoulders, long legs, and checks all the boxes scouts look for when projecting pitchers. The fastball worked up to 91 mph in the first inning and worked in the 88-90 mph range early on in the game. The angle and life stood out as the pitch showed late movement which was very difficult for opposing hitters to both recognize and square up to find the barrel of the bat. 

Wicklander struggled a bit with his command, the aforementioned walks and hit by pitch were hard to ignore, but he fit solidly into the category of "effectively wild" as the southpaw really limited hard contact. There were some line drives early on, but after about the second inning Wicklander hit cruise control. He flashed both a curveball and changeup, both in the mid-70s, but Wicklander attacked hitters with the fastball. He is a fringe draft prospect at this point, one of the top in Northern California no doubt, and will likely be monitored closely should he get to campus at Arkansas. 


Tony Bullard, RHP/3B, JW North (Calif.)



The righthander who ended up with the victory for JW North high school, Tony Bullard has been well-known on the scouting circuit for awhile now, and he turned in yet another dominant start for his high school on Monday night. The Arizona commit didn't show the top-end velocity that he has in the past, but his ability to attack hitters, more specifically with his curveball, is what stood out during the outing. 

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound righthander is the picture of projection on the mound with a lean frame, high-waist, and plenty of room for additional strength. The future Wildcat has plenty of strength, however, as he showed out during the National Classic's home run derby that saw him launch thirteen big flies. His fastball worked up to 88 mph and comfortably in the 84-88 mph range throughout with plenty of downhill plane and late cutting life to boot. The fastball's late movement was enough to induce plenty of swings-and-misses, but the curveball was the primary out pitch for Bullard. 

He recorded five of his first six strikeouts on the curveball and it worked in the 75-78 mph range with plenty of sharpness and power. The pitch's late break induced an ugly number of chases and he was also able to locate the pitches for plenty of strikes. The tilt and sharp break is what stood out as it looked like it was going to be a ball up and in for the entire trajectory of the pitch just until it broke at the end. The pitch showed 50 on the Major League scale throughout and projects for better than that with additional development and projection. 

– Vinnie Cervino


David Hays, LHP, St. John Bosco (Calif.)



Starting off day one of the National Classic for St. John Bosco was underclassman David Hays, and the southpaw showed good pitchability and mixed his pitches well against a potent IMG lineup. With an extra-large, physical frame, the Nevada commit projects well on the bump and already has a feel for a strong two-pitch mix. Hays has a longer arm action with a quick, tight arm circle through the back. He repeats his delivery well and attacks the strike zone with occasional arm side run and lots of angle upon entry to the strike zone. Hays works quickly on the hill and generates a lot of weak contact while showing advanced feel for attacking his glove side. The confidence in the curveball jumps out as it showed 1/7 shape with depth and he an throw it in almost every count. Hays is primarily an offensive contributor for the Braves, but his profile on the mound is a strong one and he looks the part of a legitimate two-way prospect at the next level. 


Ty Collins, RHP, St. John Bosco (Calif.)



One of the more intriguing prospects to hop on the mound during the action at Amerige Park on Monday was sophomore righthander Ty Collins, who showed a lot of upside and projection for an underclass arm. The righthander has a very young and lean frame, with long limbs and an athletic frame and delivery that indicate a very high ceiling on the mound. The arm is very quick through the zone with a repeatable arm circle and he can create some downhill plane on his fastball. The heater worked up to 90 mph but was mostly in the 85-88 mph range. The arm path was a bit inconsistent, as he would cut it across or miss to the glove side at times, but the fastball was lively. The delivery creates deception as Collins will hesitate before the leg lift to try to throw off timing. The uncommitted 2020 prospect mixed in a curveball at 70 mph but is raw in terms of pitching and the overall nuances of the craft. That being said, there are a lot of raw physical tools and arm speed that indicate Collins has all the potential in the world to be a huge name for the 2020 class. 


Christian Ciuffetelli, RHP, Servite (Calif.)



Christian Ciuffetelli opposed Patrick Wicklander on the mound for what ended up being a 4-2 loss for the Friars, but Ciuffetelli showed why he will be an Oregon Duck at this time next year and why he can lead a very talented, No. 40 in the country, Setvite team to a state title. The righthander has a lot of deception in his delivery with a very high glove point at the hand break and creates a lot of late life on the fastball. His tall, lean frame indicates that he has not yet reached his velocity ceiling and he worked 90-92 mph in the first inning. There is a lot of late arm side run and life to Ciuffetelli's fastball and he attacked with the pitch, showing particularly advanced command to the glove side. The slider had good, late bite to the pitch in the 79-80 mph range with two-plane break and swing-and-miss ability on the pitch. The future Oregon Duck showed a changeup up to 83 mph with some fading action, and although he does throw with some effort at release, the deception and present stuff make him a top high school arm at this juncture. 


Grant Newton, RHP, Servite (Calif.)



Making a brief relief appearance for Servite was Grant Newton, and it certainly showed that it was an abbreviated sting as the UC Santa Barbara commit was able to run his fastball up higher than his normal velocity in, what amounted to, a little under an one-inning sting. Newton is incredibly physical and strong, with the build of a prototypical front line starter, and worked his fastball in the 91-93 mph range. The pitch was mostly straight in terms of life, but he used his large 6-foot-3 frame to leverage the pitch in the lower third of the strike zone. Newton's offspeed was a bit inconsistent as he showed what appeared to be similar shape for both a slider and curveball in the 74-81 mph range, but those could obviously be the same pitch. The pitch flashed sharp tilt when thrown for strikes and gives him an out pitch at the next level. 


Jimmy Starnes, RHP, IMG Academy (Fla.)



Another brief relief appearence came from IMG righthander, and 2019 West Virginia commit, Jimmy Starnes. The frame isn't exactly overpowering, but Starnes has long limbs and is still very skinny with plenty of room for strength and velocity increases. The delivery itself is very online and balanced and he creates some downhill plane from an over the top arm slot. The fastball worked up to 88 mph with good sinking life and he creates slight deception in the delivery. The curveball showed 11/5 shape with depth and Starnes showed a lot of projectable tools on the hill as he prepares for what looks to be a big summer for the underclassman. 

– Marcus Wojtkowicz


Grant Lavigne, 1B/OF, Bedford (N.H.)



Whenever a game features two big prospects going against each other, especially in New England, it’s certain to draw a throng of scouts and that’s just what happened when power hitting Grant Lavigne traveled south to match up against righthander Ryan Cusick. For Lavigne, it was his first time stepping on the field this spring though there was no sign of rust to his swing as he impressed with every ball he launched in pregame batting practice.

Listed at a physical 6-foot-4, 230-pounds on his Perfect Game profile, Lavigne quickly passes the eye test and possesses more athleticism than others his size. Throughout his two rounds of batting practice the Wake Forest signee continuously launched balls out to both center field as well as his pull side, making the fence look small while showing some of the easiest plus power you’ll find in 2018. The swing itself is simple yet explosive as there are very few timing mechanisms, helping keep things compact and consistent swing-to-swing. Lavigne’s overall swing plane offers plenty of natural leverage which in turn leads to those majestic shots without compromising the hit tool, allowing scouts to feel he’ll be an impact middle of the order bat who also hits for average.

The easy of his swing and strength to his hands translated into his four live at-bats, the first two coming against Cusick and providing scouts perhaps the best arm Lavigne will face the entire spring. Throughout his four at-bats Lavigne reached on an error (4.35 down the line), walked, singled, and flew out to center field, though there were a couple of foul balls that Lavigne just missed and within a months’ time would become souvenirs over the fence. He showed a patient approach and wasn’t willing to chase nor expand the zone, allowing Lavigne to work the count and wait for a pitch he can drive as velocity alone doesn’t appear to be something that will be him.

Being a preseason scrimmage Lavigne took reps in left field and at both first and third base, though the ultimate calling card will be the lefthanded bat. Don’t be surprised if the New Hampshire slugger continues to generate buzz around his name as he could very easily be off the board in the top three rounds, if not a round sooner.


Ryan Cusick, RHP, Avon Old Farms (Conn.)



Don’t be surprised if reports start to circulate later this spring that Ryan Cusick’s fastball is working into the mid-90s with frequency, or even a tick or two harder, especially as the weather starts to warm up in the Northeast. A Wake Forest signee like Lavigne above, Cusick is yet another physically imposing, and impressive, presence on the diamond and would have no problem blending into a college roster right now with his 6-foot-6, 220-pound build.

This past Saturday Cusick made his debut in the Northeast and was understandably under close watch from his Avon coaches in regard to his pitch count and overall workload, going three innings which included two at-bats against Lavigne.

One of the top arms in the Northeast this spring, Cusick shows a rather simple delivery with an arm action that stays on line and hidden through the backside during his delivery. There’s obvious arm strength as well as quickness as the future Demon Deacon came out sitting 92-94 mph with every heater thrown in the opening frame and continued to sit in the 90-92 mph range into the third inning, both from the windup and stretch.

At times in his delivery he would drift off his backside and occasionally lose his release point, two areas of his mechanics that he’ll continue to repeat as the season gets underway up here, though it didn’t inhibit him from throwing strikes to either side of the plate. Cusick showed plenty of comfort coming in on the hands of a lefthanded heavy lineup, offering some cutting life to the pitch with difficult plane out of the hand. When working arm side the pitch featured more late running life we saw this past summer, helping induce ground ball contact.

Perhaps the nicest development for Cusick from this past summer to Saturday’s look was his development of his slider, a pitch that showed nice potential in the first inning when he remained on top of the ball with mimicked arm speed. Working at 80-81 mph in the first, Cusick’s slider showed short and tight, late tilt which he tunneled well with his release, though the pitch did get loopier come the third inning with more depth and 11-5 shape from getting under the pitch slightly. He showed comfort with the pitch however and opened up the third by striking out the first two batters with nothing but the breaking ball.

Much like Lavigne or any top prospect in the Northeast at the end of March, Cusick needs to be monitored moving forward as the weather continues to warm and he stretches out his pitch count as there’s serious arm talent as well as a refined slider.

– Jheremy Brown
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