2,075 MLB PLAYERS | 14,476 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
High School  | General  | 4/4/2018

Boras Classic Day 1 Notes

Photo: Perfect Game

Boras Classic Preview

The star of the show on a national stage for the second week in a row was Orange Lutheran righthander Cole Winn (2018, Orange, Calif.) and the fast-rising draft prospect tossed five innings while allowing one unearned run and striking out seven batters. The newly minted No. 3 team in the Perfect Game High School Top 50 had perhaps the most convincing win of the day, and certainly scored the most runs at JSerra, with a 9-1 victory over El Toro.



The Mississippi State signee started out hot, as he usually does, with a fastball that worked 91-95 mph and topped out at 96 mph during the frame. The polish and rhythm to the delivery stand out as he is able to repeat very well with tremendous body control and athleticism displayed throughout. The arm action and delivery check all sorts of boxes as it is simple, loose, and allows Winn to get downhill fairly easily. The fastball settled in more of the 90-93 mph range but he had 94 and 95 mph bullets for when he really needed them.

The slider was the best breaking ball on the morning and it seems that this spring that pitch and the curveball take turns as to which is flashing plus on a present day. The slider had late, two-plane snap at 81-84 mph and he was particularly adept at diving the pitch down and in to lefthanded hitters. The curveball flashed above-average a couple of times in the 74-78 mph range but he would seemingly throw it with less conviction from time to time which added it’s depth and ability to be thrown for strikes.

Winn flashed a changeup too, and a solid one, at 82 mph with some arm side movement to it. At this juncture, Winn has at least three future plus pitches on his arsenal with a particularly exemplary feel to spin the ball. The changeup gives him a fourth weapon on his arsenal, but he rarely needs to dig that deep into the repertoire. This is the second consecutive week where Winn has looked like a first-round pick and he should continue to climb draft boards after another strong showing on a national stage. It’s worth noting that Winn is also a very strong hitter and added a two-run home run later in the game.

The Lancers tallied nine runs on the morning victory and leadoff man Chad Born (2020, Placentia, Calif.) was again right in the thick of things for Orange Lutheran. The sophomore sensation tallied three hits from the leadoff spot, all while showing off solid defensive skills in centerfield. Born has a knack for the barrel and gets the bat quickly through the hitting zone to create some loud contact. He fits the leadoff role very well for Orange Lutheran as he attacks fastballs and is usually on base for the middle of the order.

Jackson Cloyd (2019, Newport Beach, Calif.) took some quality at-bats for the Lancers and showed off some serious strength in his righthanded swing. Cloyd added a double during Tuesday’s action as it looked like he initially got jammed off contact and still had enough wrist strength to drive the ball with authority to the opposite field and ricochet a double off the wall. First base can be shaky at times, but Cloyd has tremendous strength and his presence in the lineup lengthens what might be the most talented lineup in the country.




Opposing Winn on the mound was southpaw Erik Tolman (2018, Lake Forest, Calif.) and although he didn’t have his best outing on the mound, he still showed flashes of that pitchability-command profile that makes him a coveted lefthanded pitching prospect. The Cal Poly commit showed good feel on the mound and a three-pitch arsenal that could keep hitters guessing.

Tolman is a still physically projectable lefthanded pitcher at a listed 6-foot-2, 180-pounds with long limbs and a loose arm stroke, all positive indicators for future velocity increases. Tolman was up to the 92-93 mph range at last year’s Area Code Games, but worked primarily in the 85-88 mph range during Tuesday’s game.

The fastball had lots of late arm side life and run to it, and he located the fastball well to both sides. Early strikes were an issue, as he would fall behind in counts which would allow hitters to hunt the fastball. The breaking ball was a good pitch for Tolman as it worked in the 74-77 mph range with 10/4 slurvy shape. The lower arm angle allowed the pitch to play more like a slider, but it flashed sharp tilt and he could throw it for strikes. Tolman also utilized a changeup in an effort to neutralize righthanded hitters.




Pitching was the main story over at JSerra on day one of the Boras Classic, and the first complete game shutout was twirled by No. 41 Harvard Westlake’s Sam Hliboki (2019, Valley Village, Calif.), who was dominant in a closely contested ball game. The one run of support was all the junior Vanderbilt commit needed to cruise through a tough Santiago lineup that included potential first-round pick Brice Turang.

Hliboki was up to 90 mph early in the game, but settled in the 86-89 mph range for the duration of his start, holding his velocity well and still touching 87-88 mph late in the game. Hliboki was a very clean delivery as he gathers well over the rubber and drives down the mound to create lots of downhill plane on the fastball. Hliboki absolutely pounded the strike zone as evidenced by his sixteen first pitch strikes on the afternoon.

The projection is the big calling card here, as the cleanliness of the delivery and arm action when coupled with his uber-athletic frame all indicate a flamethrowing future for Hliboki. The righthander worked with two different breaking balls, a big 11-to-5 breaker in the low-70s located mostly for strikes and a harder, more lateral slider in the upper-70s. He got a couple of misses on the curveball and showed a bit better feel for the pitch, while he unveiled the slider rarely. Hliboki solidified himself as one of the top underclass follows in the area and should certainly be monitored as such going forward.




The No. 20 ranked prospect for the sophomore class is outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (2020, Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and he showed a little bit of the entire skillset that made Vanderbilt commit him out on the west coast. Crow-Armstrong is extremely toolsy, as he posted above-average run times routinely while playing excellent centerfield defense and showing very projectable raw power. The run tool stood out as he takes such easy strides and generates a lot of speed, and fits right atop the lineup of a talented Harvard-Westlake team. He posted run times of 4.14 and 4.15 seconds, the first on a groundout and the second on a smoked line drive off the opposing pitcher. Crow-Armstrong has present bat speed and natural loft to the swing path and he should only continue to increase the power as he adds strength to the profile. His defense stood out during the victory too as he made a full-throttle, sliding catch while sprinting toward the infield early in the game.




Another touted Southern California draft prospect to take the mound was Simi Valley’s Owen Sharts (2018, Simi Valley, Calif.) and he turned in the second consecutive complete game shutout, and 1-0 victory, on the day over at JSerra. Sharts features a pretty impressive three-pitch arsenal of fastball, curveball, and changeup, all of which project to be average or better pitches at the next level.

The Nevada commit’s arm action is very quick through the circle, although a bit stiff at times, and he throws from an over-the-top arm slot which couples well with his 12-to-6 curveball. The fastball worked 90-93 mph for the first few innings with significant, late arm side run to it. Around the fifth frame, Sharts settled into an 88-91 mph range, but he really didn’t utilize the fastball all that much after the first time through the order.

Toward the end of the game it seemed that Sharts pitched predominantly off his off-speed stuff. The curveball was a bit inconsistent at times, but worked up to 76 mph with significant depth and could also be thrown for strikes. He would add and subtract from the pitch routinely, working anywhere from 70-76 mph with the pitch, but it was best when it looked as a strike for about 50 feet before dipping into the dirt. The changeup was the best offering on the afternoon and flashed above-average at various points. Sharts threw the pitch in the 80-84 mph range and it showed significant arm side fading action, although it was thrown with a bit less conviction. Sharts presents an interesting scenario for a high school righthander, as he is almost certainly a top ten rounds talent, but the question of whether he will sign or end up on campus at Nevada is still to be determined.

The evening game at JSerra featured a strong pitching matchup between the home team’s Jake Reed (2018, Dana Point, Calif.) and Newbury Park’s Carson Lambert (2018, Thousand Oaks, Calif.).

Reed started off hot early, working up to 90 mph in the first inning before settling around the 84-87 mph range throughout the rest of the outing. The San Diego signee has a very whippy arm action and a lean, young-looking 6-foot-2 frame that projects to be pretty good a the next level. He creates really good life and arm side run on the fastball that allows the raw velocity of the pitch to play up some. Reed flashed a couple of sliders but opted for his impressive changeup as the primary secondary pitch. The changeup worked in the upper-70s with pretty good sinking action. Reed finished off five scoreless innings to earn the win for JSerra.

Lambert is the 388th-ranked prospect in the 2018 class and boasts a large, physical frame at a listed 6-foot-4, 200-pounds. The Southern California signee has a very involved delivery with a more compact arm circle and creates torque through his upper half to generate high levels of velocity upon foot strike. The fastball worked up to 91 mph early on before settling in the 86-88 mph range while flashing some short sink when leveraged in the lower third of the strike zone. Lambert attacked both sides of the plate well while mixing in a curveball with a bit looser spin and good feel for extended release on a changeup. Lambert swings the stick for Newbury Park as well and shows a powerful lefthanded swing despite not coming away with a hit on the evening. Lambert pitched well but was dealt with a hard luck loss as the offense couldn’t get going against Reed all night.

One of the more impressive players to take the field, regardless of class, was JSerra shortstop and three-hole hitter Michael Curialle (2019, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.). The UCLA commit first caught the attention of this scout during in-and-out, where he showed present athleticism with a listed 6-foot-2, 160-pound frame and tons of room to add strength with a broad shouldered build. This would be a good place to highlight the intensity that coach Brett Kay’s team shows during warm ups, as every player on the field was motoring and giving 110 percent during drills, a good sign of a focused ball club and perhaps a factor at what makes the program elite year-in and year-out regardless of talent.

Curialle showed above average arm strength from shortstop and very twitchy hands, and made a number of difficult plays look easy over at shortstop during the game, including a couple of double play turns that were very impressive. Curialle projects for more strength, but there is loud physicality and pop in his bat presently. The righthanded hitter shows off impressive bat speed and lift as he rocketed a no-doubt shot to left field that got out of the park in a hurry as it registered a 99 mph exit velocity. Curialle has a very well-rounded skill set with plenty of tools to the profile and certainly looks the part as one of the top underclass position prospects in the area.

– Vinnie Cervino





Starting out day one of the Boras Classic over at Mater Dei was a masterful performance in all facets of the game by South Hills' Brandon Dieter (2018, Covina, Calif.). The Stanford signee, and former PG All-American, tossed seven quality innings to earn the victory by only allowing two runs and striking out six batters. Dieter was also the difference in the game as he hit a walk-off RBI double to upset No. 19 Huntington Beach, and he also added a smoked triple off the wall earlier in the game to straightaway centerfield.

Having a reputation as one of the best high school pitchers in the country, in terms of both command and pitchability, Dieter has incredible feel on the bump. One scout commented that if he was a coach in position of having to win one game, he would have none other than Dieter on the mound, he is that impressive of an arm. The fastball worked in the 88-90 mph range for the majority of the morning and bumped 92 mph early in the frame. The changeup is his calling card on the mound as it shows very impressive sinking action and flashed plus during the morning's game. Dieter is likely a better professional prospect with the bat and he has present bat speed and fluidity to the path. Dieter is an incredibly accomplished high school player and with games like he had on Tuesday, he continues to add to his profile. 




Opposing Dieter on the mound was Huntington Beach lefthander Edward Pelc (2019, Huntington Beach, Calif.) and he showed off some impressive stuff on the mound as well. The San Diego commit has some funk and deception to his delivery with an exaggerated load on the back side as he delivery toward the plate with a longer arm action that allows his stuff to play up. The fastball worked in the mid-to-upper 80s with significant sinking action when he worked in the lower half of the strike zone. Pelc showed two distinct breaking balls, a big breaking curveball with 1-to-7 shape in the upper-60s for strikes and a slider that worked very well to lefties. The slider was more of a slurve pitch but it ran away from lefthanded batters and induced a good amount of swing and miss. Pelc works quickly on the mound and is able to attack hitters and allow his defense to work.




Etiwanda righthander Marcus Johnson (2019, Fontana, Calif.) was superb on the mound as he twirled a three-hit, complete game shutout en route to a first round victory. The righthander has an ideal frame of a starting pitcher with a length build and tons of room to add strength and fill out. The Duke commit's size allowed him to create downhill plane on the fastball from an over-the-top arm slot on his fastball that worked in the 84-87 mph range for the majority of his outing. The arm path is a bit long but he gets timed up very well and the arm is loose and generates whip throughout the arm circle. The delivery is very simple and allows Johnson to repeat so well, especially when considering the size and length of his limbs. The slider was a hard pitch in the 75-77 range with 10-to-4 action and late bite to the pitch. Johnson also mixed in a straight changeup in the 80-82 mph range that functioned as a change-of-pace pitch. The junior righthander turned in a sterling performance and will certainly be an asset for an always steady Etiwanda team.




Perhaps the most impressive performance of the day, and maybe eventually the entire tournament, was that of La Mirada righthander Jared Jones (2020, Whittier, Calif.) as the two-way prospect showed out on both sides of the ball. The No. 8 overall prospect in the class, and Southern California commit, made a big velocity jump from last fall as he worked in the 92-94 mph range while bumping 95 mph early on. There was significant life to the fastball and he sat 93-94 mph for most of the start on the hill. Jones is an incredible athlete with easy plus arm speed and a well-balanced overall delivery. The lower half is explosive following the load at the balance point and the fastball would normally be enough to entice a majority of scouts but the secondary pitches were just as explosive for Jones. The slider showed bite and plane in the 78-83 mph range and he flashed a changeup in the 80-81 mph range with sinking life. The pitching IQ and pitchability are off the charts for Jones, but so are the offensive skills. Jones shows plus bat speed offensively with natural loft on the swing plane. He barrels up the ball consistently and the ball absolutely jumps off the bat. Jones is already an elite prospect and it will be fun to watch what the next step in his development is. 

Jones' teammate Darius Perry (2019, La Miranda, Calif.) also showed impressive offensive skills during La Mirada's opening game victory on the afternoon. The yet uncommitted junior is extremely physical and strong with tons of well-proportioned size to impact the ball hard and with authority to all fields, specifically the pull side. The latter ability showed up well with a loud double and a no-doubt bomb during Tuesday's action as Perry absolutely came to barrel up baseballs during the game. The bat speed and jump off the barrel stands out as the designated hitter is a key piece in the lineup to one of the most dangerous teams in the state. 

After impressing at the NHSI a week ago, 6-foot-11 righthander Hunter Cope (2019, Newport Beach, Calif.) led Mater Dei to a victory in the late game over at the home team's high school. The San Diego commit is every inch of his extra-large frame with good athleticism and repeatability to his delivery. Cope certainly looks the part on the mound and has a great feel for pitching, mixing speeds, and commanding the strike zone. Cope worked in the 87-90 mph range for most of his start and showed feel for both sides of the plate, a rare feat for a young arm and especially for an almost seven-footer. The changeup showed late fading action in the upper-70s and the curveball was an effective pitch in the 73-74 mph range. Cope showed very good feel for the curveball and the pitch looked great as he could command it to either side with intent while garnering a lot of swing-and-miss on the pitch. Cope went the distance to give Mater Dei a big victory as he tossed seven strikeouts over seven shutout innings and certainly has the look of one of the top pitchers in the class at this point as he is ranked No. 72 in the class. 




Cope's teammates Alonzo Tredwell (2021, Coto De Caza, Calif.) and C.J. Rodriguez (2019, Newport Beach, Calif.) both had very strong days at the plate as they contributed to five total runs on the evening and an eventual victory. 

Tredwell is a high-level two-way prospect as a freshman, currently ranked No. 22 in the class of 2021 rankings, and has very advanced physicality. Listed at an extremely physical and projectable 6-foot-5, 210-pounds, he isn't only huge for his age but one of the biggest kids on the field regardless of the team he is facing. The UCLA commit has a very patient and polished approach as he has the look of a mature hitter. He has good feel for the strike zone and doesn't chase pitches in the dirt and shows a powerful lefthanded stroke. Tredwell did a good amount of damage in game with three RBIs and knows exactly what pitches to hunt and doesn't miss them. 

Rodriguez is an advanced defensive catcher with very impressive arm strength, showing it off all night by catching runners at second base. The arm plays above average in game and he warms up routinely in the 1.90 second range for pop times. The receiving is polished too as he handles Cope well on the mound and was able to steal a couple strikes. The line drive swing plane allows him to generate hard hit contact and the Vanderbilt commit looked absolutely locked in all night. Rodriguez looks to go up the middle and doesn't overswing, two mature qualities not often seen in young hitters. Rodriguez is currently the No. 104 prospect in the 2019 class and will continue to improve on a very talented Mater Dei team.

– Marcus Wojtkowicz
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.