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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/14/2018

15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1

Photo: Grant Taylor (Perfect Game)

15u WWBA National Championship: Event Page | Daily Leaders




Starting off the first game of the 15u WWBA National Championship for Elite Squad National was the 25th-ranked prospect in the class, Nick Anello (2021, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). The Miami commit had recently impressed at the Jr. National showcase a few weeks ago, and put forth a strong effort in game one of what is sure to be a good week for him and his teammates. The athletic righthander has a very high-energy delivery, with some moving parts, but the ball comes out cleanly, with conviction and command to the plate. Anello is thinking about three pitches ahead of the batter and knows what to use to set up hitters as he is certainly not afraid to go to either of his secondaries, both of which showed varying degrees of effectiveness based on the context of the situation. The changeup gave him a valuable weapon against lefthanded batters with impressive fading action that lefties would reach further and further out of the strike zone to try to get a piece of , while the sweeping action and ability to land the breaking ball made righthanded hitters have to wait until the last second to flail at the pitch. Anello worked up to 90 mph and sat comfortably in the 84-88 mph range and provided another strong look at one of the top arms in the 2021 class as he tossed five hitless innings while racking up six strikeouts.

Anello’s teammate Alex Ulloa (2021, Cutler Bay, Fla.) was the offensive hero of the afternoon as the fellow Miami commit drove in four of the team’s runs. Three of the runs came in one swing as Ulloa got his hands extended and was able to drive an elevated fastball down the opposite field line for a bases clearing triple. The path is very loose and fluid with natural loft and not too much length to the swing. The hands work really well as he gets his weight extended out in front and allows the momentum of the hands to dictate the path of the barrel and drive the ball regardless of where it’s pitched. Ulloa is normally a fairly smooth shortstop too, though he started at second base on the afternoon, and posits a very high ceiling package while making up the cornerstone, along with teammates Ulloa and Irv Carter, of a strong 2021 class for Miami.

Andre Arthur (2022, Nassau, Bahamas) didn’t show up very heavily in the box score, but puts forth a very intriguing profile for a very young prospect. Hailing from the Bahamas, Arthur just turned 13 per his profile, but already has a lanky, athletic frame at 6-foot-4, 180-pounds. He has an idea at the plate with some bat speed on a smooth swing plane and showed off the athleticism by turning in a 4.19 second time to first base from the right side. Arthur is still developing as a prospect and just as a kid in general, but it’s worth noting his advanced present ability.

Starting on the mound and showing some intriguing tools for 3n2 Citius was Texas Tech commit Marco Raya (2020, Laredo, Texas) and the young rising-junior showed off some impressive raw stuff. The 5-foot-11, 145-pound righthander doesn’t have prototypical size of a usual pitching prospect, but what he lacks in size he makes up in arm speed, stuff, and peak velocity. Raya touched 89 mph in the first inning and sat comfortably in the 84-87 mph range for the duration of his performance, before an untimely lightning delay, but the offspeed pitches were very impressive. He showed advanced command and exuded confidence in the changeup that he threw often in the 79-80 mph range with short sink but what made the change stood out as compared to other change ups is that he commanded the pitch for strikes very effectively. The breaking ball was a high-spin pitch with sweeping shape and spin rates in the 27-2800 rpm range. The ability to spin, projectable arm speed, and feel for three pitches that he can throw for strikes make Raya a worthwhile follow, especially being one of the younger prospects for the class.

Team Elite 14u is playing up this week in the 15u WWBA National Championship, and they opened up with a victory late on Friday night and the star of the show was outfielder Devan Kodali (2022, New York, N.Y.). The outfielder has ideal size and projection for a young prospect with presently impressive speed. He turned in a 4.4 second time to first base from the right side and swiped two bases while taking extra bases on hits to the outfield during the affair. The swing is short and he gets the barrel head out in front of the plate well with quickness to his hands and hit the ball hard a number of times to tally three hits on the evening.

– Vincent Cervino





Shane Panzini (2021, Spring Lake, N.J.) got the start for 9ers Baseball in the opening time slot of the 15u WWBA and the 6-foot-1, 190-pound uncommitted righthander showed well on the mound with both his present arsenal and what he could develop into as he continues to refine his mechanics and develop physically on the mound.

Working out of the stretch and limiting the moving parts to delivery, Panzini possesses obvious arm strength as he pumped as high as 88 mph and maintained 84-85 mph into his final inning of work, but there’s plenty more in the tank that’ll appear in the coming years. Panzini does a nice job of generating some length to his stride coming down the mound, landing slightly cut off with his strike foot though that also helped aid his fastball in creating some sinking life when down in the zone. That’s just where he lived in the early portion of the game too, staying short and compact with his arm stroke to produce the 84-87 mph fastball with relative ease.

Panzini didn’t have the best command of his breaking ball this look, though he did show comfort spinning the low-70s pitch and flashed some late life to it through the zone when he maintained his arm slot and didn’t lower at release. He also showed a firm changeup that bumped as high as 81 mph in the opening frame with replicated arm speed and late fading life, a quality secondary offering for the young New Jersey native. All the ingredients are there for Panzini to continue to develop and he certainly as the time to do so with another three years of high school remaining.

A recent commit to Ole Miss out of Missouri, outfielder John Kramer (2021, Wildwood, Mo.) is a physically gifted 6-foot-1, 200-pound lefthanded hitting outfielder who more than looks the part of a future middle-of-the-order type bat at the next level. With rhythm to his load and looseness to his hands, Kramer managed to go 1-for-3 on opening day, though that one hit was an impressive one which truly highlighted his overall strength. Showing the aforementioned looseness to his hands and the relative low effort of his swing, Kramer got caught out front some on a 75 mph changeup but still managed to put enough barrel to ball while elevating the pitch high off the right field wall for a standup double, showcasing the overall strength to his hands and forearms given he was out front and lost the strength in his lower half. He’s a bat to follow closely moving forward though he’s no secret as he’s already ranked No. 129 in the country.

Andruw Jones’ (2022, Suwanee, Ga.) name may be a familiar one down in Georgia as he’s the son of former Braves great Andruw Jones, and like his father patrols center field while oozing athleticism. Very much a prospect in his own right who already shows present skills and only projects as he develops physically upon his 6-foot-1, 155-pounds, Jones is playing up this week as a rising freshman but was able to blend right into the action despite his age. Jones wasn’t challenged in center field in this look though in viewings past he simply glides to the ball with long strides, covering ground to ultimately camp out underneath it. He did, however, show well with the stick in this look as he twice went to the opposite field to pick up both of his hits on the day. The first knock came on a fastball which he fought off his hands but still managed to somewhat drive to the opposite field, clearing the right fielder’s head for what turned into a triple thanks to his speed on the bases. His swing path is clean and like the rest of his game will only continue to develop with added strength and physical maturation.

Grant Taylor (2021, Florence, Ala.) may have just finished his freshman season of high school, but the talented righthander and future LSU Tiger has already made his presence on the national scene for over a year now. Physically imposing as he toes the rubber at 6-foot-3, 215-pounds, everything about Taylor says power, including his right arm which has produced a fastball up to 94 mph in our events though there’s still more in the tank.

In this start Taylor worked comfortably in the 88-91 mph range throughout but what truly stood out was the tempo to which he pitched, remaining in control of his mechanics while pumping the strike zone and missing bats. The young Alabama native went the distance in a five inning, run rule shorted game but still managed to strike out 10 while walking just two and didn’t allow a hit. Taylor’s arm is plenty quick coming through the back and the velocity comes very easily for him, especially given his age, and it proved to be effective opening day as he missed quite a few bats within the zone. When everything was on time and in sync the pitch showed solid plane to get to the lower third and also allowed for a sharper curveball, showing more depth and bite up to 76 mph as opposed to the slider he’s shown in viewings past.

It was a nice outing for Taylor and though he may not have shown his best velocity, he remained in control throughout and did a nice job of pumping the strike zone.

Thomas Dilandri (2021, Las Vegas, Nev.) made the trip out to Georgia earlier this summer for the PG-East Cobb Invite and again for the Junior National before suiting up for Team Elite this week in the 15u WWBA. And in all three of his cross-country trips there was one similarity that stood out above all else: his advanced righthanded power. And as you might guess, it was on display once again opening day as he twice found the barrel (along with getting hit) and should have his fair share of suitors when it comes time for him to make his collegiate decision. The strength Dilandri has added to his frame since last summer is easy to see as he now stands at a listed 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, all of which he utilizes in his righthanded swing. After flying out to nearly to the warning track in the deepest part of the park his first trip, Dilandri made sure to get all of it in his second trip, showing high level bat speed with impact strength out front, sending the ball deep over the left field fence for a no doubt home run, finishing the day with three RBI.

Often times when players are mentioned in a recap like this it’s following a multi-hit day or after a long ball or two, but that isn’t the case for shortstop Luke Leto (2021, Portage, Mich.) who was actually held hitless in his team’s opening game of pool play. A recent commit to Louisiana State, Leto doesn’t look like your typical 15u level player standing at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds and his skillset falls along the same lines with advanced tools across the board. Leto put his offensive skills on display from atop the lineup, utilizing a patient approach though he never hesitated when he got his pitch. With fast and fluid hands from the left side of the plate, Leto opened the game lining out hard, directly to the second baseman before doing the same in his third trip, though this time to the first baseman. The bat speed ranks among the best in the tournament and his ability to impact the baseball is clear after a single at-bat, staying compact through the zone while generating extension out front.




My first look at righthander Austin Grause (2021, Tampa, Fla.) came last fall at the PG Freshman WWBA Championships where he impressed with his quick right arm and overall physical projection. Still listed at the same 5-foot-11, 150-pounds on his profile as he was last fall, Grause looks closer to 6-foot-2 than 5-foot-11 and has added noticeable strength throughout his frame.

It was a quick two inning look at Grause as his Hit Factory Pro offense went off from the opening pitch of the game, but it still proved long enough to make an impression while fulfilling some of the projection we envisioned last October. Working with the same methodical, deliberate paced delivery, Grause features a compact and fast right arm through the backside with which he remained on time as he was able to generate consistent plane on the pitch while filling up the zone. In the opening frame the uncommitted Florida native touched as high as 89 mph, sitting comfortably within 86-88 mph, and needed just eight pitches (all strikes) to record two strikeouts and induce a weak ground ball.

His second inning wasn’t as quick, but still was an impressive one as he continued to pitch within that velocity range and picked up another two strike outs while showing some running life down in the zone when located to his arm side. And unlike other pitchers his age who tend to slow upon the release of their off speed, Grause did a nice job of maintaining that quick right arm stroke on his curveball, shows 11-to-5 shape up to 76 mph with short, hard bite and tight rotation. He’s definitely an arm to catch whenever he throws again this tournament and there’s a good chance that come this fall, there’s another jump or two in his overall stuff.

Closing out the game for Hit Factory Pro was righthander Alden Segui (2021, Tampa, Fla.), another talented and uncommitted arm who has some serious arm strength on the bump. With long arms and an athletic and highly projectable 6-foot-2, 165-pound frame, Segui ran his fastball up to 89 mph and albeit with some effort, managed to punch out two in his lone inning with a walk and no hits. Similar to Grause’s delivery but with more deliberate, Segui works calmly through his delivery before whipping his right arm through the back and creating some angle when he worked on top of the ball. Throughout the inning Segui pitched almost exclusively off of his fastball, sitting in the 86-88 mph and employed an attack mode mentality while generating extension out front and occasional cut action.

– Jheremy Brown



Josh Pearson (2022, West Monroe, La.) is a grade younger than most of the players on his Louisiana Knights team and can swing the bat well from the left side. His physical frame and wrist strength are noticeable as the ball jumps off of his bat when squared. Pearson, a 5-foot-9 outfielder, drove a ball into the opposite field gap that showed really how much strength that he has in his swing.

Another hitter for the Louisiana Knights that stood out in the win was two-way talent Hunter Elliott (2021, Tupelo, Miss.). Elliott made a first impression at first base making an impressive diving play to his left, tagging the bag and throwing a strike from his knees to second to turn a 3-6 double play. The athleticism he showed on the play is present in his swing as well as he went down to get a low fastball and get the head of the bat to the ball and send it into left field for a single.

On the mound in the morning game for the Louisiana Knights was righthander Brock Van Hoy (2021, Benton, La.). At 6-foot-5, 200-pounds, Van Hoy is a physical presence on the mound and his fastball is maintained throughout his time on the mound at 78-81 mph. The arm is a bit long through the back, but the effort is very easy expecting more from him in the future. Van Hoy bends as he comes to his balance point as the arm comes through the circle. He showed three pitches in the outing that each showed potential. The fastball projects for more as mentioned, his curveball is thrown with 11-to-5 shape and his changeup was kept down in the zone. The righthander finished his day after four innings and striking out seven opposing hitters.

There is lots of deception present in lefthander Dillon Cook’s (2021, Huntsville, Ala.) delivery and it helps him get hitters to swing through his fastball and slider combination. Cook throws from a low arm angle and long arm action that is continually on time allowing for good command of his fastball and his slider in which he flashed. Cook pitched five very clean and dominant innings with no walks and five strikeouts while only garnering one hit. Cook does an excellent job of repeating his unique delivery and getting the most out of his projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pound listed frame. His slider was not thrown often but did show lots of depth and has the potential to be a wipe out pitch when polished.

At Woodland High School at 4:30, Jordan Irizarry (2021, Virginia Beach, Va.) took the hill for Canes National and his potential on the mound is interesting as he stands at a lean, projectable 5-foot-11, 155-pounds. The lefthander from Virginia has a quick arm and a balanced delivery while delivering 81-83 mph velocity to the plate. Irizarry tossed three innings and collected seven strikeouts in those innings of work. The fastball has some natural sinking life while being able to command the zone enough to be successful. Irizarry offers three pitches in his arsenal. A fading changeup at 69 mph and a 1-to-7 curveball that was consistently left down in the zone getting hitters to chase are his secondary pitches that compliment his fastball. Irizarry is an interesting crafty lefty to follow on the mound moving forward.




One pure lefthanded swing in the 2021 class comes from switch hitting shortstop Daniel Corona (2021, Brooklyn, N.Y.). The Wake Forest had a nice day at the plate for the Canes National team ripping a pair of base hits in his team’s 9-2 win. One in particular was a double to the pull side gap that really showed his raw bat speed and ability to get the barrel to the baseball. Corona has a professional approach and stays patient at the plate waiting for his pitch to drive. Only catching at-bats from the lefthanded side in this contest, if only batting lefthanded Corona already has an advanced hit tool to go along with his sharp actions in the infield and ultra-soft hands out in front.

Cole Messina (2021, Summerville, S.C.) and Dominic Scavone (2021, Orlando, Fla.) each collected multiple hits as well in the Canes’ win. Messina, a stocky catcher, has strength to his swing with the ability to drive the baseball when hitting the ball on the nose. Messina turned on an outer half fastball and sent the ball to left field for a single followed up by a second single hit to the same direction. Scavone, a talented uncommitted middle infielder, has a quick bat and a contact-oriented approach allowing him to flat out hit at a high level. Scavone hit the ball to all fields in this one going for three hits including the most impressive, an RBI single that was scorched through the left side of the infield.

Although not too physical standing at 5-foot-9, 160-pounds, Alec Grossman (2021, Austin, Texas) has an extremely fast arm and quick-twitch athleticism on the mound. In his first inning that was interrupted by a rain delay, Grossman sat 85-89 mph with his fastball. The pitch was complemented by a curveball that he showed feel for but did slow the arm up a bit when throwing the pitch. Grossman came back out to the mound after the rain delay and the command of each pitch was sharper than before. The velocity dipped gradually but the velocity and quick arm are intriguing. His significant arm speed is evident and with lots of growing still to do, Grossman may very well still have more velocity left in his arm in due time.

– Greg Gerard


Conner Whittaker (2021, Sarasota, Fla.) impressed as he toed the rubber Friday morning, and showed especially good feel to spin the curveball, locating it repeatedly for strikes. Averaging around 72-73 mph with sharp break, it was disguised well, thrown from the same slot with the same arm speed. Whittaker’s fastball touched 83 and settled into the 80-82 range while showing nice arm-side run that really got in on the hands of right-handed batters to jam them. His delivery is clean and simple for the most part and allowed him to fill the zone with strikes all day. The ninth-ranked righty in the Florida class ended up grabbing the win and throwing a modest 77 pitches in a six-inning, four-strikeout effort.

One of the more intriguing hitters on the day proved to be Abel Saft (2021, Kintnersville, Pa.). The tall and athletic-looking plate presence sprayed the ball around, contributing a sac fly to the opposite field before ripping a pull-side double over the left-fielder’s head. Saft padded his stat line with an RBI single to left in his third trip to the plate. He hits with an open stance and has a pronounced leg kick that he is able to stay on time with, undoubtedly aided by quick hands that let him generate good barrel speed through the zone. The first baseman, with some present wiry strength, has plenty of room to fill out and could at the very least hit for some consistent gap power in the future.

Carter Doorn (2021, Schererville, Ind.) offers some upside with a fastball that was touching 84 mph early on, which represents a nice boost in velocity in a short amount of time. The righthander has a 6-foot-2, lean frame that has plenty of projection to it, and was able to miss barrels on the day on his way to inducing frequent weak contact. There is a rawness to the mechanics and the curveball should be a point of emphasis for improvement, although it shows some promise after being used to strike out a batter swinging. Additionally, there are positives in the delivery in the way of effort level and arm speed. Doorn finished the day allowing a single run on two hits over six frames, striking out four.

David Hagaman (2021, Egg Harbor City, N.J.) showed some two-way potential in a blowout 13-2 victory for the SJ Young Guns. He led the offensive explosion, notching an inside-the-park home run and a single for three RBIs while scoring twice. Hagaman displayed a good feel for the barrel in making solid contact and the bat path is direct to the ball. He also go the start on the hill, striking out four over 2 2/3 scoreless innings. With a fastball that touched 82, he managed to get the job done in an effectively wild manner. The arm action is loose and easy, and with a projectable body type, there is no reason to think plenty more velocity isn’t in the tank for Hagaman.

– Cameron Hines
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