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College  | Story  | 4/18/2021

College Reports: April 16 & 17

Jheremy Brown      Drew Wesolowski      Kyler Peterson     
Photo: Brendan Beck (Scott Gould/ISI Photos)
College Player Report Database

Players Covered: Brendan Beck (Stanford), Cam Dennie (Arizona State), Graham Osman (Arizona State), Cole Stupp (Kentucky), Ryan Webb (Georgia), Brandon Walker (Florida State), Jonathan Cannon (Georgia), Joey Mancini (Boston College), Holt Jones (Kentucky), Ben Harris (Georgia), Emmet Sheehan (Boston College), Sean Harney (Kentucky)




Brendan Beck, RHP, Stanford

Right-hander Brendan Beck has been nothing but consistent since putting on the Stanford uniform as a freshman in 2018 in which he went 8-0 and he’s never looked back, continually establishing himself as one of the most polished performers in college baseball. Strongly built at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Beck went 6 2/3 innings Friday night at Arizona State, exiting with the win in line though it was ultimately squandered by the bullpen, which allowed one of his four earned runs to score after being inherited. For the majority of the start Beck was in control aside from the third inning in which he hung a pair of curveballs in back-to-back at-bats to plate three runs, though that sequence unlocked the slider which he began going to frequently and successfully.

Over 229 1/3 career innings, Beck has walked just 56, nearly half of which came in 2019, and part of the reason is just how compact and streamlined his delivery is, repeating extremely well pitch-to-pitch while remaining online down the mound with a consistent finish out and over his front side. The delivery, coupled with his ability to frequently work ahead in the count and go to any pitch at any time, had Beck racking up the swings and misses on the night, getting double digits on the fastball, more than a handful on the slider, and a couple with both his curve and changeup. 

The fastball velocity isn’t going to jump off of the page but he sat a very comfortable 89-92 mph, bumping 93, throughout the entirety of his 99 pitches, even opening the 6th inning with three consecutive 92s following a half inning which saw three ASU pitching changes. Working from a near over-the-top release, the fastball doesn’t offer a ton life, showing occasional run to his arm side, but he can spot up to either side of the plate with precision while powering the ball downhill and showing the level of pitchability you don’t always often find.

Beck brought out the curveball early, a 76-79 mph offering with some 12-5 shape to it and short downer life, and though there wasn’t a ton of power behind it, the pitch served as his primary go-to his first time through the lineup until that aforementioned third inning. After flashing a couple sliders early which consistently improved each time he threw it, the pitch became the new secondary weapon for Beck in the middle stages of his start, going to the 81-83 mph pitch routinely, setting up the young Arizona State hitters while pitching them backwards and keeping them guessing. He replicates his slot and release very well on the pitch, showing tight spin with late and hard tilt which had hitters reading fastball until the final few feet on its approach to the plate. 

Towards the end of his start Beck brought out the changeup to left-handed hitters, picking up back-to-back swings and misses on the 84 mph, pulling the strike to show a complete four pitch mix, all of which he’s capable of missing bats with. Both of Beck’s walks on the night came on full count offerings in which he went 3-2 slider then 3-2 changeup, proving his confidence in his stuff and overall command and with the career he has had in Palo Alto, it’s hard to argue against. 


Cam Dennie, RHP, Arizona State

With the push back of the MLB Draft a full month to the second week of July this year, some players were deemed eligible by their birthdate, some making it by mere hours while others fall just into the gap created by the change. Redshirt-freshman right-hander Cam Dennie fits into the latter category with a birthday at the beginning of August, turning 21 just prior to the cutoff for players to be eligible. Friday night provided a quick one inning look, albeit an impressive one in which he punched out two of the three batters he faced and picked up the win while bridging the gap to closer Will Levine who effectively slammed the door in the ninth. 

Athletically build with a wiry 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame, the Indiana native offers high-end arm speed and while it’s a higher effort operation and you could see him getting mistimed, Dennie was nothing but in sync, making for a difficult at-bat as his 24 strikeouts to nine walks in 14 1/3 innings suggest. Dennie faced off against just three batters but seemed to just be settling in, sitting 91-94 mph with his fastball which only played up given the frequency and conviction of which he threw his slider, an above average pitch with plus potential. 

While he showed the ability to run the fastball up on the hands of right-handed hitters some, Dennie ripped a couple sliders down and away to righties as well, getting them to swing over the mid-80s (peak 87 mph) offering. He has the comfort to double, even triple up, on the pitch and while the total package and operation is that of a reliever at the next level, there’s no denying the arm speed and what he’s capable of producing as his stats this spring suggest.  


Graham Osman, LHP, Arizona State
With a last second shakeup to the rotation and staff ace Tyler Thornton going later in the series against Stanford, redshirt freshman left-hander Graham Osman was tabbed the Friday night starter, though it was more of an “opening” role which he executed well. His 15 prior appearances on the season were all out of the bullpen with this start marking the first of his ASU career in which he went 3 innings, surrendering 3 runs on 3 hits with 3 strikeouts on the night. 

At a long limbed 6-foot-3, 183 pounds, it’s easy to dream on Osman physically as he looks the part of a high profile arm and while the operation itself is up-tempo with some effort and leads one to believe he may be a high leverage bullpen piece down the road, with the development of a third pitch a starting role isn’t unrealistic. Osman posted zeroes over his first two frames, working exclusively off his fastball-slider combo but when he rolled through the lineup for a second time, that’s when the damage came as he left a fastball over the middle of the middle to Tommy Troy and hung a slider to Christian Robinson, both of whom went out of Phoenix Municipal. 

Osman came out firing, attacking hitters from a lower three-quarters slot and a subtle bit of cross-fire in his lower half, operating in the 89-92 mph range with his fastball throughout, generating short life to his arm side when working down in the zone. He only walked one on the night and throughout the year has been more than effective for the Sun Devils, in part to his slider as it was an offering he leaned on frequently and was able to utilize as a chase pitch down in the zone, getting more than a couple of whiffs with it on the night. With a similar release to that of his fastball, Osman’s slider worked in the 80-84 mph range on the radar gun, occasionally getting sweepy in its finish, but nevertheless lived down in the zone aside from the one to Robinson and paired it nicely off of his heater.  

Though he’s not eligible this year, Osman is already on the radar of scouts in the area thanks to the size, arm speed and arsenal and the Colorado native will certainly be one to check back in on for next year’s Draft.


Cole Stupp, RHP, Kentucky

Stupp was dominant on the mound against Georgia Friday night. The right-hander stands at a lean 6-foot-4, proving to have upside on the hill. The overall operation is smooth and he does a good job repeating his delivery. He gets max velocity out of the fastball as he drives with the lower half and combines that with a whippy arm action. He still has room to add to the frame and the question will be if he can start at the next level. If he is to add weight to the frame and prove he can hold velocity, all signs point to him being able to make that next jump. 

The fastball was up into the low-90s early as he bumped a bunch of 91s before he settled down into the upper-80s. The heater shows nice arm-side run and he proved he could work it both in and out. He mixed in a tumbling changeup that had hard dive to it in the low-80s that he had total command of. He also mixed in a breaking ball showing depth with 11-to-5 break in the upper-70s that kept hitters off-balance. His arsenal isn't going to trick opposing hitters as he is strait forward with the approach. He makes batters swing the bat and he knows how to miss barrels while still giving up contact. 

Stupp ended his night going eight innings pitched as he got out of a jam late with a high fastball for a strike out to end his outing. He punched out eight on the night while giving up just one run on ten hits. The upside here is high as he has another year of school to continue to progress and he will be a name to follow going forward as we look to the 2022 draft.


Ryan Webb, LHP, Georgia
Webb has been a household name for Georgia as he has seen action all four years in Athens. The left-hander was on the hill against Kentucky and although the cards didn't fall his way, he was very solid on the bump. He doesn't have that bigger size that you see in today's game on the mound for starters, but make no mistake, he has the arsenal to get it done at the next level. He ran the fastball up into the low-90s early and stayed there for a majority of his outing. It's free and easy out of hand and you would think he would add a few more ticks to the fastball down the road. He mixed in a nasty pair of breaking balls that had hitters off-balance. The slider wasn't thrown as much but he really buried it to right-handed hitters on the back foot in the low-80s. The other breaking ball was showing depth as he got plenty of swing and miss with it in the upper-70s. He rounded the arsenal off with a fading changeup in the low-80s that had guys fanning over it. 

The pitchability here is what attracts most teams to Webb as he proved he could work counts and pitch around barrels. With his outings this spring, many speculate he will be drafted in the middle rounds as he still has upside and has a solid foundation of strong SEC starts. During his outing Friday night against Kentucky, he went 6 2/3 innings pitched as he punched out eight while only giving up five hits. More importantly, he only walked a single batter that was a hit by pitch on an inner half fastball. Look for him to continue to carry the Bulldogs this year and look out for his name being called this July. 

Brandon Walker, RHP, Florida State

Walker stands at a medium 6-foot-1, 190-pound build with strength and thickness to his lower half. The righty looked sharp on his one inning of relief versus Boston College. Walker fastball sat 91-94 mph and touched 95. In past viewings, the fastball command was an issue, but he actually commanded his heater quite well to all quadrants Friday night. He mixed in two separate breaking balls; a curveball at 78-79 mph and a slider in the low-80s. The Tallahassee native struggled to land either of them and lacked any feel for them in his inning of work. Walker’s breaking ball inconsistencies are purely mechanical. He has a very quick lower half that his long arm action has difficulty catching up to, leading to inconsistent release points. Walker flashes the stuff of a power back end of the bullpen arm but will need to sure up delivery and command issues before he steps into that role. Draft eligible in 2022, Walker will have time over the next issue to hone in on these.


Jack Anderson, RHP, Floria State

Anderson was dominant in his one inning of relief Friday night, striking out all three batters he faced. The Tampa native had full command of his fastball-slider combo. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound right-hander lived 90-92 mph with his fastball and pounded the corners with it. Anderson's slider was as good as I’ve seen it, staying on a low plane and tunneling very well off the heater. He worked off of these two pitches for the whole inning and did not need to use his change. Anderson employs an athletic and repeatable delivery with excellent tempo before releasing from an over the top slot. The righty has started midweek games on occasion in the past and flashed dominance. With very strong showing over his past few appearances, Anderson looks poised to take on a bigger role.


Joey Mancini, RHP, Boston College
Mancini, a junior out of Fairfield, Conn. stands at a medium 6-foot, 195-pound build. The right-hander sat 88-91 mph and bumped 92 with his heater. The fastball had moderate run when thrown to his arm side. Throughout the outing, Mancini struggled to command and control the pitch effectively, frequently allowing loud barrels on fastballs left up and over the plate. His best secondary pitch was his changeup that flashed late, heavy fade at 78-82 mph before he lost feel for the pitch in the third inning on. Mancini also threw a curveball that operated in the 75-77 mph range with medium depth, however, he never found feel for the pitch all night. Mancini is calm and composed on the mound, throwing from an athletic, free, and loose delivery. He employs a knee-to-waist leg kick before releasing with controlled energy toward home and a long, loose arm action.


Jonathan Cannon, RHP, Georgia
Cannon is the second half of one of the best 1-2 punches in the SEC as he got his usual Saturday night start. The right-hander stands at a physical 6-foot-6 and looks all the bit the part of a starter in the big leagues. He totes a big arm to go with the frame and although he doesn’t use the lower half exceptionally well, the upper half strength is enough to carry his velocity late into games.

He was up into the low to-mid-90s for the entirety of his outing as he topped out at 94 mph early. He proved he could move the heater around and was very confident going in and out. Cannon went to a cut fastball quite often as it flashed late run in the mid-80s. The slider wasn’t much different from the cutter as it was more horizontal than vertical, but it was a bit slower in the low-80s. He rarely went to a changeup, but he did prove he could locate and get swing-and-miss with it.

The arsenal here combined with the experience will be enough for Cannon to hear his name called in the draft this July. It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that he projects as a starter in the long run with his size and abilities to maintain velocity late into outings. He ended up going 4 1/3 while striking out four and giving up six hits as he was dominant on the mound.


Holt Jones, RHP, Kentucky
Jones physically stands out on the mound as he is 6-foot-8 and looks even bigger on the hill. We have seen him in the past as the senior was once at Clemson and now makes appearances out of the bullpen for Kentucky. The size here is his biggest advantage and although he doesn't get fully extended down the mound, it still looks like he's throwing from 54 feet. The levers can be deceptive here as he utilizes a full arm strong before releasing from a higher slot. You could see he was comfortable in a tight spot as years of experience kicked in once thrown into the action.  

He served up a good bit of fastballs as he pounded the zone for just the one inning of action he saw late in the game. He sat in the low-90s and bumped a handful of 93s. He rarely went to a breaking ball that shows 11-to-5 spin in the upper-70s and he proved he can command the breaker. In his only inning of work, he gave up a base knock and walked one, but he shows upside out of the bullpen going forward. You may hear his name called in later rounds of the draft as the frame is enough to entice pitching staffs around the country.


Ben Harris, LHP, Georgia

Harris entered late in the action in a tough spot and was as calm as you could ask for. The left-hander has been in plenty of tough spots and that is a big draw for orgs at the next level who are looking to add a left-handed reliever. He isn’t big in stature and that works to his advantage as he hides the baseball with natural deception. The arm action is whippy, and he isn’t afraid to let it eat. He ran the fastball up into the low-90s and proved he could work all four quadrants with it.

The big question here is if he will be able to command the breaking ball. At times, the breaker shows sharp spin and big depth with 1-to-7 movements, but the command is an issue. He left the first one of the night short of the plate. This wasn’t a common theme though, he proved he could land it for strikes at times and when he did, he got swing and miss. The consistency is going to be the determining factor for his draft stock. He also threw one changeup that was left down in the zone, but it seems to be something he is working on.

Harris ended up going 4 1/3 as he threw his career high in innings and also bested his strike out total with six. He gave up three hits on one walk before being pulled with an out left in the game. The upside here is big as he has total command of his stuff and is a proven gamer in the ever so strong SEC.

Emmet Sheehan, RHP, Boston College

Sheehan is a bit of a pop-up arm this spring. The right-hander stands at a tall 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame with a high waist and some present strength. Sheehan’s fastball sat in the 92-95 mph range and was up to 97 with moderate arm side run. It was easy gas, as he threw from a low effort delivery with a half arm circle before releasing from a high-3/4 slot. Sheehan also mixed in a curveball and changeup. The curveball was soft at 73-76 and lacked bite. It had medium depth but broke early and is easy to read early. Sheehan’s changeup operated in the low-80s and was mostly straight.

Sheehan tended to leave his fastball high which elicited some loud barrels. The righty held his velocity through three innings before dropping a touch into to the low-90’s in the fourth inning on. Along with the velocity went his overall command of the pitch, causing him to have to lean on his secondaries. Sheehan has a good fastball but will need to further develop his secondaries to stick in a starting role. At the moment, the Connecticut projects as a hard throwing reliever.


Sean Harney, RHP, Kentucky
Harney was on the hill Saturday night and although he got off to rough start giving up a three-run homer in the first, he settled down nicely and was dominant from there on out. Not the biggest guy on paper but he projects as a bullpen guy at the next level with his arsenal and grit on the mound.
 
The arm action is smooth here and he utilizes simple drop and drive mechanics as he stays online to the dish. He ran the fastball up into the low-90s early before settling down right around that 90-mph number. He did a good job of staying behind the baseball upon release as he delivered from a higher slot while proving he could generate backspin. His breaking ball was short in depth and he got it to move horizontally late. He was around the zone for the majority of his outing, and he made the opposing team swing the bats.

In his outing, he went 4 2/3 innings as he gave up five hits and struck out nine. He also only walked one batter, further proving his ability to get outs at the next level. Starting in the future isn’t out of question but all signs point to his career coming out of the bullpen down the road.
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