2017 WWBA Underclass World Championship: Daily Leaders | Day 1 Notes
Standing at a long and lean 6-foot-8, 185-pounds, Cain Tatum (2019, Dacula, Ga.) embodies the word ‘projection,’ though you don’t have to look too far into the future to see what the future Georgia Bulldog brings to the table. Tatum, who’s currently ranked 269th in the class of 2019, took the hill for Team Elite and worked clean frames in his two-plus innings of work and managed to punch out six in that span while inducing weak contact off the barrel.
The first thing one thinks when you hear the combination of “underclassman” and “6-foot-8 frame” is the inability for that particular pitcher to repeat his mechanics, a fair assumption given the age and length and still trying to figure out one’s body. That’s not something that fairly depicts Tatum on the mound as he works with a fairly simple delivery, one with limited moving parts with all things considered, allowing for plenty of strikes while staying loose and easy with his arm stroke.
In this particular look Tatum ran his fastball up to 89 mph and lived very comfortable in the mid-80s, repeatedly flashing 86s and 87s early in the contest while locating down in the zone. His heater shows short running life with some angle when spotting to his glove side and there’s plenty of reason to believe additional velocity is en route given his physical projection and continued implementation of lower half in his drive to the plate. He worked mostly off his heater, flashing a changeup and slider both in the mid-70s with maintained arm speed with short life to either.
Up to 90 mph with his fastball just a couple of weeks ago at LakePoint, righthander Luke Daniel (2020, Muscle Shoals, Ala.) didn’t quite show that type of velocity on Friday afternoon but he did top out at 88 mph and certainly appears to have more left in the tank moving forward. Daniel, who’s already committed to Auburn and currently ranked 155th in the class of 2020, possesses a strong 6-foot-3, 205-pound build with broad shoulders and figures to only grow stronger moving forward.
Working with a full arm stroke through the back side, Daniel did a nice job of getting on top of the ball while generating extension out front which in turn allowed him to live down in the zone with his heater with short sinking life. He lived comfortably in the 84-87 mph range and will only continue to see additional velocity gains as he begins getting more directional with his lower half and driving off his backside. While he was able to get ahead with his fastball and worked in the lower-third well early on, Daniel also went to a mid-70s slider as his go-to secondary, a pitch that would occasionally show depth from getting under the pitch, but also offered tilting life away from righthanded hitters.
James Tibbs (2021, Marietta, Ga.) has been highlighted in recaps before and throughout the summer for his lefthanded swing, something he put on display once again in his team’s opening game by going 2-for-3 at the plate for the East Cobb Astros. Strongly built at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds, college coaches have already noted his loose lefthanded swing, and though he’ll tend to get onto his front side early, he shows a nice handle for the barrel and strength to his hands as he twice worked the middle of the field for a single and double. Tibbs is currently ranked 45th in the class of 2021 and shows athleticism in the outfield, making him a strong follow for coaches moving forward.
The game of baseball always seems to work in certain ways, like if a player makes a web-gem type play, it’s only natural that he comes to the plate in the next half inning and does something loud with the bat. Well, that holds true for second baseman Eric Brown (2019, Bossier City, La.) as he made perhaps one of the best defensive plays of the tournament thus far showing lots of range on a shallow pop fly in right field and covered plenty of ground before fully extended to make the grab and take away a base hit. Not overly physical at 5-foot-10, 170-pounds, Brown stepped to the plate and in his next at-bat did a nice job of keeping his weight back on a curveball and spun on it for a double that one-hopped the wall as part of a 2-for-3 day in which he also plated two runs.
At 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, righthander Joseph Charles (2019, Celebration, Fla.) immediately catches your attention for his frame and athleticism on the diamond, even if he isn’t on the mound where he works consistently in the low-90s. On Friday night Charles showed off with the bat, rather than with his right arm, and the results were impressive nonetheless as his lone hit of the game was a loud double which he smoked into the right-center field gap. There are undoubtedly hitting tools there for Charles as he shows quick, strong hands with leverage to his path and not once, but twice, just missed connecting out for a long home run as he was slightly out front and hooked two balls just foul down the line. Charles’ ability on the mound will keep him there long-term, but he also shows legitimate hitting tools and should be followed with the bat as well.
Listed as a primary outfielder on his Perfect Game profile, lefthander Raymond Trey LaFleur (2019, Pensacola, Fla.) put his abilities on display yesterday from the bump, and if his bat is as impressive as his left arm, then Ole Miss has a true two-way talent on their hands. A rather recent commit to the Rebels, Lafleur closed things out for the MLB Breakthrough squad with a pair of clean innings in which he struck four along the way.
Lafleur certainly has the size one looks for in a young pitcher at 6-foot-3, 183-pounds and with a fairly simple, online delivery and easy release he managed to pound the lower third of the strike zone regularly. Working to a high three-quarters slot, Lafleur lived on top of the baseball to help generate consistent plane to the knees on a fastball that bumped 88 mph throughout and lived in the 85-87 range with the feel to locate to either side of the plate. It was an impressive first look as the ball comes out clean and easy, though he’ll have to continue to tighten up his breaking ball in the mid-70s, which could develop into a quality second pitch moving forward.
Sanson Faltine III (2019, Richmond, Texas) has built up a reputation throughout the summer circuit as one of the more consistent arms and he didn’t do anything to deviate from that notion Friday afternoon. Over four innings of work for the MLB Breakthrough team Faltine simply overpowered the opposing batters with his fastball and pumped the strike zone with both of his pitches, racking up eight strikeouts along the way.
Built like a primary shortstop (which he’s listed as) at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, the young Texas commit shows plenty of twitch and overall looseness to his frame, a couple of things that bode well for his consistent success on the mound. With a full and quick arm action Faltine managed to run his fastball up to 90 mph while creating plane to the bottom of the zone with short running life. He does an excellent job of repeating his mechanics and release point for a secondary pitcher and missed plenty of bats over his four frames, including in the third inning where he threw nine pitches for nine strikes and recorded three strikeouts.
It wasn’t until the fourth inning that Faltine allowed his first hit of the game as he managed to keep the batters off balance with a 73-75 mph slider that offered tight rotation and late tilting life away from hitters. He often went to the pitch with two strikes on the opposing hitter, and more often than not he executed the pitch whether is was for a swinging third strike or one caught looking.
Nasim Nunez (2019, Lawrenceville, Ga.) might not be one of the bigger players on the MLB Breakthrough roster at 5-foot-9, 155-pounds, but he does possess some of the loudest tools when taking the field and it’s an overall package that the Clemson Tigers coaching staff is happy to have locked up. Wound with fast-twtich muscle, Nunez shows legitimate defensive actions up the middle where he should continue to stick, showing range to either side with soft hands and arm strength that will challenge any other middle infielder in the tournament. A switch-hitter, Nunez showed plenty of quickness to his hands from the right side as well as the ability to drive the ball just as he did with his triple to the opposite field gap, showing jump off the barrel and a speed component to his game that allowed him to motor into third base with ease.
Shortstop Drew Grace (2019, Orwingsburg, Pa.) started up the middle for Team Elite and led off, as his talents have already been well established with a commitment to Kentucky secured as a part of their strong 2019 class. Listed at 6-foot, 170-pounds, Grace immediately made an impression with his first swing of the game, showing a loose, fluid swing path early in the count to pick up a crisp single the opposite way, displaying a feel for the barrel as part of his 2-for-3 day at the plate. He then featured his hands and showed them off defensively with a clean pick of the backhand on a sharply hit ground ball before showing a strong and easy arm across the diamond, which should continue to play well from the left side.
– Jheremy Brown
Just under a two hour rain delay halted the start of the Flood City Elite-Connolly game but that didn’t stop Brian Yetter (2020, MvVeytown, Pa.) from having an impressive outing on the mound. His fastball worked in the 83-85 mph range that he maintained well, peaking as high as 87 in the first inning. The ball comes out from a tighter arm action that slightly wraps around the backside to a high three-quarters arm slot. The young 6-foot-1, 203-pound righthander has a big frame and a fluid delivery. He still has growing left to do as well as he is still only a sophomore. The start was very impressive early as he only allowed one hit, but he did struggle later as he seemed to get tired in the fifth inning. His secondary pitches were solid as well as he showed a tumbling changeup in the upper-70s and a low-70s curveball that shows potential. Yetter is an interesting follow as he continues to develop and grow physically.
There were two hitters in KBC Underclass Prime’s 15-0 run-rule win that stood out physically and swinging the bat, as Clay Brock (2019, Liberty Township, Ohio) and Jaxson Davis (2021, Winchester, Ky.) each were impressive in their own ways.
Brock is a gap-to-gap lefthanded hitter with some power potential in the swing. He has present strength in his 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame and showed the ability to make loud contact Friday. With a patient approach, Brock waits for his pitch to hit and did a good job of doing so on this day, drawing two walks as well. Brock is a primary pitcher with potential at the plate.
Davis is coming off of a strong showing at 14u National Showcase as he impressed both as an outfielder and on the mound. He is still very young with plenty of room to fill and grow. A righthanded hitter, Davis is very athletic with advanced arm strength and plate discipline, showing that he can swing the bat even playing up two age groups in competition as he hit a hard groundball to left field for a single in the first inning. Davis has a mostly compact swing with the ability to spray the ball to all fields.
Philip Abner (2021, Charlotte, N.C.) started for SBA Canes Marucci and was impressive early on in the outing. The physical lefthander stands at 6-foot, 190-pounds with plenty of projection to fill out more. His fastball sat in the 86-88 mph range early, touching 89 once, and while the pitch is mostly straight, it did show signs of occasional cut. Abner pitched exclusively from the stretch but seemed to struggle when runners were on base and the velocity dipped as well. His mechanics are mostly clean with a slight crossfire delivery. The arm really works through a loose and full arm action to a high three-quarters arm slot. The delivery is pretty effortless too with more velocity potentially in the tank with even more added strength. Abner also showed a 12-to-6 curveball that showed good downward action in the 75-77 mph range. He also flashed an 80 mph changeup. Being so young makes Abner even more appealing as the uncommitted southpaw has a very high ceiling.
Tim McHugh (2019, Commack, N.Y.) is very physically gifted. With immensely broad shoulders and strong hands, Mchugh has big-time bat speed and raw power potential. Mchugh is committed to TCU, and though he may not have recorded a hit in Friday’s game, his physicality, swing, and raw bat speed really stood out. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder really projects and is a fun player to watch anytime he stands in the batter’s box. He has a high ceiling especially if he continues to make consistent barreled contact.
Isaac Nunez (2019, Orlando, Fla.) is well known for his defensive abilities and those same fluid actions and soft infield hands were on display again Friday. Nunez showed potential with the bat as well as he stroked a double to left field that one-hopped the outfield fence. He has a fluid and balanced swing with a leg kick trigger that was on time in both at-bats that led to a pair of base hits. The Florida commit is ranked 28th in the 2019 class per Perfect Game and he showed why in Friday’s contest.
– Gregory Gerard
Missouri commit Jalen Greer (2019, Chicago, Ill.) played a big role in leading the Top Tier Americans to victory in their 10 a.m. contest. Greer has an athletic, lean build with long limbs. He moves very well at short, making all the plays and showcased soft hands. Greer has an aggressive approach at the plate and also displayed some toughness, taking a ball in the stomach, but showed no signs of pain and jogged easily down to first base. He has a simple, balanced swing and very quick hands that produce good bat speed. He hit a hard ground ball single to right field that brought in two runs in the second inning. Greer’s strength is also his weakness. He has exceptionally strong trust in his hands and has a smooth path to the baseball, but that sometimes leads him to let the ball to get deep causing weak groundball contact in the infield. But this is a timing issue that can easily be fixed as he progresses in his career.
Dan Blomgren (2019, Milton, Wis.) was hot at the plate today going 3-for-3 (with a double and a triple) with 3 RBI, a walk and two runs scored. Blomgren has a medium, athletic frame with plenty room to grow and get stronger. He hits with a spread stance and a long, uppercut swing. Blomgren does a great job of guiding his swing with his back hand, getting under the ball perfectly and consistently, creating quality leverage in his swing and swinging on a line drive plane. He is a University of Michigan commit.
The South Charlotte Panthers have a very solid team and won by a score of 8-0 on Friday. Clemson commit J.D. Brock (2019, Davidson, N.C.) and North Carolina commit Caleb Cozart (2019, High Point, N.C.) contributed heavily to their team’s success as Brock went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Cozart went 1-for-3 with a two-run blast.
Brock has a long, lean frame with a physical presence. He has a very fluid swing and produces hard, loud contact each time his bat connects with ball. Brock also showed he can utilize his lower half and maintain solid body control on the pitch in the lower half of the strike zone, as he went and hit a low fastball for a hard line drive single in the later innings of the game.
Cozart showcased his power as he takes huge swings at the plate and the ball travels far when he connects. He hits with a open stance and takes a small stride to the pitcher and loads his hands back as the ball is coming to the plate. He uses every bit of his large frame and big upper body and does a great job of hitting off his backside, causing great power transfer from his hips and lower half to create consistent power and pop at the plate.
Tyler Griggs (2019, Fairpoint, N.Y.) had a hot bat for L & M Baseball as he went 2-for-2 with a double, two RBI and a walk. Griggs has a patient approach and hits with a slightly open stance and hands over the plate, pulling his hands closer to his body as the pitcher commits to home plate. He has a balanced swing, and with a two-handed uppercut finish that creates quality lift in his swing he showcased some solid pop on his pull side as he hit two line drives to right field. Griggs is a UConn commit.
Bobby Zmarzlak (2019, Stamford, Conn.) is a talented outfielder and Maryland commit with a long, athletic frame. He’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 195-pounds with room to grow stronger. Zmarzlak possesses a very powerful, clean swing with above average bat speed and plenty strength at the point of contact. His hand path to the baseball is very direct and smooth, and he put it on display on Friday, hitting a long two-run home run in the second inning that was a part of a long six-run inning for The Clubhouse Elite. He hits with a closed stance and leg lift trigger and lets his hands and hips do most of the work.
Jake Deleo (2019, Norwalk, Conn.) also was a big part of the Clubhouse Elite win as he went 2-for-3 with five RBI, a double, a triple and two runs scored. Deleo has a physical presence and strong frame, with a hard, line drive swing as he laced line drives to the fence with both hits.
The Chicago Scouts Association has some interesting young players that show great potential and promise with development. One of those players is righthander George Klassen (2020, Port Washington, Wis.).
Klassen has a small frame but a big arm that works well as he’s able to whip around very quickly in a three-quarters arm slot. With his arm action and body there is plenty of room to grow stronger and still develop, and it’s easy to envision a velocity jump forthcoming as he is currently listed at just 6-foot and 150 pounds. His fastball topped out at 85 and was quick and showed good life and he paired that with a quality curveball with good 11-to-5 break and medium depth with tight spin. The pitch consistently broke away from righthanded hitters that froze them as it started off at their hip and fell right over to the inside part of the strike zone. Klassen also gets very good extension to the plate and there were plenty eyes on him in his start.
Another standout for the Chicago Scouts Association was Michael Seegers (2020, Oconomowoc, Wis.) who went 3-for-3 with two RBI and handles the shortstop position very well. He showed some range making a backhanded stop in the early innings of the game and also showed a good ability to easily read hops and field the ball out front. Seegers has a balanced swing and is on time consistently with a good ability to barrel the baseball. He has a medium frame and will continue to grow stronger as he progresses in his baseball career.
– Brandon Lowe
The Clubhouse Elite got Day 2 of the WWBA Underclass World Championship started on the right foot as they downed the BigStix Gamers 5-3 in the first time slot. There were some impressive hitting performances including that of Elon commit Stephen Paolini (2019, Fairfield, Conn.). The lefthanded hitter showed a loose, extended swing path and was able to control the barrel well out in front of the plate. He notched two hits on the morning, including a double later in the game and an early single to the pull side of the field. The three-hole hitter is athletic in the box with looseness to his hands and can cover the plate well. The athleticism also stands out for Paolini, listed at a lean 6-foot-2 and 180-pounds, with the requisite arm strength to play right field and also added a stolen base.
Game 2 over at the Lee County Player Development Complex featured two arms in the upper-80s as righthanders Cameron Hansen (2019, Hendersonville, Tenn.) and Jake Gigliotti (2019, Paxton, Mass.) squared off.
Hansen has a very large and physical frame, listed at 6-foot-5 and 230-pounds, with broad shoulders and the projectable frame to add a ton of velocity as he continues to develop. The arm action was longer through the back but created good whip on the arm through the path. He would feature a pretty standard delivery to start with a slight gather over the rubber in order to explode through his lower half and get good push off the mound. Hansen worked primarily from a two-pitch mix of his fastball and curveball. The fastball worked in the 83-86 mph range throughout while topping out on the day at 87. The pitch showed good sinking life when working low in the strike zone but was otherwise true in life. The curveball was a big out pitch for Hansen, working in the low-70s with tight 10-to-5 shape and quality depth to the offering.
Gigliotti battled some command issues early on in the game but settled in to toss a quality performance. The uncommitted Massachusetts native reached as high as 88 mph early in the game and was able to work his fastball in the 85-87 range early on. The arm action was full through the back and he was able to get on top of the fastball very well early on in the game. The extension and follow through are a bit limited but the arm works well and consistently worked to the bottom of the strike zone with the fastball. Gigliotti featured a hard slider working in the 76-78 mph range with short, tight break to the offering. The righthander got stronger as the game went on as after the first inning he was able to utilize both pitches to induce swings and misses. With added fluidity and extension he would be able to clean up some issues, but regardless the arm talent on the profile is real.
Batting leadoff for the Royals Scout Team Marcus Smith (2019, Kansas City, Kan.) showed off good speed and athleticism from the role. The Michigan commit is a feature piece on the squad and can do so many things from the leadoff spot, including, perhaps most importantly, getting on base. The lefthanded hitter has good raw bat speed and utilizes his speed well throughout his game, including getting really athletic and quick jumps out of the box upon contact. He beat out an infield single in his first at-bat of the game and turned in a 4.00-second time to first and got out of the batter’s box almost instantaneously upon the point of contact. There is good, raw bat speed to the profile that works well now to be able to spray liners to all parts of the field and it will be interesting to see how often he decides to turn the barrel over as there is strength to the frame. Defensively, Smith played center field well with good reads and jumps on fly balls.
One of the younger players of the event, Asdin Santiago (2020, Miramar, Fla.), is only 15 and four months, yet displayed projectable tools on the mound. The 6-foot-3, 160-pound frame is very thin and lean with a young face and extremely long limbs, indicative of potential huge velocity jumps as he continues to grow into his body. Santiago worked up to 87 mph in the game for Broward Baseball Academy and tossed four strong innings.
Santiago’s arm action is wrapped through the backside, however the arm is quick enough to get through consistently on the time and leaves room for more projection in terms of velocity. The fastball worked mostly in the 82-85 mph range throughout the performance but had good natural dive to the pitch, which was helpful in inducing groundball contact. Santiago would mix in a short slider in the low-70s with softer break to the pitch but good overall projection to it. Santiago has a strong foundation of tools on the bump and should only improve on the mound as he continues to get stronger and fill out.
Turning in an excellent performance at City of Palms on Friday afternoon was righthander Ryan Keeley (2019, Warrenville, Ill.), and the yet uncommitted arm showed some of the easiest velocity of the day. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound prospect is immensely physical with good, well-proportioned strength throughout the frame and very good arm speed on the profile.
The delivery itself is a bit exaggerated, but he works through it quickly with a good tempo and fires down the mound with the requisite drive off the mound. The fastball worked up to 89 mph early on and sat in the 85-88 range for the duration of the performance. Besides the velocity, what stood out about the fastball was the amount of life that the pitch had out of the hand. Keeley was able to get a ton of swings and misses due to the late movement on the pitch.
Keeley attacked with fastballs for the majority of his performance, only flashing a slider later on in the outing. The profile is a strong one with good arm speed and a quick arm path to release, however, he will have to refine his secondaries a bit or at least throw them more often.
Texas Christian commit Will Frisch (2019, Stillwater, Minn.) impressed a week ago at the Kernels Qualifier in Iowa and did so again in the heat of Florida on Friday. The strong righthander, listed at 6-foot-1 and 205-pounds, has a very simple and balanced delivery that is easy to repeat and doesn’t have too many extraneous moving parts.
Frisch retains his velocity very well and sat at 87-90 mph while topping out at 91 mph for the duration of his performance on Friday. The Minnesota native’s arm action was pretty loose with a simple and compact arm path to release. He attacked hitters with his fastball and also showed very good confidence in his breaking ball. The pitch varied in terms of true shape but was best when he threw it as a curveball with tighter 10-to-5 break. The pitch would dive out of the strike zone down and to the arm side and Frisch could also throw the pitch for strikes.
The slider-like shape of the breaker was good at getting chases out of the strike zone to righthanded hitters and he also flashed a changeup in the mid-70s. Frisch throws with such little effort and already has a very good feel for pitching, which is why he is ranked 101st in the class of 2019.
– Vinnie Cervino
The Tri-State Arsenal had the perfect starter for their first game of the event in lefthander Shawn Rapp (2019, Mendham, N.J.), who showed no signs of first game nerves in throwing six shutout innings and leading the Arsenal to a 8-0 win Friday morning. But as this was Rapp's 22nd appearance at a Perfect Game showcase or tournament, one would figure he's comfortable on the mound with a crowd of college coaches watching.
Rapp comes at hitters from multiple arm angles ranging from standard three-quarters to submarine and loses very little in terms of raw stuff when he drops lower. He topped out at 85 mph from the higher slot with a quick and loose arm that projects well on Rapp's 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. His best slot was a low three-quarters release point that gave his fastball outstanding run and sink and caused many a righthanded hitter to wave at pitches outside the zone. Rapp relied mostly on his fastball this outing but has shown an advanced changeup and solid curveball in the past. He has no college commitment listed in the PG database.
Arsenal left fielder Mike Guzzardo (2019, Mullica, N.J.) impressed with a strong and short lefthanded swing and his overall approach at the plate. He hits from a spread stance with no real stride into contact but is physically strong at 6-foot, 195-pounds and gets a nice shift with his hips to drive his swing. Guzzardo showed the ability to see lots of pitches and work counts, then explode his hands to the ball aggressively. He looks like he's going to be a high average, high on-base type of player at the next level, which for Guzzardo will be at Campbell.
Matt Orlando (2019, Marlton, N.J.) is the Arsenal's leadoff hitter and shortstop and seems to excel in both roles. He has sure and quick hands at shortstop defensively and plenty of raw arm strength and will likely stay at the position at the next level. Orlando also showed above average speed underway on the bases this game and has a sound hit to all fields approach at the plate. He is committed to Maryland.
East Coast Lumberjacks 2019 righthander Ben Kovel (2019, Merrick, N.Y.) turned in strong effort Friday morning, throwing a seven inning complete game, allowing only three hits and striking out 10 but finished with a no decision as the Lumberjacks played to a 1-1 tie with the Gamers 17u. Kovel topped out at 87 mph early, with his best pitch being a 74-77 mph slider that was a sharp swing-and-miss pitch at times. Kovel looks more physical than his listed 6-foot-1, 185-pounds but his arm is loose and easy from a three-quarters arm slot and he could well end up throwing hard in the future.
5-Star National Dobbs righthander Dylan Eskew (2019, Tampa, Fla.) has a Zach Greinke-type build and a very smooth and low effort delivery, with his fast right arm coming through in perfect sync with his lower half. He generated a 87-90 mph fastball from a high three-quarters arm slot for three innings in 5-Star's 8-0 win Friday afternoon, striking out five hitters. Eskew's fastball is pretty straight but he spotted it well to both sides of the plate at the bottom of the zone and if anything was guilty of nibbling a bit when behind in counts and still trying to hit corners when challenging the hitters with his firm stuff might have been more efficient. Eskew threw both a curveball and changeup, with his curveball flashing plus power and bite at 78 mph. He is a Miami commit.
Eskew's teammate, righthander Kendall Williams (2019, Olive Branch, Miss.), is a fascinating athlete at 6-foot-6, 185-pounds, although a strong core and thighs make him look more like 200 pounds. He played third base on Friday and was impressively graceful and athletic for such a tall young athlete on defense and swung the bat well, too. He's been up to 90 on the mound at previous events and is the 117th-ranked player in the 2019 class, so we're looking forward to him pitching later in the championship.
5-Star outfielder Jonathan Ponder (2020, Lawrenceville, Ga.) is the opposite of Williams, listed at 5-foot-11, 140-pounds and looking somewhat shorter than that to the eye. He's a switch-hitter with lots of young quick-twitch actions and turned on a fastball up in the zone righthanded during one at-bat and drove a ball well over the left fielder's head for a triple, showing off his speed in addition to surprising pop.
The Team Ohio Pro Select versus Team Georgia/MBA 17u Gold game was an outstanding pitching matchup, with Team Ohio winning 2-0 on a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Lefthander Jonathan Blackwell (2019, Hurricane, W.Va.), a Coastal Carolina commit, was outstanding against a big and strong Team Georgia lineup, throwing five shutout innings, striking out eight and allowing only two hits. Blackwell was up to 89 mph from a low effort, somewhat cross the body delivery and a high thre-quarters arm slot that created plenty of angle. His fastball had nice running action away from righthanded hitters, who couldn't lean out over the plate to reach it or they'd get off balance for Blackwell's 77 mph swing-and-miss hammer curveball.
Team Georgia started catcher Logan Tanner (2019, Lucedale, Miss.), the 134th-ranked player in the 2019 class, and he showed outstanding arm strength and command on the mound, throwing only 25 pitches in two innings and working in the 88-92 mph range consistently at the bottom of the strike zone. Tanner has a very strong catcher's build at 6-foot-1, 210-pounds but loose actions on the mound and sound mechanics for a secondary pitcher. He definitely has a future on the mound if he doesn't stay behind the plate.
The only hard contact Tanner allowed, and just about the only contact with five strikeouts in his two innings, was a ringing double to the left field fence by Team Ohio center fielder Mackenzie Wainright (2020, Aurora, Ohio). Wainright is an impressive looking 6-foot-1, 185-pound athlete with square, strong shoulders and very good projectability to go with his present bat speed.
Tanner was followed on the mound by lefthander Daniel Rokose (2019, Chattahoochee, Ga.), who was just as impressive with three dominant shutout innings, including six strikeouts. Rokose has a very deceptive delivery that hides the ball from hitters very well and his 86-88 mph fastball seemed to get on hitters just as fast as Tanner's heat, causing lots of late and futile swings. Rokose threw a mid-70s slider that was late and tight when he released it aggressively out front, although he sometimes babied it a bit. He doesn't have a present commitment but should have an ample choice of schools interesting in his talents.
– David Rawnsley
The Canes 17u club got off to a 1-0 start on Friday morning, taking a 7-0 decision from the Illinois Indians. Sam Highfill (2019, Apex, N.C.), a primary third baseman, got the start on the mound for the Canes and was solid in his two innings of work. He ran his fastball up to 84 mph with a good amount of sink, working the pitch to both sides of the plate and in essence being content to just challenge with the fastball and not mess around. He’s effective at varying his arm slot as well, working between a lower three quarters to near sidearm slot and a more traditional high three quarters, but still retains his command/control as well as velocity when he does so. He threw 30 pitches across two inning as the Canes built their lead.
Tyler Kehoe (2019, Prospect Park, Pa.) got everything started for the Canes early on, doubling loudly to the right-center field gap to lead off the game before eventually coming around to score, then adding another double later in the game. There’s pretty significant lefthanded bat-to-ball skills to his profile here, with the ability to stay compact to the zone and long through it with the barrel while driving the ball into the air, showing easy extra-base pop right now with rather significant power projection as he continues to mature. The South Carolina commit fits well at the top of the lineup and has the offensive acumen and potential to be a middle-of-the-order presence in the future.
The Indiana Bulls Black ran their record to 2-0 with back-to-back wins on Friday, starting with a 1-0 victory over IMG Academy in what was quite the pitcher’s duel. Shane Harris (2019, New Harmony, Ind.) got the start and was utterly dominant in his five innings, scattering two hits and two walks while racking up 10 punchouts. Harris is committed to Louisville and certainly looks the part of a future flamethrower with an athletic, projectable build that could easily stand to gain a good amount of weight and strength along with a very fast, loose arm. There’s some delivery cleanup to be done but it’s hard to question either the stuff or the upside as they exist right now.
Harris worked his fastball up to 88 mph, sitting in the 84-87 mph range for most of his start, consistently finding the bottom of the strike zone with the pitch and pounding strikes. There’s significant arm-side life to the fastball as well. He’s able to get on top of the fastball from a high three-quarters arm slot and really pound downhill, which in turn helps set up the eventual effectiveness of his breaking ball. He throws his curveball in the mid-70s and generates significant sharpness to the two-plane shape of the pitch, though the overall shape can get a little slurvy. Regardless, that can all be cleaned up with relative ease and the overall feel to spin the baseball exists at present in such a way that it’s encouraging to think what the breaking ball may end up looking like.
Over the course of their two games the potential of Bryce Eblin (2020, Center Grove, Ind.) was impressive. He collected three hits over those two games, handling the bat well and showing flashes of being able to manipulate the barrel through the zone. He’s an early commit to Purdue in the class of 2020, and looks like he’s got a chance to be a centerpiece of that class, as the lefthanded hitter has a real chance to be an impact bat at the next level as he continues to get stronger and drive the baseball more and more.
Cooper Williams (2019, McCordsville, Ind.) closed out the second win of the day for the Bulls and did so in an efficient, impressive fashion, working a perfect final inning, recording two strikeouts. He just pounded the zone at 84-86 mph with heavy sink and came right after opposing hitters with some serious bulldog mentality, something that will serve the Xavier commit well throughout the rest of his playing days.
A little later on Friday afternoon the On Deck O’s fell to FTB Tucci Rodriguez by a score of 2-1, a very fun game to watch as neither team wanted to give in. John Miralia (2020, Charlotte, N.C.) got the start for On Deck and ultimately took the loss, though he only allowed a single earned run.
Maralia has generated a little buzz as the young lefthander stands 6-foot-6, and though he weighs in the 210-pound range already, he has significant physical projection remaining thanks in part to his broad shoulders and long limbs. There exists significant upside on the mound as well as Maralia does a fair job controlling his significant length and subsequently repeating his slightly crossfire delivery, getting his arm up on time and doing a pretty good job throwing strikes and really extending through his release. His fastball worked 80-84 mph for most of his outing, with solid arm-side life complementing the heater. He showed feel for shaping his curveball well, and as he learns to trust it and throw it with more intent it should in turn become a very good pitch for him.
Later on Friday night, the Scorpions 2019 Prime team got their first win of the event via a 9-1 decision over the Northeast Hurricanes. Brendan Herrick (2019, Riverview, Fla.) came on in relief and ended up throwing the final 3 1/3 innings for the Scorps and didn’t allow a hit, walking two and racking up five strikeouts. He’s a compactly-built righthander with very good strength throughout his frame, working his fastball up to 88 mph and powering the ball downhill, managing to create plane when down in the zone. He did a very good job commanding the zone, for the most part, allowing his defense to work behind him at times by keeping the ball on the ground, and really just attacking hitters with an 83-87 mph heater. He worked in a slurvy curveball that has the makings of sharpness and did show the ability to throw a changeup as well, making him an intriguing 2019 presently uncommitted player to follow.
– Brian Sakowski