Labor Day East Classic Scout Notes: Day 1 & 2
Turning in a stellar start on Monday morning for X Team was southpaw Pavlos Piperakis (2023, Pembroke Pines, Fla.) as he cruised to a complete game shutout needing only 59 pitches and pounding the strike zone while doing so. The lefthanded pitcher is an athletic prospect with a high waist and a ton of room to fill out. The delivery is fairly simple with a well-controlled operation, clean arm stroke, and some deception created through release. Piperakis’ fastball topped out at 81 mph on the game and sat in the upper-70's for the majority of the outing and he dotted the fastball to either side of the plate with intent. Piperakis held his velocity well in the 75-78 mph range, touching higher numbers in the last frame when he was on the verge of the shutout. The breaking ball was a quality offering in the upper-60's with downer shape and made for a nice one-two punch. The stuff was solid and his command was terrific as he was in control from the word go.
During Lightning 15u’s victory on Monday morning, Michael Bollinger (2023, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) launched two doubles and showed some intriguing power upside. The righthanded hitter has impressive physicality for a younger prospect with a 5-foot-11, 190 pound frame that he uses well to impact the baseball when he gets extended. The swing path gets long at times but his hip rotation and wrist strength allow for carry to the pull side on fly balls. The first double was a deep drive that burned the left fielder and the following double was a similar fly ball that carried deep to the pull side. He’s certainly showed the ability to ambush fastballs and the strength long term will be intriguing to follow.
The first half of a combined no-hitter, Trey Wilson (2023, Valrico, Fla.) was in control from the first pitch of the game as the projectable righthanded pitcher showed a very strong two-pitch mix that kept hard hit contact away all game long. Wilson is an athletic and projectable 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with a compact delivery and plenty of room to add strength down the line. The righthander’s delivery is simple and efficient as he strides online with a compact delivery and natural cut on his fastball. The fastball worked 82-84 mph in the early going and he got a substantial amount of swing-and-miss on the pitch when elevated up in the zone. He didn’t need his curveball often but the pitch showed big depth and 12/6 action with knee-buckling potential when hitters didn’t see it coming. It’s a softer breaking ball but the projection on the pitch is substantial and he already shows great feel for it. Wilson turned in a strong start and it was a very solid showing for the uncommitted prospect.
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