16u WWBA Day 7 notes

Editor's note: Perfect Game recognizes that there are dozens of standout performers at this year's 16u WWBA National Championship. The thoughts provided below are first-hand observations from Scouting Coordinator Jheremy Brown during the event's seventh day.

As one may expect, with playoffs rolling around and rotations getting back to the top with their aces being fresh, every team is trying to win that first game to advance. In doing so, they throw their top arm, which not only benefits the team and gives them a chance to win, but also gave me a chance to see quality arms throughout the day. The reoccurring theme throughout the last couple weeks down here is that the 2016 class is beginning to look loaded with talent, especially on the mound.

After making some noise earlier this month at his Area Code tryout, Charles King (2016, Coppell, Texas) has made two starts in Georgia this past week, with his second time on the mound being the best.

Standing at 6-foot-4, 185-pounds, the uncommitted King worked six-plus innings of no-hit baseball in the Dallas Tigers’ opening round win, surrendering his first in the top of the seventh with one out recorded. King’s mechanics are a bit raw at present but the looseness and quickness of his arm allow him to generate a fastball that sat in the upper-80s to low-90s, topping at 91 mph, throughout the game. His fastball features late sinking action, and despite his front side opening early, King is able to work low in the strike zone to both sides of the plate.

With late fastball life and the ability to mix in two off-speed pitches, King induced a lot of weak ground ball contact with the opposition rarely squaring the ball up. He worked his slider in the 81-83 mph range with late break that showed some depth, also showing at changeup at 76 mph.




A Florida State commit, Brandon Reitz (2016, Ocala, Fla.) turned in an outing that showed his ability to pitch beyond his years, locating three pitches for strikes in any count.

Throwing in the first of three games for the Scorpions Prime 2016 team, Reitz spun a gem, topping out at 91 mph with his fastball early and maintained 88-89 throughout his seven innings. With a fast arm and a three-quarters arm slot, Reitz does a nice job of getting on top of the baseball, allowing him to work downhill to both sides of the plate with intent.

Going back to his pitchability, Reitz showed both a slider and changeup for strikes with late life and the ability to control them throughout the zone. Thrown in the upper-70s and up to 79 mph, Reitz’s slider was the pitch that helped him collect 13 strikeouts, with late depth and tilt. Like with his other two pitches, Reitz maintains his arm speed/slot on his changeup, throwing it in the 80-81 mph range with late life, giving him a legitimate three-pitch mix.