2015 Summer Collegiate Top Prospect Index
Although
we’ve already supplied readers with top prospect lists and detailed
reports on some of the best players in nearly 20 collegiate summer
leagues (and Team USA), from Alaska to Florida, there are still a
number of quality leagues with prospective professional talent and a
high quality of play that deserve recognition and attention. The
MINK, Southern Collegiate, New York Collegiate, South Florida
Collegiate, and Central Valley Collegiate Leagues provided players
with an opportunity to get invaluable experience and compete at a
high level, and their efforts—along with those of the leagues
already highlighted—are commendable.
Perfect
Game recognizes that are even more leagues spread across the nation
that provide quality environments for players to grow and be
recognized.
Listed
in no specific order or ranking below are players from these leagues
that were identified as having some of the best professional
prospects by coaches, league officials and scouts.
M.I.N.K.
Collegiate Baseball League
Official
league website: http://www.minkleaguebaseball.com/
Year
established: 1910
States
represented: Missouri, Iowa
No.
of teams: 8
Regular
season Champion (best overall record): St. Joseph Mustangs
(27-14)
Postseason
Champion: St. Joseph Mustangs
Player
of the Year: Kasey Cooper, of, Branson Nationals
Pitcher
of the Year: Sam Perez, rhp, Sedalia Bombers
Sam
Perez, rhp, Sedalia Bombers (Missouri State/SR in 2016)
Overshadowed
by a pair of 2015 draft picks, righthander Jon Harris and lefthander
Matt Hall, Perez racked up nine wins in the spring of 2015, an
extraordinary total considering all 27 of his appearances and 68
innings for the Bears came out of the bullpen. This summer Perez
starred for the Sedalia Bombers of the MINK League, taking home the
pitcher of the year award and leading the circuit in wins (6), ERA
(1.07), and strikeouts (61) while excelling in an unfamiliar role,
starting pitcher. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound righty doesn’t
necessarily have wipeout stuff, but he pounds his low-90s fastball to
the bottom half of the strike zone and is able to keep hitter’s
honest and off balance with two average secondary offerings in his
changeup and curveball. He’ll return to Missouri State this spring
and should be an important cog for a pitching staff looking to
replace a lot of quality innings.
Sean
Rackoski, rhp, Chillicothe Mudcats (Kansas/JR in 2016)
The
first thing that stands out about Rackoski is his size, and more
specifically his height. The 6-foot-7, 210-pound righty has an
extremely long, projectable frame. However, as with many young
pitchers of such proportions, Rackoski has had some issues repeating
his delivery and commanding his pitches. He consistently works in the
89-92 mph range with his heater and is able generate significant
plane and angle because of his size. Still, he’s been hit hard at
times for the Jayhawks because of an inconsistency in throwing the
pitch for strikes and keeping the ball down. This summer, Rackoski
showcased a better feel for commanding his fastball and a more
consistent ability to throw his curveball to get both called strikes
and swings and misses. His changeup is still a developing pitch, and
he’ll have to maintain his tightened command this spring in order
to be similarly effective against Big 12 competition.
Trey
Harris 2b/of, Sedalia Bombers (Missouri/SO in 2017)
Harris
had a strong freshman campaign for Missouri in the spring, hitting
.263/.307/.376, and he had a memorable moment, delivering a walkoff
single against South Carolina in SEC play. He performed well this
summer for Sedalia, and while he didn’t necessarily light the
league on fire Harris showcased solid hitting tools in strength off
of the barrel, quick wrists and solid bat speed. He didn’t hit any
homers this summer, but there is some pop in his 5-foot-10, 215-pound
frame. There are some questions about his best defensive home, and
his thicker build gives evaluators some pause, but he’s a solid
overall athlete and has been serviceable at both second base and in
the corner outfield slots.
Brett
Bond, c, St. Joseph Mustangs (Missouri/SO in 2017)
Bond
had a very impressive season for Missouri, finishing second on the
team with a .294 batting average as a true freshman. After starting
46 (and playing in 51) games for the Tigers in the spring, Bond got
some quick work in for the St. Joseph Mustangs, playing 12 games for
the MINK club. Bond still has some work to do defensively, as he
still needs to refine his footwork behind the plate, but he works
well with pitchers, is a solid receiver and was trusted to be
Missouri’s primary catcher despite his youth. Additionally, he’s
a decent athlete and shows lateral quickness and agility to block
balls in the dirt. Where Bond truly stands out is at the plate, as
the switch hitter has solid strength in his 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame
and shows power potential from either batter’s box. There’s still
some rawness to the approach and his ability to adjust to off-speed
pitches, but Bond has solid tools to work with and should continue to
develop with additional reps and experience against some of the best
competition that college baseball has to offer in the Southeastern
Conference.
Southern
Collegiate Baseball League
Official
league website: http://scbl.pointstreaksites.com/view/scbl
Year
established: 1999
States
represented: South Carolina and North Carolina
No.
of teams: 6
Regular
season Champion (best overall record): Piedmont Pride (32-7)
Postseason
Champion: SBA Bones
Ryder
Ryan, rhp/inf/c, SBA Bones (North Carolina/SO in 2016)
A
talented two-way player coming out of North Mecklenburg High School,
Ryan elected to attend the University of North Carolina after he fell
to the 40th round of the 2014 draft. He didn’t play much as a true
freshman, receiving just 14 at-bats, but he picked up some valuable
experience this summer in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League as
a member of SBA Bones. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound righty threw 16 2/3
innings this summer, splitting time between the bullpen and the
starting rotation and showcased some of the swing-and-miss stuff that
he had flashed in high school. He struck out 21 thanks to his 90-93
mph fastball as he continues to develop feel for both a sweeping
breaking ball and changeup. At the plate Ryan flashed good bat speed
and showcased natural carry and loft of the barrel, with some
evaluators giving him above average raw power.
Tanner
Poole, of, Piedmont Pride (Mississippi State/JR in 2016)
Poole
hit over .300 in both of his two seasons at Itawamba (Miss.)
Community College, and he’ll be a part of the Mississippi State
University baseball program this year. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound
outfielder prepared for the transition to Division I baseball this
summer with the Piedmont Pride of the Southern Collegiate Baseball
League. He acquitted himself well, leading the league in batting
average (.370), hits (47) and stolen bases (25). Poole still has
plenty of room to fill out and while he’ll flash some gap power
he’s more of a line-drive, contact-oriented hitter at this point in
his development. As evidenced by his stolen base numbers, he’s an
above average runner and his speed and athleticism play well in the
outfield where he’s regarded as a plus defender.
New
York Collegiate Baseball League
Official
league website: http://nycbl.com/view/nycbl
Year
established: 1978
States
represented: New York
No.
of teams: 12
Regular
season Champion (best overall record): Hornell Dodgers (31-15)
Postseason
Champion: Olean Oilers
Player
of the Year: Caleb Lang, of, Niagara Power
Pitcher
of the Year: Vince Apicella, lhp, Geneva Red Wings
Conner
Simonetti, 1b, Geneva Twins (Kent State/JR in 2016)
Simonetti
was a 35th round draft pick in 2013 by the Cincinnati Reds, but he
elected to attend Kent State University rather than sign, and he put
together a solid sophomore campaign, hitting .283 with 11 homers.
After spending part of last summer in the NYCBL, Simonetti returned
to the Geneva Twins in 2015 and impressed league officials with his
raw power. He hit a league-best nine homers and was among the top
five in RBI (33). The 6-foot, 215-pounder has a broad, muscular frame
and while he’s not the most projectable or athletic player, he is a
solid defender at first base and has also played some corner
outfield.
Adam
Scott, lhp, Oneonta Outlaws (Wofford/SO in 2016)
Scott
only started (and appeared in) three games this summer because of the
innings that he logged at Wofford this spring, but he impressed in
his brief cameo nonetheless. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound lefty was a
mainstay in the Wofford starting rotation and he went 8-4 with a 3.68
ERA over 83 innings for the Terriers. He was dominant in his 19
innings in the NYCBL, striking out 25 and walking just five batters
in 19 innings of work for the Oneonta Outlaws. The physical lefty
throws from a deceptive three-quarters to low three-quarters arm slot
and does a good job of working to all four quadrants of the strike
zone with his low-90s fastball.
South
Florida Collegiate Baseball League
Official
league website:
http://pointstreaksites.com/view/southfloridacollegiateleague/home-109
Year
established: 2011
States
represented: Florida
No.
of teams: 10
Regular
season Champion (best overall record): Pompano Beach Clippers
(29-6)
Postseason
Champion: Palm Beach Xtreme
Player
of the Year: Mason Paxton, inf, Pompano Beach Clippers
Pitcher
of the Year: Robert Guarnieri, rhp, Palm Beach Xtreme
Stephen
Kerr, inf, Pompano Beach Clippers (Florida Atlantic/JR in 2016)
At
Florida Atlantic University this past season he was named to the
preseason All-Conference Team for Conference USA. In 2015, he started
61 games for the Owls and hit .310 with a team-high 10 doubles and 54
runs scored. This summer Kerr plied his trade for the Pompano Beach
Clippers of the South Florida Collegiate League and was named to the
2015 SFCBL All-Star team. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Kerr is not the
most physical player but he possesses a quality, disciplined approach
at the plate and he makes a lot of contact. Additionally, he is an
excellent defender and was praised for his instincts and feel for the
game, all of which has put him on the radar of South Florida scouts.
Brady
Acker, rhp, Palm Beach Xtreme (Palm Beach State JC/SO in 2016)
As
a freshman at Palm Beach State (Fla.) JC, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound
Acker turned plenty of heads and stood out on the mound. Acker had a
team-best 1.98 ERA and he struck out 48 batters in his 50 innings of
work. Acker consistently tops out at 94 mph and sits anywhere from
89-93. Despite the impressive velocity, Acker is not just a thrower
as scouts have labeled him as a “true pitcher,” with solid feel
for locating his curveball and an improving changeup. Although he
threw just six innings this summer for the Palm Beach Xtreme, Acker
was identified by league sources as an arm to keep an eye on this
spring, as he may have the potential to follow in the footsteps of
former SFCBL players Dan Jagiello and Austin Glorious.
Mitch
Reeves, of, Pompano Beach Clippers (Florida Southern/JR in 2016)
After
sitting out part of the spring season at Seminole State due to pulled
hamstring, Reeves bounced back and put on quite a power show this
summer as he led the South Florida Collegiate League in home runs and
RBI this summer while playing for the Pompano Beach Clippers. Reeves,
a well-proportioned 6-foot-2, 205-pounds looks the part in a uniform
and he is a solid athlete, acquitting himself well in the outfield
and going 8-for-9 in stolen base attempts. This year he heads to
Division II program Florida Southern where South Florida scouts will
undoubtedly keep their eyes on him after his strong summer
performance.
Central
Valley Collegiate League
Official
league website: http://cvclbaseball.webs.com/
Year
established: 2013
States
represented: California
No.
of teams: 7
Regular
season Champion (best overall record): California Expos
Postseason
Champion: California Expos
Hilario
Tovar, rhp, California Expos (San Jose State/SO in 2016)
Tovar
appeared in 16 games for San Jose State as a freshman this past
spring. While he had some peaks and valleys, in his rookie campaign
the 5-foot-11, 170-pound righty performed well this summer for the
California Expos of the Central Valley Collegiate League and was
identified by league officials as one of the rising stars. The righty
displayed a fastball that sat in the 88-91 mph range and showed
improved control and feel for his 76-78 mph slider, which flashed
two-plane tilt and proved to be a difficult pitch for opposing
hitters to pick up. After serving as SJSU’s No. 3 starter for much
of 2015, Tovar is expected to take on the Saturday or Friday role
this spring.
Connor
Brogdon, rhp, California Expos, (Lewis & Clark/JR in 2016)
A
former 40th round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2013, Brogdon heads
to Division III Lewis & Clark after two seasons at Fresno City
College. The long, lean 6-foot-5, 190-pound righty served as Fresno
City College’s ace and went 11-1 and struck out 91 in 99 innings
this spring before heading to the CVCL as a member of the California
Expos. While with the Expos, Brogdon impressed league officials by
displaying solid command of his 87-91 mph fastball and flashing a
plus curveball.