Lefthander
Dion
Henderson
(2016, Southfield, Mich.) had it all working early on in his Thursday
outing for IMG Academy Black, working from a low effort delivery and
pounding the zone with an 86-89 mph fastball. He was repeating his
delivery well and exerting very little energy to generate velocity.
But, most impressive was the development shown in commanding his
secondary pitches. Henderson consistently back-doored his 70-72 mph
curveball to righties and threaded the outside corner with it. His
changeup also flashed the potential to be an above average offering
at 76-77 mph, showing big arm-side tumbling action. He also showed a
willingness to run this pitch down and in to lefty hitters. Henderson
has added significant strength to his frame and has plenty of room to
add more. As he does, we are likely to see him add more velocity. He
touched 90 mph once in Thursday's outing and carried his velocity
well deep into the outing.
Adam
Hilal
(2016, Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) was not the same pitcher on Thursday
for the Taconic Rangers that we saw less than two months ago at the
Northeast Underclass Showcase. The projectable, extra slender
6-foot-1 lefty lived at 79-83 mph at the August showcase, but has
clearly found another gear since then. He worked at 84-87 mph in this
particular outing and did so with relative ease. Not only was his
velocity up, but his secondaries and command across the board were
vastly improved. His curveball was sharp and showed two plane 1-to-7
depth at 70-71 mph with late bite. He telegraphed his changeup only a
couple of times, and for the most part it was well spotted at 75-77
mph. This is a quality three-pitch lefty with an easy arm that works
exceptionally well, as he has the makings of a high performing
Division I college pitcher as he continues to add strength.
Austin
McNicholas
(2016, Austin, Texas) made an early impression in tournament action,
as he showed off outstanding defensive skills at shortstop.
McNicholas put on a defensive clinic at the position, not necessarily
by making acrobatic plays, but by showing off professional, fluid
actions. He shows off plus range going into the hole and has the
strong throwing arm to finish off the plays. McNicholas also stood
out at the plate, making hard line drive contact consistently,
showing good bat speed on the inside pitch and an ability to stay
balanced throughout his swing.
We’ve
seen Bo
Bichette
(2016, Tierra Verde, Fla.) and his exploits at the plate plenty of
times before, but he’s still a hitter that catches your attention.
His hand path looked particularly quick to the baseball on Thursday
night, as he rocketed two hard line drive singles. He’s difficult
to beat inside with a fastball, and to his credit he does a good job
of repeating his complex swing mechanics. You can nitpick the moving
parts in his swing, but you cannot deny his excellent feel for the
barrel and ability to use the entire field.
– Frankie
Piliere
Shortstop
Salvatore
Gozzo
(2016, Wallingford, Conn.) had his presence felt on both sides of the
ball on Thursday evening for Goose’s Gamers. A lefthanded hitter,
Gozzo showed a fluid stroke with fast hands, turning on an inside 90
mph fastball that jumped off the bat and bounced off the first
baseman’s glove. In his next at-bat, Gozzo, who remains balanced
throughout his swing, drove a fastball that was down in the zone with
sink and run away from him, getting good extension and driving the
ball to the right-center field gap. He moves well to either side
defensively and shows solid arm strength and carry on his throws
across the diamond.
The
WWBA Underclass World Championship provides college coaches and
recruiters their first look at some of the young players that their
future classes will revolve around. One such player is righthander
Jeffrey
Henry
(2018, Florence, Ala.) who took the mound for Marucci Elite 16’s to
start their first game of pool play.
Henry
is no stranger to performing at a high level at Perfect Game events,
having thrown two no-hitters this summer at the 15u WWBA National
Championship. There the young pitcher was topping out at 83 mph with
his fastball, and it’s safe to say he has taken a climb with his
fastball, not throwing a pitch under 84 mph early on on Day 1 of the
Underclass.
Standing
at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, the long-limbed Henry projects well,
especially considering he has yet to throw an inning of high school
baseball. With a short, easy arm action, Henry worked in the 84-87
mph range, topping 88 mph with late life when he got on top of the
ball. He stays a bit upright at release, and as he continues to
incorporate his lower half he will be able to pound the lower
quadrants of the strike zone. Henry was able to flash two off-speed
pitches and showed a feel for both. His curveball showed sharp
11-to-5 shape at 73 mph, and his changeup offered some dive down in
the zone at 78 mph.
Outfielder
Brock
Anderson
(2016, Huntsville, Ala.) is an uncommitted lefthanded bat that needs
to be follow closely throughout the tournament and in the future.
With a projectable 6-foot-2 frame, Anderson is able to generate easy
bat speed with fast hands and turned on an inside pitch in his first
at-bat for a hard line drive double to the right-center field gap.
Cole
Stobbe
(2016, Omaha, Neb.) is a player that has been on the national scene
and continues to perform at a high level every time he picks up a
bat. Yesterday was no different as the uncommitted Stobbe went to the
plate with a plan and executed it perfectly. Batting in the three
hole, the righthanded hitting Stobbe was looking for a first-pitch
curveball and jumped all over it, squaring it up with loud contact
off the barrel for a solo home run which set the pace for the Marucci
Elite offense.
At
this time last year Grant
Stewart
(2016, Paxton, Fla.) was pitching in the same tournament and was
working in the 80-83 mph range with his fastball. Jump forward with a
years worth of added strength and growth and the lefthanded Stewart
came out firing with an 86-88 mph fastball that peaked as high as 89.
Throwing
from a lower three-quarters arm slot while creating angle from the
first base side, Stewart makes for an uncomfortable at-bat,
especially for lefthanded batters. There is some effort to his
delivery but the ball leaves Stewart’s hand well and he shows a
fast arm which he maintained on all his pitches. His 81 mph changeup
had late fading action, coming out of his hand like a fastball, and
he also mixed in a mid-70s slider with late breaking life, which was
virtually impossible for lefthanded hitters to make contact with.
Easton
McGee
(2016, Hopkinsville. Ky.) is a pitcher that Perfect Game first saw a
year ago at the Ohio Valley showcase and each time we see him he
continues to make strides all around.
Now
standing at 6-foot-6, the recent University of Kentucky commit still
projects extremely well as he continues to add strength to his long,
lean frame. More impressive than the 88-90 mph that he maintained on
his fastball was the ease of which he was able to produce it. With a
short, easy arm action coming through, McGee is able to generate
downward plane with sink on his fastball. His front side opens early
at times which gets his upper and lower halves out of sync and causes
him to stay high in the zone, but when he is working down it’s
difficult to square up. Along with his fastball, McGee showed a
strong feel for a short-breaking 10-to-4 slider up to 78 mph, and
also flashed a nice 11-to-5 curveball at 71 mph which shows
potential.
Nolan
Williams
(2017, Kansas City, Kan.) is a young, athletic shortstop full of
quick-twitch muscle who made a statement at the Midwest Underclass
Showcase and is currently ranked in the top 10 for the 2017 class
rankings. A righthanded hitter, Williams showed a strong approach at
the plate and ability to drive the ball to the opposite field with
intent, going with outside pitches. In his first at-bat, Williams
drove an outside fastball over the right fielder’s head, who froze
trying to judge the hard line drive off the bat. In his next trip to
the plate Williams did it again, driving the ball deep into the
right-center field gap for a triple.
Robb
Adams
(2017, Arcadia, Fla.) might be one of the more projectable arms that
threw on Thursday, standing at 6-foot-2, 165-pound with long levers.
Working his fastball in the 80-82 mph range early on, it’s Adams’
arm action that leads people to believe he will throw harder in the
future, as it is easy, effortless, and comes out clean. Creating
angle with his fastball, Adams did a nice job of mixing in his
off-speed and pounded the strike zone with all three pitches. His
curveball showed slurvy life to it with 1-to-7 shape, and he
generates sink on his low-70s curveball.
– Jheremy
Brown
The
difference between Scorpions 2016 Prime righthanded
pitcher Todd
Peterson
(2016, Lake Mary, Fla.) from the PG Junior National Showcase in
mid-June and Thursday night could hardly be more profound. In June,
the 6-foot-5, 215 Peterson was closer to 250 pounds and noticeably
out of shape even for his big frame. He threw in the 86-89 mph
range, certainly noteworthy for an underclassman, but his lack of
conditioning dominated the scout notes taken at the event.
Thursday
night Peterson threw four innings, striking out nine, in what would
eventually be a 2-1 Scorpions victory that they pulled out in the
bottom of the seventh against a gutsy and short-handed Atlanta Blue
Jays squad. Peterson was 91-94 mph with his fastball in the first
inning, touched some 93's in the second inning and finished up in the
88-91 mph range. His fastball was low effort and flew out of his
hand easily from a high three-quarters arm slot that powered the ball
downhill with late arm-side run at times and equally late cutting
action when he went glove side. He didn't throw many curveballs, but
they were 77 mph and sharp, and he even dropped in a couple of
low-80s changeups. It was an impressive performance before a big
audience in the marquee game in the last time slot on the stadium
field at Terry Park, one that will shoot Peterson up the 2016 class
rankings from his present 48th slot.
We've
seen a number of instances of a young player becoming serious about
his conditioning and diet and transforming himself from a very good
player to top level prospect. 2014 PG All-American Willie Burger,
who lost, by his own account, 55 pounds in less than two years,
stands out as a recent example. It looks like Peterson is on the
same path.
If
Peterson was the highlight of the first day's action, then the
lowlight was easily defined as well. Florida Surge righthanded
pitcher/third baseman Matt
DiNenna
(2016, Palm City, Fla.) was involved in a nice pitcher's duel with
GRB Easton Rays righthander
Ryan
Schmitt
(2016, Hartland, Wis.) when he suffered an apparent serious arm
injury while throwing a pitch. DiNenna was throwing in the 83-87 mph
range with nice fastball life and an easy, projectable arm action
when the injury occurred in the fourth inning. The Perfect Game
community would like to wish DiNenna and his family all the best for
a speedy and successful recovery.
Schmitt
ended up with a complete game four-hitter in what was eventually a
9-1 run rule victory. He attacked the strike zone from a rock and
fire, over-the-top delivery with a fastball that topped out at 88 mph
with nice cutting action at times.
Teams
who have aspirations, if not plans, to be playing deep into the
playoffs on Monday approach their pool play pitching in different
ways. The Midland Redskins, who are the type of organization who
definitely are planning on being on the field Monday playing for a
trophy, ran out seven different pitchers during their 8-2 win over
the Florida Burn 2016 Navy, with none throwing more than 24 pitches.
The two most impressive of the Redskins hurlers had similar stuff but
radically different pitching styles that seemed to reverse the
expectations of their body types.
Righthander
Jimmy
Crabtree
(2016, Utica, Ohio) has a strong 6-foot-1, 190-pound build and throws
with mechanics that the PG field scout described as very similar to
Giants southpaw Madison Bumgarner, with a long, deep arm takeaway and
a lower release slot than standard. Crabtree's stuff was very solid,
with an upper-80s fastball that topped out at 90 mph with lots of
late life, plus a tight 71 mph curveball.
His
teammate, fellow righthander
Jay
Wilson
(2016, Cincinnati, Ohio), has the long and angular 6-foot-5,
185-pound build that one would normally associate with Crabtree's
mechanics. However, his arm action was notably compact in back, as
was his high three-quarters release point. Both worked together well
to hide the ball and create deception. With Wilson's fastball
checking in up to 91 mph with sharp downhill angle, that deception
and ability to hide the ball probably adds a few clicks of velocity
to what the hitter's see.
The
Redskins two standout position players, catcher
Tyler
Duvall
(2016, Lebanon, Ohio) and shortstop
Austin
McNicholas
(2016, Austin, Texas) both had quiet days at the plate, although
McNicholas showed off his range and tools on defense. Both will
likely be heard from more and more as the championship progresses.
The
Iowa Select Navy is one of the most talented teams to come out of
Perfect Game's home state in years but find themselves in one of the
toughest of the event's 54 pools, with pool games against Scorpions
South Underclass, the Jersey Shore Prospects and the Austin Banditos
in between them and a playoff slot. Iowa survived their first test,
taking a 4-2 decision over the Scorpions in a very entertaining game
that went down to the very last pitch.
Third
baseman/righthanded pitcher Grant
Judkins
(2016, Pella, Iowa) pitched into the seventh inning for Iowa Select,
doing an outstanding job of hitting both corners low in the zone with
a sinking 84-87 mph fastball. Judkins is athletic with good
lefthanded bat speed at third base but is showing more and more that
he may be at least an equal prospect on the mound as he is at a
position.
Righthander
Tobias
Myers
(2016, Winter Haven, Fla.) was equally impressive on the mound for
the Scorpions, pitching in the upper-80s for four innings with a long
and loose arm action that really projects well from a high
three-quarters arm slot. Myers showed flashes with his secondary
pitches and improving those and learning how to use them will be the
next step in his development.
Third
baseman Joey
Polak
(2016, Quincy, Ill.) and outfielder
Kace
Massner
(2016, Burlington, Iowa) each had key RBI doubles for Iowa sSelect
that produced their final margin. Polak, one of the top hitter's
nationally in the 2016 class, had struggled against Myers, striking
out twice, but turned around a two-strike fastball in his final
at-bat and hit a rocket down the left field line that was one of the
hardest hit balls of the day at Terry Park.
–
David
Rawnsley
While
the lineup card can often tell you a lot about the ability level of
the players on the field before the first pitch is thrown, the
varying present stages of physical development can cause coaches to
play their better long-term prospects in lower pressure roles. Such
was the case in the Florida Burn 2017 Pennant's opener, in which
middle infielder Shane
Shifflett
(2017, Venice, Fla.) was unassumingly slotted into the ninth spot in
the order at second base.
While
Shifflett is developing physically at 5-foot-11 and 160-pounds, he
has athletic coordinated movements and an impressive skill-set for
such a young player. He showed a highly advanced approach at the
plate, making sound decisions and recognizing pitch locations well,
he takes his hands directly to the baseball with a compact path and
accelerates them very well. Shifflett went 2-for-3 with a pair of
singles, including an impressive swing on an 0-2 fastball in on the
hands that he beat inside for a cleanly struck line drive to left
field. He runs well and has athletic actions, and even came on in
relief to pitch the seventh inning and worked in the low- to mid-80s
with a fast arm that projects well also.
Shifflett
wasn't the only standout on the Florida Burn's 2017 Pennant squad by
any means however, as the left side of the infield featured a pair of
impressive arms in Graham
Hoffman
(2017, Clearwater, Fla.) and Cooper
Swanson
(2017, Fort Myers, Fla.).
Hoffman
has a highly projectable frame at 6-foot-2 and 180-pounds with long
limbs and plenty of room to fill. He generates good carry on his
throws with a short arm action and a good release time. Swanson also
showed good carry on his throws and his hands were soft. They both
showed potential at the plate as well; Hoffman's load leaves him a
bit flat-footed at present, and while he's able to drive the ball
anyway thanks to the available leverage, he should be able to
generate power as he irons out his swing and utilizes his natural
tools. Hoffman has the ingredients for power development and already
shows an approach in the box by working a pair of walks.
Swanson
hooked a deep drive over the left fielder's head for a double with
impressive force, as he got plenty of distance on the shot that might
have left a smaller park despite a very top hand heavy swing. Both of
these players feature significant long-term upside with a combination
of power potential and arm strength to go with solid present skill
development at this stage.
The
pitching on opening night at Florida Gulf Coast University was
heavily lefthanded, as 11 of the 14 innings pitched in the opener
between the Florida Burn 2017 Pennant and Knights Baseball-National
were thrown by southpaws, all of whom hit at least 80 mph.
Lefty
Tommy
Morren
(2016, Franlin, Tenn.) got the start for the Knights and combined a
mid-80s fastball with a deep sharp breaking slider in the mid-70s
that he had good control over. He has a clean arm action throwing
from a low three-quarters slot, occasionally dropping down to sidearm
at times.
The
Knights backed him up with a pair of quality relievers in an
impressive opening game victory that puts them in the driver's seat
in their pool, as they trotted out righthander Will
Wacaser
(2016, Hendersonville, Tenn.) and lefty Daniel
Wright
(2016, Owens Cross, Ala.), who would each strike out three and
allowed just one run over four combined innings. Wacaser worked in
the mid- to upper-80s with a fast-paced, deceptive delivery from a
high three-quarters arm slot that allowed him to create downward
plane. Wright worked in the low-80s with a loose arm action and hid
the baseball very well throughout his delivery, and with more lower
half utilization can develop additional velocity.
The
Burn used a pair of effectively wild young lefties for the first six
innings, and while they weren't able to generate the desired results
on this particular night, both appear to have bright futures. Nate
Gillen (2017,
Estero, Fla.) got the start in the ballpark of the school that he is
committed to, and he showed a quick, loose arm action that projects
well and generated good tailing life on his low-80s fastball,
flashing a good changeup with deep fading action.
Gillen
gave way to Colton
Gordon-Zimring
(2017, Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) who showed similar velocity and arm
speed but with a longer arm action and more moving parts to his
delivery. That added deception to his delivery, and he also showed a
big-sweeping breaking ball.
While
they scored four runs and earned the victory, the Knights
Baseball-National squad didn't generate a lot of hits. One of their
most intriguing prospects took an 0-for-2, as Ryan
Hatten
(2016, Hendrsonvile, Tenn.) crushed a pair of deep drives to left
field with plenty of hang-time for loud fly outs that held up for
5.84 and 5.46 seconds respectively. He also drew a walk in impressive
fashion late in the game in which he accurately recognized the
destination of several borderline breaking balls. Hatten has good
coordination of his lanky 6-foot-4 frame and generates plenty of
leverage to go with his emerging bat speed and was the biggest power
threat in the Knights' lineup.
The
nightcap at FGCU resumed the theme of quality lefthanded pitching, as
Palm Beach PAL sent impressive southpaw Kyle
Farjad
(2016, Loxahachie, Fla.) to the hill. He has a big, thick and strong
build at 6-foot and 210-pounds with a loose, fast arm action that
works very well. He sat in the mid- to upper-80s with a simple,
low-effort delivery that allowed him to pound the strike zone with
his fastball. He punched out five over three innings of one-hit
baseball. Farjad's diagonal sweeping breaking ball flashed hard spin
and he found the feel for it toward the end of his outing. While he
didn't get some deserved calls on breaking balls he spun into the
corners of the strike zone, it was a promising pitch for him and he
responded well to not getting those calls by keeping his composure.
The
one hit that Farjad allowed was to catcher/righthanded pitcher Josh
Simon
(2016, Laurel, Md.), who went 2-for-3 and scored the game-tying run
in the seventh inning after driving a two-out single into left field
to spark a game saving rally. In addition to picking up two his team'
three hits and scoring their only run, he showed multiple sub
2.0-second pop times in between innings with good carry to his throws
and moved well behind the plate. He then got on the mound in relief
and worked comfortably in the low- to mid-80s, striking out two of
the three batters he faced in a three up and three down inning. The
one out he made was a loud flyout with a 5.72 second hangtime, and he
even showed good speed for a catcher, rounding first base in 4.55
seconds on his seventh inning knock.
The
scoreless drought was broken in this game during the bottom of the
sixth inning as Palm Beach PAL center fielder Reese Albert
(2017, Jupiter, Fla.) slashed a sharp ground ball into the 5-6 hole,
and while the shortstop made a nice play to get to the ball, it was
hit well enough to score the go-ahead run from third. The lefthander
showed good speed, both in center field and coming down the line,
posting times between 4.2 and 4.3 second in each of his three plate
appearances. He has a short, slash-and-run swing and made contact all
three times he swung the bat.
– Todd
Gold