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Tournaments | Story | 7/21/2017

17u PG World Series Day 1 Notes

David Rawnsley

Photo: Perfect Game

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The story of the summer thus far has been the incredible number of talented pitchers at seemingly every event. Evidently the hitters decided they wanted either revenge or at least their fair share of credit on Day 1 of the 17u Perfect Game World Series in Mesa, as big offensive performances were the theme of the day.

Nobody's bat was louder, both literally and in the stat line, then that of EvoShield Canes center fielder Joe Gray Jr. (2018, Hattiesburg, Miss.). Gray Jr. would probably be the first to admit that his bat hasn't been up to par this summer but he changed direction in two brief hours. He went 3-for-4 with five RBI in the Canes 14-3 win, with one of those hits being an absolute monster home run well over the left field fence that made the kind of noise that had everyone at the Cubs Quad turning to see what had just happened. Gray Jr. later added laser line drive over the left fielder's head to continue to highlight his big bat speed and power.

Banditos Scout Team first baseman Hunter Watson (2018, Pottsboro, Texas), a PG All-American like Gray, keyed the Banditos 5-4 comeback win with a pair of hits and three RBI. Watson started the Banditos comeback a booming double up the right-center field gap to drive in their first run, then drove in two runs with a hard groundball single down the first base line that would have been a second double if it weren't for it hitting the first base bag. Watson was right on pitches every at-bat and has one of the best lefthanded swings in the country.

The Central Florida Gators had a disappointing day, dropping their first game 6-0 and tying their second game 4-4, but shortstop Nolan Gorman (2018, Glendale, Ariz.) swung a hot bat as he almost always does. He picked up four hits in the two games, lining hard singles to the middle of the field with a short and controlled swing. Opposing pitchers worked the 12th-ranked player in the 2018 class carefully, so Gorman wasn't able to unleash his big lefthanded power, but that could happen at any time.

Game On Stealth outfielder Malik Spratling (2017, Leesburg, Ga.) easily met the age requirement for the 17u PG World Series despite having graduated from high school. He went a 2-for-2 in Game On Stealth’s 3-1 victory in their morning game, then came back and went a perfect 4-for-4 in their 9-1 afternoon win, giving him a difficult to top 6-for-6 line on the day. Included among those six hits were two doubles and a triple and the righthanded hitting Spratling threw in a couple of stolen bases for good measure. He is signed with Kennesaw State for his college baseball after ending his high school career as the 427th player in the PG 2017 rankings.

On the opposite end of the age scale from Spratling is the Dark Knights' corner infielder Cayden Wallace (2020, Greenbrier, Ark.). Wallace is the 12th-ranked player nationally in the 2020 class and has the strength of a much older player. He fell a single short of the cycle in the Dark Knights' two games, going 3-for-5 with two RBI overall. His most impressive swing came on a mammoth solo home run that hit half way up the 50-foot high netting in left-center field that protects the Cubs main spring training clubhouse and offices from the field. Wallace's most impressive at-bat came his next time to the plate, when it was quickly obvious that the pitcher remembered the home run and was going to nibble the outside half of the plate with off-speed stuff. Wallace made a quick and precocious adjustment and knocked a double down the right field line.

The most interesting pitching performance of the day was by the Dark Knights righthander Jaden Hill (2018, Ashdown, Ark.). Hill is a physically imposing 6-foot-4, 215-pound athlete who hasn't circulated much in the baseball world until recently, as he's a three-star pro style quarterback recruit. He worked two innings in the 90-92 mph range, powering the ball downhill easily with a compact and quick arm action. Hill also threw an outstanding 79 mph changeup that picked him up a couple of strikeouts and flashed quality spin on an upper-70s curveball. Hill was recently up to 95 mph at the 17u WWBA National Championship in Georgia, although he didn't show the command or the changeup he showed here in Arizona. He is committed to Louisiana State for only baseball and could really start developing on the mound once he concentrates on one sport.

Another Dark Knights righthanded pitcher from Arkansas who was impressive was Kam'ron Emmanuel Mays-Hunt (2018, Bentonville, Ark.). Mays-Hunt is listed as a primary shortstop but was a very easy 89-91 from the mound with a sharp biting upper-70s curveball in a quick inning of work.

A third Dark Knights player who impressed was center fielder Max Marusak (2018, Amarillo, Texas). Marusak, who is listed as a primary shortstop but who made several outstanding plays in center field. Marusak may be the fastest player at the event, having run a 6.37 60-yard dash at a PG showcase last summer, and he showed that blazing speed both defensively and on the bases. Along with his impact speed and defense, Marusak also showed lots of righthanded bat speed, driving the ball hard to the gaps in a couple of at-bats with a loose and strong swing. Marusak is currently ranked 352rd in the PG class rankings which may need some adjusting upward based on his tools and performance at this event.

Perfect Game All-American righthander Carter Stewart (2018, Melbourne, Fla.) struck out six hitters in three innings of work for the Central Florida Gators. The extremely projectable 6-foot-6, 185-pound Stewart worked in the 88-90 mph range without variance for his entire outing, working down consistently in the strike zone with extreme downhill angle on his pitches. His magical curveball, considered the best breaking ball in the 2018 class by many scouts, if not most, was singing in the upper-70s with very tight, hard spin and was the source of many of the strikeouts.

The San Diego Show's Noah "Sparky" Owen (2018, Oceanside, Calif.) reminded this scout of Stewart physically and in his arm action. Owen has a very long 6-foot-4, 185-pound build that looks taller than listed and has a very smooth high three-quarters arm action that mimics Stewart's ability to power the ball downhill. Owen was 85-88 mph in three plus innings of shutout work but interestingly only threw fastballs. He's committed to San Diego and is a young righthander who could be throwing very hard someday.

D-Backs Scout Team, which is actually the 2017 version of the 2016 champion T-Rex Baseball Club, had a number of interesting players. Righthander Chandler Murphy (2019, Peoria, Ariz.) is a long-armed 6-foot-3, 195-pound athlete who will get plenty of scouting looks over the next two years. He worked in the 87-90 mph range for five innings, maintaining his velocity very well, and flashed plus potential on a 77 mph slurve-type breaking ball that was very sharp at times.

D-Backs shortstop Jonathan Ornelas (2018, Peoria, Ariz.) made a defensive play that had the scouting and coaching community buzzing behind the backstop and in the tower and was a play that this scout hasn't ever seen before. The North East Baseball hitter hit a high chopper back to the mound which Murphy deflected in the direction of the second baseman. Ornelas, sprinting across the infield grass from shortstop, flashed in front of the charging second baseman, and from about 35 feet away made a perfect glove scoop throw to first base to get the out, never touching the ball with his right hand. How he got that close to first base is one mystery, but another is when is the last time anyone saw a shortstop make a glove scoop assist to first base? Ornelas, who has plenty of righthanded bat speed at the plate, is the 459th-ranked player in the 2018 class and doesn't have a college commitment.

US Elite's Thomas Schultz (2019, Mount Carmel, Pa.) is another long-limbed and projectable righthander. He threw a five-inning complete game shutout in a run-rule victory, allowing only three hits while working in the 86-89 mph range with his fastball and throwing only 65 pitches. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Schultz has a loose and easy arm action from a high three-quarters slot and a low effort release on his pitches. The next step in his development is improving the arm speed and release on his curveball.

GBG Marucci southpaw Erik Tolman (2018, Lake Forest, Calif.) was impressive in relief, picking up strikeouts on all four outs he recorded, two of them looking at sharp 74 mph breaking balls. A Cal Poly commit, Tolman worked in the 87-90 mph range with good arm-side running action on his fastball and sat at the bottom of the strike zone with both his pitches.

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