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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/28/2017

PG World Series Day 4 Notes

Jheremy Brown      Vincent Cervino     
Photo: Perfect Game

Day 1 Notes | Day 2 Notes | Day 3 Notes
14u PG World Series: Daily Leaders | Player Stats
15u PG World Series: Daily Leaders | Player Stats
16u PG World Series: Daily Leaders | Player Stats

The last slot of the evening proved to be a lucrative one and one that gave out the vibe of playoff action as big arms and talented bats were scattered throughout the quad. Of the eight starting pitchers, five worked 89 mph or better on their fastball though that’s far from the tale of the tape in regard to their abilities.




One of the more physical arms to take the mound last night, righthander Blake Adams (2019, Springdale, Ark.) looks like he could blend into a collegiate lineup right now at 6-foot-2, 205-pounds which is a scary thought given he still has another two years of high school remaining. Adams took the mound against a talent rich Orlando Scorpions lineup and continually missed bats, pumping his fastball downhill while maintaining his velocity throughout.

Adams sat comfortably in the 90-92 mph range in the opening frame, setting the tone for what was to come as he proceeded to punch out 10 before hitting his pitch limited with one out in the sixth. Just as impressive as his velocity was how much arm speed the Arkansas commit generated, powering the fastball down in the zone form a near over-the-top slot. Though rather true in life, Adams missed plenty of bats while working to either side and showed the confidence to challenge up in the zone.

Adams carried his velocity well as he was still sitting 89-90 into the sixth inning and mixing in the same hard, upper-70s slider. Like the fastball, Adams showcased a fast right arm on his slider, a power breaking ball that proved to be more than effective against a righthanded heavy lineup and give the Arkansas native a swing-and-miss duo of pitches.

Sanson Faltine III (2019, Richmond, Texas) has already made his mark on the national scene as he’s currently ranked No. 56 in the class of 2019 and continues to solidify himself as a top prospect every time he takes the mound. At a long and lean, but athletic and twitchy 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, the University of Texas commit oozes projection long term though the stuff and performance last night were masterful despite ultimately taking the loss.

Working with an up-tempo rhythm that barely allowed for a breath in between pitches, Faltine absolutely pounded the strike zone with his fastball/slider combination, a duo that resulted in 16 strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings of work. The athleticism is evident as he’s able to maintain not only that tempo and pace, but he held his arsenal too while giving hitters a different look time to time with a hesitation step or pause here and there. With a fast right arm Faltine was able to run his fastball up to 90 mph and came out attacking hitters, generating solid plane and angle to his glove side with late running life.

His slider proved to be just as effective, a mid-70s pitch which he maintained his release and arm speed on with late tilting life down in the zone. It was an exceptional performance and one that won’t soon be forgotten.

Coming out of the other dugout was lefthander Kellan Tulio (2019, Emmaus, Pa.) who’s currently uncommitted though the ingredients are far too enticing to not have college recruiters locked in on. The first thing that stands out about Tulio is his physical, long-limbed 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame which will only continue to grow stronger. Add in the fact that he’s left handed, just set to begin his junior year of high school, and is already up to 91 mph and you have a very intriguing young arm to follow.

Though he didn’t have his sharpest command last night, Tulio still managed to make for a difficult at-bat as his 10 strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings prove, showing a fast arm that produce an 88-90 mph fastball early on and touched a 91 once or twice. There’s no doubting the arm speed and when his timing and halves were in sync (he tended to open early with front side), the end resulting was impressive as he created hard angle to his glove side, giving little chance to lefthanded hitters but also showed he could locate arm side. He flashed a couple of curveballs early on at 74-75 mph which showed 1-to-7 shape and depth when on top, which when given the rest of the package, Tulio is a prospect college coaches need to monitor closely as he continues to make strides.




Younger for his grade as evidenced by his ability to pitch in the 16u World Series, uncommitted righthander Elijah Pleasants (2018, Clarksville, Tenn.) is one of the more projectable pitchers in this tournament thanks to his long limbed 6-foot-4, 170-pound frame and lean, athletic frame. He may not have a commitment yet but there were plenty of college coaches in attendance despite the late start and Pleasants delivered a quality performance, showing present stuff as well as command of the zone and feel for his secondaries.

Working with a rather simple set of mechanics and a fast right arm, Pleasants sat very comfortably in the upper-80s from a higher slot, generating consistent plane to his fastball with extension out front. The ball comes out of his hand well and despite the leanness of his build Pleasants maintained his velocity well throughout his five-inning stint and showed the ability to work both sides of the plate. The projection is immense for the Tennessee native as the ball comes out of his hand cleanly and he’s shown the ability to spin a quality curveball. Working in the mid-70s with the 12-to-6 bender, Pleasants did a nice job of keeping the pitch down and showed occasional hard tilting life though it’s a true curveball given his release point and the depth on the pitch.

Jaden Agassi (2020, Las Vega, Nev.) was detailed here earlier in the World Series for his effort as a reliever but this time he started the game for LVR and was able to show more than just his fastball. A member of last year’s Select Festival, Agassi has added noticeable strength to his frame and though he’s listed as a primary third baseman on his Perfect Game profile, he has a bright future on the mound.

Working in the 82-85 mph range early on, Agassi showed the ability to reach back for 87 in the third inning when he needed it after working mostly 86-88 mph out of the bullpen a couple days prior. With a full arm stroke through the back, Agassi generated short running life to his fastball when on top of the ball and down in the zone and still projects for more velocity as he continues to incorporate his lower half and receive additional drive to the plate. He was able to induce weak contact off the barrel thanks to the subtle life and also in part to his ability to mix both an 11-to-5 shaped curveball and sound changeup (the secondary he went to more often) which offered fading life from a similar release point.




Alex McFarlane (2019, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands) came in hot out of the bullpen for Team Elite and perhaps delivered his most eye-opening inning of the summer. A long and loose 6-foot-2, 190-pound righthander (who’s a primary outfielder), McFarlane’s arm acts as a whip through the back and helped produce a fastball that touched 91 mph while sitting in the 88-90 mph range. The fastball comes out clean and with both angle and life which when coupled with his attack mode it becomes all the more difficult for the opposing hitter. Thrown in the 71-73 mph range, McFarlane’s curveball proved to be a swing-and-miss pitch as you can see in the video though on those two he did get around the ball some and gave it more of a slider finish. There’s a very bright future in store for McFarlane whether it’s in the outfield or on the mound as he isn’t close to physical maturation and is already capable of doing some special things.

Shawn Rapp (2019, Bradenton, Fla.) and Stephen Restuccio (2019, Hammonton, N.J.) both gave brief looks in Tri-State’s victory Thursday afternoon as Rapp started the first two innings before Mother Nature opened up while Restuccio collected the final three outs of the ballgame.

The progression for Rapp can be tracked easily through his Perfect Game profile as his velocity continues to trend upward, a testament to his added strength and progression while also providing a glimpse of what’s to come. Up to 85 mph Thursday after topping 83 mph at the 17u WWBA National Championship earlier this month, Rapp regularly pumped into the mid-80s while showing a short, clean arm action through the back. He flashed a curveball in the low-70s and filled the zone, striking out two while allowing just a single base hit without issuing a walk.

At 6-foot-2, 195-pounds Stephen Restuccio certainly passes the eye test with broad shoulders and a strong but still projectable build. His arm action is fast and clean through the back, generating plane when on top of the ball and sat comfortably in the 88-90 mph range, touching a 91 while looking as though there’s more left in the tank. Though the opposing team managed to load the bases against Restuccio in the bottom of the seventh, the Wake Forest commit induced the ground ball he needed to thwart the threat and preserve the Tri-State victory.

Joe Powell (2019, Mason, Ohio) has put his skills and baseball prowess on display throughout the summer for the Canes 16u team, showing nice tools on both sides of the ball. He’s not overly physical but his abilities with the barrel have him in hitting in the upper-half of the lineup thanks to a short, quick stroke and solid barrel skills just as he showed again last night with a line drive single.

Kiethron Moss (2019, Nassau, Bahamas) is an interesting player who has had his fair share of onlookers this week as he will shortly be eligible to sign as an international free agent and appears to have teams looking for his services. A quick-twitch shortstop, it was with his defensive play that Moss impressed the most in my couple of looks, showing very soft hands and glove skills that play to either side which he couples with quick footwork and solid arm strength across the diamond. He never put himself in a position where he had to load up for a throw though if he had to it would most likely be an impressive display of arm strength given the carry he’s already able to generate by simply flicking the ball across. A switch-hitter, Moss showed well from the right side with a simple stroke and though his 5-foot-9, 145-pound frame may signify a contact approach, Moss does show some juice off the barrel to his pull side.

The younger brother of current Mississippi State Bulldog Keegan James, Kamren James (2019, Southaven, Miss.) is set to follow his brother to Starkville and has a solid tool set of his own, one that should make an impact once on campus. Listed as a primary shortstop who stands at 6-foot, 170-pounds, James has strength throughout his frame and can impact the baseball despite his lean appearance, something that bodes well moving forward as he’ll only grow stronger as he begins to fill out. James, a righthanded hitter, handled the barrel well in my viewings and did so again last night as he showed no problem barreling up 87 mph as he shot it back up the box for a solid line drive single.

The final arm of the five that truly impressed in the final time slot, righthander Jake Garland (2019, Jupiter, Fla.) delivered a quality performance for the Orlando Scorpions, matching every zero Blake Adams put on the scoreboard for his five innings of work. A physical presence on the mound at 6-foot-3, 215-pounds, Garland was in control on the mound as he didn’t allow a single base hit and managed to punch out eight along the way.

With a simple and rhythmic delivery, the University of Miami commit came out pounding the strike zone and didn’t let up, working in the 87-89 mph range early, touching a 90 while showing a quality curveball for strikes too. While the velocity is noteworthy, hitters are able to time up a fastball though there was something about Garland’s where hitters didn’t seem to see it well and came up empty on more than a couple of swings. His late arm side life on the heater could be part of the reason or perhaps they were sitting curveball as Garland offered a sharp one with late bit up to 74 mph while exemplify a feel that allowed him to go to it on the first pitch of any at-bat.

Garland is an arm to monitor closely moving forward as the velocity comes easy for him and there’s no reason to think another jump or two aren’t waiting in the wings which’ll allow his feel and command to play up even further.

Dylan Crews (2020, Longwood, Fla.) has been highlighted throughout the summer for the strength of his righthanded bat, something he showed once again last night with a double and a rocket of a line drive single back up the middle, but this write up is for the defensive play he made out in right field. Showing a sound first step and closing speed, Crews managed to cover solid ground while going to the right field line and made a fully extended diving catch robbing what would have been easy extra bases from Louisville commit Blayne Robinson for one of the better defensive plays I’ve seen this summer.

This tournament marked my first chance to see middle infielder Tyrell Brewer (2019, Maitland, Fla.), a Florida State commit, in action after hearing nothing but good things prior. A primary second baseman, Brewer’s biggest and perhaps loudest tool is his righthanded swing, one that produces standout bat speed despite being listed at 5-foot-8, 135-pounds. Currently ranked No. 152 in the class, Brewer’s swing offers plenty of fluidity and leverage, as well as barrel skill as he showed against the Midland Tribe with both a single and double helping to raise his average to .429 on the tournament.

– Jheremy Brown



Starting the day off during the 14u World Series playoffs was talented righthander Mason Ampe (2021, Canton, Mich.) and although his team fell in the first round, he still showed a high skill set. The Michigan native stands at a physical 6-foot-1, 205-pounds with good strength throughout the frame. Ampe delivers to the plate with not a ton of effort and the ball comes out of the hand cleanly as well. The righthander has advanced velocity and arm strength for his age as he worked in the low- to mid-80s and worked as high as 85 mph. He mixed his speeds well and showed off some pitchability as he was able to set up hitters effectively and put them away for strikeouts. He finished with only allowing one earned run and striking out nine batters to deliver the strong outing.

Elite Squad’s 15u team swept their doubleheader and Enrique A. Bradfield Jr. (2020, Hialeah, Fla.) impressed as the team’s leadoff hitter and centerfielder. The athletic prospect has steadily improved all summer long and on Thursday he showed off solid tools both in the box and in the outfield. Bradfield has an excellent glove with his athleticism and speed allowing him to range well to both sides. He doesn’t often have to use that speed as his instincts and reads are often spot on in order to make even difficult catches look routine. He has shown good contact skills over the course of the tournament and especially so with his ability to square up the ball with the barrel. Bradfield consistently has shown the ability to be one of the top overall players in the class and will continue to improve as well.

Righthander Luis Espinal (2020, Miami, Fla.) closed out the final innings of Elite Squad’s victory in game one and showed a big velocity increase as his previous high was 84 mph and on Thursday Espinal sat in the 84-87 mph range for the duration of his outing. Espinal has a projectable overall frame at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds with room to fill out and add strength. The arm speed was pretty solid and the delivery itself was very easy and paced well. He hid the ball well through the point of release and delivered from a traditional three-quarter arm slot. Espinal came into the game to work out of a jam and attacked hitters with fastballs predominantly. He also mixed in a breaking ball that was inconsistent but flashed at times.




Turning in one of the stronger performances of the afternoon was Mack Anglin (2019, Marengo, Ohio) and the righthander was downright electric through three innings. The Clemson commit stands at a very tall and projectable 6-foot-5, 180-pounds and with extremely long limbs and a lean build it wouldn’t be so farfetched to imagine him continuing to make big jumps in velocity.

Anglin’s frame and build is conducive to get big extension toward the plate, which easily registered as plus via TrackMan, and has a very fast and loose arm that generates good whip throughout the path. The delivery featured a high leg lift that allowed him to shoot his weight forward down the mound and the athleticism shone by repeating his delivery well and even making a diving stop toward the first base side of the rubber.

The arsenal was on full-display in the first inning as he made quick work of hitters with his three-pitch repertoire. The fastball was 89-92 mph early and the pitch had very good life to it, particularly when located in the lower quadrants of the strike zone. Anglin showed very good confidence in the breaking ball that showed slurve-like break at times, but showed the ability to be a power pitch and projects extremely well. He also brought out a changeup in the mid-80s that garnered a few swings and misses; the pitch projects well and he showed good feel for it. Anglin’s performance was very impressive and solidified himself as one of the top arms not only in his class but in the entire country for the high school ranks.

The pitcher’s duel of the day came on the field just adjacent to Anglin as the Canes’ William Osmond (2019, Tulsa, Okla.) and Hunter Pence Baseball’s J.J. Goss (2019, Cypress, Texas) battled it out.

Osmond ultimately came away victorious as he tossed a complete game shutout and pounded the strike zone. The 6-foot-3, 173-pound righthander projects very well physically and has been detailed this summer before, but his start on Thursday might have been his best of the summer. He fired a complete game shutout while striking out five batters and showed good pitchability and also toughness as he battled his way out of tough jams from time to time.

The fastball was working early for Osmond as it reached 91 mph and sat comfortably in the 87-90 mph range. The Oklahoma State commit’s command was sharp and he located the pitch to either side of the plate with ease. The breaking ball showed a similar arm action and speed as the fastball did and flashed tight break down in the zone.




Goss was just as impressive and the stuff was very electric. An athletic prospect in his own right, the 6-foot-2 and 173-pound righthander racked up strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings with ten total punchouts. His athleticism was very impressive on the mound as the arm speed played well and he repeated his delivery consistently.  Goss’ arm speed was very good as it allowed him to ramp up the velocity early in the game. The arm action was long and loose throughout the arm circle and generated good whip upon release. The first inning was a good microcosm of the overall package that Goss brings to the table.

The Texas native struck out the side in the first and he used all of his secondaries to make it happen. The fastball was the pitch he worked off and it sat 89-91 mph in the first. The pitch explodes out of the hand and allows him to put that in the back of hitters minds as he went to his secondaries; the changeup was what was most impressive early on as both the first and last pitches of the inning were the change. He showed excellent confidence in the pitch and, at up to 84 mph, the pitch showed short life but enough to fool hitters. Goss’ slider was also impressive on Thursday as he could locate it for strikes or induce chases. Goss came into this week as one of the top remaining uncommitted pitchers on the market and after his performance on Thursday it will be hard to imagine that lasting much longer.

A couple of bats who had big days for the East Cobb Astros were Ryan Davis (2019, Roswell, Ga.) and Myles Austin (2019, Smyrna, Ga.) as they both aided in the sweep of the doubleheader for the Marietta-based organization.

Davis is a very athletic prospect with good tools that point toward a leadoff profile. The 5-foot-10, 150-pound outfielder has twitchy athleticism and it shows in the form of run times during his games. Davis was recorded at 4.04 seconds to first base from the right side and he also added a stolen base during the first game to show off his baserunning prowess. Davis’ swing is inductive to a line drive and contact-oriented approach highlighted by his quick hands and ability to go to all fields if need be. He racked up numbers across the board on Thursday and was a spark at the top of the lineup for the Astros.

Austin has been known about for some time on the high school circuit and his swing looked very good on Thursday. The athleticism and physical projection stand out on the high-waisted 6-foot-2, 177-pound frame with extra-long limbs. The defensive skills are very impressive and he has shown to be a versatile defender with the ability to play all over the field. The bat stood out on Thursday for Austin as the Alabama commit with multiple exit velocities of 95-plus off the bat. His second at-bat of the second game stands out as after getting drilled in the first inning, he came back to smoke a 96 mph triple to straight away centerfield that traveled an approximate 346 feet; he also added a 97 mph single later on. The bat speed stands out in the profile and the power is present now and should only continue to improve.

Jorden Jurkiewicz (2019, Forked River, N.J.) took some good at-bats throughout his doubleheader on Thursday and showed off good tools in the process. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound catcher has good present physicality with plenty of room on the frame to add strength. The offensive profile is very strong as he has good present bat speed and showed the ability to leverage the ball hard to the pull side of the field. The Maryland commit’s swing path is geared toward a line drive approach but he showed the ability to lift the ball well and has intriguing power potential. Behind the dish, Jurkiewicz showed off the arm strength by gunning out a runner late in the second game.

An uncommitted righthander who showed impressive tools on the mound for Midwest Elite was Leonard “Trey” Valka III (2019, Spring, Texas). The 6-foot-3, 175-pound righthander has the prototypical size of a pitching prospect with long legs and plenty of room to add strength to the frame. Valka throws with some intent but he also extends toward the plate well to help his stuff play up, especially the fastball.

Valka’s arm action is full through the back as he snaps forward toward the release point from a three-quarter slot. He will throw across his body at times but if anything that allows him to get some additional life on the fastball. The pitch worked in the upper-80s for the majority of the afternoon and touched 90 mph early on. Valka’s curveball worked in the low-70s and showed quality shape as well.




Another very interesting uncommitted arm to take the mound on Thursday evening was lefthander Jake Baldino (2019, Marietta, Ga.). There is a very high ceiling for Baldino on the mound and he flashed a little bit of just about everything during his start for the 643 DP Cougars.

For starters, Baldino projects very well, listed at 6-foot-3 and a very wiry 165-pounds, and is sure to add strength to the overall frame as he continues to develop physically. The arm action itself is a bit inconsistent but it was very effective when he was on time the fastball had a very tough angle. He would vary slots but for the most part the release came from a lower-three-quarter angle which allowed him to create occasional run on his fastball.

Baldino showed four pitches on Thursday night and he worked the fastball for the most part. The pitch was up to 89 mph but worked in the mid- to high 80s for the duration of his performance. Bladino mixed speeds well, however, going to his changeup and slider often. The changeup was his best secondary offering as he replicated his arm speed well and the pitch showed good fade to the arm side; Baldino also showed a curveball at times.

The St. Louis Pirates lineup has continued to mash during the World Series and two-hole hitter Tyler Fogarty (2019, St. Louis, Mo.) had a standout game during the night cap. The Notre Dame commit has shown good feel for the barrel of the bat throughout the summer and has a good approach. He can drive the ball well to all fields which included a loud couple of hits at the end of the day. Fogarty finished with two hits, one of which was a line drive double to the pull side gap, and his upside as a hitter is very intriguing as he is one name to keep an eye on from this class.

– Vinnie Cervino
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