Fenway Park played host to the Main Event for two of the three games this year, with game one taking place in Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford, CT. One of my favorite aspects of the Main Event is that pitchers are required to go three innings, which gives you a better idea of what their stuff looks like since they can't go max effort for a single inning.
A new year, a new board and new ranks. With the summer showcase circuit behind us and college fall ball in full swing, we’re ready to re-rank the 2023 draft class. Our team has taken in 9 showcase tournaments and been closely monitoring fall scrimmages. Some guys are breaking out. As always, our boards are built on three pillars:
During the first week of August, I headed west on I-20 to cover the East Coast Pro Showcase in Hoover, Alabama. The following is the last of three sets of notes from that event, with this one covering the Padres (Georgia) and Athletics (Mid-Atlantic) squads that competed all week at the Hoover Met. Enjoy!
During the first week of August, I headed west on I-20 to cover the East Coast Pro Showcase in Hoover, Alabama. The following is the first of three sets of notes from that event, with this one covering the Mariners (Mid South + Gulf Coast) and Giants (Central and South Florida) squads that competed all week at the Hoover Met. Let’s get into it!
During the first week of August, I headed west on I-20 to cover the East Coast Pro Showcase in Hoover, Alabama. The following is the first of three sets of notes from that event, with this one covering the Pirates (Midwest) and Dodgers (Northeast) squads that competed all week at the Hoover Met. Let’s get into it!
Since 1987, Area Code Games has been a staple on the prep showcase circuit. A week-long tournament featuring some of the most talent high school players in the country, Area Code Games is was once again swarmed with scouts and media looking to get an extended look at guys many expect to be selected early next summer. Per usual, Prospects Live was in attendance.
A few weeks, Tyler Jennings and Ian Smith attended the Perfect Game National Showcase at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida. It’s their fourth year attending the event, learning up on the 2023 high school class and the standouts that come along with it. Last week, they published part one of this review, chronicling four squads. This week, it’s four more. Both Tyler and Ian captured an immense amount of film. You can find that on the Prospects Live YouTube page soon. Here are their notes…
Drew Burress- Coming off of one of the loudest spring seasons in the country, Burress showed up to St. Pete and showed a very loud set of tools. Plus runner (6.46) with a near double plus arm (97 arm) combined with good outfield actions should keep him in centerfield. Flashed easy plus raw power in batting practice, essentially flicking balls over the left centerfield wall. It's a steep bat path with electric bat speed that will give you Dylan Crews vibes at first glance. If the Georgia Tech commit can show a strong hit tool this summer, then upside remains a day 1 pick.
Landon Maroudis - Another one of the Calvary Christian arms, Maroudis is one of the better two-way players in this class. There's a good chance he will continue to be one throughout this cycle, but I want to focus primarily on the pitching. There's projection to his slender frame, pitching with good mobility and from a three-quarters arm slot. There's some pitchability traits here, too. The fastball touched 94 MPH, routinely sitting 91-93 MPH early with some life before bumping down to 88-91 MPH in his second inning of work. He's shown an ability to pitch strictly off the change-up in the past, a low-mid 80's pitch that can be firm but dives away late in the zone. The slider has some decent spin and is short to the plate with some sweeping action. He did get hit a bit, but there's something to work with here. Maroudis is committed to NC State.
Hunter Dietz - Brother of current USF pitcher Tyler Dietz, Hunter has had a pretty darn good summer thus far after impressing at PDP. Dietz has a whippy arm from the left side, a higher arm slot that is near over-the-top, and a long, lean frame. Dietz's first inning was stellar, commanding a 92-94 MPH heater very well to the corners with explosive vertical break helping generate whiffs. The slider is short and he has shown an ability to pitch off it more to setup the heater, which he tried to do more in his second inning, though he got hit a bit in that inning. He flashed a high-spin change-up with some fading life away from righties, but only threw it a handful of times. There's a base to work with here should he continue to perform this way next spring. He is committed to USF.
Braden Holcomb-I’m not sure if there’s a more physical prep player in the 2023 class. Built like an NFL linebacker, Holcomb moves extremely well for his size, running an above-average 6.68 while looking comfortable in the dirt. Got up to 99 EV in batting practice while trying to put holes in the left field wall and squared a ball up in-game as well for a 95+ mph single. Huge bat speed and impressive separation combined with the XL frame give the Vanderbilt commit strong power potential.
Ethan McElvain - Brother of former Vanderbilt starter Chris, Ethan McElvain absolutely shoved in his start for Team Maroon. Easy operation from the left side with some deception, McElvain utilizes a high three-quarters arm slot and does a good job of separating his hips and shoulders when driving to home plate. His bread and butter was the fastball, almost exclusively pitching off it and pounding the zone with the pitch. It plays up from its 90-93 MPH velocity thanks to excellent riding action, with IVB reaching upwards of 23-24 inches. He'd flash a sweepy slider a couple of times, which sat 77-80, but the outing was mainly about the fastball. There are some things to work on, as everything is relatively low-spin and he did have some trouble with operating the heater to the armside, but all in all, a very efficient outing. Bulldog mentality, as well. McElvain is committed to pitch at Vanderbilt.
Zane Adams - Adams is a big-bodied, lanky southpaw hailing from the state of Texas. His delivery is up-tempo and he pitches from a higher slot, though not much in terms of extension. While there's not much spin to the heater itself, there's a ton of vertical break to it, getting up to 94 MPH and sitting 90-93 consistently. The breaking ball has sharp late break in the 78-82 MPH range with good spin and tilt, manipulating shape at times. The breaker was more of a slider at the start before becoming more of a curveball later on. He flashed a solid change-up that kills spin and dives away from righties, as well. A very smart kid in the classroom, Adams is committed to Alabama.
Samuel Stafura- Stafura is another Clemson commit who’s armed with a plus run tool at an up the middle position. High-level actions at shortstop with impressive range and soft hands, with a capable arm to make all needed. Likely the best defensive showing out of any SS at the event. Looked very composed at the plate with a simple right handed swing that creates easy leverage through the zone with good ability to find barrels.
Myles Naylor - Heavy barrels, St. Joan of Arc Catholic, and commit to Texas colleges, it’s just what the Naylor brothers do. Myles is the third high profile Naylor in recent years with both of his older brothers being first round picks in recent years. Huge present strength in the frame for the Texas Tech commit with an extremely heavy barrel that flashed plus raw power in both BP and in-game. Good actions in the dirt with some ability to move laterally with ease and an above-average arm, likely a corner infielder long term but chance to stick at 3B.
Max Kaufer - Kaufer stood out immediately with an advanced approach at the plate and abundance of strength in the frame. Really quick hands with present bat speed and good ability to tap into his lower half for above-average power that played up in-game. Arm didn’t get tested behind the plate over the week, but showed some quickness out of the crouch with a few sub 1.9 pop times. The IMG academy product out of New Jersey is committed to Texas A&M.
Antonio Anderson - One of the best switch-hitting preps in the 2023 class who will likely stick on the left side of the infield, Anderson uses a quiet load with loose wrists and a quick bat from both sides of the plate. Separates well and will flash plus raw power from the left side, but very hitterish from both sides overall and could be an above-average hit tool. Explosive first step with solid range laterally and a big arm (89 IF throw) to make all throws needed from short. Another Georgia Tech commit in a very strong 2023 recruiting class.
Bryce Eldridge - Eldridge brings about some of the best upside from a prep arm in this class. He's a long, lean build, standing in at 6'7", 220 pounds with projection remaining, throwing with a higher three-quarters slot from an easy delivery. He does a good job of repeating his delivery despite being as long as he is, which isn't too common amongst kids his age. He got up to 95 MPH, routinely sitting 91-94 MPH with some late life down in the zone and commanded well away from lefties to get whiffs. He primarily used his slider, a sweeping breaking ball in the low-80's with good spin rates and has an ability to backdoor it at times. He'll flash a more vertical curveball in the high-70's and the change-up has late diving action in the mid-80's. Eldridge is committed to Alabama.
Ryan Geraghty - Geraghty is certainly one of the more unique arms on the circuit this summer. There's some present strength to his frame, most notably in his lower half. He's got a near side-arm slot that can be tough to pick up at times, though the delivery itself needs some ironing out. The heater got up to 93 MPH, sitting 88-92 MPH throughout the outing, though the command of the pitch was a little suspect and he relied on his off-speed to help him out. The slider is incredibly tough on righties, breaking late with crazy amounts of sweeping action and high spin in the low-80's. He also had confidence in a change-up in the low-80's with some depth that he could throw in any count. Command will come as he syncs his body up better. Geraghty is committed to Wichita State.
AJ Gracia - One of the more promising bats from an Orange squad that was dominated by quality pitching performances. The Duke commit who’s a part of a strong Mid-Atlantic prep class for 2023, shows a ton of bat speed from the left side with barrel control to use the whole field. It’s mostly gap power, with some above-average raw power to the pull-side. Not incredibly toolsy in the outfield as an average runner with an average arm as well that plays best in left field. Chance for an above-average to plus hit down the road, and if the power keeps projecting, then it’s an impressive bat to build on.
Zander Mueth - Mueth has been long heralded as one of the top prep arms in this class, and after a pretty rough PDP performance, it was nice to see Mueth back to form at this event. Mueth has a very athletic delivery, moves well down the hill from a lower slot with some crossfire and deception. The fastball is a true sinker, not much spin associated with the pitch, but it's a bowling ball coming in at 93-95 MPH throughout with good command. He started off utilizing the change-up more, a fading pitch in the mid-80's that was a weapon against lefties, before going to the sweepy slider in the low-80's that showed good front-door command. He did miss a few times, especially commanding the slider away to righties. It'll be interesting to see how he progresses as we move closer to the spring. Mueth is committed to Ole Miss.
Charlee Soto - One of the youngest players in this class, Soto is becoming more of a household name as the summer has progressed. Tall, lean frame with more projection in the upper body, Soto has electric arm speed and hides the ball well in his delivery, pitching from a three-quarters arm slot with a shorter arm action. Soto was up to 96 MPH with his heater, sitting 93-95 MPH with some late life in the zone. The main star of the show was his split-change, a pitch that just falls off the table and he has great confidence in throwing the pitch. It sat in the mid-80's with good separation off the fastball and tumbles away from lefties, with more depth when throwing it to righties. He'll show a short slider with high spin and some sweep, too. There's some effort in the delivery, which has hampered his command slightly, but there's a ton to like about this arm. Soto is committed to UCF.
Garrett Baumann - It's not too often you run into a 6'8" prep arm on the summer circuit, but that's what you get in Baumann. He's got an XL frame with projection remaining to it, shows some athleticism in his delivery with a longer arm stroke throwing from a three-quarters slot. He ran the fastball up to 95 MPH with some vertical life, sitting 90-93 MPH throughout his outing and got some whiffs up. He has great feel for a fading change-up that he sells well in the mid-80's that was tough on both lefties and righties alike, flashing a slider with some sweeping action in the low-80's away from righties. He repeats his delivery well for his size, too. Baumann is committed to UCF, like Soto.
Adrian Santana - The lean, switch-hitting middle infielder hailing out of south Florida showed one of the strongest run tools in the class with a double-plus 6.16 in the 60. Easy actions in the infield with an above-average arm (88 mph) that’s plenty of carry across the diamond. Gap power from both sides of the plate with fringy raw power, but will use his legs frequently to create more opportunities. The Miami commit is a true plus athlete who’s still fairly young for the class with plenty of projection remaining.
Isaiah Drake - One of the most electric athletes we saw all week long. Flashed double-plus speed running an event-best 6.15 in the 60, showing an elite second gear. Plus arm strength in the outfield, clocking 93 and then proceeded to hit lasers in BP. Really quiet setup and load at the plate with present bat speed and high level bat-to-skills. Constant havoc on the base with his legs in both stolen bases and extra base hits. Drake presents a true top of the order profile and remains one of the top uncommitted players in the country.
Levi Jones - Oregon State loves to find hitterish athletes in the dirt, and Levi Jones fits that to a tee. Smooth lefty cut that utilizes impressive hands and barrel control to use the whole field with ease. Found a bunch of green throughout the week, and equally impressive in BP. Fluid actions across the infield, with an average arm that likely will play best at second base long term.
Aidan Keenan - A California native, Keenan had one of the more electric outings throughout the week, mainly due to the fact that his fastball was nearly untouchable. It's a lanky, projectable frame with a whippy arm, throwing from a side-arm slot with a long arm stroke and some crossfire in his delivery. The fastball was 92-95 MPH throughout the outing with plenty of late life that made it a nightmare for hitters to catch up to thanks to that low slot. In total, Keenan had nine whiffs on his fastball, which also sat in the 2,400-2,600 RPM range for spin. The primary breaker was a slurvy pitch that had a ton of horizontal movement in the mid-upper 70's, though he had trouble landing it for strikes early on before getting more feel in his second inning. He did flash a high-spin firm change-up, as well. He's committed to Stanford.
Eric Bitonti - Bitonti might be one of the youngest players in the class , but presents one of the most potent bats you’ll find in 2023. Constant barrels all week long for the Oregon commit who was over 95 EV on nearly every batted ball in-game. Operates out of a wide base with a strideless setup that’s extremely short to the baseball while creating leverage. Identified breaking balls well, and only had 2 total whiffs over the course of the week. Big frame that moves well on the left side of the infield with a plus arm to match. It’s a well rounded profile that has a chance to emerge as the top 3B prospect in the class.
Will Gasparino - If you’re looking for a tool shed to dream on in the 2023 class, then look no further than Will Gasparino. Long, projectable frame at 6-6, 205 and hailing from the prestigious Harvard-Westlake academy, Gasparino is a plus runner with one of the best first steps in the class (1.49 10yd. split) that covers a ton of ground in center field and brings an above-average arm to only strengthen the long term staying power. Simple right handed swing is shorter to the ball then you’d think for his long levers and shows above-average bat speed. Found barrels all week long, and produced the highest exit velocity of the week, turning around a Zander Mueth fastball for a 104 MPH single.
Raffaele Velazquez - The Arizona State commit made his presence felt quickly with some easy raw power in BP, with two of the longest home runs of the week, nearly hitting the back wall off the stadium in right field. Above-average bat speed combined with easy loft and overall strength in the frame allow Velazquez to turn on balls with ease, generating consistent triple digit exit velocities. Finished the week with a loud home run in-game that left the bat at 98. Plus arm strength behind the plate clocking 87 MPH with athleticism to get out of the crouch and block as well.
We’ve finally reached draft week for the 2022 class, which means we will finally be able to dive deep into the 2023 class in short order. But, with the overlap between the classes, we’ve gotten a head-start, as the PDP League ran through the holiday weekend.
100 of the top prep players in the country flocked to Cary, North Carolina for a week-long four team series in front of a plethora of scouts to display their skillsets and tools as their summer circuit is in full gear. In this piece, I’ll cover twelve players who performed well throughout the week, including some lower ranked players who could see a bump in their stock as the summer continues.
You are more than likely looking at the best hit tool in this prep class in McGonigle. He’s got a smaller frame with some strength to it at 5’11”, 185 pounds and has plenty of athleticism and twitch, as well.
He attacks early in the count and often, recording multiple first pitch singles throughout the week, including three in his first game of the week. He stays short to the ball and has incredible bat speed and does not miss the barrel often. He’s also got some pop to his bat, showcasing good power in batting practice, as well. He has the makings of a potential plus hitter moving forward. In the field, he’s as smooth as they come. A fluid defender up the middle, McGonigle has good range and a solid arm and likely profiles at shortstop as he gets older. All in all, it’s an enticing package of tools that should allow the Auburn commit to hear his name called early next summer.
Kevin McGonigle (PA) has just flat out hit all week. Quick lefty bat, attacks pitches in the zone early in at-bats and uses all fields to hit. Has versatility to him, smooth defender up the middle. Committed to Auburn. pic.twitter.com/U7AUJQ71Q5
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 5, 2022
I had a hard time debating about who had the best pitching performances throughout the week, but ultimately, I settled for Oregon’s Noble Meyer. Hailing from the same school as 2020 first rounder Mick Abel, Meyer displayed excellent stuff throughout the week.
Meyer has the stereotypical projectable body type, long limbs attached to a slender frame at 6’5”, 195 pounds. He throws from a near side-arm slot and has a quick right arm from a relatively effortless delivery. In his first outing, Meyer sat in the 90-94 MPH range with the fastball, showcasing good life up in the zone, pairing it with a sweepy, high-spin slider in the low-mid 80’s and a change-up with depth. However, the second outing of the week proved to be the head-turner. Meyer topped out at 98 MPH, sitting 95-97 MPH with the same life on the fastball, excellent late biting sweep on the slider in the 84-88 MPH, and the change-up was in the mid-80’s, as well. Meyer’s control and command were solid, too. All in all, the week Meyer had brought a glimpse as to what he is capable of in the future, and if there’s more outings like that, expect the Oregon recruit to rise quickly in this draft class.
Well, hello Noble Meyer.
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 5, 2022
Near sidearm slot, electric arm speed. Got up to 98, sat 95-97 with serious life up. SL had late sweep/bite in the 84-88 MPH range, spin has been up to 2,750 RPM's this week. Flashed solid CH at 86 with some depth to it. Oregon commit. pic.twitter.com/XLgQPIGR2c
Sykora likely will slot in as the best right-handed prep pitcher in this class once all is said and done. At 6’6”, 220 pounds, he has quite a bit of projection remaining to his strong frame and utilizes a rock-and-fire delivery with good hip/shoulder separation. Oh, and the stuff is pretty loud, as well.
He’s touched 99 MPH in the past with his heater, though on this day, Sykora was primarily 93-96 MPH and topped out at 97 MPH with late life that is tough to pick up out of the hand. Sykora does a great job of hiding the ball throughout his delivery, with it only becoming visible as his arm stroke comes around with the shoulders. He utilizes a tight-spinning slider with bite in the mid-80’s that has good depth to it and a split-change with tumbling action and sits in the mid-80’s. He’s able to tunnel those pitches well from a three-quarters arm slot and has good feel/command of all three. There’s a lot of upside to tap into here and the Texas recruit has a bright future ahead of him.
Good morning, Travis Sykora.
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 2, 2022
Big-bodied Texan has been impressive so far. 93-96 T97 on heater with late life, CH at 85-87 has great separation and is catching guys out in front. Flashing SL, as well. Four strikeouts already. pic.twitter.com/RRcVXUNQk0
“Speed….I am speed. - Lightning McQueen” - Kendall George…..probably.
George follows the same type of mold as Georgia Tech infielder Chandler Simpson. There’s not that much power to George’s game, he’s mainly a slap hitter that produces line drives to all fields and will use his speed to his advantage with bunts on a regular basis. Defenses will be rushed when he is running down the line, as he clocked numerous sub-4.00 times on his home-to-first runs throughout the week. His speed allows him to track balls in centerfield with ease, as well. He’s the kind of top-of-the-order threat that teams have nightmares about. George is committed to play at Arkansas.
Really liked OF Kendall George in BP with his loose, twitchy hands. Translated to game play this week. Barreled a few balls. And any ball in play, defense has less than 4 seconds to throw him out. Elite speed. 6-for-9 in 3 G.@PBR_Texas | @prepbaseball | @ShooterHunt pic.twitter.com/CXuI2uoXiD
— Nathan Rode (@NathanRode) July 2, 2022
Charlee Soto has really implemented himself as a standout arm in this prep pitching class, as he’s got an insane amount of upside to tap into. Being young for the class (Soto will be 17 on draft day in 2023), Soto brings about a very projectable frame, plenty of athleticism, and an electric arm to the table for scouts to enjoy.
Soto has an easy delivery, utilizing a three-quarters arm slot with a short arm stroke and hides the ball well. While there’s some violence at release, Soto has electric arm speed and does an excellent job of separating his hips/shoulders on the mound. There’s some times where he can be erratic with throwing strikes, but he’s gotten up to 98 MPH with the fastball, usually sitting in the 92-96 MPH range with serious late life and run. He primarily used a tumbling change-up that he commanded away from lefties well in the mid-80’s, as well as using a short-biting slider in the 86-88 MPH range mainly against righties. It would not shock me to see Soto go relatively early next summer in the draft. He is committed to UCF.
Got more Charlee Soto and man, that's a fun arm.
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 6, 2022
Came out pumping 95-98 MPH heaters with good sinking action down in the zone, getting a couple whiffs. Main secondary was a change-up with big tumbling action in the high-80's that he commanded arm-side well. Flashed a SL @ 88. pic.twitter.com/W2vBWqkSUJ
White has been long heralded as the top prep arm in the 2023 class and it’s not hard to see why he’s had that title attached to his name. The stuff itself plays very well, even if there’s some questions marks that I have after viewing him twice at PDP.
White’s fastball got upwards of 96 MPH, sitting in the 90-94 MPH range in both outings with good life up in the zone and almost exclusively pitched off of it. He did have a tendency to miss arm-side and up in the zone, likely due to his delivery not being in-sync. His delivery is relatively easy, but it’s a long arm stroke and there’s times where he struggles to get on time. He did begin to throw his mid-70’s curveball more often as the outings progressed, a high-spin breaker with nasty sweep and bite that lefties had trouble touching. He flashed a change-up with good separation to the fastball and had hard diving action to it, which was saved primarily for righties. The package and arsenal are there for White to be a top name, now it’s just a matter of ironing out his delivery issues and improving the control and command.
First look at Thomas White (MA) and like the stuff. FB topped at 96, sat 92-95 early before 90-92 late w/ high spin. Snapped off some good CB 75-78 w/ sweep and spin near 2600 RPM's. Flashed some good CH with diving action 81-83. FB control was sporadic late. pic.twitter.com/O2VWjMmSqO
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 1, 2022
While I have an extremely large urge to make a “Walker, Texas Ranger” pun here, I’ll just dive right in about how much I enjoyed Jenkins at PDP this week.
Jenkins has a strong, physical frame with plenty of athleticism and room to add muscle, as well. He’s every part of a top tier prep outfielder, as well. There’s plenty of bat speed and power in the stick, showcasing all fields power and utilizing the gaps often. He did have five strikeouts to zero walks, but he’s shown good patience and strike zone awareness in the past. The speed certainly stands out, as well. He can turn on the burners when the ball hits the gap, gliding around the bases with ease and solid home-to-first times. This helps him in center field with his range, though he likely profiles more in a corner outfield spot with a strong arm and very solid defense. The UNC commit will be a very fun profile to cover as we inch closer to his draft day.
Walker Jenkins looked a lot better today than he has the past two days. Laced a triple into the pull-side gap and showed off the speed in first AB, then nearly left the yard here with a long flyout. One of the top prep OF in 2023's class. UNC recruit. pic.twitter.com/EmAr7Rkaft
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 2, 2022
Emerson was one of the best bats at the entire event, hitting a pair of triples amongst the six hits that he tallied throughout the week. The Ohio native is, like Soto, one of the youngest players in this class, as he won’t be turning 17 until just after this year’s draft.
Emerson is long and lean with projection to the frame to add weight and long levers. He’s a tough out at the plate, as he stays short to the ball with some bat speed and covers the plate well against fastballs and breaking balls. He’ll utilize gap-to-gap power and has average speed on the basepaths. In the field, he’s a smooth defender at shortstop currently, with good range and a decent arm. However, he likely profiles better at second base moving forward. He has the profile of a hit-over-power player that can play a respectable second base for a team in the future. Emerson is committed to Auburn.
2 RBI triple laced into left center for @Colt_emerson pads on the lead for Team Navy! #PDPLeague22 pic.twitter.com/X6JTwCBoIU
— MLB/USA Baseball PDP (@BaseballPDP) July 5, 2022
We are covering the Auburn recruiting class very well in this piece.
Tilly is another Tiger commit that raised his stock at the event. He only had one outing throughout the week, where he sat 88-91 MPH on the fastball and topped out at 92 MPH. He was pumping strikes early, getting some whiffs up in the zone with some decent ride to the pitch. However, the star of the show was his slider. It’s a high-70’s/low-80’s offering with two-plane break that has the potential of a legit out pitch. It has serious late bite that hitters struggled against and had high spin rates, getting upwards of 3,000 RPM’s on occasion. He flashed a splitter, but it lags behind the fastball/slider combo. The lone mistake he made throughout the outing was leaving a hanging slider to Riley Jackson, who promptly launched it over the left field fence for a home run. He’s one to keep an eye on throughout this cycle, especially if he can add some velocity.
Cameron Tilly did a great job starting for Team Red. FB sat 88-91 T92 with some ride, tunneled sharp SL with high spin and late sweeping bite in the 77-82 that he had great command of. Flashed mid-80's splitter, as well. Auburn commit from Indiana. pic.twitter.com/2TjcFjiXsN
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) June 30, 2022
Eldridge enters the cycle as one of the best two-way prospects in the class. He’s a long, lanky specimen with plenty of projection, coming in at 6’7”, 220 pounds.
On the mound, Eldridge got up to 95 MPH, ranging from 91-94 MPH with the heater with some late life to it. His breaking ball has two different forms, a high-70’s curveball with big depth and a more lateral slider in the low-80’s with average spin rates. They can morph at times, but he’ll predominantly throw the curveball as it flashes better than the slider. He has feel for a solid change-up, as well. He’s got plenty of power potential at the dish, using all fields and even recorded an opposite field double in a pinch-hitting appearance. There’s a solid chance he goes high in this class with the stuff and the frame. He’s committed to Alabama.
Got Bryce Eldridge (VA) for the final inning. FB sat 92-94 with some late life, showed sharp breaking CB w/ depth in the high-70’s, more lateral SL in low-80's w/ average spin rates. Showed good command overall. Long, lean frame at 6'7, 220 pounds. Alabama commit. pic.twitter.com/pmYMheWt31
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 1, 2022
The brother of 2021 prep pitcher Tyler Dietz, Hunter Dietz had one of the best pitching lines of the week, striking out seven and walking none across two outings.
He’s got a large, imposing frame at 6’6”, 230 pounds with great pitch-ability. The fastball sat in the low-90’s with heavy bore inside, reaching back for 95 MPH multiple times. He’d pitch backwards off a hard breaking slider in the low-80’s to set up the heater, as well as getting some ugly swings from both sides of the plate. He’d flash a firm change-up at times, but he really found success with the fastball/slider combo throughout. He pumped plenty of strikes, as well. He’s currently committed to play at South Florida and likely could be a potential sleeper in this class.
Hunter Dietz (FL) has been fun this week. Touched 95 the other day, routinely low-90's with bore inside. Sets up the batter with a high-70's slider that he's pitched backwards off of with sweep and has been nasty low in the zone. Flashed CH, as well. South Florida commit. pic.twitter.com/YwpccCtj6A
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 5, 2022
It’s not too often that you find a prep hitter that has a stan account, but alas here we are.
The Nebraska native showed out at PDP, batting .500 across the event with a home run. He put together plenty of competitive at-bats, utilizing all fields at the plate with good zone coverage. There’s some projection remaining to his frame, with present strength and has solid pop to all fields, taking Zander Mueth deep to the opposite field on a hanging slider that caught too much of the plate. He also had exit velocities that got up to 103 MPH, as well. He ranged well at shortstop, showcasing a good arm and soft hands, though he likely moves to second base in the future. A Vanderbilt commit, Kozeal will definitely reap the rewards of a solid week in Cary as the summer continues.
Camden Kozeal (NE) has been raking all week. Using all fields with the hit tool, he taps into his power here, taking Zander Mueth to the opposite field for a home run. Solid defender in the dirt, as well. Kozeal is committed to Vanderbilt. pic.twitter.com/1QLR464Dts
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) July 6, 2022
Honorable Mentions: Max Clark (IN), Eric Bitonti (CA), Jonny Farmelo (VA), Justin LeGuernic (NY), Brandon Winokur (CA), Cameron Johnson (MD), Blake Mitchell (TX), Jake Brown (LA), Andrew Wiggins (IN), Blake Dickerson (VA)
What a way to end the spring season.
It’s always nice to end good things out with a bang, and as we start to transition from 2022’s class to 2023, I figured it’d be best to make my way down to Charlotte for the ACC Tournament to get an opportunity to see guys I wasn’t able to in the regular season. It turned into one of the best events I have been a part of, so in return, you will get a lot of live look notes in this one. This will be part one of a two-part mini-series, with pitchers only in this edition before a hitters edition after this. Let’s dive in.
Nate Savino’s been a frustrating pitcher to gauge throughout his college career. He enrolled early at Virginia before the COVID-shortened 2020 season and seemingly lost the velocity he had in his prep days. But over the past month or so, Savino has seen a return of the velocity and he’s risen up multiple draft boards as a result. Friday continued that trend against a strong Notre Dame lineup.
Well, this is certainly a development. Nate Savino has opened this game at 93-96 with sinking life, shown off the CH 84-86, and the SL with sweep in the mid-80's, too. Certainly intriguing given he hasn't been that high since his prep days. Four whiffs on heater, too. pic.twitter.com/BhjnhDuaZT
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) May 27, 2022
For starters, Savino’s velocity peaked at 96 MPH, comfortably sitting 93-95 MPH and doing a good job of holding it throughout his outing. It still has its signature sinking action, though he did have some trouble landing the pitch arm-side. The slider has also risen in velocity, now sitting in the mid-80’s with some sweeping action, getting some chases on pitches low and away to lefties. The change-up can be a little firm at times, and much like the fastball, struggled to land arm-side, but it’s now into the mid-80’s with some fading life when it’s not firm. Everything comes from a lower three-quarters arm slot with some deception, as well.
Went ahead and made a little collage of Nate Savino's mechanics over the years. First couple of things that I could immediately tell from prep to now is he's more upright and stiff in his movements, plus he's a bit more closed off at foot strike. pic.twitter.com/4hOW0k8aY9
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) June 1, 2022
When it comes to figuring out Savino’s mechanics, I did a little deep dive into his history. Back in his prep days, he was more athletic in his motions. Once 2021 hit, Savino closed himself off at foot strike and became more stiff and upright, which helps explain the velocity issues he experienced. From last year to this year, Savino has begun adding more force to the ground, thanks to using his entire foot to land instead of landing on his foot laterally. He’s also able to rotate quicker with his hips, which has helped him gain the velocity back (shoutout goes to Cam Lanzilli for the help with this). With this said, there’s still projection remaining to Savino’s frame and if he keeps these new mechanics going, there’s likely more in the tank from a velocity standpoint. He’s gone from a rather pedestrian arm to having some serious intrigue to him now, and it would not shock me to see Savino get popped on Day 1 in July.
Brandon Schaeffer’s journey this spring has been an up-and-down affair, but if there’s ever a time to be hot, now is the perfect time for it. Much like Cardinals’ farmhand Austin Love a year ago, Schaeffer has come into his own in the month of May, extending himself in-game and giving stability to the UNC pitching staff. But what he did on Friday, against the kind of offensive juggernaut he faced and the ballpark it was hosted, was one of the most dominant performances I have seen in person.
Brandon Schaeffer has been dominant for this UNC ball club. He's sat 89-91 with his sinker and has been attacking the corners, showing off a high-spin low-80's SL and CH with fade and keeping VT hitters off-balance all game. pic.twitter.com/dw00GpDQVR
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) May 28, 2022
Schaeffer and head coach Scott Forbes mentioned the ups and downs in the post-game presser. With Max Carlson holding down the Friday night title after his return from the bullpen, Schaeffer really embraced his role as the Saturday guy, a solid starting option behind an emerging and budding ace. But Schaeffer took it to another level against Virginia Tech, holding 88-91 the entire outing with a fastball that was seemingly untouchable. No matter where he threw it, no one could touch it. He’d throw in a high-spin, sweepy slider and a change-up with running action, but the main star of the show was that sinker of his. He threw tons of first pitch strikes and only once allowed a runner to second base. With help from his defense, as well, Schaeffer threw 72% strikes and nearly finished a “Maddux”, ultimately settling for 102 pitches. As a draft prospect, he’s more of a Day 2-Day 3 name, but he’s left quite the impression with a strong finish to the ACC slate.
After seeing the pitching woes that hampered Florida State against UNC, I was hoping for a big turnaround coming into Charlotte this week. What we got was a complete 180 from Hubbart against a very good Virginia lineup. Head coach Mike Martin mentioned how “twitchy” of a guy Hubbart is and how settling him down mentally helped in the turnaround and help him find some of his Cape Cod velocity.
@FSUBaseball Bryce Hubbart looks a lot better than he did against UNC on Saturday. FB 90-94 with excellent carry to it thru two, has snapped off a couple of sliders in 77-81 range with sweep. Better control today, nice to see velo up to what he was on Cape last summer, too. pic.twitter.com/9GCRGHJ6ya
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) May 25, 2022
Against UNC, Hubbart only sat 88-91 MPH with his heater and struggled to throw strikes. Against Virginia? He found a groove early, throwing strikes and getting whiffs up in the zone thanks to excellent riding action, sitting 90-93 MPH and topping out at 94 MPH, which matches his maximum from the Cape. It was primarily fastball early, with Virginia hitters not being able to catch up to it. The slider wasn’t thrown for strikes early, but got better as the outing went along. It sat in the 77-81 MPH range with serious sweeping action and some bite to it, with high spin rates, as well. He even dropped in a couple of change-ups, which certainly got the attention of Martin in the dugout. It was a nice bounceback outing for Hubbart and he more than likely finds himself somewhere on Day 1, though likely in the second round.
This was the first time I had seen Palmquist as a starter. Last year as a reliever, it was a fun viewing. Sitting low-to-mid 90’s with his heater, tunneling the change-up, and having a slurvy breaking ball made life difficult in the box, especially with how low of a release he has. Fast forward a year later and in his new role, the velocity has not come to fruition for Palmquist. He's primarily been 89-92 MPH throughout the year, occasionally popping a 93, though he’s had bright spots as a starter.
First time seeing Carson Palmquist as a starter tonight, FB sitting 89-92 with run and showing good command east/west. CH to righties with fade, featuring SL to lefties. Only blemishes have been 2 Tommy White bombs on fastballs away. pic.twitter.com/dkn9R9rTW0
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) May 26, 2022
The heater plays up from its velocity thanks to the characteristics of the pitch. It’ll run away from righties and he’s able to command it east/west nicely. He mainly started off 90-92 MPH, before settling in at 89-91 MPH. However, Tommy White managed to take two fastballs away and unload on them to the opposite field. The change-up is solid with fading action and mimics the fastball, tunneling nicely with the low, sidearm slot that Palmquist has. He introduced a breaking ball with more of a slider shape to it in the low-80’s, but it was mainly used against lefties and was seldom used. Ultimately, I think Palmquist becomes a reliever at the next level. With that said, Palmquist likely fits somewhere in the second to third round range.
Liam Simon has had some ups and downs this year. Primarily a reliever coming into this year, Link Jarrett opted to start using Simon in more of a hybrid role, getting in some starts, though prior to Charlotte, the longest he had gone was four innings. Luckily for Notre Dame, Simon had his best outing of the season, keeping Virginia’s potent offense off the board across five stellar innings with eight strikeouts and just two walks.
Liam Simon has been pretty dominant today. Has been 95-98 T99 with tilt and decent command. The SL is a tight spinning breaker at 82-85 and has been getting some ugly whiffs in the left-handed box. Reliever risk, but it's some fun stuff. pic.twitter.com/pRvxl19BOj
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) May 27, 2022
Simon is a known flame-thrower and even in the starting role, the velocity didn’t waver. Simon was consistently 95-98 MPH and reared back for 99 MPH at times, especially later in the outing, with good tilt and carry to it, while also throwing a good amount of strikes from a funky, high three-quarters slot. The slider has wipeout potential, a tight spinning breaker with nasty late bite that essentially gives away from righties. It’s tough to pick up out of the hand at times and will, more often than not, get ugly swings while being in the opposing batters box. He’ll flash a change-up, but it lags behind the dynamic FB/SL duo. The main knock on Simon is the command, he can be rather streaky with the fastball and the slider usually ends up in the opposing box. That said, there’s plenty to like about Simon in a relief role moving forward with how dynamic he can be.
Before the year started, Elliott Avent made one thing clear about Villaman; he would be utilized like Evan Justice was last year. Throughout the week for NC State, Villaman was used a total of four times, throwing a total of 9.2 innings while walking just two and striking out seventeen batters, including eight in five perfect innings in the title game against UNC on Sunday.
Here's some video on Villaman. FB will sit low-90's, high spin with riding action, but he's got that CH that really makes a difference with the lack of a breaker. Kills spin, low-spin offering with sinking action and great separation from FB. 7 K's in 4 perfect innings today. pic.twitter.com/3d3Ehv6Tx3
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) May 29, 2022
Villaman made a change to his fastball over the off-season and has become a legitimate weapon. Last year, Villaman threw more of a cutter that got into the mid-90’s, which was attributed to his cross-body motion on the mound. This year, Villaman added more riding life to the pitch with above-average spin rates and was untouchable up in the zone and Villaman could paint the corners with it. His change-up is still his best off-speed offering, a low-spin pitch that fades away from righties late and has excellent separation from the fastball. He still lacks an ability to spin a breaking ball, a fringey mid-70’s pitch that has more of a “get-me-over” feel to it, which will need to be addressed at the next level. He’s shown in the past he could start, and an organization may let him in pro ball, but he’s proven to be a potent bullpen arm and likely ends up in that role moving forward.
Bertrand is the oldest player in this piece, having turned 24 years old back in February. That said, he brings plenty of veteran presence, poise, and a great understanding of his craft to a Notre Dame squad poised to make their way to Omaha for the first time since 2002.
J.M. Bertrand has come out of the gate strong. Has been up to 94 MPH with the heater, mainly sitting 90-93. CH 82-84 with some fade, though iffy feel. SL has gotten some s/m at 82, flashed CB at 78. Pitchability lefty, struck out side in 2nd. pic.twitter.com/GzxaIpw93q
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) May 26, 2022
While he’s primarily been in the high-80’s in most of his starts, Bertrand came out sitting 90-93 MPH with the fastball, touching 94 MPH a couple of times. He’s the pure definition of a pitchability pitcher, showcasing a solid change-up, slider, and flashing the curveball throughout the outing and keeping Florida State in check throughout. In the third and fourth innings, Bertrand ran into trouble, but used a mental reset and began pitching backwards to help get him out of the innings, which proved big for Notre Dame as they secured their spot in the semifinals. Bertrand’s command was locked in after that, allowing him to go eight innings of one-run ball.
McFarlane has been one of my favorites arms in college thanks to how stupidly good his stuff is. I remember first seeing him against UNC last year and being blown away by how quick his arm is and how potent his arsenal can be. Miami’s bullpen has a good amount of stellar arms in the back-end and he’s become a very fun set-up guy to Andrew Walters (more on him shortly).
Alex McFarlane is such an electric arm. FB with serious sink at 94-96 MPH, dynamic two-plane slider with tight spin at 85-87, flashing CH with fade at 85-86. Got roughed up a bit, but did a good job of getting out of the jam. pic.twitter.com/AUQnYK7JoN
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) May 26, 2022
McFarlane has an insanely quick arm and a very good three-pitch mix. He reached up to 97 MPH with the heater showcasing tons of running action and sitting 94-96 MPH throughout. The slider is freakish, a dynamic two-plane breaker with tight spin and short bite in the mid-80’s that garners whiffs aplenty. The change-up has some fading action in the same velocity band as the slider, but it’s not used often. His command comes and goes and that’s ultimately what limits him from being in a larger role for Miami. More consistency will be the focal point moving forward with the kind of stuff he possesses. It would not at all shock me if McFarlane happens to move on a faster track than some once selected.
If you are looking for more dominant relievers in college, Walters might be at the top of the list for you. Formerly a JUCO transfer from Eastern Florida State, Walters has been a dynamic force as Miami’s closer. He did not allow a run until late April and has limited the opposition to ten hits in thirty innings, while walking just five and running a strikeout-rate of 53%. Sources do say that this is #good.
From last night: Andrew Walters followed McFarlane, chucking 97-98 heat with carry and command. CB sat 81-82 with depth and bite, commanded down and away to righties. Has been one of the most dominant relievers in college baseball this year. pic.twitter.com/uZG62o87vE
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) May 26, 2022
With Walters, he could be classified as more of a “one-pitch” guy. Everything really lives and dies by the fastball. He matches plane at the bottom of the zone well and is still able to get good carry up in the zone. He sat 97-98 MPH with good command, pitching inside often and doing a good job of limiting hard contact. While he throws the curveball hard, sitting in the low-80’s, it’s seldom used. That said, Walters is able to limit righties with the breaker, which has some depth and bite to it. He’s got deception in his delivery, hiding the ball well, as well as having excellent extension and spin on the heater to make it difficult to hit. He likely will be selected in the top five rounds come July and would rise up the ranks relatively quickly given the stuff and command he possesses.
