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Tournaments  | Story  | 10/6/2018

World Underclass Day 2 Notes

Photo: Dylan Crews (Perfect Game)

2018 WWBA Underclass World Championship: Daily Leaders | Day 1 Notes

High-end two-way talent Brandon Eike (2020, Powhatan, Va.) started on the mound for Canes American pitching very well and topping out at 88 mph with his fastball and batted three hole for his club connecting on a very loud double to the left-center field gap. Eike is a strong player who can make an impact on both sides of the ball as he did on Friday. At the plate, Eike has impact strength at the point of contact with the ability to drive the baseball to either gap with potential power. As the starting pitcher, the Virginia Tech commit creates lots of life to his fastball from an extended three-quarters arm slot living in the upper-80s as well. Eike bats in the middle of the order for a talented Canes American team and started their first pool play game on the mound giving a good indication that he is a true talent on both sides of the baseball.

Not many teams had more strikes thrown for them than the Scorpions did with the combination of both starter Nick Romagnola (2020, Bradenton, Fla.) and reliever Lucas Ismaili (2020, Dunedin, Fla.) who each topped out at 87 mph with their fastballs.

Romagnola, a South Florida commit has a frame that one can dream on moving forward and an easy effort delivery that maintained velocity primarily in the 84-86 mph range. Standing at a believable 6-foot-3, 197-pounds, the future Bull pounded the strike zone to either side of the plate mostly with his fastball attacking hitters with the pitch. He flashed a curveball that shows good potetial with short break and tight spin when thrown with similar fastball conviction. Romagnola throws with low effort and has an ideal frame to dream on making him a promising young arm to follow moving forward.

Ismaili is unique in his own way as he showed more promising two-way potential batting in the second spot in the Scorpions batting order and collecting a total of three hard hits in his team’s double header including a pair of doubles to each gap showing a smooth stroke and loose wrist to the point of contact. The uncommitted righthander was as mentioned up to 87 mph on the mound with a short slider to go with and pounded the strike zone just like his teammate Romagnola. Ismaili has plenty of arm strength to his wiry 6-foot frame with room to fill and projects well both on the mound and at the plate.

One of the more elite hitters not only in this event but in the entire 2020 class is righthanded hitting outfielder Dylan Crews (2020, Longwood, Fla.). The LSU commit has outstanding hand speed to his swing generating some of the best bat speed in the country. Crews got the offense going early on in the tournament in the Scorpions Founders Club’s first game by squaring up a first pitch fastball for a triple to the left-center field gap. The ball makes a different type of sound coming off of his barrel with incredible exit velocities as this particular hit did. Crews has been on the PG circuit or several years now and has done nothing been rake at each event that he attends.




Not many at his age look the part of a big-time shortstop like Miami commit Yohandy Morales (2020, Miami, Fla.) does. Standing at a lean 6-foot-4, 180-pounds, Morales moves well in the middle infield making nimble actions to the baseball with a clean glove and plenty of arm strength across the diamond. On one slow roller in Friday’s game Morales came charging in making the play look extremely easy fielding the ball cleanly and making a perfect throw to first base on the run with ease showcasing his athleticism. At the plate is where Morales did his damage for the Banditos tripling to dead center field on a long fly ball that jumped off of his bat. His swing is simple with an easy trigger and plenty of juice. Morales is a fun player to watch in the 2020 class and is only going to get better as he matures.

Morales’s teammate Eduardo Garza (2021, Rio Grande City, Texas) collected three hard hits on the day Friday. The young 2021 graduate is playing up in this week’s event and holding his own and playing well in the two spot of the order for a loaded Banditos Scout Team. Garza repeatedly hit the baseball on the barrel to his pull side getting the head of the bat out in front and turning the barrel over well. Garza is an uncommitted primary third baseman with a contact oriented approach that he executed well on this day and a line drive swing plane.

During the last time slot of games at Lee County Player Development Complex, Jackson Boyd (2020, Braselton, Ga.) made a loud impression as he connected on a sixth inning home run to his pull side. The leadoff hitter for Team Elite-Braves Scout Team has a compact frame with well-proportioned strength throughout the build. The strength at impact shows up in his swing as he is able to hit the ball hard and on the barrel repeatedly. The swing is compact and direct staying short to the ball with good hand speed. An uncommitted 2020 graduate batting leadoff for a loaded 2020 team surely is worthy of note for the middle infielder from metro Atlanta.

– Greg Gerard



Early morning action on Friday saw the Staten Island Orioles Underclass playing at the complex at CenturyLink Park. The Orioles uncommitted catcher and cleanup hitter, Bill Minett (2020 Staten Island, N.Y.), had his considerable talents on display in both his club’s games. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound backstop is sturdy and athletic. He presents a low profile at the ready gives umpires a great view of all pitches. He has soft hands and shows advanced skill in framing pitches. His ability to transition and throw the baseball, especially to second base, is as good as any catcher in Fort Myers this weekend. Each throw he made during competition was on target. His pop time was below 2.0 throughout the day. He is the unquestioned field general of his club. At the plate, the solidly built Minett has a classic power righthanded hitter’s approach. He shows great plate discipline and never expands the zone. He gets his bat on plane and has a slugger’s lift at contact.

The Elite Squad Black’s Gavin Smith (2020, Cooper City, Fla.) had a big day at the dish as the toolsy American Heritage HS sophomore consistently barreled up numerous offerings during morning pool play action. The 6-foot, 170-pound righthanded hitter has a short, quick and compact swing and a gap-to-gap mentality. He also flashed some natural raw power. The quick-twitch, athletic Smith is also a plus runner who is very instinctive on the bases.

The East Cobb Astros 17u club has a number of very talented players in Southwest Florida this weekend and were led Friday morning by three standouts. Showing highly repeatable mechanics and a smooth, easy arm action was lefthanded pitcher, Carson Beavers (2020, Blue Ridge, Ga.). The 6-foot, 165-pound poised southpaw has a short takeaway and an extended finish that allowed him to pound the strike zone with an active 85-87 mph fastball. Although he showed a projectable curve ball warming up, Beavers stuck with his active fastball that has plus arm side run. He consistently missed bats during his impressive two-inning relief appearance.

Swinging a powerful bat for the Astros was Georgia Tech commit Brad Grenkoski (2020, Kennesaw, Ga.). The athletically gifted 6-foot-4, 195-pound Kell HS sophomore, is a solidly built, quick twitch athlete who brings considerable tools to the ballpark. He consistently barreled up baseballs throughout the day and flashed gap-to-gap raw power on more than one occasion. Grenkoski is also a plus runner who is both instinctive and aggressive. In addition to his advanced offensive talents, Grenkoski is also a very gifted center fielder who understands positioning, gets great jumps on balls hit in his direction and has a plus arm that is highly accurate.

Hitting behind Grenkoski in the very talented Astros 17u lineup is Ethan Stamps (2020, Madison, Ga.). Stamps is a powerfully built, 5-foot-11, 190-pound righthanded swinger who rarely gets cheated. He is very strong through his lower half and core and incorporates that power into every swing. He has a definitive slugger’s lift at contact and consistently gets his bat on plane and shows great lift at contact.

Not to be outdone by their older organizational brethren, the East Cobb Astros 16u team also had a big day at CenturyLink. The 16u Astros have a very deep offensive lineup. Brocker Way (2021, Loganville, GA) is the very talented leadoff hitter for the Astros 16U. The righthanded hitting left fielder understands his role at the top of the order and is very patient in and with his approach. He seemingly always had the count in his favor throughout the morning and was either on base via the walk or hit. He has a very balanced stance and a short, quick, compact stroke and a flat swing path. He consistently sprays line drives to all parts of the field and then uses his plus speed and aggressive running style to force the action by either stealing a bag of taking the extra base.

Mark Gallups (2021, Marietta, Ga.) took advantage of the traffic on the bases during his at-bats. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound righthanded swinger showed a very quick bat and solid gap-to-gap pop as he drove the ball to the big parts of the ballpark. He is also a gifted runner who uses his speed to take the extra bag.

Bryant Herring (2021, Hampton, Ga.) is a toolsy, quick-twitch player who had numerous gifts on display throughout morning play at CenturyLink. The Astros 16u center fielder is a gifted athlete who is an advanced defender.  He can also swing the bat. His natural defensive instincts allows the Dutchtown HS sophomore to play more shallow than most. He shows consistent plus average arm strength and throws that are firm and true. Herring truly shines with a bat in his hands. The lefthanded swinger flashed pull side pop and a very quick swing path. He consistently got his barrel to the ball and never expanded the zone. His disciplined approach and keen eye at the dish project to a much higher level. Lastly, and maybe most notably, Herring is an advanced runner with game-changing speed.

– Jerry Miller



Turning in a quick, efficient start during the morning slot over at Jet Blue was righthander Michael Schultz (2020, Vienna, Va.) as he needed just 44 pitches to get through three scoreless frames on the mound. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound starter pounded the zone nicely with his fastball in the 83-86 mph range throughout to go along with a hard breaking ball. The frame projects with a long and loose arm stroke through the back and Schultz does a nice job at staying online toward the plate and on time. Schultz was more around the zone than commanding it during the outing, but still didn’t allow a walk during his time on the mound and used his power, 12-to-6 breaking ball as a primary out-pitch. The breaker worked up to 73 mph with nice depth to the pitch and Schultz looks the part of an intriguing uncommitted arm at this juncture.

Canes Florida Prime edged out the win over the Richmond Braves in the morning and uncommitted outfielder Ian Farrow (2020, Merritt Island, Fla.) showed off some tools in the process. Farrow has a strong and twitchy 6-foot, 195-pound frame with a set of tools that have the potential for impact but are still a bit raw overall. He’s a very good athlete, he turned in a 4.6 second turn time from the right side, and certainly passes the initial eye test with loose actions and a good motor. Farrow was slated in right field and didn’t get a chance to show off the arm, but did hook a double down the pull-side line during his first at-bat of the game. The swing is a bit crude at times but there is present bat speed, which is enough to project upon given his athleticism and strength. He creates lift through the hand path, though the swing will get a bit too uphill at times as he keeps his hands very inside. It was a nice look at a quality uncommitted prospect and athlete on Friday morning.




After winning the MVP of the 15u WWBA in 2017 and showing off some impressive raw power at the PG Underclass AA Games, Slade Wilks (2020, Columbia, Miss.) got off on the right foot during the first game for the East Coast Sox on Friday. Wilks smoked two baseballs in his first two at-bats and was given an intentional pass on his third, and gave a glimpse of that significant impact strength.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound outfielder looks more of a football player than baseball, with impressive physicality and some grown-man strength in the batter’s box. The Southern Miss commit swings the bat hard and fast, as he maintains the barrel nicely through the hitting zone with lots of leverage created to pull the ball. Wilks’ ability to create backspin and jump off the barrel are both immediately evident as he ripped a line drive single on a first pitch fastball in at-bat number one and controlled the barrel to punish an opposite field, ground rule double in his second on a breaking ball. There is some swing-and-miss to his game as was shown later in the day during game two, but the power and impact strength is certainly notable at this point.

The Sox won their first game of the tournament and did so in very impressive fashion from a pitching standpoint as Aidan Keenan (2020, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) and Cade Watson (2020, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) combined for a no-hitter and racked up 11 strikeouts during the game.

Keenan was electric from the first pitch of the game as he worked up to 87 mph and in the mid-80s for the majority of the game. The arm stroke is clean through the back from a more over-the-top slot which does a good job at creating some plane when leveraging low in the strike zone. The uncommitted, 5-foot-10 righthander has some present arm speed too and delivers the baseball with intent upon release, however, what impressed most about Keenan’s performance was his breaking ball. The curveball had lots of power, velocity, and bite to it as the pitch worked in the upper-70s and Keenan alternated landing the pitch and burying it for chases. Watson followed Keenan and showed a bit of a different look, with a loose lefthanded arm stroke while working his fastball in the low-80s. Watson created some life on the fastball while showing a good feel for the breaking ball as well. The Sox went 2-0 during action on Friday and look to be in good position heading into Sunday’s final pool play game.

Perhaps the most impactful offensive contributor of the day, Carter Jensen (2021, Kansas City, Mo.) did nothing but mash baseballs during the Royals Scout Team’s doubleheader on Friday as Jensen collected five hits in two games including a double and a triple. The Missouri commit is an intriguing player for the overall class of 2021 as the profile is very bat-driven presently with juice in his lefthanded swing. Jensen has a very loose and easy trigger to start his swing and loads his weight hard onto the backside during the pre-pitch load. This allows him to create some serious impact juice and hard leverage to pull the ball but makes the swing and approach very high risk-high reward. Jensen saw a lot of the “reward” end of that spectrum with a couple of line drive singles, a hard hit double, and a smoked triple that one-hopped the pull-side wall. Jensen had a very loud day at the plate and should be monitored closely going forward.




Closing out the On Deck O’s second win on Friday afternoon was righthanded North Carolina commit Hayden Summers (2020, Greensboro, N.C.) as he ran his fastball up to 89 mph and showed a lot of swing-and-miss type stuff as he struck out seven batters over the final three innings. The righthanded pitcher has a pretty athletic delivery, with a strong present lower half, showing a quick arm stroke and an over the top slot. Summers loads on his backside nicely and creates an element of explosiveness through the release with intent as he attacked the strike zone with fastballs. The pitch worked mostly 86-88 mph and flashed some hard cutting life when working over to the glove side of the plate. Summers showed a couple of secondaries including a big breaking 12-to-6 curveball with good depth to it while also flashing a changeup with some arm side life that was thrown softer. Summers turned in a good look in an abbreviated performance and was a key piece for an On Deck team looking to make bracket play on Saturday.

One of the top-ranked prospects to take the mound on Friday was No. 203 Ben Hernandez (2020, Chicago, Ill.) and the University of Illinois-Chicago commit had a tough first inning, but showed off a lot of impressive stuff on the mound. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect certainly passes the initial eye test and works well with three pitches, strikes, and flashes a couple of put-away secondary pitches.

Hernandez tossed four innings with a clean and loose arm stroke while working downhill nicely upon release. He falls off to the first base side sometimes, which affects his ability to work to the arm side, but he showed three pitches that were all impressive at various points. The fastball worked up to 89 mph but sat 86-88 mph pretty consistently. He throws from an extended arm slot which created some tail when working low, but caused the fastball to flatten out at times when working up in the strike zone. Hernandez spun off a couple of impressive breaking balls that flashed bite, but often worked as a get me over pitch when locating it in the strike zone. Hernandez’ changeup showed two different looks, one in the upper-70s with a lot of life and more of a firm, straight changeup in the 80-82 mph range. Hernandez showed flashes of very impressive stuff, in an inconsistent overall performance, but still remains a top prospect for the class and an arm to monitor closely.

There were a number of hitters who stood out in an 8-7 affair between Dirtbags Bad Company and the Canes Black as both offenses were hot throughout the game.

Andrew Fricks (2020, Pikeville, N.C.) of the Canes showed off some intriguing contact skills and some twitch near the middle of the lineup. Fricks displayed some barrel control and hitterish qualities with multiple hits, including a directed opposite field line drive for a successful hit and run. The uncommitted outfielder has a short, controlled swing path with quickness to his hands and stroke but does a good job at putting the ball in play off the barrel of the bat. He’s also pretty athletic in the outfield and moves well to batted balls.

Christopher Boyd (2020, Lewisville, N.C.)and  Ryan Wilson (2020, Durham, N.C) both had big days in an offense that put up eight runs on 11 hits. The duo look the part of two impressive uncommitted prospects on a very talented Dirtbags team.

Boyd is an athletic, up-the-middle type with a twitchy 6-foot, 160-pound frame as a prospect. Boyd has clean and loose actions throughout his movements with loose hands at the dish that bodes well with his ability to create some whip through the zone. The uncommitted middle infielder operates best on a present gap-to-gap approach and the power is very projectable onto the frame and should continue to grow with additional strength.

Wilson showed off some juice to pull with a strong righthanded swing that generates a good amount of leverage through the point of contact. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound uncommitted prospect found the barrel of the bat, hard, multiple times with two doubles on the afternoon that included a long ground rule double that just barely missed going out to the pull side of the field.

FTB Tucci Berryhill heads into Saturday with a 2-0 record and game two starter Albert Padron (2020, Tampa, Fla.) had a big role to play in that record. The uncommitted prospect tossed four no-hit frames on the afternoon and the 6-foot-3, 170-pound arm certainly looked the part of a Division I arm late on Friday night. Padron has good balance with a loose arm stroke and ran his fastball in the 83-86 mph range during the game. He worked the strike zone okay, he walked three hitters, but did a good job mixing in his breaking ball which showed real potential. Padron struck out eight batters and showed a good feel for manipulating shape on the breaker, with big depth that he could land or late bite for swings and misses in the mid-70s. Four no hit frames will stand out anywhere and Padron performed well in front of numerous college coaches.

– Vinnie Cervino



East Coast Sox twins Ryan Bruno and Jaden Bruno (2020, Wellington, Fla.) aren't identical twins, with the most obvious difference being that Ryan is lefthanded and Jaden is righthanded, but both share significant pitching talent and commitments to Stanford.

Ryan started Friday in an intense 2-1 win over the Mid-Atlantic Rookies and threw four excellent innings, striking out eight and allowing only one hit while using only 53 pitches. The loose and tall southpaw worked in the 88-91 mph range from a mid three-quarters arm slot while occasionally mixing in a 77 mph slider and very deceptive 75-78 mph changeup that just died at the plate a few times. Bruno looks like one of the top lefties in the 2020 class and has bumped his top velocity up from 85 mph to the present 91 mph in just the last few months.

Brother Jaden threw 1 2/3 innings in relief, working in the 85-89 mph range with his fastball from more of a drop and drive delivery and a higher arm slot. His 72-74 mph curveball had very good spin at times with sharp 11-to-5 action to it.

Mid-Atlantic lefthander Connor Vucovich (2020, Lititz, Pa.) also threw four effective innings in the starting role, striking out nine East Coast hitters and making a number of very talented lefthanded hitters look befuddled with one of the best curveballs this scout has seen a while. Vucovich's hammer was in the low-70s with huge sharp 1-to-7 shape and was tunneled very well with his fastball. The present issue was that Vucovich had much better command of his curveball than his mid-80's fastball and ended up walking four hitters and throwing 89 pitches in his four innings. College coaches note that Vucovich is a 4.0 student with no present college commitment.

Both teams’ catchers also stood out while handling top flight arms. East Coast receiver Sam Contacos (2021, Irwin, Pa.) showed lots of lower half quickness and athleticism along with firm hands receiving the ball, especially considering his relatively young age. He has a firm athletic build at 6-foot-1, 185-pounds and projects well physically. It was hard to miss that he also hosed the only two runners who reached base against Ryan Bruno with perfect throws to second base.

Mid Atlantic's Bryce Behmer (2020, Lancaster, Pa.) already has a college scholarship in hand to Kentucky and is ranked 275th in the PG class rankings. He showed a solid average big league arm behind the plate, had no problem handling Vucovich's plus curveball when it missed in the dirt and took the best swing of his teammates against Ryan Bruno, driving a ball deep to centerfield in his first at-bat while hitting in the two hole.

Righthander Connor Pillsbury (2020, Inverness, Fla.) of 5 Star National attended the 2018 PG Jr. National Showcase as a primary catcher but is now a primary pitcher with a commitment to Florida. He was dominant in a four-inning outing, striking out six hitters over four shutout innings and throwing only 53 pitches. Pillsbury has a multi-part hands-over-head delivery with some back leg collapse moving forward but has the athleticism to keep things his consistent and repeat his mechanics. His fastball sat in the 87-89 mph range and his 74 mph curveball was sharp and tight. There is pretty much no doubt that the 6-foot-3, 185-pound athlete is going to keep adding velocity as he fills out and gets more primary time on the mound.

Elite Squad returns to the 2018 WWBA Underclass World Championship as the defending champions and have an outstanding roster again this year. Their leadoff hitter and shortstop is Jordan Carrion (2020, Miami, Fla.), the 63rd-ranked player in the PG 2020 class rankings. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound Miami commit is an outstanding defensive player with 6.6-second speed in the 60-yard dash, 90 mph arm strength off the mound and the highest level instincts in the field. Like the highest level shortstops, he has the ability to slow the game down while playing very fast and is always in the right place on the right hop with the correct angle through the ball. Carrion still has some strength to gain until his offense approaches his defense but his defense will continue to make him one of the top prospects in the class.

Elite Squad moved their record to 2-0 Friday morning with an easy 9-1 win. Lefthander Nelson Berkwich (2020, Boca Raton, Fla.) got the start, spotting a mid-80s fastball to both sides of the plate to go with a sharp mid-70s slider. Berkwich, who is a Vanderbilt commit, has a drifting delivery that would seem to leave his arm behind but he has a very compact and quick arm action that gives hitters very little time to pick up the ball. He's been in the 87-89 mph range in the past at PG events.

Berkwich was relieved by righthander Juhlien Gonzalez (2021, Southwest Ranches, Fla.), a primary third baseman who is ranked 65th in the 2021 class rankings and already has a commitment to Florida International. Gonzalez looked solid on the mound for a sophomore, needing only 42 pitches to get 11 outs and working in the 83-86 mph range with a big breaking low-70s curveball.

D-Bat Elite righthander Nathan Haberthier (2020, Liberty Township, Ohio) threw two near perfect innings in a short start for D-Bat Elite and looked like he could have cruised a complete game shutout if given the chance. Haberthier, who is uncommitted, is listed at 6-foot-5, 205-pounds but that looks to be understating his size, as he's a physical presence on the mound. He has an exceptionally low effort delivery that produced a steady 87-89 mph fastball and mixed in some quality 77 mph sliders that was a swing-and-miss pitch for him. Haberthier was 83-87 mph while throwing 11 innings and only allowing one run at the 2018 WWBA 16u National Championship in July and it's easy to see him adding plenty more velocity the end of his senior year.

Vipers Baseball righthander Nick Brown (2020, Madison, Ala.) attracted a good crowd of college coaches to a non-complex field at 8 a.m. this morning and they were well rewarded. Brown, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound uncommitted junior who also sports a 4.0-plus GPA in the classroom, worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings, throwing 85-88 mph for the most part from an over-the-top arm slot that created good arm-side running action in addition to its downhill angle. He threw a 73-77 mph slider that he showed good feel for changing speeds with and was especially adept at using as a back door pitch to lefthanded hitters.

It was a very short look in a one sided game but North East Baseball catcher Kyle Lavigne (2021, Bedford, N.H.) is sure to be a player that gets plenty more looks. The first reason is self-explanatory: his older brother Grant, a lefthanded hitting first baseman, was the 42nd overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Colorado Rockies and hit .350-8-38 with 45 walks in 59 games in his short season debut. The second and more important reason is that the younger brother is a very strong 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthanded hitter with plenty of bat speed from a short and direct swing. Lavigne showed very good raw arm strength for his age on a couple of throws but like all catchers that size, will have to continually work on his lower half flexibility and quickness.

Center fielder Daryl Carney (2020, Coral Springs, Fla.) is a quick-twitch athlete for the Banditos Florida Prospects who looked like he had a combination of prospect level bat speed and plus running speed on a projectable 6-foot-2, 175 pound build. A righthanded hitter, Carney showed his power potential with a long foul home run on one swing but also picked up a couple of two strike base hits by shortening up his swing and moving the ball around the field. He ran a 4.39 abbreviated turn on one hit and definitely looked like he had the body life and bounce of a plus runner. Carney is also a 4.0 student who is uncommitted.

This scout saw Twins Cities Baseball Academy righthander Blake Mahmood (2020, Eden Prairie, Minn.) at the PG Great Lakes Indoor Showcase in February and he looked strong while throwing 82-85 mph. A well-built 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete, Mahmood has definitely taken the next step forward since then, working mostly 87-89 mph for five one-hit innings to go with a 74 mph slurve-type curveball with some bite to it. Mahmood works from the stretch and has a very long stride out front that will remind older fans of Tom Seaver and while that occasionally gives him vertical command issues, he did only walk one hitter in five innings. His fastball got on hitters quickly and broke some bats when on the inside half. He is uncommitted.

All Out Baseball righthander Luke Vaks (2020, Mays Landing, N.J.) has been a primary middle infielder for much of his baseball career and looks like a middle infielder with an athletic and live 6-foot-1, 180-pound build. He throws from a mid three-quarters arm slot that creates lots of movement on a steady 85-87 mph fastball that he threw consistently to the bottom of the zone for strikes. He judiciously mixed in a 77 mph true slider at key counts effectively and showed some polished feel for pitching over his five-inning stint. It's easy to see him as a quality sinker/slider starter at the college level, especially as he adds more strength. Vaks is not committed at present.

– David Rawnsley



Team Elite Prime-Braves Scout Team fought to a tie in their first game of the weekend, pulling even with a solid CBC Elite team 2-2. Wyatt Crowell (2020, Cumming, Ga.) got the start, and while he ended up with a no-decision, he still showed the deception and power breaking ball we’ve come to expect from him. He’s an athletically-built lefthander who projects physically, and has some of the better funk/deception to his mechanical profile in the class of 2020. He as an extremely crossfire delivery, closed off in his stride and throwing across his body, hiding the ball well and releasing from an extended low three-quarters slot, creating outstanding angles to the plate. The fastball peaked at 87 mph a few times, settling into the 83-86 mph range, and showing as a particularly impactful pitch when he was able to throw it across the entirety of the strike zone to his glove side. The breaking ball is the equalizer here, thrown in the mid-70s with the ability to sweep it across the zone and land it for a strike, as well as to bury it down and out of the zone. He got several swings-and-misses over the top of the pitch, as it features late, two-plane break with sharpness and spin, and it projects to be a weapon for him vs. hitters of either handedness.

Alex Edmondson (2020, Simpsonville, S.C.) came on for a quick one-inning appearance late in the game to preserve the tie, needing only eight pitches to punch out two and throw a perfect seventh inning. He’s an ideally-built righthander, long and lean with excellent projection, and he worked 90-91 mph with his fastball, exploding out of his hand from an extended slot, and also showing the ability to spin a quality breaking ball with slurvy, albeit sharp break. He’s arguably as high an upside arm in the 2020 class, and we’ll look forward to seeing him throw again later this weekend should Team Elite make it to the playoffs.

Jordan Walker (2020, Stone Mountain, Ga.) is a two-way player committed to Duke, and it’s up for discussion as to whether he possesses better upside as a hitter or as a pitcher, as he’s extremely talented both ways. He’s also an extremely athletic and capable infield defender, playing mostly third base (where he projects best), showing off the twitch, hands, arm strength and quick release necessary to be an impact defender at the hot corner long term.

Team Elite Prime-Braves Scout Team won their second game of the day to move to 1-0-1 on the weekend via a 9-2 decision over Dig In Baseball on Friday afternoon. Carter Holton (2021, Guyton, Ga.) got the win, as the Vanderbilt commit continued to show the extremely advanced pitchability and overall stuff we’ve come to expect from him. With an easy delivery and clean arm stroke, Holton worked in the 84-87 mph range with his fastball, hiding the ball well through the back and otherwise pounding the strike zone with the fastball, creating both good angle and good life to the pitch. His breaking ball is likewise advanced, thrown mostly in the 70-74 mph range with late, sharp break on a 2-to-8 shape, giving him two extremely advanced pitches right now to go along with ever-developing feel for his changeup.

On the offensive side, Jack Bulger (2020, Bowie, Md.) has shown advanced tools both in terms of hit and power throughout the course of his development on our radar and, in addition to being a quality defensive catcher, has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down with the bat. His strength and bat speed are what stand out immediately in his swing, generating significant torque in his lower half as well as leverage off of his front side, seemingly barreling up the ball with authority every time he decides to swing. In this game, he drilled a rising liner about 2 feet over the shortstop’s outstretched glove that was hit so hard it nearly went all the way to the wall, picking up a double in the process. Another Vanderbilt commit, he’s one of the more exciting prospects to monitor in the class of 2020.




The MLB Breakthrough team moved to 2-0 on Saturdays and Marquis Grissom, Jr. (2020, Atlanta, Ga.) was among the star attractions to the game, as the young righthander possesses absolutely sky-high upside in the 2020 class. With an outstanding frame and tremendous physical projection, Grissom moves well on the mound and shows his athleticism through his delivery, working downhill extremely well and creating steep plane to the plate. The arm stroke is efficient and well-timed for the most part, working up to 91 mph a few times with his fastball, sitting in the 87-90 mph range and within the zone for the most part. The fastball features quality late life to the arm side, though the life is a bit inconsistent, the fastball shows the makings of a truly plus pitch moving forward. His breaking ball was thrown firmly in the 76-78 mph range or so, with a bit of a varying shape, looking more like it wants to be a slider but still developing in terms of that power, late finish that it shows flashes of. He’s an extremely exciting prospect right now with obvious bloodlines, and has the makings of a potential high draft choice in 2020.

Ed Howard (2020, Lynwood, Ill.), the shortstop of the MLB Breakthrough Series team, has made a case as one of the top shortstops in the class and continues to show as that. He has an excellent combination of size and athleticism and already has the advanced ability to make tough plays look easy in the middle infield to go along with a big time weapon in his arm. He’s also an impact performer offensively, with a quick, strong swing that produces plenty of bat speed and strength off the barrel, showing the ability to cover the plate well and get his barrel on pitches all over the zone.

Team Ohio Pro Select picked up a win on Friday afternoon at Lee County Player Development Complex, with Louisville commit Skylar Brown (2020, Grand Rivers, Ky.) picking up the win in an abbreviated two-inning appearance, and we should see him again later on in the tournament should Team Ohio advance to the playoff round. Brown is a well-built prospect with strength through his build, staying compact through his delivery for the most part and doing a fair job of throwing strikes. His fastball peaked at 90 mph with good arm-side life, sitting more in the 86-88 mph range, showing off advanced feel for his changeup as well, replicating his fastball arm speed and generating excellent fade out of the same tunnel as the fastball, giving him a very solid fastball/changeup combo to go along with solid feel for a sweeping breaking ball as well.

The Canes National 17 club moved to 1-0 late on Friday night via a 6-3, hard-fought decision over DuPage Training Academy at Terry Park, and did it with a very good team effort of several guys contributing, both on the mound and at the plate. Lukas Cook (2020, Knoxville, Tenn.) struck the decisive blow, driving a bomb of a double over the left fielder’s head with the bases loaded, clearing the bases and picking up three RBI, which obviously ended up being the difference in the game. He’s a strong, righthanded hitting prospect whose swing actually reminds this evaluator of 2018 first rounder Alec Bohm’s, and that swing when combined with his present physical strength gives him some of the top righthanded raw power in the class.

Angelo Deer (2020, West Orange, N.J.) got the start for the Canes and was very good over his 4 1/3 innings, scattering four hits and picking up five strikeouts while walking no one and throwing 80 percent strikes over his 50 pitches. As one can see easily by looking at the numbers, Deer just pounded the strike zone with his fastball, which peaked at 87 mph and cruised more in the 82-85 mph range. The arm is quick and loose and he extends well through release, leveraging the ball down in the zone and showing the ability to get to both sides with the pitch, mixing in a slurvy breaking ball for strikes as well.

– Brian Sakowski



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