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Tournaments  | Story  | 10/26/2014

World Championship Day 3 notes

David Rawnsley      Todd Gold      Frankie Piliere      Jheremy Brown     
Photo: Perfect Game


Day 3 Video Interviews: Josh Smoker | Mike Garciaparra | Carl Lafferty | Nick Longhi

JUPITER, Fla. – On a team made of a majority of senior position players, Gavin Lux (2016, Kenosha, Wis.) not only has made his way into the starting lineup, but has also played a prominent role on both sides of the ball for the Midland Redskins. Starting at shortstop, the Virginia Tech commit shows fluid actions up the middle, getting good reads with a quick first step to the ball with solid glove work. A lefthanded hitter, Lux starts with an upright and balanced stance with quick hands that he can pull in to barrel up the inside fastball. Lux did just that in his first at-bat, turning on an upper-80s fastball and deposited the ball over the right field fence, landing on the street behind, coming off the barrel at 96 mph.

A well-known name in the 2016 class already, lefthanded pitcher Dion Henderson (2016, Southfield, Mich.) continues to make strides in terms of his stuff every time he takes the mound. A long limbed, athletic pitcher, Henderson showed more consistency in terms of fastball velocity, working between 87-90 mph with a majority of his fastballs. With a long, loose arm stroke coming through the backside, the University of Kentucky commit is able to generate nice downhill plane on the pitch when everything stays in sync. The biggest difference however has been the development of Henderson’s curveball. When I saw the young lefthander this summer, he was throwing his fastball in the low- to mid-60s with soft break, occasionally showing some depth. Jump forward a couple of months and Henderson is now throwing the pitch in the low-70s with a strong feel, and when he stays on top of the pitch he’s able to create a deep 12-to-6 curveball with late break on the pitch.

A fast-twitch, loose athletic center fielder, Miles Gordon (2015, Oakville, Ontario) continues to make a strong impression in his first Perfect Game event. Gordon’s speed plays well on both sides of the ball as it helps him cover ample amounts of ground in center field and puts pressure on defenses when he is running down the line. Gordon was able to save some of his energy in his first at-bat, however, as the lean and projectable 6-foot, 170-pound Gordon kept his hands in well and turned on a fastball for a shot over the right field fence.

A player Perfect Game got their first look at this past summer at the Rocky Mountain Showcase, third baseman Alec Bohm (2015, Omaha, Neb.) is playing in his first Perfect Game tournament with the Midwest PG Red team. A physically built 6-foot-5, 220-pound mobile defender, the Wichita State commit made two nice plays in the first inning, showing range to his left on one and charging in on another, both times throwing a strike across the field. His strength also plays well in the batter’s box, as he drove an 86 mph fastball from a lefthander deep to the right-center field gap for a standup double, moving well around the around bases.

– Jheremy Brown


Ryan Shinn (2015, Jobstown, N.Y.) had one of the morning’s bigger and louder swings, as he launched a booming double to straightaway center field in the Tri-State Arsenal’s morning game. Shinn has good barrel control and has the approach to quickly translate his game to the collegiate level. And the life off his bat should intrigue pro scouts as well.

Hudson Sanchez (2016, Grapevine, Texas) had a strong morning at the plate on Friday, picking up a single followed by a loud, eye-opening double down the left field line. And, it’s this type of swing that might set Sanchez apart as an advanced game action hitter in his draft class. Sanchez stays inside the ball extremely well and has the quickness in his hands to beat a pitcher to the spot even against premium velocity.

Ted Sabato (2016, Rye Brook, N.Y.) proved to be an interesting arm to keep tabs on in the next couple years, as he worked at 87-90 mph with his fastball. He works from an up tempo delivery and showed late, natural cutting action on his fastball in his one inning of work. He also mixed a sharp 11-to-5 curveball at 74-76 mph and showed solid depth and feel for the offering.

When scouts expect to see a 96 mph fastball, they tend to flock in the direction of that fastball. Needless to say, Donny Everett (2015, Clarksville, Tenn.) packed the backstop in the field in the furthest corner of the Cardinals’ complex. And, Everett gave them everything they were looking for and then some on Saturday morning.

His first warmup pitching checked in at 96 mph, and he worked consistently at 94-97 mph in the early part of his outing. He varied the speed of his breaking ball, but flashed above average, late bite on his 81-83 mph slider. It’s a pitch he’ll need to be more consistent with, and he tends to overthrow it, but the ingredients are clearly there for him to spin a swing-and-miss offering. He also threw a more traditional 78-79 mph curveball.

Everett has tremendous lower half strength, and his ability to consistently carry premium velocity from outing to outing, and inning to inning, is where the large chunk of his value as a prospect lies. Arguably no pitcher in the high school class has a more consistently plus-plus fastball.

There has been a buzz growing around Vanderbilt commit Ian Anderson (2016, Rexford, N.Y.) in recent works, as a summer velocity spike has led to many to begin considering the lanky righty as one of the top arms in the 2016 class. And he did nothing to dispel that buzz on Friday morning.

The definition of a free-and-easy righthander, Anderson cruised at 90-91 mph with his fastball, only rarely dipping to 89 mph, but consistently maintaining his lively two-seam action. He lived down in the strike zone in this relief outing, and showed a knack for going to the backdoor with his 79-81 mph slider. He also throws more of a true 11-to-5 curveball at 75-78 mph. The command of his changeup as also there on Saturday, a changeup that shows late tumbling action and is well spotted down in the zone.

It’s simply a matter of when for Anderson, who is on the verge of adding significant strength and seeing his stuff to erupt into a next level, big league type of arsenal. The command, the arm action, and the the 6-foot-3 frame are all already squarely in place.

Jordan Butler (2017, Tampa, Fla.) had a very interesting day both at the plate and on the mound on Saturday, and that day began at the plate. Not every impressive moment in the batter’s box necessarily results in a hit, and Butler’s moment fit that description in this game. Even as one of the youngest players on the field, Butler appeared completely at ease against the 94-97 mph fastball coming out of the right hand of Donny Everett, putting together a solid at-bat. And, although he didn’t square it, he got the barrel out on a 96 mph fastball and hit a bouncer to the right side in his first at-bat. He has advanced bat speed for his age and has zero issues with premium velocity.

But, the story doesn’t end there for Butler, as he came out of the bullpen later in the game. On the hill, Butler worked at 85-88 mph with two-seam run, topping as high as 89 mph with his fastball. He creates a tough angle, stepping across his body and he has a live, quick arm. His curveball shows solid 1-to-7 depth at 73 mph and his best pitch was likely his 75 mph changeup, which showed big arm-side fading action. In other words, Butler will be a two-way talent to keep a very close eye on.

Brady Singer (2015, Leesburg, Fla.) is no longer capable of surprising onlookers with his polish and advanced command, but in the early innings of his Saturday outing in particular, his stuff looked as crisp as we’ve ever seen it. The tall, slender righty came out of the gate working at 90-92 mph, showing his usual impeccable command of his breaking ball at 73-76 mph. His curveball is a solid-average offering, but his command of it to both sides of the plate and his ability to generate consistent bite allows some rounding up when grading the pitch. He showed a solid feel for his changeup as well, but will need to be careful of not slowing his arm up. But, at his best, he was able to pitch backwards off that changeup away by running his two-seam fastball right back in on the knuckles of righty batters. Singer settled at 87-90 mph with his fastball, but still was able to mix effectively and keep hitters off balance.

The beauty of Jupiter is that year-in and year-out pitchers come out and take their prospect status to the next level. Nick Neidert (2015, Lawrenceville, Ga.) put himself in that group on Saturday afternoon, in what was a big-time matchup for Team Elite Prime against Chet Lemon’s Juice.

Neidert has already developed the reputation as one of the most consistent performers on the tournament circuit, and he did nothing but enhance that reputation on Saturday. He tossed a complete game shutout for Team Elite and did so on just 80 pitches. He allowed just two hits, and to say he was rarely squared up would be an understatement. Neidert cracked bats, made hitters uncomfortable by working inside and consistently forced them to pound the baseball into the dirt. He touched 96 mph in the first inning and worked consistently at 92-95 mph all the way through the final out. In fact, his last fastball of the night checked in at 95.

Neidert has a fast, clean arm action and the 6-foot-1 righty does an outstanding job of staying on top. He pitched exclusively off his fastball in the first three innings, attacking hitters with his big fastball life on both sides of the plate.

In one particular at-bat in the middle innings, however, Neidert showed a skill that put him at the next level as a potential draft prospect. He started a hitter with back-to-back sharp 11-to-5 curveballs at 77 and 78 mph on the outside corner, then finished him with a spill-back two-seam fastball right on the outside corner for a called third strike at 94 mph. He later used a similar approach and was able to pitch backwards off of an above average 80-82 mph changeup. Also worth noting was the high percentage of changeups that he was able to execute expertly in terms of location.

Neidert is now not only an aggressive strike throwing arm with a live fastball, but a pitcher with plus stuff and a high level of pitching aptitude. Combinations like that don’t come much more dangerous for opposing hitters.

– Frankie Piliere


There are some pool play games which, in an Orwellian sense, are created more equal than other pool play games. Such was the case Saturday morning when GBG Marucci faced off against Chandler World in a game that arguably pitted two of the top 10 most talented teams in Jupiter against each other.

The game lived up to its billing, as both teams pitched and fielded at a very high level, with GBG getting the single most important game swing and best pitching performance to emerge with a 2-1 win.

Third baseman Spencer Steer (2016, Long Beach, Calif.) and second baseman Ethan Lopez (2015, Whittier, CA) stood out on multiple plays each defensively for Marucci, while Chandler left fielder Keegan Meyn (2015, Oklahoma City, Okla.) gunned down a runner at the plate with as nice a throw as one will see. There was one walk combined between the two teams and one infield error that didn't factor into the scoring.

The two impact players for GBG were shortstop Ben Baird (2015, Agoura Hills, CA), who delivered a clutch two-run double down the left field line in the third inning, and right handed pitcher Cody Deason (2015, Ojai, Calif.). Deason relieved starter Ian Oxnevad (2015, Shoreline, Wash.) to start the fourth inning and was dominant, striking out eight hitters with a lively downhill 89-92 mph fastball and a nice low-80s changeup. Deason is a former catcher who just started pitching full-time during the past year and his improvement over the summer and fall has been notable.

Chandler starter Will Neely (2015, Knoxville, Tenn.) was the hard luck loser, throwing six very solid innings and working in the 89-92 mph range as well as picking up some strikeouts with his sweeping 80 mph slider. PG All-American outfielder Greg Pickett (2015, Aurora, Colo.) had a strong game at the plate with a RBI double, a single and a walk, while catcher Ryan Sloniger (2015, Punxsutawney, Pa.) continued his strong all-around play for Chandler.

Another hard luck loser was Marucci Elite righthander Easton McGee (2016, Hopkinsville, Ky.), who only needed 67 pitches (50 for strikes) to navigate six innings against Cangelosi Baseball but ended up on the short end of a 1-0 game. McGee has a long and very loose 6-foot-6, 190-pound body that invokes comparisons to Adam Wainwright to go along with a compact arm action with a simple, repeatable delivery. McGee isn't going to come as quickly with his velocity and breaking ball spin as some of the other, stronger 2016 pitchers, but there is no mistaking his long-term promise. He topped out at 89 mph with a mid-70s slider.

McGee was out-dueled by Cangelosi southpaw Robert Talarico (2015, Joliet, Ill.), who tossed a complete game three-hit shutout.

– David Rawnsley


The player who is under the most scrutiny at the WWBA World Championship is clearly shortstop Brendan Rodgers (2015, Longwood, Fla.). The No. 1 ranked player in PG's class of 2015 rankings is also the top ranked 2015 MLB Draft prospect by several publications, and as is custom within the scouting community, hype about a high school shortstop is met with skepticism and Rodgers is no exception.

But the scouts that watched his performance in Saturday's matchup with the Tidewater Orioles couldn't possibly have come away with doubts about his ability to stay on the left side of the infield long-term and at shortstop for at least the short term. Rodgers converted four plays for outs that shouldn't be expected of any shortstop. His first difficult play was the only one that wasn't highlight reel impressive, as he charged a slow roller quickly, and despite losing a split second on the transition with the ball getting stuck in his glove, he fired a bullet on the move to first to finish the difficult play.

The other three plays offered a high level of difficulty that he made look easy and were the result of the combination of his plus tools and plus instincts. A shallow chopper to his right is the type of play that typically exposes a shortstop prospect's limitations, but his first step and range allowed him to get to the ball, and when he did he made an incredibly smooth transfer to fire a ridiculously firm throw. This occurred as his momentum was going away from first base from a low slot, making the play look easy with the throw being right on the money.

The relay throw he made to nail a runner at the plate was equally impressive, showing a near instant release with plus carry to steal an out, and a run. He also showed advanced instincts to throw behind a runner at second to steal an out from a player who wandered too far off of second.

Rodgers didn't get to do much at the plate, getting hit by a pitch in each of his two final plate appearances after flying out to right field with a short two-strike swing, but the show he put on defensively has been one of the biggest scouting highlights of the tournament. His average run times may support an argument against his ability to remain up the middle into his late-20s, but the arm strength makes him a clear-cut left side of the infield prospect who is clearly a plus present defender at shortstop.

Rodgers' teammate Carlos Cortes (2016, Oviedo, Fla.) went 1-for-2 with a walk and his only out of the game came on a 6.31 second fly out to right field. The short, compact second baseman creates tremendous torque in his swing with plus bat speed. A righthanded thrower, Cortes also occasionally takes the mound as a secondary pitcher, a secondary lefthanded pitcher. While his lefthanded pitching contributions will end at high school graduation, his lefthanded bat looks like it has a very bright future at the next level.

The Scorpions starting pitcher, lefthander Tyler Holton (2015, Tallahassee, Fla.) pounded the zone with deception and angle coming from a high three-quarters slot that created sharp downhill plane coming from the first base side of the rubber with a clean extended finish to his delivery. Holton threw 25 of his 32 pitches for strikes, working 84-88 mph with command and locating all three pitches, including a deep 72-74 mph curveball with good depth and shape. He also threw a low- to mid-70s changeup that featured late sinking action to the arm side that he also was able to throw for strikes. The Florida State commit struck out four and allowed just one baserunner on a single over three scoreless frames.

Anthony Pagano (2015, Humble, Texas) got the ball for the Houston Heat in a critical pool play matchup and delivered a gem for his club. He threw a complete game shutout, allowing just one hit and walking a pair while striking out 11. He has some funk to his delivery before lunging downhill with good extension and leverage and he has a quick arm. He topped out at 89 mph and worked primarily in the mid-80s, which in Jupiter isn't standout velocity, but it is a jump from the low- to mid-80s that Texas based scouts have reported that he's typically worked at last spring and into the summer. More importantly, he commands the ball well, living on the black to both sides and also elevated at times. He worked heavily off of his fastball but when he went to the breaking ball he executed it well and it showed later break in the upper-70s, and he also mixed in a couple of quality changeups.

Pagano's opponent on the mound was also an impressive young arm who is making strides. Ryan Olenek (2015, Winter Springs, Fla.) is a primary shortstop committed to Ole Miss who got the ball for Chet Lemon's Juice against the Houston Heat in an important pool play matchup. He has a funky closed off delivery that generated upper-80s velocity with big riding life out of the hand, topping out at 91 mph. Olenek struck out seven and walked two in six innings, and he has a long arm action with good arm speed and his long lanky frame has some room to add additional strength.

Olenek turned the ball over in the seventh inning to righthander Jack Perkins (2015, Belleview, Fla.) in relief. Perkins sat at 88-91 mph with sink from a fast-paced delivery, and he backed up his fastball with a changeup that falls off the table and a sharp 12-to-6 curveball. If he can harness his quality stuff he can be effective at the next level, though getting behind in counts got him into trouble in this outing.

The two third basemen in the Juice-Heat tilt both showed off impressive arm strength and athleticism. Garrett Milchin (2016, Windemere, Fla.) and Nick Perez (2015, Houston, Texas) both showed all of the physical ingredients scouts look for in pitching prospects. Milchin certainly looks the part at 6-foot-4, 171-pounds with a strong lower half and a high-waisted frame, and the ball comes out of his hand well. He has some strength to his lefthanded swing as well and would be a two-way prospect at the college level. Perez has a compact arm circle with a fast arm and moves well at 6-foot-2, 200-pounds.

– Todd Gold
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