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Tournaments  | Story  | 10/20/2020

WWBA Underclass Uncommitted Breakdown

Brian Sakowski      Jered Goodwin     
Photo: Antonio Anderson (Perfect Game)
Benjamin Hamacher (2022 Marietta, GA) East Cobb Astros 17U
What a weekend it was for the right-handed hitting shortstop. The .700 clip he put up included six walks and helped Hamacher open a lot of eyes. He has a compact and strong 5-foot-10 frame and his swing is direct with some whip to the barrel. This has been one of the most accurate barrels in the 2022 class, especially taking into account the competition he sees every week. He already shows gap power and it projects for more. He runs well too.

Nolan Kutney (2022 Montoursville, PA) Mid-Atlantic Red Sox
There is a lot to like in the long and loose 6-foot, 185 pound frame of the Pennsylvania native. There is obvious room to put on strength and he already uses his quick hips well. The swing gets on plane early and stays long through contact, helping back spin balls to the middle of the field. He found the barrel often at the WWBA Underclass World Championship as he hit .467 with a 1.133 ops. He brings defensive versatility, a strong arm, budding power potential, and is already putting up average run times with room to improve.



John Cooper Williams (2023 Woodstock, GA) East Cobb Astros 16U Texas Orange
The peripheral tools: 6.89 in the sixty, 92 and 95 INF/OF throwing velocities, and a 1.95 pop time; all set the state for a huge Fall. JCW did not disappoint in Fort Myers as he hit .500 with two homeruns. He also worked six walks and put up an eye-popping 2.108 ops. His tightly wound frame produces easy juice, as he turns tight and has excellent twitch in his wrists. The in-game production has come on strong the second half of summer and held strong this fall. There is huge potential on both sides of the ball.

Cole Kitchens (2022 Centerton, AR) MidSouth Prospects 2022s
Kitchens already has good strength to his 6-fot-2, 195 pound frame. He hands work extremely well with his strong core and he explodes with the barrel through contact. He smoked balls all over the yard at the event, hitting .417 with a triple. The middle of the order profile was aided by his six rbi’s, showing his run producing potential. His soft hands fit at either corner and he has a good baseball IQ.

Julian Buchman (2022 Marlboro, NJ) Baseball U Prospects
The 6-foot, 165 pound outfielder has wiry strong wrists and his flat path stays in the zone a long time. He uses the middle of the field well and had a huge week in Fort Myers. The outfielder seemed to be moving well during the weekend and swiped a couple bags and covered ground defensively. His .500 average with two doubles and a homerun are the bigger following factors, however. This was a huge statement against top competition.

Braylen Hayes (2022 Sophia, NC) South Charlotte Panthers 2022
The super projectable North Carolina native has a great 6-foot-3, 175 pound frame to build on. Even though he hasn’t filled out yet, he is still putting up great numbers at every stop. Making you dream even more on what the future holds. He hit in one of the better line-ups at the event and put up an incredible .714 clip with a couple of doubles and a homerun. The outfielder has a knack for creating space out front and he is starting to produce loft off the bat.

Joshua Seth Christmas (2022 Huntersville, NC) 5 Star Carolina 17U National
Christmas looks the part of a power hitting shortstop. He is starting to fill out his 6-foot-2 frame and his wrist strength is noticeable as he is getting off his “A” swing often. He had a strong finish to the fall and helped lead a deep playoff run at the WWBA Underclass. The ability to hit for power and draw walks both stand out. That pairs well with his ability to stay on the left side of the infield nicely.

Jett Slepak (2022 Natrona Heights, PA) Mid-Atlantic Red Sox
There is interesting two-way potential in the game of Slepak. He runs the heater in the mid-80s and keeps his hand speed up on his mid-70s breaker, though he has some work to do repeating and throwing quality strikes. The arm strength is in there with more to come. The right-handed bat, however, is producing in a big way. He powerful 6-foot-1 frame and it helps to produce a heavy barrel through contact. The righthanded hitter swung to a tune of .583 average and belted a home run during a great showing in Florida.

Cal Henderson (2022 South Riding, VA) Stars Baseball 17u Sisk
This is a throwback, do-it-all type prospect. A Swiss Army knife that can catch, play a corner, or pitch. He has live actions coming from his athletic and proportioned frame. He threw five innings, running the heater up to 85 mph. He also hit .316 with a double and three stolen bases to round out a great event. The Virginia native has impressive feel for the game while also being very young for the class.

Antonio Anderson (2023 Atlanta, GA) East Cobb Astros 16U Texas Orange
This has been a fun prospect to watch evolve. Anderson is a smooth striding shortstop with fluid actions and a strong arm. The 6-foot-2 frame has not started to retain strength yet, but it is coming. A switch-hitter, he has both high-average and power upside from both sides. He hit .364 at the WWBA Underclass World Championship while maintaining a patient approach. The switch-hitter is very young for his class and also brings upper-80s heat off the bump.

Kyle Lindsey (2022 Grand Island, FL) Gatorball 17u
The shifty shortstop prospect started his event off with a huge 2-for-3 performance with a triple and simply never stopped. The right-handed hitter banged balls to both gaps as he hit .625. He is not just a hit collector either as he barreled three doubles and a triple. He is sure-handed infielder with solid range to both sides and natural timing as he cuts angles. There is polish to his game that will play early at the next level.

Edian Espinal (2022 Viera, FL) Eagles Baseball
Espinal is a winner. He does everything right and seems to be in the middle of all the action during every game. The left-handed hitter works deep into counts as he grinds out at bats until he gets his pitch to drive. He is merely 5-foot-7, but he has strong hands and a barrel chest to help hold strength. He uses that strength to naturally impact the ball. He fits at the top of the order at the next level and hit .444 with three extra base hits in a loaded lineup. Espinal can play anywhere on the dirt but fits in the middle long term.

Grant Govel (2023 Rollin Hills Estates, CA) Trosky National 2023
This is a two-way prospect with a 6-foot-1, 175 pound frame and wide shoulders that are going to fill out extremely well. He was in the upper-80s, and has been up to 90 mph in the past. The right-handed batters box is where he is doing most of the damage though. Govel hit .429 with a 1.407 ops during the event. He fits in an outfield corner now, but the body and athleticism should equate to him being an above average runner as he starts inching toward physical maturity.

Casen Sandri (2022 Shamokin, PA) Northeast Pride Scout Team Underclass
The physically imposing 6-foot-1, 190 pound third baseman has a high waist and pop-eye forearms that help him pass the eye test in a big way. For such a strong physique, he creates easy bat speed and moves around very well. He loads deep and fires direct and fast to give him his accurate barrel. The body and swing mechanics have big future power written all over them. He hit a robust .500 with a triple during his six games in Fort Myers.

Breydan Calapa (2023 Maitland, FL) Sorpions 2023 Founders Club
Calapa is a polished young southpaw with a juvenile 5-foot-11, 165 pound frame that is long and waiting to fill out in a big way. He is very coordinated and repeats his delivery well, helping pound the strike zone. The three pitch mix is advanced and will naturally make jumps, he is already living in the low-80s with arm side run. His outing at the WWBA is just a glimpse of the potential as he went six innings and struck out nine opposing hitters, showing the swing and miss he is capable of producing.

Nehemiah Goodman (2023 Marion IL) Knights Baseball 16U Platinum
The high waisted and long limbed 6-foot-3 frame of Goodman is picture perfect to build on as he navigates through high school. The two-way prospect has huge upside on both sides of the ball. On the bump, he held velocity pretty well over his six-plus innings and peaked at 87 mph. His secondary offering was a short slider that was up to 80 mph. He gets good extension and angle on the fastball while the slider is already showing depth. As a right-handed hitter he has big power potential and hit .333 with two doubles in his first Perfect Game event.

Jack Bennett (2022 Paducah, KY) Knights Baseball 16U Platinum
Bennett has good defensive versatility as he is a hardnosed catcher with a good arm and also plenty athletic to play a corner outfield spot. The 6-foot-1, 185 frame already has some strength to it but is proportioned and still equipped to add bulk as he matures. The right-handed swing has plenty of potential. He rides the back side and keeps his hands back naturally allowing him to work the barrel through the ball with authority on any pitch. He hit .429 with a double and worked three walks at the WWBA. The hand strength and intent really stood out in Florida.

-Jered Goodwin

Connor Knox (2022, Manassas, Va.), rhp, Stars Baseball 17u Sisk
Knox had a huge performance at the WWBA Underclass World Championship, allowing just a single hit while walking none and striking out 12 in 7 innings, ruthlessly pounding the strike zone at an 81% clip. He’s got projection remaining on his frame and ran his fastball up to 85 mph, missing bats with his curveball that he changed speeds effectively with.

Brandon Peterson (2022, Utica, N.Y.), RHP/SS, East Coast Lumberjacks 2022’s
Peterson has impressed across a few events this fall, and the Underclass was no exception. A two-way player, Peterson hit .400 from the left side of the plate when hitting and also worked up to 87 mph on the mound with 9 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He’s got legitimate two-way upside, and is a name for Northeast coaches to have.

Liam Peterson (2023, Palm Harbor, Fla.) Top Tier Roos American 2023
Peterson reached a new high in velocity at Underclass when he ran his fastball up to 88 mph, striking out 11 in 6 1/3 innings over a couple of appearances. He’s a long-limbed, high-waisted prospect with a ton of projection, and it’s easy to envision him throwing very hard as he continues to physically mature.

Garrett Ferguson (2022 Blue Springs, Mo.), RHP, Royals Scout Team 2022
Ferguson saw a pair of successful trips to the mound in Fort Myers, striking out 13 over 6 total innings. The projectable righthander ran his fastball up to 86 mph and he showed a full mix of 3 pitches with a curveball and changeup accompanying the fastball, and he does a nice job throwing strikes with all 3.

Wilson Woodcox (2022, Houston, Texas), rhp, Banditos Scout Team 2022/23
Woodcox has performed all summer and fall in PG events, including the Underclass where he struck out 12 over 4 2/3 innings, running his fastball up to 89 mph. He’s been to 92 mph and projects well, and his breaking ball misses bats as well.

Josiah Glodfelter (2022, Pensacola, Fla.), RHP, Hardcore Elite Baseball
Glodfelter dominated in his Underclass outing, striking out 10 over 5 2/3 innings. He worked in the mid-80s and peaked at 87 mph, missing bats with ease against a good team. He has good pitchability with his command of 3 pitches, with a good curveball and slider joining that dominant heater.

Nolan Foster (2022, McKinney, Texas), RHP, USA Prime National 2022
Foster threw extremely well in his Underclass outing, pounding the strike zone and running his fastball up to 87 mph with good life and a bat-missing curveball that has excellent depth. He’s quite projectable physically yet, and has excellent performance metrics to match his stuff and projection.

Jurrangelo Cijntje (2022, Hialeah, Fla.) FTB/SF Giants Scout Team 2022
A both-handed pitcher, Cijntje was outstanding at the Underclass, striking out 10 over 6 1/3 innings. He’s effortless and up to 92 mph from the right side with a hammer curveball, and also a functional 78-81 mph from the left side. He’s undersized, with plenty of room to project strength on his body moving forward.

Alex Kranzler (2023, Norwood, N.J.), RHP, Southern Squeeze
Kranzler has performed in PG events for some time now even as a ’23 grad, and his Underclass performance was strong per usual, striking out 8 over 5 innings, running his fastball up to 88 mph from a low slot with good life and a power slider with good horizontal movement to back it up.

Brayden Toro (2024, Oviedo, Fla.), RHP, Power Baseball 2024
A long, lean, highly-projectable right-hander who is a name to monitor moving forward, Toro had a good event, striking out 11 over 6 innings and running his fastball up to 82 mph. There’s a ton to dream on in terms of projection, and it won’t be a surprise to see Toro commit to a power 5 school in time.

J.J. Hood (2022 West Pittston, Pa.), RHP, Northeast Pride Scout Team Underclass
Hood was excellent on the mound at the Underclass event, striking out 12 in 6 innings across a pair of appearances, running his fastball up to 88 mph with good control to all parts of the strike zone, and he misses bats with a sharp cut-slider in the upper-70s as well.

Jacob Morrison (2022, Flushing, Mich.), RHP, US Elite 2022 National
Morrison is extremely physical at 6-foot-7, /225 pounds, and he was dominant in his outing at Underclass, punching out 12 in 5 shutout innings. He’s been up to 88 mph with his fastball and sits mid-80s, showing a big-breaking curveball and late-diving changeup as well.

Alex Bouche (2022, Chesapeake, Va.), SS/RHP, Virginia Breeze Elite 2022
Bouche had a solid two-way event in Fort Myers, coming out of the bullpen several times and missing bats with a fastball into the mid-80s with solid offspeed stuff and strikes; also showing solid athleticism in the middle infield with a clean swing and projectable power.

Griffin Graves (2023, Jackson, Tenn.), LHP, Team Georgia 2022 National
Graves has a lot of athleticism and projection to his body, and he’s got mid-80s heat at present with lots of whip to the arm stroke as well. He changes speeds on his breaking ball well and just really projects on the mound; and he’s a talented hitter/outfielder to go along with his pitching prowess.

Cole Munhall (2022, Cumming, Ga.), RHP, Georgia Bombers
Munhall pitched well at the Underclass event, running his fastball up to 90 mph and sitting upper-80s and showing good feel for spinning a sharp downer breaking ball. He’s a physical, strongly built right-hander with rotation upside at the college level.

Nick Martinez (2023, Nanuet, N.Y.), 3B, FTB/SF Giants Scout Team 2022
Martinez smashed throughout the event, hitting an even .500 with power from the right side. He’s got good present strength to his build and it shows at contact, driving the ball up gaps with ease, and the swing works in an excellent way as well. Definitely watch out for Martinez throughout his development, as he had a loud showing in Fort Myers.

-Brian Sakowski
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