New England Insider: Class of 2019 Player Rankings (April)

April 4, 2017

By Dennis Healy, Trevor Brown and PBR Staff
Co-Director of Scouting

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New England Insider: Class of 2019 Player Rankings (April)

With the new season approaching, we look at some of the younger players throughout the New England region. There are a number of good high school players throughout the area and below is a list of some of the better players in the region.

We have seen numerous prospects over the past fall and winter at PBR events, local workouts and games from across the region, and a lot of time and thought put in from our staff with these updated rankings.

That being said, we have had the pleasure of seeing a number of solid players this past spring and summer. Prospects are popping up left and right, making velocity jumps, improving 60-yard dash times and showing more power with the bat.

Covering six states, New England is a prime area for legit baseball talent and now we would like to bring to you the updated 2019 Player Rankings.

What's New at the Top

Daniel Baruch claims the top spot in the region. He is a right-handed hitting first baseman and outfielder headed to Boston College.

Not too far behind at No. 2 is Chad Knight, a gifted physical right-handed hitting corner infielder, who is verbally committed to Duke.

Coming in at No. 3 is Henry Weycker, who is headed to Virginia Tech. He is a left-hander who possesses above average stuff on the mound.

Sitting at No. 4 is Evan Moore, a long, lanky and projectable right-hander headed to Boston College.

Rounding out the top five is uncommitted RHP Jordan Marot, a 6-foot-4, 223-pound talent with big potential on the mound.

Daniel Baruch, INF/OF, Wheeler, 2019
Ranked #1
Scouting Report: High level right-handed hitter, he is advanced at this age as I have seen in a long time. The frame is already physical and he has serious life to his barrel. Very athletic as you could play him in the outfield and he is very advanced with the glove and feet at first base. Ran a 4.58 down the line on a dig. Threw 81 mph from the outfield with carry and accuracy. Threw 77 mph from the infield as well and will be a legit defender at first base. Tee exit velocity of 93 mph at the event. The setup is even footed with even and relaxed hands. Handles the barrel to the ball with simple direction and good hand strength. Hammered the ball all over the yard in batting practice and barrel up a couple balls in the game. Big time prospect.

Chad Knight, INF/RHP, Staples, 2019
Ranked #2
Scouting Report: 6-foot, 190-pound, very strong hands and lower half, the back and shoulders are wide, is put together well. A right-handed hitter who has strength in his swing. The stance is open with high hands, has a leg kick for timing and has an aggressive separation. Shows plus power to all fields, works from gap to gap. Collected a double and triple to center and right center. The tee exit velocity was 96 mph, ran a 7.01 60-yard, with a time of 4.44 down the line. Defensively, plays the hot corner, hands and feet work well, has a slightly longer arm path. The arm registered at 81 mph, should be a tick higher, has had a big workload throughout the year. On the mound, works from a high-¾ slot, worked downhill and pitched inside well to right-handed hitters. The fastball is 83-85 mph, needs to get some movement, tends to be straight at times. The breaking ball is much improved, clocked at 68-72 mph, has more of a 11/5 break. The changeup has proper spin and fade, didn't throw it in game, was a solid pitch in bullpen. A three pitch pitcher, who pounds the zone. Projects for me as a power hitting corner outfielder at the next level, with ability to help off the mound.

Henry Weycker, LHP, Wellesley, 2019
Ranked #3
Scouting Report: 5-foot-10, 170-pound left-handed quick arm pitcher. Showed very well for himself at the event. The delivery is clean and the arm works nicely. The arm is fast and he gets out front with the ball hand. Pitches out of an athletic lift and gather. The glove side has a little pull off direction as he needs to control the glove side to the catcher more often. The ball gets away from him at times due to being stretched out up top. The fastball has good life, sitting 84-86 mph with arm-side run. The spin pitch is very advanced for his age, 75-77 mph and legit when he gets it out front. The changeup is a tick hard as he needs to add more skin to the ball and clean up the grip. Legit 2019 prospect on the mound.

Evan Moore, RHP, Kingswood-Oxford
Ranked #4
Scouting Report: 6-foot-1, 158 pound, long and lengthy athletic frame, has plenty of room to fill out and put mass on. A right-hander who attended the Future Games this past summer, is currently ranked 7th in New England and 128th overall. Gaining interest from some big time programs, the future is extremely bright for this one. A right-hander who has a very smooth and quiet delivery, hands start at mid section and work up with his controlled high leg kick. The arm action is clean, it's a little longer on the backside, arm works out of a high ¾ slot, was clocked at 81-85 mph. Throws it for strikes to both sides, has some sink action to it to the arm side. The breaking ball was clocked at 68-70 mph and changeup is at 74-75 mph with solid arm speed. Look for the velocity to jump by next spring, has logged a good amount of innings, sure fatigue is starting to set in.

The Risers

Every year there are surprises in high school baseball. Some relatively unknown player takes a huge jump in talent and it impacts the game. These are just a few players that have made significant jumps in their respective games in the last couple months.

Sean LeTarte, RHP, St. John's Prep
Ranked #11
Scouting Report: Physical right-handed arm at 6-foot-1, 220-pounds out of the Academy summer program. Tremendous improvement since the fall, although last time we saw him, he was in two-a-days for football. The fastball touched 84 mph and has heavy action/sink to it. The breaking ball is hard and nasty, sitting at 75 mph. The rotation of the spin is 11/7. The changeup is a work in progress as it’s a tick hard at 78 mph, probably a minor grip tweak. Delivers the ball at a higher than ¾ slot. Shows good direction with his feet and a clean arm path. The front shoulder needs to be tracked longer to gain extension (velo). Good looking prospect, upper-80s with a hammer by summers end.

Ben Kailher, RHP, Providence Country Day
Ranked #13
Scouting Report: Second time I have seen Ben play this summer and this kid is a player. Ran a 4.27 down the line on his dig and did it with ease. The bat is legit, tee exit velocity of 82 mph as he needs added strength and weight to the frame. Barreled up a number of baseballs in the game, spreading the field and causing havoc on the bases. Sets up with a wide base and even hands. The path to the ball is clean and direct. The bottom half has a small forward lean to it, as he picks up and puts down the lead foot. The glove is solid, can handle the pivot, make the slow roller and backhand play. The range to his left and right is good and he gets rid of it quickly. Threw 81 mph across the diamond with accuracy and carry. Could play all three spots in the infield if needed. Excellent looking player.

Chris Rassias, RHP, St. John's Prep
Ranked #16
Scouting Report: 6-foot, 165-pound right-hander out of the Noreasters program. Athletic lift and coil at the top of the lift. The arm has a good amount of hyperextension to it, shows the ball behind his back during the back side arm swing. The direction to the plate and the tracking of the front shoulder is done very well. Fastball touched 83 mph with arm-side run. The spin pitch is a slider, sat at 70 mph. The pitch needs more fastball hand speed to it. The changeup has fade action, sat at 76 mph. Interesting follow on the mound, as he has an extremely quick arm.

The Newcomers

This is a good time to announce new players that we did not know of prior to announcing the first round of 2019 rankings. The players listed below are just a few of the players popping up on our radar. We will keep you updated this spring on new players through twitter and our scout blog.

Jordan Marot, RHP, Bishop Hendricken
Ranked #5
Scouting Report: 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander, pitches out of a plus ¾ arm slot with athletic movements. A ton to like about this kids arm. The delivery needs more appropriate tracking of the front shoulder as its comes off line prior to foot strike, causing him to run away from his arm. The lift is athletic and his feet line up well. There is glove side pull to the delivery as well, which is effecting his extension. Keeping in mind he is a 2019 I love the potential in the delivery. The fastball touched 82 mph with excellent run and sink to it. The spin pitch is a short slider/slurve, sat at 69 mph. The shape of it is appropriate for his age. The changeup has the right action to it and is usable right now. Changeup was 75 mph. Big time potential and excellent follow for college coaches.

Michael Bean, RHP, St John's Shrewsbury
Ranked #8
Scouting Report: 6-foot, 200-pound right-hander out of the Northeast Baseball Program. This is the second time we have seen Michael pitch in the last month, and he didn’t disappoint. Pitches out of a ¾ slot, and has a small hip coil at the top of the lift. Does an admirable job of tracking his shoulders to foot strike but can improve in that department. Fastball touched 84 mph with plus arm side run. The breaking ball rolls at times, as he needs to make the ball break out in front of his head. The pitch is 69 mph. The changeup showed better this time, sitting at 78 mph, probably too hard but getting better. Good looking prospect, high upside.

Jack Webster, C, King Philip Regional
Ranked #14
Scouting Report: 5-foot-11, 180-pound right-handed hitting catcher with a ton of upside to his game. Legit catch and throw performance, the pop time was 1.86. The feet are quick and the transfer is simple. Threw 81 mph down to second base on the transfer, well above average for his age. Showed solid receiving skills behind the dish. At the plate, tee exit velocity of 79 mph. Sets up with an even base and even handed start. The path is long and flat to the ball, shows pull side power. The bottom half is under control. Ran a 4.14 30-yard. Jumped on the bump at the end of the event and showed a good clean arm, touching 81 mph with the fastball. The breaking ball is big, needs more fastball to it, touched 66 mph. The delivery is online, small coil at the top, making it rotational to the plate. Chance to be a power arm is he decides to pitch. Good looking prospect all the way around.

Cole Koeppel, RHP, Noble and Greenough
Ranked #15
Scouting Report: 6-foot-6, 200-pound right-handed pitcher. The arm comes at you out of a higher than ¾ arm slot. The frame leads to a downhill plane. The lift is athletic and he stays over the backside at the top. The tracking of the front shoulder to foot strike needs to be adjusted to help extension. The body is an excellent pitchers body and projects. Fastball sits at 81 mph with leverage and arm-side run. The spin pitch is a roller at this point, at 67 mph. As he matures, more fastball hand speed to this pitch will make it jump a level. The changeup was very good, rotation coming along nicely, sitting at 74 mph. Higher level arm and prospect.

TOP UNCOMMITTED PROSPECTS BY POSITION

Michael Bean RHP:

LHP:

OF:

INF:

2- Way Players:

We will continue to add to our rankings heading into the fall and winter, for now click here to see the full Class of 2019 rankings in New England.

New England Class of 2019 Rankings

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Daniel Baruch	RI	Wheeler	2019	1B	Boston College
2	Chad Knight	CT	Staples	2019	RHP	Duke
3	Henry Weycker	MA	Wellesley	2019	LHP	Virginia Tech
4	Evan Moore	CT	Kingswood-Oxford	2019	RHP	Boston College
5	Jordan Marot	RI	Bishop Hendricken	2019	RHP
6	Tucker Flint	RI	Bishop Hendricken	2019	OF	Maryland
7	Andrew Marrero	CT	Wilbur Cross	2019	RHP	Connecticut
8	Michael Bean	MA	St. Johns	2019	RHP
9	Joshua Gruenberg	MA	Andover	2019	OF
10	Barry Walsh	MA	Wachusett Regional	2019	OF

***** To view the entire Top 270, please click here.