Prep Baseball Report

Elite Prospect Showcase Analysis: Corner Infielders



By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

The 2014 Elite Prospect Showcase took place Saturday, November 1st at Keystone State Baseball Academy in Manheim, PA with 56 prospects from three states displaying their skills. The following is a look at the corner infielders, sorted alphabetically by graduation class.

Class of 2016


Christian Aldrich
, 3B/1B, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA
(2016)
7.65 60-yard dash, 74-mph IF arm, 85-mph exit velo
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Aldrich starts from a slightly closed stance, uses a hip rock to create pre-swing rhythm, and employs a heel lift for his stride. He has some looseness to his swing and some juice in his bat. He showcased playable actions at third base, where he would benefit from improved arm strength and lateral agility.

Adam Celidonia, C/3B, Montour HS, PA (2016)
7.81 60-yard dash, 77-mph IF arm, 90-mph exit velo
Celidonia starts his powerful stroke in a slightly open stance and strides to square. He gets his hands to a good launch point and stayed inside the ball well. A primary catcher (click here for Thursday's catcher analysis), he is working on making himself more versatile and showcased himself defensively at the hot corner. His 6-foot, 185-pound frame fits the profile, while his footwook and lateral agility should improve with more reps.

Nick D'Amore, 3B, Neumann-Goretti HS, PA (2016)
7.65 60-yard dash, 85-mph IF arm, 84-mph exit velo
D'Amore is a solid defender across the board, showing good feet, hands, and range. He looks more than comfortable at third base after sliding over from shortstop between his freshman and sophomore seasons. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder lost the barrel at contact occasionally on this day, but he has a very simple approach, his head stays still, and he has the bat speed and physical strength to find a gap.

Connor Hood, 3B, Susquehannock HS, PA (2016)
6.93 60-yard dash, 80-mph IF arm, 86-mph exit velo
Click here for Sunday's article featuring the 6-foot, 170-pound Hood as one of the event's top performers.

Lou Testa, 1B, Neumann-Goretti HS, PA (2016)
7.78 60-yard dash, 80-mph IF arm, 97-mph exit velo
Click here for Sunday's article featuring the 6-foot2, 230-pound Testa as one of the event's top performers.

Class of 2017


Colin Garraway
, 3B/RHP, Kingsway Regional HS, NJ (2017)

7.95 60-yard dash, 70-mph IF arm, 75-mph exit velo
Garraway hits from a square stance, holds his hands in a good launch position, and has a tendency to spin on his backside. His bat speed and arm would benefit from adding strength to his 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. Click here for a recap of Garraway's bullpen session.

Gavin Hinchliffe, 3B, Pottsville Area HS, PA (2017)
6.94 60-yard dash, 82-mph IF arm, 83-mph exit velo
Hinchliffe hits from a square stance and utilizes and lift-and-replace stride. He takes a short path to the ball and his head stays still, while there is some stiffness due to a slight armbar and often limited extension through contact caused by incomplete backside rotation. The 5-foot-9, 165-pounder showed well defensively with solid feet, hands, and arm strength.

Joseph Iengo, RHP/1B, Iona Prep, NY (2017)
7.93 60-yard dash, 73-mph IF arm, 83-mph exit velo
Iengo hits from a square stance with high hands and incorporates a toe-tap. He has some length in his swing and a high, helicopter finish. His 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame makes an excellent target at first base, while he showcased solid feet and hands around the bag. Click here for a recap of the primary pitcher's bullpen session.

James Meals III, RHP/1B, Downingtown West HS, PA (2017)
7.80 60-yard dash, 78-mph IF arm, 81-mph exit velo
Meals hits from a square stance and gets his hands to a good launch position. His swing has some length, but, if he would consistently incorporate his backside, he has a chance to drive the baseball. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder showcased solid feet and hands defensively. Click here for a recap of the primary pitcher's bullpen session.

Joey Preciado, RHP/3B, Council Rock North HS, PA (2017)
7.82 60-yard dash, 80-mph IF arm, 82-mph exit velo
Preciado starts slightly open and uses a controlled back-to-front stride to get himself square. He has loose hands, throws the barrel, and the ball comes off the bat well. The 6-foot, 180-pounder showed playable actions defensively with solid arm strength from a low-slot whippy arm action. Click here for a recap of the primary pitcher's bullpen session.

Noah Weiner, 1B/RHP, Franklin Regional HS, PA (2017)
7.22 60-yard dash, 78-mph IF arm, 81-mph exit velo
Weiner starts slightly open with a relaxed set-up and takes a short stride to square. He gets his hands to a good launch point, while exhibiting a bit of length in his swing and a high finish. The 6-foot-2, 165-pounder ran well for his size, and showed solid feet and hands around the bag. Click here for a recap of Weiner's bullpen session.

Class of 2018


Dillon Marsh
, 1B, Lancaster Catholic
, PA (2018)
6.99 60-yard dash, 84-mph IF arm, 90-mph exit velo

Zeb Stough, 3B, Red Land HS, PA (2018)
7.31 60-yard dash, 84-mph IF arm, 88-mph exit velo

Click here for Sunday's article featuring the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Marsh and the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Stough as two of the event's top performers.


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