By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

The 2014 Metropolitan Baseball Classic kicked off Thursday with workouts at Hofstra and will continue through the weekend with games at Hofstra and Citi Field. The event debuted in 2013 and was an instant hit with scouts and players. It was well run and is a must-see on the summer circuit. And that’s before we even talk about the talent on the field.

OF/RHP Seth Beer (Lambert HS, GA) stood out offensively among prospects two years older than him while 2014 OF Elijah Dilday (Howell HS, MO) broke out and had big weekend at the plate. RHP Alex Lange (Lee’s Summit West HS, MO) had a strong outing for Marucci Elite and RHP Spencer Adams (White City HS, GA) helped Team Elite to a championship win with five shutout innings against the Evoshield Canes. Of the participants in the 2013 event, 52 were ultimately drafted in 2014—including first-round picks RHP Grant Holmes (Conway HS, SC) and LHP Foster Griffin (The First Academy, FL). Below are the rosters for each of the participating team as provided by Mets officials with a few notes on specific players.

CBA MARUCCI: The only thing the Metropolitan Baseball Classic was missing in its debut was a team from California. One was on the initial list to attend, but dropped out late for undisclosed reasons. CBA Marucci will represent one of the country’s most talent-rich states in New York this year. C Chris Betts (Wilson HS, CA) is the household name that everyone knows. He has been swinging a hot bat since last summer. IF Nick Allen (Parker HS, CA) was a member of the Team USA’s 15U squad that won a gold medal in the 2013 Pan American Championships. LHP Bailey Falter has a projectable frame at 6-foot-4, 175 pounds and sat 84-86 mph at the Area Code Games earlier this month. He has a very easy, loose delivery with long arms and pitches from a high three-quarter slot with a long stride and arm action.