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2020 Rising Stars of BC - Quick Hits

August 4, 2020
BC Scouting Staff

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We would like to thank all who participated in PBR British Columbia's 2020 Rising Stars Event. This was a great opportunity for the class of 2023-2024 prospects to get into the system, see where they match up from their peers and showcase their tools and talents. We have the complete statistical results from the event as well as the top performers across various different categories.

Interested in attending a PBR BC event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

Complete Statistics

To view the Positional Stats, Click Here.
To view the Pitching Stats, Click Here.

2020 Rising Stars of BC - Quick Hits

ON THE HILL

Ryan Holford RHP / OF / Lord Tweedsmuir, BC / 2023

Holford was one of the top rising stars on day 2, flashing serious two-way potential. On the mound, this 2023 prospect sat at 78-80 with his fastball, touching 81. Ryan throws a changeup in the mid to high 60’s as well. Didn’t throw a breaking ball, but should be a pitch he starts to develop as part of his repertoire. Throws strikes. Big kid for his age at 5-foot-11. Still room to fill out.

Lucas Huynh RHP / 3B / Sir Charles Tipper Secondary, BC / 2023

At 6-foot-3 and 210 lbs, Huynh passes the eye test. A physical presence for a 2023. Another two-way guy who shows promise at both positions. Sat in the high 70’s with his fastball at the rising stars event, touching 79. Four-pitch mix with a curveball, slider, and changeup as well. Sharp bite on the slider and nice fade to his change. Thanks to his arm slot, he gets some run on the heater as well. The future might be brighter at the plate depending on how much he develops as a pitcher, but there’s certainly some potential there.

Jaron Palaschuk 3B / RHP / Point grey secondary, BC / 2023

A long and lanky right-hander who recorded the second-best velocity on the day. Touched 80, comfortably sitting at 78-79 with his fastball. Very projectable considering he’s 6’2” and 165 lbs. Throws strikes with the heater, and off-speed stuff is a work in progress. Fluent delivery, lots of room to add more velocity. One of the 2023 arms to keep a close eye on as his future looks to be on the bump.

DEFENSIVE GEMS

Landon Kauffman OF / LHP / Vancouver College, BC / 2024

This 2024 LHP/OF moved very well around the outfield, and despite being one of the smaller kids at the showcase, he boasted the second strongest outfield arm on the day at 77 MPH. At 5’7”, 125 LBS, we will be patiently waiting for his body to catch up to his high-level skill and approach to the game. To put it merely, Kauffman is a gamer, does the little things exceptionally well.

Dio Gama OF / 2B / Johston heights, BC / 2023

Gama’s 60 time of 6.93 (best of the group) transferred to active and quick infield footwork and fluid movements around the outfield as well. He can get the ball off quickly in the infield, which helps compensate for an average arm across the diamond. In the outfield, his speed played well, and his strong footwork transferred into decent throws to third with backspin. Overall, the athleticism that Gama brings to the table should project well as he matures.

Bailey D'Cruze C / RHP / Surrey Christian, BC / 2023

The Rising Stars catching crew was the talk of the camp, with four catchers living right around the 2.00-2.10 POP. D’Cruze managed to record a 1.98, which isn’t much of a difference, but starting the read with a “1” never hurts. However, it wasn’t just D’Cruze’s time that set him apart from the rest, but rather his targeting and interactions with the pitchers. D’Cruze offers a target and body language communication that makes it easy to execute.

AT THE PLATE

Cameron Macleod C / 3B / Argyle, BC / 2023

Physically, MacLeod was different from the rest right away. Listed at 5’10” 175, he was synced up very well, with projectable loft and pop at the next level. He shows a good connection and trusts his body to get the barrel to spots. Best hitter on the day, he drove the ball to both gaps and showed a tight turn to inside pitches, sending liners to left with good loft and backspin.

Dio Gama OF / 2B / Johston heights, BC / 2023

Big pop. Gama was the only player on the day to average over 90 MPH in his Exit Velocity readings. In five swings, Gama went 92, 90, 92, 90, 92, and that translated well to BP. He showed quick moves in the box and a tight turn on pitches. Gama matches the plane well deep in the zone and uses what he has to generate bat speed in a hurry. So far, the story with Gama is that everything he does on a ball field; he does it quickly.

Lucas Huynh RHP / 3B / Sir Charles Tipper Secondary, BC / 2023

Huynh impressed in all the power metrics on the day. He was among leaders in Exit Velocity, topping at 92, Pitch Velocity and Positional Velocity. His BP rounds were consistent for the age group and showed the most consistent pop to his pull side on the day. Huynh hinges into his back hip efficiently, allowing him to close off his open stance without falling into his front foot. With maturity and growth, his athleticism should increase, which will help him become a truly dynamic hitter.

Jaron Palaschuk 3B / RHP / Point grey secondary, BC / 2023

Palaschuk is as projectable as they come, at 6-foot-2, 165-pounds, it is easy to be optimistic about his movements in the box as well as the mound. He showed quickness at the plate and was able to generate natural loft to left, which will transfer nicely once he puts some weight on his frame. Watch out for this two-way prospect in the next couple of years.