IP Showcase: By The Numbers - Kings Of Consistency
May 4, 2020
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IP Showcase: By The Numbers - Kings Of Consistency
The Inside Performance Showcase took place on February 24 at Inside Performance Facility in North Vancouver. 54 invites were sent out to BC’s most talented players from 2020-2023, including multiple division 1 committed athletes, and almost a dozen Junior Team Canada Members. All data was recorded by Rapsodo Baseball.
Kings of Consistency
The players who have qualified for this list showcased an advanced ability to remain repeatable in a high-pressure environment with plenty of eyes watching. This could be argued to be the most impressive list, as each of these hitters was able to demonstrate maturity in their approach in BP and be consistent in their HHB% while maintaining a high average EV. All members on this list maintained an average HHB% of 80 percent or higher or they were a member of the 90 mph exit velocity club on average.
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Jude Hall OF / 3B / GW Graham, BC / 2020Rankings StateRank: 18 / POS: 2
Report: Hall is an athletic outfielder with a quick lefty swing that is highly repeatable due to its simplicity. He is short to the ball and manages to stay in his legs well to spray up the middle and gap to gap. This was shown at the IP Showcase, as 18/19 batted balls were up the middle with elevation to the gaps. Hall’s average HHBLA suggests that he has high extra-base hit potential should he add strength. He is repeatable at a good launch angle of 25° which suggests that his swing has a good foundation and looks to project to be an impact bat in the future. When his average 83.7 mph develops into 90 mph through maturity and strength gains, his swing is at the starting point where he won’t have to learn how to hit the ball in the air to maximize his output. Hall has a late bloomer written all over him, should he capitalize on his natural athletic ability and commit to his body. Big upside. |
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Jonny McGill SS / OF / J.N. Burnett Secondary, BC / 2020Rankings StateRank: 13 / POS: 1
Report: Jonny McGill is widely regarded as one of the toughest outs in the PBL. He has one of the most sudden swings in the province and is as consistent as 17-year-old’s come. Last summer as a member of the North Delta Blue Jays, McGill hit .370 with only 11 strikeouts in over 100 plate appearances. He has an aggressive approach to hitting and this future Thunderbird will hit at the next level as well. He is simple, fast and eager to learn. He had an 11 consecutive HHB streak across two rounds of bp, and in 27 swings, only three balls were recorded lower than 84mph. He is a solid utility player and with maturity and strength, he should develop into a legitimate hitter in the future. |
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Griffin Palfrey SS / RHP / N/A, BC / 2021Rankings StateRank: 9 / POS: 2
Report: Palfrey has shown flashes of impact player qualities. Defensively, it will be hard to find a member of the PBL more reliable than him at SS, and he will show that this summer at Canada Cup. He has shown upwards of 90mph across the diamond and has great instincts and footwork. Offensively, he will be the catalyst and main weapon for the reigning PBL champs. At IP, Palfrey showed up looking much stronger than the last time we saw him and after averaging out at 89.1mph, we can see that the effort he has put into his body in the offseason has already begun translating to his game. He topped at 96.2mph and eclipsed the 90mph mark 14/28 swings. With some retooling and the willingness to hit some balls in the air, the 6° HHB LA could start to incline a few notches which would maximize his high average EV and could see Palfrey manifest himself into an extra-base hit machine. Highly athletic body with fast-twitch movements. High ceiling. |
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Kyle Hepburn C / OF / Steveston London, BC / 2021
Report: After being relatively unknown in his first year as a Gr10, Hepburn did all the right things this offseason to get him ready to take the PBL by storm in his grade 11 season. According to coaches, he has put on upwards of 40lbs since September, through the use of a commitment to his body through nutrition and weightlifting. Hepburn strikes as the kind of kid that embraces the offseason and enjoys the grind of winter. The changes to his body illustrate the kind of commitment that he has to his body and his future as a baseball player. His movements are repeatable in the small sample size of 16 bp pitches, and time will tell if his strength will allow him to continue with the leg kick and swing-plane that he uses to generate whip through the backside of his swing. His numbers are persuasive enough that there is something there. His bat is loud, and with the kind of work ethic and commitment to the grind that he possesses this early, it will be interesting to see what kind of doors this prospect will be knocking on in the next year. |
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Samson Back OF / 1B / Langley, BC / 2020Rankings StateRank: 22 / POS: 4
Report: Back showed off a smooth and calm approach at the showcase, with easy loft and consistent barrels. He has a calm composure and does not appear to press for results in his swing. His coaches have reported a swing over vamp over the offseason which has appeared beneficial in early looks of him this year. He is one of two players (with Hepburn) to be on both the 90mph average EV list and the 80+% HHB list from the showcase which featured very prominent signees from the 2020 draft class. With this consistency and his solid HHB LA°, Back could be a dark-horse impact player for a Langley line-up studded with JNT members. He is listed primarily as an outfielder, though that is most likely out of necessity to get him at-bats with the incoming of Saskatchewan JNT corner infielder, Brody Alexandre. He projects as a bat-first first baseman at the next level and should develop into an impact level hitter with a decent K: BB split. |
90+ Ave EV Club
Kyle Hepburn (2021 – Uncommitted)
- Ave EV - 93.8 mph
- Top EV – 101.2 mph
Trey Smith (2021 – Uncommitted)
- Ave EV – 93.5 mph
- Top EV – 101.5 mph
Luciano Letteri (2020 – UBC Commit)
- Ave EV – 92 mph
- Top EV – 100.6 mph
Matthew Suarez (2020 – Uncommitted)
- Ave EV – 91.3 mph
- Top EV – 97.4 mph
Samson Back (2020 – Uncommitted)
- Ave EV – 90.7 mph
- Top EV – 97.3 mph