CA State Games: 2021's to Know
June 18, 2019
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PODCAST: CALIFORNIA STATE GAMES RECAP
IRVINE, CA. - The inaugural PBR Tournaments California State Games took place last weekend hosting over 60 teams in the 14U-17U age groups. The tournament began on Thursday evening in front of well over a dozen college recruiters and culminated Monday afternoon with the 16U and 17U championships.
In this series we are going to take a look at players from the various classes that stood out to our team of scouts over the weekend. Earlier we released our list of 2020's to Know where he breaks down players that we liked over the course of the tournament.
We will roll through all the classes but we begin with the 2021 class in this edition.
CLASS OF 2021 PLAYERS TO KNOW
STATE GAMES NOTES
Uncommitted. Possessing longer arms, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound southpaw deceptively delivered fastballs at 82-84 on a hot afternoon that featured arm side life, and produced multiple swings and misses. He repeated an uptempo delivery that included more aggressive drive off the back side, seeming to jump towards the plate before releasing out of a high ¾ slot with impressive hand speed through the ball. He flashed a faded changeup at 76 mph for strikes, and his 70-71 curveball featured tighter spin with multi-tier break and near 1/7 shape. It would not surprise if he makes a considerable velocity jump in the future given the elasticity of the arm and the overall athleticism. An aspiring engineer-major, Reddemann also sports a GPA above 4.0.
STATE GAMES NOTES
Listed at 5-foot-11, 175-pounds, Acosta has a long, lean, wiry strong frame with squared shoulders and longer limbs that should continue to develop and fill out in the future. Don’t get the impression he’s done growing vertically as he has larger feet as well. Shows an athletic, repeatable delivery from a high 3/4 slot. Lands inline repeatedly and his arm speed is quick and consistent. Touched 87 with the fastball several times but lived comfortably at 85-86 with some movement to the arm side. Showed the ability to command the pitch by keeping it at or below the hitters knees consistently while moving it black-to-black. His slider at 71-74 (T76) has wipeout potential. It’s sharp with late biting action. He really let it go once when he touched 76 and the break on that one pitch was unlike any of the others giving a glimpse of what’s to come. Acosta showed some feel for a changeup at 83 mph. Most of the time is was a show me pitch and was fairly flat, there were however two times that he got some very good arm side run and sink on it.
STATE GAMES NOTES
Uncommitted. Riggio’s energy and athleticism help propel his abilities at the plate, and it is easy to see why he is one of the top prospects/hitters in the 2021 class. Unafraid at the plate, and confident in his abilities, the left-handed hitter hit in the middle of a loaded lineup of 2020 prospects for GBG Marucci. Hitting from an athletic base, his hands rock further back into a power position with a slight scoop before his strong wrists and quick hands drive the barrel through the zone on a flat path. His strong bottom hand allows the barrel to lag in the zone as he showcases the ability to drive the ball to all fields. An athletic runner with some strength in the lower-half of his 5-foot-9, 165-pound frame, he gets into his legs at the dish helping to provide for a bit more power. While he is aggressive early on in counts, he also demonstrates the ability to adjust late when behind, changing the barrel plane, and driving whatever pitch comes his way. Overall, Riggio features plenty of upside, and with his hit-tool already advanced, he should be able to progress and a more rapid rate the next couple of years.
STATE GAMES NOTES
UCLA commit. Got eyes on Silva in the 16U Championship Game which he started on the mound where many see him in the future thanks in part to his fast, lively, and loose arm. Silva worked his fastball up to 90 mph on the hot day and showed the ability to spot it early. Working from a quicker delivery, Silva attacked hitters down and in showing hints of run on his fastball from a 3/4 slot. It was his slider at 76-80 mph that was working this outing showing late diving action to the back foot of lefties and sharp fading action to righties. Silva used the pitch in any count showing supreme confidence in it. He also hit third in the lineup and while he didn’t register a hit in this viewing, he shows fast hands and an aggressive approach.
STATE GAMES NOTES
Uncommitted. Listed at 5-foot-10, 150-pounds, Castillo has the look of a future standout for Mater Dei. The OF/2B shows sneaky power to the gaps from the right side as he demonstrated by taking an 84 mph FB on the outer half the other way for a double to RCF where he registered a 4.49 on the turn. He has a compact swing with fast hands that he keeps inside the ball. There’s some present strength to the frame, but it projects very well for future gains.
STATE GAMES NOTES
Uncommitted. Fick continues to impress with his overall game that has made him one of the better known catchers in the 2021 class. Receives with a quiet setup and soft hands and shows some of the best catch/throw skills in-game that we’ve seen with pop times consistently hovering 2.0 with uncanny accuracy. At the plate he shows flashes of present power that is easy to envision developing. His hands are quick and he has the ability to keep the barrel on plane through his zone. Showed the ability to go the other way with line drives.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| SoCal ProCase | CA | 06/08 | Hart Park |
| Northern California ProCase | CA | 06/09 | Delta College - Nick Cecchetti Field |
| Bay Area Open Showcase | CA | 06/26 | Laney College |
| Inland Empire Top Prospect ID | CA | 07/23 | Santiago High School |
| Norcal Top Prospect ID | CA | 07/24 | St. Mary's College |
| Junior Future Games / Future Games | NATIONAL | 07/30 | LakePoint |
| Rising Stars Showcase | CA | 09/21 | Santiago High School |
STATE GAMES NOTES