SoCal Underclass Games Scouting Reports: Outfielders
October 13, 2021
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SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - The annual SoCal Underclass Games descended onto beautiful Fowler Park on the picturesque campus of the University of San Diego. The event annually draws the top rising sophomores and freshman from around SoCal for an event that has proven to be a launching pad for players as they head into their fall seasons.
The 2021 version of the event was similar to past events that saw limited roster sizes in order to maximize playing opportunities during the 12-inning scout ball style game in which pitchers faced five hitters per inning. The roster size gave hitters at least four at-bats to show their wares in front of the PBR staff and the college recruiters in attendance.
As customary to most PBR California events, scouting reports complete the post-event content rollout. TrackMan and Blast Motion provide necessary data needed to analyze and understand player capabilities but the written eye test remains undefeated and an integral part in scouting. Today we take a look at outfielders.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL STATISTICS FROM THE EVENT
SCOUTING REPORTS
Dillon Slayton, Elsinore (CA), 2024
Positional Profile: OF/RHP
Body: 5-8, 135-pounds. Small and athletic frame, some twitch, plenty of room for muscle development.
Hit: RHH. Upright stance with slight athletic bend in the knees, pre-pitch bat waggle, leg lift to hitting position, two-hand finish. Quick bat through the zone, line drives to both sides of the field, in game line drive. Blast Motion scores of 31-53-42. Shows ability to get aligned, in a position to hit and use that to generate bat speed. Bat grades poorly on how long it stays in the zone showing early signs of potential swing and miss.
Power: 86.00 max exit velocity
Arm: OF - 70.00 mph. Corner outfield arm, did a really good job keeping his throws low and on a long hop, 4/5 to the bag. Maturity and development will increase his arm strength and in turn velocity.
Defense: Fielded cleanly, transfer from glove to hand were consistent, choppy feet around the ball - needs to be quickened and natural speed utilized.
Owen Grice, St. Bernard (CA), 2024
Positional Profile: OF
Body: 6-0, 160-pounds. Long and lanky, high waist, slim build, room for growth and strength gains.
Hit: LHH. Even and upright, slight athletic bend, simple step to hitting position, one-hand finish. Swing is geared to pull, extension and hand clearance showed potential gap-to-gap hitting ability. Blast Motion scores of 40-51-44. Alignment and putting himself in a good position to hit highlight his swing. Rotation shows some power projection down the line.
Power: 82.00 max exit velocity
Arm: INF - 65.00 mph. OF - 66.00 mph. Short arm swing, pause in the back, limited velocity and distance, good accuracy. Smoother arm swing in the back, speed throughout, shoulder strength needed to make a necessary velo jump for the next level.
Defense: Raw in the infield and outfield, good first step and reaction to the ball, picked the ball at first and fielded well in the outfield.
Gavin Vanderpool, San Marcos (CA), 2024
Positional Profile: OF/1B
Body: 6-0, 190-pounds. Proportional build with current strength and room for more. More height could really bolster his projection. Sneaky athleticism.
Hit: LHH. Tall and upright stance with relaxed hands and shoulders. Steps into hitting position with clear above-average rotation and takes a hack. Consistently aligned swings are the area of needed improvement; as the current inconsistencies could create swing and miss. Blast Motion scores of 58-39-71. Elite rotation score of 71 along with 22.80 hand speed and 80.20 bat speed show that the power is analytically and data-backed. The numbers show 10+ high school home run potential along with certain power potential at the college level.
Power: 94.00 max exit velocity
Arm: INF - 74.00 mph. OF - 72.00 mph. Clean throws from both first base and the outfield, looks comfortable making throws from both positions, accurate throwing display.
Defense: Providing first base and corner outfield position availability key to his projection, currently showing potential to do so especially with the power bat. Vocal leadership and pickability at first base could really help team culture.
Jack Haferkamp, Santa Fe Christian (CA), 2024
Positional Profile: OF
Body: 6-3, 175-pounds. Long, lean and athletic. Strength and projectability are there. Ability to play any outfield spot.
Hit: RHH. Open stance with hands set behind the ear. Slight rock into backside as hands load into a lower launch position. Good coil and separation at footstrike are created. Hands and barrel work on a slight uphill path. Quick and smooth stroke with the body working in good sequencing to maximize energy transfer. LD filled round during BP working gap to gap. Also had 2 hits during game action which included an LD triple to the LCF gap.
Power: 94.00 max exit velocity. Power looks to tick up with his body and swing projectability. Blast motion metrics are well above average with hand speed, rotational acceleration, and bat speed.
Arm: RH. OF - 83.00 mph. Above-average arm strength from the OF. 5/5 accurate one-hops to the bag that were made on a line. Easy carry and effort without needing extra steps.
Defense: Comfortable actions in the OF. Worked low throughout his workout. Gets to his spots and takes the right angles. Comes through the ball with good momentum. Athletic and quick. Ability to play all OF spots.
Mason Shulman, Calabasas (CA), 2024
Positional Profile: OF/RHP
Body: 5-8, 145-pounds. Smaller frame with a lean build that has plenty of room and time to fill out.
Hit: RHH. Slight open athletic stance. Uses a leg kick trigger that gets into his back hip. Higher elbow early connection at launch position. Balanced at footstrike. Compact level stroke with present barrel accuracy (80.9% on plane efficiency). Pounded LDs to the middle of the field throughout BP round.
Power: 82.00 max exit velocity. Current LD singles power. Needed increases in bat speed and rotational acceleration.
Arm: RH. OF - 71.00 mph. 4/5 accurate 1/2 hops from the OF. Uphill shoulders with longer arm action. Average arm strength. Higher arching throws.
Defense: Charges in on the ball well with good momentum. Gets low to the ball and displays glove early. Fields slightly off to the side with a clean funnel and exchange to throwing hand.
UPCOMING EVENTS
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| Northern California Academic Games | CA | 10/16 | Menlo College |
| Unsigned Senior Games | CA | 10/17 | Hart Park |