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California State Games: Red Team Analysis Part 2

September 9, 2020
Jack Shannon
San Diego Area Scout

    

New Episode LIVE now! - At The Yard Podcast

Lathrop, CA - On the banks of the San Joaquin river under the hot summer sun the annual Prep Baseball Report - California State Games took place at beautiful Islanders Field. Players from across the Golden State made the journey to showcase their skills and chase their dreams. Uncommits became commits and unknowns became known. 

Nationwide restrictions altered the State Games from allowing college coaches to attend but thanks to modern technology the Prep Baseball Report - California staff was able to stream nationwide. TrackMan and Blast Motion technology provided exceptional data to be collected and distributed. The scouting staff crushed the twitter game and provided ample highlights on day one, day two and day three.

With an abundance of talent on hand, the players were broken up into three groups, today we take a look at Part 2 of the Red Team analysis. 

Drake Bicknell, Jesuit (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: C/3B
Body: 5-11, 185-pounds.
Defense: 2.10-2.12 pop times. Shows feel and understanding of defensive positioning. Fundamentals on display; forehand and backhand fielding, blocking and receiving catching.
Arm: RH. C - 74 mph. Smooth arm action from third base and the catching position. Short arm swing and release enables him to get rid of the ball quickly. Accurate and consistent throws.
Hit: RHH. Upright and open stance. Hands are relaxed and shoulder height. Leg lift load to proportional swing stance.  Barrel stays through the zone nicely, covering both sides of the plate. Swing path shows ability to attack the bottom half of the zone, where his exit velo average of 92 mph is the highest. TrackMan metrics show line-drives averaged 311.9 ft, 26.9° launch angle, 90.7 mph.
Power: 93 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.62 runner in the 60. 

Tyler Van Dyk, Central Catholic (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: C/2B
Body: 6-1, 180-pounds.
Defense: 2.00-2.18 pop times. Displayed baseball feel, saw action at C/2B/P, overall defensive fundamentals translate across the diamond.
Arm: RH. C - 74 mph. Utility arm strength, average behind the plate at 74 mph, jumped on the mound and sat comfortably at 81-83 mph, topping at 84 mph.
Hit: RHH. Open stance with athletic bend. Loads with a total body coil.  Shows bat speed and ability to get the barrel through the zone quickly; posting 18.8 g rotational acceleration, 71.7 mph bat speed, 64/80 rotation score.
Power: 97 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.56 runner in the 60. 

Nathan Wood, Pacific Grove  (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: C/OF
Body: 6-1, 165-pounds.
Defense: 2.09-2.16 pop times. Solid feel for the catching position, confident in his ability, looks the part. Received well and with strength gains and maturity could turn that part of his game into a plus-tool.
Arm: RH. C - 76 mph. Fringy arm strength, projects for more down the line, more lower half engagement could help in the interim.
Hit: RHH. Narrow stance with even hands slightly below shoulder height with elbows flared as he rests bat on back. Rocks into load with knee tuck and coil, producing a deep load down and back. Aggressive swing with an upward attack, producing highest launch angle averages in the top half of the zone. Line drive averages showed well and project well; 331.2 ft, 25.1° launch angle, 91.3 mph exit velocity.
Power: 95 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.11 runner in the 60. 

Dominic McLaughlin, Hanford (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: 1B/3B
Body: 5-10, 175-pounds.
Defense: Positions himself well with a sound prep step, backhand and forehand actions are average, lateral quickness works at 3B/2B.
Arm: RH.  INF - 74 mph.  Arm strength is slightly below-average, 74 mph across the diamond. Gets rid of the ball fairly quickly. Actions and reads coupled with arm strength might be best suited for second base at the next level.
Hit: RHH. Athletic stance with high hands and wide elbows, hands stay at shoulder height with quiet front foot stride. Hands work quickly with barrel to ball approach.  Passes the eye test offensively, punished an inside fastball for a double. Level, quick and even through the zone. Elite Blast Motion metrics; 77/80 connection score, 24.2 g rotational acceleration (5th overall) , 84% on-plane efficiency.
Power: 95 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.32 runner in the 60. 

Brett Zimmerman, Gregori (CA), 2021 LMU
Positional Profile: 3B/SS
Body: 6-1, 180-pounds.
Defense: Highlight defensive play in which he dove to his backhand side, popped up to his feet quickly and fired a bullet across the diamond to rob a would-be extra-base hit. Set the tone with the play and checked the fielding notes box with a star.
Arm: RH.  INF - 82 mph.  Quality arm strength, 82 mph across the diamond. Smooth actions and throwing feel. Mechanically; keeps his arm path short, consistent release point, able to make throws from multiple arm angles. Arm strength can translate to the outfield as well.
Hit: LHH. Calm look in the box, slightly open stance, hands stay low and back, simple stride.  Swing possesses all-around ability but lacks elite ability. Opened the state games live portion with a barrelled pull-side line drive. Batting practice line drives averaged 283 ft, 24.9° launch angle, 90 mph.
Power: 90 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.44 runner in the 60. 

Dominic Giuffre, Archbishop Mitty (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: SS/OF
Body: 5-10, 165-pounds.
Defense:  Shows bounce and good footwork, stays low to the ground and keeps his head down, displayed lateral quickness. Utility skill set defensively with the ability to play 2B/SS/3B/OF.
Arm: RH.  INF - 75 mph.  Average arm with consistent throwing mechanics, showed ability to make throws from multiple arm angles, accurate and on target.
Hit: RHH. Simple setup, hands load back with front foot lift, lands in athletic hitting position. Quick upwards bat path, 69.5 mph bat speed average, all-fields hitting ability, exit velocity of 97 mph on the outer half of the plate. Top of the order type hitter skill set; walked twice in live simulation, able to spoil pitches, patient approach.
Power: 92 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 6.96 runner in the 60. 

Aidan Lombardi, Cardinal Newman (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: SS/2B
Body: 6-0, 165-pounds.
Defense:  Reads the ball well, prep step and fielding position setup show defensive awareness, hands work through the ball.
Arm: RH.  INF - 82 mph.  Slightly above-average arm, 82 mph across the diamond, 84 mph on the mound in emergency relief. Arm strength has a chance for more and will help him stay on the left side of the infield.
Hit: RHH. Simple setup, swing trigger is timed well, some power coil, leans over plate. Timing is one of his best hit tools, clears his hips fairly well, lacks quick twitch, even metrics across the board, 68.8 mph bat speed. Stays on plan well at 68% but tendency to lean over the inside part of the plate will make it difficult to connect on inside fastballs as seen with jam shot out in live simulation. 94 mph exit velocity indicates current and down the line power potential.
Power: 94 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.36 runner in the 60. 

Brendan Williams, Lincoln  (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: SS/2B
Body: 6-0, 170-pounds.
Defense:  Active overall, fun to watch, keeps his hands and feet moving, putting everything together consistently will be key.
Arm: RH. Arm speed is apparent, 84 mph across the diamond, able to stay on the left side, arm could translate on the mound.
Hit: RHH. Athletic wide setup, twitchy pre-pitch, two-hand finish. Aggressive approach, free swinger, data shows bat to ball connection throughout the zone. Line drives averaged; 83.6 mph exit velocity, 21.9° launch angle, 271 ft.
Power: 86 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.20 runner in the 60. 

Ruben Vera III, Armijo  (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: SS/2B
Body: 5-10, 160-pounds.
Defense: Quality feel at shortstop, went 3/3 at balls hit his way during the competitive simulation. Active feet, proper prep step, head down and glove out in front. Lacks elite lateral quickness but has the ability to play throughout the infield.
Arm: RH.  INF - 84 mph. Two-way arm strength, 84 mph from short to first, able to make throws from multiple angles.
Hit: RHH. Relaxed even stance, slight athletic bend, hands rest at shoulder height, high back elbow, hands have soft lift, small stride towards contact. Barrel shows ideal on-plane efficiency through the zone at 69%. Works through the ball with a high two-hand finish, able to show some pop with a 89 mph exit velocity.
Power: 89 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.80 runner in the 60. 

Delivery: Compact delivery, engages lower half, repeatable, clean follow through.
Arm Action: RH. Short arm path, repeatable release point helps him command the zone, offspeed arm action same as fastball.
FB: T84, 81-83 mph. Quality high school fastball with the ability to locate side-to-side and up-and-down.
CB: 67-69 mph. Struck out five of seven batters with four of the strikeouts by way of the curveball. Commands the pitch well, flipping over early in the count for strikes and able to bury ahead in the count.
CH: 73-75 mph. Changeup compliments his curveball and fastball, arm side fade with late diving action, able to throw for strikes. 

Jake Hamman, Chico (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: OF
Body: 6-1, 175-pounds.
Defense: One of the many players to make a web gem diving catch in the competitive simulation portion. Showed feel and looked the part in the outfield. Pro ability in right-field.
Arm: RH. OF - 88 mph. Plus outfield arm, consistently in the high 80s, could translate on the mound as well.
Hit: RHH. Athletic setup, wide base, active hands, toolsy feel, quick bat to ball. Smooth swing, balanced throughout the hitting process, does not utilize his size and tools enough. Line drives averaged; 89.3 mph, 22° launch angle, 297 ft.
Power: 93 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.02 runner in the 60.

Michael Nutter, Lincoln (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: OF
Body: 6-2, 181-pounds.
Defense: Showcased head down and glove in front approach, knowledgeable of defensive positioning, made a nice catch down the line, limited defensively to the corner outfield spots.
Arm: LH. OF - 83 mph. Average arm, 83 mph from right field, short arm swing and release helps him get rid of the ball quickly, serviceable outfield arm.
Hit: LHH. Quiet setup, relaxed overall, rests bat on shoulder before loading into base.  Posted above-average blast motion metrics; 19.6 g rotational acceleration, 72 mph bat speed, 66 plane score. Singled off a 90 mph fastball in the competitive simulation. Has a feel for hitting that is backed up with quality metrics and live success.
Power: 90 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.30 runner in the 60. 

Teague Drotar, Los Gatos (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: OF/RHP
Body: 6-2, 185-pounds.
Defense:  Choppy feet, some speed in the gaps, sound outfield upper-body fundamentals.
Arm: RH.  OF - 83 mph. Average outfield arm, 83 mph from right field to home, long-hop no-hop approach.
Hit: RHH. Wide stance allows for lower half pre-pitch engagement, relaxed hands work quick to the ball, 70.6 mph bat speed.  Bat shows good plane with an on-plane efficiency reading of 73%, physical strength and quality blast motion metrics show ability for present and future power.
Power: 91 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.49 runner in the 60. 

Delivery: High front side, hides the ball well, throws slightly across his body, some delivery funk.
Arm Action: RH. Arm path coupled with high front side and across body action make his arm action inconsistent.
FB: T82, 80-81 mph. Deception in delivery helps play up his low 80s fastball.
CB: 69-72 mph. Quality curveball with slow breaking action, swing and miss, best offering.
CH: 70-73 mph. Changeup shows ideal speed differential from fastball, fading arm side action, inconsistent command. 

Joey Donnelly, De La Salle (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: 1B
Body: 6-1, 210-pounds.
Defense: Played the part at first base, mature footwork around the bag, knowledgeable of defensive positioning, picked well.
Arm: RH.  INF - 79 mph.  Average arm at first base, 79 mph first to third throwing velocity, consistent throws on the bag.
Hit: LHH. Compact and clean setup, relaxed hands and shoulders, strong athletic base.  Smooth left handed swing, showed some bat speed at 69.7 mph, slow to get going. Line drive batting practice averages; 90.9 exit velocity, 25.7° launch angle, 304.7 ft.
Power: 87 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.04 runner in the 60. 

Robert Hipwell, Scotts Valley (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: 3B/1B
Body: 6-1, 210-pounds.
Defense:  Future is at first base, limited laterally to stick at third, picked well, solid bend at the waist and head down approach.
Arm: RH.  INF - 82 mph.  Average arm, 82 mph from third to first, compact throwing mechanics, high release point, accurate throws.
Hit: LHH. Narrow power stance, hands in line with back shoulder, high back elbow, eyes track the ball well, utilizes soft foot lift with hands working back in slight load.  Natural feel, advanced bat to ball, showed some inside out to his swing, upward barrel path. Clear present power with line drive batting practice averages; 343.6 ft, 28.1° launch angle, 97.2 mph.
Power: 101 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.94 runner in the 60. 

John Paul Avila, Carlmont (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: 2B/3B
Body: 6-0, 200-pounds.
Defense:  Defensively read the ball well, sets his feet and keeps his head down with the glove out in front, limited laterally, tools might be best suited for 2B/OF.
Arm: RH.  INF - 82 mph.  Some arm strength, 82 mph from short to first, uses his upper body to propel his throws, high natural arm slot, some awkwardness, dropped down when needed.
Hit: RHH. Physical feel at the plate, hands set high and load back, strong leg lift and land to stride, some present strength and hip fluidity.  Powerful swing, long swing path, looks to pull, aggressive at the plate, high finish. Impressed during the competitive simulation with a wood bat base hit and 360 ft flyout.
Power: 93 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.21 runner in the 60. 

Eli Rainey, Chico  (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: OF/RHP
Body: 6-4, 190-pounds.
Defense: Slow to field, quick to release, old school crow hop helps set himself up well.
Arm: RH. OF - 89 mph. Above-average outfield arm, line drive throws at 89 mph, arm works well.
Hit: RHH. Simple set up, some coil, relaxed hands. Eye test bat speed and measured bat speed of 75.8 mph. Bat to ball swing path, some swing and miss to the swing, projectable power.
Power:  88 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 7.16 runner in the 60. 

Delivery: Simple windup, some repeatability, overall potential.
Arm Action: RH. Arm is best tool, easy 87 mph, plenty of room for more with emphasis on pitching.
FB: T87, 84-86 mph. Fastball shows back spin, gets on hitters quick thanks to high release point, 2064 average spin rate.
SL: 77-79 mph. Raw pitch, showed signs of swing and miss ability, released with same arm speed as fastball. 

Logan Drummond, Tokay  (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: OF/LHP
Body: 6-0, 180-pounds.
Defense: Diving catch immediately after pitching in competitive simulation showed his desire and willingness to sacrifice for the team.
Arm: LH.   OF - 90 mph. Above-average arm for the outfield, 90 mph checks the box, outfield assist on runner trying to stretch single into double.
Hit: LHH. 20.7 g rotational acceleration shows that he is able to get his bat speed of 69.6 mph to peak speed at the MLB average level.  Line drive averages; 21.2° launch angle, 91.7 mph exit velocity, 308 ft average distance.
Power: 91 mph exit velocity from the tee.
Run: 6.98 runner in the 60. 

FB: T84, 83-84 mph. Fastball induced vertical break of 14.2 and horizontal break of -0.8 shows that his fastball has average ride and low run.
CB: 66 mph. Curveball has multiple breaks to it, got hit in competitive simulation, slider break has more potential.
CH: 72-76 mph. Changeup induced vertical break of 13.1 and horizontal break of -11.7 shows that his fastball has slight sink and above-average cut. 

Lex Dillon, Whitney (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: RHP
Body: 6-5, 180-pounds. 

Delivery: Standard start, crossfire landing, lacks balance, changes leg lift height and arm positioning pitch-to-pitch.
Arm Action: RH. Inconsistent arm action, pauses in front at times, shows whippy potential.
FB: T79, 77-78 mph. Velocity down from previous showings, multiple spiked pitches and overthrows.
CB: 67-69 mph. Inconsistent feel and release, saw some swing and miss, potential for more. 

Jack McKay, St. Ignatius College Prep (CA), 2021
Positional Profile: RHP
Body: 6-4, 220-pounds. 

Delivery: Johnny College delivery, repeatable overall, high 3/4 arm slot, decent balance, head in line with target. 

Arm Action: RH. Average arm speed, medium arm swing, circle to ear in the back, clears well.
FB: T89, 84-88 mph. Able to command to both sides of the plate, spin rate average of 2033 with a maximum of 2100, induced swing and miss ahead in the count on fastballs up.
SL: 71-73 mph. Heavy slider usage, spin rate average of 2138, froze right-handed hitters with sliders for strikes, induced swing and miss with back foot sliders on left-handed hitters.
CH: 79-81 mph. Seldom used, developmental pitch, needs this pitch to be a starter at the next level.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
SoCal Uncommitted Senior Games CA 09/13 Amerige Park
Norcal Uncommitted Senior Games CA 09/26 Islanders Field
Norcal Underclass ID Showcase CA 10/10 Islanders Field - Lathrop
SoCal Underclass I.D. Camp CA 10/10 Great Park
SoCal Upperclass I.D. Camp CA 10/10 Great Park
SoCal Underclass I.D. Camp II CA 10/11 Great Park
SoCal Upperclass I.D. Camp II CA 10/11 Great Park


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