Florida Insider: A look at South Florida Elite Squad 2016 Pitcher Tryouts

December 19, 2014

By Rob Sidwell
Florida Scouting Director

The 2016 class had quite a few standouts at the South Florida Elite Squad tryouts. The following are notes from some of the pitchers I saw as well as one 2015 pitcher who is still uncommitted.

+ RHP Muhammad Eid (St Thomas Aquinas HS) is a 6-foot-3, 195 pound right-hander with a tall loose lean projectable body and a low 3/4 slot. Loose easy working arm with good arm speed. Much more velocity to come. Fast ball was 80-81 with sink and run. Curve ball was a slurve with very good rotation at 63-64 mph. Change up was 70-71 with some feel. It had the same action as his fast ball. Arm has a lot of upside.

+ LHP Anthony Masiello (North Broward Prep) is a 6-foot-2, 170 pound lefty with a lean loose athletic projectable body. Long loose whippy arm with a 3/4 slot. Fast ball has run at 84-86 mph. Curve ball is a big loopy breaking pitch with good rotation at 66-68 mph. Has feel for the Change up at 70-71 mph. Throws strikes.

+ RHP Evan McKendry (University School) is a 6-foot-2, 185 pound right hander with an athletic projectable body and a loose easy working arm. High 3/4 slot. Short arm arc in back with good arm speed. Fast ball 86-89 mph with more velocity to come. Curve ball has a slurvey break to it at 73 mph. A lot of upside.

+ LHP Dylan Oconnell (Flanagan HS) is a 6-foot-1, 170 pound lefty with a loose lean projectable body. Loose arm with some effort. Head pulls off line. 3/4 slot. Fast ball 84-88 with tail. Curve ball has a slurvey break at 74-76 mph. Also swung the bat well. Loose bat with some quickness and a good plane. Shows some power now with more to come. Good hand eye.

+ LHP Garrett Rukes (Pine Crest HS) is a 6-foot-4, 175 pound lefty with a tall loose lean projectable body. Has a loose easy working arm at a Low 3/4 slot. Fastball was 81-82 with run and sink. Curve ball was 62 with a sweeping slurvey break. Changeup was 72-73 with some fade. Slows down to throw it. Occasionally works under the ball. Tough angle against left handed hitters. Stuff will improve with physical maturity. Very projectable. Alot of upside.

+ RHP Nicholas Macdonald (West Broward HS) is a 6-foot, 145 pound righthander with a skinny body on a smaller frame. Has a loose arm with a 3/4 to low 3/4 slot. Changes slots. Fastball was 82-83 mph with sink. Curveball was 73-75 with a sweeping slurvey break. Tough angle against right handed hitters.

+ RHP Daniel Rivero (Pembroke Pines Charter HS) is a 6-foot-2, 170 pound righthander who stood out more as a righthanded pitcher. Has a loose lean projectable body. Had a loose live arm with a high 3/4 slot. Fastball was 84-86 mph. Curveball was a little inconsistent but had good 3/4 rotation to it with occasional bite. Projectable arm. Stuff will improve with added strength.

+ RHP Austin Phelps (Cardinal Gibbons HS) is a 6-foot-4, 175 pound righthander with a tall skinny loose projectable body. Loose easy working arm with a high 3/4 slot. Fastball was 80-81 mph with some tilt. Curveball was 70-71 with a slurvey break to it. More velocity to come. Stuff will improve with added strength.

+ RHP Wade Walton (Jensen Beach HS) is a 6-foot-3, 200 pound righthander with a big framed loose body and a high 3/4 slot. Loose arm with a short arm arc in back. Hides ball well. Fastball was 82-84 mph. Curveball had good downward rotation at 68-69 mph. Needs to get over front side more consistently to create some down tilt.

+ RHP Tom Walker (Pine Crest HS 2015) is a 6-foot-4, 190 pound righthander with a tall loose athletic projectable body and a wide back with long loose arms. High 3/4 slot. Hides ball in back and gets down tilt. Fastball was 83-85 mph. I saw him up to 88 mph last spring. Curve ball was 68-69 mph and a rolling slurve. Still uncommitted.

Florida Insider: A look at South Florida Elite Squad 2016 Pitcher Tryouts

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