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Preseason All State, Underclass: Quick Hits

March 1, 2023
By: Illinois Scouting Staff

On Feb. 25, the PBR Illinois staff hosted the Preseason All-State: Underclass showcase at The MAX in McCook, Ill., featuring many of the state’s top players inside both the 2025 and 2026 classes. This event helped our staff gain a clearer picture of the on-the-rise underclassmen in Illinois, and we’ll begin to break down the excellent thoroughly today and throughout the week. Inside today’s Quick Hits post, we’re highlighting the best of the best – the talent that exited the event as with arrows pointed way up headed into the spring.

Given the depth and amount of impressive performance on the day, there are plenty of worthy prospects not mentioned below that we will touch on in the coming days and months.

We’ll be breaking down the event in even greater detail over the next few days, but we’ll kick things off with this piece today covering our staff’s primary takeaways.

To view the event’s landing page, roster, and stats collected, click here. 

2025 COMMITTED STANDOUTS

+ LHP Jack Bauer (Lincoln-Way East, 2025) emerged as the top prospect in the state last summer, eventually earning an invitation to the PBR Future Games as one of the younger prospects in attendance, ultimately leading to a commitment to Virginia. Bauer clearly put in work this offseason, continuing to see his fastball velocity climb, now up to 92.6 mph. That velocity, however, was not the most impressive part of this smooth operating, easy left-handers bullpen as he showed off a much-improved, high-spinning, mid-70’s slider with all kinds of horizontal action, playing with an average of 16.6 inches of horizontal movement and an average of 2743 rpm. The pitch is thrown with much more arm speed and intent than we have seen in the past and has a chance to be a wipe-out offering if he can harness it moving forward. The changeup was also an above-average offering, landing in the zone 50% of the time with an average of 16.5 inches of horizontal movement, heading the opposite direction as the slider. Highly-impressive early season look at one of the top 2025 left-handed arms in the country.

+ 1B/LHP Conor Essenburg (Lincoln-Way West, 2025), a recent Kansas State commit, showed off some natural actions on the infield, moving around the bag with fluid footwork and soft hands with a clear feel for the position - also reaching up to 89 mph across the diamond which is four mph harder than our last look. At the plate, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound, right-handed hitter has a fluid, upside right-handed swing that works on-plane with rhythm and feel for the barrel. The true, two-way prospect is a southpaw on the mound with an advanced fastball curveball combination, sitting 86-88 mph with some big arm side action, pairing well with a slurve type breaking ball that works across the zone. 

+ Similar to Essenburg, listed above, C/RHP Blaine Williams (Tremont, 2025), an Illinois commit, has true two-way upside with advanced arm strength that plays well behind the plate and on the mound. The right-handed hitter continues to show off gains at the plate, staying on the barrel with much more authority than we have seen in the past, averaging 88.4 mph off the bat during BP which is up from an average of 79.4 mph last winter. Williams also reached up to an eye-opening 85 mph from behind the plate. Williams has an intense approach on the mound as well and brings a “here it is, hit it” mentality with plus arm strength for his age (88-89 mph) and tight short slider that plays well into a catcher/closer type role.

+ INF/RHP Jack Wheeler (Morris, 2025), fresh off a unanimous First-Team All-Conference basketball selection, continued to look like one of the top 2025 baseball prospects in the state. The Illinois commit has a 6-foot-4, 185-pound, long-limbed build with plenty more physicality to come down the road. His bat speed and strength continued to tick up as he routinely made some of the hardest contact of the day while staying repeatable, flat through the zone and up the middle of the field. Wheeler averaged 94 mph off the bat during BP (up from 85.9 mph in 2022), and peaked at 97. Wheeler, a 7.08 60-runner, moves around the infield well, especially when looking at his size and age. His actions are steady and fluid, pairing with a strong arm (T91 mph INF) - which is seven mph harder than our previous look last winter. Wheeler continues to trend in the right direction and looks poised for a big spring.

+ Louisville commit, LHP Joe Olson (St. Laurence, 2025), is up 25 pounds (6-foot-1, 210-pounds) since this event last year, and looks like he’s gained most of it through the squat rack this winter. Olson looks as sturdy and durable as ever, while controlling the mound like a veteran starter. He showed some of the best fastball command, peppering the bottom of the zone at 85-87 mph. Olson brings similar feel to his curveball at the bottom of the zone and a fading changeup that can expand off the plate from right handed hitters.

+ OF Henry Murray (Lane Tech) , a recent Boston College commit, took one of the most aggressive, intentful rounds of BP on the day, especially from the left-side of the plate. Murray showed off advanced bat speed and a knack for hard, loud contact elevated consistently to the pull-side of the field. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound creates all kinds of jump off the barrel, averaging 93.1 mph off the bat, peaking at 99.1 mph with his furthest batted ball traveling 370’, second-best at the event. 

2025 UNCOMMITTED POSITION PLAYER STANDOUTS

+ INF Brady Green (Oak Park-River Forest, 2025), recently stood out at the Lockport Preseason ID in all aspects of the game and showed much more of the same at the loaded All-State event. Green looked like one of the top uncommitted 2025s at the event thanks to much-improved bat speed and offensive overall profile. Green has a chance to be a middle of the order type of bat who has feel to hit to go along with emerging power potential. Green showed even more bat speed than at Lockport, averaging 67.1 mph bat speed while staying on-plane (82% efficiency) and using the whole field. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound shortstop also took one of the top rounds of infield defense with easy range, smooth hands and a strong arm that topped at 86 mph. High-follow 2025 prospect. 

+ C Enzo Infelise (Providence Catholic, 2025) was one of two 2025 position players on last year’s Team Illinois Future Games squad and he continues to wield one of the top right-handed bats in the state. Infelise, who takes mature in-game at-bats with all kinds of confidence and presence in the box, continues to elevate his power profile, leading the event with a 385’ max batted ball with a T101.5 mph exit velocity and 91.6 mph average. On top of that, Infelise showed off a well-rounded game, looking the part behind the plate with quick, clean glove-to-hand release behind the plate while topping at 82 mph from out of the crouch, three mph harder than our last look. Yet another highly-impressive look at the uncommitted 2025.

+ When looking at some of the top uncommitted 2025 catchers in attendance, left-handed hitter Noah Brandt (Somonauk, 2025) earned himself a spot in the conversation. Despite his 5-foot-9, 160-pound, rather unassuming stature, Brandt took one of the more polished rounds of BP on the day, showing well above-average bat control and barrel feel. He stays within himself, lets the ball travel, repeats and was all over the barrel with a loose athletic swing that is short to the zone and long through it. Eye-opening mature round of BP. He has also made some impressive strides behind the plate since our last look, adding four mph to his velocity out of the chute (now up to 78 mph) and getting his pop-time down to 1.94 seconds on his best bullet. Also, ran a 7.39 60 with a T95 mph exit velocity. Brandt established himself as someone to see in 2023 and beyond. 

+ OF Timmy Leark (Oak Park-River Forest, 2025) was yet another left-handed hitter who caught our attention at the event. He began his day by showcasing some of the top outfield actions, playing light on his feet with pace to his game and natural feel playing through the baseball. Leark’s arm has progressed nicely since our last look over the summer, adding four mph to his outfield velocity - reaching up to 89 mph. At the plate he stays direct to the baseball, and through the zone a long time with ability to backspin line-drives to all fields. The 7.18 runner topped at 98 mph during BP while averaging 87.5. 5-foot-10, 1550-pound, left/left uncommitted outfielder to know moving forward. 

+ INF Ryne Dzierzynski (Grant, 2025) has long been known for his fundamentally sound, highly-repeatable, simple swing that is in the zone a long time with all kinds of polish and barrel-feel attached to it. The 5-foot-11, 172-pound, well-proportioned right-handed hitter wont wow you with the measurables but there is sneaky jump off the barrel and his average exit velocity of 88.9 mph is within three mph of his T93, indicating he was routinely finding hard barrels throughout his round. He also showed steady defensive actions with developing arm strength, now topping at 84 mph (up from 80 mph in 2022). 

+ 1B Aidan Nohava (Brother Rice, 2025) continues to make a name for himself and will be a right-handed bat to follow in the class moving forward. The 6-foot, 191-pound, solidly- built, athletic sophomore has a fluid, upside swing with natural strength that works on-plane with natural lift and gap-to-gap approach. It's an easy, impactful, balanced swing that resulted in a 88.8 mph average exit velocity, three mph off his 91.8 mph max with a max batted ball of 323’. It is a polished swing and approach that should only continue to ascend as he moves forward.

+ Fellow Brother Rice product, INF/RHP Jackson Natanek (Brother Rice, 2025), was a part of Team Illinois at the 2022 PBR Future Games and continues to separate himself as one of the top middle infield defenders still on the market in the class. He’s an ultra smooth and athletic mover, boasting soft hands while playing low through the ball and gaining ground easily with a shuffle into his throws. His arm has made some jumps since our last look at him, now reaching up to 91 mph across the diamond. The right-handed bat has always been compact with a line-drive approach, whole field approach and it gained some bat strength over the winter, now registering a T90.4 mph exit velocity, up from 83.6 mph in 2022. He has continued to improve his 60-time and his arm is an asset on the mound too. He topped at 86 mph with a hard-biting mid-70s curveball that plays with an average of 2482 rpm.

+ CIF’s Jimmy Downs (Kenwood, 2025) and AJ Putty (Huntley, 2025) boast similar corner infield, right-handed hitting power potential profiles. Downs stays compact within his 5-foot-11, 190-pound, strong durable frame and has feel for the barrel with natural lift and pull-side tendencies throughout. Downs' impressive round resulted in a T101.4 exit velocity, 92.8 average to go along with a 344’ furthest batted ball. Putty has a 6-foot-4, 210-pound advanced frame with a loose, strong swing and intent to elevate the baseball; T98.3 mph exit velocity, 91.7 average and 353’ peak batted ball distance. Two uncommitted right-handed bats to know in the class.

+ C Peter Visconti II (Kenosha St. Joseph (WI), 2025), lives in Illinois but attends high school in Wisconsin. The right-handed hitter is one of the top uncommitted prospects in the Wisconsin 2025 class and it is not hard to see why. He is extremely calm and comfortable in the box with a mature, polished approach. Visconti stays balanced and within himself throughout, letting the ball travel while staying short and direct to the ball, creating easy jump and lift off the bat. Visconti averaged a 90.1 mph exit velocity, T94.1 mph and launched his furthest batted ball 342’. Visconti took arguably his best round of defense we have seen to date, turning in a new low pop-time of 1.99 seconds and increasing his velocity to 76 mph. 

+ C John McAuliffe (Marist, 2025) was one of the biggest eye-openers at the inaugural Illinois State Games last August and showed no signs of slowing down at the recent All-State event. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect ran a 6.92 laser-timed 60, his best time to-date and lived on the barrel once again in BP. McAuliffe has a short, quick swing with easy bat speed and registered a peak exit velocity of 97.4 mph and an average of 91.5 mph. He also put together one of the more impressive showings from behind the plate, turning in an eye-opening 1.88 pop-time. He also added five mph to his velocity out of the crouch, now reaching up to 81 mph. On the rise, athletic, left-handed hitting catcher.

+ INF Karlos Otero (Romeoville, 2025) was one of the biggest winners when it comes to current unranked prospects who attended the event. The 5-foot-9, 150-pound, well-proportioned, right-handed hitting infielder has a calm, quiet demeanor in the box, lets the ball get deep, stays short and direct to the ball with a repeatable swing and the ability to backspin line-drives back up the middle of the field. Otero's defense was on the rise as well, roaming the infield with athleticism and confidence - making plays to both sides of his glove look easy with range and soft hands. He also has added on some arm-strength, eight mph since the summer to be exact - reaching up to 88 mph across the diamond. 

+ C Benjamin Mitchell (Harvest Christian, 2025), a 6-foot-1, 200-pound, physical right-handed hitting catcher impressed behind the plate with confident hands and fluid/efficient footwork, reaching down to 2.02 for his pop-time with a max velocity of of 77 mph. He also has big power potential in the bat, swinging with intent to elevate the baseball and registering a 99.6 mph max exit velocity and max batted ball of 362’.

+ A trio of left-handed hitting outfielders to follow from the day were Kolin Adams (Mount Carmel), Brady Schallmoser (Downers Grove North) and Joey Arend (St. Charles East). Arend, who topped at 89 mph from the outfield also showed intrigue on the mound,with a loose, athletic arm, mid-80s fastball and two above-average secondary offerings.

+ A quartet of infielders who stood out, especially defensively were Aadden Guerrero (Lyons Township), Gavin Triezenberg (Brother Rice), Andrew Kouris (Nazareth Academy) and Francisco Rodriguez (De La Salle). 

Guerrero was his usual self on the infield, taking an impressive round with athleticism and soft hands - also improving his infield velocity up to 86 mph. 

Triezenberg continues to add strength to his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame to go along with smooth infield actions and ascending arm strength, now topping at 85 mph, which is up from 77 mph in 2022.

Kouris took an impressive round of infield with soft hands and fluid footwork, playing with some rhythm. His arm is strong as well, reaching up to 87 mph (two mph harder than our last look over the summer).

Rodriguez has an athletic look to his game and he played low to the ground and through the ball, gaining ground with fluid footwork before firing the ball across the diamond (T88 mph). 

+ A couple of other infielders, worth noting from BP were Derrick Holmes (Brother Rice, 2025), Tyler Trapp (Lane Tech) and CJ Deckinga (Minooka).

2025 UNCOMMITTED PITCHER STANDOUTS

+ RHP Tucker King (Lyons Township, 2025) is making the most out of his preseason opportunities, clearly looking to show off some serious work put in this off season. The Preseason All-State was King’s second event of the preseason after attending the O’Hare Preseason ID earlier in February, and he was even better this go around. King is looking like the top uncommitted arm in the class with some characteristics of a young Tanner Houck (Collinsville, 2014). King has some similar fastball traits working out of a ¾ to low ¾ slot and getting heavy run on a 89-91 mph fastball (up from 84 mph in the fall). He didn’t show the best command of his breaking ball on this day, but the characteristics for swing and miss stuff is definitely there. He throws it hard (75-77 mph) and gets over 2200 rpm and 16 inches of horizontal action, while leaving most of them to the arm side in this outing. Should be a must-see arm early this spring and summer.

+ LHP Joshua Holst (Libertyville, 2025) was another arm that should rise considerably up the state rankings. Holst catches your eye immediately with his 6-foot-2, 205-pound, hulking, physical build, which is made even more impressive by the way he moves down the mound. Holst is highly-athletic down the mound working with smooth tempo, staying on-line, repeating and filling up the strike zone with his fastball (80% clip) that sat 85.7-87.8 mph with an average of 16.9 inches of induced vertical break and 13.3 inches of horizontal movement. He complimented the fastball with two above-average offerings in a sweeping slider at 71.6-72.6 mph and a changeup that is thrown with intent and showed above-average feel at the bottom of the zone. Has a chance to be a high-level left-handed arm in the class. 

+ RHP/SS Caden Earing (Mundelein, 2025), who also swung an athletic right-handed bat, was one of the more interesting prospects of the day on the mound. Earring produces easy velo out of a ¾ slot, sitting 88-89 mph with the fastball and ability to pound the zone. He shows ability to spin the breaking ball with intent at 75-67 mph, and when on plane could be a wipe out pitch down the road.

+ 3B/RHP Nathan O’Donnell (Providence Catholic, 2025) was yet another right-handed arm who should not put the bat down anytime soon. On the mound worked with a different kind of pace and intent to deliver an upper 80’s fastball at 86-88 mph. O’Donnel threw his curveball with similar conviction at 75-67 mph with 11/5 shape. The bulldog approach to his ‘pen was apparent and if carried over into the season, will impact his game performance even more than his stuff already does.

+ There’s a lot to like about RHP Will Carter (Whitney Young, 2025). Listed at 6-foot-5, 200-pounds, Carter stands out immediately with his ultra-large and physical frame - looked to have added on some muscle since our last look over the summer. The big right-hander worked his fastball in the 85-88 mph range throughout his ‘pen, playing with some carry and an average IVB of 16.6” (T19.8”). He showed more feel than he has in the past for both of his offspeeds and landed them for some strikes, now allowing his fastball to play up even more. His curveball sat right at 72-74 mph and flashed sharp 11/5 shape - while his changeup sat 77-81 mph with slight fade. 

+ LHP Remo Indomenico (St. Ignatius, 2025) was one of the day’s biggest winners as a sophomore left-hander who climbed his fastball into the upper-80s, reaching an 89.1 mph high. A 5-foot-11, 175-pound athlete, Indomenico gets to premium velocity with big arm speed generated from a loose, easy arm action. The fastball showed some arm-side life through the zone that paired well with a changeup that profiled well alongside it, featuring larger horizontal movement thrown in the 78-80 mph range and from a near-identical slot. Indomenico’s slider is a sweeper-type with out-pitch potential. He spins it in the 2,400 rpm range on average, and it too complements the rest of his pitch mix.

+ RHP Lincoln Causero (Hersey, 2025) is built at a strong 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, and his ‘pen was among the day’s most impressive. Causero has a very quick arm and the mid-80s fastball (86.8 mph max) leaves a high ¾ window that’s boosted by above-average spin (2,341 rpm avg.) that produces rise and run through the zone. His slider features short action, thrown aggressively, and it’s an upside pitch in his arsenal that he was locating to his glove-side well, on the outer half or just off it. Causero’s changeup is firm, 79-80 mph, but he showed impressive confidence in it, spotting it under the zone consistently and the pitch itself has late run/sink traits that could make it a swing-and-miss offering on its own.

+ RHP Daniel Kane (Oak Park-River Forest, 2025) is an upside arm strength sophomore to follow. On Saturday, Kane sat 85-87 mph and reached an 88.2 mph high on a fastball that spins at an above-average rate (2,198 rpm avg.) that also has large arm-side movement. Kane’s secondary feel is presently raw, but his fastball velocity and his 6-foot-4, 195-pound stature combine to make him a ‘25 prospect to monitor this spring and summer.

2026 COMMITTED STANDOUTS

+ INF/RHP Ethan Bass (Glenbrook North), an Illinois commit, opened eyes with his round of BP and went on to stand out in every area of the event. The right-handed hitter creates advanced bat speed for his age and gets all kinds of easy jump off the barrel in BP. Bass has loose, elite hands at the plate, creating leverage and natural lift with innate feel for the barrel. The 6.96 runner registered a max exit velocity of 100.5 mph off the bat, 89.8 mph average and a peak batted ball of 350’. Defensively he continues to trend in the right direction, adding five mph to his arm across the diamond (now T89 mph) with his usual soft hands and clear feel for the position. He also hopped on the mound, where he showcased a long and quick arm out of a ¾ slot and sat an easy 84-86 mph on the mound with a pair of breaking balls. The slider played best at 71-75 and spinning at over 2300 rpm. High-level 2026 prospect.

+ Joey Ireland (Mount Carmel) is another Illinois commit who in-state fans should be excited about. Ireland has an upside 6-foot, 140-pound frame and flat projectable swing with a whole field approach and a feel to hit. He also has the tools to stick on the left-side of the diamond while topping at 81 mph and running a 7.20 laser-timed 60.

+ T.J. McQuillan (Mount Carmel), a 6-foot-1, 210-pound, CIF/COF prospect committed to Louisville shortly following his appearance at the Junior Future Games for Team Illinois this past July and he continues to prove that he is one of the top left-handed bats in the class at the All-State event. McQuillan took one of the more mature rounds we have seen from him to-date, staying balanced and within himself creating advanced bat strength and bat speed with minimal effort. McQuillan seemed intent on showing his all-field power potential instead of cheating and looking to pull everything with authority to the pull-side. McQuillan registered a T102.6 exit velocity, 95 mph average to go along with a 339’ max batted ball (has been 351’ in the past). 

2026 UNCOMMITTED STANDOUTS

+ C Addison Latko (DePaul College Prep, 2026) left a lasting impression at his PBR event debut. The dynamic right-handed hitting catcher turned heads with an explosive, athletic round of BP that was all over the barrel with authority, twitch, bat control and power potential. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound freshman launched his furthest batted ball 349’ while registering a peak exit velocity of 98 mph with an average of 91.2 mph; all well above-average for someone his age. Latko not only impressed with the bat, but also behind the plate - sticking around to catch ‘pens for the older group and handling the plus velocity with ease. He was also impressive throughout his workout, reaching as low as 1.99 for his pop-time with a max velocity of 79 mph. High motor individual that has the tools to be one of the top prospects in the class if he keeps ascending.

+ Max Heineman (Normal University) is another catcher that has a well above-average right-handed bat that should play for a long time. Heineman stays  through the zone a long time with a mature, whole field gap-to-gap approach while staying on the barrel with natural backspin lift. Heineman also put up some noteworthy TrackMan numbers; T95.2 mph exit velocity, 86.1 mph average with a max batted ball of 342’.

+ C Dylan Kassab (Hinsdale Central, 2026) took a notable round of BP and has made some significant strides to his game, adding seven mph to his catcher velocity (now T78 mph) and reducing his pop-time down to 2.07 seconds. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound, solidly-built, right-handed hitter was also creating loud, consistent hard lifted contact off the bat, registering a 351’ max batted ball with a 96.7 mph peak exit velocity. The most impressive stat however was the frequency he was on the barrel, resulting in a 93.4 average exit velocity. If Kassab’s big tools translate to the field, he will be a name to know in the 2026 class.

+ SS Dominic Battista (Oswego East, 2026) is a 2026 name to know coming out of the event. The 5-foot-11, 145-pound, wiry, left-handed hitter has an athletic, fluid swing that spends a long time in the hitting zone with quick hands and barrel feel, averaging 87.2 mph off the bat. The 7.26 runner worked the middle of the field throughout his round and boasted sure hands on the infield with natural actions and clean glove-to-hand transfer while topping at 81 mph.

+ INF Cory Les (St. Laurence) was another left-handed hitting infielder to know moving forward. Les has a 6-foot, 190-pound, broad-shouldered, strong frame and easy swing that produces well above-average bat strength while also running a 7.20 laser-timed 60. Les stays quiet, repeatable and simple with strong hands, direct swing and line-drive whole field approach. He also peaked at 95.4 mph off the bat with an average of 90.1 mph. 

+ Daniel Coyle (St. Laurence), Lucas Simulick (Joliet Catholic), Charlie Rosynek (Brother Rice), Nehemiah Torres (Glenbrook North), Logan Wroughton (Mount Carmel) and Lucas Espinosa (Taft) all have the tools to stay on the left-side of the diamond moving forward and were some of the top 2026 infield defenders on the day. 

+ RHP/OF Paddy Roth (St. Patrick, 2026) is a big arm with a ton of upside and present feel on the mound. He showcased one of the better fastballs in his class at 84-86 mph with some heavy actions in the zone. Roth showed a slider at 68-70 mph and an advanced changeup at 74-75 mph which he peppered the zone with all three pitches. 

+ LHP/OF Hayden Peterson (Batavia, 2026) is an upside southpaw to keep an eye on in the freshman class. While not the big velo that we may have seen out of others at this event, Peterson has a clean and easy 79-82 mph fastball that flashes cut properties with above average spin on both his fastball and slider at 2400 rpm. 

+ RHP/OF Frank Costabile (Stevenson, 2026) two-way: On the mound Costabile showed off a big arm out of a small frame (5-foot-7, 150-pounds). He works with a drop and drive style that works slightly uphill and to the top of the zone with an 86-88 mph fastball. He flashed plus potential on his breaking ball with some serious spin, but will have to harness its command to see its true effectiveness.

+ RHP Gavin Swartz (Normal University, 2026) is a 6-foot-2, 155-pound prospect with arm speed and strength that stands to blossom as he matures, similar to his brother Jake, who’s now a freshman at Illinois. Jake trended up throughout his prep career, finishing as the No. 15-ranked player in the 2022 class. Gavin’s already around the same size as his older brother, and his arm action resembles Jake’s too. From a high ¾ slot, the younger Swartz is quick out front on a steep, heavy fastball that reached an 84.3 mph high at this event. Swartz uses a knuckle-grip curveball that flashed sharp action off an 11/5 plane. The Normal U-High freshman is a follow inside this class, with an interesting ceiling.

+ RHP/3B Joseph Kelly (Loyola Academy, 2026) showed one of the more dynamic fastball/breaking ball combos in his class. An 11/5 bender that showed both above average horizontal and vertical break, it spins above average for his age, and pairs a low 80’s fastball at 81-82 mph. The fastball led the charts in average horizontal movement to arm side.

+ RHP/SS Jory Crocker (Willowbrook, 2026) is a high-waisted 6-foot-1, 160-pound two-way freshman in the state. Offensively, he’s a right-handed hitter who starts from a static position but he’s able to repeat well and generate a loose, quick swing that landed consistent barreled contact during his round of BP. On the mound, he’s similarly raw but intriguing, as he lived inside the strike zone with all three pitches, sitting 80-82 mph. He spotted a breaking ball well, beneath the zone, that flashed sharp action, and his changeup is thrown at arm speed with arm-side fade/run that he also located. Crocker’s physical projection is particularly intriguing, and he’s also a 7.23 runner.

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