Class of 2020 Showcase: Quick Hits

On Sunday, Oct. 14, we hosted the Class of 2020 Showcase at The MAX sports facility in McCook, Ill. Today, we’ll share our rapid reaction on the junior-only showcase featuring 80 of the class’ top uncommitted prospects. Tomorrow, we’ll publish the event’s Statistical Analysis, but for now, take a look at all of our quick insight into yesterday’s showcase.

LEFT-HANDED HITTERS

+ Left-handed hitting Cameron Demos (Downers Grove North) was one of the top bats in attendance. Demos takes an aggressive hack and made loud pull side contact in BP, he has loose quick hands that created an 88 mph exit velocity. For good measure, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Demos ran a 7.04 and threw it 86 mph from the outfield.

+ At 6-foot-3, 185-pounds, L/R Abe Collins (Morton) is a projectable outfield prospect who ran a 6.85 60 and hits with strong hands to the middle of the field.

+ Left-handed hitter, Gabriel Schmitt (Warren) was arguably the top hitter in attendance. Schmitt has advanced strength in his 5-foot-11, 185-pound frame and showed off a compact, repeatable swing that stays through the zone a long time. Schmitt possesses bat speed and bat strength while using the whole field to hit.

+ 5-foot-11, 180-pound Michael Pawyza (Lockport) impressed with his left-handed bat. Loose swing, gap-to-gap approach and a lot of hard contact in his round of batting practice.

ATHLETES IN THE OUTFIELD

+ Brendan Holloway (Vernon Hills) ran one of the top 60 times of the day at 6.88 and put that footwork to use in the outfield. The 5-foot-5, 142-pound Holloway profiles as a centerfield spark plug who could hit at the top of a lineup with a compact stroke that sprayed hard line drives.

+ Caleb Pyrz (Champaign Central) showed above average arm strength at multiple positions, working with a short loose arm action that was accurate at 81 mph across the diamond and 86 mph from the outfield. His right -handed path worked short to the baseball and made hard contact to the middle of the diamond with quick twitch hands.

+ Jose Rivera ran the top 60 of the day at 6.75 and looks the part with a strong athletic frame at 5-foot-11, 155-pounds. While he still shows rawness in his game, there clearly quick twitch actions that a hard not to notice.

+ Similar to Rivera, Marc Babicz (St. Laurence) also showed some quick actions in his game posting a stat line of 6.96, 85 mph arm and an 89 mph exit velocity.

AROUND THE HORN

+ Omar Garcia (Lake View) is a 2020 middle infielder to follow moving forward. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound, athletically-built infielder showcased athletic, easy infield actions, soft, confident hands and controls his body on the move. Arm works short and loose and accurate across the diamond. Hands work loose at the plate, fluid rhythm and sprayed balls to all fields.

+ Nicholas Serr (Minooka) was one of the better defensive infielders in attendance. Serr has smooth, athletic actions, is natural on the move, maintains body control and has soft hands. His arm works clean and accurate from multiple slots and topped at 77 mph across the infield. At the plate he looks to control the barrel and use the big part of the field.

+ Ernesto Moreno (DePaul College Prep), who ran a 7.20 60, showed equally as well with the bat as he did on the infield. Right-handed hitter, confident look in the box, simple swing, stays short to the ball and used the middle of the field. Defensively, fluid footwork, sure hands, plays through the baseball and throws carried across the diamond at 82 mph.

+ One of the more projectable infielders in attendance was 6-foot, 155-pound, Sean McDevitt (St. Rita). McDevitt, a right-handed hitter, has a simple, hands-y swing and peppered line-drives right back up the middle in his round of BP. On the infield, he has clean, steady actions, fluid footwork and a loose arm that was up to 82 mph across the diamond. He should continue to make gains in his game as he adds strength.

+ 6-foot-1, 152-pound, Harrisburg product, INF Will Holland ran a 6.83 laser-timed 60 and is quick on the infield. Ranges well on balls to his glove side, maintains body control and was 81 mph across the infield. Right-handed hitter, hands work loose, line-drive approach and fluid rhythm throughout.

CATCH AND THROW

+ Kenwood’s Garrett Powell and Harrisburg’s Isaac Crabb were two of the top catchers in attendance. Powell plays the position with bounce behind the dish and showed a true arm that played on line and accurate to the bag. Crabb showed similar traits with his arm while also flashing above average pop in his right handed bat.

SPIN WINS

+ Matthew Zahora (St. Laurence) posted the best velo out of the crouch, but it was on the mound where his arm looked best, showing potential with a swing-and-miss slider at 74-76 mph to go along with a low-80s fastball.

+ RHP/INF Sebastian Parchomenko (Dundee-Crown) showed an above-average arm across the infield at 85 mph and was up to 83 mph on the mound. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound, right-handed pitcher also flashed a swing-and-miss breaking ball that was up to 75 mph.

+ Ethan Alexander impressed with a sharp 11/5 curveball at 70-73 mph. The 6-foot-3, 150-pound right-hander has feel for a heavy 81-82 mph fastball that topped at 83 mph.

ARMS RACE

+ RHP Jack Feely (Normal University) had one of the stronger arms on the mound. He topped at 86 mph with feel for the zone and slight action to his arm side. Feely works from a ¾ slot and added an above average changeup into his repertoire with sinking action at 77-79 mph.

+ RHP Mitchel Sampson (Galesburg) showed big improvements in just six weeks time. Sampson worked 79-84 mph at the Chicagoland Open in late August and worked mostly 85-86, touching 87 mph on Sunday. He has a long high ¾ arm swing that works across his body and flashed an above average changeup when in the stretch.

+ Mason Graham (Neuqua Valley) is an intriguing two-way player with a live, loose arm. His wiry frame (6-foot, 155) is bound to fill out and improve on the 80-83 mph fastball as he showed flashes of more to come with an 87 mph arm from the outfield.

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