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Prospect I.D. Showcase: Pitching Analysis

July 10, 2014

By Ryan Quigley
Illinois Scouting Director

The Prep Baseball Report Prospect Identification Showcase held on Tuesday, June 17th at the Max in McCook featured several top pitching prospects led by Lake Forest’s projectable 2017 Tyler Esplin.  Esplin impressed with is feel for three pitches and the ability to reach the low 80’s with his fastball.  Warrensburg-Latham’s Garret Shea was another two-way player who impressed on the mound with his simple repeatable delivery, touching the low 80’s from the left side.  Plainfield North’s Matt Vanek had the event’s top fastball velocity touching 84 mph, and projects to throw harder from his lanky frame.

Here’s a look at the top pitching prospects at the Prospect Identification Showcase.

Top Pitching Prospects

1. Tyler Esplin, 3B/RHP, Lake Forest, 2017
6-foot, 170-pound left-handed hitting 3B/RHP impressed with two-way ability at the plate and on the mound throwing three pitches for strikes.  Threw 79-81 mph from loose, high ¾ arm action with arm side run.  Stride direction stays online towards home plate with smooth rhythm in repeatable delivery.  11/5 curveball ranged from 62-66 mph with gradual break.  68-69 mph changeup was thrown near fastball arm speed for strikes with occasional fade.  At the plate, hits from a tall, narrow, slightly open setup with good rhythm in hands loading down and back slightly.  Showed power to his pull side, producing up to 81 mph exit velocity, well above average for his age.  Showed solid actions at third base and threw 74 mph across the infield.  Ran 7.65 in the 60.

2. Garret Shea, LHP/1B, Warrensburg-Latham, 2016
6-foot-1, 185-pound athletically built LHP/1B impressed both in the field and on the mound with legitimate two-way ability.  At the plate, hits from a balanced setup with quiet hands loading back smoothly with level bat path and gap-to-gap tendencies that produced 86 mph exit velocity.  Line drives had back spin, and also showed the ability to handle pitches up in the zone.  Defensively, threw 80 mph across the infield from long, high ¾ arm action with soft hands and fluid foot work around the bag.  On the mound, threw strikes with all three pitches from quick high ¾ arm action, with a crouched setup reminiscent of the University of Virginia pitching staff and short leg lift with foot staying underneath his knee at load from drop and drive delivery.  Repeats simple delivery well, with level shoulders and lower half stride direction staying in line with home plate.  Threw 79-81 mph fastball, 68-71 mph curveball with 1/7 erratic shape, and 72-74 mph firm changeup with some fade when down in the zone.

3. Matthew Vanek, RHP, Plainfield North, 2015
6-foot-2, 155-pound lanky, projectable RHP impressed during bullpen portion of the Prospect I.D. Showcase.  Works from a high ¾ long, quick arm action with front side shoulder tilt.  Up-tempo tall and fall delivery with regular effort landing slightly closed and slightly across his body.  81-84 mph fastball showed some sink and and occasional cut to his glove side.  Slowed arm on 60-65 mph curveball with 12/6 shape.  Impressed with firm 71-75 mph changeup with arm side run thrown at same speed as fastball.  Lost some velocity out of the stretch as he failed to load/get over the rubber as well as he does out of the windup.

Best of the Rest (Listed Alphabetically)

Kyle Cockrell, SS/RHP, Plainfield Central, 2017
5-foot-9, 140-pound right-handed hitting SS/RHP impressed on the mound with a 72-76 mph fastball from a short, loose, high ¾ arm action with quick tempo.  Lifts leg to balance point extremely fast, giving some deception in herky-jerky delivery.  58-59 mph curveball flashed 11/5 action and showed good arm speed on 64-65 mph change.  Offensively, hit from balanced setup with very little load in hands and a slight bat wrap producing 70 mph exit velocity.  Also ran a 7.93 60-yard dash.

Parker Coleman, OF/RHP, Homewood-Flossmoor, 2015
5-foot-11, 172-pound OF/RHP impressed at the plate producing the Prospect I.D. showcase’s top exit velocity at 89 mph.  Hits from a wide balanced setup raising hands and back elbow to load with level bat path producing line drives with an up the middle approach.  Threw 83 mph from the outfield from long over the top arm action with some effort and accuracy aggressively attacking the baseball.  Ran 7.17 in the 60.  On the mound, threw 77-79 mph from drop and drive delivery, crouching slightly at balance point.  60-65 mph curveball showed gradual sweeping action, and slowed arm on 63-67 mph changeup with cutting action.  

Wade Davis, RHP, Lincoln-Way Central, 2015
6-foot-5, 220-pound wide shouldered, right-handed pitcher with impressive physical size.  Threw 78-80 mph from over the top arm action.  Arm gets long in back and then comes from ear short, pushing the baseball at times.  Fails to load over the rubber with straight up and down leg lift and extremely short stride for size.  Uses very little effort in delivery.  Slows arm on 59-63 mph curveball, and threw strikes with 66-69 mph changeup consistently.

Easton Frisby, RHP, Plainfield South, 2015
6-foot-2, 190-pound athletic right-hander showed a feel for three pitches on the mound.  Works from long, high ¾ arm action getting a good load over the rubber, turning back towards home plate.  Lands slightly closed at foot strike throwing slightly across his body adding to deception.  Fastball sat 79-82, curveball was solid at 67-68 mph with occasional 12/6 action.  Circle change was more erratic at 69-71  mph with occasional fade thrown near fastball arm speed.

Gregory Gauger, OF/LHP, Grayslake Central, 2015
5-foot-11, 160-pound right-handed hitting outfielder hit from a balanced setup with short stride producing slightly uphill bat path and 76 mph exit velocity.  Threw 72 mph from the outfield and impressed more on the mound throwing 74-75 mph from low ¾ arm action.  Operates from a simple, repeatable, tall-and-fall delivery, consistently throwing strikes with all three pitches.  Curveball had sweeping action at 68-69 mph, and 67-69 mph changeup showed some cut.

Ben Geren, RHP, Vernon Hills, 2015
5-foot-9, 165-pound right-handed pitcher threw 76-78 mph from a long, over-the-top arm action with a high leg kick.  Landed 60-64 mph curveball for strikes with gradual 11/5 break.  69-72 mph changeup was thrown for strikes down in the zone.

Tyler Grumhaus, MIF/RHP, Lake Forest, 2017
5-foot-6, 125-pound MIF/RHP threw 72-73 mph off the mound with short, high ¾ arm action with level shoulders and good alignment towards home plate.  Landed curveball for strikes at 62-63 mph, straight change ranged from 63-66.  Ran an 8.23 60-yard dash, threw 73 mph from the infield, and produced 66 mph exit velocity at the plate from an open stance with uphill swing plane.

Devin Immke, RHP/OF, St. Joseph-Ogden, 2015
5-foot-10, 145-pound RHP/OF hit right-handed from a wide balanced setup with a smooth load and level bat path producing 72 mph exit velocity.  Defensively, threw 75 mph from the outfield from long, over-the-top arm action.  Ran 7.33 in the 60.  On the mound threw 75-77 mph fastballs from a short, high ¾ arm action with a pause/stab at the power position before delivering.  Stays online towards home plate with lower half from a drop and drive delivery.  Also threw 65-67 mph curveball, and 67-68 mph changeup.

Tommy Kahle, MIF/RHP, Northridge Prep, 2015
6-foot-1, 165-pound MIF/RHP impressed with during live batting practice with wide, balanced setup and short level bat speed with several line drives up the middle and 70 mph exit velocity.  Threw 67 mph across the infield from short, stiff, low ¾ arm action.  On the mound threw strikes with fastball at 64-67 mph from a short, high ¾ arm coming from his ear.  Also threw 51-55 mph curveball and 58-59 mph changeup.  Ran 7.73 in the 60.

Hunter Kraynak, RHP, Portage, 2015
6-foot-5, 235-pound large bodied right-handed pitcher impressed with solid split-finger fastball with some bottom thrown near fastball arm speed at 67-68 mph.  76-78 mph fastball was straight and thrown for strikes down in the zone.  66-67 mph curveball showed 10/4 action.  Worked from a high ¾ short arm slot, with a slight head snap.  Pitched exclusively out of the stretch.

Thomas Larson, OF/RHP, Joliet Central, 2017
6-foot, 170-pound lanky and athletic right-handed hitting OF/RHP impressed during live batting practice and with 82 mph exit velocity.  Hit from a balanced setup with high back elbow dropping hands down and back to load, with slightly uphill bat path.  Threw 78 mph in the outfield from long, high ¾ arm action with throws online.  Ran a 7.3 60 yard dash.  On the mound threw 75-77 mph from high ¾ arm action with some effort from a drop and drive delivery.  Shoulders point downward at foot strike, could get more out of front glove hand side.  59-62 mph curveball showed gradual 11/5 break, and 68-73 mph changeup was thrown at fastball arm speed.

Jake McLaughlin, RHP, Lincoln-Way North, 2016
6-foot-4, 210-pound right-hander pitcher with impressive frame threw strikes with three pitches with solid repeatable delivery.  Works from a high ¾ slot with some length in back of clean arm action.  Gets good load over rubber out of the wind, fails to load over rubber from stretch in glide step, but doesn’t cost him any velocity.  Lands slightly open at foot strike, spinning off towards first base.  Fastball sat 78-81 mph with some run and consistently down in the zone.  Landed 11/5 curveball for strikes with gradual break at 63-65 mph.  69-70 mph changeup showed some fade, but was erratic and down consistently. 

Jack Morgan, LHP/OF, Manteno, 2015
6-foot-2, 165-pound athletic and lanky LHP/OF impressed more on the mound than at the plate.  Threw 79-81 mph from short, over the top arm action with some effort from drop and drive delivery.  Rhythm can get choppy, but lands in line with home plate on front foot heel.  Struggled to command 65-67 mph curveball  and 72-73 mph changeup with good late action.  Both pitches were consistently down.  Hit from a balanced stance dropping hands down and back producing 77 mph exit velocity.  Threw 79 mph from the outfield and ran 7.09 in the 60.

Dylan Mulvihill, RHP, Evanston, 2016
6-foot-4, 210-pound right-handed pitcher impressed with strong, physical frame and long, high ¾ arm action.  Tall and fall delivery showed some effort, with level shoulders, opening up front side early at times.  Showed quick arm on 78-81 mph fastball with some sink consistently down in the zone.  Got around 66-68 mph slider at times with sweeping break missing away.  69-71 mph changeup was thrown near arm speed with some tumbling action.

Connor Pett, RHP, Carmel, 2016
6-foot-4, 190 pound right-handed pitcher threw 78-80 mph off the mound from ¾ arm action opening up front side early in delivery and landing towards first base side.  66-67 mph curveball showed late 10/4 action missing away from a right handed hitter at times.  Slowed arm on 66-67 mph changeup.  Pett has a projectable body and a relatively clean arm action.  With added strength could throw harder based on relatively clean arm action and feel for three pitches.

Lucas Robbins, RHP/3B, Manteno, 2015
6-foot, 200-pound physically mature two-way player threw 79-83 mph off the mound from short, loos, high ¾ arm action with considerable hand bump/bounce.  Command was better from the windup, struggled to locate out of the stretch as arm failed to catch up with body when speeding up lower half.  Threw 65-66 mph curveball with 12/6 action for occasional strikes.  66-69 mph slider showed similar action to curveball.  At the plate hit from a balanced set up with hands held high and a long stride.  Produced 66 mph exit velocity from uphill swing plane showing gap-to-gap tendencies.  Showed long, loose arm defensively at third base; throwing 81 mph across the infield with average hands.  Ran 7.4 in the 60.

Aaron Saper, LHP/OF, Stevenson, 2015  
6-foot, 175-pound LHP/OF impressed more on the mound with 76-79 mph fastball from high ¾ arm action.  Overhead windup with short leg lift and easy effort landing slightly closed.  61-63 mph curveball showed gradual 2/8 break, and 64-65 mph slider showed similar action.  69-71 mph changeup was thrown near fastball arm speed.  Hits from a balanced setup with very little stride or load producing short level swing with inside-out tendencies and 82 mph exit velocity.  Threw 78 mph from the outfield and ran a 7.04 60 yard dash.

Sam Sauder, RHP, Plainfield South, 2015
5-foot-10, 185-pound RHP with muscular lower half threw 81-83 mph fastballs from a drop and drive delivery.  Arm action is long and clean, gets elbow up high in back, and lower half stays online towards home plate as lead leg straightens before foot strike.  68-70 mph curveball thrown occasionally for strikes.  70-73 mph changeup showed occasional tumble.

Diaz Saunderson, LHP/1B, Lincoln Park, 2016
6-foot-1, 177-pound lanky left-handed hitting LHP/1B who impressed with a solid live batting practice round.  Hits from a balanced setup with a short stride and long finish after contact with a level bat path producing 82 mph exit velocity.  Defensively, threw 71 mph across the infield at first base from a long, high ¾ arm action.  Ran 7.68 in the 60.  On the mound, threw 73-77 mph fastballs from a long high ¾ arm action.  Struggled to command 59-61 mph curveball and 66-68 mph changeup.  Some smoothness to delivery, command was affected by inability to get back out front after extreme front side tilt (shoulder sloped uphill).

Ryan Tishka, OF/LHP, Lincoln-Way Central, 2015
6-foot-1, 175-pound lanky right-handed hitting OF/LHP threw 73-76 mph off the mound from short, high ¾ arm angle.  Threw strikes consistently with two pitches: fastball and curveball.  57-60 mph curveball showed 2/8 sweeping action and arm action was even shorter on this pitch.  Hit from an open stance and stayed open with a slightly uphill bat path producing 71 mph exit velocity.  Threw 79 mph from the outfield  with a clean exchange after fielding.  Ran 7.37 in the 60.

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