By Chris Fuller
Kentucky Scouting Director

The 2016 Top Prospect Games took place on June 14-15 and afforded more than 150 players from around the state the opportunity to showcase their abilities to the PBR Kentucky staff and numerous college coaches in a combination showcase/game play event.

CLICK HERE to view the top statistical performers and statistics for all players in attendance.

The following is an in-depth look at the pitchers from Team 1 (Royal). Please note that this is pitcher analysis only. Those pitchers who also participated as a position player at the event had that performance featured in a previous article.

Jonathan Allen, LHP, Christian Academy of Louisville, 2017
Max FB: 85, FB: 82-83, CB: 71-74, CH: 76-77
6-foot, 175-pound LHP started game one of the day in impressive fashion. Allen has an athletic presence on the mound and competes well, arm works cleanly through a high-3/4 slot, continues to show increases in velocity at each event, fastball seems to get on hitters quickly and he attacks both sides of the plate, throws a sharp 1/7 curveball for consistent strikes that produced several swings and misses, also showed feel for a solid changeup with late fade, worked two quick innings allowing one hit with three strikeouts and no walks. Allen has worked himself into being one of the top uncommitted left-handers in the 2017 class.

Price Adams, RHP, Trinity HS, 2017
Max FB: 83, FB: 80-82, CB: 66-67
6-foot, 163-pound RHP had an impressive outing working two perfect innings while filling up the strike zone. Uses long arm action and works through a high-3/4 slot with regular effort, showed a decent jump in velocity from winter event, fastball showed occasional very good arm-side run that was effective against right-handed hitters, curveball showed significant improvement with sharp 11/5 action located in the strike zone, struck out two in his outing (both on FB’s).  Adams’ pitchability makes him a solid prospect, would not be surprised to see him make another jump in velocity.

Aaron Burden, 3B/RHP, Elizabethtown HS, 2018
Max FB: 80, FB: 79-80, CH: 71
6-foot-2, 200-pound RHP with strong frame works exclusively from the stretch, uses long arm action and works through a high-3/4 slot with regular effort in delivery, velocity was the same as he showed at winter event, pounds the strike zone and comes at hitters, showed a changeup as his only secondary pitch in his one inning of work, allowed two hits, walked none, and recorded three fly ball outs, has some potential to add velocity moving forward.

Aaron Blake, RHP, Christian Academy of Louisville, 2017
Max FB: 79, FB: 78-79, CB: 67-68, CH: 72
5-foot-11, 185-pound RHP uses long arm action and works through a high-3/4 slot with regular effort, showed similar velocity as previous winter event, fastball shows arm-side run and some sink that produced consistent ground ball contact, mixed in a fairly sharp curveball with 11/5 action that he threw for strikes, showed one changeup that was thrown with good arm speed and had some deception off the fastball, shows ability to fill up the zone with quality strikes, allowed one hit, and produced six ground ball outs in his two innings of work.

Alex Atkins, 1B/LHP, North Oldham HS, 2019
Max FB: 76, FB: 75-76, CB: 67-69
6-foot-3, 175-pound LHP has a long, lanky frame and significant room to fill in, uses long arm action and works through an over the top slot to produce a downhill plane on the fastball, curveball has 1/7 action and has solid potential to be a good pitch, allowed three hits (two of them were infield singles), walked two, and finished his two inning outing off strongly with two consecutive strikeouts (both swinging on FBs). Atkins is a projectable arm that will be one to keep a close eye on in the 2019 class for additional development and velocity gains.