Maryland Eastern Shore Showcase: Early Thoughts

Several uncommitted 2019’s stood out beginning with Brett Swift from James M. Bennett who stole the show in BP blasting hard hit balls throughout both rounds. The 6-foot-3, 215 pound 3B/RHP showed plus pull side power and finished with putting one over the fence in LF for good measure. Swift hits from a balanced, athletic open stance at the plate with nice rhythm and a medium sized leg kick. He creates nice separation and showed explosive lower half involvement and fast bat speed, whipping the barrel through the zone. Swift’s high school teammate Blake Corbin also had himself an all around nice day at the plate, in the field, and on the bump. The RHP/SS sat 82-85 mph in his bullpen and showed good command of his 12/6 breaking ball that had tight, sharp downward action. In BP, Corbin showed some strength at the plate tying Swift with an event best 90 mph exit velocity. The 6-foot-2, 190 pound Corbin hits from a balanced, athletic, slightly open stance at the plate with rhythm. He stays behind the ball well and showed a slightly uphill swing path, nice lower half involvement, and quick bat speed.

Continuing with the abundance of uncommitted 2019 talent was Eastern Tech SS/RHP Michael Birchfield, Archbishop Curley 2B/SS Dorian Allen, and Clarkstown North (NY) 1B/LHP Patrick Defeciani. Birchfield is an athletic 5-foot-10, 170 pound prospect that showed a solid gap-to-gap approach in BP and sat 79-80 mph in his bullpen in the chilly temperatures. Hitting from an athletic, balanced, slightly crouched and slightly open stance at the plate, Birchfield showed a short, quick, and compact swing. Both rounds were littered with squared up line drives. Defensively he plays with active feet, surrounding the baseball and working through it with soft hands and a quick release. Curley middle infielder Dorian Allen also looked good defensively in the middle infield showing smooth actions, an athletic set-up, good rhythm and soft hands. At the plate, Allen showed some pull side power to go along with his nice gap-to-gap line drive approach. He showed a very controlled, smooth back load, and attacked the baseball with intent. Strong lower half involvement and fast bat speed. Allen also ran the third best 60-yard dash of the event at 7.09. Lefty Patrick Defeciani showed excellent command of all three pitches in his bullpen. His fastball sat 73-74 and touched 75 mph, with a breaking ball that showed tight spin and sharp 1/7 break at 61-62 mph, and a change-up that had some late fade at 65-69 mph. Defeciani can also swing it at the plate and is athletic and can move around the bag at first. He starts from a little bit wider base and square stance with little extra movement. He attacks the ball with a quick load and short stride. More of a gap-to-gap type hitter with present pull side power.

Both catchers posted solid pop times and really did a nice job behind the plate during bullpens. Rising Sun 2020 Calen Kampes was a 1.86 - 2.04 on five throws to second base while uncommitted 2019 Jack Walker of Polytech (DE) was 2.02 - 2.16. Kampes also ran the fastest 60-yard dash time of the workout at 6.97.

In the 2020 class, All Hallows (NY) Randy Polanco stood out most amongst others. Polanco is a solid 6-foot-2, 200 pound 3B/RHP that can really swing it. Polanco showed strength at the plate starting from a balanced, square stance. He showed a short to the ball and slightly uphill swing path with strong lower half involvement. Really good extension through contact and stays behind the ball well. Gap-to-gap type hitter with some power present.

The 2021 class featured several nice pitching prospects to go along with Delmar (DE) SS Luke Waters and St. Maria Goretti LHP/OF Jason Rivera. Waters is athletic and moves well in the infield. He showed smooth actions, soft hands, and plays with active feet working through the ball at shortstop. At the plate, Waters showed some bat speed and a nice line drive swing. Rivera also showed a nice line drive swing with some occasional pop and ran the second best 60-yard dash of the workout at 7.06. On the bump, Rivera sat 77-78 mph with some arm side run. His breaking ball was 71-74 mph and change-up sat 71-72 mph. North Caroline RHP Lee Byrd showed excellent fastball command and feel for his change-up. The tall, lanky, 6-foot-2, 160 pound righty filled up the strike zone touching 81 mph to go along with a 70-73 mph change-up with fade and a 12/6 62-64 mph breaking ball. Stephen Decatur RHP Evan Truitt threw with long, loose arm action and easy effort. Truitt sat 77-79 mph with some arm side run on the fastball. He too showed good command of his change-up that ranged 68-71 mph with dive and a 60-63 mph breaking ball. Rounding out the class of 2021 top pitching prospects was 6-foot-4, 190 pound RHP Tyler Miles of Oakland Mills. Miles touched 79 mph and threw a 64-67 mph breaking ball that showed some gradual 12/6 break.

Stay tuned for our positional notebooks and full analysis of all players from the Maryland Eastern Shore Showcase in the weeks to come.