By Mike Penn
Michigan Scouting Director

 

The Underclass Preview was loaded with good arms that project to the next level.  6-foot-6 RHP Dennis Jordan (St. Joseph HS, 2015) stole the show with his velocity sitting 87-88mph and emerging as a legitimate power arm. Other top arms featured in the Sneak Peek: Underclass Preview article were Chandler Sedat (West Bloomfield Hills HS, 2015), Riley McCauley (Sterling Heights Stevenson HS), Karl Kauffmann (Brother Rice HS, 2016), and Alexx Zielinski (Brighton HS, 2015).

Here are the remaining top pitchers from the Underclass Preview:

Landen Haney (Rockford HS, 2015) sat 83-85mph with his fastball.  Haney is already a bigger athlete (6-foot-2, 185-pounds) and still has some room to grow. His delivery has some effort in it and he has a little funkiness as well.  His breaking ball plays well and has late break (69-71mph).  Haney throws strikes and should get plenty of outs for Rockford this spring.

Bryce Kelley (Rockford HS, 2016) is a high follow lefty also from Rockford.  Only a freshman, Kelley sat 79-81 mph but we have seen him sit in the low 80’s last summer.  Kelley has feel for three pitches and has some deception in his delivery.  His arm works well from a ¾ slot and he gets good arm side run on his change and his fastball. 

Tyler Waldrop (Grand Ledge HS, 2015) is a sleeper.  Only 5-foot-10, Waldrop’s arm works really well and is extremely quick.  He pounds the strikes zone with three pitches the best of which was his breaking ball. He has mad some big jumps since last summer especially with his breaking ball. It was hard and tight with good downer action.  Provided Waldrop continues his progression and makes another big jump he will be a steal for the right program.

Parker McAnallen (DeWitt HS, 2015) is following in the footsteps of his brother Logan, current University of Michigan pitcher. The younger McAnallen shows good potential. He sits 79-81 mph right now with feel for three pitches. His delivery is smooth and he accelerates down the hill nicely. His breaking ball is more of a 12-6 curveball with good downward action.  McAnallen needs to keep making jumps but he is on track.

Tyler Pols (Byron Center HS, 2015) is another smaller (5-foot-9) lefty but shows good moxy on the mound.  He threw three pitches for strikes.  He gets on the side of his breaking ball at times, which gives it more of a sweeping action.  Pols has a chance to be a high pitchability lefty but needs to continue to add velocity.

Ashton Holdridge (Watervliet HS, 2015) was a pleasant surprise.  Holdridge was little known coming into the event and quietly made a name for himself.  He sat 79-83 mph.  His fastball even had natural cut at times.  Mechanically he has some effort and head snap in his delivery but  he still threw strikes.  His breaking ball was a late breaker.

Michael Hanford (North Farmington HS, 2015) showed well at the Underclass Preview.  Hanford is 6-foot-1 right-hander.  He shows good potential.  His fastball was 80-81 mph and his breaking ball was at 70 mph.  His breaking ball was his separating factor.  It has good downward tilt and bite.  He will be a follow.

Jorge Lozano (Spring Lake HS, 2015) just moved to the United States recently from his native Dominican Republic. Lozano is tall and skinny at 6-foot-1, 155-pounds. He has a chance to be pretty good.  He sat primarily between 80-82 mph.  He flashed some good secondary pitches as well.