On Tuesday, July 7, the PBR Illinois and Wisconsin staffs met in Crestwood, Ill., at Standard Bank Stadium, the site of this year’s PBR ProCase Midwest. This showcase was designed to provide a platform for the region’s talent who have been garnering looks from professional scouts ahead of the 2021 MLB Draft. With nearly 50 pro scouts in attendance, this year’s ProCase achieved just that.

We’ll be spending some more time breaking down some of the day’s top performers, but before then, let’s take a more statistical look at the hard numbers coming out of Tuesday’s high-profile event.

TOP 60-YARD DASH

Wisconsin’s No. 4-ranked prospect, OF Q Phillips (Brookfield East; Michigan commit), led this dynamic group of athletes with a 6.53 mark in the 60-yard dash. A center fielder by trade, Phillips seamlessly utilizes that foot speed in the outfield on his routes to fly balls, gliding under the baseball with relative ease. OF Auston Brewer (Snider, MO; uncommitted) wasn’t too far behind Phillips with a next-best 6.61. The tooled-up OF Chase Mason (Viborg-Hurley, SD; uncommitted) put together the kind of day that will have him plastered atop several leaderboards, including this one. From Illinois, OF Cole Luckey (Glenbrook South; uncommitted) stole the show on this same field at the Top Prospect - Chicago showcase in June, and he demonstrated that similarly impressive (and loud) toolset amongst an even more talented crop. 

With 16 total sub-7.00 times recorded in this category, it underscores the kind of athleticism on display in Crestwood on Tuesday.

MAX FASTBALL VELOCITY

Without a doubt, one of the show-stealing performances, from the statistical side of things, came out of the hand of RHP C.J. Hood (Norris, NE; Nebraska), when he reached a 96 mph high (92.3 mph average, per TrackMan) in his inning of work. In August of 2019, Hood was up to 88 mph, but it seems like a diligent offseason and spring pushed Hood into a pool of must-see Midwestern arms throughout the rest of this summer and next spring. The spin on the fastball was also notable, averaging around 2,559 RPM – an elite number that indicates Hood will continue to miss bats at the next level and beyond.

A familiar name you may remember is RHP Francois Castillo (Lake View, IL, 2018), a JUCO prospect who’s preparing for his first season at John A. Logan JC. He averaged the next fastest fastball velo (91.8 mph) at an average 1,969 RPM, up to a max of 93.6 mph.

Right-handers Ben Hess (Charleston, IL; Indiana) and Victor Quinn (Liberty-Wentzville, MO; Oregon State) also carved out a spot for themselves near the top of this leaderboard. Hess topped 92.6 mph, per TrackMan, at an average spin rate of 2,062 RPM. Quinn touched 93.9 mph himself in a similar RPM range as Hess.

Notably, it was a polished outing from RHP Brennyn Cutts (Toledo-Cumberland, IL; Indiana State), too. The former Team Illinois participant was cruising at a low-effort 90-91 mph (topping 91.8), with a heavy fastball.

MORE TRACKMAN NOTABLES

• RHP Zach Kempe (St. Charles North, IL) emerged this summer as a high-profile uncommitted ‘21 prospect. He’s a 6-foot, 183-pound righty with a live arm with impressive supporting TrackMan indicators. The fastball averaged 90.7 mph at an average of 2,371 RPM – an excellent rate that works in swing-and-miss harmony with the velocity. But, the separator is clearly the slider, which was maybe the day’s best offspeed offering. At an average of 78.2 mph, Kempe generates sharp, biting action on it at a RPM that maxed at 2,890. It’s a live-wired two-pitch mix that has him ranked among the most intriguing uncommitted arms in the Midwest, if not, the country.

• Hood’s huge fastball was released at a near-identical slot as his sharp slider, one that looked a lot like Kempe’s. It lived in the 80 mph range at an average of 2,800 RPM. These two pitches provide Hood with some immense potential, and his performance here will have him on high alert, moving forward.

• Some of the event’s top “carry” leaders (Induced Vertical Break; or ‘IVB,’ in other words), were right-handers Vincent Trapani (Eau Claire Memorial, WI; Arkansas), Gavin Schmitt (Plainfield East, IL; uncommitted), and Jack Hunke (Holt, MO; Missouri). Trapani’s fastballs consistently averaged over 20 inches of IVB at 91 mph – the day’s best.

MAX EXIT VELOCITY

When it comes to pure bat strength and power potential, there were a pair right-handed hitters that still managed to stand out amongst their high-profile peers on Tuesday: 3B/OF Vytas Valincius (The Baylor School, TN; South Carolina) and C Will Rogers (Mounds View, MN; Arizona State).

Even then, the hulking 6-foot-4, 240-pound ‘Vito’ still possesses a different kind of power potential – raw pop that’s arguably the nation’s best among the 2021 prep crop. Valincius exit velo at the station (104 mph) comfortably led the group, and he applied it directly in batting practice where he regularly and somewhat casually pummeled baseballs to his pull-side at an average distance of 346.9 feet. For perspective, only one other prospect breached the 300-foot threshold on average (Kyle Hayes; St. Charles East, IL; uncommitted). Valincius also averaged an average exit velocity of 95.6 mph in BP, the third-hardest among those in attendance. The huge South Carolina commit routinely crushed home runs over the left field fence, the farthest of which travelled 403.7 feet that left the bat at 100.2 mph.

Rogers topped 100 mph at the exit velocity station and averaged 96.3 mph in live BP while drilling low-lying line-drives at around a 14 degree angle. He launched a ball 375 feet at 97 mph, and he also recorded an 101 mph exit velo that travelled 347 feet – some substantial strength recorded from the ASU commit.

Another catcher, Ty Batusich (Joliet West, IL; Western Kentucky), also is well-deserving of a mention here, after recording the hardest average exit velocity in BP at 98.6 mph with low-lying line-drive contact. Though, he proved he’s capable of swatting lofted contact with that bat strength by launching a 99 mph ball 375-plus feet to his pull-side, right-center gap.

It was this trip that separated themselves, by TrackMan standards, from the rest of the pack.

MORE BLAST MOTION NOTABLES

• No surprise, but Batusich and Valincius were ranked Nos. 1 and 2 at the top of the bat speed leaderboard, per Blast Motion, at 76 mph and 75.3 mph, respectively. Kansas’ Ivan Witt (Fort Scott; Creighton) placed third at 74.9 mph, a tick ahead of Carter Mathison (Homestead, IN; Indiana) and Sam Antonacci (Sacred Heart-Griffin, IL; uncommitted) – all three of whom exited the day with their prospect arrow pointed up.

• We noted how tooled-up Luckey had proven to be in our 60-yard dash section, and it shows on the Blast leaderboards, too. He recorded excellent connection and rotation scores, highlighting his bat speed and hand/eye coordination, with a peak hand speed of 25.4 mph, among the day’s best.

• Speaking of peak hand speed, both Batusich and Mason led the group with a 26.7 mph high – over a tick quicker than the next best. Both also accelerate and rotate into the zone, while on plane, at elite rates.

• The prospects who most consistently met the ball on the ideal plane (on plane efficiency) were Alex Calarco (New Trier, IL; Northwestern), Rogers, Alex Ritzer (Stillwater, MN; North Carolina), Mathison, and J.P Gauthier (De Pere, WI; Illinois State). Calarco’s efficiency score of 81 percent paced the group by a fair amount.

MAX INFIELD VELOCITY

Garrett Harker (Lebanon, IN; Cincinnati) is a legitimate two-way prospect and it shows on the infield, as he led this group with a 93 mph high across the diamond. Another two-way prospect, SS/RHP Nicholas DeMarco (St. Charles North, IL; Notre Dame), showed well at this station. He’s a smooth defender who plays with a competitive edge, and his throws topped 90 mph to first on Tuesday. Wisconsin’s Ryan Taylor (Verona Area; Central Florida) makes it look really easy on defense and he’s certainly quick enough (6.77 in the 60) to hold it down at shortstop long-term, and the arm strength is apparent, at 89 mph. And everything Valincius does is with mammoth strength, as he recorded an 87 mph high to first. Also worth mentioning is another Wisconsin prospect, SS Noah Miller (Ozaukee; Alabama), who may have taken the smoothest round of defense. His ultra quick and accurate throws help his 86 mph high play up across the infield.

MAX OUTFIELD VELOCITY

This was another area where the array of tools belonging to Mason shined. The South Dakota prospect is a high-level uncommitted athlete who steals the spotlight in practically every category he participates in; he topped 94 mph to home on Tuesday to lead this group. C/OF Anthony Migliaccio (Detroit Country Day, MI; Vanderbilt) is harnessing huge arm strength – and it works from both the outfield and from behind the plate. The 6-foot-6 right/right prospect Ivan Brethowr (St. Thomas Aquinas, KS; Arizona State) is naturally carrying some enormous projection, as is Cameron Hill (Brother Rice, IL; Purdue). The two tied Phillips here with 89 mph highs to home.

MAX CATCHER VELOCITY

Frankly, it was a robust group of backstops and each warrants a shoutout, if possible. Three tied for the hardest throws from the crouch, at 81 mph: Calarco, Camden Janik (Wauconda, IL; Illinois), and Rogers. Referenced earlier, Migliaccio was right behind the group at 80 mph.

TOP POP TIMES

Again, this group was efficient and they each took quality reps from behind the dish, so it was very noteworthy to identify those that stood out amongst each other, like Rogers’ uber consistent 1.97-2.00 range. Calarco was also quick out of the chute, despite his huge/strong frame, with a 1.93 best. Janik has developed a reputation as one of the best defenders in Illinois’ 2021 class, and he was consistently efficient and on target, also topping 1.93. Joe Longo (Holy Angels, MN; uncommitted) looks like a high-follow uncommitted backstop, if you’re in the market for one, who gets the most out of his arm strength with precise throws and quick transfers and footwork.

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