Sean McGrath
Scouting Director, New Jersey

Throughout the summer, we have had our eyes on most of the summer ball action and have seen many talented ball players. In this segment, we will be providing previews of players who are attending the Underclass Games on September 20^th, broken down by position. These players will have a chance to display some of the notable tools we have already seen in front of many college coaches. Having already previewed the RHPs and LHPs, here is a highlight of some of catchers who will be in attendance.

Highlighted in his section is Joe Turek, Hunter Silvernail, CJ Iametti, and Blake Gorski.

Joe Turek, 2018 (Arthur L. Johnson HS)
+ Turk has a physical athletic build to him. He is 5-foot-10 and is already 190 pounds. Behind the dish, he has a nice, low set up and is a good target for pitchers. He receives well and blocks extremely well, funneling most dirt balls back into the middle of the diamond. His throws are pretty accurate to second base despite being off balanced on most of them. His foot work is a bit behind his ability to transfer the baseball at this point. His pop times range between 2.08 and 2.15 in the showcase setting. Offensively, Turek hits from the left side and shows some potential pop in his bat. He has good bat speed and swing path, which is a good sign for the young prospect.

Hunter Silvernail, 2017 (Pope John)
+ Silvernail has a projectable 5-foot-11, 185 pound frame. Defensively, I would not be surprised to see Silvernail with the best arm strength at the Underclass Games of all the catchers. He has arm speed which creates good spin and carry on his lively throws. His footwork is progressing and I’d be interested to see if he’s cleaned up his direction. He receives with soft hands and has a feel for pitch selection, which was noticeably advanced for his age. He has bat speed and potential in his swing to be a gap-to-gap type of hitter.