Sean McGrath
Scouting Director, New Jersey

So far, we have taken a look at scouting reports from thirteen uncommitted arms and seven uncommitted outfielders from the 2017 class that participated in the Underclass Games in September. Today we will take a look at the six junior catchers from the event who are yet to make a college commitment.

Jesse Gerdes, Montgomery HS
+ Gerdes is a 5-foot-10, 200 pound catcher from Montgomery High School and Jersey Boyz baseball. The right-handed hitter has an 86 mile-per-hour exit velocity and does a fine job keeping his hands inside the baseball. He exhibits raw power potential and shows the ability to drive the ball to and over the wall in batting practice. He occasionally lands too hard on his front side when over-aggressive. He is a solid defender who shows pop times between 1.90 and 1.97 on a 74 MPH throw. He has soft hands and is loose in the hips.

Blake Gorski, Ocean City HS
+ Blake Gorski is a 5-foot-10, 155 pound prospect who attends Ocean City High School and plays for the Indiana Prospects. He has athletic actions at and behind the dish. He displays athleticism and could potentially be an above average running catcher. He hits with an open stance and uses a small leg kick to generate additional pop. He lands slightly open but does a nice job middle to push side hitting consistent line drives. As he physically matures, he will have better balance and be able to go to all fields with the same authority because he has potential for plus bat speed. He is a solid runner for his position and shows excellent jumps when base stealing. He has above average receiving skills even with breaking balls down in the zone, which stood out. He throws with arm strength and good foot work and could quicken up his pop time (2.06) with a higher, quicker transfer.

Hakim Hamer, JFK Memorial HS
+ Hamer is a strong, physical C/1B who is 5-foot-11, 200 pounds. Behind the dish, he showed an improved arm action and foot work from the NJ Open ID showcase, although he could still improve directionally. He was largely on the bag and sat right around 2.28 each throw at the Underclass Games. He has strength in his swing and has shown the ability to create back spin and lift. It should be noted that Hamer had a solid day defensively at first base.  

CJ Iametti, Don Bosco Prep
+ Iametti attends Don Bosco Prep, one of the state’s premier baseball schools. The 5-foot-10, 170 pound catcher possesses a lot of strength and should continue to fill out and get even stronger. Iametti had a nice day at the plate; hitting from an open, relaxed stance and a toe tap before planting his stride foot. He showed present bat speed and a line drive swing plane with a high finish which enables him to get some leverage. He received well with soft hands and a low target. His arm strength was down at the Underclass Games but I’m interested to see the pop time and throwing velocity when his arm is fully healthy.

Hunter Silvernail, Pope John XXIII
+ Silvernail is an exciting catching prospect who attends Pope John XXIII and plays in the summer with the Hit’n’Run program. He is 5-foot-11, 185 pounds with a lean frame with room to fill out. He has the best arm strength of the bunch, showing velocities of 80-81 miles-per-hour at the Top Prospect Games. His pop times are consistently in the 1.97-2.03 range. He displays soft hands and a feel for receiving the low ball. He blocks well and is quick to his feet to recover. At the dish, the right-handed hitter is a little out of control early in the count but will bare down and display balance and a feel for hard contact with two strikes. His hardest hit balls all came with 2K. Watch for him to take the next step offensively as he buckles down on a more consistent approach.

Steven Yelin, River Dell HS
+ Yelin is 5-foot-9, 205 pounds with a strong lower half. He showed very efficient, directional foot work and a smooth, short transfer. He has arm strength with more to come (76 miles-per-hour). He receives well as he has soft hands and likes to work from the bottom of the zone up. Offensively, he is aggressive with big hacks. He has a high finish which allows him to create leverage but he is occasionally quick to get out of the hitting zone. He shows good athletic balance throughout his swing.