Empire State Battle Scout Blog

Devin Scheidt: Rochester Fury (Catcher)
Offensively, He keeps his weight back in the box, simple approach, uses all parts of the field. He has a lot of confidence at the plate, hands are strong, bat path is repeatable. On the Defensive side, he is well rounded with strong blocking skills. Accurate strong arm that keeps runners close.

Carlos Fantuzzi (Team PAC, Canandaigua) (1B) 
Fantuzzi uses his tall, athletic build to his advantage at the
plate. He has an aggressive swing with quick hands. When he makes contact with the ball, it's loud and explosive. Hands are compact and short to the ball.

Ian Mcnabb (EH/LHP)
He is a well-rounded player that excels at making solid contact from the left side of the plate. He has a very short, quick swing as he throws his barrel at the ball. He is a talented, line drive approach, player that shows some juice to his pullside. On the mound (LHP), he attacks hitters with his FB, also shows an effective 1/7 curveball. He changes speeds very well which results in hitters being off balance and making weak contact.

Keaton Crawford (Penfield) 
He has a very balanced swing, keeps his weight back and fires his hands to the ball. His hands are compact and strong, resulting in hard line drives middle/away. When he gets on base, he's active on the base-paths. He reads balls in the dirt very well and doesn’t hesitate to take a bag to get himself into scoring position.

Dan Barbero (MIF 2022) 
Great approach in the box, oozes confidence, produces solid contact to all parts of the field. He has exceptional bat speed and a short aggressive swing. When he gets on base, he reads base hits very well and doesn’t hesitate to go from 1st-3rd. He puts his team in a great position on both offense and defense. In the field, he is a smooth active defender with an above average arm. 

Wyatt Cozzy (2021)
Slight build, aggressive in the box making solid contact and shows signs of gap power. His timely hitting puts his team in great positions throughout the entire game. He keeps he weight back and front hip closed, which helps him use all parts of the field as well as shoot a ball over the outfielder’s head. Prospect to follow as he grows and becomes stronger.

Jack Cangelosi (LHP/OF, 2022)
Above average composure, the lefty keeps hitters off balance consistently mixing up his pitches. He moves pitches in/out very well and consistently paints the corners for strikes.  He also mixes his off-speed in very well for a change of speed which keeps the hitters guessing. Because he mixes it up so well, he makes hitters swing and miss as well as consistently watch strike 3. 

Patrick Walsh (RHP)
Walsh showed poise and the ability to attack the strike zone, expanding the zone several times. Curveball showed tight depth, confidence in the pitch. Overall dominating outing from the righty. 

Nate Johnson (SS)
At the plate, he shows that he maintains a great approach every at bat. He has very quick hands that make him a tough out. He consistently makes solid contact to all parts of the field and is no stranger to reaching base consistently. On the defensive side, He has above average range and arm strength. He quickly gets the ball out of his glove and takes base hits away in the 5-6 hole. He is a very talented prospect that will continue to get better offensively and defensively. 

Devin Blajszczak (RHP)
Tall, athletic build. Simple approach to his delivery. Slot is over the top type above average command. He does a great job moving his fast ball in/out as it helps him get ahead early in the count. He mixes up his speeds well with his slow 12/6 curveball that dives away from righties. 

Connor Bowman (1B, 2021)
With his tall & wide (6’0, 220 LB) body structure, he puts a good swing on the ball. He consistently hits the ball very hard mostly to the left side. When he makes contact on his pitch, it leaves the infield in a hurry. He keeps is weight back very well and uses his force to make hard, solid contact. He has a very aggressive swing that has a lot of potential. While in the field, he showed some athleticism at first base as he dove for a line drive and made a spectacular play, robbing the hitter of a base hit.

Michael Evans (Catcher, 2021)
He is a tall, lean athlete (6’2, 190). Defensively he stands out as he has very soft hands when receiving the ball. He sticks the ball very well as he steals strikes for his pitcher consistently. He also does a great job getting around the baseball to block the ball back towards the plate to prevent runners from taking a base on him. He has an average arm that has potential to turn into an above average arm, which will make him become a very dangerous young catcher. When he is at the plate, he does a great job firing his hands towards the ball and using all parts of the field. It seemed that every time he was at the plate he was making solid contact and was clearly a very tough out.

Justin Hodil-  Shows gap to gap power driving balls during games, barrel has natural lift, above average bat speed. He also showcased a strong arm behind the plate and an athletic blocking frame, saving a few runs for his team.

Kyle Kuczewski- RHP with a repeatable delivery and a FB sitting in the upper 70s. Kept hitters off-balance by mixing in a plus CB and good location keeping the ball low in the zone. Has a good frame to build upon to increase velo.

Trent Rumley- MIF/RHP - Rumley has an athletic build, strong lower half, showed his potential across the field during game action handling MIF well. At SS, fields out in front, soft glove and hands, in the box, relaxed approach, impressive bat speed while driving the ball to his pull side, with the ball being by the 3rd baseman before he could react. On the mound he came in for the last out, showing a FB in the low 80s while also dropping to the side for his slider to fool the hitter and get a strikeout in his only batter faced.

Zach Brydges- Does a nice job keeping his hands inside the baseball, where in multiple at bats turning on inside FBs to line them into left with a smooth, compact swing that looks to resulting in a lot of hits.

Joe Topia- A very solid pitcher, has a FB that sits in the upper 70s with consistent command. He was sitting on the corners throughout the game, going all 7 innings and ending with 8ks. Though he did not have to use it much because he was able to stick with his FB for most of the game, he also showed a good feel for his CB.

Cade Dick- A very solid all-around hitter that showed discipline and barrel control at the plate, putting up quality at bats throughout the day and driving both an inside FB and low CB to LF to help drive in runs for his team. 

Tino Turello- A very solid defensive CF with impressive foot-speed that also showed potential at the plate. During game action, on a deep drive to RF that seemed like a sure double, Turello came out of nowhere to make a great catch all the way from CF. Could be a very solid bat at the top of the order with his speed and quick hands at the plate.

Ryan Harlost- RHP that pitches to soft contact. With a FB in the upper 70s and good command in the bottom of the zone, he was able to get a lot of GBs. Pitchability is present, needs to develop more arm-strength this offseason. 

Aaron Kifer- RHP with a ¾ arm slot, already with a FB 75-77 and good feel for his CB. Kept attacking hitters with FBs up and in while keeping his CB down in the zone. 

Gavyn Boyle- An above average hitter with a compact swing that results in a lot of line drives. Showed the ability to spray the ball to all fields by going where he is pitched to, has power projection. Athletic in the OF with a strong throwing arm. 

Peter Valla- A solid defensive C, Valla showed a strong arm behind the plate throwing out multiple runners while also saving runs for his team with his solid blocking frame.

Michael Ribis- RHP with a ¾ arm slot, showing feel for spin with his CB. Seemingly a “backwards” pitcher, he likes to stick with his offspeed keeping hitters off-balance by working from a quick tempo. Also showed a plus approach at the plate and the ability to drive the ball all over the field.

Ryan Kilner- RHP with tight shape on his CB and arm-side run on his 2-seam. Frame shows signs of weight game, needs to develop more arm-strength to go along with his curveball - definetly has confidence with the breaking ball. 

Ryan Birchard- A very solid ballplayer, on the mound he was already 83-85 on his FB and was able to overpower hitters, sticking to his FB even while showing a plus CB the few times he used it. Also a very capable hitter, Birchard showed impressive Gap to Gap power ending up with three doubles with the last one hitting the base of the fence. Lots of potential with a 6’1” frame already.

Austin Black- A very disciplined hitter at the plate with the ability to work counts, he showed a smooth, repeatable swing with consistent barrel control. He looks to drive the ball into the gap, peppering LC and RC throughout the game.

Brody Bartenstein- Looks very relaxed at the plate, frame could handle more weight, bat-speed is above average, Bartenstein has 2 HRs in his teams first victory, one being Inside-the-Park where he was able to show off impressive speed as a C. Behind the plate he showed an athletic frame with a good arm. Looks to be a good player for the next level with a good frame to build upon as well.

Carter Clark- Showed impressive power with a long HR to left-center and a deep double to RC. Has powerful hands, barrel as natural lift, gets his arms extended to drive the ball into the gaps. With a consistent approach at the plate he could translate very well at the next level.

James Capellupo- RHP coming from the ¾ arm slot but also very comfortable dropping to the side to try and keep hitters off-balance, a player that we have seen several times and continues to improve. Likes to stick with his off-speed as he has a good feel for his CB, but still in the mid 70s on his FB. Would like to see him throwing the FB more. 

Nick Johnson- A solid ball player all the way around, at the plate had quality at-bats all game long, relaxed approach. Was unlucky to see some of them caught, but was consistently hitting line drives across the field. In the field showed a good arm and versatility playing multiple positions in the IF. 

Gavin Borello: Frontier HS
Right handed bat stands at 5’10” 165lbs, frame has room for growth, Slightly open space at the plate with fluid rhythm. Barrel was short and repeatable through the zone, strong contact. 

Nick Wilson (St. Francis HS)
Big Righty stands at 6’0” 225lbs, imposing figure on the mound. He featured a good FB at 78-81 with signs of more velo in the tank. He stood out by striking out the side, the heart of the order, in his only inning of work. 

Joe Miron: RHP/OF 2021 (Rush Henrietta)
This tall RHP stands at 6’0” 170 with a quick arm swing. He delivers with an over the top slot, repeats his delivery. Pitched a complete game for his team in his teams winning effort. Miron shows the ability to mix up his pitches, FB peakd 79 mph with room for velocity growth. 

Nick Szcuer: RHP
This RHP has a solid, sturdy frame with a compact delivery and a ¾’s arm slot. Sat 76-78 mph on his FB and commanded a 11/5 shape CB at 68-70. Nick showed his competitiveness, and toughness on the mound. 

Brian Tietjen: 1B/3B R/R 2020 (Guilderland)
Tietjen is a big first baseman stands at 6’ 215lbs, with short swing. In the box he has a short stride, good rhythm in his hands and wrists which explains the very quick hands and swing. He impressed for being athletic on both sides of the ball, despite still being a big kid. He was able to turn around high velocity FB up and in for a double to deep left. On defense he played a solid 1B and displayed a good ability to pick with a nice backhanded pick.

Zach Odum: MIF 2020 (Elmira)
Zach has a lean athletic appearance, plays with energy, is the sparkplug for his team with his athleticism, speed, and ability to make contact and baseball IQ. He is quite in the box with a small leg kick for timing, barrel gets to the ball from a short path, mostly level plane. He racked up base hits for his team, with more size he could easily start turning those singles into more extra bases.

Johnathan Haines: 1B/RHP 2020 (Arkport)
Haines, no stranger to PBR NY, stands from a sturdy build, thick strong lower half, and throws from a high 3/4 slot. FB sat 80-81 mph topping 83, hard biting, late action CB at 71, and a slider at 74 mph. Quick motion during his delivery, would benefit from slowing down some to create more rhythm. Quick arm swing, with more velo in the tank. In the box he stands tall and open with a high leg kick which generates above average power. Showed power driving a ball to deep center in his first AB for a double and hitting a hard single his second AB to right field and a deep flyout to CF which he still hit hard. Seems to be a big upside on both sides of the ball.

Zach Hammond: C/OF 2020 (Avoca)
Zach is a 6’0” 190lbs C/OF who stands upright at the plate with a small leg kick for timing. He has a smooth swing path, and kept his head down on the ball through contact, full extension. Drove in runs for his team by scattering 3-line drive singles. Very strong arm behind the plate, quick release with accuracy to the bag. 

Kyle Finn: 2021 RHP/MIF (Williamsville North)
Tall lanky righty who featured a FB sitting 76-78mph with a sharp 11-5 curve. It was a very impressive start by the righty in all facets of his game. He had smooth mechanics with an over the top release point. Good command of both his FB and CB. He used his curveball both to get ahead, and as an out pitch. Finn racked up strikeouts striking out 14 over 7 innings of work while only allowing one base hit. Finn also showed he could move down the line beating out an infield single and stealing bags. Showed durability by maintaining velocity late into the game, shows promise to be able to bulk up and gain more velo.  

Chris Coyle: C 
Chris stood out behind the plate as a tall catcher with room to gain muscle. Behind the plate he received very well and kept ball in front of him. In the box he stands tall and slightly open, moved down the line well. Showed a strong arm from behind the plate throwing from his knees on a line to second. 

Matt Lyskawa SS
Athletic SS who has a spread-out stance with fluid rhythm and a quite, but efficient load from the right side of the plate. Shows ability to make good contact at the plate hitting balls hard most AB’s. His athleticism showed on both sides of the ball. He played a solid short stop ranging to get balls deep in the 5-6 hole and gunning kids out at first. Strong arm and good hands.  

Matt Fath RHP/3B 
FB sat 68-70 form an over the top slot, CB sat 58-62mph with 11/5 shape and command. He was able keep hitters off balance and working out of jams he was able to throw 7 strong innings of no run baseball. 

Steve Erickson 1B/LHP 2021 (St. Michael Catholic, Ontario)
Presented a big target at first base at with his frame and showed good feel for the position making a nice sliding stop and keeping balls in front of him. Footwork was above average, arm was average for the position, accurate. 

Alec McQueery C 2022
Well built, sturdy backstop, and stood out behind the plate for how he handled his pitcher. He receives well and uses his hands well to emphasize where he wants the ball to the pitcher. He helped his pitcher, keeping him relaxed and composed. Catch-n-throw, uses quick feet and short release with solid arm strength. His knowledge and the way he controlled the game was impressive. At the plate he had an aggressive approach, level swing using all fields. 

Nick Provenzo: RHP/3B
Solid build and sits at 75-76 mph on the mound from an over the top slot, FB touched 78, with a CB at 60 mph. Gets good drive with his back leg, shows the ability to throw both pitches with command.

Derek Paris 2022 C/3B (Mount Greylock)
Paris made himself known right away by leading off the game with a leadoff triple to deep center. At the plate he has a short stride and stays inside-out, barrel is compact through the zone. Used all parts of the field while showing power to all fields. Well built frame that will develop with time. 

Daniel Barebo: SS/2B R/R 2022 (Connie HS)
Barebo is a fiery, active next level prospect. At 5’8” 165lbs and sturdy built. In the box he's balacanded on his approach, really let's loose during his swing, aggressive, full effort. Barebo plays the game hard showing off with diving plays and a strong arm across the diamond. Fun to watch.

Tyler Gibson: RHP/C/INF
Medium build, RHP shows a smooth delivery with good arm action. He features a FB at 69-70mph topping 72. FB has good two-seam action which induced a lot of ground balls. Also had a curveball with small 12/6 downward break at 60-62mph. 

Jack Klodzinski: 2B/RHP
Big tall second baseman Stands open and quite in the box with easy load. Showed to be a very tough out going notching 3 base hits in a game, frame will handle more weight. 

Trevor Kennedy: SS R/R
In the box he has a small leg kick with a rhythmic bat waggle to help timing, it’s a smooth and easy swing. He showed plus speed on the bases turning what would be a double for most into a triple, very aggressive on the bases. Capitalized by taking another extra base when an outfielder booted a groundball, and making things happen by stealing third easily. Extra base machine. His ability to make hard contact to go along with his elite speed will make him a real threat at the top of the order. On the mound Kennedy was sitting 75-76mph, showed a strong arm with room for more velocity to come. 

Xander Payne: RHP/C
Payne was the most impressive arm on the day (field covered). Payne was sitting 78-80 with a devastating shaped curveball, above average feel and spin. Showed confiencxe with the CB and would throw in all counts. The third pitch he showed was a knuckleball at 60 mph with slight rotation. Repeatable delivery and uses his legs well. Continues to impress the more we see him, lots of potential in this arm. 

Alex Chrisman: RHP/INF 2022 (Horseheads)
Chrisman at 5’8” throws from an over the top slot, hides the ball well behind his head making his FB jump on the hitters. He was sitting 77-78 mph with an 11/5 shape breaking ball. Came on in relief for his team and shutdown the opponents allowing his team to jump out to a commanding lead in the semi-finals. At the plate he stands slightly crouched with an athletic base. Shows some barrel strength at the plate. Hit a very deep line drive to the left field wall. Plus, runner on the bases. Going to be a solid player.

Owen Stewart: RHP/C/INF 2022 (Elmire Notre Dame)
This 5’11” 140lbs right hander shows a live arm sitting 74-76 touching 78 at times with movement, frame is lean and able to handle more weight. He also features a sweeping curveball at 65 mph, it made hitters look uncomfortable at the plate. Has a fluid motion and gets his weight to his back side well. The arm is clean and has easy velocity projection.  

Jackson Cook: C/OF 2023 (Horseheads)
Cook showed he’s clutch by hitting Game-tying double to right in his team’s semi-final game. He has a displayed approach to the game, made quality reads in the OF and on the bases. In the Championship game he made a tough diving catch in the 1st inning to prevent extra bases and triple deep down the RF line that same game. He finished the game 3/3. Above average bat control, confidence in the box, has the ability to hit to all fields. 

Dylan Ribble: RHP/INF 2022 (Horseheads)
Ribble stands at 5’11”, athletic in the box with a powerful right handed swing. Stays inside out well and showed he can drive the ball the other way hitting a double in the gap.  

Mathew Procopio: INF/RHP 2022 (Horseheads) 
Lean and athletic appearance,  doesn’t try to do too much at the plate and stays within himself, not afraid to stay up the middle, short quick hands, barrel is athletic. Turned around an 80 mph FB and roped it up the middle, as well as lined a ball over the CF’s head for an inside the park HR. Very tough out and shows high end potential. Shows above average defense as well as versatility by playing 2B. Solid arm and runs well overall very good ballplayer already.

John Ondus: RHP/3B R/R 2023 (Gowanda)
Over the top RHP who sat 73-75 with a CB at 60. Pitched in multiple games for his team and gave his team a chance to win, competes. At the plate he also showed he could hit picking up multiple hits and manufacturing runs for his team in key situations. 

Owen Wery: C R/R
Open stance with a quick load, a good size at the plate. Swings the bat hard and was quick on the bases. Hustled behind the plate getting to wild pitches and dealt with a struggling pitcher well. Made a nice pick on a relay home and a great tag to save a big run from scoring. Threw out multiple runners across, strong arm.

Tyler Walker RHP/OF R/R
Small build, came in relief for his team up one run, threw strikes and shut the door. Showed he was a true competitor. FB velocity sat 65-66 mph, also had a two-seamer at 64-65 with arm-side run. He used his curveball at 57-58 very effectively to get ahead and it made his FB play a little faster to hitters. Also fielded his position very well by starting a huge double play and catching a pop-up in foul territory. In the OF he gunned a man at the plate in the championship game. At the plate was a very tough out, driving in runs, walking and making hard contact outs. Very good bat to ball skills across multiple games.

Eric Swienicki RHP
We saw the righty in relief action showing a twp seam FB sitting 74-76 topping 77 at times. Arm swing is full and over the top, shows effort. Used his lower half to drive towards home. At times showed a 12/6 breaking ball. 

Mason Haarr SS/RHP R/R 2023 (Victor)
Athletic SS at 5’11” who showed above average range defensively, glove and hands are soft, has the arm to make all the throws, very active lower half. Simple approach at the plate, quiet hands, repeats the swing path. 

Connor Nguyen: C R/R
Connor was a wall behind the plate showing off well trained blocking skills, active footwork, aggressive actions, at times he would quickly stand up and throw behind runners. At the plate he's got a polished approach, relaxed hands,  quick and compact, fluid swing path and drove in a big RBI single during game play when we were scouting. 

Morgen Major: RHP Rochester, NY
Major sat at 72-73 mph with an 11/5 shape curveball. He came on in relief for his team and he kept his team in the game and he escaped jams with little damage. Got better as he settled in, ate up crucial innings for his team. A competitor on the mound.

Scott Scherrer: RHP R/R 2023 (Skaneateles)
Scherrer is a 6’01” 170lbs RHP, shows a high ceiling from the mound. FB comes from a high arm slot, clean arm swing, up to 75 mph with the heater with easy projection. Showed an effective mix of pitches with a slow CB at 58-59 with above average shape. Also had a CH which was in the mid 60’s. Has the arm and body to continue to grow and develop.

Jackson Tolhurst: SS R/R 2022
Tall athletic SS with a strong throwing arm across the diamond, which allowed him to make some really athletic plays and turn some big double plays for his team. 

Spencer Harford R/R 2020 (Silver Creek HS)
This 6’2” 170lbs RHP sat 79-81 while maintaining velocity throughout the game. Gamer on the mound, fanned 7 through just 5 innings allowing.

Ryan Culhane: RHP/OF 2020 (Clarence)
Strong, thick and druable, the  RHP sat 78-81, topping out at 83 from a high 3/4 slot. At the plate he shows a compact, strong barrel path with repeatable mechanics.