Ohio Super 60 Duo Produces A Showing To Remember

February 13, 2024
Bruce Hefflinger
PBR Ohio Senior Writer

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Ohio Super 60 Duo Produces A Showing To Remember

MCCOOK, Ill. - Impressive was an understatement when it came to the performance of Ohio’s Jake Hanley and Kellan Klosterman at the annual Prep Baseball Super 60 event.

While Klosterman was showing off his stuff on the mound, Hanley was putting up stellar numbers both at the plate and pitching in earning a spot on Shooter Hunt’s ‘Impact 11’ following the star-studded event.

“An unmistakable presence at the event at a hulking, albeit lean and athletic 6-5, 232 pounds, Hanley stood out in all facets including on the mound where he bumped 95 miles per hour with a solid three-pitch mix,” the vice president of scouting for Prep Baseball said about the Mason senior. “However, the bat, and more specifically the power potential, reigns supreme when considering his upside as a prospect.”

The second-rated 2024 first baseman in the nation was second in overall Max Grip Strength right-handed (198.8) and fourth left (175.2), was second in both max batted distance (397 feet) and highest average batted distance (312 feet), while finishing sixth in highest average exit velocity (96.9) and eighth in max exit velocity (103.4).

“Surprisingly nimble with a 6.82 60-yard dash time, the Ohio native showcased a fluid, uphill stroke that appeared to have him clubbing balls with a tree trunk,” Hunt said. “Maintaining ground connection, his ability to clear the hips and the all around compactness of the approach appears less high maintenance which is a nice selling point for future adjustments.”

The Indiana commit more than lived up to what Hunt was expecting out of the second-ranked senior in Ohio.

“It’s hard to call a player with Hanley’s stature a ‘sleeper,’ but I think he has a chance to open even more eyes with his performance at the Super 60,” Hunt said prior to the event. “Because of his two-way capability, there is likely some split as to the upside, but that physical left-handed power and the premium power potential that it holds is ultra enticing and something that scouts will want to follow closely.”

On the mound, the hard-throwing right-hander had the third highest Strike Zone Rate percentage (71 percent) to go along with the sixth best Max Fastball Velocity of 94.7 mph, leaving Hanley pleased with his showing.

“In my opinion, I think I showcased what I can do and performed very well overall,” the 97th-rated 2024 in the country explained. “As an event, they did a great job with organizing the groups and making sure we all had time to be prepared for our batting practice rounds or bullpens.”

There was more that stood out to Hanley.

“The environment with the scouts and players on both Saturday and Sunday was unmatched,” pointed out Hanley, who was especially excited about his pitching performance.

“I would say the highlight of the event for me personally was my bullpen,” the 18-year-old noted. “Being in the zone with the velo sitting high was a big indicator of how much work I’ve been putting in this offseason, and how much room I have to grow. I think that bullpen proved I’m not just a two-way because I throw hard, but because I know how to command the zone and work my pitches just as good as the best.”

While Hanley was showing off his ability as a two-way player, Klosterman made an impression, in particular, with his curveball which had the eighth highest average spin rate of 2,379.

“I think a highlight for me was probably just going out there and filling up the strike zone,” the Moeller senior related. “I wasn't necessarily trying to hit a number, but more so to display quality pitches in the zone.”

The 39th-ranked senior right-handed pitcher in the nation, who hit 92 with his fastball to go along with an 85-86 changeup and 77-78 slider, had high praise about being a participant.

“The whole event was great,” Klosterman pointed out. “It was really good to meet up with all of the Notre Dame commits as well as some of the guys I played with in the fall.

“I would just like to say thank you to everyone who helped put on a great event. It’s memories like these that I'll never forget.”

The number two ranked 2024 RHP in Ohio lived up to what Hunt expected to see out of the 112th-rated senior in the country.

“A metrics darling, Klosterman’s acute attention to detail and the finer points of pitching aids in his ability to disrupt timing,” Hunt explained. “It is a starter profile with a propensity for making adjustments with advanced stuff, and his showing in Chicago is sure to open eyes.”

Both Ohio participants found a lot to learn from the event.

“I think the biggest thing to take away from it all is to keep putting in the work,” Hanley said. “When you see results, it’s just a bigger motivator to continue what you’ve been doing all offseason.”

Klosterman came away with a better feeling of what type of players are out there.

“Understanding how good players are nowadays will be my biggest takeaway,” Klosterman said. “These are the guys that I'll be playing against at the highest levels of competition, so if I want to succeed I have to understand that my competition is extremely good.”

While being selected to be among 68 of the top seniors in the nation at the Super 60, both took it in stride.

“Performing in front of that many scouts was nothing new to me,” Hanley said. “I have had the opportunity to do that multiple times during the summer and fall, so I took it as just any other event, and didn’t try to force my skills. I just played like myself, and let the results show.”

It was the same for Klosterman.

“It was nothing I'm not used to,” the third-ranked 2024 in Ohio noted. “I've never really been affected by who's behind the backstop, and the same applies here.”

Conversing with pro scouts is becoming part of the process for each.

“I had the chance to talk to one scout at the event and had a nice talk about my skill set and what I see myself as,” Hanley explained. “To me, those talks serve as indicators that the work I’m putting in is noticeable, and my skill set is viewed by others with a positive impression.”

While Klosterman did not communicate with any pro scouts at the event, it is something that has happened in the past.

“No pro scouts talked to me during the event, but I've had plenty of pro scouts come to my house for in-home visits as well as zoom and phone calls,” Klosterman related. “Their feedback on what makes me good is really valuable. And on the flip side, it's great for me to learn what their organizations are all about.”

After the Super 60 showing, there is a strong potential the Ohio duo will follow in the footsteps of the many great previous participants at the Super 60, including the 2023 group that saw more than $10 million in signing bonuses.

“The ’24 class, as a whole, is the most unseparated in recent memory,” Hunt said. “There are sure to be surprises on Day 1 of the Draft and any assumptions made this early about the prep group are far from final. In saying that, the Super 60 yielded some major buzz from key standouts.”