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18U Trials: Day 2 Takeaways

July 19, 2024

 

Prep Baseball is in attendance as the USA 18U Team embarks on a full round of trials in Cary, North Carolina with more than 80 of the top 2025 (and a handful of elite 2026s) prospects. Below a look at some quick-hits from Day 2:

Statements Made:


+ RHP Seth Hernandez (CA)

Long etched as the top pitching prospect in the class, and coming off a brilliant junior spring campaign, the Vanderbilt recruit easily could have asked to be catered to with regards to his pitching schedule. However, as the last arm to throw in the first game, he was asked to begin the inning with runners on 1st & 2nd as the program practiced for the international tie-breaker. This did nothing to throw off Hernandez who has shown an unflappable demeanor no matter the situation, and he immediately delivered an explosive strike at 98 mph to the bottom of the zone leaving no doubt as to who the best pitcher in the class was (on a day where many strong arms threw), and even had to face two of his high school teammates back-to-back to start things off. Flashing a new, firmer slider at 85-87 that took more cutter-shape along with a more top-to-bottom curveball, the ease of the silky smooth operation and elite extension stand out, and triple digits feel inevitable for his future. Yes, it was a quick look at the 6-foot-4, 190-pound right-hander (who has also moved well at the plate and in the outfield), but one that reaffirmed his outstanding makeup, competitive confidence, and electric upside.


+ SS Ethan Holliday (OK)

Holliday’s 111 mph single stirred a loud collection of “oohs and aahs” from all in attendance as the crack of the bat was unmistakable. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound left-handed slugger went 1-for-2 on the day with a walk, which might have been his best at-bat while facing semi-erratic, tough-slotted southpaw, and saw the Oklahoma native dig in and battle himself onto base. Free flowing the hands into a power position, Holliday’s sweet stroke works with impressive length in the zone as he tracks with ease, and the clear power potential is there, although his willingness to patiently wait for a good pitch stands out equally as much. That one pitch came on this day and he absolutely hammered it.


+ LHP Austin Weiss (MD)

Weiss, a Maryland recruit, was unmistakably dominant in a two-inning stint that saw him strike out six while yielding just a single hit (an infield single nonetheless). Effortlessly pumping out fastballs at 92-95, the pitch was near unhittable in the zone as it collected a plethora of whiffs against some of the class’ top hitters. Calmly working through a simple, repeatable windup, Weiss sat heavier on the back side while working aggressively towards the plate as the slot worked to ¾ from a lower release height with a deceptive (slightly) cross-body stride. The easy effort of that velocity seems to promise more on the way, but even more intriguing is the metrics that helped collect so many in-zone-misses against such elite talent. Weiss countered the fastball with a slurvy breaking ball at 74-76, and while the pitch showed as more of a near average offering, it was incredibly effective, especially against left-handed hitters, as the talented lineup geared up for the big fastball. The athletic southpaw, who also has shown a sweet left-handed stroke in the past, still holds some projection on an athletic 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame, and is likely to continue to gain helium thanks to the impressive fastball. Should the breaking ball make a jump, and these looks in a swampy North Carolina almost always see secondary pitches play down a grade or two (i.e. Chris Levonas), Weiss has a shot to explode as an arm in the class.

Standout 6 (Pitchers):


+ LHP Cameron Appenzeller (IL)

The talented 6-foot-5 southpaw was flawless across two innings that included two strikeouts. Working 89-93 with a boring arm action that delivered out of a low ¾ slot, the fastball showed more control than command in this quick glimpse with the changeup looking the part of a present and future plus offering at 84-85. Less consistent in this look was the sweeping breaking ball which backed up (somewhat) at 77-79, but still took shape, and is likely to provide an above average pitch in subsequent looks. What holds as the most important takeaway from this look at the country’s top left-handed arm was the fact that he did not appear to have his best stuff, but still dominated with clean innings and looked every bit like a future starter.

+ LHP Xavier Mitchell (TX)

Mitchell’s methodical mound presence has become somewhat of a calling card as an all-stretch delivery is never rushed, but always seems to pound the zone. Working 88-92 in his flawless, two-strikeout inning of work, the lean, 6-foot-3 southpaw delivered out of a near over-the-top slot allowing a 78-80 curveball to tunnel well. Intriguingly, Mitchell demonstrated the ability to manipulate the shape of the spin with a more 1/7 curveball being thrown earlier in counts, and a putaway slider-esq pitch burying late. Athletic with a quick arm, he continues to rack up quality outings.

+ LHP Aiden Stillman (FL)

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Virginia recruit immediately got circled as a must-follow in warmups as he flashed two distinct, potential plus breaking balls, and while the lone slider that he threw in live action at 82 mph with north of 2700 rpm was not his crispest, there are strong signs that he holds the weaponry of spin. The reason for the lack of secondary being featured was the fact that the hoppy fastball (90-94, 2500+) that jumped out of a near over-the-top slot got on hitters in a hurry en route to allowing him to rack up three strikeouts against one walk. It was a brief, stretch-only look at Stillman, but one that gave off some sneaky electricity.

+ RHP Sam Harris (NC)

As more and more clubs continue to value pitch tinkering and foundational aptitude for adjustments, allow Harris to enter as the preeminent choice in the class for that category. Though not workhorse-framed, he is impressively athletic at 6-foot, 180-pounds, and his ability to rip off a bevy of pitches with eye-opening metrics stands out. His two inning outing featured three strikeouts against two hits without a walk or run as he perpetually disrupted timing. A dynamic mover down the mound with a more aggressive rip out of the glove in igniting a fast, loose arm stroke, Harris worked 90-92 with 2500+ rpm from a ¾ slot featuring some heaviness at the bottom of the zone. Countering with a vicious breaking ball at 78-82 (3000+ rpm) that he manipulated the shape of like a wiffle ball, the changeup (81-82, 1300 rpm) was equally as impressive and profiled well against the fastball. Few have shown to match the arsenal that Harris presently holds, and he is likely to excite many analytics departments.

+ LHP Johnny Slawinski (TX)

Slawinski’s quick arm and dynamic movement down the mound was highly intriguing, and placed him immediately into the yearly group of Texan arms that might have a chance to pop. Wiry-athletic with wider shoulders at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds with plenty of room to add, he struck out four in two innings of work while allowing two hits and a walk. Working long down the mound with quickness out front from a near ¾ slot, the southpaw pumped out fastballs at 90-92 with more on the way, and exhibited aptitude for a pair of future above average offerings in a slider (77-78) and changeup (82-83). Athletic and aggressive, Slawinski is a highest follow moving forward.

+ RHP Mason Pike (WA)

The energy and electricity of Pike’s late, one-inning appearance was unmatched on the day as the real two-way talent hopped on the bump at challenged hitters at 94-96 with upwards of 2800 rpm. Aggressively driving down the mound with a polished, compact delivery, there is a slight stab/hook in the back before the arm works to a high ¾ slot. He collected whiffs up in the zone as he sent each fastball towards the plate with a “see if you can hit this” mentality. The slider was thrown firmly at 85-87 with true shape at a shorter, late breaking near-cutter look, and was hardly needed along with a brief glimpse at an 83 mph changeup. Athletic and competitive, Pike’s electric arm talent is something to follow closely.

Building a Case:


+ SS RJ Holmes (CA)

The Oregon State recruit just keeps taking great at-bats and producing. Setting up semi-crouched, the right-handed hitter rocks back onto the back leg with a shorter stride that allows the hands to take minor separation before ripping the barrel through the zone with a semi uphill path. Holding on two-handed throughout the finish, the compactness and strength of the stroke exhibits easy efficiency, and the gap-to-gap approach throughout batting practice might add even more power in coming years.


+ C Trent Grindlinger (CA)
The Mississippi State recruit’s frame is noticeably leaner with the same athletic strength and it has allowed him to move nimbly behind the plate before showing off a strong arm. However, it is the approach at the plate that has shined. Even beyond the loud barrels that he displayed from gap-to-gap in pregame batting practice, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound right-handed hitter has been on time with fluid movement through impact with an intriguing hit/power profile.

+ SS Jacob Lombard (FL)
The 2026 class’ #1 player hardly looks out of place next to the older group, but rather fits in nicely next to the elite prospects of next year’s MLB Draft. Listed at 6-foot-1, 170-pounds, his presence is much larger than that which makes his cat-like actions on the infield that much more impressive. The right-handed hitter went 2-for-3 on the day with a stolen base, and his ability to cover the plate was on full display as was the big power potential throughout batting practice.

+ CF Brady Harris (FL)
The youngster (2026) has been thrown into the fire against some premium velocity, but has hardly backed down. The right-handed hitting outfielder was 2-for-3 on the day as he upped the number of quality at-bats on the week with a multitude of deep counts where he got off great swings on a full selection of pitches. Working uphill with a slight leg hang, the Florida recruit’s barrel accuracy and controlled aggression stands out along with the fearless swings that he gets off.

+ IF Sean Gamble (FL)
Gamble, a Vanderbilt recruit, continued to take some great at-bats on the day, even without a results-driven stateline. On the barrel with tight turns from the left side, the ball jumps off at all times, even on outs. Quickly striking the barrel through the zone with athletic strength and a two-handed finish, he showcased some pull side power in batting practice before demonstrating the ability to cover the plate in game against some big arms. A hitterish vibe pervades his presence in the box.

+ IF Gavin Fien (CA)
There is heaviness to the loud barrel that Fien delivers and he picked up a booming double off the wall late in game 1 that more than validated the power potential that he displayed in batting practice. Hands held high from the right side a coil wraps the barrel in conjunction with a knee-knock stride before quickly turning to the ball with a more direct path that yields strong results.

+ OF Alec Blair (CA)
The long levers of Blair’s wiry-athletic, 6-foot-6 frame that should give him difficulty, do none of the sort, which has provided an impressive look at a player who is likely to be one of the most polarizing prospects in the class. Wide-based and spread out in a crouch, the left-handed slugger has displayed much upward progression since last summer with tight connection to the bat path as he still leverages his long frame. Generating considerable torque while keeping the head relatively quiet through impact, the power projection was on display in batting practice, but it has been the in-game at-bats that should drive up his hit-tool value in the long run. Impressively comfortable against a multitude of tough southpaws, Blair’s pitch tracking and swing decisions have shown an advanced look.


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