By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

The collective talent at the 15th Annual Super 60 was impressive, especially given it was early February. Already, National Supervisor Nathan Rode wrote about his personal highlights, in addition to our first PBR Podcast that covered the Super 60 at length.

Here, I look at my personal revelations from several individual performances on Sunday. By no means is this my list of the best players at the event, though many of the below names would certainly be in there. No, this list consists of players who surprised, improved, emerged to the fore, flew under the radar, etc.  

1. Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha West HS, WI (2018)
Kelenic is not a riser, as it’s hard to rise from being the No. 1 overall ranked prospect in the 2018 class. Nor was there any sort of revelation about his abilities, because, well, he wouldn’t be the No. 1 overall ranked 2018 prospect if we didn’t think he was a big-time talent. But … he heads this list of risers and revelations because, as the the only junior at the Super 60, I thought he was unequivocally the best prospect at the entire event. And by a large margin. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Louisville recruit is a true five-tool prospect. A left-handed hitter, Kelenic has a balanced, compact swing with simple explosive strength, along with advanced rhythm and timing. His barrel awareness and presence in the box far exceeds his years. He shows power to all fields as he recorded a 102 exit velocity with wood. Defensively, he has plus arm strength and true carry on his throws. He was clocked at 91 mph from the outfield, with all of his throws seemingly accelerating as the ball neared the catcher. Physically and athletically, he is rock-solid muscle with a defined lower half and proportional strength throughout. He kicked off his day by running a 6.61 laser-timed 60, fourth fastest at the event. And he did it all of the above with a substantial cut on his finger of his throwing hand.

2. Dondrae Bremner, SS, Bill Crothers Secondary, ON
Cincinnati recruit. 6-foot-2, 175-pound left-handed hitting shortstop; rangy athletic build with wiry strength, overall high level of projection in the frame. Of all the talent at the Super 60, Bremner may have walked away the biggest winner of the event, chiefly because few outside of Canada knew about his abilities and upside. Has has showed steady development over the last three years, and it all came together at the Super 60. Offensively, he has loose, athletic hands, generates easy bat speed with a simple, repeatable swing and advanced pre-pitch rhythm while maintaining balance through contact. Easy line-drive approach with power potential as he physically matures; registered 89 mph exit velocity with wood. Athletically, he’s a fluid strider, ran a 6.78 laser-timed 60, looks like a trained track athlete in his movements. Natural athleticism shined defensively, showing excellent range and hands, capped by a highlight-reel sliding play up the middle in which he popped up and fired a strike to first base. Has all the requisite skills to stick at shortstop. Was clocked at 85 mph across the infield.   

3. John Swanda, RHP, Des Moines Roosevelt HS, IA
Nebraska recruit. 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame, athletic build, plenty of room for physical development, young in the face. On paper, he didn’t turn heads with his stature or velocity, but Swanda turned in one of the most impressive bullpens of the Super 60. A two-way talent whose future is on the mound, he’s got the typical athletic shortstop arm action when he toes the rubber. Everything from his delivery to arm path to finish is athletic, clean and easy. Highly athletic arm, 3/4 slot, extremely quick at foot strike. Smooth, low-effort delivery, small side step, repeats well. Strike-thrower with three pitches. Fastball has late arm-side finish, 88-90 mph, works the bottom half of the zone. Curveball sat 79-80 with short, tight action, 11/5 shape, again at the lower part of the zone. Changeup shows plus potential, 78-80 mph with sinking action. Quiet, confident demeanor on the mound.

4. Jake Taylor, C, Shawnee HS, OK
Oklahoma State recruit. 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame, muscular build, defined lower half, strong forearms and hands. Offensively, was a clear standout, arguably the top right-handed bat at the Super 60. Advanced, quiet approach at the plate. Generates premium bat speed with little effort, simple and strong to the ball, barrel stays flat through zone for extended time, consistently barreled balls, center cut, to both power alleys with backspin carry. Mechanically quiet, repeats well, rhythm in hand load, maintains excellent balance through contact, stays strong through the ball. Registered 104 mph exit velocity with wood, second-best at the event. Highly athletic feet for his stature. Agile behind the plate, concise footwork out of the chute, moves well laterally, ran a 7.18 laser-timed 60. Solid receiver, shows soft hands, blocks well, flexibility in the hips, low setup, strong base. Pop times ranged between 2.01-2.05, average carry and accuracy, 76 mph from the crouch.  

5. Jackson Rutledge, RHP, Rockwood Summit HS, MO
Arkansas recruit. 6-foot-8, 245-pound right-handed pitcher, extra-large frame, athletic for size, with still room for physical development. Aside from his hulking stature, he made his presence known in a big way with his improved arsenal and velocity at the Super 60. Fastball sat 91-93, touching 94 once, with hard, late arm-side life. Breaking ball was vastly improved. In late June at the PBR Midwest ProCase, it was a mid-70s slurve with inconsistent action. At the Super 60, he was throwing a true slider at 81-83 mph with some power 11/5 late action. His changeup, too, had been overhauled, flashing arm-side sink at 83-85 mph. Shows athleticism in the arm, works somewhere between a 3/4 and high-3/4, with slight variances on his off-speed pitches, moderate wrap on the backside. Repeats delivery well for his size; everything works with minimal effort. Likely more velocity to come down the road.

6. Adisyn Coffey, SS, Delta HS, IN
Arizona State recruit. 6-foot-2, 180-pound shortstop, athletic frame with wiry strength. Put himself on the national radar in a big way at the Super 60. Features electric tools across the board. Quick-twitch athlete, showcased plus arm strength across the infield, registering an event-best 93 mph. Moves well laterally, fields the ball out front, athletic hands and arm action, ball carries with accuracy. Athleticism evident by his 6.70 laser-timed 60. Offensively, right-handed hitter, athletic, slightly open setup, generates explosive bat speed, takes overall aggressive hacks. Excellent pre-pitch rhythm, gets good separation, longer path, maintains balance through contact, pull-side approach with power potential. Registered 94 mph exit velocity off the tee. Likely profiles as a third baseman at the next level.

7. Glenn Albanese, RHP, Batavia HS, IL
Louisville recruit. 6-foot-6, 225-pound right-handed pitcher, athletic build, big presence on the mound with lots of room for continued physical development. Albanese has clearly been doing some work in the off-season, as he showed vastly improved secondary stuff along with getting more lower half involvement. The end result was an extremely impressive bullpen at the Super 60. For his size, Albanese’s arm is quick, loose and athletic out of a high-¾ window. Relaxed demeanor on the mound, good tempo and pace, repeats drop-and-drive delivery. Fastball sat 90-91, topping at 92; two-seamer had arm-side finish. Changeup flashed plus potential. Throws pitch aggressively, fastball arm speed, late sinking action at 81-84 down in the zone. Curveball had 12/6 action with some depth, around the zone with it. Overall, it looks like Albanese is just beginning to scratch the surface of his immense potential.

8. Matt Tabor, RHP, Milton Academy, MA
Elon recruit. 6-foot-1, 163-pound right-handed pitcher, wiry-thin frame, narrow-shouldered. Although Tabor may not have grabbed anyone’s attention walking to the mound, after the first pitch left his hand, rest assured he had commanded the limelight. And he didn’t stop until the final pitch of his near spotless bullpen, which was one of the most impressive of the entire event. Working from a high-3/4 slot, Tabor’s arm is highly athletic, clean and ultra-quick. He works with tempo, repeats his athletic delivery and throws three quality pitches for strikes, showcasing true starter’s stuff. Every fastball Tabor threw was 92 mph, the only pitcher at the Super 60 to hold premium velocity both from the windup and stretch. His fastball showed arm-side life to both sides of the plate while peppering the lower half of the strike zone. He throws both off-speed pitches with similar aggressive, up-tempo arm action, also for consistent strikes. He worked his changeup at 80-82 with arm-side sink. His curveball sat 79-81 with tight spin and shorter 11/5 action. Basically, he could turn to any one of his three pitches to put away a hitter.

9. Donivan Williams, 3B, Richards HS, IL
Illinois State recruit. 6-foot, 193-pound frame, athletic build with room for continued physical development. Turned in arguably the most impressive infield performance at the Super 60. Listed as a third baseman, but has the athleticism, natural instincts, actions and hands to play anywhere on the infield. Moves with fluidity and rhythm, advanced hands and overall glovework, highly athletic arm, showcasing the ability to throw from multiple angles on the move with accuracy and authority. Was clocked at 90 mph across the infield without much effort. Plays exceptionally well on the move, quick glove-to-hand transfer, overall head-turning defensive performance. Offensively, right-handed hitter, clearly has been working on his swing since last look. Hits from a slightly open setup, rhythm in stride/load, generates bat speed through the zone, showed ability to work the middle of the field, inconsistent path at times. Registered 91 mph exit velocity. Also ran a 6.99 60 (NOTE: He clearly ran faster the first 60 attempt, but the laser timer malfunctioned).  

10. Xavier Moore, RHP, Amherst Steele HS, OH
Ohio State recruit. 6-foot-3, 175-pound right-handed pitcher, wiry-athletic frame, long limbs, wider shoulders, plenty of room for physical development, high level of projection in frame. A quick-twitch athlete, Moore showed one of the more electric arms at the Super 60. Simple side step delivery, works from a high-¾ slot, high front side, ultra-quick arm at foot strike. Fastball sat 91-92 mph, slight arm-side finish with occasional sink. Aggressive with his slider, 80-83 mph, more lateral sweeping action. Also flashed a splitter at 79-81 mph with occasional sharp downer action.  With his frame and athleticism, it’s easy to dream on more velocity in the coming years.

11. Adam Proctor, C, St. Johns HS, MI
Michigan State recruit. 6-foot-1, 230-pound left-handed hitting catcher, physically advanced, extremely strong lower half, defined shoulders and forearms; possesses overall man-strength.Offensively, showed arguably the biggest power bat at the Super 60. Simple and strong to the ball, minimal moving parts, subtle hand load, explosive lower half yet maintains excellent balance through contact. Generates premium bat speed, consistent loud contact, uphill path creates lift with big pull-side power. Registered 99 mph exit velocity with wood.  Defensively, shows arm strength, throws have on-line carry, 80 mph from the crouch. Runs well for his size and strength, registering a 7.00 laser-timed 60.

12. Marius Balandis, RHP, St. Laurence HS, IL
Currently uncommitted. 6-foot-2, 191-pound right-handed pitcher, athletic frame with room for continued physical development. Known as the Lithuanian Lightning, Balandis moved to Chicago around a year ago, and therefore is unknown among the national scouting community. Popping a 94 with a few 93s and bunch of 92s will certainly help elevate his name. Balandis, who pitched for the Lithuanian national team, features an electric quick arm from a high-3/4 slot, longer uninterrupted arm path with inconsistent release point. Throws changeup aggressively, 81-82 mph, around the zone with slight sink. Curveball flashed erratic shape, 71-73 mph, early break at times. With a more refined delivery, he could continue to see gains while sharpening his secondary stuff. But his performance at the Super 60, at the barest minimum, made Balandis a highly interesting draft prospect.

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