The Fall Prospect Showcase took place on Sunday, August 29^th at the Kansas City Royals Complex in Surprise. Our inaugural event in the state featured over 50 prospects from the classes of 2018-2021. Today, we start the event analysis with some Quick Hits on a few of the top performers. Complete data and video will be posted in the coming days with scouting reports soon to follow. As always contact [email protected] or direct message @PBRArizona on Twitter with any questions and/or information.

Young Arms Steal The Show

-2021 RHP/OF Augie Walters burst onto the scene showing impressive athleticism (7.25 60) for a 6-foot-3 155-pound high-waisted freshman. On the mound he ran his fastball up to 82 with good downhill plane and a surprisingly explosive delivery. One of the top prospects in his class.

-15-year old RHP Daniele Di Monte from Italy worked in the mid-80’s with his fastball for most of his bullpen before dialing his last pitch up to 89 with as little effort as you’ll see from a young pitcher. Di Monte gets on top of the baseball very quickly with a short, clean arm action and is a future pro.

-2020 LHP Ben Meyerson showed feel for three pitches and showed off a rare combination of plane and angle for a young prospect. His fastball touched 82 and featured excellent movement to the arm side at times. Strong follow in the 2020 class. 

-2020 RHP Kyle Ponzo has elite projection with his 6-foot-5 195-pound frame. He threw his fastball downhill at 82-85 and has a chance pitch with plus velocity down the road.

-2021 RHP/OF Spencer Seigworth is another young arm with a clean, low effort delivery that will be one to follow as he continues to grow into his 6-foot 147-pound frame. Already shows great feel on the mound. 

-2020 RHP/1B David Utagawa possesses a strong 6-foot-3 200-pound frame and ran his fastball up to 83.  Good follow on the mound and in the box (88 mph exit velo).

Junior & Senior Pitchers Make Their Case

-2019 LHP Cal Lambert ran his fastball up to 87 with a very clean arm action. Lambert has an ideal pitcher’s frame with a very strong lower half and plenty of room to add bulk up to. He does land very slightly open which can cause some timing issues in his delivery, but the sky is the limit for this top unsigned prospect. 

-2019 RHP Jacob Henderson is a very good athlete and his high tempo delivery and lightning quick arm stand out immediately. Henderson threw filthy 85-87 mph sinkers from a low angle that easily register as the best pitch of the event. He also mixed in a 70-73 slurve with consistent rotation that should continue to develop into a solid secondary offering.

-2019 RHP Tyler Magin has an athletic delivery and good frame with broad shoulders and a trim waist. He had the firmest fastball on the day working 87-89 with good plane for a 6-foot pitcher. His 12-6 curveball and fading change are both solid secondary pitches and give him a chance to be a true three-pitch guy.

-2019 RHP Adam Parra has a big 6-foot-3 210-pound frame and ran his fastball up to 86 with excellent downhill plane and good feel for both secondary pitches. He gets on top of the baseball very quickly on the backside and repeats well. He also showed off some of the best raw power on the day in BP. 

-2018 RHP Hayden Nierman impressed with a smooth, efficient delivery and clean arm action. He pounded the zone with an 84 mph fastball and showed feel for a mid-70’s changeup with excellent arm speed. Nierman has an extremely young body at 6-foot-1 145-pounds and there’s certainly plenty more velo to come for this projectable righty

Positional Standouts

-2020 LHH OF Noah Nithman turned in the top 60 time of the day (6.97). His quick twitch body also produced some of the highest end bat speed at the event. In PBR’s first look at Nithman he made it very clear that he is one to watch in the sophomore class.

-2021 SS Barrett Skaugrud showed off the loose wrists and projectable body that make him a very exciting offensive prospect. While his hands and feet work well on defense, making some adjustments to his arm action could elevate his prospect status even further and allow him to remain at short.

-2019 SS Noah Burgarello does everything well on the field. With solid actions and good carry on his throws, in addition to a left handed swing that generates lots of line drive contact, he is one to watch.

-2019 IF Thome Nickelson has a very athletic body with plenty room on his frame to add strength. He turned in some of the better testing numbers at the event, posting an 82 mph infield velo and 88 mph exit velo. While there is some crudeness to his game, Nickelson is also a very interesting offensive prospect with impressive bat speed and a flat path.

-2021 C Tanner Smith has a very strong swing for a freshman (87 exit velo) and made some loud contact in BP. Behind the plate his feet work well and should be able to turn in good pop times and his arm strength improves with age.

-2018 C Jack Silverman continues to improve behind the plate, posting pop times from 1.94-2.02 in the workout with 78 mph arm strength. Offensively, he showed the same bat speed/strength combo that have impressed at times throughout the fall.