LA CITY SECTION PLAYOFF REVIEW
May 30, 2019
LOS ANGELES, CA. - Last week I took in four playoff games, the two Division 1 Semifinals then the Finals of D1 and Open division for the Los Angeles City section.
On Wednesday, Hason Standifer stood out as an athletic outfielder with some pop. In the nightcap Banning took on Marshall and there were three players that really stood out. Two Freshman, Francisco Franco and Shiloh Abito, both are young players to keep an eye on. The main attraction was left-handed pitcher Anthony Joya. Joya has a big frame, throws from an over the top motion and gets the fastball up to the upper 80’s. He busted out in a big way this spring and will be one of the top players to watch in the South Bay in the 2021 class.
On Saturday, Narbonne beat Marshall 4-0, behind a Steller CG from DJ Orora. In the Open Final, Birmingham defeated Palisades to win the 3rd straight LA City section finals.
Let’s take a look at some of the standout players from the week.
Banning HS
2021 LHP (Uncommitted) Anthony Joya has a large frame, young body and physical projection. He is easy pout of the windup and the stretch as he doesn’t over excerpt himself, uses natural strength and generate power from body. He has easy velocity as the ball jumps out of his hand, great use of lower half and pitcher appear faster than the gun shows at times. Throws from an over the top motion and creates a downward plane. His fastball has a lot of run-away from righties and in to lefties. Has so much movement on fastball he can’t control it, will get stronger as he becomes a stronger pitcher. Has loose movement on his curve and is a developing pitch. His curveball will get stronger as he matures, becomes a smarter pitcher and becomes a true strikeout pitch. His changeup is good deception from fastball, doesn’t throw much. Has okay control, will get better as he matures. He is a competitor on the mound. Went 5 innings, giving up 4 hits, giving up 4 runs, walking three and striking out 10 batters. He ended the day with 17 swing and misses and 8 of the coming on strikeouts.
2022 INF (Uncommitted) Francisco Franco medium frame, is skinny, young, athletic body with wiry strength. Has a line drive approach, uses the whole field and makes consistent contact. Has a compact swing and very repeatable. He doesn’t flash any power. He might as he adds weight and strength as he is very skinny right now. He has quick feet and a medium stride. He is a threat on the base paths, gets good reads on the paths recorded 2 stolen bases on Wednesday. Has an average arm and carries through the ball. His mechanics are good get better as he matures and adds games. Gets good reads off the bat, proper first step and average range. Has a good feel at the plate and good approach that strong for his age. On Wednesday he recorded 4 hits, all singles.
2022 C (Uncommitted) Shiloh Abito Smaller frame, young body and wiry strength. Has a line drive approach at the plate, compact line drive swing. He makes good contact at the plate and good approach for his age. Doesn’t flash power at the time. Average arm strength and carries through the ball. He does take a shuffle behind the plate to help his throw to second, recorded 2.15-2.3 pop-time. He did a good job behind the plate, blocking the ball and catching a good game. Did a strong job catching a pitcher with a lot of movement on his pitches. He has a medium stride and quick feet. IS a threat on the base paths as he did steal one base. On Wednesday he recorded one hit.
Narbonne HS
2020 OF (Uncommitted) Hason Standifer has a tall frame, is skinny with wiry strength and athletic movements. He has a gap-to-gap approach at the plate, very balanced and uses the whole field. flashes some power with present approach. Quick feet, medium stride and is a threat on the base paths. Is athletic on the base paths as he is a smooth runner. Has an average arm strength and carries through the throw. Proper first step, good reads off the bat and shows athleticism in center. Strong range can make the plays in the gap. IS aggressive in the infield and at the plate. On Wednesday he recorded a double in the 8th inning that loaded the bases and eventually helped Narbonne win the game. On Saturday he was one for three with a single.
2021 RHP (Uncommitted) DJ Orona smaller frame, young body and physical projection. Orona went out on the biggest stage and didn’t disappoint. His fastball is not overpowering, he commands the pitch for a strike and paints black to black. Developing off-speed pitch that he was able to drop in for strikes. Had a good presence on the mound that was strong for his age and stage. His command was strong as he was not overpowering but won with command. On the biggest stage Orona threw a CG, allowing 5 hits, 1 walk and striking out 7 batters. He had 13 swing and misses and was able to keep the Marshall hitters at bay all day.
Marshall HS
2019 RHP/INF (Uncommitted) Declan O’Hare has a large frame, young, athletic with long limbs. He is easy out of the windup and the stretch, whippy arm action and does a nice job hiding the ball. Has a longer arm motion and generates power from natural strength. Has easy velocity on fastball, good extension and looks faster than it actually is. Has some movement and run on his fastball. His slider is slower, can be a strikeout pitch when he commands. Was consistently around the plate and had a good presence on the mound. He pitched to his strengths and appeared confident in his stuff. He went two innings on Saturday not surrendering a. run giving marshal a shot to comeback.
2020 SS (Uncommitted) Joshua Lee medium frame, is strong and athletic. Had a line drive approach at the plate, make consistent contact and uses the whole field. He didn’t flash much power. Had quick feet, medium stride recorded a 4.4 home to first time. Had a strong arm at short and carried through the ball. His mechanics where on point and consistent. Good reads off the bat, fields the ball smoothly with proper funnel. Good range can make the play up the middle and in the 5-6 hole. Is aggressive and believes he makes every play. Didn't record a hit but made contact and had quality at-bats.
Birmingham HS
2019 C (University of Washington) Johnny Tincher has a small frame, strong lower half. Has a line drive approach and makes consistent contact. Is a tough out at the plate as he fouls off tough pitches. IS a smart hitter and a perfect leadoff hitter. Doesn’t flash much power. Has quick feet and a shorter stride. Is a threat on the base paths. Has a strong arm behind the plate and carries through the ball. He is a wall behind the plate and keeps the running game in check. He recorded a 1.96- 2.03 pop-time. HE is the heart and soul of the team. He is a very tough player as he hurt his thumb and stayed in the game. Didn’t record a hit but did grind out some at bats for walks.
2019 3B/1B (Uncommitted) Kevin Olmos tall frame, strong, athletic frame and young body. Operates from a slightly open setup. Has a gap-to-gap approach uses the whole field and makes consistent contact. Makes loud contact and flashes some power. Has quick feet, medium stride and doesn’t seem to be a threat on the base paths. Has a strong arm at 3B, carries through the ball and consistent mechanics. He gets good reads off the bat, funnels the ball and fields it smoothly. Has range at 3b and can make the play in the 5-6 hole. Good action and smart indicts. Didi record 2 hits and Saturday and have two rbis.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| Inland Empire Futures Games Trials | CA | 06/01 | Norco High School |
| SoCal ProCase | CA | 06/08 | Hart Park |
| Northern California ProCase | CA | 06/09 | Delta College - Nick Cecchetti Field |
| Bay Area Open Showcase | CA | 06/26 | Laney College |
| Inland Empire Top Prospect ID | CA | 07/23 | Santiago High School |
| Norcal Top Prospect ID | CA | 07/24 | St. Mary's College |
| Junior Future Games / Future Games | NATIONAL | 07/30 | LakePoint |
| Rising Stars Showcase | CA | 09/21 | Santiago High School |