NorCal Preseason All-State Quick Hits

7.28 60yd, 87 OF, 79 C, 2.12-2.22 Pop, 90 EV
Lee was a player I’d seen this Fall and he came out with a focused demeanor where he showed the ability to fit at multiple positions and the arm strength to translate to the next level. After a 7.28 60yd, Lee showed a quick bat allowing his hands to stay tight to the frame as he used his level stroke lining balls with easy carry gap-to-gap. Lee is an athletic frame and because of that showed off behind the plate and in the OF where his arm strength can carry him (79 C/87 OF MPH). From the OF the throws were firm and online to both bags with strong footwork and easy actions. Behind the plate he can keep improving his direction out of the crouch to 2nd base, but with his arm strength could make big leaps in this spot as well; throws were regularly around the bag.

7.45 60yd, 76 C, 2.11-2.20 Pop, 87 EV
Button has been a regular over the years at PBR events and continues to show tools to be a strong hitting/receiving catcher at the next level. It’s a wider shouldered frame that continues to shape with more strength as he matures. At the plate the hands stay at the back shoulder allowing him to stay inside the baseball and allow the quick, direct hands to have the barrel follow. Button worked each of the gaps with lifted and hard line drives before finishing the round with more loft and power to the pullside. Behind the dish he showed strong footwork and the ability to get the ball out of the glove and to the bag quickly (2.11-2.20 Pop, 76 MPH); during bullpens his framing was consistent and works well with his flexible body.

7.55 60yd, 77 C, 1.94-2.11 Pop, 92 EV
We saw Mock at the Area Code Tryouts in the Summer and the growth in his game and strength in his frame were noticeable at the event. The frame is still growing and with that said there’s still upside in the already impressive tools. At the plate the low hand, high front foot set up allows his strong wrists to drive through the baseball; he stays behind the ball well and put on a show as balls jumped off the bat through the gap and over the fence to the pullside (92 EV). During defense he showed a very quick release and great direction to second keeping throws on the bat with life (1.94-2.11 Pop, 77 MPH). Receiving was strong during bullpens and he showed his ability to beat balls to the spots when going to block.

7.36 60yd, 77 C, 1.97-2.10 Pop, 87 EV
After bursting onto our radars at the Top Prospects game in the Fall, Sotomayor did nothing to take away from his high ceiling during the Preseason All-State. Sotomayor has kept shaping his young frame and that has allowed him to decrease his 60 time while also improving his arm strength; the added athleticism carries over with his receiving/blocking. At the plate the even hands stay tight with quick turns allowing the barrel to adjust to locations and giving him the ability to whip the top hand through contact; the compact barrel is quick and able to drive balls through the pullside. During defense he was landing on the plate early, but made an adjustment keeping throws right on the bag for infielders to make plays. I lost count, but it seemed like he was constantly behind the plate for bullpens working hard for pitchers and using his strong glove actions to catch some of the higher velocity arms on the day. Add in his double-plus makeup and you’ve got a young player coaches are going to want to see.

7.19 60yd, 74 INF, 91 EV
Lewis regularly showed the tools to impact a roster at the next level during 2019, and he came into the first event of 2020 with his regular quiet intensity and ability to do everything on the field well. The loose and easy swing was on display again as he allowed his barrel to work upwards on time and on plane driving balls around the field early before turning up the intensity later in the round and flashing better leverage to the pullside; the type of professional batting practice we’ve regularly seen from him. On defense the soft glove plays with rhythm and easy athleticism moving around with a bounce in his step. The arm is compact and accurate from multiple angles and shows the ability to get rid of it; he understands when he needs to put more behind it and there’s more strength in the arm than the velocity shown. We’ve seen Jeriah perform in both showcase and game settings for multiple years now and coaches needing a high upside, middle of the field athlete should take notice.

7.02 60yd, 84 INF, 90 EV
My first viewing of Cole was a good one where the long and wiry strength frame is athletic and he showed very solid tools that have some space for more growth. 7.02 60yd to kick off the day before showing off a compact barrel that lifts through contact at the plate; the back hip really fired well and matched with his ability to stay inside the baseball as he wore out the RCF gap during his round. The fundamentals of a solid MIF were present during defense as he worked with a flat back and glove out watching the ball into his soft glove; the adjustability and burst in the dirt were noticeable giving him the ability to stick at the position long-term. Cole’s first couple of throws sailed on him a bit but was able to adjust and keep it firm going across the diamond.

6.94 60yd, 84 INF, 96 EV
Cal Poly commit. Butler has been one of my favorite players in the 2021 class for some time, and the tooled-up athlete showed why again during the event. I learned he’s still in basketball season, after playing football, and he claimed he was only at about 85-90% of where he needed to be on the diamond; there’s not many that can match his athletic ability (6.94 60yd). At the plate the explosive hands allow the barrel to create easy lift and there’s a strong ability to transfer energy up the chain and through the baseball utilizing a kick back matched with his locked in front side; linedrives carried through the fog into RCF/LCF/LF showing his ability to manipulate the barrel (96 EV). On defense he shows the ability to cover all over the shortstop position and the ability to break down to stay in time as he moved through the baseball. The arm is a plus for the position as balls regularly showed firm life across the diamond ending chest high (84 MPH); the longer actions could have long-term questions about sticking at SS, but I’ll take the live, plus arm any day. Great character kid with a very high ceiling.

7.20 60yd, 87 INF, 90 EV
Stanford commit. I saw a lot of Haskins in 2019 and he showed very well against some of the best in Northern California during the event. Haskins’ frame has added good strength to it and the body doesn’t look like it’s done growing; he could be over 6-0 in the near future with more strength helping. Keeping even hands and a high back elbow, Haskins peppered gap-to-gap with carrying linedrives showing an easy and efficient swing that has shortened up the barrel path to the baseball (90 EV). On defense he played with some of the best range adjusting to the baseball and allowing his quick feet to get into the OF on both sides of him. The glove work was impressive fielding everything with just the glove as he kept momentum to his targets before allowing the loose arm to make every throw a SS needs to make (87 MPH). Hard-working and dedicated to his craft, Haskins has a bright future.

7.45 60yd, 82 INF, 88 EV
Ramocinski has made really nice strength adds to the frame and it’s allowed him to have better top end speed since last season’s NorCal Preseason All-State. The high back elbow/high hands setup get the barrel on plane deep in the swing and that allowed Ramocinski to have easy lift with the hands staying tight and releasing out front; stuck to the middle of the field and pull gap with hard line drives showing solid bat-to-ball skills (88 EV). On defense he plays with more burst than overall speed showing easy actions especially to the gloveside where he made a nice play. The glove is soft and can react to the baseball before allowing his compact arm to keep it on the bag (82 INF). Another big season/summer could see him jumping up lists.

6.82 60yd, 81 INF, 91 EV
Lunsford was another player who has made big improvements in a short time from my last viewing at the Area Code Tryouts. The long lean frame has space for added strength, but he plays with top end speed and twitchy actions. At the plate the high hand set up produces a longer barrel turn, but the handsy swing can really whip the barrel head through the zone like he flashed during batting practice as he stuck to the middle and RCF with liners (91 EV). On defense he’s got good first step reactions showing range and the ability to work with the glove out in front of him. The arm is compact and has added strength, though there are times he throws cutters which will sap some of that velocity and accuracy.

6.86 60yd, 80 OF, 88 EV
Stanford signee. Eddie had another great summer being one of the better hitters at the Area Code Games for NorCal and the feel for the barrel gives him a true carrying tool to the next level. Running a 6.86 60yd shows he’s a top end athlete and that athleticism shows up in the swing as he keeps his hands inside the baseball controlling the barrel and using his fast hands to spray the ball all around the field. In the OF he moves well and is able to work behind the baseball catching it above his head and going into a compact arm swing. The arm fits the middle of the OF being very accurate with throws; was regularly online to each of the bases. If he gets to Stanford should be a regular atop the Cardinal lineup.

6.90 60yd, 82 INF, 87 OF, 94 EV
Santa Clara signee. Mugan has been on our radar for some time and he’s made small adjustments that have made great improvements to his overall game, but especially to his barrel path. He’s always been athletic (6.90 60yd) and utilizes it in his swing with a high hands/high front foot setup. The swing path has tightened up and allowed the upward barrel path to stay behind the baseball without some of the previous wasted load movement; balls were jumping off the bat and the easy swing produced HR to the pullside and deep into that gap (94 EV). In the OF he’s got a bright future with an above-average, compact arm that kept balls on the bag with life (87 OF); can play all three OF spots. At 3rd he showed good lateral reactions and some ability to open the hips while keeping strong posture and firm throws across the diamond (82 INF). A twitchy athlete that’s looking like a high-ceiling player.

7.39 60yd, 85 OF, 94 EV
Kansas commit. Cymrot has had two big years in one of the toughest leagues in NorCal (West Catholic) and continues to make progress with the bat. He’s trimmed up the body more over the offseason and the strength in the frame shows up in the swing. Staying balanced and postured with a slight foot lift, the late barrel speed finishes upwards and that made the linedrives jump through the fog into both gaps (94 EV); when he finds his pitch he’s able to turn on it and hit it out as well. Normally at 1st or on the mound, Cymrot showed some versatility taking defense in RF and using his arm strength from a compact swing (85 OF) keeping throws firm and online to each of the bags and flashing the ability to fit a corner spot when needed. Looks ready to be a lock in the middle of a deep Valley Christian lineup.

7.55 60yd, 80 OF, 90 EV
Sacramento State commit. Rodriguez has regularly shown an ability to handle the bat from the left side and that was still the case during this viewing. The body will firm up as he continues to mature, but it’s his ability to swing the bat that will carry him over the next few years. Starting narrow and open, the hands have a small load back on a front foot lift allowing the barrel to work under the shoulders as he stays behind the baseball; balls were jumping into each of the gaps and middle of the field before finishing the round showing pull power when he wants to create leverage. On defense he showed very good directions and angles through the ball with a compact full swing arm that carried balls to bases and was consistently accurate. Rodriguez looks like a strong left-fielder at the next level who can get on base and show the extra-base power needed.

6.66 60yd, 88 OF, 86 EV
Tonkel has been progressing with his tools every time I’ve seen him over the last year plus, but this showing might have been his big coming out party as the tools have made major jumps as the body has started to mature with still more projection available. Fastest run on the day with an easy long stride that made all scouts take notice (6.66 60yd). At the plate the tall, even hand stance works the hands deep before firing directly to the baseball allowing his strength in the arms/shoulders to come out. He worked the quick barrel on plane from deep and through the zone peppering the middle and pullside of the field with hard contact before he showed some pull pop to finish the round; more power is coming as the frame adds mass. In the OF that athleticism was regularly on display and plays with very controlled effort that looks easy. The arm is easy and accurate looking like a future plus arm for RF with the ability to keep throws firm all the way to the bag. Should be a big riser on lots of boards.

6.98 60yd, 86 OF, 87 EV
Cal commit. Dilworth has been one of my favorite 2022’s for some time and the projection in the frame is starting to take off. You can tell he’s been in the weight room with good added strength showing in the still projectable long/lanky frame. Athletic ability has alway been present and showed up again (6.98 60yd) in every aspect of his game. At the plate he stands slightly opened with a high back elbow, the barrel works flat deep before finishing high with strong direction to the baseball; there was late bat speed that produced easy carry to the gaps and he was able to get the barrel head through to whip some balls to the pullside (87 EV). In the OF, he’s a natural fit for CF with quick bursts out of the frame and allowing his loose arm to show easy carry on the firm, low trajectory throws. Another couple years of maturity and we could see Dilworth as one of the best in a loaded 2022 OF class.

7.20 60yd, 83 OF, 89 EV
Riley has continued to add good strength to his long frame after opening eyes during the summer at the State Games. The athleticism is present, but still not 100% tapped into showing that there could be another jump in the near future. At the plate the loose, easy swing has the barrel following the shoulders allowing him to whip the barrel through extension. We’ve seen him be able to produce loud contact in games and that was the case with BP as well as he drove balls all around the field (89 EV). In the OF that athleticism shows up most consistently where he beats balls to their spots and works through it with a long loose arm; can shorten up the load on throws a bit to be more explosive, but he was regularly on the money to the bags (83 OF). Riley shows he’s always having fun while working hard and will be another one to watch over the next few years.

7.30 60yd, 83 OF, 86 EV
King was a guy that started to catch my attention this summer where he showed off projectable repertoire on the hill and his showing during the event pushes him to a strong two-way player. At the plate the high back elbow stance allows him to stay behind the ball and allow the quick bat to work through good sequencing of the body; it’s a compact swing that has growing feel for the barrel as the worked the pull gap with what would be easy extra-base hits (86 EV). In the OF, the loose arm works from more of a mid-3/4 slot with length out of the glove showing fluidity in it and strong direction; he’s a good athlete right now and as he matures could be even better. King has the space for some big jumps over the next few years and adds his name to a deep group of OF and two-way guys in the 2022 class.

7.22 60yd, 82 OF, 88 EV
Fabian was another young player who had a big summer and looks primed for a big 2020 season. The frame has noticeable strength in the shoulders already and moves easily with some burst when needing to get to it (7.22 60yd). His feel for the barrel at a young age is noticeable working with strong hands and utilizing the lower half to drive through contact; the middle and gaps were all regularly covered with balls as Fabian showed good direction in the swing and easy barrel speed. The arm is compact with a short swing in RF and the ability to keep throws low in their trajectory; arm looked like it was still working to full season strength after playing Football with more available (82 OF). Strong angles from the OF through the ball show he’s got an understanding of defensive timing and looks to be just tapping his full potential.

FB 88-90, SLD 80-83, CB 78
Sacramento State signee. Haynes was a regular during the Summer circuit where he showed projectable stuff on the mound during the NorCal ProCase, but the off-season work he’s done is going to make MLB scouts take notice. The arm action is smooth and the delivery is athletic allowing him to get extension down the hill which has improved the life on the fastball through the zone. FB 88-90 consistently working at the high end of the velocity and having life through the zone; pitch showed times with some cut and ride up through the zone as well as 2-seam run under RHH’s hands. The Slider has taken itself to another level with hard biting action (80-83 MPH) with tight spin that was late breaking at the plate; threw one that had more CB bend to it but was also tight and late breaking. We’ve seen Haynes overall abilities previously, but his presence and stuff on the mound looks like where he will be in the future.

FB 82-84 T85, CB 69-70, CHG 70-73
If you see Rodriguez pitch more than once, you know he’s a true pitcher that understands how to set up and attack hitters with stuff that has continued to progress. The frame looked stronger and his actions on the hill suggest he wasn’t at his peak which could only help the overall profile. Rodriguez commanded the FB (82-84 T85 MPH) to both sides of the plate with strong angle from the 3/4 release while working with good direction and tempo on the hill. The Curveball (69-70 MPH) was spun well with a tight 11/5 shape and small depth occurring just before the zone and the feel for the pitch has improved. The Change (70-73 MPH) was also looking improved with similar armspeed as the FB and consistent bottom off that FB look. The velocity still has space to tick up and once at full stamina will be one for coaches to watch.

FB 83-86, CB 69-70, CHG 77-78
Sharp was one of the standouts from our Top Prospects Games in the Fall and the projectable, squared up frame continues to add to strength to it and improving the overall profile. The loose, live arm works cleanly and easily through the 3/4 slot while the hips transition down the hill, bracing and keeping good direction to home. FB 83-86 MPH sinking arm side and setting up that late breaking CB and CHG. CB 69-70 with cross plate 10/4 shape having hard bite late at the plate; the pitch continues to show above-average future. CHG 77-78 used it mainly gloveside with some hard tumble on it; should be a solid 3rd pitch in near future. The prototypical pitchers frame, Sharp should be a guy that coaches are on because more velocity is coming and with his breaking ball could be a weekend regular at the next level.

FB 85-87, CB 70-74, CHG 79
Brooks caught our eye during last Spring’s Easter Classic and the expected velocity jumps were on display during his bullpen. At 6-6, 175 the long frame still has space to add to it, as Brooks showed strong coordination of the lanky proportions on the hill and the continued projection to add more velocity in the near future. The loose arm works from a H-3/4 to over-the-top release and he regularly pounded the bottom half of the zone with strong angle from the 6-6 frame; the length in the stride has the ball jump on the plate controlling his effort and bracing the XL frame well down the hill. FB 85-87 running armside and spotting the down and in location. CB 70-74 slurvy bend, but was tight and the late sweep at the end will cause problems for hitters. CHG 79 showing deeper run off the FB look. The FB/CHG look help the slurvy CB play up and will continue to give him a chance to be a starter at the next level.

FB 86-88, CHG 70-73, CB 64-66
Cohen caught our attention during the Spring, having tightened up the frame since last viewing and showing firmer strength throughout the frame. Working with a compact arm that gets out towards second before working through a 3/4 slot and high front knee, Cohen gets extension out over a shorter stride and pounded the zone with three pitches. FB 86-88 MPH with darting arm side run sets up a strong CHG (70-73 MPH) selling the pitch and using it’s run off the FB tunnel well. CB 64-66 shorter bending 12/6 shape; located the pitch well to the gloveside. Cohen still has some space in the frame and his tempo on the mound was noticeable. Coaches will want to follow up this Spring.

FB 87-89, CHG 79-81, SLD 79-80
USC commit. Pace was one of the breakouts from the CCS Focus during 2019 and the progress he’s made in a short time suggests the ceiling could be as high as any for the 2022 class. At 6-4, 205, the long frame has some strength, but he’s far from being fully developed. Pace has tightened the mechanics allowing him to be more stable with the front hip and athletic using his high front knee to allow the loose and easy 3/4 arm to work quickly out of the glove and through the slot; the lower half is where a lot of minor changes can be seen showing much better stability and direction down the hill. With his length and the consistent release point for all his pitches, hitters are going to have a tough time discerning pitches and staying on them. FB 87-89 MPH was rarely straight having ride up through the arm side and hard run into RHH’s hands. The Change (79-81 MPH) tunnels off the FB extremely well with harder 2-seam sink that will be tough for lefties to get to. The SLD (79-80 MPH) also tunnels well off the FB with late darting cut away from righties. With his frame and stuff, sitting in the low 90’s isn’t a far stretch and by the time the 2022 draft comes along, Pace could be one of the best arms in the state.

7.75 60yd, 83 INF, 83 EV, FB 84-88, CB 69-73, CHG 76-79
Gennis was the breakout pitcher at the Top Prospect Games with poise and moxie on the mound matched with a highly efficient and low effort athletic delivery where his loose arm works well through the 3/4 release. There’s still added projection as his hands and feet are both very big suggesting another growth spurt to help the frame add to it. The ball jumped out of his hand on the mound with FB (84-88 MPH) being firm to both sides of the plate, a late bottoming CHG (76-79 MPH) and a tight and biting CB (69-73) that falls off the table. Add in the fact that he also can handle the bat and glove and Gennis might be one of the best two-way guys in the ‘22 class. At the plate the high hand set up works the hands upwards through the zone and his stability on the front side allows for some kick back that creates consistent hard contact working gap-to-gap (83 EV). At SS, his feet are active as he took strong angles to the baseball before allowing his loose arm to let it go across the diamond (83 MPH); tendency to trust the arm and playing back on the edge of the grass. The mound is where I see him landing in the long term, but his knack for the game is present and will be a fun one to see later this year.

7.65 60yd, 82 INF, 90 EV, FB 84-86, CB 73, CHG 78
Kelly was one of my favorite young ‘22’s to get to see during the 2019 season and he put on a show having a strong season in the West Catholic League. Projection has always been there and he’s starting to tap into it more consistently. At the plate the very high hands, squatted stance is athletic with a high front foot allowing the barrel to have a compact swing behind him before unloading upwards through the baseball (90 EV); regularly drove the gap and hit at my count 4 out of the park deep to LF. The late barrel speed is impressive and the added pop will continue to show up more as he matures. At SS, Kelly moves well using his big stride to cover ground with timing and rhythm through the baseball; the glove is soft and there’s good posture when fielding out in front of him. The arm worked from different slots keeping throws firm across the infield (82 INF). Kelly finished the day showing more arm strength on the hill as he stays over the rubber well with a longer stride allowing the compact arm to finish out over the firm front side. FB 84-86 with arm side run and life at the plate. CHG 78 late sinking action. CB 73 11/6 shape and small overhand bend. With the way he swang it and how big his frame is, projecting a power hitting/strong armed 3B at the next level isn’t out of the question. Expect Kelly to be a name high on lists this Spring.

6.96 60yd, 92 OF, 86 EV, FB 80-83 T84, CB 69-70, CHG 73-76
Gibson jumped out during this summer as a toolsy and twitchy athlete with easy burst (6.96 60yd). The arm is a true plus asset that he showed off both in RF and on the mound. In the OF the long full swing has balls screaming out of his hand to every bag with a quick, wrist keeping throws straight all the way to defenders chests (92 OF). At the dish, the open, high hand set up used a toe-tap to get on time and allow the loose wrists to have upward whip of the barrel; strength can keep improving the top hand finish on the swing as he matures. Gibson worked the RCF gap and middle of the field and when he got that top hand through balls carried with ease (86 EV). For good measure he showed off his two-way skills on the hill having his FB (80-83 T84 MPH) sinking and cutting through the zone with more velocity available, a projectable breaking ball showing overhand downer action (69-70 MPH) and a bottoming Change that started off his FB path (73-76). Will be a fun one to follow.