NorCal ProCase Preview: Quick Hits

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LATHROP, CALIF. - The inaugural Northern California ProCase Preview event took place at Islanders Field at River Islands on 11/14/20. 35 players attended during the day, all but one in the 2022 class and 26 of these very talented kids are presently uncommitted, including the one 2023 participant.

The focus, from our PBR perspective, was to invite players we feel will be in contention for invitations to Northern CA ProCase 2021. The event has quickly become a staple event for the MLB scouts and top players in the region, taking place right after the MLB draft when the scouts turn their attention to the next draft class.

The ProCase generally has somewhere around 30 players in attendance, so it is very exclusive. It would be easy to simply roll down the ranking of the 2022 class and invite the top 30 players, but that would do a disservice to all the players who are working everyday to fight for their spot, both in the rakings, at events like Area Codes, and ultimately, near the top of the MLB draft. This event, the first of this nature we have run, wasn't a ProCase tryout per se' but rather, a preview of some of the talent that will be in consideration for ProCase 2021.

Players were put through a traditional showcase workout utilizing TrackMan in the live BP session for exit velocity metrics, as well as estimated distance and launch angle. Blast Motion was also used during BP, measuring bat speed, rotational acceleration, attack angle, and on-plane efficiency. TrackMan was also used for pitchers during their main mound pitching session, tracking velocity, spin rate, as well as all the other more advanced data points.

We will publish position breakdowns in the coming days/weeks along with various leaderboards from data provided by our data partners. Until then we’ll take at some early standouts in this edition of Quick Hits, with a heavy focus simply on some of the metric data and raw stats.

(Click through to individual players profiles for full stats and video when available)

Listed alphabetically (side note... seems like Palma HS in Salinas is a team to watch in 2021... fingers crossed for a CA 2021 season):

NOTE: The morning was cool, the 60s could fairly be considered faster than the listed times and many/most of the exit velocities were produced with wood bats.

Joseph Cardinale SS / 2B / Palma, CA / 2022 5-foot-11, 178-lbs, R/R - Uncommitted; 93 mph EV, 90 SS mph, 7.25 60, 67.4% line drive, 70.6 max bat speed (67.1 avg), 16.6 max rotational acceleration (12.41 avg), 72% on plane efficiency. Watching the BP round the hit tools look usable and throwing/fielding in the INF portion will play at multiple INF spots.

Cole Fellows 2B / OF / Clovis North, CA / 2022 Rankings  StateRank: 132 / POS: 2 6-foot-1, 190, L/R - Uncommitted; 95 mph EV, 78 SS mph, 82 OF mph, 6.95 60, 68.5% fly ball, 74.7 max bat speed (67.28 avg), 23.5 peak hand speed (22 avg), 13.4 max rotational acceleration, 71% on plane efficiency. The defensive profile is TBD but the LHH profile with his speed and strength projects very well.

Logan Gibson OF / RHP / Modesto Christian , CA / 2022 Rankings  StateRank: 139 / POS: 21 5-foot-10, 160-lbs, R/R - Uncommitted; 92 OF mph, 6.79 60, 94 mph EV, FB T86, 25% line drive, 56.3% fly ball, 77.10 max bat speed (69.52 avg), 10.1 max rotational acceleration, FB max spin 2289, 15 avg FB IVB, CB max spin 2222, -13.6 CB max IVB. The twitchy tools always show up, now has more strength.

Cole McGowan OF / SS / Redwood, CA / 2022 5-foot-10, 160-lbs, L/R - UC Irvine commit; 6.74 60, 93 mph EV, 85 OF mph, 56.3% hard hit, 71.4 max bat speed (65.44 avg), 24.8 max hand speed (21.78 avg), 25.4 max rotational acceleration (21.51 avg), 69% on plane efficiency. The 60 was a tick slower than we've seen (cold morning) but his twitch is real.

Jaron Nevarez OF / San Ramon Valley, CA / 2022 Rankings  StateRank: 41 / POS: 6 OverallRank: 388 / POS: 72 5-foot-9, 165-lbs, L/L - San Diego State commit; 97 mph EV, 89 OF mph, 7.13 60, 52.9% line drive, 58.8% hard hit, 74.9 max bat speed (71.57 avg), 24.4 max hand speed (22.65 avg), 26.1 max rotational acceleration (22.34 avg), 68% on plane efficiency. Hit-ability is as good as the numbers, batting champ talent.

Danny Peters RHP / 3B / Palo Alto, CA / 2022 6-foot-5, 235-lbs, R/R - Uncommitted; 95 mph EV, 87 3B mph, 7.19 60, FB T88, FB max spin 2210, 15.9 avg FB IVB, 2146 max CB spin, 2271 max SL spin, 1386 avg CHG spin, 43.8% line drive, 37.5% fly ball, 73.2 max bat speed (67.19 avg), 19 max rotational acceleration. The future looks to be on the mound (heavy FB) but his BP round was stellar, controlled middle LD approach and EASY and a 7.19 60 for a player his size, on a cold AM, is something to pay attn to.

Sam Purgason 3B / RHP / Truckee , CA / 2022 6-foot-6, 215-lbs, R/R - Uncommitted; 96 mph EV, 86 3B mph, 7.15 60 (ran 6.95 a few weeks ago at event in SoCal), FB T88, 68.8% fly ball, 73.7 max bat speed (69.15 avg), 24.4 peak hand speed (22.73 avg), 14.5 max rotational acceleration, 67% on plane efficiency. The tools, size, athleticism and ease he does it is reminiscent of former U of San Francisco (1B) and MLB pitcher Jesse Foppert.

Max Ross OF / St. Francis , CA / 2022 Rankings  StateRank: 148 / POS: 25 6-foot-1, 180-lbs, L/R - Uncommitted; 96 mph EV, 6.83 60, 82 OF mph, 87 avg EV, 68.8% hard hit, 76.4 max bat speed (70.2 avg), 22.8 peak hand speed (21.2 avg), 17.5 max rotational acceleration (14.88 avg), 77% on plane efficiency, 62.5% line drive/fly ball. The swing happens EASY, the run/hit tools project to pro ball.

Luke Rossi 3B / SS / Palma, CA / 2022 Rankings  StateRank: 88 / POS: 6 6-foot-2, 200-lbs, R/R - Uncommitted; 97 mph EV, 7.09 60, 80 3B mph, 86 mph avg EV, 81.3% line drive/fly ball, 43.8% hard hit, 71.5 max bat speed (68.32 avg), 23.1 peak hand speed (20.76 avg), 88% on plane efficiency, 22.2 max rotational acceleration (17.81 avg). Simply put, has impactful and high ceiling hit tools.

Griffen Sotomayor C / 3B / Turlock, CA / 2022 Rankings  StateRank: 86 / POS: 9 6-foot-0, 195-lbs, R/R - Washington State commit; 96 mph EV, 78 C mph, 1.96-2.01 pops, 7.25 60, 87 MPH avg EV, 81% line drive/fly ball, 73.8 max bat speed (67.4 avg), 21.4 peak hand speed (19.95 avg), 21.6 max rotational acceleration (18.58 avg), 59% on plane. Catchers w/C&T tools and bat talent get pro attn.

Colin Spear 1B / Sacred Heart Cathedral, CA / 2022 6-foot-2, 200-lbs, R/R - Nevada commit; 98 mph EV, 74 1B mph, 88 mph avg EV, 388' max est. distance (291 avg), 40% line drive, 60% fly ball, 73.3% hard hit, 77.1 max bat speed (73.05 avg), 26 peak hand speed (24.29 avg), 20.7 max rotational acceleration (16.37 avg). The visual & sound of his BP round matched the numbers. It was a WOW BP, showing impact pro-type hitting tools.

Zachary Yorke C / 3B / Archbishop Mitty, CA / 2022 Rankings  StateRank: 81 / POS: 8 6-foot-0, 260-lbs, L/R - Uncommitted; 97 mph EV, 76 C mph, 2.01-2.12 pops, 84 mph avg EV, 365' max est. distance, 41.2% line drive, 47.1% fly ball, 74.9 max bat speed (67.8 avg), 22.2 peak hand speed (20.23 avg), 17.2 max rotational acceleration (13.13 avg), 78% on plane efficiency. The power is VERY real.

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