Prep Baseball Report

On the Hunt: Jupiter Day 1


Shooter Hunt
National Crosschecker



By Shooter Hunt
National Crosschecker
@ShooterHunt


The World Wood Bat Championship in Jupiter Florida kicked off Thursday with players from all across the country hoping to showcase their talents for the many scouts in attendance. A banner year for high school talent in the 2018 draft class, many of those players were on hand, and will continue to be throughout the weekend. Day one saw some players getting acclimated to the big stage, while others jumped directly into the spotlight with big days. Below are just some of the players who stood out from Day 1:

Nick Decker OF / Seneca, NJ / 2018

Decker showed off why he is one of the better power threats in the 2018 class as he smashed a two-strike triple off the right field wall in his first at-bat. The proportionally built, muscular 6-foot, 195-pounder fouled off some tough pitches before sending the ball flying to the wall. His hands flow freely back in sync with a short stride before his barrel works flat through the zone showing lag and power with a loose finish. He would later double in the game to round out an excellent day.

 


Brandon Howlett 3B / SS / George W. Jenkins, FL / 2018

The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder looks stronger than he did last year, and his frame appears to have matured even more. In his first at-bat, Howlett sent a 90 mph fastball off  the left field scoreboard for a home run. Howlett is gifted with advanced quickness in his hands, and his strong lower-half allows him the foundation with which to drive the ball. His final at-bat of the day was the most impressive as he fell behind early after fouling balls straight back, but worked his way to a 3-2 count, and proceeded to stroke and outside fastball for  a line drive single to the opposite field.



PLUS 9 MORE STANDOUTS:

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