Follow @PBR_Ontario

By Chris Kemlo and PBR Staff
Ontario Scouting Director

Ontario Insider: Class of 2019 Player Rankings (August)

With the 2017 summer season ending, and teams gearing up with new rosters and preparation for their fall seasons before we get back indoors, we revamp our 2019 rankings, expanding to over 100 players, with the entire class uncommitted.

We understand that the recruiting cycle is much different here north of the border than our friends in the states, that said, the talent in the 2019 class and the upside and athleticism a lot of these players have, cannot be overlooked.

At the top, shortstop Jaden Brown continues to hold down the number 1 spot. Although he is still learning the game and himself, the athleticism and tools are advanced for his age, and the bat speed he has is second to none in his class. He has improved his actions defensively, with better approach to the ball while the arm strength has been better. The first step quickness and the agility and range he shows will allow him to continue to be looked at as a shortstop.

There is some movement in the next few spots as 6-foot-3 left-handed Keegan Pullford-Thorpe slides into the number 2 spot in the rankings. The clean, easy actions of Thorpe and his ability to spin the curveball make the left-hander a very intriguing prospect. Pitched two innings against Team Ohio at the Future Games, working 83-84 mph with his fastball, he has been up to 86 mph this summer and the size, actions, and the curveball all make him the top pitching prospect currently in the 2019 class.

The athletic outfielder Dasan Brown stays in the number 3 spot while new addition to the top 5 are another left-hander in Caden Griffin out of Ottawa. A quick arm that works in the mid 80’s to go along with a sharp curveball see him come in at number 4 while big left-handed hitting catcher Owen Diodati climbs all the way up into the number 5 spot after his performance at the Future Games for Team Ontario in front of 250 plus coaches.

With some players re-classifying themselves and moving from the 2018 class to the 19, or some 19’s moving to the 2020 class, there is a fair amount of movement and well deserved additions to the rankings. A good mixture of speed and athletes, with some guys who can juice the ball, along with 11 left-handed arms in the top 100.

Ty Imeson, a left-handed hitting middle infielder with speed is new to the list, while guys like left-handed hitter Blake Buckle and 6-foot-6 right-hander Kyle Lev make an impact from the 2018 class.

With many newcomers to the class, this group is full of uncommitted talent across the board and make what looks to be an exciting time for recruitment in Ontario.

Below we take a look at "What's New“ and "The Newcomers" as well as the top uncommitted prospects and sleepers to keep up with.

To view the entire list please click here.

Movement In The Top 30

NEWCOMERS

Stanley Dean SS / RHP / ES L'Essor, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:24 POS:5 Scouting Report: Athletic player who can play anywhere in the field and is also a live arm off the mound while being able to spin the breaking ball. Speed is big part of his game, and Dean is one of the top athletes in the class.

Jake Brennan 3B / RHP / N/A, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:28 POS:5 Scouting Report: Third baseman who also brings some arm strength to the mound. Low-80s with his fastball. Left-handed bat with some physicality and strength in the box, one to keep an eye on.

Cal Brazier 3B / RHP / Maxwell Heights, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:38 POS:7 Scouting Report: Right-handed bat with feel for the barrel. Big frame with room to add lots more strength. Corner infielder who also gets off the mound. Big upside with the bat.

Jason Kauffeldt OF / RHP / Oneill, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:56 POS:10 Scouting Report: Athletic outfielder who hits from the left side and can run. Made a big jump this year and was selected to Ontario Youth Team. Tools there to work with, swing and approach have made strides since we first saw him.

Braydon Verschueren LHP / 1B / Glendale, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:39 POS:5 Scouting Report: Left-hander who has taken the next step in his skill set. Velocity starting to jump up and has the body and delivery to continue to trend upwards.

Jacob Breault OF / OF / Ridgetown District High School, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:44 POS:8 Scouting Report: Outfielder who hits from the left-side of the plate. Solid player who can contribute in multiple ways. Swings with bat speed and shows arm strength in the outfield.

Andrew Jawdek RHP / 3B / GDHS, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:53 POS:12 Scouting Report: Big right-hander out of Brampton who has been in the low-80s and topped out at 83 mph. Presence on the mound and goes right at guys.

Dionysius Chialtas C / 3B / De La Salle College , ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:37 POS:5 Scouting Report: Catcher with strong fundamentals and good feel in the box from the left side. Quiet approach and is balanced through finish, fits profile behind the plate, knows the game and catch and throw aspect has improved along with his physical strength.

Carter Arbuthnot 2B / OF / Maxwell Heights, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:70 POS:3 Scouting Report: Middle infielder who hits from the left-side of the plate. Nothing flashy, line drive approach that stays up the middle while good feet and confident actions with the glove defensively, solid player with tools to work with.

CJ Maury 2B / SS / Mayfield, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:49 POS:1 Scouting Report: Middle infielder with solid actions defensively. Moves well and gets his feet in the proper position. 5-foot-9, 155-pounds but swings the bat like he’s 6-foot-4, doesn’t get cheated and puts together solid at-bats.

Sleeper Prospects

Noel McGarry Doyle OF / 1B / St. Elizabeth's, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:12 POS:4 Scouting Report: Might not fit as a sleeper, but the rawness to his game sometimes gets him overlooked. Physical traits give him chance to be special. Shows hand eye coordination and very well could be the strongest player in his class, who also has speed as one of his tools.

Nick Fraser LHP / 1B / Nelson , ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:19 POS:3 Scouting Report: Left-handed arm who works in the low-80s but uses three pitches and a big curveball that has 2/8 shape with downward action. Pitchability is ahead of his age and competes very well. The actions are clean and added strength to his frame should help Fraser make that next step in his development.

Austin Gomm RHP / SS / Port Credit Secondary School, ON / 2019 Rankings  State Rank:27 POS:6 Scouting Report: Right-hander who repeats his actions well, works with angles to all his pitches and can spin his curveball with proper rotation. Dominant in his league this year. We expect the velocity to rise, currently in the low-80s but foresee that improving along with all his secondary stuff.

Top Uncommitted Prospect By Position

Below we look to name the top 3-5 prospects in specific categories for the 2019 class. Beyond the top 3-5, there are numerous prospects that can help a collegiate program in some capacity. Our 2019 class is one of, if not the deepest classes we’ve had. There are number of players still on the board that could help out a college program in some capacity. Here are some of the top uncommitted guys at each position.

 + Top Right-Handed Arms: Lukas Barry, Hayden Pilmer, Evan Elliott

+ Top Left-Handed Arms: Keegan Pullford-Thorpe, Caden Griffin, Nick Fraser

+ Top Catching Prospects: Owen Diodati, Blake Buckle, Ryan Leitch

+ Top Corner Infield Prospects: TJ Schofield, Noah Case, Zach Gardiner

+ Top Middle Infield Prospects: Jaden Brown, Ty Imeson, Stanley Dean

+ Top Outfield Prospects: Dasan Brown, Eric Martin, Joel Mcknight

The 2019 class looks to be heavy on arms, corner guys and outfielders as of right now, but the thing about Ontario, and for that matter Canadian players, is that there is so much change in these players over the next 12 months. Whether it be from a development side, physical maturity, or just getting into a more serious focus about baseball and how they approach their workouts. This group is talented, athletic, and uncommitted. We know that there is future D1 commits, Canadian Junior National Team Members, and MLB draft picks waiting to come out of this class.

For those schools looking to add to their 2019 class, the Ontario Top 105 rankings is a good place to start hunting.

PBR Ontario Class of 2019 Top 105

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Jaden Brown	ON	St. Marcellinus	2019	SS
2	Keegan Pullford-Thorpe	ON	Newmarket	2019	LHP
3	Dasan Brown	ON	Abbey Park	2019	OF
4	Caden Griffin	ON	John McCrae	2019	LHP
5	Owen Diodati	ON	A.N. Myer	2019	C
6	Lukas Barry	ON	St Aloysius Gonzaga	2019	RHP
7	Hayden Pilmer	ON	Leamington District	2019	RHP
8	Eric Martin	ON	St. Mary's HS	2019	OF
9	Blake Buckle	ON	Craig Kielburger	2019	C
10	Tyrell Schofield-Sam	ON	North Park	2019	3B

***** To view the entire top 105, please click here.