By Chris Fuller
Kentucky Scouting Director

Yesterday we took an in depth look at the top pitchers by class from the Pre-Season All State Showcase.  Today we take a look at pitchers to keep an eye on and the best of the rest.  The pitching talent was very good at the showcase and some of these pitchers were very close to making the top list. Look for some on this list to make a jump over the coming months.

2013 Pitchers to Keep an Eye on

Josh Cain, RHP, Newport Central Catholic HS
Cain is a 6-foot-2, 160-pound RHP with a lanky, projectable frame.  He uses medium arm action, over the top arm slot, arm shows some stiffness, delivery shows some effort, fastball showed some arm side run at 81-82 mph, showed command of his downward spin curveball that sat 68-71 mph, falls of first base side and arm tends to drag on changeup that showed some arm side run at 71-74 mph.

Matt Lasley, LHP, Saint Xavier HS
Lasley is a 6-foot, 180-pound LHP.  He uses long arm action through a high ¾ arm slot, repeatable mechanics, good balance, fastball shows some cut action at 78-79 mph, curveball shows gradual 12/6 break at 59-62 mph, changeup thrown with good arm action and shows some cut action at 70 mph.  Lasley pounds the strike zone with all 3 pitches.

2014 Pitchers to Keep an Eye on

Kyle Fisher, RHP, Western Hills HS
Fisher is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound RHP that showed the ability to consistently throw strikes with all of his pitches.  Uses long arm action, high ¾ arm slot, good rhythm in delivery, throws downhill, fastball shows good arm side run at 82-83 mph, good command of curveball that sat 69-70 mph with sharp/late 11/5 action, good feel for very good changeup thrown with good arm action at 75-76 mph with some fade.  As mentioned, consistently pounds the zone with all 3 pitches.  Fisher also showed solid 2-way potential as a position player which will be featured in an upcoming article.

Ryan Hanson, RHP, Morgan County HS
Hanson is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound RHP with good upside on the mound.  Showed some rhythm in delivery, long arm action, high ¾ arm slot, throws downhill, fastball shows good arm side run with some sink at 81-82 mph touching 83, struggled to command curveball that showed 11/5 action at 69-71 mph, tends to slow arm slightly on changeup that sat 70-73 mph.  Hanson is in the middle of basketball season, would expect to see more velocity and better feel for secondary pitches this spring.

Jared Proctor, LHP, Nelson County HS
Proctor is a 5-foot-10, 150-poiund LHP.  Uses long arm action, high ¾ to over the top arm slot, delivery requires some effort, fastball is straight at 81-83 mph, curveball shows tight spin and good when down in the zone at 65-66 mph with 1/7 action, arm tends to drag on curveball out of the stretch leaving it up, showed better command of slider, gets around changeup that showed some cut action at 76 mph, shows 2-way potential as outfielder which will be featured in upcoming article.

Zachary Barker, LHP, Western Hills HS
Barker is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound LHP with strong lower half.  Uses medium arm action, high ¾ arm slot, good rhythm and balance in delivery, repeatable mechanics, pounds the zone with all pitches, fastball shows good arm side run and sink at 80-81 mph, curveball has tight spin and 1/7 action at 69-70 mph, shows good feel for changeup thrown with good arm action at 73-74 mph with arm side run and sink, shows 2-way potential as 1B.

Griffin Neuer, RHP, Lexington Catholic HS
Neuer is a 6-foot-1, 160-pound RHP with lanky build, uses long arm action through high ¾ slot, good rhythm and balance in delivery, easy effort, fastball sat 80-81 mph touching 82 with some arm side run, showed good feel for sharp 11/5 curveball at 65-67 mph, changeup is a good pitch with arm side run and sink at 70-71 mph.  Neuer showed good command of all 3 pitches, showed good athleticism and 2-way ability as outfielder as well.

Chase Patton, LHP, Bullitt East HS
Patton is a 6-foot, 185-pound LHP, uses medium arm action through a high ¾ arm slot, good rhythm in delivery, arm shows some looseness, fastball sat 79-81 mph with some arm side run, good command of curveball that shows 1/7 action at 67-69 mph, changeup showed some cut action and sat 71-72 mph.  Patton showed 2-way potential as 1B/OF as well.

Cameron Ross, RHP, Conner HS
Ross is a 6-foot-1, 165 pound RHP with lanky build and room to fill on his frame, uses medium arm action, high ¾ arm slot, fastball shows good arm side run and sink at 79-81 mph, shows some feel for curveball that has 11/5 action at 68-69 mph, slider tends to be flat, curveball is the better of the two breaking balls, changeup shows good fade with near fastball arm speed at 71-72 mph.  Ross showed 2-way potential as IF/OF as well which will be featured in upcoming article.

Alex Ralph, RHP, Bullitt East HS
Ralph is a 6-foot-2, 185 pound RHP with an athletic build, good projectabilty, long arm action through high ¾ arm slot, easy effort in delivery, arm works and shows looseness, good rhythm and balance in delivery, fastball shows slight, occasional arm side run at 78-79 mph, curveball shows gradual 11/5 action at 63-64 mph, struggled to command curveball, good feel for solid changeup with arm side run at 70-71 mph, has good potential with better curveball development and addition of more velocity.

Darien Huff, RHP, Boone County HS
Huff is a 6-foot, 170-pound RHP with an athletic build, uses short arm action, high ¾ arm slot, some effort in delivery, fastball showed some arm side run at 80-82 mph, has a tendency to cuff curveball which he struggled to command and shows 11/5 action at 65-66 mph, changeup was thrown with near fastball arm speed and showed some arm side run at 74-75 mph, also plays SS which will be featured in position player write-up.

2015 Pitcher to Keep an Eye on

Matt Frank, RHP, Christian Academy of Louisville
Frank is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound RHP with good upside and a projectable frame.  Uses long arm action, good balance and rhythm in delivery, we saw Frank’s fastball up to 80 mph at the Louisville Prospect ID Showcase a month ago, on this occasion his fastball sat 75-77 mph, curveball showed gradual 11/5 action with less than fastball arm speed at 59-61 mph, changeup was straight at 67-70 mph.  Frank has good potential with continued development and velocity gains.

Best of the Rest (Alphabetical Order)

Alex Briney, LHP, Nelson County HS, Class of 2014
Briney is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound LHP with a projectable frame.  Uses long arm action, high ¾ arm slot, arm shows looseness,  fastball sat 75-77 mph with some arm side run, curveball shows gradual 1/7 action at 55-58 mph, changeup shows some arm side run at 62-65 mph, would expect additional velocity gains.

Alex Conradi, RHP, St. Henry HS, Class of 2013
Conradi is a 5-foot-9, 160-pound RHP, uses short arm action, delivery requires some effort, high ¾ arm slot, fastball is straight at 76-77 mph, curveball shows 11/5 action at 66-68 mph, tends to cuff curveball on backside arm action, throws changeup with near fastball arm speed and shows some arm side run at 69-70 mph.

Nate Getzin, RHP, Whitfield Academy, Class of 2014
Getzin is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound RHP with average build, uses short arm action, high ¾ arm slot, delivery requires some effort, 2-pitch guy (fastball, splitter), fastball shows some sink at 75-77 mph, splitter was flat at 66-67 mph, needs to develop breaking ball.

Nick King, RHP, Dixie Heights HS, Class of 2014
King is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound RHP with an athletic frame, uses long arm action and high ¾ arm slot, fastball shows some arm side run at 79-82 mph, secondary pitches need work, slows arm on curveball that sits 55-56 mph with gradual 12/6 action, also slows arm on changeup that shows slight arm side run at 65-67 mph.  King has potential on the mound with continued work on his secondary pitches.

Nolan May, RHP, Trinity HS, Class of 2014
May is a 5-foot-11, 170-pound RHP, tends to wrap on backside arm action, high ¾ arm slot, shows some rhythm in delivery, fastball is straight at 77-78 mph, lacked command of curveball with gradual 12/6 action at 61-65 mph, had a tendency to bury his changeup at 66-68 mph, has potential, needs to continue working on secondary pitches.

Dillan O’Daniel, LHP, Bardstown, Class of 2013
O’Daniel is a 5-foot-10, 165-pound LHP with average build, uses long arm action, high ¾ arm slot, fastball is straight at 78-80 mph, touching 81, lacked command of breaking ball at 65 mph, slows arm on changeup that shows some slight cutting action at 67-68 mph, needs continued development of secondary pitches, also plays outfield.