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ProCase 2019 - A Look Back at LHP Kyle Harrison

April 16, 2020
Blaine Clemmens
Northern CA Director of Scouting

    

PODCAST: Northern CA ProCase

The 2019 Northern CA ProCase was held last June 9th at Delta College in Stockton and it featured all but one of the local talents who are in the mix for the upper rounds of the 2020 draft. Of course MLB hasn't announced a draft date yet and we don't know the number of rounds, which could be five at a minimum.

We've begun to build the roster for the 2020 ProCase, where the players will again be put through a pro-style workout with various stats/data recorded during the workouts which can be found HERE from 2019, as well as competitive at-bats/game-type action. 

If the event cannot be held at Folsom Lake College due to Covid-19 precautions we have a contingency plan to hold it at Islanders Field in Lathrop. We have NOT adjusted the date at this time and are constantly surveying potential necessary changes. We do have an alternative/contingency future date/location set.

Click on the highlighted player name which is linked to his profile with more video and notes, etc.

A LOOK BACK AT... 

LHP Kyle Harrison (De La Salle)

2020 LHP Kyle Harrison (UCLA commit) was named our PBR California State Pitcher of the Year after a season that saw him go 10-0 and lead De La Salle to a 29-1 season, including 28 wins in a row from the point they were 1-1 after two games. He took the ball in the CIF-NCS D1 quarterfinals and then again in the championship game, punching out 10 hitters both times.

He came out to the ProCase and as he had not faced live hitters since the NCS championship game, he opted to throw a pen on the main mound as the area scouts looked on, noting his body type, arm action, delivery, presence (yes, even in a main mound pen session), and of course his repertoire. Harrison threw at less than his 'compete' level, which has seen him get the fastball up to 93 while also snapping off nasty sliders. He worked around 87-90 (since then he's now frequently up to 94 and pitching at 91-93 in March of 2020), spotting to both sides, working at his own pace.

The environment could have been a bit nerve-wracking for some kids, but he seems fully comfortable being observed in a bit of a 'fishbowl,' a trait of a steely nerved competitor who trusts who he is and what he can do. Having seen him numerous times in game competition, that is absolutely what you see when he's in tight spots or when he has the chance to earn his team a win.

The arm works cleanly from a 3/4 slot, with an easy lift and somewhat up-tempo delivery. He lands with a soft but firm stride leg and as he sinks into that front leg he gains stability. That allows for a release point that creates a plane that gives his fastball quite a bit of riding action. He will occasionally get a little over-aggressive and force the ball out early, particularly with the fastball and slider. However, none of that showed up in his pen session, which gave a glimpse of how he goes about his work between starts and as he his working to hone his craft. Harrison has body control and maintains balance/direction throughout the delivery, which is clearly repeatable.

Harrison has both a curveball and a slider and though that can be a complicated relationship for many pitchers, I've seen him utilize the curveball to gain feel for his slider in game action. He is a competitive kid and occasionally will over-torque the slider early in a game but has the ability to slow down a bit and find feel by using the curveball, which he will throw simply to steal strikes and plant a seed in a hitter's head. It's not always that way, sometimes of course he has feel of the slider right away, but all the same it's impressive to see him utilize his other pitches in order to make others work for him. He's also got some feel of the change-up. A full four-pitch repertoire with both the fastball and slider grading out as future above average/plus offerings.

What seems to be apparent each time we see him pitch/compete is that he is mature and he is focused. Harrison seems to genuinely enjoy playing baseball, whether pitching in a section final, or hitting and playing 1st base, or throwing a pen for a bunch of MLB area scouts/crosscheckers. He's one of the top 2020 pitchers in the nation, not just California, and when the 2020 draft rolls around he will be in the 1st round mix.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Of course given the Covid-19 pandemic, future event dates/locations could change. If they do, we will alert all registered players and make adjustments to our calendar. 
SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
Norcal Underclass Games (INVITE-ONLY) CA 06/06 Islanders Field - Lathrop
Northern California ProCase (INVITE ONLY) CA 06/13 Folsom Lake College or Islanders Field
SoCal Underclass Games (INVITE ONLY) CA 06/13 Hart Park
SoCal ProCase (INVITE ONLY) CA 06/14 Hart Park
CA State Games ID (Norcal) CA 06/16 Islanders Field - Lathrop
California State Games CA 07/25 Southern California


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