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Puma Classic 2022: Quick Hits- Pitchers

September 13, 2022
David Seifert & Tad Slowik

On Sept. 9 and 10 the PBR JUCO staff facilitated its annual Puma Classic at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. This year’s event featured 30 junior college programs, 14 of which held a place on PBR JUCO’s 2022 season rankings. Given the increasingly talent-laden landscape that’s inundating the JUCO environment year in and year out, this fall’s Puma Classic was the most well-attended event to date – from players and programs, to recruiting coordinators and MLB scouts.

There was something for everybody. MLB scouts were able to identify JUCO players to add to their spring follow lists, and collegiate coaches were hunting the kinds of players that can reinforce their rosters this time next year. Even onlookers had something to watch for, as these exhibition games still featured the special kind of energy and excitement that only JUCO ball can provide.

Earlier, we published our Quick Hits on the event's top position player prospects, which you can find here. We're covering the event's top pitchers within this piece below, and keep an eye out for additional content set to roll the rest of this week, stemming from this year's Puma Classic.


QUICK HITS


PITCHERS (LISTED ALPHABETICALLY)

+ Peyton Apps, RHP, Kaskaskia: Listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, the right-hander was up to 90 mph with a quality slider in his two scoreless innings pitched.

+ Zach Duenas, RHP, Olney Central: The 6-foot-10 righty uses his height as leverage getting downhill on hitters. Duenas generates fast arm speed and extension to get his 90-92 mph fastball on hitters quickly. His arm speed also generates quality spin on a sharp, downer curve, 73-74 mph, that has late bite. Athletic to repeat delivery and throw strikes. Plenty of upside with room to fill out a 6-foot-10 stature.


+ Mitch Dye, RHP, Lincoln Land: Pounded the zone with a three pitch mix. Fastball sat 91-93 mph with life. Added a sharp late curve and a feel for a changeup. Dye was one of the top arms in attendance and his stock is on the rise.


+ Chris Gory, RHP, Dyersburg State: Looked strong in one quick inning of work, throwing just seven pitches for three outs. Aggressive and filled the zone with a jumpy fastball up to 92 mph, and a sharp slider, 75.


+ Isaiah Jackson, RHP, Heartland: Now healthy, Jackson cleaned up his delivery and is now throwing bullets. Played catch at 93-94 mph and touched 98, which is a new Puma Classic record. Not just a raw-armed thrower, he showed an ability to pitch in his second frame pulling the string on a 78 mph changeup, then elevating a 94 heater for a strikeout. Followed it up with the next batter with a 75 mph breaker, then painted 95 on the outer black for another strikeout. He’s a top-five round MLB Draft follow for 2023.


+ Jacob Jarvis, LHP, Jefferson: Strong, durable left-hander with a quick arm. Fastball sat 89-90 mph with late tail and occasional sink. Spins a sharp/hard, biting downer curve 76-77 mph. Has feel for change with deception and some sink. Athletic to repeat delivery; feel for pitching and competes.


+ Meade Johnson, RHP, Heartland: A favorite from last fall’s scout day at Heartland, the athletic right-hander continues to develop. With a loose arm to a high three-quarter release point, Johnson topped at 92 mph, sitting mostly 89-90 with spin rates into the 2300s. Also showed a low-80s, higher spin slider (2600s) and curveball at 75 mph with spin into the 2400s. Fair deception with high pitch ability. Pocket follow as a guy who could really come on later this fall and into next spring.


+ Dylan King, RHP, Dyersburg State: Loose, athletic right-hander with clean, repeatable delivery and arm action. Fastball sat 91-93 mph and mixed sharp 77-78 slider; filled zone with strikes. Easy, 1-2-3 inning of work. Combines present stuff and pitch ability with future projection in 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame. A top-five round follow in the 2023 MLB Draft.


+ Trent Koehler, RHP, Lincoln Land: While Koehler only threw a handful of pitches after a mid-inning move from shortstop to the mound, the athletic righty impressed with his delivery and arm action while working 90-92 mph. 


+ Louis Phillipe Langevin, RHP, Wabash Valley: Came out firing 92-94 mph high-spin heaters with a swing-and-miss slider (2,500-plus rpm) and firm, sinking 86 mph changeup. Pitch ability needs some polish, yet still a no-doubt draft prospect for 2023.


+ Kevin Matos, RHP, Dyersburg State: Athletic, balanced delivery. Low-spin 91-93 fastball with some sink, 1,800-2,000 rpm range. High-spin slider, 77-78 mph, measured in the 2,600 rpm range. Flashed 86 mph changeup, 1,678 rpm. Fastball got hit when up, worm killer when down. Slider buckled hitters at times. A bit undersized at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, but has some fire in his arm and feel for what he's doing on the bump. 


+ Agnel Miranda, RHP, Wabash Valley: Showed control of three pitches; fastball 91-93 mph with late life, slider 82-83 with tight, late break; and a changeup at 86, 1,470 rpm spin rate.


+ Drew Pestka, RHP, John A. Logan: Large-framed thrower at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds with a quick arm and low-spin fastball up to 93 mph. Also flashed a hard 76 mph curveball spinning into the 2,500 rpm range.


+ Alex Pipes, RHP, Parkland: Wiry athlete with whippy arm speed and athleticism downhill. Pumped his fastball in the low-90s, topping 94 mph with arm-side run. Spun a tight slider to pair, late break off his fastball plane. Dynamic arm that can be an impact in relief for Parkland this spring.


+ Matt Porter, LHP, Lake Land: Strong-bodied lefty at 6-foot, 195 pounds with on-line delivery. Throws with some effort. Fastball sat 88-90 mph for strikes and average life (2,100-2,300 rpm). Hard breaking ball at 76-78 mph is a now pitch with tight spin (2,800 rpm). Strong ability to pitch and throw strikes.


+ Logan Runde, RHP, Kirkwood: Strong-bodied right-hander with a quick arm powered to a three up, three down inning with a sinking 90-92 mph fastball and sharp 78-79 slider that spun in the 2,400 rpm range.


+ Zach Sabers, RHP, Kirkwood: Strong, durable pitcher's body; converted catcher. Quick arm speed, ball comes out of his hand easily. Athletic to repeat delivery. Fastball sat 90-92 mph with late life; slider 81-82  is tight, sharp and late with diving action. Throws both pitches for strikes. More in there; follow name from this event.


+ Hunter Small, RHP, Olney Central: Working down the hill with a quick arm, Small filled the zone and worked two scoreless innings with a 91-93 mph on a high-spin fastball in the 2,400 rpm range and he also uses a sharp, upper-70s breaker. 


+ Dalen Stewart, LHP, Jefferson: High pitchability lefty with a fastball up to 92 mph and an average slider, 77-80. Creates swings and misses when locating. 


+ Matthew Tarr, RHP, John A. Logan: True freshman up to 94 mph, sat 92, on a high-spin fastball during his inning of work. Spin translates to secondaries; also flashed a 2,800 rpm breaking ball.



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