Rose Looking Forward To Being Seen In Person

NEEDHAM, Ma. - After making the varsity team as a freshman, Peyton Rose was looking forward to a sophomore year at Noble and Greenough showcasing his talent for college coaches.

Instead, the seventh-rated 2022 right-handed pitcher in New England focused on improvement off the field after the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus. It made a big difference, as Rose discovered.

“This year, especially the summer, has been a big leap for me,” Rose reflected. “I chose to put the work in with no high school season. My work with my family and my brother paid off this summer and it showed at showcases.”

That began with the PBR New England Top Prospect Games II in July and continued with the Future Games in early August.

“I started talking with colleges right after the first PBR event,” Rose noted. “They reached out to me and my high school coach and it only continued after the Future Games down in Pennsylvania.”

Dennis Healy, PBR Massachusetts Director of Scouting, sees a lot of promise in the top-rated junior RHP in New England.

“Peyton is a big and lanky right-hander with a big upside,” Healy said. “The arm is clean and he shows the makings of a good spin pitch.  He is receiving high-level interest.”

ACT and SAT scores came in this fall which helped pick up the recruiting process even more for the 26th-ranked New England junior.

“I’m in close contact with four schools,” Rose pointed out. “I sent them video from the summer and called a bunch of schools one time. After that I’ve had repeated contact with four or five schools. The Ivy League is definitely of interest to me and I’ve opened up talks with schools in the Patriot League. That’s my focus.”

The 6-5 205-pounder has impressed during his recruitment.

“They like what they see of me off the mound,” related Rose, who threw three scoreless innings pitching for Team Massachusetts at the Future Games. “My projectability is good. Where they think I can get to is big.”

An A- student in high school, the 17-year-old can bring more than just a ballplayer to the college scene.

“Besides the baseball side of things, it’s just being myself and having them get to know me as a person and look at the work I put in at school,” Rose explained as to what he can provide a program at the next level. “Getting to know me as a person is important during these talks, possibly more important than pitching.”

Unfortunately, Rose was unable to show what he could do on the field once the pandemic hit forcing the cancellation of his high school spring season.

“It had a big impact on me,” Rose related. “I was really looking forward to last spring. As a freshman I played a bit, but was really looking forward to my sophomore year to see where I was at. Coaches really wanted to see me play in person.

“It’s sort of weird since now I’m being recruited with nothing in-person and traveling is hard. It slowed down the process which is probably the biggest thing that’s taken place.”

It left Rose working hard off the field while taking unofficial visits walking around schools near his Boston suburb home.

“Playing college baseball has always been in the back of my head but I didn’t know if I could bring it to fruition,” Rose admitted. “Coming to a new high school and making varsity as a freshman, I started thinking I can do this. It’s always been a dream and it became a goal my freshman year.”

Rose credited high school coach Rob Murray with playing a major role in the process.

“He’s been big for me throughout this unknown time of recruitment,” Rose said.

What has not been overlooked is the need for continued improvement.

“Mechanics is big for me,” Rose said of where he feels he can improve. “I think velocity will climb with that. I’m also striving for improving on the physical side as well as with the mental aspect of it “

Plans are to major in either economics or finance according to Rose, who has a timeframe in mind when it comes to making a commitment.

“Hopefully, I’ll be done with the process at the end of spring, but who knows what can happen,” Rose concluded. “Hopefully, when I get back on the bump, I’ll show big improvements. I think if we get to play this spring it will help me even more.”