Senior Games: Pitchers Analysis

11/10/18 – California Sr. Games. – Uncommitted - 6-foot-5, 205 lbs. Modern pitchers frame with high waist, wide shoulders, long arms and legs. Has room for added strength and muscle mass. Featured a 3-pitch mix today with his FB 80-81, topping out at 82. CB was 68-71and CH sitting at 74-75. Pulls head a bit to glove side on delivery, subsequently pulling his FB at times. Blake needs to take advantage of his size and really get into his legs and use his push-off leg to gain leverage on his offerings. Mechanically he is pretty sound, but with minor adjustments, he could be more effective.

11/10/18 - California Sr. Games. Six-foot-4, 175 pounds. Tall, skinny frame with plenty of room to pack on weight & muscle mass. We have seen Adrese on numerous occasions now and he keeps getting better. I see above average power in the bat. Defensively he moves well for his size and can turn the double paly and make a play on the run. His future may be on the mound, but an option option for a two-way player. He would be an excellent project and steal for some local program. On the mound we have seen a spike in velocity all around, touching 80MPH at the NCTB Underclass Tourney in July (3 months ago) and hitting 85 MPH on this day, CB touched 71 with action and tilt. He only has featured 2 pitches thus far but with a CH and SL added to his repertoire, Azzani could be extremely effective at the college level. Because of his athleticism, he could handle the add-on pitches and make the necessary adjustments. High ceiling for this young man.

 8/1/18 - Six-foot-4, 175-pounds, long, lean, wiry strong, long-limbed, high waist, large feet. Frame has plenty of room for added weight and mass. Azzani is a smooth fielding first baseman that plays lows and is aggressive to the ball. Shows athleticism and plays light on his feet around the bag. Arm is accurate and he shows the ability to make throws from multiple angles. The bat really projects for Azzani where he is strong and balanced throughout. Consistently squares balls up and shows over-the-fence power presently which should only improve as body develops more. Azzani shows fast hands and a consistent barrel path. Gets full extension after explosive contact. Azzani registered a 93 mph exit velocity off the tee giving an indication of his power potential once fully grown.

7/27/18 @ NCTB Underclass Tourney - Tall and slender and athletic frame. Long loose whip like arm action, high leg kick,  hit 80 mph and there is more that can be gotten out of that arm, particularly with more/better lower body usage. 65 mph CB. Good sink and arm side run on fastball. Pounded the zone well. Fields position well.

11/10/18 – California Sr. Games – Uncommitted - 6-foot-5, 160 lbs. Tall, lanky frame with plenty of room to add on strength and muscle mass. Featured a 3-pich mix of FB, 78-81, touching 82, CH exhibited fading action at 75-76 and a diving Split Finger FB at 73-75. McKay displays a repeatable delivery with good arm action and a feel for pitching. If he added another pitch to his repertoire he could be even more effective as a back end pitcher in the rotation. I consider him a blank canvas that can be molded into and effective college pitcher. Excellent pitching project for a college program.

11/10/18 - California Sr. Games. Five-foot-8, 165 pounds. Small, strong, compact frame. 2-way player that displays athleticism at both positions. Narrow stance, with leg kick trigger. Exhibits excellent bat speed and showed the ability to spray balls to all fields in his batting practice round. Currently a line-drive hitter that will produce high 2B totals. Defensively, throws were accurate to first base with carry and zip. Makes clean transfers, has a quick release, and can throw from all angles. Much of the same from previous pitching reports, however, with an uptick in velocity. On the mound Max featured his 3-pitch mix (FB, CB, CH). Max touched 86 today, something we haven't seen from him in previous viewings. He displayed excellent poise and energy in his outing today. Looks like his pitch offerings are ramping up just in time for fall baseball. Will be an impact player for Liberty this year.

8/1/18 - Five-foot-8, 165-pounds, strong, muscular, defined lower half, squared shoulders with proportional strength. Strong hands, forearms. Capello shows athleticism on the dirt with fluid footwork, soft hands, and aggressiveness in attacking balls and playing through them. Understands the nuances of playing shortstop. At the plate he's short to the ball while showing a very quiet approach. Keeps head down on the ball and uses a leg kick trigger. Sprays ball to all fields on a line drive. Shows a gap-to-gap approach. On the mound he keeps everything down in the zone and flashes command of his three pitches. Uses a compact delivery from a high ¾ slot with regular effort. Fastball shows some arm side run and consistently on a downhill plane. Curveball has 11/5 shape and late break.

8/1/18 - Five-foot-8, 165-pounds, small, sturdy frame with defined musculature throughout particularly through the thighs. Compact arm action in the back with a hint of a cupped wrist through to a high ¾ arm slot. Arm is quick and loose. Deliberate delivery with a high leg lift before landing square to target in an athletic position with some recoil to the arm. Fastball has sinking action on a downhill plane showing the ability to spot it side-to-side. Curveball has tight spin with late sharp breaking action and 1/7 shape to it. Pitch projects to be above average. Cappello is also an above average middle infielder with the ability to make throws from multiple angles and shows a quiet approach with sneaky power at the plate.

7/19/18 @ NCTB Upperclass Tourney - Multiple reports from different scouts at the tourney: Can handle himself in the box as he looks relaxed and loose and makes solid contact every time. He has good on the bases speed and can take an extra base when he wants when he gets on. His defensive skills are solid. He could be a little smoother with his transitions, but overall he is a strong player with abilities to impact the game in multiple ways. /// Stocky ballplayer that always looks to compete. He has nice footwork and quick hands in the infield. Seems to want the ball hit to him and can take charge In the field. Strong arm throwing across the diamond with quick reactions. Can spray the ball all over the field. Has a quality eye and does a good job with pitch selection. Aggressive on the base path that can read balls in dirt. Also pitches that maxed out at 82 but sits 79-81 with a firm fast ball. Likes to work in and can work down in the zone. Change-up is a great set up pitch and uses it well in mid counts. Sits between 72-74. Also has a nice curve ball with late action. Sits 69-71 and can use it any time in the count. Works fast with a good tempo and has a solid pick off move.  

11/10/18 - California Senior Games - Uncommitted. Six-foot-3, 200-pounds, Extra large frame with wide, squared shoulders with strength down to the wrists. Noticeable strength in the lower half with a thick backside and thighs. Starts tall before collecting weight on backside and driving down the mound where he gains ground after a high leg kick. Delivery is smooth and repeatable as are his mechanics. Arm is easy and without a lot of effort portending future projection in velocity. Atkinson showed a four-pitch repertoire with a fastball, curveball, changeup and slider. Fastball is heavy and shows tailing action into righties that he starts at the knees and keeps there. Shows the ability to run it black-to-black. Curveball is a present above average pitch with its sharp, late biting action with varying shape (12/6 and 11/5). Showed excellent command of the pitch. Atkinson showed feel for the changeup the couple times he threw it this outing, and the slider was a variation of the curveball with more sweeping action. Atkinson carries a 4.56 GPA.

9/9/18 - Uncommitted. At 6-foot-3, 200-pounds Atkinson may not be done growing as he carries the weight very well on his strong, athletic frame. There's noticeable strength in the lower half with strength developing around his squared shoulders. Compact arm action; he does a great job of using lower half to produce his power. Lands inline in an athletic position, however he falls off to first base side on occasion. Atkinson kept hitters off balance with a mix of a 2-seam cut fastball along with a traditional 4-seam version, and his curveball while mixing in his changeup. The 2-seamer was unhittable as the cut action on it caused hitters to commit early and unable to adjust. Resulted in lots of swing-and-miss. Four-seam fastball is heavy and works on a downhill plane. The changeup plays way up because it shows the same early actions of his 2-seam fastball before diving back in on righties. The curveball is a late showing, hard biting pitch which he shows feel for and command of at times.

11/10/18 – California Sr. Games – Uncommitted - 6-foot-4 200 lb big-framed lefty featuring a 3-pitch mix coming from a high ¾ slot. FB had some movement at 78-80 topping out at 81. His out pitch CB was sitting 65-66 and a deceptive CH at 70-71. All pitches come out of same release point adding some deception. Andrew sets up on 3B side of rubber on all pitches giving only one look to hitters. I think if he moved around the rubber to 1B side, he could create better angles on his offerings, intern giving even more deception.

11/10/18 – California Sr. Games - 6-foot-1, 165 lb recent Pepperdine Commit (12/11/18) put on a spectacular performance at this Sr. Games event. Josiah was uncommitted at the time, which was a head scratcher for our staff. He has some of the cleanest arm action we have seen coming from a high ¾ slot. Josiah displayed much of the same on our first viewing back in October during an inter-squad outing. Max fastball on this day was 87, but anticipate an uptick in velocity when the season rolls around. CB was 72-74 with some good tilt. Can struggle with command at times as he rushes to the plate. Displays excellent poise on the mound and works fast.

11/10/18 - California Senior Games - Uncommitted. Six-foot-3, 170-pounds. Medium/large frame that is long, lean, loose, and wiry strong with squared shoulders and large feet. Frame has plenty of room to fill out with continued maturation and physical development. Grier shows a three-pitch mix with command of two pitches and feel for the third. Fastball is heavy on a downhill plane where he works it at the knees or below. Pitch gets on hitters in a hurry as it pops out of his hand. Curveball has downer action with tight spin that projects as a power curve in the future. Starts the pitch at the knees before it simply dies at the plate. His changeup has the makings of a plus pitch in the future with its fading, sinking action creating lots of deception and making things uncomfortable for hitters. The improvement Grier has shown from August to November is significant and an indication of his future projection.

8/1/18 - Six-foot-3, 160-pounds, high waisted, athletic build with long arms and broad shoulders. Frame can easily handle the addition of mass/strength. Grier is a fast armed athletic righty that shows a little funk to his delivery with a short pause in the back as he loads and explodes towards the target. Fastball is heavy with downhill movement thrown from a high ¾ slot showing some occasional armside run. His curveball is thrown from the same slot and arm speed showing late 10/4 break. Grier shows excellent command of the pitch that he snaps off. His changeup shows plenty of arm side run while maintaining the same arm speed. Grier shows command of all three pitches throwing them all for strikes.

1/10/18 – California Sr. Games – Not much more needs to be said about Trevor Ernt. Our staff has now seen Ernt numerous times each and he simply gets it done every outing. Much of the same in this viewing, always keeping hitters off balance with a slight pause in his delivery and excellent command on every offering. I'm expecting Ernt to be a top pitching performer in the PCL and making a huge impact on a loaded Beckman Patriots squad.

10/17/18 - Ernt proved last spring that he has the goods on the mound en route to an 8-0 record to go with a 0.78 ERA. The uncommitted southpaw shows command of three pitches that he throws for strikes in any count. Simply put he just gets hitters out. He doesn't overpower hitters, he just makes them uncomfortable. I've seen Ernt pitch at least four times since spring and the reason he's so good is his unpredictability. Sure the coaches may call the pitches, but Ernt has the ability to execute them. Because of his ability to confuse hitters with his command of three pitches, Ernt has the look of a backend bullpen arm on the next level. An opportunity he should get in the future.

8/1/18 - Six-foot, 200-pounds, strength in lower half through calves, squared shoulders with long arms. Starts with hands at chest and maintains them there until separation. Bit of a tall-and-fall pitcher. Throws strikes with three pitches - fastball, curveball, and changeup. Fastball shows late run as it enters hitting zone from a near over-the-top slot. Curveball shows 2/8 shape with sharp, biting action from same arm speed as fastball. Changeup shows fading action while keeping it below the knees. Ernt maintains same slot with every pitch and shows quick hand/arm speed. Arm and body project for future velocity gains.

4/6/18 - Uncommitted. 6-foot, 200-pound frame. Ernt squared off against Corona del Mar which features five Division I hitters in their lineup and got the absolute best of them throwing a complete game shutout while scattering 3 hits and striking out 5. The southpaw features a three-pitch mix with good command of his FB (83-87 mph) and a curveball (71-75 mph) that he threw in every count. Ernt shows feel for a changeup that was a clear change-of-pace pitch on this day. Ernt shows the moxie and toughness desired in a starting pitcher, he never seemed rattled either after a hit or a walk before a huge crowd on the road. He has clean arm action in a repeatable delivery. He lands across his body a bit creating good angles and plane. Not an overpowering pitcher, Ernt certainly has the stuff and makeup to contribute out of the bullpen on the next level.

11/10/18 - California Sr. Games – Uncommitted - 6-Foot, 165 lbs with proportional frame and strength. This is our first viewing of Trevor. He displays a high ¾ arm slot with a simple repeatable delivery. Featured a 3-pitch mix with a tailing FB 78-80 topping out at 81, 12-6 CB sitting 68, and a fading CH at 72. Trevor kept hitters off balance and is a strike thrower. Exhibited excellent poise and worked fast. Trevor will be a key cog in Murrieta Valley's success this year.

11/10/2018 - California Senior Games - 6-foot-2, 165-pounds. Young, strong athletic body. Ran a 7.25 60-yard dash. At the plate starts from a balanced setup, with a smooth load. Has a longer stride, uses lower half well and in sync with good top half rotation. Good balance, average bat speed, and a consistent approach at the plate. He showed a level swing, with a short path that keeps him driving the barrel down as the ball enters the zone. Line-drive hitter and his mechanics are consistent. Has a longer throwing motion, throws from a ¾ arm slot. He makes accurate throws and has good arm strength as his throws has life, and carry. Registered a 82 mph, one of the highest outfield velocities of the day. He uses good mechanics and gets behind the ball. The mechanics of his throwing motion are inconsistent causing accuracy issues at times. On the mound Simon, a long, lean righty, really caught our attention with the ease with which he pitches. Gains a lot of ground down the mound and does a good job of hiding the ball causing deception. Works from a high 3/4 slot with an easy, loose arm and a repeatable delivery. Didn't overpower hitters with velocity but used his ability to command and hit spots to cause uncomfortable at-bats for hitters. Curveball shows late and he commanded it very well usually working at or below the knees with the pitch. Did an excellent job mixing locations with the fastball and his pitches giving the appearance of more velocity.

11/10/2018 - California Senior Games - 6-feet, 195-pounds. Has a strong, sturdy, young and athletic large frame. Register a 7.00 60-yard dash. At the plate he operates from an athletic setup that results in a smooth pass at the ball from a shorter load. Does a fair job of using lower half, when timing is on there's juice in there. Drags his barrel at times. Consistent approach with a plan at the plate. Has a longer uphill bat path with present gap-to gap tendencies. From the outfield he registered an 81 mph positional velocity from a short-3/4 slot with lively action. Accuracy is fairly consistent with life and carry on his ball. Has average hands with good feet that he keeps underneath him while thru and getting behind balls. On the mound Kenison has some projection given his loose, whippy arm from a high 3/4 - almost over the top - slot. Almost has the look of a prototypical closer. He looks comfortable on the mound and has a smooth, repeatable delivery before falling off to the third base side after release. Worked fastball to both sides of the plate and shows the ability to induce swing-and-miss by elevating it. Curveball shows late and is tight with very good spin. Lots of projection remains with Kenison who is fairly physical presently.

6/1/18-6/3/18 @ BAWS 2018 - Body type description remains the same, good body type. Balanced stance with quiet, controlled load using high foot; compact stroke with ability to recognize pitches and drive ball into outfield. Average arm showing flashes of more as needed at 1^st; good footwork around the bag showing quickness. Average speed with quick moving feet; 4.44 Home-1^st. On mound, simple delivery with hands going up/down prior to high 3/4 release; times where compact arm is very high, almost overhand. Fastball 79-81 mph, angle down through the zone and cut going glove side. Curveball 69-70 mph with slow downer action. Limited control in outing due mostly to timing of separation. Showed as a college prospect as both a position player and as a pitcher.

6/24-26/2017 @ BAWS 2017 - Sturdy athletic durable type 6-foot-0 195-poounds, good looking left-hander who checks off a lot of the boxes, good build, good athlete (made spectacular running catch in the outfield in his lone opportunity), fluid swing with good rhythm, catches ball out front and uses legs to drive ball with little effort, bat speed is good and comes naturally which will allow him to also have good bat control.  On the mound he has an overhand slot, easy arm, a little more rhythm in his delivery could really unlock some good down angle and life, wonder if maybe his slot is a little too over the top?  In any case, he has a chance to develop into a nice college lefthander, liked that the curveball has some velocity and good spin.  Does need to improve his feel of the zone and ability to make slight corrections when the plate jumps a little bit. 

11/10/18 - California Sr. Games. Five-foot-10, 170 pounds. Strong, muscular frame all-around. Open stance, high hands set-up at with a pull approach. Exceptionally strong lower half. Currently has gap-to-gap power. Strong arm from the low ¾ slot which caused some inaccuracy on throws to first base. Consequently this bodes well for him as his secondary position is a pitcher, where he gets some run & tail on his fastball and sweep on his slider. Is a 3B that displays soft hands and a clean transfer and release. On the mound Olvera showed a loose arm that slingshots the ball through the pitching zone with some downward tilt from a low 3/4 slot. Delivery is deliberate while the follow through is abbreviated after landing on a stiff front leg. Showed command of the fastball while the curveball was inconsistent in this outing. There's deception to his delivery given the slot and the movement that slot/release point cause.

2/24/18 - Uncommitted. 5-foot-10, 165-pound frame. Proportionally built, defined lower half with squared shoulders that projects to add mass to frame easily. Olvera did not play in the game we attended but did participate in pregame routine which was impressive and we felt his showing deserved some notes. Olvera shows above average arm strength with online throws that have carry to them. Always in the right position to both cut throws and to make throws after the cut. Very good feet around the bag and the athleticism to make up for bad throws with his body and glove. Attacked balls hit to him while under control and in position to come up throwing. Clean exchanges after funneling the ball out front.

11/10/18 – California Sr. Games – Claremont-Mudd Scripps Commit - 6-foot-1, 190 lbs. with sold frame all around. Strong lower half with high waist. Korson has a simple repeatable delivery and solid mechanics that allows him to command all offerings. Featured a 3-pitch mix coming from a high ¾ slot. FB topped out at 85 today with some arm side tail, but see an increase in velocity as he matures because of his leg/core strength. CB was 12/6 at 68-71, and a fading CH at 74-75. Really liked his ability to keep the ball down in his outing and pound the zone consistently.

11/10/18 – California Sr. Games – Uncommitted – 6-foot-1, 150 lbs. Small, wirey frame with long arms & legs. Pablo featured a 3-pitch mix (FB-CB-CH) with an over-the-top arm slot. Mechanics and delivery are unorthodox as it adds to his deception. Mixes it up well and keeps the hitters off balance. Will need to learn how throw more downhill and get into his legs. Misses up in the zone and struggles with command at times due to inconsistent mechanics. CH is best pitch as it comes out of same FB slot with same arm speed.

11/10/18 - California Senior Games - Uncommitted. Six-foot-2, 167-pounds. Long, lean, wiry strong frame that projects for future growth with his broad shoulders and large feet. Lizik feature a compact, loose, and whippy arm action through to a 3/4 slot and an out front release point. Gains a lot of ground working down the mound with an explosive back leg drive. He shows clean and repeatable mechanics with a smooth and easy delivery. Looks almost as if he simply playing catch with very little effort. Commands three pitches well with all of them projecting to be above average. His fastball shows some life as it enters the zone where it runs back into righties; it's a pitch he threw for strikes and induced weak contact with during the game. Changeup flashes plus potential with its late, sharp diving action as it reaches the plate; it's a pitch he keeps down below the knees consistently. Lizik's curveball also projects well with it's two-plane late, sharp breaking action and 12-6 shape. He induced roll-me-over contact with the pitch in his outing.

4/13/18 - Uncommitted. 6-foot-2, 165-pound frame with squared shoulders, big feet, long limbs, and plenty of room to add mass. Lizik is an athletic RHP with a loose, whippy arm that looks like he's playing catch when he's on the mound. Shows good command of two pitches presently in his FB and CB. CB has swing and miss elements and when it is contacted generally resulted in a weak roll over. Lizik shows excellent command of his FB presently routinely working black-to-black as well as up-and-down. Lizik has a quick delivery with a high leg kick before a drop & drive movement allows him to slingshot the ball out of his hand. Lands across his body which creates good angle and a bit of deception. Athletic, online landing that pulls him a bit towards 1B. Ground ball pitcher. Even keeled temperament throughout his start.

11/10/18 – California Sr. Games – Uncommitted – 6-foot-2, 175 lbs. Proportional sized frame. Featured a 3-pitch mix (FB-CB-CH) out of a ¾ arm slot. His delivery is mechanically sound, however he has an abbreviated arm action almost like a catcher would. Going to have to rely on his ability to command and locate all three offerings and mix up his sequences, as he will not blow you away with velocity.

11/10/18 – California Sr. Games – Uncommitted – This is our second viewing of Jansen in the last 3 months. I was impressed with his clean arm action and his ability to pound the zone, throw strikes and work quickly in his outing. Curveball is his out pitch in part to his deception and hiding the ball behind leg in delivery. Lublin does not blow away hitters with velocity. Jansen sets up on 3B side of rubber on all pitches giving only one look to hitters. If he moved around the rubber to 1B side, he could create better angles on his pitches, especially to LHH's, intern giving even more deception in his delivery.

8/1/18 - Five-foot-11, 225-pounds, large frame with a strong lower half and broad shoulders. Short arm action in the back with a wrist wrap. Tilt-and-topple delivery as he falls off to the third base side after release at a high ¾ arm slot. Arm speed is average with recoil after release. Fastball is heavy and shows run to the armside which he commands and is able to throw for strikes. Curveball shows sweeping 2/8 shape with gradual break from the same arm slot and speed. Shows the ability to throw the pitch for strikes. Lublin shows some pitchability and is a deceptive left-hander that projects as a bullpen arm.

11/10/18 - California Sr. Games - Cal State San Marcos commit - Wiegman has tall (6'5"), slender (175-pounds) frame that has plenty of room for added strength. After seeing him at the Top Prospects a few months earlier in the summer, the continued development for Wiegman is obvious. It starts with much better fastball command and more consistent downhill tilt to his pitches generating an uptick in velocity. His arm is loose, whippy, and fresh and projects for continued development as he add strength/mass to his long frame.

8/1/18 - Six-foot-5, 175-pounds, extra large, long, lean, wiry strong frame with long limbs, a high waist and large feet. Wiegman is a highly athletic righty with a compact, quick arm action that generates downhill plane from a high ¾ arm slot. Uses lower half to drive down the mound while landing square to target in an athletic position. Shows a fastball, curveball, splitter combination commanding all for strikes. Fastball shows downhill tailing action to the armside which keeps below the knees. Curveball is a true-two plane pitch with 12/6 shape that works down in the zone when thrown with conviction. Splitter shows darting action to the armside flashing late life as it enters the hitting zone. Wiegman projects very well as a starter at the next level given his size - which could easily add strength - and his present stuff.

1/12/18 - Long, lean right handed pitcher that shows all the traits of a late bloomer. Fastball worked 82-84 with movement. Nothing was straight out of the hand. His slider is more of a slurve with big, sweeping action that worked 76-78. Had a little hint of two-plane motion. Didn't throw a true curveball. 

11/10/18 - California Senior Games - Uncommitted. Six-foot-5, 190-pounds, extra large frame with length and proportional strength throughout the body. Squared shoulders with strength down to the wrists. Large feet. Miller works downhill generating good tilting action on pitches with his drop-and-drive delivery. Arm is loose, clean, and easy and compact. Mechanics are repeatable. Miller attacked hitters with a fastball that shows life as it enters the zone with some running action back to the arm side. His curveball shows late with sharp, biting action with 11/5 shape that he keeps down after starting at the knees. The pitch has out-pitch potential as he “keeps it away” from barrels consistently and generates weak contact when connected.

8/1/18 - Six-foot-5, 190-pounds, large frame with long limbs, high waist, square shoulders, proportional strength and athleticism. Arm shows a full path from a ¾ slot and is quick. Miller uses a drop/drive delivery with quick and free hips and front leg lift which lands towards the target transferring his weight to the front side and driving down the mound generating downhill plane on all pitches. Fastball shows cut action to righties which he commands for strikes. Curveball shows 12/6 shape with late down-and-away breaking action and has out pitch potential. Changeup is downhill has flashes of armside run which he commands and keeps below the knees. Miller is a highly projectable pitcher with a fresh arm who should continue to see increases in velocity.