SoCal Top Prospect Games: Team Three Analysis

September 23, 2019
Russ Morgan and Les Lukach
PBR California Staff

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA. - The inaugural SoCal Top Prospects Games took place September 14th-15th at JSerra High School where players in the 2020-2023 participated in a pro-style workout before taking the field for game play. Players were selected to participate in the invite-only event after being seen at a prior event of throughout the spring/summer seasons. Players participated in two-games over two days after the showcase. The games were seven innings each with starting pitchers going to and two-way players only throwing one inning.

Earlier we released our Quick Hits, Stats Leaders, and Team One analysis from the event and now we present a breakdown of Team Three from the SoCal Top Prospects Games.

TEAM THREE ANALYSIS

Colin Blanchard C / 1B / JSerra Catholic, CA / 2021

Uncommitted 6-foot 185 pounds sturdy, strong athletic frame and projection. Started the day with laser timed 60-yard dash of 7.67. Had a solid round of batting practice where he sprayed the ball around the field. He has quiet hands and a classic left-handed swing, used the whole field and flashed a gap approach. He recorded a catcher velo of 78 MPH. Flashed a strong arm, made accurate throws to the bag. Recording a pop-time that ranged between 2.00-2.09. He flashed quick hands and footwork. Will be a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop this year and catch the quality staff at JSerra.

Ty De Perno C / 3B / West Ranch, CA / 2023

Uncommitted 5-foot-10 150 pounds, long, lean, wiry body with some twitchiness. He recorded a laser time 60-yard dash of 7.49 seconds. Then went to the hitting wheel where he recorded an exit velo of 74 MPH. Flashed a more pull approach on the day with a feel for the opposite field in the game. The strength isn’t there yet, but he is a freshman and that should come. Did flash quick bat speed and hands. He recorded a pop-time ranging 2.18-2.20. He sets up in a deep crouch, soft footwork and clean exchanges. Did do a nice job handling pitcher in the game portion.. Young player with plenty of room to grow and will be a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop.

Brandon Heidal C / Orange Lutheran, CA / 2020

Rankings StateRank: 188 / POS: 24

Uncommitted. 5-foot-11, 200-pounds. Strong, physical frame that is beginning to shed unwanted weight and adding strength. Heidal shows elite level catch/throw skills that are on par with anyone in the state. With pops in the 1.97-2.02 range with accuracy - his misses were to the second base side. Shows above average footwork on throws while exploding out of his crouch after sitting low with good hip flexibility. At the plate he shows a slightly uphill barrel path that favors the pull side. Consistently squared balls up during BP and in-game with great balance. Can be top hand dominant. Showing improved bat speed in recent viewings which is a tribute to his commitment to improving his physicality.

Jack Kirrer RHP / 3B / Mater Dei, CA / 2022

Uncommitted. 5-9, 155-pounds. Lean, athletic frame with some strength to it and plenty of room for physical development/projection. Long arms/legs and a high waist. Started the day running a laser-timed 7.34 60 yard dash showing an athletic gait. Defensively Kirrer showed smooth actions at third base where his soft hands and quick transitions were on display. The arm works there as it’s accurate with some strength (81 mph) across the diamond. At the plate he showed feel for the barrel with some pop to the pull side. Swing got a tick long at times, but his hand speed allowed him to catch up. Kirrer took to the mound where he shows a clean, loose arm action and the ability to work/command pitches inside and out. Coming from a high ¾ slot, Kirrer showed feel for four pitches with the slider flashing major potential. It’s a sweeping pitch with late diving action away from righties that was unhittable. Works quick and maintains his pace.

Evan Yates 3B / RHP / Martin Luther King, CA / 2021

Uncommitted. 6-foot, 152-pounds. Long, lean, wiry frame with plenty of physical projection remaining. Huge hands, long arms/legs, large feet with a high waist give an indication of remaining growth. Defensively Yates shows versatility by being able to play third base and the outfield and do both at an above average level. On balls off bat to first baseman’s glove, Yates registered times of 3.85 (at him) and 3.96 (backhand). Quick hands/release play up with his strong, accurate arm (78 mph) across the diamond. Throws were in the chest of the first baseman each time. Offensively Yates’s game played better in-game than during the workout. Shows a balanced, smooth stroke with excellent control of barrel and the ability to catch up to pitches on the inner third of the plate. Most present power comes when he pulls the ball, but is able to drive balls the other way. Yates also pitches and has been as high as 87 in the past although he didn’t throw in this event.

Devin Martinez SS / 3B / Citrus Valley, CA / 2021

Rankings StateRank: 90 / POS: 26

Uncommitted. 5-foot-8, 165-pounds. Strong, physical, frame with some projection remaining from a strength standpoint. Martinez shows a short, compact swing where he gets the barrel through the zone on plane consistently. Has some present bat speed and a good understanding of the strike zone and pitch recognition while showing an opposite field approach with some pop to that side. Registered an exit velocity of 80 mph off a tee. Had a standup double in-game action. Defensively is where Martinez really stands out where his instincts, footwork and quick hands take over. He was consistently in proper position and is an excellent communicator on the field. The arm strength is fair (74 mph) and accurate showing the ability to make throws from multiple angles.

Ryker Billingsley 2B / OF / Chino Hills, CA / 2021

Uncommitted. 5-9, 150-pounds. Athletic, strong, lean frame with some projection remaining. Billingsley is a versatile defender on the infield showing the footwork, glovework and accurate arm (76 mph) that will allow him to play anywhere on the dirt. Has range to both sides and the arm to make throws from multiple angles with quick hands. At the plate Billingsley showed a short and quick stroke that saw him get barrel on the ball consistently. Absolutely abused the left side during the game action where he had multiple hits that he shot the other way or up the middle. Shows enough hand/bat speed for the pull side but appears to favor the other way. Finished 3-for-5 with a pair of walks in two games. Quicker than he is fast (7.63 laser timed 60). Billingsley is instinctive on the bases taking bases on balls in the dirt and getting first-to-third routinely.

Lou Lucci OF / RHP / Beckman, CA / 2020

Uncommitted 5-foot-10 165 pounds, medium frame, athletic, young body with projection remaining. He recorded a laser timed 60-yard dash of 6.96 seconds the fastest recorded on the day. He then went to the hitting portion where he recorded an exit velo of 76 MPH. When he took BP on the field he had an excellent round. Sprayed the ball all over the field. Has a compact line drive swing, very quiet approach, used the whole field and routinely squared the ball up. Flashes average arm strength, very athletic with loose hips and made accurate throws to the bag from the outfield registering a 77 mph position velocity. Had a quick release, strong first step and chance to continue to add strength to the frame. Will be a must see this spring as he continues to develop.

Jackson Van Ness OF / Esperanza , CA / 2020

Uncommitted. 6-foot, 170-pounds. Long, lean, wiry strong frame with room to add strength. Started running a 7.21 laser-timed 60 yard dash before moving into the hitting portion of the workout where he registered a 76 mph exit velocity off a tee. Van Ness shows a quick bat with sneaky pop that should improve with added strength to his frame. Remains balanced throughout the swing. Can catch up to inside pitch and elevate. Defensively he shows excellent footwork while playing under control of his body. Registered an 83 mph outfield velocity with accurate throws that flashed carry. Smoked an RBI single to right-center-field in-game.

Christian (CJ) Zwahlen RHP / 1B / Dana Hills , CA / 2021

Rankings StateRank: 40 / POS: 11 OverallRank: 383 / POS: 128

Uncommitted. 6-foot-3, 200-pounds. Extra large frame with strength in the shoulders down to the wrists and in the upper part of the lower half. Zwahlen uses a dip-and-drive delivery with a short arm path through to a 3/4 slot. His arm is loose and his mechanics repeatable. Working from the middle of the rubber, Zwahlen commanded his 85 mph fastball black-to-black while keeping it below the knees of the hitter flashing downward action. Zwahlen kept his curveball low in the zone with it’s 11/5 shape by starting it just above the hitters knee and inducing several swing-and-miss results. His changeup at 77-78 mph was an effective out pitch with its late diving action to the back foot of righties. Zwahlen showed he prefered to set up hitters by starting away before pounding them in.

Garrett Riley LHP / 1B / Mater Dei , CA / 2020

Uncommitted. 6-foot, 180-pounds. Large frame with present strength throughout particularly in the lower half. Perhaps no player has changed his body like Riley has who has dropped 30 pounds since giving up football to focus exclusively on baseball. Listed as a LHP/1B, Riley’s future is likely on the mound where he shows an easy arm action that he’s able to repeat. Uses a slight dip-and-drive delivery with a full arm path through to a high 3/4 arm slot that he repeats consistently. Gains ground down the mound and lands inline consistently while staying balance and using his lower half very well. Working 84-85 with the fastball, Riley was able to command the pitch to specific quadrants in the strike zone changing eye levels from one pitch to the next with the fastball that flashed slight run to the arm side. Buries the curveball for strikes with the pitch never getting above the top of the knee of hitters. Throws his change up with fastball arm speed adding deception to the pitch that dives away from righties as it enters the zone. Riley showed athleticism around the bag at first to go with a 77 mph exit velocity off the tee. While he may be a good two-option in high school, he profiles best on the mound where there’s ample projection remaining.

Kaleb Lore RHP / 1B / Academy of Academic Excellence , CA / 2021

Uncommitted 6-foot-1 165 pounds, long, lean and lanky with wiry strength. He recorded a laser time 60-yard dash of 7.71 seconds. Then went to the hitting portion where he recorded an exit velo of 79 MPH. Had a good round of batting practice, flashed more pull approach and hooked the ball. Didn’t engage lower half but when did flashed some pop. The went to the infield portion where he recorded an exit velo 78 MPH. average arm strength, athleticism around the bag and played thru. On the mound he fastball sat 79-80 MPH and topped at 81 MPH. Got extension on the pitch and commanded it well in the game. Curveball was 66-68 MPH, dropped it in at times. Changeup was 75-76 MPH not a lot of difference from fastball.

Reed Coffin RHP / SS / Rancho Buena Vista, CA / 2020

Cal State Northridge commit. 6-foot, 160-pounds. Lean, wiry strong frame with long legs/arms and large hands indicating lots of future physical development/projection. Stays tall on the backside with a full arm path through to a high 3/4 slot/release point. Throws across body at times. Arm is loose with clean mechanics. Lands inline on bent knee before driving off the back leg to generate power. Shows extreme confidence in the fastball that he worked black-to-black with plus command of the pitch that flashes late running action into righties. Coffin’s slider projects to be a plus pitch as it’s presently above average with its late sharp biting action. Registered two strikeouts with the pitch showing his belief/ability to throw the pitch in any count.

Nick Sanchez RHP / 3B / Rancho Cucamonga, CA / 2021

Uncommitted. 6-foot-1 160 pounds long, lean frame with wiry strength. Sanchez has a young body with a frame to add strength and mass. He throws from a low ¾ arm angle and sometimes drops down to side arm. He has a whippy arm action and at times can leave the ball over the plate. His fastball was 79-80 mph and topped out at 81 MPH. His changeup was 67-68 MPH with run into right handed hitters. His curveball was 64-65 MPH with break that drops into right-handed hitters. He only throws from a slide step out of the stretch. At times he struggled to find the zone as he needs to start the pitch on the inner and outer third to throw for strike as he has a lot of movement.

Albert Roblez RHP / Valley View , CA / 2021

Uncommitted. 5-foot-11 200-pounds. Large frame, strong, athletic young body. Roblez was not the most overpowering pitcher on the day and his stuff is not going to jump off the radar but he was very effective with his command. He threw strikes, located well, and kept the defense on their toes. Fastball sat 81-82 MPH and T83mph. Fastball command was very present in his two innings of work as he consistently got flyball and ground ball outs. Curveball was 64-66 MPH and was an effective pitch. His changeup was 70-71 MPH, good out pitch. Roblez had one of the best two innings of work on both days. He is a showed himself to be a strike thrower. Was easy out of the windup and the stretch with a strong lower half drive down the mound. Roblez knows how to pitch to his advantage and when the speed comes that will be a huge advantage.

Devin Smith RHP / C / Cajon, CA / 2021

Uncommitted 6-foot-3 160 pounds long, lean, athletic frame, young body with projection. Throws from a high ¾ arm angle, good arm speed and full extension. Fastball was sitting 80-81 MPH and topped 82 MPH. Has feel for fastball and threw for a strike. Curveball was 62-63 MPH, was able to drop in for a strike. Changeup was 64-67 MPH and showed good deception/variation from the fastball as it’s 15 to 18 MPH slower. At times it looked like his fastball from the release. Smith does a very good job using his lower half consistently to generate power. Will continue to add strength as he has a long lanky frame.

Matthew Rodriguez RHP / 3B / St. Monica Catholic , CA / 2020

Uncommitted 6-foot-2 180 pounds, long, lean frame, strength in lower half and room to add. Throws from a ¾ arm action, natural strength and gets good extension with a whippy arm action. Fastball sat 80-81 topping 82 mph and had some arm side run. His arm was loose, clean with repeatable mechanics. His curveball sat 66-68 MPH, had some tilt loose movement and could throw for strike. Changeup sat 71-72 MPH, good deception from the fastball, had feel for the pitch and was able to throw for strike. Has room to add in the upper half and physical projection. Will be a player to keep an eye on this fall and spring.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE	STATE	DATE	LOCATION
SoCal Uncommitted Senior Games	CA	09/28	Fullerton College
NorCal Uncommitted Senior Games	CA	10/06	College of Marin
NorCal Top Prospect Games	CA	10/13	College of Marin