NJ12 Top Prospects: NJ Future Games Trials 2020
March 1, 2018
The snow held off in New Jersey just long enough for a impressive roster of nearly 100 players to show off their talents at PBR NJ’s Future Games Trials. Top to bottom, the talent on hand proved that the future is bright with talented players coming up in the Garden State. On the Hunt was on hand to get an introduction to the budding prospects. The immediate standouts from the event were some premier right-handed pitchers. Their quick arms, and arm strength popped at the event, and the fact that it was still only February means that there will likely be more velocity on the way in the summer. Keeping in line with what we have come to expect based on past year’s experiences at the Prep Baseball Report, the hitters at the event took aggressive hacks, and looked to drive balls with intent. Overall, there is a lot to be excited about in New Jersey with the youth movement about to come through, so keep up with PBR NJ to continue with updates throughout the spring. Below are the NJ 12 standouts in the 2020 class:
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Braedin Hunt RHP / 3B / Christian Brothers Academy, NJ / 2020I highlighted Hunt as a player to follow when I saw him for the first time in June, and he has made quick advancements since that day. More mature now at 6-foot-1, 195-pounds, he features an athletically-durable frame with wide shoulders and proportional strength throughout. Having grown into his body more, Hunt was able to repeat his delivery and release point much easier on the day. His fastball jumped out of his hand at 87-89 as he worked linear down the mound before releasing out of a high ¾ slot. Though there is notable effort to each pitch including head movement, I was impressed by Hunt’s athleticism in repeating everything, and ability to pound the strike the zone with multiple pitches. His breaking ball has made significant advancements, and now looks the part of a swing and miss pitch. He throws it aggressively and it takes 11/5 shape with tight spin and downer action when at its best. I would expect the pitch to garner plenty of swings and misses throughout the season, and could see an uptick in velocity by the time the summer rolls around. Interestingly, Hunt showed feel for his changeup at 79-80 with some fading action that he controlled in the zone. Overall, the velocity numbers and feel for secondary pitches will attract many schools throughout the spring/summer, but perhaps even more impressive and exciting about Hunt is the advancement that he has made in a short time, and the possibility that he may still be on the rise. |