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Uncommitted Spring Standouts

April 28, 2023
Joey Cohen
SoCal Area Scout

New Episode LIVE now! - At The Yard Podcast

Los Angeles, CA - As we approach the Southern Section playoffs as well as the tail end of league play in the San Diego Section, I wanted to highlight several uncommitted players that have had standout spring seasons. The fun part of making this list was that some of these players were unknown to me before this year and with their consistent performance have made themselves names to know in their own right. Below are the 11 standout players along with some quick scouting notes and video on each. 

STANDOUTS

‘24 LHP Dylan Volantis - Westlake HS

  • Dylan has been on my radar since last fall and the improvements he has made since have been substantial. The 6-6/200lb LHP is now into the upper 80s with the FB while starting to show more consistent feel for his downer 12/6 CB that generated a ton of swing/miss this spring. It’s also a more athletic operation that is allowing him to be more repeatable and generate force down the mound. The arm also looks to be working more free with easier whip at release. There's been a lot of recruiting interest building of late and I don't expect him to be uncommitted for much longer.

 

‘24 RHP Duncan Marsten - Harvard Westlake 

  • You wouldn’t think that Marsten had any past injury struggles with how he has pitched so far this spring. It's some of the easiest effort gas in the '24 class where his FB has been up to 94 in my two looks which he has shown consistent command of. Marsten also has feel for two quality secondaries in a shorter/depthy SL that tunnels well off the FB and a quality downward fading CH he'll mix in to LHHs. The operation itself is refined and efficient where he is able to utilize all of his 6-4/210lb frame to his advantage. 

‘24 LHP Talin Gardini - Patrick Henry

  • Gardini had one of the more eye-opening starts I’ve taken in this spring where he dominated a tough Torrey Pines lineup for 5 innings. He attacked up in the zone with conviction getting over barrels with a carry FB up to 88 that lived 84-86. He also showed feel for a slurvy breaking ball at 73-75 he flipped over at any time for strike that day. The arm action which is more compact in the back has gotten noticeably quicker and it looks like he fine-tuned some things in his delivery which has allowed him to repeat more consistently. There's not many better uncommitted LH arms in the '24 class. 

 

‘24 RHP Sean Cannon - Coronado HS

  • Sean exploded onto the scene this spring with standout velocity gains that he made throughout last fall/winter and into the spring. The 5-10 RHP has a physical lower half which he uses well to move aggressively down the mound and with force into block. The arm works loose in the back with some present hand speed and whip to release. The FB is now up to 92, sitting 88-91 consistently throughout his outings this spring. Due to the lower release height the FB tends to play well up in the zone with decent carry. He also has a developing mid-70s slurvy breaking ball. There's a lot of effort in the operation but there's no denying that the arm will play.

 

‘24 INF Vincent Van der Wel - Chaminade

  • Vinny has been a steady performer throughout the entire spring. He slashed a loud .448/.525/.712, doing this against quality arms/competition. At the plate, it's a loose/smooth LH stroke where he has always had innate feel to hit but has tapped into some sneaky power this spring due to some added strength and an improved ability to backspin to the pullside which has helped lead to his 5 HRs. There’s some continued development to be had with his defensive abilities and athleticism but he played solid defensively all over the infield for the Eagles and it sure looks like the bat will play at the next level. 

‘24 SS Jack Circuit - La Jolla Country Day

  • I checked in on Circuit once and he continues to grab my attention with his sustained success at the plate this spring. Currently slashing .365/.512/.746 (6 HRs) he can certainly impact the baseball with power. There’s a bit of swing/miss in the profile but he has taken his walks as well which is encouraging. In my look, he showed some athleticism/quickness whether that was how he got out the box or how he defended at SS making a couple difficult ranging plays and exhibiting a solid arm. When I make my way back down to SD he’s certainly a player I will keep tabs on. 

 

‘25 3B Matthew Witkow - Calabasas

  • Witkow was a standout from our Preseason All-State back in January and this spring he played a huge role on a Calabasas squad that won the Marmonte League. Witkow is a longer/lanky CINF that has shown this spring that he can defend at 3B. The bat has some intriguing upside where presently it's a high-contact offensive profile. It's simple swing that works short and direct to the baseball and doesn’t have a lot of moving parts. Because of that I think there's some untapped power in the profile that you'll start to see him tap into this summer and into next year.

 ‘24 1B/3B Aidan Buntich - West Ranch

  • I have gotten a few looks at Buntich the past couple of months dating back to last winter. The body/bat stood out immediately. It’s a longer/lengthy build with some present physicality that shows with his presence in the box. The swing is one of my personal favorites. It’s a slow/early load that creates some quality separation into landing. The bat works on a clean path with above avg. bat speed through the zone with intent to catch the baseball out front. He slashed a strong .411/.574/.616 this spring. Defensively, he played a majority of reps at 1B but the athleticism and arm look to also be able to play at 3B. 

 

‘24 CF Dillon Marrisett - Westlake

  • Marissett is a high-energy/high-motor player who hits leadoff and plays a strong CF for a talented Westlake squad. He hit a solid .328 this spring with a swing that shows some rawness but has the right ingredients where there's loose quickness to the hands that throw the barrel at the baseball with accuracy more often than not. There is also present speed/athleticism to his game that shows on the base paths and out in CF tracking down balls. With his performance this spring he's gonna get his fair share of looks as we head towards the summer.

 

‘24 OF Mike Yechan Lee - Gahr

  • Lee was an All-Tournament team selection at our Preseason Invitational back in February and since then he has continued to put together a solid spring season. It’s a physical corner OF profile that has really stood out with the bat.  His left-handed swing brings balance, adjustability, and at times some whippy hand/bat speed through the zone when he really impacts the baseball. The current offensive skillset is advanced and is showing signs of being a middle of the order type bat at the next level. 

‘23 C Colin Brown - Notre Dame 

  • I have taken in a couple Notre Dame games this spring and in each game Colin Brown seems to do something to help the team win. Brown doesn’t have your typical catcher's build but he brings a strong framing/receiving skillset to the table along with solid catch/throw ability. There’s no doubt he has played a huge role in how dominant ND’s pitching staff has been. Then at the plate, he's been sneaky good with bat slashing .362/.422/.412. The swing works where there's some quality rhythm to the hands that work loose and direct to the baseball where he tends to find barrel more often than not with minimal swing/miss. 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
Rising Stars ID: Sacramento CA 05/07 McBean Stadium - Lincoln
SoCal Rising Stars Game CA 05/21 Cerritos College 
CA FUTURE GAMES TRYOUT CA 06/03 Fullerton College
NorCal ProCase CA 06/04 Chabot College - Hayward
SoCal-NV-AZ-ProCase CA 06/04 University of Southern California - Dedeaux Field
NorCal Rising Stars Game CA 06/06 Islanders Field (morning)
Team CA Future Games ID CA 06/06 Islanders Field (afternoon/early evening)
Bay Area State Gamess Open ID CA 06/14 College of San Mateo
OC State Games Open ID CA 07/11 Hart Park


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