Future Games - Pacific Northwest Preview
August 1, 2020
LakePoint, Georgia - The 2020 Future Games begin today. Participating players will go through a workout session today before getting into game action on Sunday and Monday.
This one-of-a-kind event will feature the best uncommitted Class of 2022 prospects and select 2023 prospects from our 40-plus state coverage area.
As you’ve come to expect, Prep Baseball Report will provide an unrivaled baseball experience. All games will be available via live streams, which will surely be accessed by hundreds of college coaches across the country. They can’t travel right now but they can pull up multiple screens to tune into the action to aid their recruiting process.
Evaluation technology will also be a major component of these events. Each site will collect data on players using Blast and Trackman, and the game broadcasts will be put on Synergy for coaches and scouts to utilize afterward.
For the first time ever, we were able to put together a roster of players from the Pacific Northwest to participate in the Future Games. The roster is compiled of players from both Washington and Oregon. Despite all the obstacles they faced this spring and summer, they're all down in Georgia and ready to compete.
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Catchers
The trio of catchers on the Pacific Northwest provide some next level receiving, throw ability to go with positional versatility. Starting things off with ‘22 C/INF Mason Utech (Lakeridge). Utech had a strong showing at the Oregon Top Prospect showcase in June. Flashing a simple, balanced stroke from the left-side that consistently produced line-drive contact. Projects to hit for gap-to-gap type power as he continues to mature. Defensively he’s a polished receiver who presents a quiet, compact target. We’ve seen him pop as low as 1.94 and peak with an 80 mph arm from behind the plate. As an INF, Utech is more than capable of holding his own on the dirt. He controls his body & maintains a soft glove hand. Arm plays well from both spots with reliable accuracy.
Love the projection on UNCOMMITTED ‘22 C Mason Utech (OR)
— Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) June 24, 2020
Frame continues to develop, & fluid left-handed stroke is sweet w/ some G2G strength.
1.94-1.96 w/ most throws. Arm carries & hands are soft. Also looks part on infield. #ORTopProspect2@PBR_Oregon pic.twitter.com/uR9DhPvJO5
Another ‘22 prospect who really stands out for his ability to anchor the position with his receiving ability and game management is '22 C Tyler Howard (Skyview). Howard moves easily behind the plate with low hips and a strong base. Uses a subtle weight shift when moving to the ball and keeps flexion in his glove hand while receiving. We’ve seen him pop consistently in the 2.00 range on our in-game looks. Offensively, Howard shows an advanced approach with feel for controlling the strike zone. The set-up is tall & relaxed with very few moving parts. Keeps his leverage throughout and shows a level, line-drive finish thru contact. Keeps hands tight and lets the barrel work inside of the ball.
Rounding out the catchers is a 2023 prospect who has burst onto the scene this summer. '23 C/RHP Bryce Johnson (Eastlake) currently stands at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and carries the strength proportionally throughout his frame. He’s a big target behind the plate and is developing the actions/feel for the position. His athleticism and body control bodes well for future development considering how young he is. Offensively he has a quiet, balanced set up in the box. Keeps everything simple and lets his barrel work quickly thru the zone. Strength and leverage should lead to consistent power. On the bump, Johnson has really shined as of late. At our event he was mostly 83-84 and then on our look in-game he was up to 86-87. The delivery is clean and repeatable with easy effort. His strong lower half allows him to brace up his lower half and really accelerate out front.
Infield
The infield groups consists of diverse skill-sets and several prospects with intriguing 2-way ability. Starting at the hot corner, ‘22 Mason Spellecy (Hood River Valley, OR) and ‘22 Grant Cunningham (Seattle Prep, WA) will both see time at 3rd and on the mound. Spellecy is a big bodied, lean athlete at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds. There’s plenty of projectability left on his frame and he has the build to carry additional weight easily. He moves easily for his size and handles his defensive responsibilities with a smooth, deliberate tempo. At the plate, he creates easy lift on the ball, especially to his pull-side with an uphill path and a strong front side. The power comes easily and could improve as he shows more physical development. On the mound, he shows a consistent 3-pitch mix with some of the easiest velocity we’ve seen in the ‘22 class. Earlier this summer Spellecy topped at 85 and was consistently in the 82-84 range with starter-type effort. He pairs the FB with a CB/CH combination. Grant Cunningham had a standout performance in early July at our WA Summer Kickoff event. The physical righty checks in at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with a strong, durable frame. At the plate, he works the middle of the field and gaps more often than he tries to get big to his pull-side. He stays square to the pitcher while using a rhythmic, balanced load. Hands show a subtle move back to create separation before launching a quick, level swing. He’s a sound defender that can stick at 3rd or potentially shift over to 1B if needed. He also ran well for his size and it’s not out of the question for him to be able to handle OF responsibilities if needed. As a pitcher, Cunningham has sat 83-85 and topped at 86 on our looks. He uses a clean, easy delivery with short, bent arm action. He stays slow and deliberate into landing before showing impressive hand speed out front on his offerings. Works from a ¾ slot with a tall finish after release.
The middle of the diamond will feature ‘23 Sebastian David (Lakeside, WA) and ‘22 Julius Hooks (Tahoma, WA). David came onto the scene last summer at an event and quickly established himself as one of the top names to know in the 2023 class. An advanced athlete with reliable body control on defense, David keeps consistent control of his glove hand and is a soft receiver when fielding. As a hitter, the bat speed and strength stand out right away. Has an athletic set-up in the box with slight rhythm in his hands as he gets into his leg kick. Stays under control into landing and gets into a wider, athletic base position. Noticeable quickness in his hands and easy barrel action into contact. He’ll also see time on the bump where he’s been up to 85 on the look we had earlier this summer.
Pairing with David will be Julius Hooks, who also might see some time in the OF as well. Hooks is a bouncy, quick twitch athlete who brings a ton of energy to everything he does. He’s light on his feet defensively with balanced field actions. The arm plays well from both INF and OF with velo into the mid 80s. Offensively, he has a quick bat with a short, direct path into the zone. Sprays firm contact from line to line but has impressive raw power from his size that he might tap into more often.
Holding it down at 1B is ‘22 Will Woodward (Eastlake, WA). A towering athlete at 6-foot-6, Woodward is an exceptional basketball player who gets the most out of his frame around the bag. Presents a huge target and offers a wide catch radius for his fellow defenders to work with. At the plate, he keeps his hands low & relaxed with a tall, upright stance. Does a solid job of keeping everything short and compact despite the size of his frame. Woodward will also see him on the bump as a LHP. He is still growing into his velocity but he can run it up to 82-84 and top at 85 when he’s dialed in. He creates some deception with a shorter arm slot and finds a way to miss a ton of barrels with his secondary offerings.
Outfield
Continuing the trend of 2-way prospects, the outfielders for Pacific Northwest will get some innings on the mound as well as provide a consistent presence to the offense. Starting with the 2022’s, OF/RHP Blaise Heher (Lake Oswego, OR) and Jordan Hockett (Mt. Spokane, WA). Heher is a gritty, high energy type of player who really excels in game action. In the box, he keeps everything quick and compact, showing a mature approach and quality barrel control. He isn’t afraid to try and make something happen on the bases with his speed and instincts. Defensively he can handle multiple OF spots and shows a strong, accurate arm. He also has some pitchability on the bump and could provide some relief in a tight spot. He pitches with plenty of confidence & attacks hitters with a quick, aggressive pace.
‘22 OF Blaise Heher (@lobaseball) had intent in each of his rounds. Mature approach with patience.
— PBR Oregon (@PBR_Oregon) June 17, 2020
Quiet intensity to his game. #ORTopProspect pic.twitter.com/5Lm6BK4sex
Hockett showed well at our indoor event for NW Futures this summer and has really established himself as a legitimate hitting prospect throughout the summer with his consistent, in-game performances. Athletically built with a lean frame, he produces quick bat speed while staying balanced and holding his posture thru contact. Keeps it simple in the box and really lets his hands work. Capable of driving the ball to all fields. In the OF, he features above average arm strength and moves easily with clean, athletic actions. He’s another prospect who has some polish on the mound and can attack hitters with a diverse arsenal if called upon.
Rounding out the OF group are 2 youngsters in the 2023 class who could be on the verge of taking a big step forward. ‘23 OF/LHP Dylan Osborne (Union, WA) is a wiry athlete with a wide-set frame and projects to handle more weight as he develops. On the mound, he’s got an easy, compact arm action with a whippy finish thru release. Controls his momentum when getting down the slope and accelerates through the ball late, staying balanced as he finishes out over his front side. The FB has already been up to 83 with plenty of life and his secondary offerings all project to be quality pitches as he gets more seasoning and reps. With the bat, he hits from the left-side and has a ‘handsy’, contact type of approach. Uses a tall, upright set up with a low leg kick into his forward move. Hands stay relaxed as they work uphill thru the zone & into a high, lofted finish. Defensively, the physical tools, athleticism and actions are all there to stick in the OF long-term.
Finishing up the OF group is ultra-projectable '23 RHP/OF J. Noble Meyer (Jesuit, OR). Already 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, Meyer checks a lot of boxes with his physicality and he shows the type of quality movements you want on the baseball field from a developing prospect. On the mound, he has exceptional arm action and could potentially make a big jump with his raw stuff in a short period of time. Presently he’s running the FB up to 82 and shows ability to spin a breaking ball and also land his CH for strikes. In the OF, he takes long, ranging strides to cover ground. Fluid, continuous arm path. His size will likely land him in a corner spot as he matures and fills out. At the plate, he shows plenty of leverage with a high finish that could lead to more power. He puts a simple move on the ball with a low leg lift that syncs with his subtle hand load. Exciting 2-way prospect to keep an eye on.
Pitching
On the pitching side of things, ‘22 LHP Hunter Hyatt (Bellevue, WA) and ‘23 RHP Carter Seely (Selah, WA) are going to be 2 arms capable of elevating their prospect status in a hurry at the Future Games. We’ve had a couple looks at Hyatt now and he continues to make improvements in his overall game. The velocity has steadily increased from 80-82 last year to as high as 85-86 this summer. The arm is fluid and loose, with a long, deliberate takeaway. After footstrike, he creates a whippy finish at release and shows quality extension out over his front side. FB has some carry and has been routinely around 20” of IVM on our Trackman unit. The CB and CH both flash above average at times, given Hyatt the chance to be a left-handed starter with a 3 pitch mix.
One of the youngest prospects on the roster, Seely will focus primarily on pitching at the Future Games but he’s also a capable third baseman and offensive threat due to his size/strength combination. He’ll workout as a position player during the showcase portion in addition to his pitching duties. On the mound, he features a FB that has been up to 84-85 as well as an 11/5 CB and heavy CH. He releases from a high, over the top slot that creates steep angle on the ball when he finds the bottom of the zone. The arm is smooth and continuous after hand break. With consistent tempo into footstrike and then a balanced finish out over a firm front leg. Ball comes out of hand easily and he has the look of a strike thrower who will keep everything around the zone