Ben
Cohen

vs Montgomery HS - Uncommitted; Lean strong angular 6-foot-2 185-pounds; Somewhat jerky (lacking finesse) delivery w/short on line stride, stiffens stride leg, calm and clean backside arm action, overhand slot, aggressive back shoulder finish through release point. Finish of delivery looks to be patterned after Scherzer. Fastball topped at 90 mph in 1st inning, was 85-86 in the 4th inning. Outing lasted 3.1 IP (56 P, 31 strikes, 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K) as the fastball control started to waiver in the 4th. At his best the fastball angle is steep with at times plus sink action that can and someday will get a ton of ground balls. Ability to get swing and misses with the fastball was minimal. When he was in the lowest part of the strike zone he was highly effective. Curveball is a big, slow, rolling 11/5 breaking ball 66-68 mph and will have to improve to keep hitters off his fastball. Saw one change-up in the game, which was short of the plate. 1.4-1.5 to home with runners on, something else to work on. He's got a quality arm and that sink/movement is very real so he will remain on the radar while he works to improve the things he needs to work on. Mound presence was good as he had to keep composure while working through a really tight strike zone. Additionally, he hit in his team's 3-hole, drove in a run, and then played RF when his outing was over.

NorCal Preseason All-State: Cohen caught our attention during the Spring, having tightened up the frame since last viewing and showing firmer strength throughout the frame. Working with a compact arm that gets out towards second before working through a 3/4 slot and high front knee, Cohen gets extension out over a shorter stride and pounded the zone with three pitches. FB 86-88 MPH with darting arm side run sets up a strong CHG (70-73 MPH) selling the pitch and using it’s run off the FB tunnel well. CB 64-66 shorter bending 12/6 shape; located the pitch well to the gloveside. Cohen still has some space in the frame and his tempo on the mound was noticeable. Coaches will want to follow up this Spring.

Uncommitted, lean lanky 6-foot-1 175-pounds, wide shoulders, somewhat of a long torso and is slightly bow-legged, has quite a bit of development ahead of him and is a ways from the polish and full repertoire that will draw heavy attention from D1 programs, but the raw talent is there. Of note to this report is that he has two older brothers who are also college players, always a good sign for the youngest of a group like that. As a sophomore he is now really just learning the breaking ball as he has been primarily FB/CHG to this point. His delivery has enough rhythm to see some athleticism (was told that he's been a three sport athlete to this point, basketball and football). He starts with a shallow backside arm action and gets to a 3/4 slot. The stride leg stiffens as he continues his forward movement, which does cause some issues with control. Along with the stiff front leg, he was occasionally flying open with the front shoulder and yanked a number of fastballs toward the left-handed batters box. Some of the delivery and mechanics made me think he's patterned some of what he does after Max Scherzer. Softening up the stride leg a bit, while learning how to still create leverage against the front side and maintaining better discipline to stay closed longer are areas of improvement that can be worked out. Fastball got up to 88 mph on a couple of occasions and sat comfortably at 86 in the couple innings he threw. Not a stretch to suggest the magical 90 mph plateau isn't that far off in his future. Best secondary pitch is change-up (74-76 mph) that he threw with what can be described as above average feel for a high school sophomore. Some depth on the change-up as he gets to good extension and it's a pitch he showed he can go to. Given that it's the offspeed pitch he's been throwing the longest, that makes sense. The breaking ball is a softer, steady rolling slurve-type breaker (67-69 mph) and it's clear that he's still gaining feel for that pitch. Of the first four he threw, only one was a strike and that one was guided into the zone. The pitch lacks bite at this point so he still has a lot to develop for that pitch. With the extension he gets on the change-up, he can incorporate that into the development of the breaking ball. The good news is the arm is good, looks to be the type of arm that won't take much to get to notable velocity and he's got a change-up, which is usually the harder offspeed pitch for young pitchers to learn and gain feel of. The breaking ball and figuring out the type of breaking ball he can throw best is doable. File the name away and check back in on him from time to time.