The Prep Baseball Report’s Top Prospect Showcase on June 18 featured 110 players from all over the state. Originally scheduled at Benedictine University, Mother Nature was once again being brat - as she’s prone to do during these months - so we moved our biggest event of the year indoors to the remarkable 125,000 square-foot Max-McCook Athletic & Exposition Center in McCook, IL.
Despite the move indoors, incoming juniors and seniors showcased their abilities before a crowd of college coaches and pro scouts. While there were several standout performances, players from Class 4A state champion New Trier HS stole the show. Eli Anderson, a strong 6-foot-1, 215-pound RHP, earned top prospect honors in the Class of 2010 thanks to his easy 87-88 mph fastball and solid curve. In the Class of 2011, New Trier OF/LHP Charlie Tilson continued to establish himself as one of the premier junior prospects in the state – and certainly the best at the event.
A look at the top performers at the event:
Class of 2010
1.) Eli Anderson, RHP, New Trier HS: The 6-1, 215-pound Anderson, who earned the save in the Class 4A state championship game against St. Rita, established himself as one of the top pitchers in the class. Anderson has a strong lower-half, which he used to deliver consistent 87-88 mph fastballs, heavy and down in the zone. Has a strong mound presence and also showed a solid 71-72 mph curveball. Anderson should be a highly coveted prospect in the 2010 class.
2.) Jeff Zimmerman, 1B, Andrew HS: This 6-3, 215-pound left-handed hitting first baseman was the event’s best hitter. Clearly. Quiet, compact and extremely strong, he demonstrated an advanced plate approach and power to all fields. The ball explodes off his bat. Defensively, he is an advanced first baseman with good hands and footwork around the bag. One of the top left-handed bats in the class.
3.) Jared Shurtleff, RHP, St. Charles North HS: The 6-3, 190-pounder is an athletically built right-hander with arm strength. Shurtleff’s fastball was a consistent 85-86 mph with good life at the end, and also featured a 74-76 mph breaking ball and 74-75 mph changeup. With his size and athleticism, it looks like there’s more in the tank, too.
4.) Connor Murphy, RHP, New Trier HS: Murphy didn’t see much action during the high school season, remarkably, but the 6-2, 185-pound right-hander definitely is one to watch in the coming months. Murphy featured a full repertoire of pitches, including an 84-85 mph fastball, and an impressive splitter that can be an effective out pitch at the next level. He also throws a curveball, cutter and changeup – but clearly his split is his money pitch. Also scored a 35 on his ACT.
5.) Jimmy Spagna, 3B/RHP, Carmel Catholic HS: A two-way talent, the 6-1, 170-pounder impressed in everything he did. Spagna was the top defensive infielder at the event, showing quick hands, excellent footwork and a strong arm from third base. On the mound, he was 83-84 with his fastball, to go along with a slider and changeup out of the stretch. At the plate, he demonstrated quick hands, quiet lower half, solid approach and gap-to-gap power.
6.) Brett Buchanan, OF/RHP, Willowbrook HS: An impressive physical specimen, Buchanan is a 6-2, 195-pound athlete who ran a 6.97 60. His athleticism translated well in the outfield, along with solid arm strength (81 mph) and fluid movements. At the plate he showed quick hands and bat speed with projectable power. On the mound, Buchanan’s fastball topped out at 83 mph. With some refinement, Buchanan has the potential to be an impact player.
7.) Andrew Arenson, 1B, Naperville North HS: At 6-6, 230 pounds, Arenson is a monster in the box. For his size, his swing is remarkably quiet – and explosive. The ball jumps off his bat and has big power potential from the right side. He also demonstrated athletic footwork and hands at first base – and ran a 7.41 60.
8.) Kendall Paluch, RHP, Joliet Catholic Academy HS: Not an imposing presence on the mound, but the 5-foot-9, 160-pound Paluch really knows how to pitch – evidenced by his 11-2 record for the Class 3A state-champion Hilltoppers. He commands the zone with three pitches, including a tight 66-68 mph curveball, an 82-83 mph fastball and a deceptive changeup. Looks comfortable throwing all three pitches – and pounds the strike zone.
9.) Matt McMahon, RHP/MIF, Immaculate Conception HS: McMahon has a quick, whippy arm and a live 82-84 mph fastball with run. Has excellent arm action on his changeup and also throws a 72-75 slider. Defensively, he has good hands and made the best play of the event, an all-out dive behind second base, popped up to his feet and fired a strike to first base, which drew an ovation from the crowd. Also a top-level student: scored a 30 on the ACT.
10.) Darren Burks, OF, Rich South HS: Far and away the best athlete at the event. The 6-2, 195-pound Burks ran an event-best 6.65 60-yard dash. At the plate he demonstrated extremely quick hands and bat speed, and with more refinement he should prove to be an offensive threat. Not surprisingly, he also moves extraordinarily well in the outfield.
11.) Anil Patel, OF, Glenbard East HS: The 6-1, 175-pound Patel is a quick-twitch athlete who was the best defensive outfielder of the 2010 participants. He ran a 6.93 60, glided across the outfield and demonstrated solid arm strength (81 mph). Has quick hands and a line drive-producing swing at the plate.
12.) Chris Divarco, 1B, Carmel Catholic HS: The 6-3, 210-pounder can really swing it. For his size, he’s remarkably short, quick and explosive to the ball, and showed that he has impressive power potential from the right side of the plate. Fields his position well at first base, demonstrating excellent hands and footwork around the base.
13.) Landon Weitekamp, 3B, Raymond Lincolnwood HS: The 6-2, 190-pound Weitekamp was one of the top defensive infielders at the event. He showcased a strong arm and quick hands at third base, and has a very projectable frame. Helped lead Raymond Lincolnwood to the Class 1A state championship.
14.) Timothy Zage, 3B/1B, Lake Forest HS: A left-handed hitting corner infielder, the 6-foot, 180-pound Zage possesses a smooth, compact stroke which he uses to drive the ball to all fields. Has a good approach at the plate and excellent extension. Demonstrated sure hands and feet at third base. Also a top-level student: scored a 34 on the ACT.
15.) Drew Compton, MIF, Princeton HS: The left-handed hitting middle infielder impressed in the field and at the plate. A solidly built 5-9, 165 pounds, Compton showed a clean, compact swing that produced solid line drives to all fields. In the field, he showcased good infield actions, smooth hands and quick transfer.
16.) Richard Glenn, C, Homewood-Flossmoor HS: A catcher who can swing it, Glenn possesses excellent bat speed with pull power potential. Has an aggressive approach at the plate. Behind the dish he was consistently on the bag with his throws.
17.) Nick Battalini, RHP/OF, Carmel Catholic HS: The 6-1, 175-pounder showed well both on the mound and in the outfield. He was particularly interesting on the mound, as he offered two different arm angles: one from a low-3/4 arm slot, the other submarine-style. Both fastballs had natural run, and his sweeping slider was his best pitch. Moves athletically in the outfield with solid carry on his throws.
18.) Dom Biagini, OF/1B, Hersey HS: Ranked the third-best hitter at the event, the 6-1, 180-pound Biagini can flat-out swing it from the left side of the plate. He has tremendously quick hands and allows the ball to travel deep in the zone. Ball jumps off his bat and gets good backspin carry. Was recently cleared from an injury and didn’t participate in defensive skills.
19.) Justin Meier, C, St. Ignatius HS: The best defensive catcher of the 2010 lot, Meier is a powerfully built 5-11, 200 pounds. Had the best arm strength (78 mph) of the catchers, and registered a top pop time of 2.08.
20.) Reid Clary, C, Princeton HS: Clary is an athletically built 6-3, 180 pound catcher with active feet and a solid, accurate arm (2.10 pop time).
Class of 2011 Top Prospects
1.) Charlie Tilson, OF/LHP, New Trier HS: A top-level prospect, Tilson has the tools to play at a high level. The 6-foot, 165-pound left-handed hitting outfielder does it all well – and does it very easily. He can really run, as he showed with his 6.78 60. His athleticism, coupled with his tremendous outfield instincts and a solid arm (81 mph), makes him the best outfield prospect we’ve seen in the 2011 class. At the plate, he had the best round of BP of all players, regardless of class, showcasing extremely quick hands, a quiet setup, a compact stroke and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. Tilson, who batted third for New Trier in its Class 4A state-title run, was also impressive on the mound. He has the ability to three pitches, including a fastball that topped out at 83 and a decent curveball. As solid as he was on the mound, make no mistake, his future is as a position player.
2.) Matt Lambert, RHP, Ottawa HS: This long and whippy 6-2, 150-pound right-hander established himself as a prospect to pay close attention to in the coming years. Lambert topped out at 86 mph, sat at 84, and judging by how easy his arm works and his frame, there should be a lot more in the tank. Although his offspeed pitches need refinement, you don’t need to have a colorful imagination to see Lambert’s upside.
3.) Jeremy Rhoades, RHP/OF/C/3B, Wheaton-Warrenville South HS: At 6-2, 182 pounds, Rhoades is an impressive athlete who can play several positions well. While his versatility is a plus, he will need to settle into one – or at least a few. It’ll be a tough decision for him. On the mound he showed an 83-84 mph fastball with feel for three pitches. He also shined in the outfield with his athleticism and arm strength. Behind the dish he registered 2.10 pop times and was solid at third as well.
4.) Jake Kazmierczak, RHP/3B, Sandburg HS: Don’t look now, but here comes another impressive pitching prospect from Sandburg. This 6-3, 170-pound right-hander has an athletic frame and his arm works with little effort. He pitched at 82-83, but with the ease with which his arm worked and his projectable frame, there’s no telling how good he can be once he gets more physically developed.
5.) Kevin Colburn, 3B, Warren HS: A powerfully built 5-10, 190 pounds, Colburn is a physically mature third baseman who was the top defensive infielder of the juniors. He has a strong arm across the field (78), quick hands and sound footwork. At the plate he possesses legitimate pull power.
6.) Jeff Samuel, C, Neuqua Valley HS: This strong, 6-2, 210-pound athlete was the top catcher of the group – and has the tools to be one of the better ones in the state. Samuel demonstrated impressive arm strength behind the dish (79 mph), and registered a top pop time of 2.02. At the plate he showed power potential.
7.) John Menken, C/RHP/3B, South Elgin HS: Another versatile prospect who excelled at multiple positions. The 6-2, 185-pound Menken has an athletic frame and showed well behind the dish, registering a 2.11 pop time. On the mound he was a consistent 81 mph and also played a solid third base. Offensively he demonstrated some raw power.
8.) Bill Boyle, C, St. Ignatius HS: At 6-2, 200 pounds, Boyle is well put together. And he has legitimate arm strength behind the dish (80 mph). Once he tightens up his footwork, he should be able to chisel down his 2.10 pop time significantly.
9.) Keenan Johnson, OF, Lake Forest Academy HS: The 6-2, 180-pound Johnson is an impressive athlete. He ran a 6.84 60 and moves extremely well in the outfield. Offensively raw, but has the hand speed and athleticism to progress rapidly.
10.) Dalton Davis, OF/INF, Galesburg HS: A solid all-around player, Davis showcased an aggressive bat and hand speed. Has a solid carry on his ball from the outfield, and moves athletically.
11.) Devin Pickell, LHP, St. Patrick HS: This 6-foot, 170-pound lefty has some funk in his delivery to go along with a running 78-80 mph fastball. His arm works fluidly and he hides the ball well.
12.) Kevin Defilippis, MIF, Providence Catholic HS: This 5-11 middle infielder can pick it with the best of them. He showcased advanced infield actions, glove work and has a quick transfer. Moves well laterally and ran a 7.23 60.
For complete showcase rankings and statistics, Click Here.
Videos of all the players will be posted throughout the month and can be found in our expansive Player Video Center.