By Doug Freeman
Florida Scouting Director

After breaking down a few of the standouts yesterday, today we take a look at the infielders from the event. There were a lot of tools on display at premier positions and below we take a look at the full report on every infielder from this years Underclass Game.

Keniel  De Leon, SS/2B, Olympia HS, FL. (2019)

Keniel De Leon has the makeup to be a very high end defensive shortstop in his future.  The 6-foot, 155 pound shortstop showed extremely good footwork and smooth actions. He showed soft hands with a very quick first step and the ability to make all of the plays at a premiere position.  His arm has potential to play from the left side and will continue to improve based on his frame and athleticism. At the plate, the right handed hitter has some quick twitch actions with a level swing path through the zone. He would get a little long at times, but consistently found the barrel both in batting practice and the games. As he continues to get strong and log more at-bats, the swing should become shorter and lend to gap-to-gap power as his frame is athletic and projectable with plenty of room to fill out. Expect him to be a high end talent, especially as the bat continues to progress.

Matthew Corlew, SS, Trinity HS, FL. (2019)

The 6-foot, 160 pound shortstop has an extremely projectable, high-waisted frame. He tends to stand out defensively, even though there is some choppiness in his steps, he has a very quick first step and moves through the ball well with soft hands that work well out in front of his body. As he continues to get a feel for his body, the athleticism and first step quickness should translate into better footwork all around making him an above average middle infielder. At the plate, the right handed hitter has very quick hands through the zone but tends to cut himself off before getting full extension through the baseball. He also doesn’t get full use out of his lower half, but still showed his athleticism with a line drive triple to the left-center field gap and another single during the game play. As he learns to use his athleticism both offensively and defensively he will continue to get better and has a chance to be very good on both sides which makes him a high follow going forward.

Raymond LaFleur III, 1B/LHP, JM Tate HS, FL. (2019)

The extremely athletic and projectable 1B/LHP was impressive all the way around. The left handed hitter hits from a tall setup with a medium leg kick and small hand load. He stays in good rhythm and is on time to the baseball. An advanced approach and very good path through the zone produced a first round of line drives to opposite field and a second round of balls driven to the pull side. He stays balanced and relaxed and trusts his hands and path through the zone resulting in consistent quality swings and a line drive single in the game. There is a lot of room to grow and fill out and with the present tools and bat speed expect him to grow into plus power. He was also impressive on the mound. With long, easy, over the top arm action he stays in line to home showing a fastball that ranged from 80-82 mph. He also showed a sweeping slider that ranged from 66-67 mph with shape and potential. There are present tools that play well above his class with an extremely high ceiling both at the plate and on the mound that make him one of the top 2019s in the state.

Miguel Soto, SS/OF, TNXL Academy, FL. (2018)

The 6-foot, 180 pound MIF/OF showed big potential with the bat throughout the day. With an athletic, high waisted frame and quick twitch action he showed an advanced gap-to-gap approach during batting practice. In the game, he barreled a double into right-center field showing a good bat path with potential power.  He also showed potential in both the infield and the outfield with smooth footwork and good hands from the infield.  His arm will play from the left side as he topped out at 80 mph with room to grow. From the outfield he had low accurate throws with carry topping out at 84 mph showing the ability to make the necessary throws from the corner outfield positions.

Blake Wright, 2B/SS, Clearwater Central Catholic, FL. (2020)

The projectable, 5-foot-10, 155 pound middle infielder showed a lot of projectable tools. Offensively, the right handed hitter showed an aggressive approach with plus bat speed for his class. A medium leg kick trigger and good hand load leads to a level line drive swing in which he consistently found the barrel. He also showed the ability to get quality use out of his lower half, staying balanced through the swing. He’ll have to calm his head down to stay consistent with better pitching, but the tools project well. Defensively, he showed above average defensive line with his actions already playing high than his class. He shows a quick first step, rhythm through the ball and soft hands that work well. The arm also plays well enough, topping out at 81 with more to come. The tools are present and is a very high follow going forward. 

 

Below are the remaining infielders in alphabetical order:

Niko Abbas, SS/3B, Tarpon Springs HS, FL. (2019)
The 5-foot-10, 150 pound SS/3B hits from a slightly open stance with a toe tap load. He has a level path through the zone, but does not get much use out of the lower half. The swing has some length to it at times, but if he can get better use out of his lower half and have a more consistent and direct path to the ball the ground balls and line drives will be more consistently hard hit and driven into the gaps. Defensively, he shows average first step quickness with some choppiness to the ball. His hands work out in front with an average arm. Will continue to improve on both sides with more games and added strength.

Jonathan Alonso, 1B/OF, Northside Christian HS, FL. (2018)
The 6-foot, 200 pound right handed hitting 1B/OF has a strong lower half with shoulders and an upper half that could still fill out some. He showed a quick short swing through the zone with aggressive mostly pull side approach. He tended to square up the baseball gap-to-gap and showed some above average hand eye coordination. As he learns to create a little more rhythm and stay on time more consistently the present strength should turn into some above average power for his class as the bat speed and strong lower half already is present. Defensively he showed a strong slightly above average arm from the outfield and solid actions around first base. He moves well and with the bat and arm strength he projects as a solid corner outfielder at the next level.

Brendan Bell, 3B/RHP, Park Vista Community HS, FL. (2018)
The 5-foot-10, 170 pound 3B/RHP took two solid rounds of batting practice. The right handed hitter showed a level swing with a good path through the zone. He showed an ability to find the barrel, even though the swing would get long at times. As he continues to learn how to be consistently short to the ball, he should have a chance to hit for gap-to-gap power. Defensively, he shows average actions and good hands with enough arm strength to stay at third. The right handed pitcher showed a quick arm from a 3/4 slot. There was effort in the throwing action, but the fastball ranged from 82-86 mph with some arm side run. A weak front side limited a bit of the velocity potential currently, but as that gets strong the velocity will jump. He still needs to improve his offspeed as he did not show a feel for the slider or changeup currently. Overall he is athletic with a quick arm and potential both in offensively and on the mound.

Eric Bucheli, SS/2B, Brandon HS, FL. (2019)
The 5-foot-6, 140 pound SS/2B showed quick twitch actions and an impressive batting practice. The right handed hitter, showed quick hands through the zone with above average bat speed through the zone. He has a gap-to-gap approach and executes it with a level line drive swing in which in both rounds of batting practice he consistently found the barrel. As he continues to get bigger and stronger, the swing projects to be able to consistently hit going forward. Size had no affect on his defensive abilities. He showed quick feet with solid, fluid footwork.  In the future, Bucheli projects best at second.  

Blake Buckley, 3B/2B, TNXL Academy, FL. (2018)
The 6-foot, 185 pound 3B/2B continued to look good both offensively and defensively. The right handed hitter hits with rhythm and a high leg kick trigger. He continues to be more consistently on time with the leg kick and the path and hands work well direct to the ball with a slightly uphill path through the zone. The young faced third basemen already has a strong lower half and looks like he will continue to get bigger and stronger. As he learns how to use his lower half, with the present path through the zone, the power should continue to come as he gets stronger. Defensively, he can continue to improve the first step quickness, but the hands work well in rhythm and out in front of his body. He also showed a strong enough arm to stay at third base going forward. He continues to improve each time he see him and would expect that trend to continue as he should project to stay at third base with some power at the next level.

Nick Godzich, SS, Nease HS, FL. (2019)
The 5-foot-9, 135 pound shortstop showed a level swing path through the zone. With a low, stiff load he can get a little long at time. He could also get better use out of his lower half and currently generated an exit velocity of 78 mph. On defense he had very good actions and range at shortstop. He showed an above average arm strength for his class and got rid of the ball quickly and accurately to first base. He made some nice plays during the game. Defensively he will be a projectable college middle infielder.

Lucas Ismaili, SS/2B, East Lake HS, FL. (2020)
The 5-foot-9, 135 pound middle infielder showed some potential to be a very solid right handed hitter. From a wide base with minimal movement in the load, he showed above average bat speed with quick hands through the zone resulting in line drive after line drive in batting practice. The path through the zone works and will be an above average hitter as he becomes stronger. Defensively, he showed above average actions for his class, With good footwork and rhythm to and through the baseball he showed the ability to play the shortstop position at the next level. The hands work really well and the arm needs to get stronger, but the tools all project to play at the next level as he gets bigger and stronger.

Joey Kinker, 1B/3B, Venice HS, FL. (2018)
The big, strong, physical right handed hitting 1B/3B showed a strong bat and solid defense on the day. During batting practice, the first round he showed his strength but was a little long at times. The second round he settled in, got much more use out of his lower half and stayed more direct to the ball resulting in the ball noticeably jumping off of the bat. At first base he showed an average arm, topping out at 81 mph with solid footwork around the bag. The bat is what will take him to the next level as the strong lower half and quick bat will create above average power if he can continue to stay short to the ball.

Shemar Lawson, SS/2B, Hernando HS, FL. (2019)
The athletic, 5-foot-8, 160 pound SS/2B has a lot of pre-swing movement, but showed the athletic ability to find the barrel consistently in batting practice. He has a balanced swing and hit the ball to all fields. The left handed hitter also showed quick hands through the zone with an exit velocity topping out at 78 mph. Defensively, he showed average actions at short. He has a lot of movement in the footwork while attacking the ball. His hands work well, and there is good first step quickness. There is a lot of athleticism and potential which will continue to grow with the more games he plays.

Grady Maguire, SS/OF, Wharton HS, FL. (2020)
The 5-foot-9, 135 pound SS/OF will continue to improve as he becomes bigger and stronger. The left handed hitter has a good path through the zone, but at time does not clear his hips and will cut off his swing. As he learns to utilize his lower half, the path to the ball will lead to consistent gap-to-gap line drive swing. Defensively he shows a lot of potential. With a good first step and rhythm through the ball, he also presents the glove out in front and uses them well. Still young, there are some present tools that will grow with him as he becomes bigger and stronger.

Benjamin Martin, SS/2B, River Ridge HS, FL. (2018)
The 5-foot-9, 155 pound middle infielder has good rhythm and a small leg kick load. There is some steepness in the path, but the hands work well and showed the ability to make adjustments. This resulted in a single in the game and two solid rounds of batting practice. Defensively, he showed average actions at shortstop with good hands. Made a heads up baseball play during the game taking a backhand to third making a play.

Cal McCallum , 2B/OF, Maclay HS, FL. (2019)
The 5-foot-10, 165 pound 2B/OF showed off athleticism both in the workout and game portions. During batting practice, he showed an aggressive approach, attacking the baseball creating above average bat speed. He still needs to get stronger, but he showed quick hands and a balanced leg kick that translated to multiple hard hit balls in the game as well. At second, he showed the ability to make a multitude of plays both to his forehand and backhand while showing off the athleticism making a great over the shoulder play down the right field line from second. A lot of present tools and projectability make him very interesting going forward.

Xavier Millan-Olmeda,1B/3B, Sickles HS, FL. (2018)
The 5-foot-10, 175 pound right handed hitting infielder showed an above average swing in batting practice. He utilizes a high leg kick for a load and sprays the ball both to the opposite field and pull side. The path is level through the zone and he generates quality bat speed. There is some potential for gap-to-gap power in the future. Showed some stiffness in the action at first base with his best throw topping out at 68 mph.

Tanner Mink, 3B, Palm Harbor University, FL. (2019)
The 5-foot-10, 165 pound third baseman has an athletic frame with room to grow.  He featured an upright stance with a good level planed swing. This translated into the game, showing a quick bat with a hard hit ball to third base. He also showed his bat speed with an exit velocity of 85 mph off of the tee. Defensively, he showed a quick first step and good rhythm through the baseball. Showed the ability to make all of the plays and plenty of arm strength to stick at third base. As Mink continues to mature and grow, his athleticism and present tools gives him the potential to skyrocket.  This is an intriguing athlete with a lot left to go given his frame and will be a follow going forward.  

Hueston Morrill, SS/C, Suwannee HS, FL. (2018)
The 5-foot-11, 160 pound athlete showed potential at many positions.  He is a very good athlete that showed the ability to catch and play infield at the next level.  At the plate Morrill showcased his good bat speed producing an exit velo of 87 MPH. He barrelled up balls for hard line drives in batting practice and hit one off of the left field foul pole.  His arm is another strength of his as he showcased a throwing speed of 86 MPH from the shortstop position.  He also showcased that he can play both third and SS with good athletic actions and smooth hands.  Morrill had a few nice at-bats throughout the day including a double in the left-center field gap.  Morrill is a gamer and the type of player every coach has one of. He hustles on and off the field and ran the bases with a lot of energy. 

Zachary Neto, SS/2B, Miami Coral Park HS, FL. (2019)
The 5-foot-11, 160 pound infielder showed good use of his lower half in his swing, driving balls deep in batting practice.  He has a quick swing that that finds the barrel consistently. With an open stance a big leg kick, he consistently stayed on time and used above average bat speed for his class while still finding the barrel. Expect him to be an impact hitter and projectable middle of the order guy. Defensively, he shows solid and projectable actions at short. He is calm and under control with good rhythm working through the ball. He also showed the arm strength to stay on the left side of the field topping out at 85 mph across the diamond. He is projectable and athletic with a lot of upside making him a high follow going forward.

Ryan O'Neill, 3B/RHP, Gulf HS, FL. (2018)
The 5-foot-9, 165 pound RHP/3B hits from the right side and a slightly closed stance. He does not get his hips cleared and hits on a weak front side. The path through the zone works and will be more consistent once the lower half is cleared. He generates bat speed and that shows with the 91mph exit velocity and will translate to the game once the lower half works better. Defensively, he showed average actions and average hands with his throws topping out at 75 mph. On the mound, he lands in line and worked quickly during the game. He throws with an over the top arm action with his fastball ranging from 78-80 mph and a curveball that ranged from 66-67 mph with some depth.  

Duncan Pastore, 3B/RHP, Wharton HS, FL. (2018)
This 6-foot-1, 180 pound 3B/RHP is one to follow going forward.  Both on the mound and in the field, he showed signs of being a big time player at the next level.  He showed a very good understanding of handling the bat hitting a double in the right-center field gap during the game.  He also showcased that his athleticism allows him to potentially be a pretty solid runner.  On the mound, Pastore showcased a ¾ arm slot with quick arm.  His fastball ranged from 82-85 mph and showcased both a slider with good spin that topped at 69 mph and a changeup that was consistently 72 mph that could potentially develop him into a back end guy at the next level.

Jackson Roberts, 2B/SS, University HS, FL. (2018)
The 5-foot-7, 150 pound middle infielder consistently barreled balls up in batting practice. With a simple set-up he shows a level and quick swing that stays through the zone. Although there is not much load, he still consistently stayed direct to the ball with a gap to gap approach. Defensively, he shows good actions in the middle with a good first step. His hands work well out in front and has a quick release of the ball. He shows some athleticism and quick twitch and shows the potential to play second base at the next level.

Raymond Sass, SS/OF, Dunedin HS, FL. (2019)
The 6-foot-1, 170 pound SS/OF has an athletic and projectable frame. The right handed hitter showed a balanced lower half which he uses well. Although he does not have much of a hand load, which leads to some steepness  in the path and inconsistent barrel contact. The is strength and bat speed, which showed in the 88 mph exit velocity. Once he learns how to level the path out he should see a big power increase. Defensively, he shows average actions that are under control to the ball. He has some presents tools and a lot of room to grow and project which will make him an interesting follow.

Dominic Scavone, SS/RHP, Lake Highland Prep, FL. (2021)
The 5-foot-11, 145 pound SS/RHP was the youngest player in attendance, but showed potential. At the plate, the right handed hitter showed good use of the lower half and the ability to fire his hips without spinning out. This leads to a clear path and keeps the path level through the zone. He also stays in the zone a long time and will learn to get more extension with more swings. He showed the ability to drive line drives in the gaps and has a lot of potential with the bat. Defensively, he shows a quick first step and good hands with the potential to stick at shortstop going forward. On the mound, he stays in line and threw strikes with a fastball that ranged from 75-76 mph. He still has a lot of growing and learning to do, but there are some present tools on a good frame and has an idea of what he is doing, which makes him very interesting in the next few years.

Matthew Warren, 2B/SS, George Jenkins HS, FL. (2018)
The 5-foot-7, 150 pound middle infielder showed his quickness and ability to be a spark plug type player throughout the day.  The left handed hitter showed a quick, short line drive approach with the ability to get on base.  His ability to run will help him in his future because he can be a top of the order type hitter and a solid middle of the infield player.  His glove projects at second base, but he showed the ability to play a solid shortstop as well.