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Northern California Underclass Games: Team 4 Analysis

September 11, 2018
Blaine Clemmens
Northern California Director of Scouting

The inaugural N. California Underclass Games took place on Saturday, August 25th at John Smith field on the campus of Sacramento State University. The Underclass Games were a culmination of our Underclass Trials which attracted players from all over the region.

The day featured a workout in the morning for position players where they went through our hitting wheel, took on-field BP, before finishing up with a defensive workout. Players were split into four teams with two simulated games following the morning workouts. Teams consisted of players in the 2020-2022 classes.

Playing the second game of the day was Team #4, which featured a few of the regions top known 2020 grads but also a few that haven't as of yet been well known. We also highlight an outstanding 2022 pitcher and a couple of very intriguing 2021 players.

Let's take a look at the players on Team #4 through the eyes of our scouts and Northern California Director of Scouting.

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NOTE: The reports on players from Team #4 are listed in no particular order. Click on player name for full statistical performance numbers and video.

Mitchell Kley OF / Alpha Charter (JMF), CA / 2020

5-foot-8, 130-pounds, lean athletic build, room to continue to fill out, fairly wide shoulders given his current size. Tall set-up in the box, good balance, short simple stride, works hands inside the ball well, keeps head quiet, pulled numerous line drives in BP round. Made good barrel contact in both game at-bats, both times hitting the opposite way. Chance to be a line to line spray contact type hitter. Defensively made athletic approach to the ball in the outfield, long arm action, loose good arm that has more in there as he gains physical strength. Throws had good carry on them due to his good mechanics and long out-front release point. Gets out over his front side well and frankly, it would be interesting to see his throwing mechanics taken to the mound.

Jared Mettam SS / 2B / Half Moon Bay, CA / 2022

5-foot-10, 145-pounds, lean well-proportioned body, athletically built young player. He’s a 2022 to know of in Northern California. Bat talent stood out in this viewing. Good balance, quiet and aggressive, lower half works, strong hands and good barrel control, short swing that produces solid contact that will get louder as he gets stronger. Made good barrel contact in both game at-bats, both times to the opposite field, again displaying the bat control he showed in BP. Trusts his hands and lets the ball travel. If he continues to add size and strength then he will develop gap to gap extra base power. Defensively he is smooth to the ball, plays low, showed soft hands and a quick transfer with good timing, clean footwork and a compact release with carry on his throws. Arm strength can tick up and will have to if he’s to stay on left side of infield.

Harrison Kohagura 3B / OF / Vintage , CA / 2020

5-foot-8, 170-pounds, strong compact build with some present day muscle development. Powerful young man. Offensively put up some of the top metrics at the event and it’s been consistent with other events we’ve seen him at. Balanced in the box, has an explosive swing that comes from his load and ability to gather and direct his power and energy. Strong hands get through the ball well, with consistent barrel contact. Power can play from gap to gap so long as he stays flatter with his swing vs being too uphill. Both game at-bats resulted in plus barrel contact, both times to the right side. Defensively showed off a strong arm that would plat at multiple positions. Somewhat choppy footwork on the way to the ball but set up his feet well as he’s fielding and getting rid of it. Not pretty but he’s efficient. Throws as aggressively as he swings the bat. Has ability to play a corner outfield position in addition to 3rd, or even possibly 2nd base. Bat talent and aggressive style of play are what make him stand out.

Jack Burnes OF / Marin Catholic , CA / 2021

5-foot-11, 182-pounds, strong body, filled out pretty well now, compact and well-proportioned. Offensively he showed interesting bat talent. Quiet set-up, minimal hand movement and a very small load, simple stride and hands go directly to the ball, working to stay inside. It’s a disciplined approach and mechanics. Good barrel awareness and has strength in the swing. Best swing works with a little potential pop in the middle of the field. Saw quality pitching in two game at-bats, once making plus contact on a single to left with an explosive swing. Defensively he moved conservatively to the ball with measured footwork, gloved and transferred the ball fine, nothing wrong with the technique just needs to increase his urgency and pace of fielding and throwing.

Jordan Greenly SS / 3B / Del Oro, CA / 2020

5-foot-11, 175-pounds, strong present build, upper and lower body have some physical development, well-proportioned. Offensively he showed off some bat talent. Hits from a wide crouch and open stance. High leg kick timing mechanism, maintains good balance through his load and timing, gets foot down in good shape with hands ready to hit. Good rhythm with load of his hands. Ball comes off the bat well and should develop some gap to gap line drive ability to get into gaps. Solid singled up the middle in one of his game at-bats. On bases showed aggressive nature, got to good extension with leads, stole a couple of bags after the single. Speed was better on bases than down the line. Defensively plays with a lot of energy and bouncy actions. Plays low to the ball, showed soft hands and a good exchange. Throws from a lower slot with average arm strength, ball leaves hand well but the low slot limits some carry.

Evan Odin RHP / OF / Lincoln, CA / 2021

5-foot-11, 150-pounds, lean athletic build, high waist/long legs, good baseball build. Two-way player stood out on the mound. 3/4-slot, loose and easy arm action, projectable arm action for future velocity gains though does swing arm behind his body which can be tough to sync up with lower body, good direction down slope, athletic delivery works toward a good front side.  Sneaky fastball velocity, good fastball life with sink, slider with Frisbee type lateral break, plenty to like and dream on as a pitcher. Offensively very calm in the box, tall set, quiet set-up, simple small stride, stays behind ball well and takes hands inside the ball, willing to work where pitched. Gap to gap type hitter, ball leaves bat well, projects to develop some extra base pop. Stayed in middle of field in both game at-bats with good contact both times. Good outfield arm, arm works well out there as well, conservative approach to the ball, tends to really slow feet as he fields which hurts momentum as he readies to throw. Athletic young player, looks to be stronger pitching prospect at this time but should continue to play and evolve as a two-way player.

Carson Seeman C / 2B / Placer, CA / 2021

5-foot-11, 165-pounds, lean body, good proportionality, has some present strength but still room to fill out. Aggressive young player with a chance to develop some hit and defense tools that work at the catcher position. Hits from a balanced slight crouch with a small leg lift timing mechanism. Small hand load and does nice job working inside the ball and to the middle of the field. Gets good leverage at contact. Could loosen up the hands a little bit and create a bit more separation of his hands from his body. There are some hitting tools present though. Defensively he made a smooth glove to hand transfer on his throws and showed clean footwork. Feet are quiet though he could stay a bit lower and drive his backside better to get more power into the throws. Efficient thrower around the bag and he will be competitive with attempted base stealers. Pop time of 2.10 in game action was consistent with his workout throws. Good look in this kid’s eyes as he likes to play.

Telly Hill OF / Clayton Valley Charter , CA / 2020

5-foot-8, 195-pounds, thicker body type, stout and strong. Hill put up some of the more impressive metrics among outfielders at the event. Good rhythm in the batters box. Sets with high hands and loads with timing and fluidity and calm. Lower body stays beneath him and allows him to gets to and through the ball with a lively barrel. Ball leaves his bat well and there is some power in that swing and body, particularly to the pull side. Sees the ball well and had highly competitive at-bats, long at-bats and also showed he can use the opposite field. Would keep his name as a left-handed hitter to know of in the area. Defensively he has confidence and it shows as he approaches the ball, also possesses good glove skills. Ball comes out of his hand well. Chance to develop a well above average arm if he can gain some flexibility. Powerful young man and tenacious competitor.

Brady Chavez RHP / OF / Santa Cruz, CA / 2020

6-foot-0, 160-pounds, lean wiry body type, good body type. Competed as a two-way player. Tall set-up at the plate, quiet in box, stays behind ball well, BP round showed good balance with good hitting base, smooth swing and works hands inside well, looks to have ability to spray the ball. Defensively approaches the ball aggressively with athleticism, fields ball on glove side though a little deep, arm works easy and clean, good outfield arm. High-3/4 slot on the mound, fairly deep on the backside, good direction down the slope, tends to give too much on front side which takes away leverage, pitches with good rhythm and good tempo, decent arm finish, fastball had some riding life, showed good control to the arm side, slipper type 11/4 curveball, fielded position well including starting a double play.

Evan Adams RHP / SS / Cardinal Newman , CA / 2022

5-foot-10, 175-pounds, one of the better 2022 pitchers we’ve seen in Northern California, strong athletic build, good lower half, good levers. Athletic delivery, gets to a very high knee lift that happens fluidly and with balance, deep on the backside and comes out of it with good timing, slight cross body stride, good drive from his lower body, overhand slot, strong front side and gets to good extension, occasionally fell off and yanked a pitch or two, attacking style and hitters seemed on their heels as he was throwing his fastball by them consistently. Used slide step well. Fastball was fairly straight yet it had life at the plate and through the zone. Showed feel of the slider and kept his change-up down. Fun to watch him pitch and compete.

Treven Crowley RHP / SS / Hilmar, CA / 2020

Uncommitted as of this report. 6-foot-1, 165-pounds, lively body type, lean athletic wiry build, one of the top 2020 talents in Northern California, he will be in the next 2020 rankings we publish. Standout two-way player though pitching is likely what is drawing most interest from colleges. Uncommitted. A top performer from the Underclass Trials, he didn't disappoint at the Underclass Games as he continues to show as one of the top 2020 talents in Northern California. Arm talent showed up once again, topping at 89 mph on the mound in game competition and reached 88 mph across the diamond in the defensive evaluations. Attacking/challenging approach on mound with good athleticism. Delivery has deliberate tempo at beginning then he explodes as his lead leg starts down after an abbreviated lift. Arm is fast and loose, high-3/4 slot, fastball is lively in the zone with late action. As good as the fastball was, his last pitch was a snap-dragon breaking ball that locked up a quality hitter. Throws the curveball with an aggressive arm action. Change-up appeared to be a BP fastball which was a nice change of pace of the upper-80s fastball. The more he gains control of his body and doesn't rush his stuff, the better he will be. Offensively and defensively he also has a shot, with a smooth left-handed swing with a fluid load and line drive approach, runs well underway and he's got that big arm, though he will lose some of that velocity across the diamond when he incorporates a natural and quicker release. In two at-bats he twice stayed in the middle of the field, including a hard line out to centerfield.

Nathan Thompson LHP / Elk Grove, CA / 2020

6-foot-2, 150-pounds, tall lean and lanky body, good build on a young pitcher. Easy arm action, clean on backside, good rhythmic delivery, high-3/4 slot, body works well throughout delivery, good front side, maintains good body control and should be able to repeat better as he gains strength. Stuff doesn’t come out with desirable velocity yet but the movement on the fastball is quite good, seems like he was just playing catch and getting life on his pitches. Perhaps as he gains strength his low effort delivery will continue to work for him as he gains velocity from strength gains. Stuff seemed much firmer than the gun showed. Good pick off move as well. Big slow curveball and also mixed in a change-up. The life on his stuff and his delivery will work for him if/when the velocity spikes into the low-mid 80s.

Max Pettey LHP / 1B / Whitney, CA / 2020

6-foot-2, 170-pounds, strong well-proportioned body type, good looking frame on a rising junior. Good hips and shoulders. Offensively has talent as well. Tall set-up, starts with open stance, line drive middle/opposite field approach with some strength and power potential. Twice squared it up in his game at-bats, both to the pull side. Stays behind the ball well, nice wide base with good balance and creates leverage with his lower body. Defensively bounced around well, confident and strong arm, works the bag well, good athlete at 1st base. Good all-around player, given his present velocity on mound he might be viewed as more of a position player but if/when the velocity spikes he will be seen well as a pitcher too. High-3/4 slot, easy arm action and gets good length at release point. Uses lower body well in delivery with good stability that provides a repeatable release point. Long arm action and hides the ball well. Good direction and good finish. Pettey was a pitch-maker in this outing. Fastball with life and control, good feel of the curveball with late bite and good shape, tough pitch on left-handed hitters. Athlete on the mound and a good slide step.

Connor Polli SS / 2B / Capital Christian, CA / 2020

6-foot-1, 175-pounds, lean and strong, good baseball body, put together well. Talented all-around player with tools that will translate to the 4-year level. A 2020 to know of in Northern California. Hits with balance and aggressiveness. Lower half is explosive and he possesses plus bat speed. Disciplined hands fired from a small rhythmic load. Good looking swing. Showed power to the pull side and middle of the field. Game at-bat resulted in a hard line drive out to the centerfielder and a competitive at-bat vs one of the top pitchers. Defensively plays low and through the ball with lively feet. Soft hands, clean exchange and the arm strength played naturally as he was fielding and getting rid of it vs loading up to just throw hard. Looked capable of playing up the middle with his efficient transfer and release. All in all a really good looking rising junior.

Joey Adge C / RHP / Del Campo, CA / 2021

5-foot-11, 190-pounds, strong thick body type, has some present strength and development. Good looking all-around 2021 catcher should emerge as one of the better ones in the region in the 2021 class. Offensively showed good balance and rhythm in the box, strong hands and top hand dominant finish to the swing. Both game at-bats were good contact to the pull side and faced quality pitching. Strong young hitter. Defensively showed a clean, calm, efficient transfer with above average arm strength given that he is a rising sophomore. Throws could be more accurate, pop times in workout were a bit quick with some cheating out of crouch but game throw of 2.09 was indicative of where he’s at now. Very solid young catcher, older brother is at U of New Mexico as a pitcher.

Ryan Pierce 1B / 3B / Clayton Valley Charter, CA / 2020

Rankings  StateRank: 56 / POS: 3 OverallRank: 457 / POS: 17

St. Mary’s College commit. 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, strong broad body type, looks the part of a corner infielder, chance to pack on man strength as he physically matures. Offensively he has some tools and likely will get pro attention during his senior year. Starts with tall narrow open set-up and has a stride similar to that of Cody Bellinger. Fast powerful hands, easy pull side power, throws barrel through contact with buggy-whip life while creating good separation to and through contact. Consistently found the barrel, including in both game at-bats what saw him pound the ball on the pull side and to centerfield. Exit velocity was up to 89 mph. Defensively he bounced around well, short arm action, confident thrower, moved around the bag well. Also pitches and has talent that certainly will have him on the mound through his high school years. Overhand slot, loose arm, some effort in the delivery, good direction, late separation caused some control struggles. Fastball had some variance in velocity as he was likely adding and subtracting. Occasional good life on the fastball. Curveball was not big but simple and effective with 11/5 small break and thrown with feel and finish. Saw some pitches in low-80s that were cutter-like. Chance to keep evolving on mound for sure.

Mason Ali RHP / 3B / Pleasant Grove , CA / 2022

6-foot-3, 186-pounds, big tall rangy and broad body type, good delivery that he repeated quite well especially given his age and size. High-3/4 slot, short easy arm action, good timing of separation and lower half mechanics, got to firm and flexed front side with good finish, didn’t look like a long stride but he gains good ground down the slope, all of which was a reason that his stuff was so sneakily effective even in the mid-70s. Hitters repeatedly took fastballs for strikes which indicates that they didn’t see it well and the life was unexpected. Slow curveball but willing to mix it with good fastball usage. Will need velocity gains but given ease of his delivery and the body type, he should steadily climb. Offensively has a short swing that was working uphill a bit much. Calm stride, had some negative momentum as he got to contact and hit off his backside. Can develop better transfer of weight throughout his swing and through contact. Defensively showed soft hands and light feet, tools fit more for 1st base than 3rd.

UPCOMING EVENTS