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Draft League Scouting Notes - May 25

May 26, 2021
Zach Day / Nathan Rode / Mike Rosenbaum / Tad Slowik
PBR Staff

Frederick @ Trenton

RHP Will Stevens (Iowa Western CC) started for Frederick and tossed three innings, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out six. While he battled his control, he flashed big stuff. Standing at a strong 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, he pitches with regular effort and a slight head whack, tending to rush his delivery. The fastball had above-average spin rates and sat 92-95 throughout the appearance. His slider flashed above average to plus potential, though it was inconsistent and hung at times and got big and slurvy at others. It had power break when on, spinning up to 2800 rpm and sitting 83-84. He also showed a mid-70s curveball with depth and 2600-2700 rpm.

 

INF Daryl Myers (Benedictine College) has started hot, going 5-for-9 in the first two games. He was 4-for-5 Tuesday, collecting two doubles. He has a sweet left-handed swing that covers the whole plate and allows him to drive the ball to all fields. He routinely makes loud contact. After recording the Draft League’s top exit velocity on Opening Day (105.1 mph), Myers posted exit speeds of 100.4 and 95.5 mph Tuesday on his two doubles. 

INF/OF Yamil Robles (Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy, PR) made his debut today and quickly made his presence known. Facing Stevens, he stayed on a good curveball and lined it to left field or a hit. He then handled a slider on the outer half, slashing a double down the left field line, showing good, loose hands and barrel control. He reached base three times and scored three runs from the leadoff spot, finishing 2-for-2 with a walk. 

 

1B Christopher Brue snapped out of an 0-for-8 skid with a loud, 106.9-mph RBI double to left field. Prep MIF Alex Ulloa, an Oklahoma State commit, recorded the only other triple-digit exit speed in the game via a 100.2-mph fly ball to deep center field.

RHP James Sharkey (Iona College) topped out at 94.2 mph out of Trenton’s bullpen, fanning two batters in 1.1 hitless frames. RHP Logan VanWey (Missouri Southern) ran his fastball up to 93.2 mph as he struck out the side in the ninth. 

 

Williamsport @ State College 

RHP Joseph Miceli (Bergen CC) impressed in his first Draft League start for State College. The 6-foot, 170-pound right-hander struck out six over four scoreless frames, scattering two hits and three walks. The combination of Miceli’s loose, lively and athletic body with a high-three-quarters delivery gives his 90-92 mph plus life with late tail and sinking action. He recorded a 59.1 percent whiff rate (35 total pitches) on Tuesday, spinning his heater up to 2400 rpm. A 74-77 mph, downer curveball that Miceli can spin north of 2900 rpm gives him a potential out pitch, and he also has feel for throwing an upper-70s slider with tight spin and sharp, late break. He sells his 84-85 mph changeup with good arm speed, imparting bottoming-out action on the pitch. Miceli’s delivery requires more fine-tuning, but the athleticism and present arm speed both point to future velocity gains.    

 

RHP Cade Carlson (Lincoln Trail CC) showed a host of starter qualities in his Draft League debut, striking out five across four one-run frames in relief of Miceli. He was 89-91 with his fastball and threw it with good late tail and sink that helped him evade barrels in the outing. His mid-70s curveball averaged 2692 rpm and topped out at 2776 in the outing, with a max Induced Vertical Break (IVB) of -15.3. Similar to Miceli, Carlson’s quick arm and natural feel for spinning the baseball makes him a candidate to add velocity.

Williamsport also ran out a slew of promising arms on Tuesday, led by starter RHP Chase Costello (Stetson), who struck out a pair and allowed a single hit over three sharp frames. He was up to 93.9 mph and sat at 92.7 mph in the outing, throwing his heater with plus life to both sides of the plate. His mid-80s changeup with fade and sinking action plays nicely off the fastball and could develop into a plus pitch. LHP Eduardo Rivera, a 17-year-old prep from Puerto Rico, stood out on the mound with his physically imposing 6-foot-7 frame. The ball explodes out of his hand at 92-96 mph and gets on hitters in a hurry, and he pairs it with a 77-80 mph slider that has late bite but can also play too slurvey at times. Rivera will be a high-ceiling prospect to follow closely this summer. 

RHP Tyler Laporte was 95-96 mph early and settled in a few ticks below that while working two scoreless frames out of the Crosscutters’ pen. He throws his heater with hard tail and sink from a crossfire delivery that is tough on same-sided hitters. He also flashed a power slider at 89 mph that could become a weapon with more development. RHP Owen Holt (Alvin CC) sat 92-94 mph with a max IVB of 22.6 inches (19” avg.) over the game’s final two frames.  

MIF Isaac Nunez (South Florida) went 0-for-2 but coaxed three walks and recorded his third triple-digit exit velocity (100.7 mph) in two games for Williamsport. Spikes outfielders Andre Tarver (Chiplola) and Michael Slaten (Benedictine) as well as INF Tyler Heckert (John Logan JC) all recorded a 100-plus exit velo, with Tarver’s 103.1-mph groundout leading the group. 

INF Brady Brecklin (Illinois Central) delivered State College’s first dinger of the season, connecting on a ninth-inning solo shot to straightaway left field. The hit left his bat at 99 mph and traveled 383.3 feet, the day’s third-longest batted ball. 

 

Mahoning Valley @ West Virginia

West Virginia OF Cooper Swanson (Florida State) went deep. Like, way deep. Like, 432 feet to the opposite field at 107 mph off the bat deep. He also worked a pair of walks, finishing 1-for-3 in the Black Bears’ 7-1 loss to Mahoning Valley. 


OF Jason Hinchman (Tennessee Tech) posted exit velocities of 105.6 and 103.5 mph as part of a 1-for-2, two-RBI performance for Mahoning Valley. Both of the right-handed hitter’s triple-digit exit velos came against curveballs.  

Prep LHP Mitch Bratt (Newmarket HS, Ontario) was sharp in his first start for West Virginia, racking up six strikeouts over three innings. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Florida State commit sat comfortably at 88-91 mph in the outing and posted a 40 percent CSW% (called strike plus whiff rate) with his mid-70s curveball, throwing the pitch 20 times.

 

RHP Logan Clayton (College of Central Florida) ran his fastball up to 95.1 mph and sat better than 92 over two innings in relief. He also recorded whiffs with each of the five low- to mid-80s sliders he threw in the outing and showed feel for both a curveball and changeup. 


On the mound for the Scrappers, LHP Ethan Brown (Seminole) struggled with his control, issuing five walks across 3.2 frames, but also struck out four and scattered three hits. He didn’t miss many bats with his 87-90 mph fastball but posted individual whiff rates ranging from 44.4 to 50 percent with his curveball, cutter and slider.

In fanning six batters over 3.1 frames, RHP Reese Dutton (Heartland CC) recorded a 62.5 percent whiff rate on his curveball, throwing the pitch 19 times (39.6 percent of the time). RHP Gabe Shepard (Southern Mississippi) worked two hitless frames in relief, bumping 92.3 mph.

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