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Nats vs GLC Scout Blog

Calvin Ziegler RHP / OF / St. Marys, ON / 2021 Rankings  StateRank: 3 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 314 / POS: 103 Ziegler, a 6-foot, 190-pound physical right-hander with a sturdy base, translated his impressive bullpens to game action. The delivery is fluid and works in sync, he utilizes his lower half, and the arm action is clean and works with minimal effort out front. He was 93-96, maintaining his velo throughout the outing considerably well, and simply overpowering the competition. After the first inning, he settled in working around the K zone and recording all of his outs via strikeout. He didn’t need to throw many secondary offerings but buried a pair of curveballs that displayed tight rot w/ bite at end. The fastball/curveball combination gives him two future above-average offerings, along with the delivery and durability, there’s starter potential with legitimate upside.

Bennett Moore RHP / 1B / Goderich District Collegiate Institute, ON / 2020 Rankings  StateRank: 30 / POS: 11 Moore, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound right-hander who is headed to Johnson County, added strength over the offseason and it showed in exhibition play. It’s a tall & fall delivery, works with an arm stab and throws from a low ¾ slot. He was 87-90, T91, there’s quickness to the arm and extension out front. He threw a slider with some sweeping action, but needs work. The body with present velo makes you take notice, and with refinement, he could come out of Johnson County as an intriguing arm.

Adam Shoemaker LHP / 1B / St. Benedict, ON / 2021 Rankings  StateRank: 4 / POS: 2 Another 6-foot-6 arm, Shoemaker, is a long & lanky left-hander and recent St. Johns commit. He works with a longer arm circle, releases from a ¾ slot, works cleanly through release. Handles himself on the mound, works with composure and goes about his business. Was 85-88, T89 early on in his start, there's natural arm-side run on his fastball. Spun some curveballs in the low-mid 70’s range with 1/7 shape and depth, makings of being an effective pitch. There’s lots of physical projection and room for another velo jump, which will amplify the quality of his breaking stuff as well—4th overall player in the province and must-follow from here on out.

Tanner Almond OF / Georgian Bay Community, ON / 2021 Rankings  StateRank: 10 / POS: 1 Almond looks the part, it's an athletic 6-foot-3, 190-pound build, there's strength throughout the frame, he moves well, and can play. At the plate, it's a left-handed swing with length through the zone and a high finish. He creates leverage and can backspin the baseball with an all-fields approach. He barrelled multiple balls the other way, displaying plate coverage and barrel control. There's power projection with the size, strength, and bat path. He wasn't tested much defensively, but on the few attempts he did get, he moved with poise, and tracked down balls comfortably, and although he didn't have the opportunity to show it, speed is a part of his game. Realistically he fits in a corner and has an all-around game that will allow him to be a high-end contributor at Connors State.

Caleb Clark LHP / 1B / Orillia Secondary School, ON / 2021 Rankings  StateRank: 16 / POS: 4 Clark, an uncommitted left-hander, is listed at 6-foot, 170-pounds. It’s a compact delivery with a low release point and some deception. During his outing, he sat in the upper 80’s and touched a 90. He threw a curveball with break, combined with his fastball and release point it makes for tough at-bats for left-handed hitting. He struggled with control at times, but the velo uptick and flashes of bite to his curveball made for a positive showing to open gameplay for Clark.

Blake Jacklin OF / SS / Elmira District, ON / 2020 Rankings  StateRank: 18 / POS: 4 Davenport commit, Jacklin picked up where he left off last season, he's a gamer, and it shows every time we watch him play. He puts together quality at-bats, fighting off tough pitches, and putting bat-on-ball with solid line-drive contact. He handles the bat and sprays the ball, and doesn't look overmatched in the box. With speed, he profiles at the top of a lineup, where he does the little things such as bunt (3.97 time to first). He can slot in at an outfield corner where he holds his own. Will be a contributing player for Davenport when he gets on campus.

Drew Lawrence OF / RHP / H.B Beal Secondary, ON / 2021 Rankings  StateRank: 11 / POS: 2 Uncommitted outfielder, Drew Lawrence has revamped his swing and impressed at the plate in game action. The swing still works short & direct with bat speed, but he now shows better ability to get on plane which allows his strength to translate to power in-game. It’s a compact, solid build, and we could see continued power development over the next year. We got a look at his arm as he was tested on one occasion in the outfield, charging and throwing to third-base with velo behind it on a line w/ skip. It’s an intriguing profile, and Lawrence shouldn't be available for long.

Additional Tidbits:

• Aaron Duffy: 6-foot-3, 185-pound right-hander, Duffy took the mound and was 84-87, threw a couple of curveballs with 11/5 shape and depth to the offering.
• Griffin Almond: Almond was 86-87 in his start, control was an issue at times, but looked solid overall.
• Matt Duffy: Canisius commit, Duffy, a physical right-hander sat in the upper 80’s, topping out at 89.
• Tanner Dawe: Dawe, another physical right-hander at 6-foot, 180-pounds sat in the upper 80’s, maxing out at 92.
• Blake Gillespie: Gillespie handled shortstop duties in the first game well and took the bump in the second game sitting in the 80-84 range.
• Owen Byberg: Byberg is an intriguing ‘21 two-way guy who handled catching duties where his arm works, and at the plate there’s strength and he made quality contact in-game.
• Core Jackson: Jackson had multiple hits, he added strength over the offseason, and he impacts the baseball with far more authority.
• Dylan Howard: Catcher Dylan Howard took good hacks against tough pitching, and there’s strength in that frame and some juice.