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The Future - 2022's To Watch

The 2022 class features strong talent at the top and depth throughout and will be an exciting class to follow throughout the next couple of years. Below are four prospects who have stood out during the course of the summer in a big way. Hugh Pinkney a catcher, Blake Gillespie an infielder, Cameron Chee-Aloy an outfielder and Carson Lumley a pitcher each represent their respective positions well and have bright futures ahead of them. 

Hugh Pinkney C / OF / Silverthorn CI, ON / 2022 Report: A 6-foot, 155-pound catcher, Pinkney is one of the best at his position in Ontario’s ‘22 class. He showed well at T12 tryouts and the Junior Future Game; behind and at the plate. Left-handed bat, shows comfort in the box; relaxed, balanced with rhythm. Keeps his hands back, clean bat path with good bat control considering his age and current stature. Uses the whole field, consistent hard contact off his bat, will tap into a lot more power in the upcoming years. Behind the plate, Pinkney has a feel for receiving; displays the ability to catch the low pitch and shift his glove with little movement. It’s an athletic wide secondary stance; he has comfort blocking; he reacts well and is in a solid position often. He can catch and throw in-game; lets the ball come to him, recoils and gets off strong throws which have been up to 76 mph. Has the makings behind the plate, will stick there for the long run. Lots of projectability, strength gains and power will come and impact his overall game. Bright future for Pinkney, he should be ranked highly in the 2022 class.

Blake Gillespie SS / OF / Medway, ON / 2022 Rankings  StateRank: 58 / POS: 13 Report: Gillespie is a 5-foot-11, 150-pound right-handed hitting shortstop for the Ontario Nationals. He showed well throughout the year, notably in Florida for PBR Spring Training, and Georgia for the Junior Future Games. A glove first infielder, with feel and clean actions on the dirt. Positions himself well, comes towards the ball on a slight angle, reads and times the bounce and goes through the ball with momentum towards his target. Glove actions are fluid for the most part, transfers are quick, get’s off strong throws up to 85 mph. He has continued to improve his quickness and is now a 6.91 runner. At the plate, he has made immense strides over the course of the year; he now has a base to anchor his swing. He has some bat speed and quickness and will put good swings together on fastballs. Still, lots of work to do offensively to become a well-versed hitter; he’s heading in the right direction with his big jump in a short period. Gillespie will be on the radar of colleges in the not too distant future.

Carson Lumley RHP / SS / Mother Teresa, ON / 2022 Report: Lumley, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound right-hander, is a long, lean pitcher for the London Badgers. Very projectable arm, with long-levers and lots of room to get stronger. We got lots of looks at Lumley during the year, including the u15 Nationals, where he got the start for the second year in a row at the tournament; helping lead his club to victory once again. Lumley has natural athleticism within his delivery, a quick arm and some deception. He has been anywhere from 80-85 mph throughout the year and is one of the harder throwers in his class. His secondary offerings are both a work-in-progress, but he has the arm speed and youth to develop pitches. With his frame and current ability, he’s someone to keep tabs on; he is one of the best pitchers in his class.

Cameron Chee-Aloy OF / SS / Neil McNeil, ON / 2022 Report: Chee-Aloy has been a standout this summer, finding himself playing in the Junior Future Games, u15 Nationals along with other big tournaments. He's a twitchy, 5-foot-9, 145-pound outfielder out of the Ontario Terriers program. There's athleticism and quickness in his movements, and he's a 6.88 runner who should only get faster. At the plate, it's a handsy approach where he trusts his hands and lets his bat speed do the work. It's still raw, and he'll need to make mechanical adjustments, but the bat speed and bat-to-ball ability play right now. He moves well in the outfield, goes after balls with intent, and will make plays in his area code with ease. His arm is one of his stronger tools; he uses his body well and displays arm speed allowing him to get off throws from the outfield up to 84 mph. He's a raw athlete with a chance to impact the game in multiple facets at the next level.