St. Louis Open: Statistical Analysis
October 15, 2019
The second annual St. Louis Open was held on Oct. 12 at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget, Ill., featuring 50 high school prospects from the area. On Monday, we rolled out our Quick Hits post, an in-depth look at the best things we saw from Saturday’s showcase. Today, it’s all about dissecting the measured data captured from Sauget. We’re outlining the statistical leaders from each of the event’s stations and displaying them below.
Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for videos from this event to be posted, followed shortly by position-by-position analysis from the showcase. For now, here’s our Statistical Analysis.
MAX FASTBALL VELOCITY
There’s no question who stole the show from the bump on Saturday: LHP Josh Dima, an Illinois State commit and senior from Belleville West, sat 87-90 mph in his ‘pen which will certainly boost his stock on the 2020 board when we update the rankings later this month. No one came particularly close to matching his 90 mph high, either.
| Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Max FB |
| 1 | Josh Dima | IL | Belleville West | 2020 | LHP | 90 mph |
| 2 | Landen Johnson | MO | Westminster Christian Academy | 2021 | 1B | 85 mph |
| 3 | Chase Newby | IL | Steeleville | 2022 | LHP | 84 mph |
| 4 | Cole Lemons | MO | Notre Dame | 2023 | C | 82 mph |
| ^ | Jackson Bell | MO | Sikeston | 2021 | RHP | 82 mph |
TOP 60-YARD DASH
Nicholas McElroy (Woodlawn, 2021; uncommitted) and Hayden Moore (Edwardsville, 2021; Missouri State commit) topped the 60-yard dash charts, tying each other’s 7.09 marks. Moore, in particular, had an all-around solid day, statistically, with high marks in from the infield and outfield. He remains one of the state’s top 2021 talents and table-setters. Worth noting, too, that Dima took outfield reps and ran a 7.26, underscoring his overall athleticism.
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
60-yard
1
Nicholas McElroy
IL
Woodlawn
2021
OF
7.09
^
Hayden Moore
IL
Edwardsville
2021
OF
7.09
2
Jake Markert
MO
Fort Zumwalt South
2021
OF
7.16
3
Noah Sweeny
IL
Edwards County
2021
OF
7.18
4
Francisco Villarreal
MO
Hickman
2020
SS
7.21
5
Josh Dima
IL
Belleville West
2020
LHP
7.26
TOP EXIT VELOCITY
There was plenty of bat strength on display Saturday, led by a few uncommitted 2021, including Westminster’s (MO) 1B Landen Johnson. Johnson, ranked No. 37 overall in the Missouri’s junior class, topped the exit velo leaderboard with a 96 mph high from the left side. Another Missouri prepster landed just a few ticks short of Johnson’s mark; C Lucas Ash (California, 2021; uncommitted) reached 93 mph from the tee on Saturday.
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Exit Velo
1
Landen Johnson
MO
Westminster Christian Academy
2021
1B
96
2
Lucas Ash
MO
California
2021
C
93
3
Jackson Bell
MO
Sikeston
2021
RHP
90
^
Noah Sweeny
IL
Edwards County
2021
OF
90
^
Austin Gast
MO
Notre Dame
2021
3B
90
4
Cade Tomhave
IL
Pittsfield
2021
3B
88
^
Jake Markert
MO
Fort Zumwalt South
2021
OF
88
TOP INFIELD VELOCITY
Johnson isn’t limited to bat strength, either, he brings it on the infield, too. He topped 85 mph across the diamond to lead this chart. Evansville Central’s (IN) Ben Kennedy (2022; uncommitted) is a sophomore with arm strength and produced a batting practice session that made him a follow inside of Indiana’s 2022 class. He finished a tick shy of Johnson’s infield velo high.
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
INF Velo
1
Landen Johnson
MO
Westminster Christian Academy
2021
1B
85
2
Ben Kennedy
IN
Evansville Central
2022
SS
84
3
Hayden Moore
IL
Edwardsville
2021
OF
81
4
Ayalew Sisay
MO
Timberland
2022
C
80
TOP OUTFIELD VELOCITY
Dima’s big arm naturally showed itself on the outfield grass, too, where he led the group with a 93 mph high throw home. Junior Jake Markert (Fort Zumwalt South, MO; uncommitted) is a top-40-ranked prospect in Missouri’s 2021 class and showed the arm strength and barrel feel to reassert his status as a follow in the state. Moore’s 85 mph mark from the outfield further highlights his defensive versatility.
| Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | OF Velo |
| 1 | Josh Dima | IL | Belleville West | 2020 | LHP | 93 |
| 2 | Jake Markert | MO | Fort Zumwalt South | 2021 | OF | 86 |
| 3 | Jackson Bell | MO | Sikeston | 2021 | RHP | 85 |
| ^ | Hayden Moore | IL | Edwardsville | 2021 | OF | 85 |
TOP CATCHER VELOCITY
Ayalew Sisay’s (Timberland) is a rank in Missouri's 2022 class and he took home one of the top catcher velocities from the day. Sisay finished a tick behind Cole Lemons (Notre Dame Regional, MO; 2023) at the top of the catcher velo board. Lemons himself is a follow freshman to note.
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
C Velo
1
Cole Lemons
MO
Notre Dame
2023
C
74
2
Ayalew Sisay
MO
Timberland
2022
C
73
3
Eli Marvin
MO
East Carter
2022
C
72
^
Austin Almany
MO
St. Pius X
2022
C
72
TOP POP TIMES
From East Carter High in Missouri, Eli Marvin (2022) was consistently the quickest and cleanest from the crouch, recording the lowest average pop times of a young and talented group of catchers. Sisay finished right behind him, neck and neck with St. Pius X’s (MO) sophomore Austin Almany.
Rank
Name
State
School
Class
Pos
Pop Time
1
Eli Marvin
MO
East Carter
2022
C
2.19-2.26
2
Austin Almany
MO
St. Pius X
2022
C
2.25-2.36
3
Cole Lemons
MO
Notre Dame
2023
C
2.27-2.47
4
Lucas Ash
MO
California
2021
C
2.30-2.39
5
Nicholas Hemken
IL
Edwardsville
2020
C
2.32-2.40
RELATED CONTENT