Valley League Prospect Rundown

Valley League Hitters 

• The most exciting talent at the showcase was Jackson Tate, an outfielder for Waynesboro who is transferring from Lawson State CC to Alabama. A 32nd-round pick by the Mariners this June, Tate has the tools to become a top-five-rounds pick if he performs in the SEC next spring. Strong-bodied and super-athletic at 6-foot, 200 pounds, Tate is a premium runner who reportedly ran a 6.3-second 60-yard dash at the Valley all-star game. He put his speed to good use repeatedly at the showcase, gliding around the base paths for a triple on a fly ball down the right-field line in his first at-bat of the event, and showing excellent base running instincts and acceleration both days. He also took one of the most impressive batting practices for the Valley, as the ball jumps off his barrel from the right side. He rocketed a ground-rule double to the left-center gap in game action on Monday. Tate’s speed and instincts also play very well in center field, where he is a standout defender.

• I also liked what I saw from Woodstock outfielder Aidan Nagle (Lewis-Clark State), an athletic lefthanded hitter with good speed and defensive skills in the outfield. And fellow outfielder Dominic Boselli (Covington/George Washington) showed some of the best power potential at the event, cranking a two-run homer to left field on a breaking ball against the SCBL (in a ballpark where home runs are very rare). A thick-bodied 6-foot-1, 210-pounder, Boselli’s righthanded power is his calling card.

• The Valley squad featured several middle infielders with quality actions on defense, led by Willy Escala, who is transferring from Miami to Barry (Fla.) after two seasons with the Hurricanes. Escala is a silky-smooth, instinctive defender with plus arm strength, though his bat remains a work in progress. Five-foot-6 FIU shortstop Kobe Lopez is an Energizer bunny with quick-twitch athleticism that plays at shortstop, where he also flashed above-average to plus arm strength. Lopez has struggled offensively at FIU, but he made some hard line-drive contact last Monday. And Mason Prososki (UL Monroe) handled himself well defensively at second base, showing body control and the ability to throw accurately from various slots. He has solid arm strength and is also capable of catching, and he showed some feel for his barrel and a promising line-drive stroke. He lacks strength at the plate, but his contact skills and defensive versatility should give him plenty of value for ULM next spring, and possibly in pro ball.

• The Valley infielder with the most upside was Charlottesville’s Thomas Francisco (East Carolina), a high-profile recruit for the Pirates last fall who posted a .929 OPS in 113 at-bats as a freshman on a veteran-laden club. He’s a strong breakout candidate at the plate next spring thanks to his provocative lefthanded power potential; he has exciting bat speed and generates easy carry. His best at-bat of the tournament resulted in a rocket line drive down the right-field line for a triple. Francisco is working hard to improve his athleticism and his defensive mobility, but he has an easy plus arm that plays at third base, though his release could use some quickening. If he can refine his defensive skill set and prove that he can handle the hot corner, his prospect value should take a big leap by the time he’s eligible for the 2021 draft.

• Sonny DiChiara earned freshman All-America honors after slugging 21 home runs for Samford this spring. A hulking 6-foot-2, 240-pound behemoth, DiChiara has obvious strength in his righthanded swing, but he also impressed me with his feel for the barrel — he has a knack for making hard line-drive contact, in addition to driving the ball out of the park. He also showed better mobility than I expected for such a big man, though he’ll always be limited to first base or DH.

Valley League Pitchers

• The Valley squad also featured the best arms at the showcase, by and large. Waynesboro righthander Christian Edwards (Jacksonville State) showed some of the best velocity at the event, sitting comfortably at 92-94 and bumping 95 from a three-quarters slot. His delivery has some effort, but he repeats it well and showed solid command of his fastball, and also got a strikeout with a decent 81 mph slider, though he pitched mostly with his fastball in this look.

• Charlottesville righty Joe Sprake (Elon) also touched 95 mph, though he sat mostly 91-93. A 6-foot-4, 210-pounder with an over-the-top delivery, Sprake has intriguing upside if he can learn to harness his control (he walked 14 batters in 18.1 innings as a freshman this spring). He also has the makings of a promising slider with some power at 82-86.

• Harrisonburg lefthander Will Brian is an exciting breakout candidate for Eastern Kentucky heading into next spring. Brian got some time as the Friday starter during his red-shirt freshman campaign in 2019, but inconsistent control held him back (23 walks in 34.1 IP). He’s really turned the corner this summer, and he caught the attention of scouts in two dominant innings Monday. Short but strong at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, Brian’s arm works easy, producing 90-91 velocity from a high slot. And he can really spin his 73-74 mph curveball, which has big, sharp 12-6 break, serving as the out pitch on three of his four strikeouts in those two innings. Brian also competed hard and maintained his poise with runners at second and third and one out, bouncing back to strike out the next two batters.

• Charlottesville leftander Devin Hemenway showed advanced feel for a polished three-pitch arsenal while breezing through two scoreless frames. A lean, wiry 5-foot-10, 160-pound southpaw with a dramatic crossfire delivery and a three-quarters to low three-quarters slot, Hemenway’s deception makes his 85-88 fastball play up, and he carved up the zone with it. He also showed the ability to throw his sharp 75-78 curveball and quality 77-78 changeup for strikes, and he can miss bats with both pitches. Hemenway spent his freshman year at Santa Fe (Fla.) JC before transferring to Florida, where he logged just two innings in 2019. He left the Gators after the season, but his next stop is unclear.

• Winchester RHP Michael Anderson (Oklahoma Wesleyan) followed Hemenway with two scoreless frames Monday, attacking the zone with an 89-91 fastball with good sinking life from a low three-quarters slot. He also featured a quality short slider at 81-84. He could be a useful sinker/slider bullpen piece in pro ball.

• Harrisonburg righty Alex Hoppe (UNC Greensboro) showed arm strength as well, working at 92-93 mph with his fastball and flashing an average slider at 79-81. His command lapsed in his second inning of work (though it’s worth noting that he was pitching through increasing rainfall). He walked 14 batters in 13.2 innings at UNCG this spring, so refining his control remains the biggest key for him going forward.

• Wake Forest righthander Cole McNamee has an athletic pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, and the ball comes out of his hand with minimal effort. He worked at 89-91 and touched 92 in the rain on Monday, along with a short mid-80s cutter/slider. McNamee is a two-way talent who could vie for key innings in the latter stages of games as a junior at Wake.

• Woodstock lefty Tristen Bayless has logged just 8.2 innings over the last two years at Houston, but he looks primed to take on a bigger role in 2020. He showed good feel for pitching with an 86-88 fastball and a nice, tight breaking ball during his two scoreless innings Tuesday.

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