Washington Summer Kickoff - 2021 Prospects

August 19, 2020
Dan Jurik
Scouting Director - Pacific Northwest

Bellevue, WA - Throughout July, we had the opportunity to see over 100 players across multiple events at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue.

Summer events events such as this provide players with the opportunity to build their profile with the most up-to-date information and video footage. All players in attendance receive an online profile with their verified statistics, player report, picture and video. Additionally, all subsequent stories written about a prospect will be linked to the player’s profile, ultimately creating a one-stop shop for recruiters.

Showcases help identify which prospects have asserted themselves towards the top of their class as well as who might be one of the next youngsters to emerge onto the scene. They also serve as potential identifiers for invite-only events such as our Future Games and Junior Future Games

For a full statistical release of the events, check out the following links.

Session 1 - HERE

Session 2 - HERE

Check out player notes on some of the 2021 prospects we've seen so far this summer

Washington summer kickoff

uncommitted 2021 prospects

Cesar Eden Blanco SS / RHP / Chiawana , WA / 2021

6-foot-1, 180-pound slim frame. Offensively, Blanco displayed a peak exit velocity of 92 mph, showing the current strength in his frame and potential power ability. Started in an open quiet stance with a short, easy hand load. Takes a balanced, controlled leg kick into landing. Has upward swing plane with loose, easy barrel action and high finish. Pull side approach throughout with line-drive contact. Confident in the infield, his best throw was recorded at 81 mph; had soft, consistent hands, rhythmic footwork and a clean exchange. Showed consistent accuracy to the bag with a compact arm action and a low ¾ slot. Looks natural on the infield, keeping his momentum going throughout and active feet.

Marques Brown RHP / Mt. Baker , WA / 2021

6-foot-3, 210-pound. Strong framed with a workhorse type build. Confident on the mound, showing quick arm speed and a steady tempo throughout. Uses a compact arm action with a sidearm slot. Tall-and-fall type pitcher with a shorter stride for his height. Uses some effort out front with aggressive hand speed at release. Comes set at a tall balance point with level shoulder line before working down the slop. Lands square with an upright finish after release. Produced a fastball that came in at 80-81 mph with a max of 82 mph; showed low in the zone control and fading action with heavy movement. Low spin rate FB with considerable arm-side run. Has sweeping action and control around the zone on his 10/4 slider at 64-69. Also showed a CH with late action and arm side command and heavy life at 76-77

Adrian Cruz 2B / SS / Ballard, WA / 2021

6-foot, 155-pound slim frame with long limbs in both his upper and lower half. Begins in an open, tall stance on the left side. Gathers weight back with a small leg kick that syncs up with a short pull back load in his hands. Uphill swing plane and high finish. Line drive approach during BP. Keeps hands inside of the ball and works short into contact. Confident in the infield. Showed soft sure hands, a quick exchange and consistent feet. Controls his glove hand well with a quick exchange into throwing motion. Also worked out in the OF, showing some versatility. Had another smooth workout. Shows easy feet with longer, more length strides than the INF. Clean exchange coming through the baseball and consistent hands. Used a short arm action and a high ¾ slot.

Evan Dickstein RHP / 3B / Mercer Island, WA / 2021

Physical presence on the mound at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds. Present strength and a durable frame that should allow him to eat innings and be a workhorse at the next level. On the bump, has a deliberate tempo and mechanically sound actions. Showing feel for controlling his size as he gets down the slope. Leg lift shows up, down and out type action into landing. Arm gets extended after hand break then shortens up quickly as he works to a high ¾ release. Strong lower half keeps him balanced out front at his finish as he gets significant extension from his upper half. Approximately 6”7’ arroding to Trackman. FB has heavy life with an avg. spin rate of only 1594rpm. The extension plus low spin rate should help him keep the ball out of the air and force hitters to beat it into the ground as he fills up the zone. Also displays consistent feel for his CB/CH offerings as well. Although he didn’t workout at a defensive position, Dickstein also showed some aptitude with the bat. He runs well for his size, proving there’s some athleticism to work with. In the box, he stays tall in his frame with big time leverage at the plate. Stays in his back hip and rotates easily as he creates an uphill barrel path. Despite his length, he keeps hands tight to his body and stays short to the ball. Easy, one-handed finish thru contact.

Alex Goedhard C / Hazen, WA / 2021

6-foot, 160-pound solid frame with room for more strength. At the plate, began in a tall balanced stance with a quick compact move in his hands. Uses a toe tap before his swing. Uphill swing plane with some length into contact and high finish. Gap to gap approach with consistent lift on the ball. Stays tall, narrow throughout with a strong front side as he rotates through his finish. While catching, showed pop times between 2.19-2.25. Worked with a clean exchange, consistent footwork and a strong receiving hand. Staggered setup in his lower half with some flexibility in his hips. Some accuracy to the bases, using an-over-the-top slot with a short arm action.

Todd Gouy OF / 3B / Arlington, WA / 2021

5-foot-8, 155-pound proportional frame. At the plate, starts in a wide, slightly open stance. Uses a small leg to create some momentum into his swing Hands stay near back shoulder with a quick, subtle shift to load into hitting position. Staying tight to the body throughout, keeping barrel inside of the ball. Used a flat, level swing plane with extension on his finish after contact. He found lots of barrels through his rounds. Up the middle type approach. Clean actions in the OF. Handled all of his defensive opportunities with consistent actions. Showed sure hands, a natural exchange and consistent footwork when approaching and coming thru the ball. Long, full arm action and an-over-the-top slot with accuracy to the bag.

Sam Hawk OF / LHP / Issaquah, WA / 2021

5-foot-8, 160-pound athletic frame. Showed off some sneaky pop during batting practice and has some juice in his barrel. Began in an athletic, closed stance with a quick hand move prior to launching his swing. Uses a low leg kick to start his swing. Bat speed was above average throughout. Compact levers in his upper half allow him to stay short and level to the ball. Found lots of barrels with some loud contact. Up the middle approach with more lift going to his pull-side. Confident actions in the OF. Works fast with an aggressive tempo. Has consistent hands, a natural exchange and athletic quick feet. Used a compact arm action and a high ¾ slot while showing consistent accuracy to the base. During the event, clocked a 60 time of 7.11 on a slower, grass track.

Aiden Herrick SS / RHP / Olympia, WA / 2021

Rankings StateRank: 50 / POS: 9

6-foot-1, 185-pound sturdy frame that continues to develop and add strength. Sets up in a balanced crouched stance with a subtle scap load to stretch his hands back. Short stride out of leg kick to get into landing. Upward swing plane at point of contact into a high finish. Found multiple barrels with some loud contact. Gap to gap approach with power playing best to his pull-side.Stays in his lower half throughout and has some adjustability with his posture. Confident while in the infield during defensive working. Has a quick exchange after funneling ball in.Choppy athletic feet and consistent, sure hands. Used a high ¾ slot with a short arm action while showing consistent accuracy to the base. Advanced on the mound, showing consistent arm speed and repeatable delivery. Up-tempo pitcher who works quick, but doesn’t get rushed and shows easy effort through release. Keeps even shoulders with a low balance point as he gathers over the rubber. Lands closed at footstrike with a clean finish. FB peaked at 85 mph; has running action and very consistent command. Throws his 12/6 curveball (68-69) with gradual action and low in the zone control. Showed glove side control and tight action on his sharp slider (73-74) with a heavy CH (73-75) with sinking action and arm side control.

Caden McCann LHP / OF / Woodinville, WA / 2021

5-foot-10, 170-pound. Added some physicality to his frame over the past year and improved all of his offerings across the board from our last look at him. Same drop and drive action in delivery with bend on his backside as he works down the slope. Showed a tall balance point and kept shoulders in line with target. Lands closed with slight cross action in his lead foot. Long, full arm path with continuous action into a high ¾ release Topped out at 81 mph with a low spin rate FB; shows sinking action and around the zone control with heavy movement. Throws a 1/7 curveball (64-68) that has control around the zone and gradual action in its shape. Has fading action and arm side command on his change-up (70-72). Throws all of his offerings with conviction at release and gets backside thru as he finishes.

Noah Meffert SS / 2B / Home school, WA / 2021

6-foot, 175-pound athletic frame. At the plate, Meffert showed off some power and quickness in his bat with an exit velocity of 93 mph during BP. Begins in a tall, quiet stance with upright posture. Upper half shows a compact scap load as he gets into a short, quick stride. Has above average bat speed, simple level swing plane and good extension on his finish. He found lots of barrels with loud contact. Gap to gap approach. Athletic in the infield with confident actions. Had a quick fluid exchange, soft consistent hands and rhythmic athletic footwork. Worked to get around the ball, staying active and not getting flat footed. Very quick arm action and a low ¾ slot with consistent accuracy to the bag. Up to 84 on his throws across the diamond. During the event, ran the 60-yard dash in 7.0

Paul Noone OF / LHP / Mercer Island , WA / 2021

6-foot-1, 180-pound solid frame. Noticeably more physical than when we saw him last summer. Noone showed a boost in his power ability with an exit velocity up to 92 mph. Similar set-up in the box with a slightly crouched, balanced stance. Hands start a bit lower than on previous look and stay below rear shoulder as he gets into his low leg lift. Quiet forward move into landing with a balanced base to hit from. Short path to the ball with an uphill swing plane. Barreled up a few balls with some loud contact to his pull-side. Consistent defender in the outfield. Profiles well to a corner spot. Shows a clean exchange, sure hands and smooth consistent feet. Used a low ¾ slot with a long arm action while showing consistent accuracy to the base

Austin Popoff 3B / RHP / Eastmont, WA / 2021

5-foot-10, 180-pound sturdy frame. Offensively, sets up in a closed, wide stance with front side and lower half aligned to pitcher. Uses a long stride in his lower half during forward move but stays balanced throughout and controls his weight shift. Limited movement with his hands allows him to work into the zone early and get depth with his barrel. Full, uphill swing plane into a high finish after contact. Barreled up some balls with loud contact up the middle, showing a line drive approach. Consistent showing defensively in the infield. Reliable hands with steady tempo in his footwork and a glove tap exchange for rhythm after he funnels the ball in. Compact arm action with a high ¾ slot and accuracy to the bag on all of his throws. Also posted a strong time in the 60 with a 7.04 on grass. Confidence translates well to the mound, where he works with an aggressive tempo and quick pace. Mechanically sound actions with slight pause at hand break before an aggressive finish out front at release. Long, full arm path with continuous action. Shoulders stay level at balance and he keeps eyes on target. Lands square with a clean finish. Throws a heavy FB that peaked at 85 on this look. Keeps it around the zone consistently. Also mixed in his 11/5 curveball with gradual shape. Throws an above average CH at 70-72 that shows consistent command and fading action.

Kaiya Saito C / SS / Newport, WA / 2021

5-foot-10, 165-pound mature frame. Sets up in a slightly open stance with upright posture and narrow base. Gets into a more athletic position after a quick load and small leg kick with knee-knock action. Quick, repeatable bat path. Simple, short swing plane and consistent extension on his finish. Found multiple barrels with loud contact. Gap to gap approach. Behind the plate, had consistent pop times of 2.18-2.25. One knee down type receiver behind the dish, showing some mobility and a soft glove hand. Clean actions getting out of crouch and into throwing motion. Creates consistent ball flight with a high ¾ release. Also worked out on in INF. Moves with fluid footwork, sure consistent hands and a clean exchange. Maintains body control throughout while adjusting tempo as needed. Continued to use short, bent arm action with a high ¾ release.

Anthony Sendejas LHP / LHP / Bothell, WA / 2021

6-foot-1, 160-pound. Frame still projects while also showing current lean strength. Proportional build between upper and lower half with long arms/levers to work with. Simple, repeatable delivery with easy effort throughout. Stays tall at balance point and keeps height on back leg as he strides down the slope. Lands closed with an upright finish. Long, loose arm path from a ¾ slot. Showed around the zone control on his FB, staying behind the offering and giving it true ball flight out of hand. Peaked at 80 on this look but it feels like there’s more in the tank coming down the road. Especially given how clean and easily his arm works. Also mixed in 1/7 curveball (72-73) and a changeup (71-74) to give him a 3-pitch arsenal.

Darren Smith C / 3B / Stanwood , WA / 2021

6-foot, 195-pound sturdy frame. Has some current strength in his build and showed off some solid power with a peak exit velocity of 95 in BP. Begins in a tall closed stance before coiling in towards his back hip. Lower half uses knee knock load, pulls barrel back with a compact scap move, keeping hands tight to his body. Takes a controlled stride into landing. Barreled up some balls with loud contact. Up the middle approach with a level finish thru contact. Behind the plate, had consistent pop times of 2.25-2.36. Has sure consistent hands, solid footworkt and a developing exchange. Wide setup with some flexibility. Slightly staggered in his lower half prior to getting out of crouch. Used a short arm action and a low ¾ slot.

Braeden Terry OF / OF / Newport, WA / 2021

6-foot, 175 pounds with strength in upper half and a proportional frame. Showed some polished hitting actions from the left-side during BP. Consistent line-drive contact to middle/pull-side. Hits from a tall, upright stance with low hand placement. Knee knock type load before taking a short forward stride that syncs up with a slight hand shift. Hands stay inside of the ball with an uphill path thru contact. Simple & repeatable swing that should allow him to have adjustability in the box. Gap to gap power. Defensively he moves well in the OF with aggressive routes to the ball and clean footwork. Comes thru after funneling & uses a side shuffle to get momentum behind the ball. High, over the top release with accurate carry out of hand.

Dallas Wicklander RHP / 2B / Mount Rainier, WA / 2021

6-foot, 170-pound lean frame. Began in an open athletic stance with some weight pre-shifted onto his back leg. Keeps a high, tight set-up with his upper half, keeping flexion in lead arm with a minimal shift to lower his hands into hitting position. Used a long, controlled stride to initiate his swing. Showed a slightly upward, short swing plane and high finish thru contact. Rotates well thru his core and posts a strong front side to create leverage. Defensively, has a clean exchange, choppy feet and soft hands on the infield. Adjusts his body to get on the outside of the ball and comes thru with some momentum. Footwork syncs up with rhythm in upper half as he realigns with his target. Showed consistent accuracy to the base with a compact arm action and a high ¾ slot. On the mound, has a clean, steady paced delivery with solid actions throughout. Stays balanced with a tall backside at leg lift. Slight bend as he separates hands and gets down the slope. Showed consistent arm speed with a compact arm action with a high ¾ arm angle. Downhill shoulders that stay level throughout. Lands closed with an upright finish. Keeps a tight glove side as he gets backside around after release. Kept 3 pitch offering (FB,CB,CH) around the zone, flashing some feel for the strike zone.