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2020 Washington Player Rankings

August 28, 2019
Dan Jurik
Scouting Director - Pacific Northwest

After a full Spring & Summer of scouting HS baseball, travel tournaments, invite-only events and showcases...it’s time to update our player rankings for the 2020 class of Washington to the top 100 players. This edition of the rankings is not final. It will be expanded upon and re-ordered as seen fit once we begin the 2020 Spring season. 

Since its inception in 2005, the Prep Baseball Report has evolved into one of the country’s biggest and most respected independent scouting services, with a singular focus of providing comprehensive year-round coverage in every state we are in. The mission of the Prep Baseball Report is to scout and promote amateur baseball - high school, junior college and college - and, ultimately, help athletes achieve their dreams of playing baseball at the next level. With more than 150 scouts, we have the largest baseball scouting infrastructure across all levels of amateur baseball in the country.

The Prep Baseball Report is the No. 1 resource for amateur baseball in each state we cover through our variety of events, boots-on-the-ground scouting staff, daily coverage, and multimedia platforms. Our multimedia platforms and events work in tandem, ultimately creating the most powerful source of high school baseball promotion in each state.  While other organizations take a national approach, our goal is to become the authoritative voice on the ground level of each state.

Rankings are based off evaluations by scouting director Dan Jurik as well as additional PBR scouts across the country who have seen prospects from the state at various events. 

To view the complete top 100, login HERE or sign-up for a website subscription HERE

Let's take a look at the Top 25 for our latest edition of the rankings...

 

Updated on Aug 28, 2019

RANK   NAME STATE SCHOOL CLASS POS COMMITMENT
1 Nate Clow WA Todd Beamer 2020 SS Southern California
2 Cole Fontenelle WA Skyline 2020 SS Washington
3 Reilly McAdams WA Ingraham 2020 RHP Washington
4 Kyle Russell WA Curtis 2020 SS Washington State
5 Duke Brotherton WA Mercer Island 2020 RHP Washington State
6 Cooper Barnum WA Skyview 2020 RHP Washington State
7 Logan Mercado WA Tri-Cities Prep 2020 RHP Oregon
8 Jonah Giblin WA Bainbridge 2020 RHP Oregon State
9 Tyler Hoeft WA Federal Way 2020 RHP Washington State
10 Evan Scavotto WA Puyallup 2020 2B Portland
11 Kelly Corl WA O'Dea 2020 2B Washington
12 Kenji Suzuki WA Eastside Catholic 2020 SS Hawaii
13 Spencer Shipman WA West Valley 2020 SS Portland
14 Corey Jarrell WA Brewster 2020 1B Washington
15 Brock Gillis WA Cascade 2020 RHP Washington
16 Davis Spencer WA Ellensburg 2020 RHP Washington
17 Owen Wild WA Gig Harbor 2020 RHP Gonzaga
18 Matt Gabbert WA Central Valley 2020 RHP  
19 Albert Jennings WA Tahoma 2020 OF Washington State
20 Benjamin Kibbe WA Zillah 2020 RHP  
21 Tyler Forner WA Camas 2020 OF  
22 Levi Kiuchi WA Puyallup 2020 RHP Washington
23 Case Matter WA Jackson 2020 RHP Washington
24 Kelan Scanlan WA Ballard 2020 RHP Portland
25 Owen Bishop WA Arlington 2020 RHP South Dakota State

 

To see the Top 100 click HERE

Rankings Quick Hits: 

There was some movement in the rankings from our initial top 20 list but the top 2 names remain the same. It should be a back and forth battle next spring between Nate Clow (Todd Beamer/USC commit) and Cole Fontenelle (Skyline/Washington commit) for the title of #1 player in the state

#1 Nate Clow (Todd Beamer/USC commit)

#2 Cole Fontenelle (Skyline/Washington commit)

Pitching dominates in the #3 thru #9 spots in the rankings: The top 6 arms have a track record of success in-game to go with some promising upside to tap into. Reilly McAdams (Ingraham/Washington commit) holds the top spot for now. But don't be surprised if he gets challenged from the rest of the arms beneath him. 

 

Trio of newcomers push for top 20 spots:

A trio of newcomers remain uncommitted: RHP Matt Gabbert (Central Valley), RHP Benjamin Kibbe (Zillah) and OF Tyler Forner (Camas) all crack the top 25 after impressive showings at the NW Scout Games. They currently stand as the top uncommitted players in the state for the 2020 class.

#18  RHP Matt Gabbert (Central Valley)

Gabbert stands out for his impressive size/frame to go with a clean arm and mid-upper 80’s FB. His breaking ball comes out of hand easily with minimal hump at 73-77.  The body type leaves him with plenty of room to fill out and pack on additional strength. Also excels on the gridiron as a quarterback.

#20  RHP Benjamin Kibbe (Zillah)

Kibbe is another long, lanky RHP who might just be scratching the surface of his potential. We’ve seen the FB up to 90 mph and he sat 85-89 across our 2 inning look. Also showed feel for sharp, slurve shaped breaking ball at 74-76 that is close to resembling a true slider. Kibbe has some rawness on the mound and might not have the polish as some other names on this list, but we believe in the raw stuff and projection.

#21  OF Tyler Forner (Camas)

Forner has some of the best raw speed in the state and his athleticism translates to quick, powerful bat speed in the box. His short levers allow him to keep his hands tight and work the barrel inside of the ball. The strength throughout his frame gives him more power and leverage than you might expect. The arm strength is a bit behind and will likely keep him in corner OF but he keeps his throws on line and shows consistent accuracy.

A quick looks at players who fill out some of the remaining spots...

#40 LHP/1B Thomas Blahous (Edmonds Woodway)
Strong, durable build to go with 6-foot-3, 220 pound frame. Blahous has the look of a workhorse type starter who can consistently eat up innings. Shows a full arm path as he gets into ¾ release. Simple delivery with clean mechanics. FB touched 85 and sat mostly 80-84 on our look this summer. Paired it with sharp breaking ball that has the chance to be an above average offering.

#48 LHP Shane Melrose (Redmond)
We had eyes on Shane Melrose early on in the Spring and his stock has steadily risen since then. At our Washington Summer Showcase, Melrose ran the FB up to 86 and sat 81-84 throughout his bullpen. Throws 2 variations of his breaking ball and also mixed in a CH. The size, stuff and pitchability should allow him to have a chance to start at the next level.

#53 C/1B Andrew Haight (Monroe)
Haight has an intriguing blend of physical tools to go with some polished receiving skills behind the plate. The arm talent is real and he’s posted pop times as low as 1.91 when at his best. He’s also shown the athleticism and versatility to handle 1B if needed. At the plate, his swing path and bat speed make him a consistent gap-to-gap power threat. Hits with a disciplined approach in-game and has solid pitch recognition skills as well.

#68 UTIL Trevor Thurman (Inglemoor)
2-sport athlete who also excels on the gridiron, Thurman might just be scratching the surface of his baseball potential. Defensively he’s seen time at C, 1B and has even shown some aptitude on the bump as a RHP. Given his size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) and speed, it’s likely he could even transition to corner OF as well if needed. Although the pure hitting skill is behind his other abilities, athletes tend to figure things out quickly and Thurman could go off in a big way offensively in 2020.

#81 2B Tyler Preece (O'Dea)
Proportionally built at 6-0, 165 pounds with a wide-set upper body and athletic frame. Projects at 2B defensively but could handle SS and 3B if needed. Light on his feet with a reliable glove hand and smooth exchange. At the plate, hits with a mature approach and shows the ability to consistently find barrel. The more you see Preece play the game, the more you begin to appreciate all the little things he does right on the baseball diamond. High floor type of prospect.

#84 LHP/1B Michael Came (Olympia)
The 2019 SPSL 4A Pitcher of the Year, Came was instrumental in leading Olympia on their impressive run to the 4A state championship game. While his raw talent might not overwhelm you in a bullpen or showcase setting, there is no denying his ability to shut down a potent line-up. His blend of FB command and feel to manipulate speeds with his CB/CH gave fits to some of the most talented teams in the state. He’s also a highly capable defender at 1B with a smooth, left-handed stroke at the plate.
#90 RHP Kyle Heaton (Emerald Ridge)
Earlier this Spring, Heaton showed off his pitchability with a low-mid 80’s FB and consistent, low 70’s breaking ball. Since then, he’s made a jump in velo and looks poised to be a reliable starter in 2020. Creates tough, downward angle on both offerings with his high ¾ release point. Cross action in delivery puts occasional cut on his FB, especially when down in the zone.

 

 

To see the Top 100 click HERE