2017 Fall Top Prospect Games - Team Red Pitchers

By: Tim Kay

PBR Tennessee Director of Scouting

With the black team reports going live yesterday, it's time to dive into the red team!  Below, find notes on all pitchers who pitched for the red team, sorted by max FB:

Landon Smiddy, RHP, Farragut, 2019
Max FB: 86, FB: 81-85, CB: 69-72, CH: 73-74
5-foot-11, 175-pound, RHP shows potential for 3 above avg pitches.  Medium, athletic frame w/ some present strength, lot of lower half projection.  Rocker step, sets foot on first base side of rubber.  Balance point, slight cocking action in back w/ proper stride and ¾ release point.  Quick arm.  FB w/ run and sink.  Late life in the zone.  CB is medium downer w/ occasional slurve action.  Some tightness w/ late break, proper rotation.  Shows feel for throwing it for a strike, out pitch.  CH w/ armspeed, fade, late sink.  Offspeed pitches featured 100 % swing and miss (4 for 4).  Controls the baseball, flashed ability to pitch w/ intent and command.  Proved difficult to elevate, pitching to a 60 % groundball rate.  Recorded 3 strikeouts in 2 innings.  High upside 2019 arm w/ the 3-pitch mix to be a potential starter at the next level.

Owen Kovacs, RHP, Farragut, 2019
Max FB: 84, FB: 82-84, CB: 75-76, CH: 78-80
6-foot-4, 175-pound, RHP w/ prototypical body and velo projection.  Tall, athletic build w/ lots of projection.  Pitches from a full wind-up w/ rocker step into setting foot on first base side of rubber.  Balance point into hip drive w/ H ¾ release.  Up tempo delivery w/ repeatability.  Some head violence on throw, but does not affect command.  Quick arm.  Straight FB, ride through the zone.  Flashes downhill plane.  Hard slurve w/ short break.  Flashes proper rotation.  Firm CH w/ armspeed, some sink.  Controls three pitches, learning to pitch w/ intent.  Filled the strike zone w/ 3 pitches while featuring a heavy ball, allowing 80 % ground ball.  Intriguing, projectable 2019 w/ strike throwing ability and velo jump coming.

Keith Harrell, RHP, McEwen, 2019
Max FB: 83, FB: 78-81, CB: 66, CH: 72
6-foot-1, 155-pound, RHP w/ feel for spin and some present velo.  Medium, athletic build w/ present lower half strength, projection.  Works from a full wind-up w/ a step back, foot set in middle of rubber into balance point.  Leg drive w/ occasional direction to the plate and over the top release.  Has a tendency to miss glove-side w/ hips pulling him towards first base.  Good tempo in delivery, hits cues.  Straight FB w/ occasional late cut.  Medium downer CB flashes tightness w/ proper rotation.  Gets a little big at times w/ coming up out of hand.  CH w/ armspeed, sink.  Commanded off-speed better then fastball on this day.  Delivery suggests average command is coming.  Intriguing 2019 arm w/ upside.

Dylan Dickert, RHP/3B, Seymour, 2020
Max FB: 83, FB: 78-82, CB: 62-66, CH: 70
6-foot-1, 170-pound, RHP w/ intriguing stuff in physical frame.  Medium, athletic build w/ some present strength, projection.  Pitches from a full wind-up w/ short rocker step and back foot setting up on first base side of rubber.  Balance point into leg drive w/ H ¾ release.  Effort in throw w/ super quick arm.  Glove side is along for the ride, pulling himself down.  FB w/ consistent arm side run and occasional sink.  Big CB w/ inconsistent break.  Would be big w/ early break at times or late breaker w/ avg depth, proper rotation.  Flashed above avg.  Mixed in one CH, showed armspeed w/ fade.  Thrower just needs game reps to be in the zone consistently.  Very intriguing young arm w/ big upside, makings of big-time repertoire.

Evan Carter, OF/RHP, Elizabethton, 2020
Max FB: 82, FB: 79-81, CB: 68-70, CH: 70-71
6-foot-3, 170-pound, RHP w/ prototypical build, feel for 3 pitches.  Tall, athletic build w/ lots of projection, wiry strength.  Pitches from the stretch only from the first base side of rubber.  Leg kick to leg drive w/ H ¾ release.  Front leg led delivery.  Falls off to first base side, but maintains direction to home plate during the throw.  Gets downhill.  FB w/ occasional run and sink, flattens out when elevated.  CB shows proper shape w/ late break, proper rotation.  Struggled to stay on top of it, leaving all 4 he threw up in the zone.  CH w/ armspeed, fade and sink.  Thrower who worked primarily up in the zone.  Mechanics suggests just needs reps to understand body and develop command.  Projects w/ 3 avg or better pitches.

Chase Roberts, C/RHP, East Hamilton, 2021
Max FB: 82, FB: 79-82, CB: 65-70, CH: 71-75
6-foot-0, 155-pound, RHP w/ tall, lean frame and present velo.  Pitches from the full wind-up w/ rocker step into setup on the first base side of the rubber.  Balance point into hip drive and H ¾ release.  Has a ball tap within glove before separation.  Quick arm in back.  Clean mechanically, hits all his cues.  Some effort in throw.  FB w/ consistent arm side run.  12-6 CB w/ average depth, proper shape.  Good pitch to steal a strike with.  CH is above average w/ armspeed, late fade, occasional sink.  Shows feel for control, command still developing, will come w/ time.  Very intriguing young arm who is entering his freshman year of high school.  Definite priority follow for 2021 class.

Zane Guess, RHP/3B, Soddy Daisy, 2019
Max FB: 80, FB: 77-79, CB: 54-58, CH: 68-70
5-foot-11, 210-pound, RHP w/ some feel for pitching in 3 distinct velo ranges.  Medium, athletic build w/ physical lower half, some projection remaining.  Pitches from a full wind-up w/ rocker step into foot setting up on 3^rd base side of rubber.  Leg kick into leg drive w/ H ¾ release.  Front leg driven delivery, can get more velo by engaging back leg more.  Clean, repeatable mechanics.  FB w/ occasional cut glove side, straight to arm side.  Big, slow CB w/ proper shape.  Velo differential makes it difficult for hitters to stay back.  Arm speed remains same, making it a pitch that is good to steal a strike.  CH w/ armspeed, occasional sink.  Has an idea what he wants to do with the baseball, will only improve w/ more reps.  An interesting 2019 follow that struck out 2 in 2 innings.

Tyler Wiggins, SS/RHP, Lebanon, 2020
Max FB: 80, FB: 75-80, CB: 70-71, CH: 69-72
5-foot-10, 150-pound, RHP w/ 31 % swing and miss rate w/ lots of projection.  Medium, athletic build w/ some present strength in lower half, projectable.  Pitches from full wind-up w/ a rocker step into the first base side of the rubber.  Balance point into hip drive and over the top release.  Clean mechanics, glove side can be a little stronger into chest.  Repeats.  Quick arm.  Straight FB w/ ride through the zone.  Keeps fingers on top of ball.  CB is early breaker w/ average depth, 12-6 movement.  Get ahead type pitch.  CH w/ armspeed, late sink.  Flashes control right now, mechanics suggest command will come w/ reps, time.  Feel for 3 distinct pitches w/ future command makes him a very intriguing 2020 follow.

Harry Buchanan, RHP, CAK, 2018
Max FB: 79, FB: 76-78, SL: 66
6-foot-0, 178-pound, RHP pitches from a side-arm slot w/ life.  Medium, thin build w/ projection remaining.  Pitches from stretch only w/ a very small leg lift from first base side of rubber.  Clean, easy to repeat mechanics.  FB shows arm-side run w/ occasional bore into RHH’s.  Featured 67 % ground-ball rate.  Mixed in one SL, which showed ¾ tilt and early break, came up out of hand.  Proper shape.  Strike thrower pitches w/ intent.  Misses are small.  Projects for command.  An interesting arm for teams looking out to round out their 2018 class w/ a different look that fills the strike zone.

Craig Mangrum, III, OF/1B/RHP, Upperman, 2019
Max FB: 78, FB: 74-78, CB: 66, CH: 74
6-foot-4, 200-pound, RHP w/ prototypical size and feel for strike zone.  Ideal size w/ lots of projection, some present strength.  Pitches from a full wind-up w/ rocker step into the first base side of the rubber.  Balance point into front leg drop and drive and ¾ release point.  Glove action can get better, stays to his side on finish.  Fastball w/ occasional cut to glove side, run to arm side.  Big 11-5 CB w/ proper shape.  Early breaker comes up out of hand.  Straight CH w/ armspeed.  Strike thrower w/ an idea of what he wants to do.  An interesting pitching follow for the class of 2019. 

Riley Everhart, RHP, Siegel, 2020
Max FB: 78, FB: 72-77, CB: 65-70, CH: 69-71
6-foot-0, 185-pound, RHP showcased swing and miss off-speed stuff, generating 60 % swing and miss rate.  Medium, athletic build w/ projection, present strength in lower half.  Pitches from full wind-up w/ rocker step into first base side of the rubber.  Balance point w/ front leg drive and over the top release.  Up tempo delivery, struggled to repeat the height of leg kick from wind-up.  Had a slight hip leak, which threw off arm timing.  Mixed in pitches from a sidearm slot as well.  FB w/ consistent arm side run, occasional sink.  Big 12-6 CB flashes proper shape as a pitch to steal strikes with.  Struggled to repeat slot, resulting in varying degrees of shape/rotation.  CH w/ armspeed, sink, generated weak contact and swing and miss.  Thrower learning his body and mechanics.  A very strong starter set for a young pitching prospect, featuring 3 distinct pitches w/ arm speed.  As mechanics come together w/ reps, will make a big jump.  Definite 2020 follow.