Prep Baseball Report

East TN Fall Prospect Games: Team Royal Pitchers



By Matt Byrd
PBR Tennessee

The East Tennessee Fall Prospect Games event afforded players from around the state the opportunity to showcase their abilities in a combination showcase/game play event. There were many solid performances turned in, including some by players attending their first PBR event who opened some eyes. The complete statistics and top statistical performers from the event were previously posted. You can CLICK HERE to view that information.

The following is a look at the Team Royal pitchers who participated in the event. This is pitcher analysis only. Those pitchers who also participated as a position player at the event had their position player performance featured in a previous article.

Ethan Walls, Ooltewah HS, 2017, RHP
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound prospect throws from a ¾ arm slot with normal effort in delivery and showed a lively fastball with good arm-side run at 81-83 mph. He showed a sharp breaking 11/5 curveball at 68-70 mph, and while his command was scattered with it, it was very effective in the strike zone and has the makings of a solid pitch at the next level.  He also showed a change up with solid sink and late fade though the zone at 70-71 mph. Walls gave up three hits and had four strikeouts in two innings pitched during game play. He has the potential to add more velocity, and that along with his ideal frame make him an intriguing 2017 prospect.

Bryce Woody, Roane County HS, 2017, RHP
The athletic 5-foot-11, 170-pound has a quick and loose arm that works through a high-3/4 slot , normal effort in delivery, comes at hitters aggressively, fastball sat at 82-83 mph touching 84 with significant arm side run and sink, likes to run the fastball in on the hands of right-handed hitters,  showed a good curveball at 73-74 mph with sharp 11/5 action. He also flashed a change with sinking action to it that sat 74-75 mph. Woody gave up four hits and had two strikeouts in two innings pitched during game play. He has continued to show an increase in velocity with more likely in the tank.

Tony Curry, Roane County HS, 2017, RHP
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound right-hander possesses an athletic frame and with more room to fill out, uses long and loose arm action through a ¾ slot, 81-82 mph fastball topped at 83 and showed consistent, effective cutting action. Curry showed a 71/72 mph curveball with sharp 11/5 action. He also showed a change at 75 mph with some sink. He stayed away in the zone for most of his outing and used his curveball as his out pitch. Curry had three strikeouts in one inning pitched during game play, generating several swings and misses with his curveball.

Greg Parker, Volunteer HS, 2016, RHP
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound RHP throws from a ¾ to high-3/4 arm slot with normal effort in delivery, deliberate delivery with slight pause after balance point, his fastball sat at 77-79 mph touching 81 on one occasion and displayed consistent arm-side run, curveball had a big sweeping action with a 10/4 break at 66-68 mph. He also flashed a changeup that showed some tumbling action at 62-64 mph, tends to slow arm on the changeup.  Parker had two strikeouts and gave up two hits in two innings during game play.

Graham Duke, Cornersville HS, 2019, RHP
The 5-foot-10, 179-pound RHP uses short arm action and works through a high-3/4 arm slot, max effort in delivery, above average velocity for age,  fastball sat at 76-77 mph touching 78 and is mostly straight, showed good feel for his 70-71 mph curveball with sharp 11/5 action that he locates consistently at the bottom of the zone, also showed a change that was 70-71 mph thrown with good arm speed. Duke had two strikeouts in one inning pitched during game play. He is a 2019 prospect to keep an eye on.

Dean Malenda, Daniel Boone HS, 2016, RHP
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect throws from a side arm angle which is very deceptive. His fastball sat 74-75 mph with good arm-side run and sinking action, curveball  has a 10/4 sweeping  break which sits at 65-66 mph. Malenda produced a high number of ground balls with the sinking action on his fastball. He had two strikeouts in two innings pitched during game play and showed the ability to throw both pitches consistently for strikes.

Parker Stinnett, Powell HS, 2018, RHP
The 6-foot-1, 165-pound RHP has a lanky frame with plenty more room to fill out, uses long arm action through a ¾ arm slot that produces good arm-side run to his fastball, fastball sat 76-77 mph topping at 78. He also flashed a curveball during his outing with a gradual 11/5 break at 63-65 mph. He allowed one hit in one inning of work.

Will Gladson, Dobyns Bennett HS, 2018, RHP
The 5-foot-8, 170-pound prospect uses long arm action and works through a high-¾ arm slot. His fastball sat 74-75 mph touching 76 with occasional arm-side run, curveball showed gradual 12/6 action at 67-68 mph, gets under curveball at times leaving it up in the zone. He relied on his fastball moving it in and out to get his outs and stayed low in the zone with it. Gladson had two strikeouts and gave up one hit during game play.

Riley Phillips, Lookout Valley High School, 2018, RHP
The tall lanky 6-foot-2, 150-pound RHP works through an over the top arm slot, shows some stiffness in arm action, fastball sat 68-69 mph, works fastball on a downward plane at the bottom of the zone consistently. Phillips curveball sat 63-64mph with a gradual 12/6 break. He gave up four hits during game play in two innings pitched.