Prep Baseball Report

DFW Underclass Trials: Pitching Analysis


Toby Bicknell & PBR Staff
Texas Scouting Director & Staff

PITCHERS

Top Performers

Braxton Pearson, RHP/3B, Georgetown HS, 2020
Pearson has a long-limbed, broad shouldered, projectable pitchers frame at 6-foot, 165-pounds. The right-hander works from a high-¾ slot with a long, loose arm stroke. Directional, tall-and-fall delivery, lands square with a slightly exaggerated finish. Pumped strikes with three feel for four pitches. His fastball flashes tilt at 84-86, topping out at 88 mph. Throws two breaking balls, a short breaking, lateral slider at 74-77, and a deeper breaking downer curveball at 71-75. Maintains arm speed on his changeup, producing arm side fade at 80 mph.

Konnor Baird, RHP/1B, Salado HS, 2020
Athletic 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame with broad shoulders and a strong lower half.  Baird started his day off by running a strong 6.80 laser-timed 60. Baird threw his fastball from 85-86 with a short over-the-top arm action.  He was around the zone with his fastball, and his fastball had late life to it. He throws a 12/6 curveball at 75-76 mph with tight spin, and he has feel for this pitch.  His changeup was 72 mph. He has direction directly to the plate in his delivery with smooth and compact body actions.

Tyler Talbert, RHP/SS, Flower Mound HS, 2020
Athletic build with strength at 6-foot, 165 pounds with a projectable frame. A two-way player and right-handed pitcher, Talbert has a live arm with his fastball sitting 85-87 with late arm-side-run. Throws a curveball with 10/4 shape at 65-66 mph, and mixes in a 75-81 mph changeup. Talbert threw 90 mph from the outfield, 91 mph across the infield.

Nicholas Perry , RHP/1B, Denton Braswell HS, 2020
Perry has a bright future on the mound with loose arm swing, and a strong projectable frame at 6-foot-4, 220-pounds.  Perry has a loose arm on the mound and works from an over-the-top arm slot. He has a smooth delivery with a clean and easy release, and his fastball ranged from 81-84 mph.  Throws a plus changeup t 71-72 mph with fastball arm speed and good sinking action at the bottom of the zone. Spun his curveball at 69 mph. With his loose arm and projectable frame, look for his velocity to climb as he continues to develop.

Austin Testerman, RHP/SS, Whitewright HS, 2020
5-foot-11, 145-pound frame with a high waist.  Off the mound he was 82-84 mph. Testerman has an over the top delivery with a high balance point and a short arm action which hid the ball well from a hitter’s perspective.  He is smooth in his delivery and had downhill plane to his fastball when he worked down in the zone with it. His breaking ball has a 12/6 shape, and was 65-66 mph and he threw a straight changeup with deceptive hand speed at 73-75 mph.  

Harrison Durow, RHP, Lovejoy HS, 2020
6-2, 180-pound frame with long levers.  Off the mound, Durow has a loose over-the-top arm action with quick arm speed.  He has effort in the delivery, but is still smooth with good direction working in-line to the plate.  His fastball was 83-85 with life, and he threw a near 12/6 breaking ball with tight spin and depth at 68-70, and his changeup was 76-78 and he worked it down below the hitter’s knees.  Durow’s pitches all come out of the same slot, and his curveball has tight spin and doesn’t pop up out of his hand which makes it difficult for hitters to pick up the pitch early out of his hand.

Hunter Reid, 1B/RHP, Plano Senior HS, 2020
6-2, 220 pound frame with loads of strength. A two-way player and right-handed pitcher, Reid works from a low-¾ slot with a has a whippy arm stroke that produces heavy arm side run on his fastball at 82-84 mph. Threw two breaking balls, a big 10/4 shape curveball at 64-66, and a late breaking slider with tighter rotation at 68-69 mph. Changeup has good sinking action at 71-72 mph.

Thomas Wrehe, C/RHP, Southlake Carroll HS, 2020
6-foot-1, 190-pound frame with size and strength throughout his body. The right-hander works from a high slot with a long arm swing and reach out of the glove. Drop-and-drive delivery with regular effort. His fastball was 81-84 mph. Curveball has 12/6 shape with good depth at 69-71 mph, also throws a slider at 76 mph with lateral spin. Throws his changeup with fastball arm speed, producing heavy arm side fade at 71-73 mph.

Tate Van Poppel, RHP/1B, Argyle HS, 2020
6-0, 195-pound filled out frame with a strong lower half.  Off the mound, Van Poppel was consistently in and around the strike zone with all three pitches.  He moved his fastball around, filled the zone with his changeup, and was in the zone or below the zone with quality misses on his curveball.  He has a short over-the-top arm action with smooth rhythm throughout the delivery. He was 79-80 with his fastball, 65-66 with a tight 12/6 curveball, and had good feel for his changeup at 70-72 mph. 

Carson Ozmer, SS/3B, Guyer HS, 2020
6-foot-1, 175-pound projectable athletic frame. The right-hander works from a high-¾ slot with a late hand separation in a repeatable delivery. His fastball was 84-86, flashing arm side run. Breaking ball is more of a slurve with 11/5 shape at 70 mph.  Changeup was 77 mph with arm side fade.

Oscar Zepeda, RHP/1B, Incarnate Word Academy, 2020
6-foot, 160-pound frame. Off the mound, he filled the strike zone with a 3-pitch mix.  His fastball was 80-82, he showed the ability to throw a sharp breaking ball with tight spin and a 11/5 shape at 67 mph, and had good feel for a changeup at 74 mph.  He has a short arm action, and delivers from a high-¾ arm slot. Zepeda has fluid rhythm, and controls his body well throughout his delivery.

Jaxon Hansen, 3B/RHP, Abilene Wylie HS, 2021
6-foot, 170-pound projectable frame with a strong lower half. The right-hander works from a high slot with a short arm stroke, and deceptive delivery with some effort. Fastball flashes late life at 82-83 mph.  His curveball has a 12/6 shape at 71-72 mph and will occasionally drop off the table. Throws a hard slider with late cutter-like, lateral movement at 78-79. Changeup was 71-73 mph with steep fade.

Owen Archer, OF/RHP, Liberty HS, 2021
There is a lot to like about Archer with a strong, projectable frame for his class at 6-foot, 165-pounds. A two-way player and right-handed pitcher, Archer works from a high-¾ slot with a loose arm stroke, and medium circle. Drop and drive delivery, quick hand out front, and an athletic finish. His fastball sat 80-81 mph, flashing late life. Changeup flashes good depth at the bottom of the zone at 67-68 mph. Curveball was 62-65 mph.



Best of the Rest (Alphabetical)

Apollo Cassimatis, RHP/OF, McMillen HS, 2021
6-foot-1, 135-pound, wiry, high-waisted frame. The right-hander works from an over-the-top slot with a smooth delivery, lands slightly closed with an athletic finish.  He was consistently in the zone with all three of his pitches, and had similar tempo and arm speed on each pitch. His fastball sat between 74-76 mph, and he moved it around the strike zone.  His curveball was 63-64 with an 11/5 shape, and he commanded this pitch at or below the bottom half of the strike zone. He also has good feel for a changeup at 65-66 mph and it looks like he can throw this pitch in any count.  

Philip Crotts, 1B/3B, Allen HS, 2020
Crotts has broad shoulders and long levers in his 6-foot, 175-pound frame. Off the mound he throws from a ¾ arm slot, with a smooth delivery and stays upright on his finish. He pounded strikes with a fast tempo. His fastball ranged from 78-81. He had tight spin on his curveball (10/4 shape) at 67-68. His changeup was 66-67 with deceptive hand speed.

Ryan Drake, LHP, Mansfield Summit HS, 2020
The left-hander has a big 6-4, 205-pound frame with wide shoulders.  Drake throws from a high ¾ arm slot, is high in his back leg at his balance point, and then gets low into his back leg on the way down the mound. Drake has direction in-line to the plate with his leg drive and his shoulders in his delivery, and threw all three of his pitches around the strike zone.  His fastball was 78-82 mph. He threw a slider with tight spin and late action at 69-73 mph, and showed the ability to bury this pitch to a right-handed hitter’s back foot.  He also threw his change at 74 mph.

Ricky Gonzalez, RHP/SS, St. Joseph HS, 2020
5-foot-8, 165-pounds with broad shoulders and more room to add size and strength in his frame. The right-hander works from a high-¾ slot with a short arm stroke, and a fluid, compact delivery. Pounded quality strikes with his fastball at 79-80 mph, and his changeup at 67-68 mph with depth. Curveball has 11/5 shape at 63-65 mph.

Jackson Hall, C/3B, Wakeland HS, 2021
6-foot, 145-pound frame. The right-hander works from an over the top delivery with smooth rhythm and good direction.  His fastball was 71 mph, threw his curveball at 61 mph, and located his changeup around the zone at 64-67 mph.

Nathan Harmon, 3B/RHP, Marcus HS, 2022
Five-foot-9, 155-pound frame with a strong lower half. Off the mound, he showed smooth rhythm in his delivery working in-line towards the plate with his legs and shoulders. His fastball was 73-74 consistently in the zone, curveball was 57-59 with a 10/4 shape, and the changeup was 65-67 and he showed great feel for this pitch consistently throwing it in the bottom of the strike zone.

Nathan Hokanson, RHP, Guyer HS, 2020
6-foot-1, high-waisted 160-pound frame with room to grow into his frame.  Hokanson throws from a ¾ arm angle with a loose long-to-short arm action. Stays back over the rubber well with his body, and uses strong leg drive in his delivery.  At this event he was 78-79 with his fastball filling up the zone. He had feel for a late breaking slider at 70-73, and had fastball arm speed with his changeup at 73-75. He is quick to the plate in his delivery out of the stretch. With the loose and clean arm action, Hokanson has the potential to make a jump in velocity as his body continues to fill out.  He had good body language on the mound, and threw his 3-pitch mix for strikes.

Bronson Housmans, LHP/OF, Southlake Carroll HS, 2020
5-foot-10, 160-pound frame. The left-hander works from a high-¾ slot with a short arm stroke, drop-and-drive delivery. His fastball flashes arm side run at 73-74 mph. His curveball has 1/7 shape at 63-64 mph. Changeup has arm side fade at 68-71 mph.

Colin Huspen, RHP/3B, Allen HS, 2022
Huspen has a long-limbed frame at 6-foot, 150-pounds, with plenty of room to add strength as he continues to develop. The right-hander works from a ¾ slot with a short arm circle. Solid lower half mobility with good hip turn at the top of his tall-and-fall delivery. His fastball sat 73-74, while his curveball was 58-62 mph, sitting up out of his hand. Changeup was 64 mph.

Ryder LeClair, RHP/SS, Irving MacArthur HS, 2022
Five-foot-5, 120-pound frame.  LeClair has a high ¾ arm slot with a short arm action, his fastball clocked in at 67 mph and he showed control of the pitch filling up the strike zone. His curveball has a 10/4 shape and came in at 61-62 mph, and his changeup was 62 mph.  He ran a 8.17 laser-timed 60. He showed quiet feet in the infield, and had accuracy with his arm; 65 mph across the diamond. He has a tall posture in his stance and hit low line drives during BP with an exit velo of 70 mph.

Corbin Lingo, RHP/3B, Allen HS, 2020
6-foot-2, 215-pound frame.  Lingo has an over-the-top arm action with effort in his delivery.  His fastball was 77-78 mph. His best pitch was his changeup, this pitch has serious depth to it and he had feel for the pitch consistently throwing it at the bottom of the strike zone with the bottom falling out of it at 69-72 mph.   He also worked down in or below the zone with his curveball at 65-68 mph. Lingo has a quick tempo in his delivery out of the windup, with a slight pause in his action when his front foot is on the way down that can make it really tough for hitters to time him up.

Carter Mach, 3B/C, Aledo HS, 2020
6-foot, 215-pound frame with strength throughout.  Mach showed off his power by hammering a 93 mph exit velo off the tee, and the power translated onto the field where he consistently found the barrel and drove rising line drives to the gaps.  Mach has low hands and a flat barrel once his front foot comes to the ground, and he works on a very level plane through the zone with good extension in a compact swing with strength at the point of contact.  Behind the plate, his strong legs helped him explode from out of his stance to make plays. His pop times ranged from 2.07-2.17, and he had 77 mph arm strength. In the infield, he made a nice play on the run and his top velo was 75 mph.  Mach ran a 7.33 laser-timed 60. Off the mound, he commanded his fastball well from a high ¾ arm slot at 81-82 with some arm side run. His curveball was 70-71 with an 11/5 shape, and his changeup was 74-75 mph.

Samuel Miller, RHP/SS, Lake Highlands HS, 2020
6-foot, 162-pound frame.  Miler was 75-76 with his fastball off the mound from a high ¾ release point. Miller threw a big breaking ball with an 11/5 shape at 65-67 mph, and pounded his changeup in the zone at 71-73 mph.  Miller posted an 81 mph exit velo from the right side. He uses a low leg kick to create weight shift through the baseball, and has a short path to the ball with a level swing plane.  In the infield he had a clean exchange and made accurate throws at 78 mph. Miller ran a 7.38 laser-timed 60.

Cedric Mitchell Jr., OF/RHP, Homewood-Flossmoor HS (Ill.), 2021
At 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, Mitchell has an athletic, lean-muscular frame. A two-way player and right-handed pitcher, Mitchell works from a high-¾ slot with medium arm stroke, drop and drive delivery, and athletic finish. His arm works well from back to front with his fastball ranging from 75-79 mph. Throws a big breaking 12/6 curveball that he threw consistently for strikes at 63-67 mph. Flashed a couple of changeups at 71-74.

Darren Nichols, 2B/OF, Pilot Point HS, 2020
Five-foot-9, 145-pound frame.  Off the mound Nichols was 67-68 with his fastball, threw his  changeup consistently around the zone at 60-61 mph, and his curveball had 11/5 action to it at 55-56 mph.  Nichols ran a 7.48 laser-timed 60. He recorded a 76 mph exit velo off the tee and hit balls consistently to the right side of the field in batting practice.  Threw 66 mph across the infield with good direction in his footwork, making accurate throws to first.

Reece Parrott, SS/OF, Newman Smith HS, 2021
Five-foot-11, 160-pound frame. A two-way player and right-handed pitcher, Parrott works from a high slot with an easy arm swing, and a tall-and-fall delivery. His fastball was 76-78, while his curveball has still-developing 12/6 shape at 62-64. Also threw a 70-72 mph changeup with fastball arm speed. 

Ben Price, 3B/RHP, Lake Dallas HS, 2020
6-foot-2, 170-pound frame.  Off the mound Price has fluid actions with rhythm in his delivery, and has an over-the-top arm slot.  His fastball was 79-80 with late heavy sink. His curveball was 62-63 with an 11/5 shape, and threw a sweeping slider 62-64, his changeup was 68-69.  

Jacob Rodriguez, OF/RHP, Colleyville Heritage HS, 2020
5-foot-9, 150-pound frame with broad shoulders. A two-way player and right-handed pitcher, Rodriguez was 81-82 from a high ¾ arm slot. Good feel for his curveball that he throws with fastball arm speed, creating tight rotation and sharp late break at 67-69 mph. His changeup was 73 mph with fastball hand speed.

John Roland, RHP/1B, McKinney Boyd HS, 2021
6-foot-2, 205-pound frame. Off the mound, he was 75-78 with his fastball, 58-62 with his 11/5 shaped curveball, threw his slider with good hand speed and the pitch had a sharper break and was 67 mph, and his changeup was 64-67 mph.

Brandon Scriber, 1B/RHP, Marcus HS, 2020
6-foot-3, 205-pound frame with a strong lower half. Off the mound, he has a high ¾ delivery and hides the ball from the hitter well with his body. He worked down with his fastball at 75-78 mph, threw a near 12/6 breaking ball at 65-69, and has feel for a changeup at 70-71 with late sink. He consistently worked the bottom half of the strike zone with all three of his pitches.

Jackson Tims, 1B/OF, Bridge City HS, 2020
Tims has a strong and athletic 6-foot, 185-pound build. Off the mound the left-hander works from a ¾ arm slot with smooth rhythm and works in-line to the plate.  His fastball was 76-78. He located his sharp breaking ball with tight spin and an 11/5 shape down in the zone and flashed the ability to throw that as a put away pitch.  His changeup was 65-66. Tims should continue to mature into his frame, and he flashed exciting tools that should continue to improve as he develops more physical strength.

Kannon Torres, C/SS, Robert E. Lee HS, 2021
5-foot-10, 130-pound frame. The right-hander works from a high-¾ slot with a long, loose arm swing and regular effort down the mound. Smooth, tall-and-fall delivery, lands closed and slightly across his body. His fastball was 76-80, and he spun a 67 mph curveball with developing shape. Good arm speed on his changeup at 70-73 mph.



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