Prep Baseball Report

Class of 2018: By the Showcase Numbers


Phil Kerber
Assoc. Scout/JUCO Wire Editor

As PBR Illinois and Wisconsin make preparations to hit the showcase circuit once again, we take a statistical look at how each class (2018/2019/2020) fared over the course of 2017. Intern Sam Couch had the opportunity to compile all of the stats collected form showcases and broke them down by class.

We first begin with the seniors from the Class of 2018.

The Body

What does the average high school senior  who attended an event in our coverage area look like? He stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 177.4 pounds.

The tallest prospect to attend an event was uncommitted RHP Logan Burbach (Harlem, IL), who stands at a dizzying height of 6-foot-8.

The Speed

Now that we have physical measurements on our hypothetical senior prospect, it is time to run the 60 yard dash. Our prospect finishes with a 7.38 60 yard dash time. Apply some simple mathematics and the average senior is running at a speed of 16.63 mph.

How does our hypothetical prospect stack up against the very best of the year? Well, he would cross the line nearly an entire second after Yale commit OF Pierce Blohowiak (Xavier, WI) and Southeastern CC (IA) commit OF Nick Boone (O’Fallon, IL) finished running their 6.40 60 yard dashes. Another simple conversion from yard/sec to miles/hour yields a speed of nearly 20 MPH, or more precisely 19.18 mph. These two can flat out fly around the outfield and basepaths. Per MLB Statcast, this puts Blohowiak and Boone’s sprint speed just above the MLB league average of 18.41 mph.

Pierce Blohowiak 2.18.17

The Power

After getting left in the dust by Blohowiak and Boone in the 60, our hypothetical prospect heads to the batting cages to record his exit velocity. Our prospect sets a ball up on the tee and ropes one back into the screen for an exit velocity of 84.65 mph.

Next up in the cage are the likes of Missouri State commit OF Dakota Kotowski (Providence, IL), Indiana University Southeast commit 1B Donovan Nanfeldt (Andrew, IL) and Indiana commit C Jeff Holtz (Arrowhead, WI). Although these three prospects recorded exit velocities of 102, 102, and 101 respectively, they are not our year end leader. That distinct honor belongs to none other than Louisville commit 3B Alex Binelas (Oak Creek, WI) who registered an exit velocity of 103 MPH, nearly 20 mph faster than our hypothetical prospect.

Alex Binelas 7.11.17

The Arm

After witnessing the raw strength and power of Kotowski, Nanfeldt, Holtz, and Binelas we head to the outfield to record positional velocity. Our prospect receives five balls in the outfield and hurls them in perfectly to the catcher. The radar records his velocity at 80.82 mph.

Our prospect trots off to the side just in time to see the electric Eastern Illinois commit OF/3B Francois Castillo (Lake View, IL) fire a rocket into the catcher, lighting up the radar at 94 mph.

Onto the infield we go, where our prospect lines up at shortstop to take five grounders and a run through. His top infield velocity comes in at 77.22 mph. Following our hypothetical prospect are Missouri commit Seth Halvorsen (Heritage Christian Academy, MN) and, once again, Francois Castillo who pump it over to first base at 96 mph. Halvorsen and Castillo were two of the four members of the Class of 2018 to register 90 mph or better across the infield, the other two being TCU commit C/2B Nicholas Juaire (Lakeville North, MN) at 91 and Western Michigan commit SS Jimmy Allen (Timothy Christian, IL) at 90.

Finally, our prospect straps on the catcher’s gear and gets behind the plate to record catcher velocity and pop times. A handful of throwdowns, a block and recover, and throw to first complete the position portion of the workout. Our prospect recorded a velocity of 73.83 mph on his throw down to second with a pop time of 2.12 seconds.

Catcher velocity represents the smallest gap in the average and the top 2018 prospects. Illinois commit C Jacob Campbell (Janesville Craig, WI), Iowa Western CC commit C Jacob Kaiser (Catholic Memorial, WI) and uncommitted C/2B Bryce Moskiewicz (Lyons, IL) all hold the top spot at 82 mph. A familiar name takes the top spot in pop times, but not one of the three mentioned in this paragraph. Nicholas Juaire showed off an impressive amount of foot speed, athleticism and coordination on 1.79 second pop time.

Jacob Campbell 7.11.17

Jacob Kasier 7.25.17

The Mound

To finish things up, our prospect hops onto to the pitcher’s mound for a bullpen. After going through the pitching sequence, he finishes up with one fastball from the windup that pops the catcher’s glove at 81.39 mph.

A quartet of pitchers set the gold standard for the Class of 2018 on the mound. North Carolina commit RHP Max Alba (Franklin, WI), Minnesota commit RHP Gus Radel (Sioux Falls Roosevelt, SD), Western Michigan commit RHP Ryan Vice (Lincoln-Way Central, IL), and Seth Halvorsen all touched a blistering fast 93 mph on their fastballs.

Max Alba 7.11.17

Recap

Height Weight 60 Yard Dash Infield Velo Outfield Velo Catcher Velo Pop Time Exit Velo Fastball Velo
6-1 177.44  7.38 77.22 80.82 73.83 2.12 84.65 81.39


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