Prep Baseball Report

Class of 2020: 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.

On Wednesday we presented the senior Class of 2018 - Illinois - Wisconsin

Yesterday we continued with the junior Class of 2019 - Illinois - Wisconsin

Today, we finish up with the sophomore Class of 2020

The Body

What does the average member of the Class of 2020, who attended an event in our coverage area look like for the 2017 calendar year? He stands at just a hair under 5-foot-11 and weighs in at 161.32 pounds. This creates an interesting comparison. The average member of the Class of 2020 is a half inch shorter than the average member of the Class of 2019, but he weighs seven pounds less.

The tallest 2020 to attend an event this past year was the 6-foot-6, 210 pounds LHP/1B Sean McLaughlin (Lincoln-Way East, IL). It is natural to believe that McLaughlin will continue to physically develop given he is only a sophomore.


The Speed

After conceding an entire seven inches to the towering Sean McLaughlin, our hypothetical prospect from the Class of 2020 prepares to run the 60 yard dash. He completes it in 7.72 seconds. Compared to the Class of 2019 and 2018, there is evidence to suggest that there is significant development in footspeed between your sophomore and junior year.

However, there are prospects who buck the trend and exhibit advanced speed at a young age. Two of those prospects are SS Tre Hondras (Homewood-Flossmoor, IL) and SS Anthony Livermore (Mt. Carmel, IL). Hondras posted the top 60 time of 2017 in our coverage area, completing the dash in 6.80 seconds. Livermore finished in 6.82 seconds.


The Power

After watching two of the most athletic members of the Class of 2020 blaze through the 60, our prospect heads to the cage to record his exit velocity off a tee. He records an 80.13 mph exit velocity. Looking at how the Class of 2018 and 2019 fared, there is close to a two mph jump in exit velocity from year to year.

Once more it is two athletic SS who pace this class in exit velocity. SS Jacob Mote (Normal University, IL) and SS Max Wagner (Green Bay Preble, WI) sit atop the leaderboard with exit velocities of 97 mph and 95 mph. Coincidentally enough, Mote and Wagner are ranked No. 13 in their respective states.

Max Wagner 3.12.17

The Arm

With the offensive portion completed, our prospect heads to the field to have his positional velocities recorded, starting with the outfield. From the outfield he tops out at 76.47 mph. Once more there is a two mph difference between the each class.

Two members of the Class of 2020 were able to achieve the impressive feat of breaking 90 mph from the outfield. RHP/OF Eben Heine (Plainfield North, IL) and OF/RHP Tyler Chadwick (Marshall, WI) are joint leaders after they were both clocked at 91 mph.


Tyler Chadwick 7.24.17

Next, our prospect competes in the infield portion where he posts a 72.63 mph across the infield. In terms of infield arm strength, the trend goes with the addition of two to three mph as a prospect matures.

We have a trio of high-level arms that impressed over 2017. RHP/SS George Klassen (Port Washington, WI), SS/RHP Ben Vitas (Providence Catholic, IL) and Jacob Mote all pumped it in at 87 mph across the diamond.


George Klasssen 7.24.17

Finally, we finish up the defensive portion with catcher velocity and pop times. Our prospect is clocked at 70.7 mph out of the crouch, with a pop time of 2.23 second. Surprisingly, these numbers are nearly identical to the Class of 2019, who averaged 71.5 mph out of the crouch, with a 2.20 pop time.

Another trio of prospects tops the catcher velocity charts. C/3B Trevor Davis (Danville, IL), C/1B Cameron Dupont (West De Pere, WI) and C/RHP Nicholas Hemken (Edwardsville, IL) were all clocked at 78 mph. No prospect from the Class of 2020 was able to post a sub-2.00 pop time, but Trevor Davis, Nicholas Hemken and C/OF Jake Berg (Bayport, WI) all managed 2.00 pop times.

 

Cameron Dupont 7.24.17


Jake Berg 3.12.17


The Mound

Lastly, our prospect ends his day by getting on the mound. After completing his sequence of pitches, he ends on a fastball from the windup that is clocked at 76.8 mph. Once more, the approximate increase in velocity from year to year is two to three mph.

The top arms on the mound from this class in 2017 belong to the likes of RHP Chris Byhre (Catholic Memorial, WI), LHP Noad DeLuga (Lake Zurich, IL), Eben Heine and Tyler Chadwick. Byhre stands alone at the top after topping out at 87 mph, while the remaining three all touched 86 mph.


Chris Byhre 7.24.17

Recap

Height Weight 60 Yard Dash Infield Velo Outfield Velo Catcher Velo Exit Velo Pop Time Fastball Velo
5-11 161.3 7.72 72.63 76.47 70.71 80.13 2.23 76.8


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