Players listed alphabetically
PG High School Showdown - Top
Upperclass Prospects
LHP
Logan Allen (2015/IMG Academy, FL): Allen turned in one of the
most dominating performances on the mound, a seven-inning no-hitter
with 14 strikeouts. The South Carolina commit showed outstanding
control of all his pitches and topped out at 90 mph with his
fastball.
C
Nick Bottari (2014/Montverde, FL): Bottari is a strong 6-foot-2
catcher who shows a short path to the ball and a quick bat from the
right side. The University of Miami commit led Montverde Academy in
batting at the Showdown with a .308 average.
OF
Luke Bonfield (2014/IMG Academy, FL): Bonfield continued to do
what he did nonstop last summer; consistently hit hard line drives to
all fields. He also showed smooth actions in right field, tracking
the ball nicely with a nice run tool.
3B
Dylan Busby (2014/Sarasota, FL): Despite adding a couple inches
to his frame and moving over to the hot corner, Busby still shows the
same athleticism and range at third as he did as shortstop. He has
quick hands at the plate with the ability to turn on the inside
pitch, and projects for more strength as he begins to fill out his
frame.
CF
Clay Casey (2014/DeSoto Central, MS): Casey has begun to turn his
football muscle into lean, baseball muscle and showed a sound
approach at the plate. His strength showed when he lined a fastball
back up the middle, coming off the bat at 93 mph, after working walks
in his previous two at-bats.
C
Brandon Chapman (2014/Sarasota, FL): Chapman is no stranger to
the national scene and he came out swinging in the middle of the
order for Sarasota. He showed nice power from the right side en route
to winning MVP honors, hitting four doubles and plating four runs.
Chapman served as a key piece in the Sailors' championship run and
provided solid defense behind the plate.
OF
Andrew DiLacqua (2014/IMG Academy, FL): An Arizona State commit,
DiLacqua is very impressive in center field for IMG, despite his
strong, physical build. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound DiLacqua was
outstanding defensively, particularly going back on the ball, showing
no issues tracking the ball.
OF/RHP
Brandon Elmy (2014/Venice, FL): The Furman commit struck out 10
batters in his 5 2/3 innings of work, showing a fastball that topped
at 88 mph. He also provided offense in the Indians first game by
going 3-for3 and scored two runs.
OF
Eric Feliz (2014/IMG Academy, FL): There is no doubting the
strength and power in the recent Notre Dame commit’s swing. He
continued swinging it well this spring for IMG and is a bat that
certainly needs to be followed throughout the upcoming spring/summer
circuit.
RHP
Jordan Gubelman (2015/Sarasota, FL): Gubelman shows some of the
best pitchability in the 2015 class and he showed it in his start for
Sarasota in the championship game. He threw a complete game with six
strikeouts and no walks and his stuff is just as premium as his stat
line. His fastball touched 89 mph with more to come and outstanding
life to his arm side. He also throws an above average changeup and
has nice feel for his 11-to-5 curveball.
SS
Dalton Guthrie (2014/Venice, FL): Guthrie had a strong
performance at his final Perfect Game tournament and impacted the
Venice offense in a variety of ways. He generated offense with his
bat, picking up five base hits and seemed to always be on base. His
baseball instincts play well on the bases and he is a very sound
defensive player at shortstop, where he should be able to stay at
the next level.
3B
Ke’Bryan Hayes (2015/Concordia Lutheran, TX): When facing
fellow 2015 Thomas Szapucki (below), Hayes consistently squared up
Szapucki’s quality offerings, picking up a couple hard singles and
he also drew a walk. His frame is plenty strong with solid bat speed
and shows very good arm strength across the diamond.
RHP
Keegan James (2015/DeSoto Central, MS): Keegan James showed well
both offensively and on the mound for DeSoto Central. The Mississippi
State commit threw six shut out innings, topping out at 88 mph with
his fastball. At the plate he made consistent hard contact to his
pull side, including a couple doubles – one off the Green Monster –
in the championship game.
SS
Ryan Karstetter (2015/IMG Academy, FL): The University of
Virginia commit showed a very nice approach at the plate and made
hard contact throughout the weekend. Karstetter’s frame is very
projectable with present athleticism and he moves well in the
infield, showing a strong arm across the infield.
3B
Taylor Lane (2014/IMG Academy, FL): A University of Florida
commit, Lane is an extremely athletic infielder who projects well
with added strength. He swung the bat very well throughout the
weekend for IMG, generating hard contact to right-center field on a
regular basis.
RHP
Evan Mendoza (2014/Sarasota, FL): Mendoza has been on quite a run
on the mound with a couple stellar starts leading up to the Showdown.
The North Carolina State commit posses a fastball that can climb into
the low-90s, and he struck out seven batters in his seven innings on
the mound at the Showdown, turning in another performance without
giving up an earned run.
OF/RHP
Ryan Miller (2014/Venice, FL): Miller continues to show off his
versatility and high-level tools at Perfect Game events. On the mound
Miller was up to 89 mph and he showed above average speed, which he
uses well to patrol the outfield.
RHP/3B
Austin Riley (2015/DeSoto Central, MS): Riley shows big potential
on both sides of the ball and turned in strong performances both ways
as well. A strong 6-foot-3 righthander, Riley showed heavy life on
his 88-91 mph fastball – which touched 92 in the fifth – while
mixing in both an 11-to-5 curveball and a changeup. His bat is
extremely fast and showed no problem pulling an inside pitch down the
line.
C
Michael Rivera (2014/Venice, FL): Rivera is a solid competitor
and a cornerstone for what Venice has been able to achieve over the
last two seasons. The University of Florida commit showed well, as
usual, behind the plate, and he handles his staff extremely well.
He’s a righthanded hitter with a fluid stroke and developing power.
OF
Bryan Scheker (2015/Montverde, FL): A 2015 graduate, Scheker
showed an aggressive approach at the plate and was able to create
hard contact in the box. When squared up, the ball jumps off his
barrel hard and showed graceful, fluid actions while patrolling
center field.
RHP
Clarke Schmidt (2014/Allatoona, GA): Schmidt started the 2014
season off hot, going 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA. At the Showdown, the
University of South Carolina commit pounded the strike zone with a
fastball that peaked at 88 mph and he projects very well as he
continues to add strength to his lean and athletic 6-foot-2 frame.
LHP
Thomas Szapucki (2015/Dwyer, FL): Throwing from a lower
three-quarters arm slot, Szapucki is able to create severe angle and
nice run on his fastball that topped at 93 mph and sat 88-90
throughout his outing. He pounded the strike zone and showed a slider
that was a true wipeout pitch and has a chance to be a plus offering
at the next level.
RHP
Thaddeus Ward (2014/Bishop Verot, FL): Thaddeus Ward is the ace
of the Bishop Verot staff despite only being a junior. The University
of Central Florida commit has shown low-90s velocity in the past and
generates hard arm-side run on the pitch. Ward projects well in the
future, especially once he begins to fill out his 6-foot-3 frame.
SS
Kyle Watson (2014/DeSoto Central, MS): Watson looked very smooth
defensively with athletic actions for DeSoto Central, showing nice
range to both sides and a very strong arm across the infield. At the
plate the Mississippi commit picked up a couple of line drive base
hits to all fields, including a double which he squared up in
DeSoto’s second game.
RHP
Dallas Woolfolk (2015/DeSoto Central, MS): Woolfolk is a force
out of the DeSoto bullpen, showing an 89-91 mph fastball which
features heavy and late arm-side run. The pitch is extremely
difficult for hitters to square up, especially righthanders. His
slider shows excellent potential too with downward life and 10-to-4
break.
PG High School Showdown - Top
Underclass Prospects
RHP
Tyler Ahearn (2017/Dwyer, FL): A recent Florida State commit,
Ahearn showed both velocity and feel that isn’t commonly found in a
high school freshman. Ahearn projects very well as he continues to
physically develop, and he already is throwing in the mid- to
upper-80s with nice life down in the zone.
RHP
Rylee Buckmaster (2016/Venice, FL): The last time Perfect Game
saw the 6-foot-5 sophomore, Buckmaster was topping out at 84 mph with
his fastball. At the Showdown Buckmaster showed improved velocity,
topping at 87 and 88 mph in both of his outings while picking up a
victory for the Venice Indians.
IF
Cash Case (2017/Montverde, FL): Case finds himself on the Top
Prospect list for the second year in a row and rightfully so. He
plays the game fast and isn’t intimated by big velo, showing the
ability to turn on an 89 mph fastball for a hard single through the
right side of the infield.
OF
Bernard Gilot (2016/Montverde, FL): Gilot made his presence felt
with the bat on day 1, blasting a no-doubt home run over the replica
Green Monster at JetBlue Park. The outfielder shows interesting bat
speed and strength that will need to be followed closely over the
next two and a half years.
RHP
Grayson Harbin (2016/Allatoona, GA): Although only a sophomore,
Harbin is an important piece to the Allatoona pitching staff. With a
fastball that worked 83-85 mph early in the game, Harbin shows a
projectable 6-foot-3 frame with a short arm action and should see his
fastball add a couple ticks in the near future.
CF
Kyle Jacobsen (2017/Allatoona, GA): Jacobsen lead the High School
Showdown in batting average with a .636 mark, extremely impressive
for a freshman. A switch hitter, Jacobsen shows a smooth swing with a
strong handle for the barrel from both sides of the plate and
demonstrated the ability to hit to all parts of the field.
MIF
Terrence Spurlin (2017/Concordia Lutheran, TX): Although only a
freshman, Spurlin found himself batting sixth in the Lutheran lineup.
If starting in the middle of the field as a freshman at a national
tournament wasn’t enough, Spurlin put his power on display,
clearing the fence in left field for a solo home run.
C
Garrett Wolforth (2016/Concordia Lutheran, TX): The Dallas
Baptist commit had a very strong showing behind the plate, blocking
numerous balls in the dirt. He also showed off his above average arm
strength on numerous occasions, throwing out base runners and
attempting several back picks.
PG High School Showdown-Academies - Top Upperclass Prospects
C Kyle Adams (2014/Salisbury Prep, CT): Adams, a University of Richmond commit, showed well with the bat in the Academies portion of the Showdown, hitting his ways to MVP honors. The lefthanded hitting catcher hit .412 while collecting seven RBI and three stolen bases.
3B Robert Byckowski (2014/Ontario Blue Jays, CAN): Bykowski is a strong-bodied third baseman for the Blue Jays who put his big bat speed on display. The ball jumps off the barrel and his strength was pronounced when he turned on a 90 mph fastball for a two run blast over the left field fence.
RHP Paul Campbell (2014/ Salisbury Prep, CT): Like Salisbury teammate Austin DeCarr (see below), Campbell showed some of his best velocity at the Showdown, topping at 91 mph with his fastball. Wit his lean, athletic frame and loose, whippy arm action, there is plenty of reason to project Campbell to add a couple more ticks to his fastball.
RHP Austin DeCarr (2014/Salisbury Prep, CT): DeCarr drew the biggest gathering of MLB personnel behind the backstop and he didn’t disappoint. His fastball topped at 95 mph with a nice feel for his two-seam fastball and curveball, a pitch that shows plus potential once he develops a consistent feel.
RHP R.J. Freure (2015/Ontario Blue Jays, CAN): Freure came in to preserve a victory for the Ontario Blue Jays and consistently sat 88 mph with his fastball, once dropping to 87 mph and once touching 90 mph. His mid-70s slider shows potential and what’s most interesting is that Freure is actually young enough to be a 2016 according to Coach Dan Bleiwas.
3B/RF Endry Guzman (2014/FTB Platinum, FL): There was some noise surrounding Guzman’s name coming into the tournament and he justified that buzz throughout FTB’s games. Guzman showed excellent bat speed from the right side and a big powerful arm from third base and right field, where he split his time.
OF Kel Johnson (2014/Home Plate Citadels, GA): Johnson looked like he has added some muscle onto his 6-foot-4 frame this off-season, and it showed during his in game at-bats. Early Friday morning Johnson jumped on an outside fastball and drove it over the right-center field fence. There is no mistaking Johnson’s ability with the bat as he shows his power on a regular basis.
SS Jose Martinez Jr. (2014/Future Stars, VI): Martinez played a very slick shortstop throughout the tournament, showing soft hands and very nice range to both sides. He made one particular play ranging up the middle, grabbing the ball with his glove and flipping it behind his back to the second baseman, nearly completing the play for the force out.
RHP William Montgomerie (2014/Salisbury Prep, CT): Montgomerie has decided to stay in state for college having signed his letter of intent with the University of Connecticut. Montgomerie touched 91 mph on the mound, and as he continues to add strength to his frame, he should be able to maintain that velocity throughout. He creates nice angles from his arm side with a solid changeup and a slider that shows excellent potential with late 10-to-4 break.
RHP Maikor Mora (2014/Faith Baptist, FL): Mora is a long-limbed, lean athlete who held his fastball velocity very well throughout his six innings of work. The pitch reached 92 mph and sat 88-90, throwing from a fluid, high three-quarters arm slot with nice feel for his slider.
OF Gareth Morgan (2014/Ontario Blue Jays, ON): Morgan showed a much improved approach at the plate in Florida, laying off several close pitches, and in turn drew several walks. Finding himself in better hitter’s counts, Morgan lined a 90 mph fastball back up the middle, coming off at 92 mph, showing a quick path to the ball and some of his big time strength.
1B Josh Naylor (2015/Ontario Blue Jays, CAN): People have come to know Naylor and his tremendous power from the left side. In Ontario’s last game Naylor showed off that power by squaring up an outside fastball and lining it to the left-center field gap, one-hopping the fence for a triple.
RHP Ronny Orta (2014/Faith Baptist, FL): Orta turned in a strong performance in the Academies Championship, throwing a complete game to defeat Salisbury Prep. Like teammate Maikor Mora as detailed above, Orta maintained his velocity throughout the game – 87-89, touching 90 – and in fact touched his best velocity on the 111th pitch of the game, recording a 91.
RHP Zachary Pop (2014/Ontario Blue Jays, CAN): Members of the Perfect Game staff saw Pop both in Arizona two weeks ago and again at the Showdown. His stuff was a full notch better in Florida, touching 93 with his fastball while siting 90-92 in the early going with nice life to his arm side due to his lower arm slot.
C Owen Spiwak (2014/Ontario Blue Jays, CAN): Spiwak looks to improve upon his 26th round selection by the New York Mets in last year’s draft. The 6-foot-3 Spiwak moves well behind the plate and shows nice bat speed from the left side with projectable power.
SS Will Toffey (2014/Salisbury Prep, CT): The Vanderbilt commit has taken a nice step up on his all-around game from last spring, adding noticeable strength to his 6-foot-2 frame. He moves well up the middle with plenty of arm strength and carry on his throws. When the lefthanded hitting Toffey kept his weight back he was able to drive the ball on a regular basis, including a ground rule double that hopped over the right-center field wall.
LHP Sixto Torres (2015/Arlington Country Day, FL): After recently reclassifying to the 2015 class, Torres showed his best fastball velocity, topping at 89 mph from a lower arm slot. With a fastball that settled in the mid-80s, to go along with good feel for his curveball, the 6-foot-5 Torres collected 15 strikeouts in his six-inning start against SBO Puerto Rico.
PG High School Showdown-Academies - Top Underclass Prospect
C/RF Ryan January (2016/Salisbury Prep, CT): January is a strong, projectable catcher with sound tools behind the plate. A lefthanded batter, January shows a fast bat with loose wrists and connected for a long ball, pulling the ball down the right field line for a three-run home run.