With the Under Armour All America game coming up on Monday, it’s time to give a general overview of the players that will be playing in the game.
National Roster
Werner Blakely - IF
The Detroit, MI native is a six-foot-four, 180 pound infielder from Early College of Excellence High School. After impressing at previous tournaments in past summers Werner has built a name for himself. He was invited to compete at the Prospect Development Pipeline on Team Howard. He is currently one of the top prospects in Michigan according to Prep Baseball Report. Blakely is a good athlete with a lot of room to add strength. At other showcases and tournaments he has shown a good approach at the plate and has some nice pop off the bat from the left side. With the frame being projectable, he has solid power projection in addition to a nice uphill plane in his swing. He has been reported as having thrown 90 mph across the diamond with smooth fielding to go with it.
Jace Bohrofen - OF
If there’s one thing this kid is known for, it’s gotta be hitting bombs. Jace is a six-foot-two 195 pound outfielder from Westmoore High School in Oklahoma. Bohrofen has put himself on the map due to strong offensive performances in sanctioned events. He’s the 23rd ranked player in the nation by Perfect Game, and the top prep outfielder from Oklahoma. He’s a left-handed hitter with a natural uphill stroke and the ball jumps off of his bat, especially to his pull-side. Not only does his athleticism show on both sides of the ball, he also excels on the gridiron as his high school’s starting quarterback. Look for his athleticism and bat to shine in Chicago.
Alek Boychuk - C
Another guy who has been on prospect radars for a while now, Boychuk is the best prep catcher in Georgia. Boychuk’s best arribute is his defense behind the plate. He was previously recorded at the PG National Showcase with a pop time at 1.90 (has previously recorded times down to 1.80) and a throw from the plate to second base at 82 mph. In addition to the arm and pop time, he also blocks pitches extremely well. Offensively, he’s a right-handed hitter with a wide and slightly open stance with little pre-load movement. He has an average leg kick that also acts as his trigger. He has easy, natural uphill loft to his swing. I noticed a different hand placement from when he made an appearance at the JR National Showcase last year. In the JR. National, he had a high hand placement and a high elbow. Meanwhile, at National, he lowered and moved his hands further back with a more relaxed elbow in his stance.
Jack Bulger - C
Fresh off of a 2019 Gatorade Maryland Baseball Player of the Year award thanks to batting .545 with an OPS of 1.556 this spring. Bulger has been lighting up the showcase metrics for a while now, regularly posting up at the top for bat speed, impact momentum, max acceleration, and exit velo. Standing at six feet, 205 pounds, he has a well built athletic frame. Bulger is a special player on both sides of the game. On the defensive side, he has a strong and accurate arm that registered 84 mph from behind the plate to second base with a pop time of 1.80. At the plate, he swings with tons of power as previously mentioned by the metrics. He starts with his hands near his head with a high elbow. An average leg kick starts his motion and he drives off the back leg well. He has a good loft on the swing that goes uphill, pair that with the power and metrics and the ball flies off the bat.
Corey Collins - C
Corey Collins is a six-foot-three, 208 pound, C/OF from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. Like his peers on the national roster, Collins is a projectable catcher with a cannon arm. He’s registered an 85 mph throw from the plate to second, with a pop time of 1.94 but has shown better in the past. Collins has a well built out frame that allows him to use his strength in his throw and at the plate. Collins is athletic enough to be more than the average catcher by running a 6.84 60 and 1.68 10-yard split at this year’s showcase. He starts his swing with the hands behind his head and the bat resting on his shoulder. He creates a good angle with the bat in the load position with a good coil on the lower half. One thing that stood out to me is how good his hips are in the swing. They’re fluid and open up nicely for his bat to follow and allow for him to get that natural uphill swing path with ease.
Pete Crow-Armstrong - OF
Arguably one of the best prep kids in this class is Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Vanderbilt commit has received hype thanks to his overall tools. Pete is blazing quick having run a stunning 6.51 60-yard dash at the National Showcase and has an excellent IQ on the base paths making him a future stolen base threat. In the field, he’s smooth with his glove and has powerful arm that has touched 93 mph. His best tool is the hit tool. Pete has such a simple yet perfect swing that has him regularly finding the barrel. The power is just beginning to show and there’s a lot of room for growth in his six-foot-one frame. If he can get stronger and continue to hit like the way he is right now then the kid will be a stud in no time.
Joseph Gonzalez - RHP
Our first pitcher on the list and the player who will most likely have the least amount of information available about them. Joseph Gonzalez is a six-foot-four, 215 pound RHP from Humacao, Puerto Rico. Gonzalez was a player in the 2014 Little League World Series for Team Caribbean. Since then he has played for various Puerto Rican travel teams. Then most notably spent last year playing for the Padres Scout Team as part of Chandler Baseball’s World teams. That’s when he played in the 2018 WWBA World Championship and showed off a low 90s fastball with a CB and CH in the high to mid-70s to go with it. With a super projectable frame and touching 91 as a 17-year-old, there is some hype building around him. If he has a good showcase this weekend, the man of mystery will be no more and he’ll skyrocket up boards.
Austin Hendrick - OF
A Mississippi State commit, Austin Hendrick is currently ranked as the #1 outfielder in the nation and #3 overall according to Perfect Game. Hendrick is six-foot-one 205 pounds of pure muscle and shows it at the plate. Hendrick has crazy raw power from the left side of the plate having metrics all >80%, with a top exit velocity of 105 mph at the National Showcase. Hendrick has an irregular stance, which is something people need to do more of, by the way #BringBackWeirdStances. Although it may look unorthodox, it’s helping him out a lot. The pre-coiled front foot helps Austin load more energy on his back foot. That energy then transfers from his back foot, leads directly into his hips, where his quick hands create great bat speed and raw power. Austin does swing-and miss some due to over-swinging, but makes up for it with that power.
Kyle Karros - IF
Kyle Karros is one of two sons of former big leaguer, Eric Karros. Kyle, the younger of the two, is a sox-foot-five, 195 pound 3B with a powerful arm and good defensive actions. He can make all the throws and the glove projects well enough to stick. The bat is the most intriguing tool of his. In the right-hand batting box, Karros starts in a basic stance with a slightly open front foot. He brings his foot in for timing reasons and starts his swing. He can get enough leverage from the movement of his hips that the extreme loads that a leg kick creates aren’t necessary. Karros’ bat speed stands out and allows for him to generate consistent hard hit contact. The frame oozes potential and the constant hard contact is something to watch for the future.
Jared Kelley - RHP
The second pitcher on the list is Jared Kelley. A strong, well-built six-foot-two 200 pound RHP, he’s currently one of the best pitchers in the 2020 draft class. Kelley has a stellar fastball that sits 95, with a CB in the 80s. Kelley works easy in a high ¾ arm slot in a delivery that doesn’t exert a lot of effort. Allowing for Kelley’s delivery to be repeatable and conserve his energy well. Kelley’s best secondary is his CB, with a nice bite that he can command. A changeup is his next best pitch but he doesn’t need to use it much thanks to the premier fastball and curve. Very intrigued to see how he plays this Monday.
Coby Mayo - IF
The #1 3B in the state of Florida, Coby Mayo is a big power bat and looks like it. Standing at six-foot-four, 205 pounds, he is a strong athletic kid that shows when he’s in the box. Mayo smokes the ball with excellent power to all fields. He works out of a wide stance leaning back on his back leg. When he starts his swing, he pushes off the back leg and creates tremendous power. Mayo ’s top half is short and quick creating great bat speed with an uphill loft. Mayo is a young man with a great story that you can’t help but root for him.
Victor Mederos - RHP
Originally born as Victor Victor Mederos, he is a six-foot-three 210 pound RHP that has been lighting up showcases. Mederos is originally from Cuba before he made a dangerous trip to America with his mother and brother when he was 11. Please go read about that story, it is fascinating. Now a US Citizen, Mederos is ready for his baseball dreams to come true. Working out of a high leg kick with a normal ¾ arm slot, Mederos flashes a mid 90s FB, low 80s CB and mid 80s CH. His FB is average and he can lose the command of it at times. The CB is nasty at an 11-5 shape to it. Mederos also played in the All America game last year.
Theo Millas - RHP
Millas is a six-foot-four, 200 pound RHP currently committed to LSU, out of Burnaby, British Columbia. The righty is currently one of the top prospects out of Canada. Millas has a repeatable delivery that features a high ¾ arm slot and he sits around 89-91 with his FB that gets a bit of sinking action on it. He will rely on a stellar CB at 73 that gets a ton of break on the pitch. Millas may not be a huge name but is very projectable with good stuff on the mound.
Steven Ondina - IF
Steven Ondina is a five-foot-eight 147 pound SS from Gurabo, Puerto Rico. Ondina’s best quality is his athleticism at such a small size. He’s very quick having run a 6.57 second 60 at PG National. As well as possibly the best defender in this draft class. The very quick first step allows him to have a great range with soft hands. Ondina also has a very powerful arm being clocked at 97 from the left side of the IF. However, one big impression is that he is good at the plate as well. Not much power thanks to a fairly spacious frame with much room to grow, but his contact is outstanding and hits the ball hard to all fields. His stance is fairly square and has a short step into his swing but has great bat speed and hand-eye that lets him be dominant at the plate.
Andrew Painter - RHP
Andrew Painter is a six-foot-six 210 pound RHP from Pompano Beach, FL. Painter, a class of 2021 commit to Florida is one few at the All America game not in the 2020 class. Already being considered as a Top five kid in a stacked 2021 class, Painter has been stellar. Already touching 94 at the age of 16, Painter has a delivery that is smooth and easy. Painter, as previously mentioned has a FB that tags 94 but is usually sitting around 91. With a CB in low 70s that he can control for strikes, it makes him all the more intriguing. With the projectable frame and velo at 16, it makes sense why Painter would be so highly touted.
Max Rajcic - RHP
Max Rajcic is a five-foot-ten, 200 pound RHP/SS from Fullerton, CA. Although he is listed as an RHP on the roster, Rajcic is one of the top two-way players in the draft class. On the mound, Rajcic usually works his low 90s FB with good command relying on a 75-80mph CB to get swing and misses. He has a pretty good CH that he uses to pair with the FB at low 80s. In the box, Rajcic regularly finds good contact on pitches with decent pull side power thanks to some great bat speed. It will be interesting to see if he is going to work out as just a pitcher or will also take some cuts in the BP part of the weekend.
Nate Savino - LHP
Nate Savino is a six-foot-three, 195 pound LHP out of Sterling, VA and is currently ranked as the best pitcher in the nation by Perfect Game. Savino has a low ¾ arm slot from the left side after a high leg kick and sits 92-95 with his FB that has sinking action to it thanks to his arm slot. He also throws a SL in the high 70s that gets good movement. Savino also has a surprisingly good amount of control on both of his SL and FB.
Blake Shapen - IF
Blake Shapen is a six-foot-one, 190 pound two-sport star committed to play both football and baseball at Arizona State. Shapen, also a star QB, has a rocket of an arm that he shows off on the diamond with good reactions defensively in the field. He shows off a powerful swing and can find the barrel well which helps with the power he has. Shapen starts his swing out of a square stance with his hands directly behind his head. With a more than average leg kick, he drives off his back foot well. It seems like Shapen is more football focused than baseball currently but will be good enough to get his fair shot to pull both sports off at Arizona State.
Kevin Sim - IF
Kevin Sim is a six-foot-two 205 pound 3B from San Diego, CA. Sim is currently considered as one of the best 3B in the nation. That is mainly because Sim is a big guy with tons of power at the plate. Sim has insane power to not just pull side but to all parts of the field, however, he usually has a pull side approach. Sim’s hands start fairly low and he pushes them down when he starts his swing for leverage. Although unconventional, he’s still able to get good bat speed and power in his swing with fluidity and rhythm. Sim is an average defender at 3B and will mostly stick there in the future.
Zac Veen - OF
Zac Veen is a six-foot-four, 190 pound OF from Port Orange, FL. He has with the ability to play every outfield position and shined at PG National this year, after already being one of the largest rising prospects in the class. After being just barely in the Top 500 of Perfect Game’s rankings going into the spring, Veen is already sitting at 32 in PG’s rankings. That’s mainly due to his offensive skills. Veen shows tremendous power potential. He has a bit open and wide stance and a smaller leg kick. He’s able to drive off the back foot well and the top half is quick with good bat speed. Although Veen is just now showing up, he’s going to get better with time and added strength.
Mario Zabala - OF
Zabala is easily the fastest guy at the invitational. He’s a six-foot-two 195 pounds outfielder from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Zabala has some the best speed in the class having run a blazing 6.28 60 and a 1.51 10 yard split at PG World Showcase. He has an athletic build with good strength that shows at the plate and in the field. At the plate the righty has plenty of power with a nice short swing. He starts with a high elbow and hands, with a short leg kick for timing. Zabala takes aggressive hacks at the plate but connects the majority of the time smashing balls, sending them far, far away.
American Roster
Robby Ashford - OF
Robby Ashford, similar to Blake Shapen, is a two-way star with both being elite QBs. Ashford is an ultra-athlete at six-foot-four, 210 pounds. Ashford is what you would expect a top athlete in the nation to be and more. Not only does he have an outstanding arm and speed but excels at the plate. Ashford has great hand-eye coordination and he finds the barrel often and squares up plenty. He has impressive bat speed as well. Ashford committed to Ole Miss for both football and baseball.
Cam Brown - RHP
Cam Brown is a six-foot-three 215 pound RHP from Flower Mound, TX. Brown has been rising the ranks due to a successful junior year in high school and a good showing at the PDP event. Brown usually sits 88-91 with his FB but has issues holding his velocity later in games. His delivery involves a high leg kick with a ¾ arms slot. Brown also throws a CB with bite to it around the low 70s and a CH around low 80s. Brown hasn’t gotten much coverage and it will be interesting to see how he plays this weekend.
Dylan Crews - OF
Another one of the bigger names going into the invitational is Dylan Crews. Crews, at six foot, 185 pounds, is one of the best prospects in the 2020 class, and for good reason. Crews is tooled up with one of the best bats in the class. His frame is athletic but still has plenty of room to grow. He shows excellent bat speed and finds barrels allowing the power potential to shine. Crews has a pretty conventional swing and creates power well. In the outfield he has a powerful arm registering around 93 with good speed that allows him to make plays on tough balls. Crews is committed to LSU.
Robert Hassell III - OF
The reigning Gatorade Tennessee player of the year and Vanderbilt commit, Robert Hassell III is an exciting prospect. Hassell is a six-foot-two, 190 pound, OF/LHP/1B from Franklin, TN. Hassell’s bat is the loudest of his tools. He starts his stance with his hands around behind his head with a high elbow and the bat resting on his back. A leg kick starts his load and he coils well in the bottom half. Hassell’s bat speed is very good and has a good whip on the bat with a natural uphill loft. With his projectable frame, it leads to him having great power projection. To go with the bat, Hassell is pretty quick. Which allows for him to play well in the OF.
Ben Hernandez - RHP
Ben Hernandez is a six-foot-two, 205 pound, RHP/3B from Chicago. Hernandez is currently ranked by Perfect Game as the best pitcher in the state of Illinois. A UIC commit, he will be playing with a home-field advantage as Sunday’s event takes place at UIC’s Curtis Granderson Field and Monday’s event being played at Wrigley Field. Hernandez is strong and powerful and has one of the best changeups in the country. He has a nice and easy delivery with a ¾ arm slot. Hernandez sits 91-93 with his FB that has run to it and uses his CH at 81-84 with great sinking movement and missed bats. He also uses a curveball in low 70s, but still needs work on that pitch.
Ed Howard - IF
Ed Howard is a projectable six-foot-two 185 pound SS from Lynwood, IL. Howard has recently been rising on boards due to strong showings in showcases this spring. Currently ranked as the best player in the state and 17th best in the nation by Perfect Game, Howard is smooth in the field with good range at SS and an accurate strong arm to go with it. At the plate Howard has a short and quick swing that produces good thump.
Jared Jones - RHP
Jared Jones is a six-foot-two, 175 pound RHP/OF that makes the entirety of the game of baseball look easy. Jones is regularly up to 96 while sitting more of the mid 90s on the bump and has thrown an insane 100 from the OF at PG National. Not only is he nasty on the mound, but the dude crushes the ball with great power but it’s expected he stays as a pitcher. On the mound, Jones starts with a high leg kick that goes into a low effort delivery. Throwing mid 90s with such a low effort delivery out of a ¾ arm slot that leads me to believe he can throw harder. Jones has a good feel on how he controls his FB and SL. His SL gets tons of movement on it at 83. He did show a CB at 78 and a CH at 90 but he’s better off just using the FB and slider combination.
Blaze Jordan - IF
Quite possibly the best player in the class is Blaze Jordan. He was initially a 2021 class player but reclassified to 2020 this spring. Jordan is a freak athlete and crushes anything that comes near him. He has insane power that he showed off when he hit a ball off of the scoreboard in Cleveland during the HS Home Run Derby. Jordan as well has one of the best hit tools in the class of 2020 that lets him use all fields. Jordan starts with his hands down at his pectoral and a rested elbow. He doesn’t use his lower half much but still provides great power on such a short stroke. In the field, he will most likely be set at one of the corner spots, whether that is in the OF or a corner infielder. He has good arm strength allowing him to make plays at third or in the OF. Jordan is a stud in the making and is ready for his time to shine.
Christian Little - RHP
Considered as one of the best 2021 pitchers, Christian Little is a six-foot-four 205 pound RHP from St Louis, MO. With a super projectable frame, Little’s delivery involves a leg kick that bends when it gets perpendicular and drives off his back leg. Little gets a great extension at a normal ¾ release point allowing the fastball to play further up. Little has had his FB hit 93-94 but usually sits 90-91. With that extension, he can make his fastball appear to be 92-93 all the time. He has a very good CB that breaks 11-5 and uses it with great control at 76. His third-best pitch is a CH that he throws in the late 80s that has good action to it.
Nolan McLean - RHP & IF
Another member of the two-sport athlete club is six-foot-three, 220 pound RHP/UT Nolan McLean. On the mound he uses an extended lower ¾ arm slot. He can throw his FB for 91-93 and uses a good CB at 74. His fastball gets some good run to the arm side and McLean can control it. However, he is most likely going to stick at the plate. McLean gets his good bat speed but has some swing and miss problems issues to correct. It will be interesting to see what happens to Nolan, as he is also being heavily recruited as a QB.
Carson Montgomery - RHP
Carson Montgomery is a six-foot-two, 200 pound RHP from Windermere, FL. Montgomery has an athletic frame with broad shoulders. He has had success by mixing in his 96mph FB that has good arm side run and his excellent SL that sits 82-84mph with a good break. Montgomery uses a quick arm that also gets a good extension at the release point. That quick arm action most likely causes the arm side run that is on his FBs, but also lets his mid 80s changeup be pretty deceptive as well.
Robert Moore - IF
Robert Moore is a five-foot-nine, 160 pound SS from Leawood, KS. Moore is currently considered as the best SS in the nation by Perfect Game and is an Arkansas commit. Moore is an elite defender at SS and should stick there at the next level. He shows quickness on the first step, quick exchange, and a very good arm. Moore is a switch-hitter that hits well from both sides of the plate. He is far more natural on the right side but the left side is good enough and will get better over time. He generates more bat speed on the right side otherwise the swing is similar to both sides. Quick step with a leg kick that stays low and finishes with an uphill swing. It will be interesting to see where Moore ends up; his dad is the current GM of the Royals after all.
Yohandy Morales - IF
Yohandy Morales is a six-foot-four, 200 pound SS from Miami, FL. Morales is the best SS in the state of Florida according to Perfect Game. The righty has good power potential with room to add weight. Morales is a good enough defender for SS, but we’ll have to see where his arm plays at the next level as it isn’t the strongest. The glove is strong and he uses his athleticism and speed (6.76 60) to make difficult plays. At the plate, Morales power is limited to the gaps, and he can struggle making contact. Morales’s swing is fluid and a bit wild, but if he connects the ball will fly. The frame and future power is promising but the bat will need to improve for further success. He is a University of Miami (FL) commit.
Drew Romo - C
Drew Romo is a six-foot-one, 205 pound catcher from The Woodlands, TX. Romo is a current LSU Commit and considered to be the best defensive catcher in the nation. He has an athletic build and is already a strong kid. Romo has a big and accurate arm at 84mph with a great pop time of 1.76 in the drill, which was the best time at the Perfect Game National Showcase. Romo is a switch hitter at the plate, being more natural from the left and has only recently started to focus more on the right side of the plate. Romo creates good bat speed on the left from a short step and a good transfer of energy in the lower half.
Alejandro Rosario - RHP
Alejandro Rosario is a six-foot-one, 170 pound RHP with a commit to the University of Miami(FL) and is from Miami, FL. Rosario was in the 2021 class before reclassifying as a 2020 class. Rosario throws a solid mid 90s FB with reports of it being better than that with some solid arm side run on it. Rosario has a sharp breaking ball out of ¾ arm slot that gets good movement. Not much information is available about Rosario at this moment but we’ll be able to get a good look at him this weekend.
Will Sanders - RHP
Will Sanders is a six-foot-six, 195 pound RHP from Atlanta, GA. He doesn’t have the velo now compared to the top of the pitchers in the class, but he makes up for that with his crazy potential. With a lanky frame with plenty of room to grow, Sanders should add velocity as he matures. He currently throws his FB at low 90s with a lot of run on the pitch. He also has a great curveball at high 60s with tons of break on it. He’s shown a fairly good changeup as well as a SL but the FB, CB, and CH are the go-to pitches. Sanders’ mechanics involve a very quick arm action, which creates the run on the FB. Thanks to his length, he can get a good extension of the mound letting his FB play up. Sanders is going to need a bit of time to reach max potential but he has a bright future ahead of him.
Daniel Susac - C
Daniel Susac is a six-foot-three, 215 pound catcher from Roseville, CA. Susac will be 19 at the time of the 2020 draft, personally, I don't think it matters but some team will factor that in for some reason. Anyways, Susac has a bazooka of an arm, having reached a showcase best 87 mph at the Perfect Game National Showcase. He also shows other great catcher tools like a solid pop time of 1.82. He uses his big body to block balls in the dirt and doesn’t let his size affect him behind the plate. That’s because he is a fairly good athlete having run a 7.06 60. At the plate, Susac is listed as a switch hitter but has more recently been right side focused. Daniel shows off his athleticism at the plate as well creating massive metrics thanks to good strength on his top half. He does have some contact problems due to timing issues, however, the collective positives way outweigh the negatives.
Cayden Wallace - IF
Cayden Wallace is a six-foot-one, 205 pound, 3B from Greenbrier, Arkansas. Cayden shows a promising power tool in his bat thanks to good overall athleticism. Wallace ran a 6.68 which is plus for a corner infielder. He has enough glove to stick at 3B but wouldn’t be surprised if he gets moved to somewhere in the corner of the outfield thanks to a power arm. At the plate, Wallace gets great bat speed thanks to strength in both lower and upper halves. He creates a good amount of whip and crushes the ball in the right-handed box.
Slade Wilks - OF
Slade Wilks is a six-foot-two 215 pound, OF from Columbia, MS. Wilks will be 19 at the draft next year, similar to Drew Romo. Wilks is a classic power corner in both at the plate and in the field. At the plate, the lefty bat uses a big load that allows for him to get a lot of energy to generate his power. He takes big cuts in a mostly pull side approach. Similar to Cayden Wallace, Wilks is fairly quick having run a 6.62 at the PG National Showcase, but Wallace is a much better defender compared to Wilks.
Tanner Witt - IF
Tanner Witt is a promising six-foot-six, 198 pound, SS from Houston, TX and a current University of Texas commit. Witt has a powerful arm at SS with a decent glove. He can look a little slow in the field thanks to his size but the transfer is quick out of the glove. I think he would be better off at 3B at the pro-level. At the plate in the right-handed box, Witt starts with the bat on his shoulder in an open stance. Witt has a quick short step into his load but still generates very good bat speed driving the ball well off of his bat. With plenty of room to grow in his frame, Witt can easily gain in his power and with his already great bat speed, the sky's the limit for the kid.