International Week Kicks Off In Boston
The Future Stars Series International Week event begins today at Fenway Park and features some of the top high school talent from across the country on the National roster and internationally on the World roster, including some of the top talent representing Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, and the Netherlands. We’ll analyze both teams, loaded with top talent likely to be selected in the 2021 MLB Draft and beyond.
Now in its fourth year, the event has featured over 41 players drafted with combined signing bonuses of over $38 million. Last year, the event hosted eight players that would go on to be selected in the shortened 2020 draft, including first-rounders Zac Veen, Mick Abel, and Justin Lange. Other notable alumni of the event include current top pitching prospects Grayson Rodriguez and Daniel Espino, amongst many more.
Today, the New Balance Future Stars Series will kick off a doubleheader at Fenway Park. For an in-depth preview of the hitters in the event, see Ralph Lifshitz’s preview of the National team hitters.
Friday’s Matinee at Fenway
We’ll take a look at some of the top national and international arms that we’ll see on the mound in Boston in the early game, and later we’ll take a look at the arms we’ll see pitch in game two at Fenway.
To kick things off, the National team will send out Kenya Huggins Jr. to toe the slab at the top of their rotation and the World hitters won’t have an easy task at hand.
Kenya Huggins Jr. RHP/OF
St. Augustine HS | New Orleans, LA | Commitment: Louisiana Tech | Class of 2021
The highly-regarded and perhaps top prospect from the state of Louisiana, Kenya Huggins Jr. is an outstanding two-way player that will begin the event by showcasing his talents from the mound. The New Orleans righty is committed to staying in-state to Louisiana Tech. At 6’3”-200 lb., Huggins Jr. has a strong, athletic build and still shows some physical projection in his frame.
His three-pitch arsenal is carried by his fastball and slider. He locates both pitches for strikes consistently from his high 3/4 arm slot. His fastball sits 89-93mph with arm side run, although he has shown consistent velocity gains throughout the summer, recently topping out at 94mph. His slider sits 78-82mph, although recent summer events have him more consistently hitting 80-82mph. showing strong sink and cutting action to it. It’s a sharp breaking ball and a very tough to hit one-two pitch combo with his fastball when sequenced properly. His changeup is still developing and reports vary from upper-70s to low-80s showing arm side fade.
However, with Huggins Jr., it’s all about his strong, physical, athletic build which provides plenty to dream on both on the mound and at the plate.
Game one of International Week starts off with a marquee name and a very intriguing watch to follow-up a strong summer in Huggins Jr., but starting opposite of him for the World team is a pitcher that has had an equally impressive summer, representing Mexico and a Texas Tech commit, Jose Valadez-Acuna.
Jose Valadez-Acuna LHP/1B,OF
Veterans Memorial HS | Corpus Christi, TX | Commitment: Texas Tech | Class of 2021
There is a lot to like in this Texas lefty, Jose Valadez-Acuna, with a low-90s fastball and a high spin breaker to accompany it. He’ll deliver both consistently from a high 3/4 arm slot and has some deception to his delivery as well.
His fastball will sit 90-93mph, topping out at 94mph recently, and features late life and arm side run on the pitch. His curveball will sit 73-75mph with a spin rate averaging 2500-2700rpm and the pitch shows effective slurve-type movement. While still not at its full potential, the pitch is dangerous as is and a potential permanent plus offering once fully developed.
Another frame and physical build to dream upon, Valadez-Acuna is 6’1”-205 lb. and is another strong, mature build with some physical projection also still remaining. He has been trending upwards all summer as well, not only showing velo gains but having put forth strong performances on the national stage at major showcase events.
Both pitchers starting game one of the Future Stars Series stand out for their above-average, exceptionally strong and athletic builds, both showing success not only on the mound but at the plate as well thanks to their physically mature frames.
However, both the Louisiana righty and the Texas lefty likely have more promise from the mound with further development and provide a heck of a start to the double-header. The top of the lineups for both rosters will not have it easy as both pitchers show an above-average fastball with a promising secondary as a plus out pitch, and a developing third pitch; the progress of these secondaries will be a key watch in the first couple innings at Fenway.
Taking over after Huggins Jr. for the National team is another extremely promising prep pitcher; hailing from Mississippi, likely the top lefty hurler in the state and also committed to staying in-state with Ole Miss is pitcher Hunter Elliott.
Hunter Elliott LHP/1B
Tupelo HS | Tupelo, MS | Commitment: Ole Miss | Class of 2021
World hitters will face the lefty Hunter Elliott after Huggins Jr., and Elliott’s progression this summer will keep the World roster on their toes. In his most recent performance at Area Code Games, he threw two innings and struck out all six batters.
Elliott is another strong, athletic build at 6’3”-205 lb. and provides promising physical projection remaining within his frame. He’s begun to show the beginning signs of that added strength this summer, with his fastball velo gaining multiple ticks up to a confirmed 93mph at the Future Stars Series National Combine.
The lefty hurler has a strong profile; he shows advanced pitchability and a developed three-pitch mix delivered from an extended, yet repeatable arm action and releasing from a 3/4 arm slot. His fastball will sit 88-91mph (as mentioned, recent velo gains up to 93mph). The pitch shows movement on both planes, with both sink and effective arm side run. His secondaries are both effective, an upper-70s fading changeup at 1800-2000rpm and a low-to-mid-70s sweeping slider with depth at 2000-2200rpm. Should be fun to watch his three-pitch mix with further progression from earlier in the summer.
In the other dugout, after National hitters faced the Texas lefty Jose Valadez-Acuna, they’ll face a righty hurler hailing from the Bahamas in Evan Sweeting, who will is well-motivated for a breakout performance.
Evan Sweeting RHP
Heritage HS | Nassau, Bahamas | Commitment: N/A | Class of 2020
Having only recently moved stateside to Louisiana, Evan Sweeting is an under the radar name that the National hitters are going to be put to the test against. Sweeting is a 6’1”-203 lb. righty with a somewhat slender frame to go along with a strong lower half. However, that strength is beginning to become refined in his upper half and it has showed in his significant velocity gains.
Before arriving stateside, Sweeting’s fastball was sitting mid-to-upper-80s, but recent workout videos from training facilities down south show Sweeting hitting low-90s consistently, including up to 92-93mph two weeks ago. He throws both a four-seam and two-seam, along with feel for a 11/5 breaking ball with great angle and depth, looking like it could be a very effective breaking ball, along with a reported split-changeup.
The Bahamas have become known as a scouting hotspot of late and Sweeting might just be the next legitimate prospect the country has produced. Friday is a big opportunity for the international hurler to showcase his large velocity gains from the past year against some of the top National hitters. Sweeting has had an impressive summer at the training facility and Friday will be a huge opportunity for us scouts to see the stronger, refined and more developed right-hander against top competition.
Back to the other dugout after Elliott, the National team will send Caedmon Parker, a 6’4” Texas righty to the mound, another in-state commitment to TCU and perhaps one of the hottest names on the summer showcase circuit this year.
Caedmon Parker RHP
The Woodlands Christian Academy | Montgomery, TX | Commitment: TCU | Class of 2021
Establishing himself as one of the top arms in the entire class this summer, Caedmon Parker is one of the highest anticipated and regarded arms to take the mound on Friday. Parker has an athletic delivery from a long, very projectable 6’4”-185 lb. build. His pitch arsenal is nothing to complain about either, bolstering perhaps one of the best breaking balls in the entire class.
Parker’s fastball sits an easy 91-94mph with excellent life and run on the pitch. He has good feel for a low-80s changeup, but most impressive is his 77-80mph slider. His hard breaking, high spin slider has beautiful tailing action to it, a hard sweep usually getting hitters to swing and miss out of the zone; but he can deliver all three pitches consistently for strikes. It’s a loose, easy delivery with good extension causing the ball to explode out of his hand on hitters.
The Texas Christian commit has had a loud summer, including a standout performance at this year’s Area Code Games, where he threw three innings and struck out six. Scouts praise Parker’s profile and expect continued improvement from him, which could result in him entering legitimate top of the class status. It’ll be an intriguing test against the World hitters to see if Parker can keep up the momentum of his tremendous summer.
Switching back to the World rotation, the National hitters may get their toughest test of the day in Panama native Erian Rodriguez, a Northwest Florida State College commit.
Erian Rodriguez RHP
Georgia Premier Academy | Statesboro, GA | Commitment: Northwest Florida State College | Class of 2021
An electric right-hander, his lengthy and slender 6’4”-190 lb. frame provides plenty of room for further physical development and remaining projection. Rodriguez has a repeatable delivery in which the ball explodes out of his hand despite a long arm path, yet most certainly features above-average extension. His athletic build is one to dream upon with his arm action and delivery resulting in easy mid-90s velo.
This high-profile right-hander is one of the top pitching prospects coming out of Georgia this year and for good reason. He features an extremely solid three-pitch mix and shows advanced feel for the mound and superior pitchability.
Rodriguez’s fastball sits 92-95mph and his mechanics and build easily project for more velocity to come. His low-to-mid-70s slider is a sharp, sweeping breaking ball that usually leaves hitters baffled due to its above-average movement, along with his feel for the pitch and ability to throw it for strikes. He also features a changeup that sits 83-86mph and he shows above-average feel for it as a third pitch.
With easy velo coming out of an explosive and somewhat deceptive release, his three-pitch mix will provide a true test for the National hitters and should lead to many marquee at-bats in game one.
To close out the game for the National rotation is another arm out of Louisiana, committed to Northwestern State, righty Grayson Gates.
Grayson Gates RHP
Benton HS | Benton, LA | Commitment: Northwestern State | Class of 2021
Grayson Gates has a lean, athletic, projectable frame where there is likely additional strength to be added. Another quick, loose, athletic delivery that’ll seemingly explode upon release out of his high 3/4 arm slot. Gates has a fastball that easily sits low-90s, showing late life and arm side run and a breaking ball with solid 11/5 shape in the low 70s.
At 6’2”-175 lb., many scouts are waiting on the added strength to come. However as is, and with just average projections in regards to his frame, Gates can be properly evaluated as one of the top arms coming out of Louisiana this year and this event will be a huge opportunity for him to start off the fall with a bang and close out game one for the National team.
The final pitcher in game one for the World rotation is Carlos Isai Vallejo, a Class of 2022 right-hander representing Mexico.
Carlos Isai Vallejo RHP
Sharyland Pioneer HS | Mexico | Commitment: Uncommitted | Class of 2022
Carlos Isai Vallejo is young, class of 2022, but that won’t make things any easier on the National hitters in the final innings of game one. Vallejo is 6’1-188 lb. but is nowhere near filled out and has a ton of physical projection remaining in his frame. A slender build with a sturdy lower half, Vallejo is a strike-thrower and can pound the zone with both his fastball and breaking ball from a deceptive delivery.
Vallejo will hide the ball for an extended amount of time with a consistently deceptive release. He’ll deliver his breaking ball with the same arm speed and angle as his fastball and is a sneaky high-upside arm considering how much physical projection remains.
His fastball will currently sit upper-80s and has touched 90mph this summer. His breaking ball is a sweeping curve with excellent shape and depth, consistent release and arm action has given hitters fits. It’s a sharp, sweeping break with 11/5 movement and can be extremely tough on righties.
Vallejo is an under the radar name that has had a strong showing at multiple events throughout the summer and with a strong start to the fall, very well could begin to enter top rankings for the ’22 class.
Fantastic Arms for Friday’s Fenway Matinee
That concludes our look at the pitching rotations for both the National and World rosters in game one at Fenway. Needless to say, hitters on both rosters will have quite the task at hand. There are some marquee, headlining, highly-regarded names on both rotations, top recruits to come out of their respective states. At the same time, there are arms on both rotations that are either returning from injury, have just recently moved stateside, or haven’t performed much on the 2020 showcase circuit for a number of reasons and these names will have a chance to truly exponentially increase their stock and solidify their profiles as high-upside and top national and international recruits.
Friday’s game one has it all, from big-bodied and physically mature arms that are so well built they also succeed at the plate, to more slender, tremendously athletic and ultra-projectable 6’4” lefty and righty arms. From a hitters perspective, it’s not going to be an easy day at the plate as each pitcher has their own respective plus traits and above-average pitches. For anyone that loves pitching, it’s a thrilling day to see what these top high school arms will do on the mound in the bright lights of the first national showcase event to kick off the fall, Future Stars Series International Week.
Later today, we’ll publish a pitchers preview of game two on Friday. If the hitters were looking for a break, they’re not going to find one in the rotations of the second game as both managers unleash more heralded, top prospects. Be on the lookout later today!