This July, our MLB Draft team traveled down to Tropicana Field in Tampa to take in the Perfect Game National Showcase. Specifically, Tyler Jennings, Ian Smith and Joe Drake made the voyage to get a first-hand look at what the 2022 MLB Draft prep ranks had to offer.
Here are their impressions:
Austin Henry
Henry is a cold-weather arm from South Dakota who lit it up. He’s long, athletic and physical already at 6’5, 215lbs with some projection still remaining. It’s a terrific pitching frame with long limbs and a high waist. He operates solely from the stretch with a near-over the top arm slot and some effort in the delivery. The fastball sat in the upper 80s, touching 90, but it was the curveball that stole the show. It’s a true hammer with hard, steep break, great depth and RPMs north of 3000 - arguably one of the best pitches in the class. Henry kept hitters off balance throughout his outing and allowed no hard contact.
Joe Drake
Dylan Lesko
Lesko came into PG National week as one of, if not the top arm in the 2022 class and his performance only helped to solidify that. The fastball sat 94-96 with life and touched 97 and it looked easy with his low-effort operation. He mixed in a curve with a steep 12-6 shape and a changeup with fade, showing good feel for both pitches in the short stint. On top of great stuff, Lesko has the ideal pitcher’s frame at 6’3, 195lbs with projection still remaining. All signs continue to point up for Lesko.
Joe Drake
Brandon Barriera
Barriera is easily one of the most electric arms in the country, especially from the left side, and it was on full display at PG National. He sat 91-94 and ran it up to 95 with late life, really making life difficult on hitters. The secondaries were no slouch, either, with a low-80s slider that shows good bite and dips under bats plus a mid-80s changeup that he sells pretty well and shows depth and some fade. The frame is athletic and projectable with some present strength in the lower half and the arm is quick. Barriera is a must-see when he takes the hill.
Joe Drake
Zach Showalter
Showalter is considered a legitimate two-way talent, but we’ll be profiling him as a pitcher here. As you may have guessed, he’s a premium athlete who notched a plus run time in the 60 and showed smooth actions during outfield drills -- and not to mention the arm is a cannon. As expected, Showalter looks good on the mound with a simple, stretch-only delivery; the arm action is short and the arm is fast. He threw strikes and challenged hitters at PGN, not allowing a hit over his short outing. The fastball sat 90-93, touching 94 with a good slider in the upper-70s and mid-80s change rounding out the arsenal. We feel the arm is ahead of the bat right now and he could develop into one of the premier pitching prospects in the 2022 class.
Joe Drake
Justin Crawford
It’s uncanny how much Justin resembles his dad, former MLBer Carl Crawford, especially when you see the tools he brings to the table. Not only does Justin look like his dad, but he runs like him too, posting a 6.11 60-yard time with a 1.53 10-yard split. He gets up to speed quickly and possesses an elite top gear. Crawford isn’t a one trick player though, he showed very quick hands and good feel to hit in-game, putting the ball in play with solid contact and racking up multiple hits across the week. It’s a true centerfield profile with elite speed, a solid arm and a top of the lineup profile at the plate.
Joe Drake
Josiah Harrison
Harrison has a terrific baseball frame at 6’1”, 175lbs with long legs, a high waist and broad shoulders -- he oozes projection and athleticism. He was also one of the testing standouts at PGN, showing plus speed (6.53 60), and elite arm from the outfield (96 MPH) and above-average exit velos (up to 88 MPH). All that talent culminated in a strong performance in-game that included leaving the yard in a Major League stadium with a wood bat. It doesn’t get a whole lot more impressive than that for a 17-year old.
Joe Drake
Mikey Romero
Romero might have been the loudest bat from the first group of the week and was undoubtedly one of the top performers of the entire week. He launched multiple balls deep to the pull-side, showing off his in-game power, and was one of the few hitters in his group to be able to do damage early on at the showcase. He also showed good feel for the zone against some of the best arms in the class and an ability to extend at-bats with 2 strikes. The LSU commit’s profile is rounded out by an above-average 60 time (6.79) and a solid arm from the infield that showed good utility.
Joe Drake
Connor Fuhrman
Fuhrman is another bat who stood out among the crowd of very talented athletes with his in-game performance. It seemed like he made hard contact and barreled up the ball every time he came to the plate, shooting hard liners into the outfield for extra bases. Fuhrman posts some of the best exit velos in the class (up to 90MPH) and couples his ability at the plate with above-average run times (6.83 60) and a strong, accurate arm from the outfield (88 MPH). Fuhrman’s combination of good testing numbers and in-game performance made him really stand out among a field of stars in the 2022 class.
Joe Drake
Gavin Guidry
The LSU commit was relatively unknown to us heading into PG National, but ended the week as one of the better two-way talents in the class. A wiry 6’2”, 182 lb frame with a ton of room to add muscle, Guidry started the showcase with a 6.36 60 with a blazing 1.47 10-yard split. When he got into game play, the bat looked explosive putting a pair balls into the gaps, including an inside-the-park home run where he was able to showcase the plus speed as well. While Guidry doesn’t have top end bat speed, his ability to rotate and accelerate allows the bat to play up. In his one inning on the mound, the right hander was up to 92 with the fastball and showed a tight curveball and changeup. Really fun profile to watch this draft cycle.
Ian Smith
Jayson Jones
There’s really only one word to describe Jayson Jones’ week in St. Pete. Loud. The Arkansas commit strung together in my opinion the best overall week of any player at PG National. It started in workouts where Jones showed there’s a real chance he will stick on the left side of the dirt after a really effortless infield round and threw 93 MPH across the diamond. He’s got a very physical frame at 6’2”, 200 lb and also showed above-average speed with a 6.59 60 as well. At the plate, Jones uses a crouched load as a right handed hitter with a very quiet swing that shows limited holes through the zone. Add in that Jones presents the best bat speed in the entire class, and you get a profile at the plate with elite level projection. There have been people much smarter than me who have claimed Jones could have the highest ceiling of any prep in the class, and you won’t find me trying to argue that.
Ian Smith
Tucker Toman
Tucker Toman showed up to St. Pete as one of the top 3B prospects in the prep class and walked away from the week maintaining that. A switch hitter with big time bat speed and real potential from both sides of the plate, Toman showed an all fields approach in BP with easy pull side juice. In-game, the LSU commit kept the same approach with a loud base hit up the middle and ripping a double deep into the RF corner. Toman put together a really easy infield round with accuracy and carry on his above average arm strength across the diamond. It’s easy to project above average power and glove at 3B as he develops.
Ian Smith
Termarr Johnson
Termarr Johnson has earned a top notch nickname of “Captain Bat Speed” among us here at Prospects Live and that moniker was surely on display in the Trop. Johnson was in the last group of BP during his workout day and put on a show for the scouts and evaluators in attendance by launching multiple balls over the right field bleachers. The somehow still uncommitted star decided to follow up his batting practice performance with HR in game, taking a 93 MPH fastball about 10 rows deep into RF. Johnson has some of the most outrageous advanced data in the class in terms of his Blast motion and Diamond Kinetics numbers and could easily have the best hands in the class. Termarr is quickly earning first name only status, and you could argue that it could be the most polished high school bat with a 60/60 hit/power ceiling.
Ian Smith
Caden Dana
New Jersey HS powerhouse Don Bosco prep is set to produce another high end pitching talent after seeing Caden Dana in St.Pete. A physical 6’5”, 225 lb frame with a bunch in the lower half and able to repeat an easy over-the-top delivery. Showed a quality three pitch mix in his two inning outing, and was able to get swing and miss on all three. Picked up all 6 outs via strikeout. Fastball sat 91-94 with above average command and good run at the top of the zone. Curveball maintained 11/5 shape with big time depth at 76-79 and mixed in a change of pace changeup at 87. It’s an old school prototype profile with budding plus stuff that gives the Kentucky commit a big arrow up.
Ian Smith
Noah Schultz
If you’re looking for the funkiest and most uncomfortable AB in the class, then look no further than Vanderbilt commit Noah Schultz. Standing a hulking 6’8”, 215 lb while working out a low three quarters slot is not something you see very often. Schultz showed two above average to plus pitches in his outing in St. Pete with a 90-92 mph fastball that he could command anywhere in the zone with elite spin rates and a breaking ball that sat in the low to mid 70s with a ton of swing and miss. Breaker was consistently around 3000 RPMs as well. The combination of Schultz's frame and his ability to repeat his delivery tells me there’s plenty more in the tank and gives the lefty considerable upside in this strong prep pitching class.
Ian Smiith
Andrew Dutkanych IV
Making the trip from Indiana, Dutkanych walked into Tropicana Field and produced one of the best pitching performances of the week. Vanderbilt commit flashed an advanced four pitch mix led by a plus fastball that sat 92-95 with a ton of run. Slider and changeup both flashed above average in the low to mid 80s and a tight hammer curveball in the 70s. Dutkanych was able to pull a Caden Dana and struck out 6 in his two inning outing. He was able to pick up at least one K with each of his pitches. Dutkanych gives you Andrew Painter vibes being a big bodied RHP with elite body control and a deep pitch mix. Really good chance he could be a name in first round talks next summer.
Ian Smith
Brock Porter
I’m not sure I’ve seen a Brock Porter performance over the last 8 months that hasn’t been loud, and that didn’t change at PG National. Porter was the starter of a 9am game and came out sitting 95-96, topping out with 97.5 with a ton of ride. Showcased his present big league changeup that’s likely a 60 grade pitch at 77-79 with parachute type fade. Getting a near 20 mph velo difference from his fastball makes it play up even more. The Orchard Lake St. Mary’s product has shown a slider and curveball in the past but only flashed the quality 11/5 curveball in this outing. Porter shows some of the highest pitchability in the class and continues to make huge strides in overall command. Clemson commit has a real chance to be one of the best RHP in the class.
Ian Smith
Easton Swofford
If there’s one thing you need to know about Easton Swofford, it’s that the kid just hits. Swofford garnered two hits, both singles in the final game, but also showcased a solid approach at the plate throughout the event. It’s a hit-over-power approach for Swofford, with an ability to spray the ball to all fields. He’s got a twitchy profile and has plenty of athleticism and projection to his frame, standing in at 5’10”, 165 pounds. During workouts, Swofford notched a 6.71 60 and showcased an arm up to 89 MPH in the infield. He’s a solid defender that can play both middle infield positions, though he’s also played some outfield in the past, too. The Arkansas commit looks to be a fun follow in this cycle, especially if he fills out his frame a bit more.
Tyler Jennings
Beck Milner
Not too often you find a Yale commit, especially from Utah, but Beck Milner had one of the louder showcases for the first group of teams. He’s got a strong and athletic frame to his body and impressed in workouts with a strong arm and a 1.81 pop time. He does have quality bat speed and has natural loft to his swing. He did well in game too, with two hits to his name, including a loud double off a breaking ball from Nazier Mule. The approach can get a tad aggressive, but Milner certainly raised his stock plenty in St. Pete.
Tyler Jennings
Elijah Green
Yes, Elijah Green is still a freak of nature. Coming in as the best player in this year’s prep class, Green did nothing to knock him off that pedestal. At 6’3”, 225 pounds, Green ran a very impressive 6.16 60 time and threw 94 MPH from the outfield during his workouts. In game, Green legged out an infield single with a 4.09 home-to-first and showcased his hard-hitting ability in two other at-bats, with a long opposite field flick and a flaming line drive that ate up a Vegas Gold infielder in the second game. Might not have been what you would expect, but nonetheless he got every opportunity to show off his tools and passed the test. As long as Green can limit the strikeouts throughout the rest of this cycle, you’re looking at one of the favorites to go 1.1 next July.
Tyler Jennings
Mason Neville
His high school might be Basic, but Mason Neville certainly is not. (Please laugh). On a serious note, Neville is one of the top uncommitted players in this class, hailing from the state of Nevada. For starters, Neville’s DiamondKinetics testing was near the top, with his max barrel speed reaching 79 MPH and all three categories ranking in the Top 15 of the entire showcase. In workouts, Neville posted a very impressive 6.28 60 time and threw 92 MPH from the outfield. He’s got quick hands at the plate and racked up two hits in the showcase, both singles. He stole four bases throughout the event, as well. We like to think he won’t be uncommitted for much longer.
Tyler Jennings
Chase Shores
As they say, everything's bigger in Texas. This includes the pitchers. At 6’8”, 240 pounds, Chase Shores has a large, imposing frame on the mound and he’s become a very intriguing prospect in this class. At his height, there’s plenty of moving parts in his delivery, but he’s still able to throw a high-spin fastball at 91-96 MPH and topped out at 97 MPH with late life from a low three-quarters slot. He’s got a 1-to-7 curveball in the high-70’s that is his primary secondary that he went to frequently in game. He did flash a good change-up with late diving action, but he only threw one in his outing at 84 MPH. He’s far more comfortable throwing strikes in the wind-up than in the stretch, which will need to be ironed out as time progresses. However, the stuff is loud and he’s an interesting follow for 2022.
Tyler Jennings
Tristan Smith
There’s a reason why “This is unfair” and “I feel bad for these kids” were written down on my notes during this outing. It was the loudest outing of the week. Tristan Smith is one of the top lefties in the class for a reason and he showed why. He started off with three straight curveballs to Kaden Martin, two of them for strikes and one just off the plate. Martin, a left-handed hitter, then watched a 95 MPH fastball zip by and the rest is history. Smith struck out all six batters he faced with a lethal fastball/curveball combo that kept hitters off balance. The high-spin heater sat 92-94 MPH and touched 95 MPH with big life, but the curveball was the main star of the show. It sat 78-81 MPH and Smith landed the pitch for strikes with relative ease. Not to mention, he manipulated the shape of the pitch at will. He does have a change-up, but it was not utilized here. He’s a high follow in this class and could wind up in the first or second round come next July.
Tyler Jennings
Jackson Ferris
Last summer, Jackson Ferris was sitting 88-91 MPH with his fastball at the Area Code Underclass games. Shortly thereafter, he transferred from Mount Airy, NC to IMG Academy in Florida and his velocity ticked up significantly. He’s held it so far this summer and at PG National, the heater was exceptional. He sat 92-95 MPH and touched 96 MPH with the heater and racked up all six strikeouts on the pitch. It has great late life and kept hitters confused the whole outing. The curveball was in the high-70’s and Ferris manipulated the shape of it at times, though it did become slurvy. He did flash a change-up in the mid-80’s that has progressed well. We are going to keep a close eye on his progress this cycle.
Tyler Jennings
Ian Ritchie Jr.
Washington’s own Ian Ritchie Jr. has long been a name to know on the 2022 circuit, but he’s added some flair to his stuff this year. Last summer, he primarily featured a fastball, slider, and change-up, but he’s added a curveball and a two-seam fastball to his repertoire recently and showcased both of them at PG National. He primarily sat in the low-90’s, touching 94 MPH with late run on both fastballs. The curveball and slider have distinct shapes, with the curveball in the high-70’s with good shape and the tighter slider in the low-80’s with good bite. The change-up has gotten better, with the velocity in the low-80’s and has good fading action. It’s a projectable frame for the UCLA commit at 6’2”, 185 pounds, too. There’s likely more in the tank here.
Tyler Jennings
Michael Gupton
We know there were some questions as to why the 60 times at the event were so fast, but, there is one thing that is in no way up for debate: Michael Gupton is fast as hell. His 5.96 was the best time at the showcase by a good margin (0.15 seconds) in a field that features some great athletes. Gupton’s speed is legitimately game-changing and it should be firmly noted that he brings other tools to the table as well (100+ MPH exit velo, 87 MPH OF throws). He should be locked into your follow list for the remainder of the year.
Staff Favorite
Dominic Hellman
The only thing I have to say about Dom Hellman after witnessing his explosive round of BP is “Wow”. Hellman absolutely peppered the left field seats and back wall at Tropicana field during his batting practice and he did it with a wood bat. While other players, who are strong in their own right, put one or two over the wall during their rounds, Hellman was stacking streaks of dingers like he was playing the Homerun Derby mode in MLB the Show. It was truly a sight to behold that captivated anyone and everyone in attendance. This is was 80-grade raw power looks like.
Staff Favorite