Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech
Performance: 2-4, 1 HR, 1 BB
Listed at 6-feet, 205 pounds, the younger brother of Rangers top prospect Josh Jung looks mightier than his listed measurements. Jace Jung is powerfully built with impressive lower body strength. While he is close to maxed out physically, he already generates plus power and has an ideal swing for generating loft, which was on display as he leveraged a slider out of the park. More notably, Jung delivered an impressive five plate appearances, seeing 26 total pitches, adding a hard-hit single to go along with the home run. Jung is uber-selective and has a great feel for his swing, meaning he’s very likely to have excellently low whiff totals. It’s also evident Jung never lacks confidence at the plate -- even with two strikes -- as he worked a walk after seeing 5 two-strike pitches and slugging his home run in a 2-2 count.
Jung’s defensive instincts and leadership qualities were also on display as he showed adequate range to his left and served as the coordinator of defensive shifts. After starting the season off in expected fashion, Jung has reached new heights since March 15th (106 PAs), recording an OPS of 1.411 -- fueled by 8 homers -- with 23 walks to just 11 strikeouts.
-Tyler Paddor
Kurt Wilson, SS, Texas Tech
Performance: 3-5, 1 3B
The scout-drawing presence of Jace Jung on a team like Texas Tech is set to benefit consistent performers like Kurt Wilson. His strong 6-foot-2 frame and average to above-average speed give him workable tools on both sides of the ball. Wilson has a sturdy base that helps him drive on pitches low in the zone and an excellent ability to cover the outer half, though he may run into issues if he more consistently faces fastballs with carry. Wilson can be a swiss-army knife, though he’s had a stable showing at SS this season. His internal clock is evident and he showed smooth hands. As a 24-year old prospect, Wilson’s draft ceiling is limited to a late day 3 selection but he can bring versatile depth and a pro-ready bat to a system.
-Tyler Paddor
Jeffrey David, CF/3B*, New Mexico
Performance: 4-6, 1 HR
Originally a tooled-up Dallas Baptist recruit, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound David has found his footing this year with New Mexico; manning center-field like a stallion due to his plus speed and deploying an aggressive all-fields approach. In this game, David ended up starting at third-base for the first time this year, flashing his above average arm and looking comfortable handling a couple scorchers. He put a ribbon on a 4 for 6 game with a 3-run walk off homer. This year, David has been a bit swing happy but against Texas Tech, he laid off borderline pitches early in counts to get ahead. While David’s approach is rough around the edges, he has an undeniable knack for hitting the ball hard. The versatile David is an interesting later round target for teams confident in maximizing physical talent.
-Tyler Paddor
SS Zach Neto, Campbell
Neto was an on-base machine for the Camels on Tuesday, reaching base in four of his five plate appearances. He drew three walks and reached on a bloop single in the ninth, showing off his patience and bat-to-ball skills. He maintains a wide base with a big leg kick, but does a good job staying balanced throughout the swing.
On top of his reliability at the plate, Neto made an impact on the basepaths – breaking up a potential double play in the third and flying around the bases to score on an error in the seventh – and in the field, where he helped end a Carolina rally in the sixth inning with a quick tag to catch Mac Horvath stealing.
Neto didn’t get an opportunity to show off his range or arm strength on Tuesday, but his soft hands and smooth actions were on display. A team convinced he can stick at shortstop will likely pull the trigger in the late first round.
-Harris Yudin
Trevon Dabney, 3B, James Madison University
Bats/Throws; Right / Right
Height/Weight: 6-1 / 190
Year/Draft Age: Fourth Year Junior / 21.11
Date(s) Seen: 03/26/22
Batting Line: 2-4, 2 2B, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 0 K
Batting ahead of Chase DeLauter in the JMU lineup was the third baseman, Trevon Dabney. Standing at 6-foot-1 and 190 lbs, Dabney combines solid size, impressive physicality, and some quick-twitch athleticism. He utilizes an open, wide, and crouched stance at the plate with good bat speed and a solid understanding of the strike zone. He has enough raw pop to hit for power at the next level but showed off more of a line drive approach with a swing that was quick in and out of the zone. He smoked a couple of doubles and also reached base via the walk in five plate appearances.
Dabney has split time between third base and the outfield during his college career but played the outfield almost exclusively in 2020 and 2021. He has 32 games at third base this spring compared to just four in the outfield. Dabney showed the reflexes and twitch necessary for the hot corner and made a nice stop on a hard grounder during the game but he had trouble getting the ball out of his glove. The hands may not work enough for the infield at the next level which would ultimately shift him to the outfield. If Dabney could handle center field it would really boost his stock but his lack of experience there combined with his advanced age makes that possibility a bit gloomy. Dabney lacks a plus tool but is performing (1.010+ OPS) and has the body of a professional ballplayer. He looks like a day three (rounds 11-20) pick to me.
-Brian Recca
Colby Thomas, RF, Mercer University
Bats/Throws; Right / Right
Height/Weight: 6-0 / 190
Year/Draft Age: Third Year Sophomore / 21.05
Date(s) Seen: 04/01/22
Batting Line: 0-4. 0 BB, 0 K
It’s been a true breakout year for Colby Thomas after showing some intriguing tools on the Cape and during the 2021 college season. Thomas entered this weekend matchup against Seton Hall with nine homers on the year and would have three more by the time Mercer hit the road. Unfortunately, I saw Thomas on the day he struggled to an 0-4 line. Thomas doesn’t have the typical size of a middle of the order basher with more of a lean, average build. The body looks strong and projectable with above-average athleticism. Thomas has a tall and open stance with the bat head pointing almost straight up in the air. There’s a sizable leg lift that leads into an aggressive hack. There’s excellent acceleration in the hips and lower half which generates torque and impressive power. Thomas had mixed results on the Cape this past summer with one of the main issues being his plate discipline. In one at-bat during my look, Thomas did a good job getting ahead to a 3-1 count. He then chased a pitch well off the plate for strike two and then jammed himself on a fastball up and in which would have been ball four. Instead, it was an easy groundout. Thomas saw a lot of sliders and opposing arms tempted him early and often with the breaking ball. He seemed to be able to lay off pitches early in counts but would then expand later on.
It should be noted that this was just a single look and it came on a cold and wet Friday afternoon. Defensively, Thomas had some trouble with the wind on a deep fly ball but was able to haul it in with an over-the-shoulder catch. His arm wasn’t tested but has shown to be average-to-plus in the past. He looks well suited for either corner outfield spot at the next level. Colby Thomas is now up to sixteen homers on the season with a 1.280 OPS and is likely the favorite to win Southern Conference player of the year honors. His plate discipline concerns are likely to hold him back from the top few rounds but he’s unlikely to drop past the 5th round or so this July. It’s a good mix of plus raw power and above-average speed which puts him in that second or third tier of college outfielders.
-Brian Recca
JP Massey, RHP, University of Minnesota
Height/Weight: 6-1 / 190
Year/Draft Age: Fourth Year Junior / 21.11
Date(s) Seen: 04/02/22
Pitching Line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
J.P. Massey was a popular breakout pick heading into the 2021 college season. There were flashes of premium stuff from an athletic, long-limbed righty during the canceled 2020 season and many were expecting further growth in his third year at Minnesota. Instead, Massey had a disastrous spring with an ERA over 10.00 that included 33 walks in 20 innings. I saw him pitch briefly during the MLB Draft League last summer and didn’t see much of a draft prospect because of how out of whack his mechanics and delivery were. Pitching against a very strong Rutgers lineup, Massey looked way more in control of his body with a simpler and more repeatable delivery than when I saw him about ten months ago. Massey also looked a bit more physical after appearing to be mostly skin and bones in the past. His listed weight of 205 lbs might be a tad inflated but he looks bigger than the 170-pound number he was listed at previously. Remarkably, Massey still appears to be an arm with plenty of room to grow physically with a lanky 6-5 frame. He’s undoubtedly a plus athlete with a loose arm and plenty of arm speed.
His fastball was 90-93 which was down from the 96 MPH velocity that he flashed previously. The pitch had a mostly sinking shape and it looked like he would occasionally cut the pitch unintentionally. His strike-throwing was much improved but the command of the fastball was still below average. Massey labored in his fourth inning of work and was pulled after loading the bases with one out. All those inherited runners would end up scoring for Rutgers which meant Massey would be tagged for six earned runs on the day. He walked four (two walks in the 4th), struck out five, but was better than his final line indicated. Massey has two separate swing and miss breaking balls in his arsenal with a curveball and slider. The slider flashed plus with both sweeping movement and depth. He used it effectively against lefties at times by locating the pitch towards the back foot. I also liked the bite and shape of his curveball when he snapped off some good ones. The curve didn’t come out of the hand cleanly as often as the slider but it showed above-average potential. I didn’t see a changeup as Massey utilized both breakers and the fastball for a three-pitch mix. The performance hasn’t been there for Massey thus far (6.23 ERA) but there’s enough raw ability and year-to-year growth to endear him to some area scouts. It’s a middle relief profile if he’s able to show more consistency pitch-to-pitch and get back to mid-90s velocity with his fastball.
-Brian Recca
John-Biagio Modugno, RHP, Indiana
Height/Weight: 6-5 / 205
Year: Third Year Sophomore / 21.11
Date(s) Seen: 04/15/22
Pitching Line: 4 IP, 2 H, O ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP
Modugno was a late college pop-up arm last spring who flashed a plus slider and enough 92-95 MPH velocity to make him a legitimate draft prospect despite only 40 or so innings of work at Indiana. He was passed over as an eligible sophomore in 2021 but was a high-level follow for the 2022 season. D1Baseball ranked Modugno as the 3rd best 2022 draft prospect in the Big Ten while Perfect Game ranked him 5th. Things haven’t gone according to plan for Modugno as he currently sports an 8.38 ERA on the year. He had much more success during his Friday start against Rutgers as he shut out the Scarlet Knights for four innings. The stuff we saw last year wasn’t on display for Modugno in this one as he sat 89-91 MPH and was down to the 87-89 range by the 4th inning. He struggled to command the fastball early but gained a better feel for it as the game progressed. Modugno’s equalizer was his 79-81 MPH slider that he used to generate most of his whiffs. The slider has good sweeping movement and it tunnels well off his fastball. He used to throw it a bit harder and Modugno could have a true plus pitch if he added a little power to his breaker. Modugno didn’t feature a third pitch and focused on mixing his fastball-slider pairing through his four innings of work. He started giving up some squared-up contact in the 4th which is when his overall velocity started to decline.
At 6-foot-5 Modugno has good size and length in his projectable build. The delivery will need some refinement at the next level as will the fastball command. In order to regain legitimate draft interest, Modugno’s stuff will really need to tick up and his performance will need to be much stronger down the stretch. This outing was a step in the right direction as he was able to battle through multiple innings without his best stuff. He’s likely a two-pitch reliever at the next level and could be a good low-risk/high reward pick on day three of the draft.
-Brian Recca
Matthew Ellis, C, Indiana
Height/Weight: 6-4 /235
Year/Draft Age: Fourth Year Junior / 21.11
Date(s) Seen: 04/15/22
Batting Line: 0-3, 1 IBB, 0 K
Matthew Ellis looks to have found a home in Hoosier country after bouncing around between teams the last few years. Ellis redshirted his first at Tennessee before moving on to Walters State CC for a couple of years. He’s been Indiana’s primary catcher this year while moving to DH on his “off days” as he did during this game. He is extremely physical with strength distributed throughout his body. It’s kind of a square build without much projection but Ellis is supremely strong. He has double-plus raw power which has allowed him to swat twelve homers through 34 games with nearly half of his hits going for extra bases. Ellis has a narrow, slightly open stance with the bat resting on his back shoulder. His swing is low effort and features a toe tap and moderate leg lift. He does an excellent rotating his torso into contact and looks to drive the ball in the air and to his pull side. Ellis has recorded some massive exit velocity readings (118 max EV, 485 max distance) this spring and it’s not hard to see why as the swing is geared for big pull contact. There doesn’t seem to be much feel for spraying the ball to other fields as he was caught trying to yank pitches on the outer third multiple times in this game. He just missed squaring up a pitch in his third at-bat that went for a fly-out to right field.
Ellis did not get out of the box well on a double play groundout and his movements overall are not overly athletic. He might be a 30 or 20 grade runner. The Hoosiers pinch ran for Ellis in the 8th inning of a tie game which was very telling for me. I didn’t get to see him behind the plate but given his size and movements, it’s hard for me to envision him behind the plate long term. My guess is that Ellis is limited to first base at the next level. Overall, Ellis has some profile similarities to Niko Kavadas who was an excellent power bat for Notre Dame and an 11th round draft pick ($250,000 bonus, 6th/7th round money) last year by the Red Sox. Ellis looks like a late day 2 or early day 3 pick with the raw power and strength driving the profile.
-Brian Recca
Phillip Glasser, SS, Indiana
Height/Weight: 6-0 /195
Year/Draft Age: Fourth Year Junior / 22.07
Date(s) Seen: 04/15/22
Batting Line: 3-3, 2 2B, 1 BB, 0 K
Glasser really stood out at the plate in this one, putting together some of the best at-bats of the day. He showed enough on both sides of the ball that I could see him getting pro interest on day two of the draft. He's thickly built with compact strength and is capable of making hard, line-drive contact. He has a pesky, top-of-the-lineup type of profile. Glasser can work counts and does a good job waiting for his pitch. He lined a couple of hard hits to right field on pitches inside and below his belt which might be his "happy zone". He also showed good bat and barrel control on a tough fastball outside. He let the ball travel deep with some barrel lag before using his quick hands to drive the ball the opposite way for a double. Glasser's hit tool looks above average to me and he's currently running a 22:20 K-to-BB ratio in 165 plate appearances.
Glasser showed plus speed on the bases but could slow down as he matures. He wasn't really tested at shortstop but he transferred in from Youngstown State with a reputation of being a solid defender at short. He has infield actions and will fit up the middle somewhere. Glasser will be closer to 23 years old than 22 on draft day which limits his stock. Still, up the middle college bats in power conferences don't typically last long. Glasser could be a popular discount pick in the top ten rounds.
-Brian Recca
Dale Stanavich, LHP, Rutgers
Height/Weight: 5-11 / 175
Year/Draft Age: Fifth Year Junior / 23.00
Date(s) Seen: 04/15/22
Pitching Line: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K
I didn’t get a chance to see Rutgers closer Dale Stanavich in either of my prior Rutgers games so I was pretty happy to see him enter the game in the 9th inning as were the dozen or so other scouts in attendance. The undersized lefty was a late-inning weapon on the Cape last summer and was a big reason why the Brewster Whitecaps were 2021 champions of the CCBL. Stanavich took his time in between pitches but still managed to set down Indiana’s offense quickly with a 1-2-3 ninth that required only ten pitches. It was a heavy dose of fastballs from Stanavich who lived in the 92-94 MPH range while grabbing a 95 for good measure. Stanavich’s high angle and low release height give his fastball excellent shape and plane towards the plate making it a bat misser at the next level. He didn’t utilize his slider much but did get an empty swing on a backfoot slider to a righty hitter. The pitch was above average and was thrown at 83 MPH. Stanavich has a late-inning, attack mode mentality and the intensity you like to see from a high leverage arm. He commands his fastball at a high level as evidenced by his 1.9 BB/9 in 19.1 innings this spring. Stanavich has closed out eight games for Rutgers so far with a 0.93 ERA and 33 strikeouts compared to just 4 walks (8.25 K/BB). He’ll be 23 years old on draft day but his performance and loud stuff from the left side fit well in the middle rounds of day 2 (rounds 5-7) as a potential bonus savings pick. Expect Stanavich to move quickly in pro ball.
-Brian Recca
Pat Gallagher, RHP, UConn
Height/Weight: 6-0 / 195
Year/Draft Age: Third Year Sophomore / 22.00
Date(s) Seen: 04/16/22
Pitching Line: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Pat Gallagher and Friday night starter Austin Peterson have formed a powerful weekend duo for the Huskies this year. Imagine how good this rotation would have been with Reggie Crawford in the mix. Gallagher lowered his season ERA to 2.29 after shutting out Seton Hall for six innings. He's undersized but built strongly at 6'0-195. The delivery is simple and highly repeatable with a longer arm action in the back and a ¾ release. He isn't overpowering, sitting 87-90 and occasionally reaching back for 91 MPH or 92 MPH as he did in the 4th and 5th innings. Gallagher located his heater to all four quadrants and recorded a handful of whiffs on the fastball up in the zone. His best pitch was a slider which he threw more than his fastball in the first inning before relying more on the fastball later on. I liked the pitchability he showed there with the ability to work backward for a full inning to open the game. He commanded the slider at an above-average level and kept the pitch low and away to righties with 78-81 MPH velocity. The pitch didn't have wipeout movement but it had consistent shape and played to a near above-average level with his command. Gallagher went to his changeup against lefties and it was mostly a below-average pitch, though he did throw one that stood out as average.
Gallagher lacks a standout tool and doesn't have a ton of projection remaining in his frame. He performed decently on the Cape and has shown a couple more ticks of velo in the past. He's an older college performer with a bunch of 45 to 55 grade tools. Gallagher is a likely day 3 pick but I could also see a return to UConn for a 4th season.
-Brian Recca