As a part of our coverage on the amateur side of Prospects Live, we have been attending many of the bigger events on the summer calendar to help build the early version of our 2023 Draft Board. The following notes are from some of those events, which in this instance includes the National Program Invitational at LakePoint, the Perfect Game 17U National Elite in Hoover, and the 2022 WWBA 17U National Championship at East Cobb.
RHP Francesco Capocci (Denmark (GA), 2023)
Dates Seen: 5/28
Capocci sat in the 89-92 range during PG’s Memorial Day Weekend Event in Atlanta, touching 93 with good carry at the top of zone. He mixed in a slider in the high 70s w/ solid shape and feel for spin, flashing a change towards the end of his outing. The enticing thing about the Tar Heel commit’s profile is his projection. Possessing a large lean frame, clean arm stroke, and evident athleticism in his delivery, command and stuff should come naturally as the 17 year old continues to grow--as a person and as a pitcher.
OF Andrew Wiggins (Heritage Christian (IN), 2023)
Dates Seen: 6/10, 6/11
Andrew Wiggins has really developed physically in 2022, and has put on quite the show in batting practices over the summer. More importantly, Wiggins has been finding that power in games--even when late he is capable of smacking the ball hard to the opposite field. A good athlete with average speed on a large, physically mature frame, Wiggins is still developing his feel for the barrel. If he starts getting on time more consistently and finds that barrel out in front, windows and windshields beyond the right field fence might start finding baseball-shaped holes.
OF Walker Jenkins (South Brunswick (NC), 2023)
Dates Seen: 6/11, 6/25
One of the top prospects on our 2023 board, Walker Jenkins has been reinforcing that claim throughout the month of June. A twitchy athlete in both center field and the batter’s box, Jenkins is consistently on time and can really drive the ball around the yard with his flat swing plane. In addition to the base knocks, he can really battle in bad counts and work his way back--drawing a fair share of walks as well as working to get his pitch.
RHP Aidan Keenan (Live Oak (CA), 2023)
Dates Seen: 6/11
Aidan Keenan got the ball for Alpha Prime on Day 3 of the National Program Invitational and produced one of the loudest innings of the entire tournament. The California right-hander sat 93-95 with good carry on his fastball, generating plenty of whiffs. Additionally, he mixed in a curveball at 77 with sharp break and high spin rates. Working with moderate effort, Keenan was able to stay on target and hit his spots in this short outing, and really flashed the immense promise he has as a top pitching prospect in the 2023 class.
MIF Carl Schmidt (Marin Catholic (CA), 2023)
Dates Seen: 6/11
Carl Schmidt gives you a fairly unique look in the batter’s box. He’s very upright in his stance, with the bat pointed straight up in the sky and a wide-open stance. But make no mistake, the kid can hit. Very quick wrists and a whippy bat help the Texas A&M commit find the barrel often, with in-game exit velocities in the high 90s--pretty impressive for a 2023 commit that’s a shade under six feet tall. Average foot speed and burst create some defensive questions, but Schmidt does have the hands, actions and arm to stick somewhere on the left side.
RHP Luke Brown (Middle Creek (NC), 2023)
Dates Seen: 6/25
Luke Brown got the ball for C35 Nationals on Saturday morning at PG National Elite, and cruised in his three innings of work. Possessing a Gumby-esque physique at 6’7”, the über lean right-hander worked in the upper 80s with his fastball--touching 90 early and generating good sink and armside run. Brown worked off his heater with a low 80s slider that flashed above average with tight biting shape, and a low 80s change with good feel and tumbling shape. Both secondaries got their share of whiffs, and command of all three offerings was sharp throughout--even with a long arm path and moderate effort.
RHP Heath Andrews (James River (NC), 2023)
Dates Seen: 6/25
Andrews has pitched well as summer long, and this look at PG National Elite was no exception. The tall righty possesses a pro frame and integrates his natural athleticism into his mechanics, with some effort to get to his velocity but maintains control of his body throughout his delivery. He sat 89-92 touching 93 and held that velocity up until the 5th inning, where he started to tire. It has good bat missing shape, pops the glove and was commanded well to spots. The main secondary was a 78-81 MPH slider with above average shape that flashed plus. Flashed a low 80s changeup with good arm side run second time through the order that got a few whiffs and showed above average potential.