During the first week of August, I headed west on I-20 to cover the East Coast Pro Showcase in Hoover, Alabama. The following is the first of three sets of notes from that event, with this one covering the Pirates (Midwest) and Dodgers (Northeast) squads that competed all week at the Hoover Met. Let’s get into it!
Pirates
LHP Colton Hartman, Lebanon HS (OH), 2023
Committed to Louisville
Performance: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 K, 59% Strikes
Colton Hartman really caused fits with his four seam fastball in three innings of work on Day 1. He sat 92 to 95 throughout the outing, with the four seam generating easy plus carry and racking up a ton of whiffs when he was able to locate at or above the letters. In addition, he mixed in a two seam with some armside life. The main secondary offering was a high 70s curveball with sharp two plane shape. It got whiffs when Hartman was able to locate down in the zone off his heater, and showed potential as an out pitch with improved ability to finish. A firm change in the mid 80s rounded out his arsenal, with development potential based on how well he can spin his fastballs. Hartman’s delivery is a bit high maintenance, with a high overhead armslot and back bend that creates tough vertical angles but also some violence and issues repeating his delivery. With that said, there’s also evident athleticism in how he moves that should help reduce that stress and improve his repeatability with time.
RHP Zander Mueth, Belleville East HS (IL), 2023
Committed to Ole Miss
Performance: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 6 K, 63% Strikes
Mueth came into East Coast Pro and delivered three really strong innings of work vs. the Athletics. The righty from Illinois sat 94 to 96 with demon sink on his two seamer, showing off the high level arm speed that’s made him a fixture at the top of the 2023 prep pitching class. His changeup was mixed in at 86 MPH and flashed really tight late drop, but of particular note was his mid 80s slider that regained spin that had been lacking at previous events this summer. It showed strong sweep and finished under barrels. The arm length and awkward angles in Mueth’s delivery will still manifest in inconsistent strike throwing, but the athleticism, arm talent and projection are still top notch--with the potential for three plus pitches still very much on the table.
RHP Cameron Tilly, Castle HS (IN), 2023
Committed to Auburn
Performance: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 K, 60% Strikes
Cameron Tilly piggybacked off of Zander Mueth on Day 3, delivering three strong innings of his own and demonstrating some of the best pure stuff of the week. The Auburn commit used a four seamer that sat 89-93 MPH and touched 94, with very good spin rates and good carrying shape at the top of the zone. The primary offering off the heater was a high spin slider at 78-82 MPH, that flashed devastating two plane break when Tilly was able to locate it below the belt line. Rounding out the arsenal was a splitter at 81-85 MPH with above average slicing action and very advanced feel for killing spin. The Indiana prepster releases from a high 3Q slot and uses a big leg kick and with some elements of deception via an arm drop that obscures the ball on his back hip. The length of his arm did cause some issues hitting spots, but the quality and magnitude to which Tilly spun his breaking ball, fastball and splitter shone through--highlighting his big upside in the 2023 prep pitching class.
CF Parker Picot, Rochester Adams (MI), 2023
Committed to Alabama
Performance: 3-11, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 K
Parker Picot put together good at bats and a multitude of hard hit balls at East Coast Pro for the Pirates. The Alabama commit possesses fluid and quick hands that help get his bat through the zone quickly, while also providing the cushion to make adjustments to secondaries and get his barrel to a gamut of pitched balls in the zone. The swing is short but Picot rotates his upper body well, allowing him to get to pull side power that plays in game. Defensively, Picot handled his opportunities with ease, while also demonstrating plus speed and good burst in his workouts on Day 1. In total, it’s a well rounded toolset that projects well in center field, with offensive upside due to demonstrated hitterish traits and power potential.
Dodgers
LHP Thomas White, Phillips Academy (MA), 2023
Committed to Vanderbilt
Performance: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 6 K, 69% Strikes
Thomas White got the ball for the Dodgers as Day 1 turned into Night 1, logging three scoreless frames. All the stuff of the large and lean lefty was present as advertised, with a heavily used four seam fastball at 94-97 MPH leading the charge. The heater features high spin and showed very good carry, eating at the top of the zone throughout the outing. Mixed in foremost was a curveball at 79-81 that White snapped off with plus two plane break, and a changeup at 82-84 was shown later with nascent feel and firm shape--but flashed above average potential. Mechanically, White works with some effort but maintains control of his body. Of particular note is a long, swinging gate arm action that’s late in relation to his lower half. As such, there were some struggles locating the fastball, though the body and caliber of stuff from the left side was very evident from this highly touted 2023 class standout.
RHP Josh Knoth, Patchogue-Medford HS (NY), 2023
Committed to College of Charleston
Performance: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, 70% Strikes
Josh Knoth’s appearance was brief, but showcased the gas and premier breaking ball that the righty from Long Island has become known for. He sat 92-94 with his fastball that has good spin rates but is cut quite a bit, limiting it to average carry that can get whiffs up when he locates and sequences well. The main event is the slider at 82-84 MPH with huge spin rates (nearly all were in excess of 3000 RPMs) and double plus vertical and horizontal break. The College of Charleston commit shows definite athleticism and very good arm speed, but there are questions about how his size impacts his effort and if it will allow him to start long term. With that said, it never hurts to possess a truly elite in your arsenal, and there are definite landing spots for Knoth that aren’t turned off by his smaller stature. As such, he remains a top prep pitching target in the 2023 draft, and will be a highly scouted name in the Northeast.
LHP Justin LeGuernic, Dix Hills HS (NY), 2023Committed to Clemson
Performance: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 K, 59% Strikes
Justin LeGuernic put together a good outing on Day 2 vs. the Giants, showcasing his present physicality and a good three pitch arsenal from the left side. The fastball of choice was a two seamer that sat 91-93 MPH through three innings of work, with above average sink that flashed plus potential as the big southpaw grows into his ability to harness that level of movement. LeGuernic used an 87-88 MPH changeup vs right handers that mimicked his two seam shape well, while also dropping off the fastball plane late. The cambio is advanced and has plus potential down the road. Against lefties, a gyro slider at 79-81 was worked on the outer third away, with solid spin and good vertical break. There were misses early, as LeGuernic is still refining his long limbed delivery from the far right side of the rubber, yet there’s good components with how well he moves downmound and maintains his loose, quick arm. There’s a lot of checkboxes that the Clemson commit ticks off, and he will be a high follow in the Northeast region this Spring.
LHP Alexander Clemmey, Bishop Hendricken HS (RI), 2023
Committed to Vanderbilt
Performance: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 K, 66% Strikes
Alexander Clemmey got the ball on Day 4, and delivered two scoreless frames vs. the Athletics on get-away day. Regular readers of our draft coverage will know this is the second time I’ve seen the lanky Rhode Island lefty this summer, and the stuff certainly didn’t differ from that particular outing at the WWBA 17U National Championships. The four seam fastball sat at 93-95 with big spin rates and good carrying life, and the slider was snappy at 79-82 MPH with plus vertical break. The high effort and herky jerk with Clemmey’s long limbs led to some inherent battles with location up and down, but even with his share of misses the raw stuff got whiffs and was hard to barrel up in the zone. The magnitude of strikes and reduction of effort will be closely monitored this Spring; balancing that progress against the presence of Day 1 stuff will likely determine if the Bishop Hendricken ace is met at his price point come next July.
SS Sammy Stafura, Walter Panas HS (NY), 2023
Committed to Clemson
Performance: 3-9, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 K
Sammy Stafura handled himself quite well in all facets of the game at East Coast Pro, quickly proving to be a very tough out with defensive chops up the middle. At the plate, the physicality and quickness to the ball stands out in Stafura’s swing, with some impact to his gap to gap approach. The power may not grow to be anything more than average, but the contact skills and approach are very good for a prep bat, giving this Clemson commit a high offensive floor. Stafura showcases plus speed on the basepaths, and demonstrated good range up the middle with arm utility and strength. The combination of athleticism, a burgeoning hit tool and shortstop tools that Stafura provides will ensure that scouts will visit the Hudson Valley with regularity to check in on him.
SS Kevin McGonigle, Monsignor Bonner HS (NY), 2023Committed to Auburn
Performance: 2-12, 1 2B, 3 K
Kevin McGonigle showed off his glove and advanced hit traits at East Coast Pro, even it didn’t show up in the boxscore. Possessing some of the best bat speed in the class, McGonigle was able to show his ability to meet velocity with his powerful compact swing, as well as adjusting to secondaries on the outer half and taking what the pitcher gives him. There were issues handling high carrying fastballs from left handers, but given an otherwise strong ability to make contact and his sterling summer track record, it appears to be a blip on the radar. Defensively, McGonigle is a rangy defender up the middle with a good first step, strong arm, athletic actions and soft hands. Overall, even with some struggles offensively, the Auburn commit showcased impact ability on both sides of the ball at East Coast Pro and remains a first round talent.
Photo Credit: Adidas