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 last of three sets of notes from that event, with this one covering the Padres (Georgia) and Athletics (Mid-Atlantic) squads that competed all week at the Hoover Met. Enjoy!
Padres
RHP Luke McNeillie, Milton HS (GA), 2023
Committed to Florida
Performance: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 K, 82% Strikes
Luke McNeillie put together a very polished performance on Day 3 of East Coast Pro, throwing a higher percentage of strikes than any other pitcher participating in the event. His fastball sat 90-93 MPH, touching 94 with good spin and bat missing carry up the zone. Off that fastball, the go to secondaries were a low spin changeup at 83-84 that flashed plus dive, and a big 12-6 low 70s curveball that lacked sharpness at times. Late in the outing he flashed a slider at 79 with good spin and sharp vertical break--which could be his signature breaker down the line. As you might expect from someone throwing four times as many strikes as balls, McNeillie’s command and mechanics were sublime. His arm is quick and clean, and the delivery requires little effort to get to his velo. Possessing a high level combination of stuff, projection and polish will get plenty of area scouts to head up highway 19 this Spring for further evaluation of the Florida Gator commit.
CF Drew Burress, Houston County HS (GA), 2023
Committed to Georgia Tech
Performance: 3-10, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 K
Drew Burress really was able to show off his offensive potential at East Coast Pro, finding the barrel often and rarely getting beat with any particular pitch. He was able to match plane with both low and high fastballs, and drilled mistakes over the middle. The diminutive Georgia Tech commit possesses loads of bat speed and is more than physical enough for high level pitching, and translates his plus speed into runs on the basepaths and outs in center field--where his strong arm is also a weapon. With that loud overall toolset and plenty of hitterish traits, Burress will be one of top bats on follow lists in the state of Georgia this Spring.
SS Antonio Anderson, North Atlanta HS (GA), 2023
Committed to Georgia Tech
Performance: 4-11, 2 2B, 1 K
Antonio Anderson put the ball in play a lot for the Padres, showing an ability to take what the pitcher was giving him when he was behind in counts. The switch hitting shortstop from North Atlanta had a somewhat aggressive approach, hunting fastballs early in the count. His twitch and bat speed played into his favor often, showing an ability to adjust to a gamut of pitches and their locations and make solid contact from both sides of the plate. On defense, Anderson looked really strong when he got his opportunities at shortstop--demonstrating smooth actions, a strong arm and playmaking ability. Long seen as a top bat in the Southeast, Anderson’s sweet ambidextrous swing and athleticism will make him an appealing target on Day 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft.
3B Colin Houck, Parkview HS (GA), 2023
Committed to Mississippi State
Performance: 5-9, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 K
Colin Houck might have been the hitter that increased his stock the most at East Coast Pro, catching the barrel at least once in each of the three games he played. The Mississippi State baseball commit barrelled up velocity all week long, and even showed an ability to hit pitcher’s pitches in two strike counts. Houck is able to go to all fields with power, and is starting to hit with more consistency as the summer moves along. The level of athletic ability Houck possesses is well documented--literally. He has received offers from a litany of Power 5 programs as a high school quarterback, and his quick twitch and arm talent from the QB world plays very well at third base. Parkview HS has produced two first round talents--Jeff Francoeur and Matt Olson--straight from Lilburn. If Houck continues to show signs of a maturing hit tool, he might be the third.
Athletics
LHP Tucker Holland, The Burlington School (NC), 2023
Committed to Arkansas
Performance: 3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 5 K, 65% Strikes
Tucker Holland’s outing on Day 1 wasn’t perfect by any stretch, but he demonstrated strong mechanics, poise, and a good four pitch mix in his three innings of work. His fastball sat 89-94 MPH with good carry-- provided in large part by a high 3Q armslot that really allows him to backspin the ball. He was able to get some whiffs with that and a 79-81 MPH slider with good tilty action. Rounding out his arsenal is a firm 81 MPH change that shows promise and a sharp downer curveball at 76 MPH. The large lefty possesses physicality in spades, and was able to work around some traffic in the 2nd by composing himself and trusting his stuff. There wasn’t any one particularly loud aspect of Holland’s game, but he’s a big bodied left hander that gets up to 94 and controls his body well throughout a clean operation. That combo of upside and polish will make him a top follow in the Mid-Atlantic this Spring.
RHP Bryce Eldridge, James Madison HS (VA), 2023
Committed to Alabama
Pitching Performance: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 K, 71% Strikes
Hitting Performance: 2-10, 1 3B, 1 K
Bryce Eldridge stood out as the top two way prospect of the East Coast Pro event, overpowering hitters on the mound while sitting back patiently and shooting balls across the yard in the batter’s box. Eldridge is more likely to warrant consideration as a pitcher in this draft cycle, so let’s focus on the pitcher here. Eldridge’s fastball sat in the low 90s, touching 95 with good armside run, and was complimented with a low 80s slider that flashed plus bite. Of note was the introduction of a third pitch, a mid 80s changeup with low spin and flashed above average dive. The Alabama commit operates with a noticeable head whack, but has an otherwise clean operation and teems with projection on a lean 6’7” frame. Put all the pieces together, and you have a potential Day 1 arm in the 2023 draft--one that could even eclipse 2021 second rounder James Triantos as the highest selection out of Northern Virginia’s James Madison HS.
RHP Chance Mako, East Rowan HS (NC), 2023
Committed to North Carolina State
Performance: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 K, 64% Strikes
Chance Mako put in a good two innings of work on Day 3, showing quality stuff that projects well with his wiry 6’5” frame. The North Carolina righty sat 91-94 with a lively fastball that features good armside run and location, with a slider at 79-80 MPH that has good vertical depth and advanced feel for spin. The final compliment to this arsenal is an 85 MPH changeup that flashed fall-off-the-table late depth--a pitch that could be a real weapon with further refinement. Mako worked to find his spots early, and while he did have some trouble putting batters away, he did find places to elicit weak contact for outs. There’s some effort to the operation here, but the arm is clean and quick through a high 3Q armslot. It’s a very strong overall package for the Wolfpack commit, who will be heavily scouted in the Spring and could work his way into Day 1 consideration.
OF Justin Best, Combine Academy (NC), 2023
Committed to Florida State
Performance: 4-8, 1 2B, 1 K
Justin Best blended together high level athleticism, physicality and bat to ball skills for a very productive week at East Coast Pro. Best has an aggressive approach at the plate, but has very quick hands that allow him to cover the entirety of the plate and put the ball in play. This also allows him to be very quick to the ball, with the upper body strength and bat speed to drive his pitch. Defensively, there’s above average speed that covers center field at present, but as the body matures a corner spot makes more and more sense. Long a presence on national lists for the 2023 class, Best’s swing from the left side is a difference maker that could find his price point met on Draft day--even if evaluators peg him in right field long term.
OF Alfonsin Rosario, P27 Academy (SC), 2023
Committed to Chipola JC (FL)
Performance: 4-14, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 K
Alfonsin Rosario didn’t make the most contact, but the contact he did make was very loud--racking up multiple batted balls in excess of 100 MPH. Possessing a high level of physicality for his age, Rosario has a flat planed swing with loads of bat speed--which was used to great effect on fastballs and mistakes over the middle. There are some issues recognizing spin here, but plus power can cover some holes in your overall game. On defense, there’s good straight line speed, but a lack of burst makes right field a perfect long term home--especially considering the Chipola commit has been clocked at 101 MPH from the outfield. Most are considering this year a down year for the Palmetto State in terms of draft talent, but Rosario will attract plenty of looks throughout the Spring from evaluators in the Carolinas.
CF Jonny Farmelo, Westfield HS (VA), 2023
Committed to Virginia
Performance: 5-15, 2 2B, 4 K
Jonny Farmelo might have had the most playing time of anyone at East Coast Pro, and certainly took advantage of his extended opportunities. At the dish, Farmelo keeps his swing short with plenty of bat speed, and is capable of staying on balls away or turning on pitches inside. While there’s some swing and miss here, his ability to find the barrel and above average juice makes up for it in spades. Defensively, Farmelo is a true center fielder with great closing speed and good reads off the bat. In total, there’s legit five tool potential here with more polish for the highly athletic Virginia commit, which firmly plants him on the top of lists for Mid-Atlantic evaluators.
Thank you again to everyone involved with putting on East Coast Pro for not only putting on such a high level event—but for allowing me to cover it in such detail—and thank you to Adidas for their permission to use photos they took during the event in these Notebook pieces.
Photo Credit: Adidas