Top 20 Breakdown
By: Austin Alexander-July 26, 2006
1-Demetrius Washington: 2007, Silver Bluff, OF/RHP, R/R, 6-0/186
Special athlete with speed and arm strength as pro tools; Ran a 6.53/60 and sported a well-above average college arm from the outfield; Swing works fine but swings and misses more than scouts would like to see; Great body resembles a shorter Eric Davis and reports are that his make-up is very good; Mid-upper 80’s on the mound with quality curveball as his second pitch, he is not as raw as you may think as a secondary pitcher. Definite prospect for professional scouts.
2-Scott Wingo: 2007, Mauldin, SS, L/R, 5-10/160
Plus defensive player with plus actions and steady hands in the middle remind some of a young Adam Everett; Arm strength is adequate to play shortstop in college, projects as a pro 2B if his bat proves solid enough; Runs well enough to be a legit high-level college infielder; Bat from the left-side has occasional pop but is a top of the order hitter in most line-ups; Plays with energy, his feet never stop moving and he makes the routine play look good with consistency.
3-Thomas Brittle: 2008, Berkeley, OF, L/L, 5-9/160
Two-sport player whose 60 time (6.97) was effected from football practice; Lenny Dykstra-type player and sparkplug; Approach at plate is like Ichiro Suzuki but still swings and misses too often, have gotten him 4.11 on a turn in the past. His running times are normally sub-4.0; Patient hitter who draws walks and has a knack for getting hit by pitches; Good base-runner with base-stealer’s mentality; Arm strength is solid enough to be considered a centerfield arm in pro ball; Has some pull-side juice in his bat when he gets the head out; Should be attract pro interest as a senior and will be a quality baseball player when he hangs up the shoulder pads and gets the needed reps between the lines.
4-Larry Perry: 2007, Fairfield Central, SS, R/R, 5-9/165
Came out of nowhere and quickly became the talk of the showcase; After running a 6.7, his performance in the defensive workout was note-worthy as well; Very good actions and solid arm project as a shortstop past high school; Pokey Reese body-type; Offensively he has some work to do with his choppy swing and is raw with the bat but showed he can make consistent contact; Perry should receive pro attention this spring.
5-Rob Harding: 2008, Spring Valley, 3B/RHP, R/R, 6-1/185
Harding has all the goods to be a quality college player; A high school shortstop, Harding’s solid build and speed will push him to the corner where he shows every indication he could be a plus third baseman; He has pop in his bat and shoots line drives to all three fields; Harding seldom swings and misses, once he begins lifting more balls he should settle into someone’s middle-of-the-order early in his college career; Also mid-upper 80’s from a low ¾ right-handed slot with lots of arm-side life; Two-pitch guy with hard slurve as second pitch and a closers mentality; Great make-up and big game player; Can be a two-way guy at the right school, projects more an everyday player though.
6-Daniel Walker: 2007, West Ashley, SS/RHP, R/R, 6-1/165
Walker improved his stock vastly at the showcase by running a 6.72/60 and by flashing very good actions/arm strength during the defensive workout; Walker looks the part in the uniform too, maybe like a Nomar Garciaparra? His round of BP didn’t hurt him either shooting the gaps with regularity and squaring every ball; On the mound Walker was 81-83 with a breaking ball that ranged from 68-71 occasionally showing some bite; A very good athlete with some background on the mound but there are not a ton of 6.7 runners out there, expect to see Walker make his impact in the infield.
7-Alex Burrell: 2007, Landrum, LHP, R/L, 6-0/190
Burrell has already committed to USC and looked real comfortable already on his future mound rolling through his four hitters with a fastball at the 82-84 mark and the showcase’s best breaking ball; The reigning two-time 1A Player of the Year could see innings in a number of roles if he makes a velocity jump, if not he could be a quality left-handed arm in critical late-inning situations for the Gamecocks. Burrell has plus make-up and stands to be the valedictorian at Landrum next spring.
8-Anthony Markham: 2007, Summerville, RHP, R/R, 6-3/170
Markham is my choice as the best guy out there nobody knows about; He regularly sits at 85-88 with a filthy change-up that he throws in fastball counts; He hits the mitt with his fastball and change as his best two pitches; Third pitch is solid but needs more consistency to be labeled an out-pitch, at the showcase, however, he showed one with good spin and depth; Delivery is clean and his arm action works; He has a feel for controlling the running game too; Markham has made great strides in the past couple of months, if he makes another jump, he’ll end up demanding pro attention. This kid has very good make-up and projects on the mound.
9-Cornelius Wadsworth: 2007, Mid-Carolina, OF, L/L, 5-9/170
Good runner (6.82) with arm strength and energy; Have gotten him at 6.7 at a previous showcase; Has already committed to Spartanburg Methodist which won’t hurt his chances of driving attention his way as a draft-and-follow; Raw athlete with work to do in the left-handed batter’s box but does have occasional pop.
10-Marty Gantt: 2008, North Augusta, LHP/OF, S/L, 5-10/155
Baseball rat as a position player but long-range future will probably push him to the bump; Mid-80’s fastball from the left-side with an out-pitch slider (74-77) that he throws consistently in the zone; Delivery, stuff and competitive nature remind me of Jason Dawsey; Hard-nosed between the lines as a switch-hitting outfielder; Make-up and instincts on the baseball field are very good; Should make someone a very good college player.
11-David Haselden: 2008, Spartanburg, RHP, R/R, 6-3/225
Quality right-handed arm with sturdy frame reminiscent of Kevin Millwood; Very good feel for three pitches and is aggressive in the bottom of the zone with each; Low-effort delivery; Fastball sits at 83-85 from a mid ¾ slot and average movement; Breaking ball comes in at 70-72 with good downward tilt and change-up may be a touch hard at 76-77 but throws it with good arm speed and has command of it; Very even-keeled with mound presence, acts like he’s done some time on the rubber. Could be more in there, a definite pitching prospect for a high-level college program.
12-Michael Dangerfield: 2008, Berkeley, SS, R/R, 5-10/155
Most likely the top defensive infielder in the 2008 class; Boosted stock at the showcase with his running times (6.84, 6.87); Makes the routine play with very steady hands and good feet that reduce bad hops; Arm strength is college-average right now but very accurate from a high release; With more use of entire field, Dangerfield has the potential to be a quality #2 hitter at the next level; Plays hard and has a base-stealer’s mentality; Baseball instincts will strengthen as his on-field IQ improves.
13-Sloan Gilliam: 2008, Dorman, INF, R/R, 6-1/170
Very steady and consistent performer with skills good enough to be serviceable at seven positions on the field; His versatility will make him a valuable commodity for the school that snags him; His bat is solid as well and handles situational hitting with maturity beyond his age; Makes the routine play with rigid, but sure, hands; Arm strength is college-adequate to work at each infield spot; Below average runner but very good base-runner with good instincts between the lines.
14-Clay Scott: 2007, Fairfield Central, SS, R/R, 5-8/130
Good runner (6.75, 6.85) with quickness and closing speed on balls put in play; Arm strength is slightly below average but hands seems to work fine and the kid possesses plenty of energy; Small body and raw swing make him a defense-first player but he shows every sign of a legit threat on the base paths; Scott’s size may become an issue but his speed will give him opportunities.
15-Austin Stuart: 2008, North Augusta, INF, R/R, 5-10/155
A dirtbag player who performs well in pressure situations, be it a big game or a showcase stage; Very sure-handed infielder with arm strength, projects as a plus second baseman past high school; Ran a 6.94/60; Handles the bat well and will develop into a very good #2-type hitter down the road; Has gap pop in his right-handed bat; Very good baseball instincts and plays hard everyday.
16-Jeff Caskey: 2008, Conway, SS, R/R, 6-1/165
A great day for Caskey made evaluator’s leave knowing his name; He showed plenty of pop in his bat with good bat-speed and a very good swing; Defensively he completely looks the part with feet that are always moving and good actions to match solid hands and arm strength. Caskey has made strides since the spring to lead me to think he has more in his body and bat; Caskey will be a fun ‘follow’ as a 2008 grad.
17-Mac Doyle: 2008, Conway, C, R/R, 6-1/175
A very athletic catcher who could probably move out from behind the dish and play multiple positions; A 6.9 runner with pop in his bat and a strong, accurate arm; He is a little stiff as a receiver and gets around the ball at contact; Blocks like a champ and is a tough kid; Shows every sign of a young catcher who will play well beyond high school, especially when he concentrates on baseball full-time.
18-Marc Rape: 2007, Lancaster, RHP, R/R, 6-1/170
Rape boosted his stock with coaches at the showcase with by cruising through four hitters with a sinking fastball in the mid-80’s and curveball that was very sharp, and in the zone, at 68-71; His third pitch was an above average change-up at 74-75 with some late life; Orel Hershiser frame lends itself to more strength and clean arm-action projects as well; Rape should command attention from college coaches this fall and spring.
19-Jeffrey Campbell: 2008, Boiling Springs, C, R/R, 5-10/165
Top-flight catcher with legit transfer, release and arm strength. His pop times (1.8-1.9) put him in a league higher than most quality college catchers; Solid receiver most of the time but occasional lapses cause him to chase more pitches than his skills should allow; Has some pop in his bat but awkward swing often gets him off-balance, that being said, he barrels up plenty of balls when it appears he is fooled on a pitch; Athleticism should allow him to play other positions.
20-Cash Collins: 2008, Barnwell, LHP, L/L, 5-11/155
Collins is a soft-tossing southpaw that knows how to pitch…he is that guy many college coaches overlook in the recruiting process but lose five games to every spring; Fastball has jumped to 80-82 but velocity is irrelevant for Collins. He relies heavily on command and a plus change-up that he throws in all counts; Curveball has below average break but is in the zone with regularity for hitters to keep in mind; Collins locates, competes, gets hitters out and wins.
Note: Evaluations based on showcase performance and previous viewings.
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