Fall JUCO Scout Blog

Wed October 24, 2018
Jared Carrier, Dan Jurik
Scouting Director / Scout

Despite a rain filled fall the PBR-NY staff was able to get a good look at nearly a 100 Junior College Sophomores from NY, NJ and Maryland programs with players hailing from several states, including international students. 

Let's take a look at who caught our eye:

PBR-NY WNY JUCO DAY (OCTOBER 21, 2018) 

Soph. INF/RHP Tanner Cooper (Finger Lakes CC, NY)
Put up impressive numbers across 2 showcases over the last week. 2-way prospect who has some versatility on defense. Might be best suited for corner-INF but shows enough athleticism and arm strength to handle playing in the middle of the diamond. Flashed 92 mph from the OF and runs well enough for LF/RF. At the plate, hits from a narrow, athletic set-up. Shifts weight into back hip as front foot hovers on forward stride. Compact swing with quick hands. Exit velo between 90-92 mph. On the mound, simple delivery with good direction. Compact arm action with high ¾ release. FB consistently sat 87-89 with heavy life. Showed peaks of 90 and 91. SL has tight spin and hard, late cut at 77-81. CH is 3rd offering with sinker type movement at 80-81.

Soph. RHP Jacob Dunn (Finger Lakes CC, NY)
Lean build with wide upper body. Clean arm action with ¾ release point and hand speed out front. Simple, low effort delivery. FB sat 80-84 and topped at 85. Could be more in the tank. Breaking ball shows tight spin at 73-76 with 11/5 shape.

Soph. LHP Alex Fetter (Finger Lakes CC, NY)
Proportional build with sturdy lower half. Drop and drive type of delivery. Keeps shoulders level while getting down the slope. Low ¾ release point with long, loose arm action. FB sits 80-84 with heavy, arm-side run. Tops at 85-86. Sweeping type breaking ball at 67-71. CH is 3rd offering at 72-75. Repeats throwing actions, keeps everything around the zone.

Soph. INF Andy Xapsos (Finger Lakes CC, NY)
Reliable infield defender with solid contact skills at the plate. Average defense actions with low ¾ arm slot. At the plate, front foot gets down early and times and causes barrel path to get steep. When on time, shows level, compact swing that produces line drive contact. Gap to gap type approach with feel for the barrel.

Soph. C Aaron Shoemaker (Finger Lakes CC, NY)
Athletic, projectable defensive actions at the catcher position. Sets-up in a balanced crouch and shows quick exchange on throws to 2B. Short, compact arm action with over the top release. Throws have consistent carry. Hits from a wide stance with feet square to pitcher. Stays inside of the ball but lets it get too deep on him at times. Projects to hit for more power with additional strength.

Soph. INF/C Anthony May (Monroe CC, NY)
Durable, athletic frame with strength throughout. Hits with noticeable quickness in wrists/hands. Put up 92 mph exit velo. Powerful, compact hitting actions. On defense, profiles best to 2B if he stays in the infield. Average actions with plenty of arm strength. Working at catcher for the first time but already shows promise. Strong glove hand when receiving and quick exchange skills. Pop times ranged between 1.98-2.10.

Soph. OF Logan Martella-Tasick (Monroe CC, NY)
Athletic looking outfielder with intriguing tools. Wide, projectable frame at 6-foot-4. Ran a 7.02 in the 60 yard dash. 76 mph arm strength from the OF. Exit velocity topped at 84. Solid combination of size, speed and offensive potential.

Soph. INF Sam Loew (Monroe CC, NY)
Strong armed infielder with an athletic frame. Profiles best to a corner INF spot with above average arm strength at 86 mph. Shows the ability to generate hard contact with a simple, compact swing. Occasionally gets out on his front foot too early but has the athleticism to adjust and be on time. Intriguing athlete to follow this spring.

Soph. OF/LHP Dakota Deasy (Jefferson CC, NY)
Wide, projectable frame with a lanky build. Flashed solid tools as a position player with an 82 mph arm from the OF and 82 mph exit velo. Additional strength will help improve upon those numbers. On the mound, pitched 77-80 with his FB. Shows some armside run on the offering. Paired it with a CB at 65-66.

PBR-NY ENY JUCO DAY (OCTOBER 20, 2018) 

Soph. C Brandon Maravi (Sullivan CC, NY)
Compact 5-foot-7 195 pound frame; repeatable short stroke with hard contact to his pull side. Line drives with occasional lift. Clean exchange, footwork behind the dish with on-the-bag accuracy. Best pop time was 2.0 but was consistent in that range; 75 MPH arm strength.

Soph C/RHP Jean Paul Compres (Sullivan CC, NY)
Intriguing player who showed plus arm strength behind the dish at 81 MPH with a 1.96 peak pop time. Full frame at 6-foot-1 190 pounds; flat swing path with a significant leg kick for timing. Hopped on the mound and sat predomitaley 87-88, touching one off at 89 MPH. Showed a slurve/slider in the low to mid 70’s with tight rotation. Potential swing and miss pitch. Could see a 4 yr program taking a flyer on him on the mound.

Soph 3B/1B Pedro Abreu (Sullivan CC, NY)
Balanced approach form the right side; peppered the left center gap but show some strength to right center as well. Nothing flashy defensively; comfortable at both corner positions. Steady all-around player.

Soph. LHP James Rubino (Hudson Valley CC, NY)
High end pitchability working in the 83-85 MPH range; can spin it to both sides of the plate. Slight hook in the arm action but the arm works and repeats the delivery. A velocity uptick could open more doors for him at the four year level with the ability to fill several roles.

Soph RHP Zachary Vavasour (Adirondack CC, NY)
Commanded extremely well with a easy effort, repeatable delivery. Pounds the edges and the bottom of the zone with the FB and showed a late action breaker. Sits 83-84 MPH but it plays better with the east that it comes out and his placement. Certainly a player to keep a close eye on come spring.

Soph MIF Daniel Rodriguez (Sullivan CC, NY)
Scrappy defender who showed a line-to-line approach with a steady glove up the middle. Spun the double play well from both sides of the bag. Profiles best as a 2B with a table setter type approach at the 4yr level.

Soph 1B Evan Geisler (Bergen CC, NJ)
Sturdy at 6-foot-4 205; Explosive to both gaps; quiet setup with slight leg kick and take back. Present juice is there. Slimmed down, more muscular build with some fast twitch action within the swing.

Soph 1B Ryan Weiss (Rockland CC, NY)
Solid 6-foot-4 230 pound switch hitter who showed easy efforts from both sides of the plate with future power potential (96 MPH exit velo). Slick defender, agile around the bag; left-handed thrower who altered angles and releases to the plate and to start the 3-6-3 double plays.

Soph RHP/OF Nathaniel Byrd (Bergen CC, NJ)
Workman like approach on the mound in the 83-84 range (did touch 87 MPH). Works downhill from an elevated arm slot. Old-fashioned 12-6 CB with nerely a 20 MPH separation; did show a slider as well. Plenty of untapped ability yet and could easily see him continuing to develop on the bump at the right program.

Soph RHP Robert Fratarcangeli (Dutchess CC, NY)
Quick arm; FB works 83-84 MPH with more to come. 2S FB showed arm side action which he compliments with a late action slider that showed some teeth at 73-74 MPH. Change up featured some down action at 77-78 MPH. Around the zone with all three offerings.

Soph OF Jacob Hall (CC of Morris, NJ)
Big time power bat frame at 6-foot-3 225 pounds. Flashed some arm strength in the OF at 86 MPH with a quick whip action arm. Above average bat speed with some explosiveness through the zone (96 MPH exit velo); ball jumped off the bat during BP. Corner OF projection as a 7.05 runner.

Soph C/OF Michael Santoro (Dutchess CC, NY)
Another intriguing backstop that also showed some athleticism in the OF (7.00 60, 80 MPH arm). Maintained  his arm strength to behind the plate, also peaking at 80 MPH with a 1.91-2.03 pop time range. Simple line drive stroke that works through the middle of the field. Strong 5-foot-10 175 pound frame.

Soph 3B William Ramirez (Sullivan CC, NY)
Launched several balls in BP showing a quick, reactive swing into the zone with some late lift. Adequate with the glove and showed enough arm (83 MPH but held carry) for the left side. Player worth following over the course of the spring. Full 6-foot-2 235 pound build but with some athleticism.

 


UPSTATE JUCO INVITE (OCTOBER 14, 2018)

Soph. C/3B/RHP Joe Barberio (Niagara CC, NY)
Athletic 2-way prospect. Shows clean, projectable actions behind the dish with advanced catch and throw skills. Also showcased at 3B with average actions. Hits with a balanced, relaxed approach. Showed a fluid, compact swing with low effort hitting actions. On the mound, FB ranged 84-87 and topped at 88. Paired FB with a tight SL that’s above average at its best. Quick, compact arm action with projection left.

Soph. 1B Vincent Chiarenza (Niagara CC, NY) - Canisius Commit
Lean, muscular build with a wide frame. Light on his feet with good agility at 1B. Wide, relaxed stance in the box. Showed above average raw power that plays to all fields during BP. Noticeable strength in hands/wrists at point of contact.

Soph RHP Gunner Becker (Niagara CC, NY)
Power arm who ran his FB up to 88 and sat 86-87. Also flashed a hard, late biting SL/Cutter at 78-81 that tunnels well with his FB. CH is 3rd best offering at 76-77. Athletic delivery that has some effort at release. Arm action has length but it’s quick, loose and will likely flash some added velo this spring.

Soph. C Will Lawrence (Niagara CC, NY)
6-foot-3, 185-pounds with an athletic frame and room for more strength. Clean actions behind the plate with short arm action. Hits from a wide, balanced stance in the box. Loose, compact swing with a high finish.

Soph. LHP Vladimir Baez (Niagara CC, NY)
Lean frame with projectable build at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds. Simple, repeatable delivery with consistent direction towards target. Short, quick arm action with impressive hand speed at release. FB peaked at 89 and ranged mostly between 86-88 and consistently found the bottom of the zone. SL and CH were a bit inconsistent on a cold, wet morning but they project to be at least average. Expect Baez to put up impressive numbers this season.

Soph. UTIL Kyle LaPlante (Niagara CC, NY)
Athletic, proportional build at 6-foot-3, 195-pounds. Looks best suited to end up in a corner spot, either in the OF or INF. Flashed average actions at both. Offensively has a smooth, compact swing with above average bat speed. Registered 94 mph exit velo. Stays tall throughout swing and generates easy leverage with his size. Projects to hit for more power with additional strength.

Soph. INF Manny Montes (Niagara CC, NY)
Intriguing INF prospect with a balanced combination of tools. Defends with active feet and a high motor. Shows clean actions that should allow him to stay in the middle of the diamond. Compact, level swing at the plate. Works the middle of the field and keeps hands inside of the ball.

Soph. LHP Tyler Brill (Niagara CC, NY)
Average build at 5-foot-11, 190-pounds with some present strength. Max effort delivery with considerable head-jerk at release. FB sat 83-85 and flashed heavy life when down in the zone. Struggled commanding CB and CH but there’s enough arm strength to attract potential suitors this spring.

Soph. RHP Dillon Boyack (Niagara CC, NY)
Lean, projectable frame at 6-foot-2, 175-pounds. Smooth, low effort delivery with repeatable actions. Clean, fluid arm action from ¾ slot. Commanded FB at 81-84 to both sides of the plate. Showed impressive feel for both his SL and CH.

Soph. RHP Colin Noeth (Genesee CC, NY)
Extra large frame with an athletic build at 6-foot-7, 215-pounds. Passes the eye test right away. Arm action starts long on the backside then gets quick/compact before release. Creates tough downward angle on FB at 81-83. CB needs refinement but should be at least average. Considerable projection left.

Soph. RHP Tyler Prospero (Genesee CC, NY)
Athletic, muscular build at 6-foot-2, 215-pounds. Competitive demeanor on the mound. Long, loose arm action. Aggressive finish. Throws everything with conviction. FB sat 85-86 and topped at 87 showing good tilt when down in the zone. CB ranged 72-77 and projects to be an average offering with improved command.

Soph. 1B/3B Bryant Fontanez (Genesee CC, NY)
Proportional build with strength in frame. Showcased at 1B and 3B with defensive actions to stick at either spot. Generated consistent hard contact during BP with quality feel for the barrel. 91 mph on exit velo so there’s some bat speed there as well. Gap to gap approach.

Soph. C Briann Castillo (Genesee CC, NY)
5-foot-8, 195-pounds with strong, proportional frame. Quick, athletic actions behind the plate. Gets out of crouch quickly and shows short arm action from over the top release point. At the plate, level swing with quick wrists. Hands stay loose and snap barrel thru zone with low effort. Stays balanced throughout.

Soph. UTIL/RHP Jakob MacLeod (Genesee CC, NY)
Well-rounded prospect who did a little bit of everything. No true standout tools but offers plenty of versatility. Average defensive actions that work in corner OF or the infield. At the plate, uses a simple, contact approach with loose hands. On the mound, kept FB in the zone at 79-83 and mixed in average CB and CH. Quality 3 pitch mix.

Soph. UTIL Shannon Folkes (Genesee CC, NY)
Versatile athlete on defense. Profiles best to the OF but is a serviceable INF defender if needed. Balanced, athletic stance at the plate. Consistent rhythm/tempo in swing. Quick, loose hands with feel for the barrel. Showed adjustability in swing during BP. All around solid ball player.

Soph. OF Junior King (Genesee CC, NY)
Huge frame at 6-foot-4, 230-pounds with large, muscular build. Raw baseball actions both on defense and at the plate but the overall size/strength is tough to overlook. Bat path gets steep at times but when he connects the ball goes far. Had a event best 95 mph exit velo.

Soph. INF Victor Torres (Corning CC, NY)
Proportional, athletic frame at 5-foot-10, 165-pounds. Agile defender at short with fluid actions. Maintains body control while moving laterally and flashed a quick first step. Short, quick arm action. At the plate, remains balanced throughout swing. Consistently found barrel and sprayed hard contact during BP. Compact swing that generates easy bat speed.

Soph. OF Alex Whipple (Erie CC, NY)
Strong, stocky build at 6-foot, 195-pounds. Above average runner in the OF. Over the top release point on arm action. At the plate, shows natural lift in swing from the left side. Stays balanced with strong lower half. Noticeable quickness in wrists. Hits against a firm front side.

Soph. 3B/RHP Anthony Hernandez (Erie CC, NY)
Developed frame at 6-foot, 195 pounds. Average defensive actions at 3B. Stays balanced while fielding. Simple hitting actions with level swing at the plate. Stays inside the ball. Showed mostly gap to gap contact. On the mound, showed feel for a 3-pitch mix. FB sat 79-81 with command down in the zone.

Soph. RHP Joel Ciccarelli (Erie CC, NY)
Big bodied pitcher at 6-foot-2, 255-pounds. Stocky lower half. Balanced leg lift. Stays tall on backside while getting into stride. High, over the top release point. FB shows heavy life at 83-87. Sinker type of action to the offering. CH played well off of FB at 72-75. Had tough time commanding breaking ball on this particular showing.

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