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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/25/2017

14u WWBA Days 1-2 Scout Notes

Jheremy Brown      Vincent Cervino     
Photo: Perfect Game
There’s a lot to like in the young shortstop Jordan Lawlar (2021, Irving, Texas) out of the Lone Star State as he offers present skill on both sides of the ball and projects very well moving forward, especially as he continues to fill out his square shouldered 6-foot, 140-pound frame. A true shortstop who shows actions to stick at the premium position for a long while, Lawlar controls his body very well for a player his age, showing quick footwork and soft hands out front at the ball. He also shows the arm strength on his throws both in game, and in between innings, to play on the left side of the infield.

Lawlar brings more to the table than just his defensive skill as he’s a quality righthanded bat who hits in the middle of the Dallas Tiger Polk lineup. Though he’s not overly physical, Lawlar’s ability to put the barrel on ball is evident and something he’s done regularly over his first two games of the tournament. With quick hands and a direct path Lawlar is already able to impact the ball to his pull side, an area of his game that’ll only continue to develop as he adds physicality. He’s also put his speed on display, twice around the first base bag around 4.5 seconds while showing average straight-line speed with a 4.28 and 4.30 down the line, putting pressure on the defense.

Tyler Collins (2021, McKinney, Texas) brings a speed component to the top of the Dallas Tigers lineup and it’s one that he’s able to use on a regular basis, whether down the line, on the bases, or out in centerfield where he can cover plenty of ground. A lefthanded hitter, Collins shows a short and direct, yet powerful, swing and he’s able to drive the ball despite his listed 5-foot-10, 150-pound build, including to the opposite field. Given his speed, lefthanded swing, and center field profile, Collins is a name to remember as the 2021 class continues to move forward.

Brady House (2021, Winder, Ga.) is currently ranked No. 12 in the most recent class of 2021 player rankings, and though it’s mostly on the strength of his bat and play at shortstop, he’s proven to be a legitimate two-way prospect. Recently up to 87 mph with his heater, House got the start to open the tournament for Team Elite and worked very comfortably in the 80-84 mph range, working from a loose and extended three-quarters slot. Thanks to the release, House was able to generate consistent running life down in the zone with some sinking action and in part led to three no-hit innings on the mound. There’s more velocity on its way, undoubtedly, and he already shows comfort in throwing his low-70s changeup for strikes, replicating his arm action and release very well for a pitcher his age. House has already established himself as a top-flight bat in the class and will get plenty of looks throughout this tournament with the bat.

Carter Frederick (2020, Chelsea, Ala.) is a primary righthanded pitcher who made the most of his pinch-hit opportunity in Team Elite’s first game of the tournament. At 6-foot-3, 185-pounds Frederick certainly stands out on the field and he made sure of that with a single swing as he power a ball over the left-center field fence for a no-doubter, registering 93 mph off the barrel. He followed the homer by jumping on the mound where he ran his fastball up to 86 mph early on and sat within the 82-85 mph range, showing a very quick right arm and big extension down the mound. He wasn’t always on top of the ball but when he was, the uncommitted righthander was able to generate sinking life, both out of the windup and stretch.

Speaking of physicality, Jeffery Waters (2021, Mableton, Ga.) impresses for his 5-foot-11, 188-pound, present ability, and long term projection in terms of his skills. With a high waist and longer limbs Waters connected for one of the more impressive base hits of the tournament as he got his arms extended and drove the ball deep off the right-center field wall (opposite field for the righthanded hitter) as hit traveled 378 feet and registered 91 mph off the barrel per TrackMan. The combination of hand quickness, bat speed, and physical strength are more than interesting and certainly garner another look.

D.J. Radtke (2021, Marietta, Ga.) got the start for the Georgia Roadrunners against the Dallas Tigers on day two and he’s continued to take steps forward since my last viewing in the Freshman WWBA back in October. Now listed at a long and lean 6-foot-3, 185-pounds, Radtke ran his fastball as high as 84 mph on the day and lived within the 79-83 mph range early in the contest. Given his length on the mound, Radtke works exclusively out of the stretch which helps keep things simpler in terms of mechanics while showing a full and loose arm action. When he was on top of the ball and releasing it out front the Georgia native was able to generate some sinking life while showing quickness to his arm stroke. Radtke also did a nice job of maintaining the tempo of his delivery on both secondary pitcher, a curveball in the mid-60s and a low-70s changeup he flashed as well.

It was a quick look at Gavin Kash (2021, Sour Lake, Texas), the lefthanded hitting first baseman in the middle of the South Texas Bandito’s lineup, but it was also an impressionable one. Physically impressive at a believable 6-foot-2, 175-pounds, Kash shows an easy stroke with plenty of balance and already displays the ability to impact a baseball with a wooden bat. One example of this came in game one where he ripped a line drive single which registered 89 mph off the barrel. He’s an intriguing offensive threat who will certainly be checked in on again this tournament.

The first thing you notice about Khristian Curtis (2020, Groves, Texas) as he took the mound for the Gladiator Baseball club Saturday afternoon is just how long and projectable he is as he’s listed at 6-foot-3, 155-pounds which is certainly believable. You then immediately notice his ability to repeat his delivery, something easier said than done for a pitcher of his age and size, which in turn speaks to his overall athleticism and body coordination. Using a loose and whip-like arm action Curtis worked comfortably in the 80-82 mph range early on, generating short running life to the pitch with exerting much effort at release. His upper and low halves stayed in sync well with one another throughout his delivery and when you take all the other factors into consideration, it’s only a matter of time until the velocity begins to climb for Curtis. He also flashed a short 11-5 shape curveball in the 63-65 mph range, a pitch he shows feel for and will continue to develop with maintained arm speed.

In a tournament full of projectable athletes and frame, righthander Lebarron Johnson (2020, Jacksonville, Fla) may rank among the most projectable given his long and loose, square shouldered 6-foot-1, 160-pound. Up to 84 mph once early on, Johnson lived in the low-80s and worked from an over-the-top slot while employing a full and loose arm stroke through the back side. While he still has things to smoothen out in terms of his delivery and consistency in his release point, there are a lot of ingredients to like as the fastball leaves his hand plenty clean and flashed cutting life to his glove side. Along with the fastball, Johnson also showed the ability to spin a solid curveball in the upper-60s while maintaining his arm slot and showing some depth to the bottom of the zone.

Jonathan Huff (2020, Plano, Texas) is a spark plug type player at the top of the Academy Select lineup and he brings that same energy with him to the premium position of shortstop. At 5-foot-5, 150-pounds Huff packs plenty of strength into his frame but also retains both quickness and looseness, two traits he showed on a single defensive play where he came charging in behind the mound and made an off balanced, but accurate, throw across the diamond while his momentum took him in the opposite direction. He also shows quickness with the bat and in his hands, staying short to the ball while generating extension out front at the point of contact.

Blaze Jordan (2021, Southhaven, Miss.) entered the tournament as the highest ranked player in attendance at No. 2 in the class of 2021 rankings and his presence on the field was certainly noticed as he drew a nice crowd of onlookers every time he took to the plate. It was my first time viewing the young Mississippi State commit and after a single swing it was clear that his bat is at a different level in regards to the 14u level of play.

There’s something to be said when a rising eighth grader makes noise with the bat at the prestigious WWBA World Championships, exactly what Jordan did last fall, as he held his own facing arms more than four years older. Physically built at 6-foot, 215-pounds, Jordan’s bat speed, hand strength, and overall approach might just be unrivaled in this tournament and he showed it in one particular at-bat. After working the count full, Jordan proceeded to foul off a handful of pitches, simply flicking them foul the other way, before turning on a fastball for a 331-foot home run with an eye opening 101 mph exit velocity; that’s with wooden bat. (To see the clip of his home run, follow this link to Jheremy Brown’s Twitter account.)

On top of the strength and hit tool, Jordan also took to the mound for an inning where he showed big arm strength too, touching 89 mph with his fastball while striking out four in two innings of work.

Ryan Ginther (2021, Gallatin, Tenn.) got the start for Dulins Dodgers Prime in the first game of their double header and showed plenty of potential moving forward. Listed at 5-foot-10, 155-pounds the young lefthander ran his fastball up to 84 mph early on while showing a quick and compact arm stroke through the back side, allowing him to live in the low-80s while projecting for additional velocity moving forward. With square shoulders and a lean build, it’s only a matter of time before Ginther begins to fill out physically and with continued incorporation of his lower half to his stride he’s only going to continue to climb in terms of stuff. He shows present rhythm and tempo to his delivery and generates shorter running life to his arm side when down in the zone, all ingredients you look for in a young pitching prospect.

Daylen Lile (2021, Louisville, Ky.) hits atop what has proven to be one of the more powerful lineups in the tournament with Dulins Dodgers and there’s a lot to like with the young lefthanded hitter. Lile is plenty projectable at 5-foot-10, 165-pounds and is already full of quick twitch-muscle, an element that helps down the line and on the bases. In the box Lile shows a quick and balance stroke with loose hands and easy throughout, showing a solid handle for the barrel while projecting for additional bat speed and strength moving forward.

Entering the tournament, righthander Irving Carter (2021, Boynton Beach, Fla.) was already ranked within the latest top 10 for the class of 2021 and he did nothing but solidify that ranking Saturday night. One of the more physical, but still projectable, arms to take to the mound thus far in the tournament at 6-foot-3, 185-pound, it’s easy to see how the University of Miami coaching staff already pulled the trigger and locked down the young, talented arm.

Aside from his size, Carter’s ability to pitch and not simply overpower hitters with his fastball is something that stands out immediately. Sure, Carter sat in the 85-87 mph range early versus the GoWags and bumped as high as 88 mph before settling more into the 83-86 range, but he also mixed an advanced changeup and short breaker for strikes as well. The young righthander is able to generate the velocity thanks to a full and quick right arm action and he did an excellent job of commanding the heater to his glove side, often going there in 3-2 counts while showing short life to his arm side. Undoubtedly the more velocity on its way too, especially as Carter continues to lengthen his stride down the mound and incorporate additional lower half.

As mentioned earlier, the changeup was a pitch that Carter went to early and often, regardless the count while exhibiting a feel for the pitch that not many other arms in the tournament could match. He does a nice job of maintaining his release point on the pitch which adds to the deception, especially when hitters are gearing up for mid- to upper-80s fastballs, only to have the string pulled with late fading life down in the zone at 73-75 mph. He doubled up on the pitch, lefthanded or righthanded hitter, and count proved to be irrelevant as he went to the changeup in 3-1 counts even. On top of the changeup, Carter also threw a curveball for strikes and mixed the 71-74 mph bender throughout, helping him punch out six in four innings.



Cole Wagner (2021, Lewisberry, Pa.) has already built a reputation on the national circuit despite having yet entered high school and he was able to add to that with his performance over Elite Squad Prime which had the buzz and atmosphere of a championship game, not a the second game of pool play. One of the more physical players on the field at 5-foot-11, 188-pounds, Wagner, who’s known for his bat as much as on the mound, did the majority of his damage on the mound and will certainly get additional looks as a bat later in this tournament.

For a player who has yet to begin his high school career Wagner shows a very polished mechanics and he’s more than capable of repeating them on a pitch-to-pitch basis. With a higher leg lift the young lefthander does a nice job of gathering over the rubber before driving down the mound and finishing over his front side. The fastball comes out of his hand very clean with a shorter arm stroke through the back and he was able to generate quality angle down in the zone more often than not, sitting in the 83-86 mph range. It was a business-like mentality on the mound as Wagner filled the strike zone and maintained his velocity well into his outing.

On top of the fastball, Wagner mixed in a short little cutter down in the zone in the 79-81 mph, a pitch he did a nice job of replicating his release point on to induced weak, off-barrel contact early in the count. He also flashed a changeup in the upper-70s rather regularly with sound fading life down in the zone, providing a full three-pitch mix which helped punch out eight in six innings against a very talented opposing lineup.



If you’re looking for a highly projectable arm out of this tournament who could very easily gain significant velocity over the next year or so, righthander Christian Little (St. Louis, Mo.) is your guy. Still just 13 years old for another month or so, Little stands 6-foot-2, 155-pounds with a high waist and long limbs, all ingredients that’ll help the velocity continue to climb moving forward. Add in the fact that he already controls his body very well for his age and size, a very quick right arm, and is capable of already spinning one of the better breaking balls I’ve seen in the first two days and you’re on to something.

With a simple gather on his backside and hip turn at the top of his delivery, Little’s fast right arm helped produce a fastball that bumped 84 mph and sat in the 81-83 mph range without exerting much effort at all. There’s a plenty of reason to believe that Little has another tick or two in him right now with additional drive out of his lower half, but as he showed Saturday night he’s already able to pound the strike zone with his heater. He also spun a tight curveball up to 69 mph with sound hand speed and sharp depth, as well as 12-6 shape, while showing a feel to consistently land the pitch for strikes.

One of the more physical pitchers to toe the rubber thus far, lefthander Phillip Abner (2021, Charlotte, N.C.) came out in full attack mode and showed plenty to like in regards to his abilities on the mound. Listed at 6-foot, 190-pounds, Abner sports braod shoulders and should continue to develop additional strength moving forward though he’s already able to run his fastball up to 86 mph and maintained 82-85 mph on his heater throughout his outing. Staying short through the back with his arm action, Abner showed pretty refined mechanics and though he’d fall off towards the third base side, it also allowed for consistent cut action in on righthanded hitters. Along with the fastball Abner spun a tight slider up to 77 mph with short tilting life and did a nice job of maintaining his arm speed on the pitch, giving him a quality 2-pitch combo while showing a changeup as well.

It was a quick look at Gerardo Cuevas (2020, El Paso, Texas) as he came in out of the bullpen and shut the door, striking out two of the four hitters he faced in the final frame. Strong built at 5-foot-11, 195-pounds, Cuevas looks the part of a hard-throwing closer and that’s just what he proved as he ran his fastball up to 87 mph and lived in the mid-80s. He did a nice job of incorporating his strong lower half into his delivery with some rock-and-fire down the mound, attacking hitters from a higher slot with which he was able to generate plane and occasional life to his arm side. It was exclusive fastballs to close it out with Cuevas who showed a quick and strong right arm and will be a valuable option for Team Citius as the tournament moves forward.

– Jheremy Brown
One of the most impressive performances of the WWBA 14u National Championship thus far came from the right arm of Tyler Wiederstein (2020, Greensburg, Pa.). The righthander has a slender build with a very young look and a lower half that is indicative of future physical development. For the time being, however, Wiederstein has a three-pitch mix highlighted by an explosive fastball. The pitch worked from 85-88 mph on the afternoon and topped out at 89 mph for the day. It showed good life with occasional dive down and to the arm side.

He was able to pound strikes for the most part and the ball came out of the hand very easily. Wiederstein’s arm speed stood out on the mound as the effort level was very low and he delivered from a three-quarter arm slot that looked almost as if he was playing catch.

Out of his three pitches, the changeup was the best secondary pitch on the afternoon. It showed good downward action and he was very effective at commanding it low in the zone although the arm speed was a bit slower on the pitch. He also mixed in a curveball with soft, 11-to-5 shape that was effective as an offspeed pitch to be thrown for strikes and keep opposing hitters off balance.

One of the early pitchers to make an impression was Trey Gibson (2020, Yorktown, Va.) during the Richmond Braves’ loss to Mission Team Baseball. What immediately stood out about Gibson was his size and strength on the mound. Standing at 6-foot-4, 204-pounds Gibson has an excellent build for that of a starting pitcher.

The delivery is very nuanced up to the point of separation where he breaks his hands and strides quickly down the mound. His frame allows him to generate solid extension toward the plate. The arm action is long through the back and his arm strength allows him to ramp up his fastball velocity in the low- to mid-80s.

Gibson worked in the 80-84 mph range with his fastball and the pitch showed occasional cut when the arm path would take him across his body. He threw from a high three-quarter arm slot and that combined with his size allowed him to generate excellent plane on the fastball. He showed multiple breaking pitches which included a slider in the low-70s that had sweeping action to it and a softer curveball in the mid-70s, although he could have just been manipulating the grip on the pitch as well.

One of the batters who faced off against Gibson was centerfielder Jb Awolowo (2020, Harrisburg, N.C.) who showed an interesting set of tools throughout the early part of the event. Awolowo has quick twitch athleticism present throughout the frame and that allows him to range well in the outfield. He showed good instincts and reads to correctly analyze the ball off the bat and make a number of plays look routine. The instincts were shown off when he charged in and threw out a runner at second on a fielder’s choice on what would normally be a single up the middle. He had two stolen bases in the game and has solid speed that plays well offensively. Awolowo was timed at 4.29 seconds to first base from the right hand side.

One of the strongest outings thus far in the young event came from tall lefthander Joshua Hartle (2021, King, N.C.) and he certainly kept the opposing offense at bay. Through his four shutout innings, Hartle allowed only one hit and struck out four, while the majority of the outs recorded were via ground balls.

The frame is ideal and indicative of future velocity. Hartle is listed at 6-foot-3, 155-pounds and is very lanky with extremely long limbs and tons of room presently to add strength and size. Hartle’s arm action is very loose and clean through the back and he delivers from a lower three-quarter arm slot. Hartle was able to get to both sides of the plate with relative ease and had a good rhythm and tempo on the mound. He pounded the strike zone, tallied zero walks on the day, and showed an advanced feel for pitchability and sequencing.

He showed three pitches but the fastball was the pitch he went to most often. The fastball sat 79-81 mph throughout the morning and the pitch had very heavy life in the bottom of the zone. Hartle showed three pitches while going to a curveball more often than the changeup. Hartle has performed well during his time at PG events and looks to continue that success and he is certainly off to the right foot for this week-long event.

Lefthander Brody Drost (2020, Sulphur, La.) turned in an excellent overall performance for former big leaguer Ben Sheets’ squad. Drost fired five shutout innings while only allowing one hit and striking out five. Despite not being a primary pitcher, Drost has an outstanding feel to pitch with a strong skill set on the mound.

The arm is incredibly loose and easy as is the effort level of the delivery. He reached as high as 84 mph with the fastball, that was mostly true in life, and sat comfortably in the 78-83 mph range. Drost was able to work the fastball to both sides of the plate and mix in the occasional big breaking curveball with soft shape.

Drost was also a threat at the plate with a quick, compact stroke through the zone with natural loft to the plane. Drost hammered a fastball for a 96 mph single that saw him race around to score after an error by the right fielder.

Loud tools are often hard to miss and shortstop Sean Ambrose (2021, Pembroke Pines, Fla.) displayed his twitch and athleticism during Elite Squad’s opening game on Friday. Ambrose moves extremely well in the infield and showed very clean glovework throughout the game, being challenged on a number of ground balls in that he successfully turned into outs. The Florida International commit was able to remain balanced and show quick feet and exchanges to make a number of difficult plays look easy. Ambrose will take some big swings at the plate at times and he was successful at generating hard hit line drives which included a couple of hits that fell in the game.

Abrose’s teammate Jayden Melendez (2021, Palmetto Bay, Fla.) was also impressive over the early portion of the event. Melendez has pretty solid size already for a backstop, coming in at 5-foot-8 and 160-pounds, and has shown advanced skills behind the plate. The arm strength is quality for the age and he does a nice job of using his strong wrists and soft hands in order to receive pitches well. At the dish he also has shown a quick bat with a kncack to get the barrel head out in front. He had two 85+ mph line drives in Elite Squad’s first game of the event. Melendez has a strong overall skill set presently and will be interesting to monitor as he is ranked in the top 15 for the class.

In the Dallas Tigers’ second game of the event, righthander Ryan Johnson (2021, Red Oak, Texas) toed the rubber and showed intriguing potential on the mound. Johnson has a very tall and lanky frame at 6-foot-3 and 165-pounds with tons of room on the frame to fill out as he continues to develop physically. Johnson’s delivery is pretty funky, with a lot of moving parts that creates deception and he does repeat well. Johnson had a heavy fastball that he went to often and worked 83-85 mph in the first inning. The fastball was able to generate excellent plane thanks to the size of Johnson and the high three-quarter arm slot from which he delivered the pitch. He worked very quickly on Friday evening and pounded the strike zone while mixing in a soft curveball.




Righthander Hector Alejandro (2020, Waterbury, Conn.) started on the mound for the Long Island Titans and showed a powerful fastball early in the game. He touched 87 mph multiple times and featured a fastball that worked in the 82-87 mph range throughout his start. Alejandro has a quick arm on the mound and delivered from a three-quarter arm slot with a shorter, pretty loose arm action. He showed the ability to work both sides, but was best to his glove side where his fastball showed good cut to it. There is an element of rawness to the overall delivery but Alejandro has high-level arm talent presently and should only continue to get better as he continues to develop.

– Vincent Cervino
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