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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/15/2017

17u BCS Day 5 Scout Notes

Photo: Perfect Game

Daily Leaders | Player Stats | Day 1 Notes | Day 2 Notes | Day 3 Notes | Day 4 Notes

Day 5 is always a big day for teams in need of victory to help ensure that their squad receives a seed in the tournament playoffs. With the afternoon seasonal showers always figuring into the equation, morning games carry high significance regarding play in the PG single elimination tournament that begins in the afternoon of day five.

Elite Squad Select was one of those clubs playing for a tournament seed at City of Palms Park in early morning action. They scored early, added on, and then withstood a furious seventh-inning rally from Scorpions South to capture a well-earned and highly emotional 6-4 victory over a never-say-die Scorpions South club.

Leading the way for Elite Squad Select was their dynamic middle infield combo from Puerto Rico, Kenen Irizarry (2018, Guanica, Puerto Rico) and Kelvin Maldonado (2018, Cayey, Puerto Rico). This charismatic duo is a mirror image of each other and they read each other like they have been playing together for their entire careers. They both have excellent anticipatory skills and excellent lateral movement. They have strong and true throwing arms and they deliver their throws with a very quick release. As a tandem, this scout hasn’t seen better in the previous four days of the BCS.

Batting in the leadoff spot, the lefthanded hitting Irizarry is a heady ballplayer who understands his role at the top of the order. He takes a lot of pitches and competes his way through every at-bat. He has a very smooth approach to his load and swing and a short, quick bat path. He sees pitches deep and uses an inside-out pass at each pitch. This allows Irizarry to keep the ball up the middle and to the opposite field. His number one offensive tool is his above average speed and his ability to run the bases like a seasoned professional.

Maldonado is very similar to Irizarry from an offensive standpoint. Maldonado adds in his ability to bunt for hits, which he did twice in this particular game. He is a an aggressive and very intelligent base-runner and looks to take extra bases when the defense loses focus.

Leon Paulino (2019, Hollywood, Fla.) is a rising junior at Chaminade Madonna College Prep and the Elite Squad Select three-hole hitter and center fielder. He is a very mature and disciplined hitter. A switch hitter, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Paulino, is a power guy who leans on his back side and generates lift through contact and drives the ball with authority. He likes to crowd the plate and looks for pitches middle-in. He is a very selective hitter and never expands his zone, even with two strikes. Defensively, he is more than capable of playing centerfield even in the biggest of ballparks. He has excellent anticipatory skills and his above average speed helps him get to a lot of baseballs that many players his size would not come close to.

Designated hitter, Diego Millan (2018, Carolina, Puerto Rico) is a run producer in the middle of the Elite Squad Select batting order. At 6-foot-3, 208-pounds, Millan has the size and strength to hit the ball out of any park. He is balanced at the dish, with an even stance, and a short direct swing path. He has a power hitter’s lift at contact. Like Paulino, Millan is an extremely disciplined hitter who does not expand his zone.

Lefthanded starter Trace Moore (2018, Miramar, Fla.) pitched a solid 6 1/3 innings to capture the win for Elite Squad Select. The crafty lefty pitched to contact and worked with pace and confidence to get his club back in the dugout and up to the plate. He had two nine-pitch innings and one 10-pitch inning. His lively, sinking fastball was consistently in the 80-82 mph range. He paired that with a sharp breaking, highly effective 64-66 mph curveball. Over his six plus innings of work, he allowed only three hits and one earned run.

Gaithersburg, Maryland based Dig-In Baseball brought a very talented infielder to Fort Myers this week in Seif Ingram (2019, Wheaton, Md.). The gifted Ingram stood out in Dig-In’s game against one of the top teams in the BCS, Scorpions 2018 Prime. The 5-foot-10, 155-pound Ingram is a smooth fielder with an exceptional first step. He has a plus arm that is strong and accurate. At the dish, his middle-of-the-field swing path and disciplined approach helps Ingram spray solidly hit line drives to all parts of the field.

On a team full of NCAA Division I commits, Scorpions 2018 Prime left fielder Ben McCabe (2018, Sarasota, Fla.) was the standout for the Scorps in their win over Dig-In Baseball. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound McCabe was a home run shy of the cycle and drove in five runs in the victory. His bases clearing triple early in the contest broke the game open for the Scorpions.

Academy Baseball Canada was back in action against another very solid club in Palm Beach Select Prime in afternoon play in a game that was interrupted by Florida’s fickle weather more than once.

Highlighting play for ABC was their exceptionally talented shortstop, Edouard Savoie (2017, St. Eustache, Quebec). Savoie is a steady and athletic shortstop who has solid fundamental skills. He has very quick feet and above average lateral movement. He also has very soft and sure hands and an above average arm that is strong and true. He hits in the three-hole for the Montreal based Academy and is an offensive force. He has gap-to-gap power and is an exceptionally fast and instinctive base runner.

Alfonso Villalobos (Kirkland, Quebec)  is another solid infielder for the very talented Canadian team. He swings from a slightly closed stance and has a short, quick bat path that has slight lift at contact. The solidly built, 6-foot, 180-pound Villalobos, is also a very good defender. His first step quickness is exceptional and he has a very sound and steady third baseman’s arm.

Raphael Pelletier (2019, Repentigny, Quebec) is one of the younger players on this ABC club, but his youth doesn’t hamper the Canadian second baseman. The 5-foot-10, 150-pound Pelletier is cat-quick and is a steady and sound second baseman who can make all the plays. Offensively, Pelletier’s number one tool is his speed. He uses a short, quick, direct swing path and his line-drive approach helps the ABC second sacker hit line drives to all parts of the field and cause disruption on the basepaths.

Lefty Antoine Jean (2019, Montreal, Quebec) toed the mound for ABC and was solid. His fastball, while not overpowering, has late sink and solid arm-side run. He never throws to the heart of the plate and works the edges like a seasoned pro. His fastball velo was consistently in the 76-78 mph range. He mixed in a sharp 65-66 mph 12-to-6 breaking curveball that was a true out pitch for the southpaw from Montreal. His 67-69 mph changeup, thrown out of the same arm slot of his fastball, was exceptional.

– Jerry Miller



Kyle Benedict (2019, Lutz, Fla.) occupied the four-hole for Patriots Baseball Tampa and manned the center field grass. He’s a projectable 5-foot-10, 160-pounds with good present strength. He sets up to hit from an even stance. His load consists of a simple leg lift that seems to be used mostly as a timing mechanism. Benedicts’ swing is short and compact. His hands fly towards the ball and are quick through the zone. He demonstrated he can repeat his swing consistently. Benedict also showed a good feel for the barrel, and he hit a couple balls hard but foul. His arm in the outfield is solid, if not spectacular. And he has great speed in the outfield and around the bases. Benedict is a solid all-around performer.

Justin Josey (2018, Decator, Ga.) is a smaller 5-foot-8, 160-pounds, but he has an athletic build and there is plenty of physical projection remaining. He played on Friday as a left fielder, and that’s currently the only place in the outfield his arm will play. However, as he grows more arm strength should come, and his long arm action already creates accurate throws. At the plate, Josey has a slightly open stance with his hands far away from his body. He uses a toe tap for timing. Josey’s bat is smooth through the zone with a line drive path. He will need to work on utilizing his lower half to help drive the ball with more authority. But, there is good present bat speed and Josey has a feel for contact. Josey is an interesting follow.

Trey Robinson (2018, Dacula, Ga.) got the start for Team Elite 17u Premier. He worked 4 2/3 innings while striking out three batters. Robinson’s fastball sat in the mid- to upper-70s with good tailing action to the arm side. The velocity isn’t enough to overwhelm hitters, but he spotted the ball well to keep hitters off balance. His curve is an average pitch as it’s fairly soft currently. But Robinson does an excellent job of mixes his pitches without giving much away. He attacks hitters, too, and isn’t afraid to get strikes early. His delivery is slow and deliberate that ends in a high three-quarters arm slot. Robinson does well to sink into his back leg and explode off the mound. If Robinson can add to his 5-foot-10, 168-pound frame more velocity, and therefore, more success could come.

Ryan De Leon (2018, Cooper City, Fla.) is quick and shifty shortstop coming in at 5-foot-8, 160-pounds. His work in the field was exceptional. De Leon has great explosiveness and has good range to his left and right. His footwork is sound, and there’s plenty of athleticism to like. His releases can be a little slow at times, but his arm strength is plenty to make up for it. At the plate, De Leon starts from a wide stance. His load consists of a tall leg lift with his hands locked far behind his body. As he begins his swing, De Leon shifts his weight onto his front leg at the point of contact. Although this timing can be off at times, he maintained his balance well through the swing. His line drive swing plane and all fields approach gives him a good amount of room for error. There’s a lot to be excited about when watching De Leon play.

The Florida Burn 2018 Premium team is chock full of studs that can flat out play. Their three-hole hitter and leftfielder is Carson Weekley (2018, Tampa, Fla.). He has a medium frame with good athleticism and lots of room for physical projection. Weekley starts his swing from a wide, open stance with a small, quick leg lift as a timing mechanism. He gets plenty of power out of his lower half as it rotates through his swing quickly. Weekley consistently makes contact and lift when he strikes the ball. There’s present gap-to-gap power with more likely to come. His arm strength out in leftfield is also a plus. And his speed is no joke. Weekley is a great package already, and there’s surely more to come as he develops physically.

Garrett Wallace (2018, Sanford, Fla.) is the team’s big third baseman. He’s already physically strong at 6-foot-1, 205-pounds and that transfers well into his swing. His righthanded swing starts from a slightly open stance with very little moving parts. Wallace drops his back shoulder in the swing to get under pitches and get impressive lift. He doesn’t sacrifice much contact ability to do this either. Wallace always swings hard, and he creates impressive bat speed in the process. When Wallace barrels a ball, it will go a long way. Defensively, Wallace is a classic third baseman. He’s not afraid to sacrifice his body to get in front of balls, and his first steps are routinely lightning fast. Wallace is one of the better third baseman in his draft class.

Joining Wallace on the infield is second baseman Orlando Arevalo (2018, Tampa, Fla.). His large 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame is full of athleticism. And that athleticism is always on display in the field. His footwork at second base is quick and efficient, getting him to the ball on time and with ease. He fields the ball well out in front of his body, and his hands are soft when receiving. While he didn’t throw from one arm slot consistently, he throws were always strong and accurate. At the plate, Arevalo has an open stance with a high back elbow set. He uses a leg lift to begin his swing. He transfers his weight from the front leg, to his back, and then to his front leg once again. Arevalo has a natural upper cut that should help his power numbers increase. His gap-to-gap power plays across the field. Arevalo finished the day by going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI.

Levi Shuck (2018, Cape Coral, Fla.) got the nod to start Friday’s game, and although the box score tells a slightly different story, he pitched well. His arm action is very long through the back, and his good arm speed propels his arm through a three-quarters release point. His fastball worked consistently in the low-80s with impressive arm-side run. His curveball is still developing, but it flashes good depth. He did struggle to throw his breaking ball for strikes though. He pitched mainly off his fastball, and it routinely missed the barrels of bats. However, Shuck will need to continue working on his off speed pitches and learn to throw them for strikes. There’s a lot to like in Shuck, and he’s worth keeping an eye on.

Michael Gerwitz (2018, Fort Myers, Fla.) came in to relieve Shuck. Gerwitz threw two innings of impressive baseball. His delivery has a quick tempo, and he gets to his high ¾ release point quickly. His arm is fluid out back, and he gets good extension past the point of release. Gerwitz utilizes his lower half well in his delivery to get the uppper-70s velocity on his fastball. Although there isn’t much movement on his fastball, the little movement he gets is late and hard for hitters to square up. His curve has a short 11-to-5 dive to it. He ever so slightly decreases him arm speed in order to throw the pitch. Gerwitz struggled to throw strikes at times during his outing, but when he was close enough to the zone his stuff baffled hitters. He finished his two innings with two strikeouts.

Andrew Curtin (2018, Flowery Branch, Ga.) has already received attention in this tournament because of his bat. But Curtin also impressed while on the mound in Friday’s game. He worked four innings and struck out three hitters Curtin features a high leg lift in his delivery. His arm action is long and loose, and he releases from a traditional three-quarters arm slot. His fastball lived in the mid-70s with good cut action. He struggled to throw the pitch for strikes at times, and often worked behind in counts. Curtin throws a big 12-to-6 curveball, too. It showed good depth, and he could occasionally bury it and make hitters look silly. There’s a lot to like about Curtin’s pitches, but he’ll need to hone his command in order to be truly successful moving forward.

Chandler World 17u is another of one of the many fantastic teams in this tournament. Their three-hole hitter and big 6-foot-2, 205-pound first baseman Jonathan Alonso (2018, Clearwater, Fla.) is great hitter. His righthanded swing starts from a wide, spread stance. Some good bat speed is present and that helps his line drive swing plane make loads of contact. Beyond that, Alonso also hitters for good gap-to-gap power. He stays balanced throughout his swing, and he powders the middle of the field with rockets. Alonso is an exciting, young prospect and he should be followed closely.

Alonso’s teammate, Martin Vincelli-Simard (2018, Boisbriand, Canada), is just as impressive. He’s a large 6-foot-1, 210-pound catcher with good mobility behind the plate and a solid feel for hitting. His actions behind the plate are fundamentally sound. He covers lots of ground when throwing down to second. His arm speed is above average, but his throws are usually off line. At the plate, Vincelli-Simard starts from a wide, open stance with a high back elbow set. His swing comes easily and is loose. Some bat speed is currently present. There’s plenty of thump in his bat, and his slight upper cut will keep it that way. Vincelli-Simard has a nice, loose swing with good power that won’t sacrifice much in the way of contact. He’s definitely worth watching.

Trevor Candelaria (2018, Durango, Colo.) is another player with good power in his bat. He stands at 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, and his swing lends itself to phenomenal power. He starts his swing from a narrow stance that transfers into a big, aggressive leg lift. Candelaria dips his back shoulder early so as to make sure to hit balls in the air. When he makes contact, balls fly. He easily drives balls in the air with good backspin. Candelaria is clearly focused on doing damage when he comes to the plate, and that ability should only be expounded on as he continues to grow into his large frame.

– Kyle Zweng
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