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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/23/2018

PG Showdown Notes: Days 3-4

Photo: Davidjohn Herz (Perfect Game)

15u Summer Showdown: Event Page | Daily Leaders
17u Summer Showdown: Event Page | Daily Leaders

Days 1-2 Scout Notes

Starting on the hill for the 643 DP Cougars on Day 3 of the 17u PG Summer Showdwon was southpaw Bryant Madden (2019, Woodstock, Ga.). He added and subtracted with the fastball as it was anywhere from 80-86 mph on the day, and with some deception in the torqued delivery he was able to carve up hitters with it. In the second inning, he retired the side via strikeout with each one ending with a fastball. He upped his usage of a slurve-like breaker the second time through the order and showed the ability to both garner swings and misses with it in the dirt and drop it in the zone for called strikes. Madden repeats his simple mechanics well, which led to great control today, and shows athleticism in fielding his position. He is the 28th-ranked lefty in the Georgia class and remains uncommitted to this day.

Coming on in relief of Madden was Auburn commit Sebastian Thomas (2019, Brookhaven, Ga.). Before hitters could really formulate a plan of attack against Thomas, they were headed back to the dugout, as he wasted little time in blowing 89-91 mph smoke by them.  Thomas has a very strong and sturdy 6-foot-5, 240-pound build that should remain durable and his effort level is low on the delivery. Ranked 34th among righties in the Georgia class, Thomas brings a physical presence to the mound that clearly brings an intimidation factor to those who stand in the box against him.

The talented 643 squad boasts a nice array of hitters as well, and today it was Will David (2018, Atlanta, Ga.) who caught this scout’s eye. The Samford commit was thrust into an unfortunate situation after a hit-and-run swing on a bad pitch got him into a two-strike hole. He then worked the count back in his favor, fouling off numerous pitches to put together a nine-pitch at bat that culminated in a line drive double to the left field wall. David, who will play at Samford this coming fall and added an opposite-field RBI single earlier in the game, hit the ball on the button and showed good extension in the RBI knock. He is the 40th-ranked catcher in the Georgia class and caught a nice game behind the plate for the Cougars’ procession of arms.

Dalton Thomas (2019, McDonough, Ga.) secured a 1-1 tie for the OTC Ballers with a lights-out relief appearance. He struck out four in 1 1/3 innings, topping out at 92 mph with the fastball. It is a bit surprising that he is able to ramp it up that high at 5-foot-9, 160-pounds, but the primary middle infielder, ranked 39th there in the Georgia class, oozes athleticism on the mound and if he gains some strength in the near future, it isn’t inconceivable to think he could even add another tick or two. He throws a sharp curveball with the same arm speed and located both pitches well to the glove-side corner. Overall, it was a short but very intriguing look at the uncommitted Thomas.

Davidjohn Herz (2019, Fayetteville, N.C.) twirled a gem Sunday morning, and the most impressive aspect of his outing was his ability to ramp up the velocity as the game progressed. He opened the first three frames sitting in the 84-87 mph range from the left side and comfortably sitting down hitters. Seemingly out of nowhere, he started hitting 88-90 in the fourth and he wasn’t finished there, coming out in the fifth with 91-92 mph heat. The North Carolina commit has a delivery that is clean and repeatable, with a quick arm that stays online. He makes excellent use of the lower half and stays balanced with the leg kick which allows him to make an easy pickoff move to first should a runner leave too early. Herz used the slider sparsely today, but it was an effective put-away pitch either buried in the dirt or as a backdoor to righties. Currently ranked as 14th-ranked lefty in the national class, Herz could be a name to watch for the 2019 MLB Draft.

Although he many not have swung the bat a single time, Brandon Smith (2019, Woodstock, Ga.) still offered a glimpse at his enticing potential at the plate. The Tennessee commit really controls the zone well and possesses an extremely discerning eye. This is a player who understands the value of a walk and it showed today as he scored after both of his free passes. Smith hits with an even and quiet stance, keeping his feet fairly widely spread apart. He possesses a strong and well-proportioned 6-foot-2, 200-pound build that suggests plenty of power potential. The underlying plate discipline is there for Smith, the second-ranked first baseman in the Georgia class, to be an impact player at the next level.

Langston Taylor (2019, Jackson, Ga.) smoked a double that came off the bat at 98 mph for the Hardknox Orioles in a playoff game. He is a very athletic, well-built player with a short swing and quick, explosive hands through the baseball. The athleticism shows on the basepaths as well where he runs well. Taylor, who is uncommited, plays third and displayed soft hands and a very strong arm with carry to his throws. He is currently the seventh-ranked third baseman in the Georgia class and seems to do everything on the diamond at an above-average level. He undoubtedly looks the part of a player that can compete at the next level.

With their playoff lives on the line, Home Plate Chili Dogs 15u Thompson sent David White (2021, Newnan, Ga.) to the mound. White throws a heavy ball from an over-the-top slot, 84-88 mph for most of the day with natural sink. He maintained this velocity well throughout the outing and even touched 90 once in the second inning. White is a strong and athletic-looking pitcher and pitches with a clean and uncomplicated delivery while exerting little effort. He didn’t have his best command today nor did he showcase a breaking ball, but White, the third-ranked pitcher in the Georgia class, is a very intriguing uncommitted righty based on the arm strength alone. He ended up striking out three over three innings in a no-decision, and tallied two RBI singles, one of which ended up being the game-winner, while hitting for himself.

Reed Parson (2020, Leominster, Mass.) was a catalyst for the NE Runbirds in a playoff blowout. He keeps his hands inside the ball and gets the barrel through the zone quickly. This led to a couple of pull hits on the day, including a laser double down the line. Parson has a line drive swing that has some leverage to it and it wouldn’t be surprising to hit for a little power in the future despite a medium frame at the current time. At shortstop, he showed nice defensive actions, with a quick transfer on a double play and looking athletic while ranging back for a fly in shallow left field.

It was a short look but a good one at uncommitted arm Brandon McGaw (2019, Danville, Pa.), who is playing in his first PG event. He was around 87-89 mph in a relief appearance, striking out two over two innings and eliciting some weak contact. He paired the heater with a 12-to-6 curveball that had a good amount of drop to it. McGaw, while not the tallest, has a lean frame that could mean some velocity gains, and while the delivery motion is somewhat raw, he had no problem filling the zone with strikes on his way to an effective outing.

– Cameron Hines
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