Mack - Weekly Draft Notes

5-21-21 - Jesse Litsch @JesseLitsch

 

2021 Gavin Conticello - Has been good all day at the dish. Stays short to the ball with electric hands. Gap to gap approach with present pull side power

 

5-21-21 - Perfect Game California  @California_PG

 

From yesterday, Thatcher Hurd of Mira Costa HS Class of 2021. Lived off fastball (88-91 T93)/Slider (77-81) mixing in occasional CB at 72-76.Showed more feel for SL. 5 K's in 4 IP. UCLA Commit.

 

5-20-21 - Prospect Pipeline @TheProsPipeline

 

Thatcher Hurd, RHP, Mira Costa High School Class of 2021.   High Speed Mechanics (front/open) and SL, CB, FB and tried to do a little Pitching Ninja Overlay of all 3.  UCLABaseball commit has enticing blend of body, stuff and data.  

 

@ThatcherHurd

 

Mack’s spin - 

My 17^th RHP. 

 

5-21-21 - BA -

 

Chase Petty, RHP, New Jersey (BA rank: 25)

 

Petty is the most famous high school pitcher in the region thanks to a fastball that has reached 102 mph. He threw on May 17 with a predetermined limit of 50 pitches, allowing one run on two hits with four strikeouts and one walk in four innings. Petty can touch triple digits, but on this day he sat at 93-95 mph, touching 97. Of those 50 pitches, he induced four swings and misses, with one on the fastball and three on the slider. There's a lot to like with Petty between his impressive athleticism, arm speed, a big fastball and a slider that flashes plus at times. But scouts also have concerns about his control, the effort to his delivery and the general riskiness with high school righthanders. When the Indians drafted Daniel Espino in the first round at No. 24 overall in 2019, he was another high school righthander who could crack 100 mph with a plus breaking ball but question marks on his control and delivery. Petty could end up going in a similar area of the draft, though some teams would have him lower.

 

Mack’s spin - 

Petty moves up and down on my board. 

Right now my 9^th RHP. 

 

5-21-21 - BA -

 

Michael Morales, RHP, Pennsylvania (BA rank: 56)

 

Morales struck out 12 of the 20 batters he faced on May 10, allowing two runs (one earned) in five innings with one hit and three walks allowed. Morales is 6-foot-1, 200 pounds and scouts highest on him are drawn to his starter traits, stemming from a smooth, controlled delivery with loose arm action and easy operation. His stuff is about the same as it was last year, cruising at 90-93 mph and up to 94 with good life in this start. Morales had sharp bite on a curveball that was mostly 77-80 mph and has plus potential as he refines the shape and consistency of that pitch. He didn't throw a changeup in this start, but scouts have seen him show feel for that pitch in previous outings. Morales mostly threw strikes, though he walked two batters in a row when his control escaped him, usually high or to his glove side. Morales isn't overpowering, but he's not a long-range projection either, and some scouts will even prefer that profile to the prep righthanders with bigger present stuff but more reliever risk.

 

Mack’s spin - 

My 37^th RHP. 

 

5-21-21 - BA -

 

Shane Panzini, RHP, New Jersey (BA rank: 237)

 

If Panzini turned 19 in October, he would be on the older end of the class, but he turns 20 that month, making him close to two years older than some of the younger 2021 high school arms (he's 1 year, 10 months older than Dennis Colleran, for example). That's going to work against Panzini in draft rooms, but there are a lot of things working in his favor. He's about the same size as Colleran (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) with a simpler delivery that's smooth and under control. His fastball, which has been up to 96 mph this year, regularly hit 95 mph and sat in the low-to-mid 90s on May 16, when he gave up two runs in the first inning, then settled down the rest of the way to finish with eight strikeouts, two walks, four hits and two runs allowed in seven innings. That was actually a season-low strikeout total for Panzini, whose previous starts had 14, 10, 15 and 14 strikeouts. Panzini doesn't have a knockout pitch among his secondaries, but his slider is an average pitch at times, mixing in a curveball and changeup as well. There are certain clubs that are significantly higher on Panzini than his current ranking might suggest, so he's one of several New Jersey prep arms who could be prominent picks this year.

 

Mack’s spin -

My 26^th RHP. 

 

5-21-21 - BA -

 

Luke Holman, RHP, Pennsylvania (BA rank: 145)

 

Holman pitched in a playoff game on May 13 at the home ballpark of Double-A Reading, striking out 15 in 5.2 innings with one run (unearned) on two hits allowed. Holman is 6-foot-4, 190 pounds with a fastball that held at 90-92 mph through the duration of his start and touched 93. That's about the same velocity Holman showed last year, but he has the physical projection that suggests more velocity should come as he packs on weight. He throws from an overhand slot with a fastball/curveball combination that pairs well off each other. It's a 75-78 mph curveball he showed feel to spin last year and has tightened up this spring into a potential out pitch. Holman threw an occasional changeup as well but didn't show much feel for it on this night. He's also a good athlete, showing slightly above-average speed by beating out an infield single in 4.25 seconds from the right side of the plate.

 

Mack’s spin - 

My 40^th RHP. 

 

5-21-21 - gatorswire -

 

The Gators are bound to be well-represented in the 2021 MLB draft. There’s Orange and Blue splashed all over the pages of top draft prospects list. Naturally. Jud Fabian and Tommy Mace are catching most of the attention and have a shot to sneak into the back of the first round. However, the team is deeper in draft prospects than the two players most people know.

 

As far as the draft team at Prospects Live is concerned, Florida’s Ben Specht is something of a sleeper who could sneak up on folks. 

 

The Gators have utilized Specht as a bullpen arm throughout his college career due to Florida’s consistently excellent pitching staff. He was well-regarded by the Perfect Game scouting staff as a high school standout. The outlet ranked him as the 188th player in the 2018 draft class, and appreciated his deceptiveness and feel for pitching.

 

Mack’s spin - 

My 64^th RHP.

 

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