Mack – Draft News – Nick Gonzalez, CJ Smith, Reid Detmers, Nick Bitsko, NE HS Top 25

Lookout Landing took a look at the first weekend’s results and singled out a few players. 

One was:

            Nick Gonzales - New Mexico State - 2B/SS

Gonzales finds himself ranked as the fourth or fifth best prospect in most scouting circles, so there’s not all that far he can climb. The book on Gonzales is he has an advanced hit tool with a power tool that is difficult to grade in hitter-friendly Presley Askew Field.

He’s destined to play second base at the next level as he lacks the quickness and arm strength to play shortstop or third. Playing in such a hitter-friendly park, and against lesser competition in the WAC, Gonzales is going to have to repeat, or come close to his 2019 campaign. Last season he led college baseball in batting average (.432) whilst hitting 19 balls out of the yard.

He’s off to a *good* start in 2020. In four games this weekend, Gonzales went 8 for 14 with 4 home runs, two doubles, 17 RBIs (!!), and six walks. It’s a short sample, but the NMSU Aggie is running a slash of .571/.727/1.571

Draftsite  had this player as the Mets pick in the 2^nd round –

            LHP     CJ Smith       Georgia         6-1      190

UGA Career (2018-curr.): Two-way contributor with a 4-5 record, 3.50 ERA in 25 appearances including 14 starts plus batting .252 with two doubles and two home runs and 12 RBI in 43 games with 27 starts (22-CF, 1-RF, 3-LF, 1-DH)

2020 (Junior): Recipient of the William K. Holmes Baseball Scholarship Endowment

*One of three baseball representatives on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C)

2019 (Sophomore): Posted a 3-3 record and 4.30 ERA in 11 appearances including nine starts for a total of 46 innings plus batted .111 with one home run and three RBI in 16 games including eight starts (5-CF, 3-LF)

*Began year as a two-way player but saw more action as a pitcher and pinch-hitter before season ended in late April due to injury

*Hit a home run and drove in two and then pitched an inning with two strikeouts in a win over UMASS Lowell

*Tossed six scoreless innings with career-high seven strikeouts in a 5-1 win over Jacksonville State

*Pitched six scoreless innings with career-high seven strikeouts versus LSU but did not factor in the decision as Bulldogs eventually won 2-0

*Defeated No. 5 Vanderbilt 8-3, pitching a career-high seven innings and allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts

*Helped the Bulldogs go 46-17 overall (a school record 21-9 in the SEC) as team earned a national No. 4 seed in the NCAA Championship, advanced to the NCAA Athens Regional Final and finished with a consensus top 20 ranking including as high as No. 15 (USA Today/ESPN)

 

Dingerz had this first rounder picked for the Mets in his mock draft:

            LHP     Reid Detmers          Louisville     

Lookout Landing - Detmers’ hard work over the summer paid off in his sophomore season, where he became the ace of Louisville’s staff, making 18 starts and winning 13 games. In 113 innings, he punched out 167 batters for a Gerrit Cole-like K% of 38%. His improved control showed itself in a much-lowered BB%, as well; in over twice as many innings pitched as his freshman year, Detmers walked one fewer batter. He led the Cardinals to the NCAA tournament and picked up a long list of accolades along the way, including being named a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes and Dick Howser Awards, winning ACC Pitcher of the Year, and a host of other honors from various outlets. Detmers also spent this summer pitching for Team USA, which means there’s lots of helpful, recent footage of him:  

    

BA - The impressive depth of pitching in the 2020 class just got better.

The top prospect in our 2021 high school draft rankings, righthander Nick Bitsko, will graduate early from Central Bucks East High in Doylestown, Pa., making him eligible for the 2020 draft class. First reported by MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo, and confirmed by Baseball America, Bitsko's addition to the 2020 class makes an already impressive group of players that much better.

A 6-foot-4, 220-pound righthander committed to Virginia, Bitsko showed the powerful repertoire and strike throwing ability that would have made him fit right at home along with the elite prep pitchers of his elders in the 2020 class. Now, like corner infielder Blaze Jordan and righthander Alejandro Rosario (who were also originally members of the 2021 class before jumping into the 2020 class) Bitsko will be see exactly where his talent puts him a year sooner than expected.

PG ranked their top North East High Schools in baseball:

Top 25 Northeast High Schools

Rk.	Nat'l	School	'19 Rec.	'19 Finish
1	23	St. Augustine Prep (N.J.)	25-6	NJSIAA Non-Public A State Finals
2	34	Red Land (Penn.)	25-3	PIAA 5A State Champs
3	38	Bergen Catholic (N.J.)	17-9	NJSIAA Non-Public A 3rd Round
4	50	Poly Prep Country Day (N.Y.)	19-3	NYSAISAA State Finals
5	NR	Malvern Prep (Penn.)	32-7	PAISAA State Champs
6	NR	Massapequa (N.Y.)	19-4	NYSPHSAA AA State Finals
7	NR	Avon Old Farms (Ct.)	8-3	No Playoffs
8	NR	Bishop Eustace (N.J.)	21-7	NJSIAA Non-Public A 2nd Round
9	NR	West Allegheny (Penn.)	19-2	WPIAL 5A 2nd Round
10	NR	Red Bank (N.J.)	7-16	NJSIAA Public Group 3 1st Round
11	NR	Manasquan (N.J.)	17-6	NJSIAA Public Group 2 Quarterfinals
12	NR	Austin Prep (Mass.)	20-2	MIAA Division 3 State Champs
13	NR	Salisbury School (Ct.)	12-5	No Playoffs
14	NR	Egg Harbor Townhsip (N.J.)	13-12	NJSIAA Public Group 4 3rd Round
15	NR	Phillips Andover Academy (Mass.)	14-2	No Championship
16	NR	St. Joseph (N.J.)	20-10	NJSIAA Non-Public A State Semifinals
17	NR	Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)	17-8	NJSIAA Non-Public A State Semifinals
18	NR	St. John's Prep (Mass.)	21-7	MIAA Division 1A State Finals
19	NR	Center Moriches (N.Y.)	27-0	NYSPHSAA Class B State Champs
20	NR	Voorhees (N.J.)	13-8	NJSIAA Public Group 2 1st Round
21	NR	Seton Hall Prep (N.J.)	22-7	NJSIAA Non-Public A State Quarterfinals
22	NR	South Portland (Maine)	18-3	MPA Class A State Semifinals
23	NR	Chaminade (N.Y.)	15-3	CHSAA State Champs
24	NR	Bishop Hendricken (R.I.)	22-2	RIIL Division I State Champs
25	NR	Portsmouth (N.H.)	12-10	NHIAA Division I State Semifinals