Prep Baseball Report

Winter Showcase Results: Pitcher Evaulations



By: Zac Bottoms
Arkansas Scouting Director

The winter showcase on Jan. 10 at Arkansas-Little Rock, was deep with pitching talent with over 30 pitchers throwing bullpens. We look at the top performers from the 2015 and 2016 classes.

Chad Cox, RHP, Maumelle HS, 2015
Cox is a 6-foot, 180 pound right-hander with a projectable frame. He located his fastball consistently at 83-84 mph and touched 86 mph. He threw his curveball for strikes it has good depth and 10-4 action with velocity of 70-72 mph. His change-up has good arm speed but very little movement and he throws it 72-74 mph. mechanically he works from a high ¾ arm slot with short quick arm action. He has average rhythm with a slight hitch at his balance point. I would like to see him finish better, getting extension to the catcher.

Tyler Allen, RHP, Sheridan HS, 2015

Allen is a 6-foot-5, 220 pound right- hander, which definitely passes the eye test. He works from a high ¾ arm slot with a clean arm action.  Tyler pounded the bottom half of the strike zone with a fastball 81-84 mph. His fastball was heavy with late sink. He uses two different breaking balls a slider that he threw 71-73 mph with gradual break. His curveball had good 12/6 action that he threw 67-69 mph. He also threw a change up with good arm speed, arm side run and sink. The change up was thrown 73-75 mph.

James Tucker, RHP, Jacksonville HS, 2015
Tucker is a 6-foot, 185 pound right-hander, worked off his fastball that set 80-82 mph. His fastball has good arm-side, which he locates for strikes. James locates a sharp slider with 11/5 action, thrown at 70-72 mph. His change up is an adequate third pitch as he throws it with near fastball arm speed at 72-74 mph with arm-side run. Mechanically he works from a high ¾ arm slot, a clean arm action, and average extension.

Christian Goshen, RHP, North Little Rock HS, 2016
Goshen is a 5-foot-11, 175 right-hander. He has a quick arm from a ¾ arm slot. He could stand to clean up his arm action as he stabs in the back right now. Christian worked his fastball in the bottom half of the strike zone at 83-84 mph. His secondary pitches have good action but lacked command. The curveball was throw with sharp 11/5 action. The change up was thrown with fastball arm speed with and arm-side run.

Ty Gordon, RHP, Green County Tech HS, 2016
Gordon works from a high ¾ arm slot with a quick clean arm action and fluid rhythm. His fastball sets 83-86 mph with arm-side run. Ty has a feel for his secondary pitches throwing his curveball and change-up for strikes. The curveball has 11/5 shape with late break in the zone. The change up is thrown at near fastball arm-speed with arm-side run. He projects to get better as he fills out his 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame.

Jakob Henry, LHP, Conway Christian HS, 2016
Henry is a 6-foot-4 left hander that works from a low ¾ arm slot. He uses a short quick arm action to produce fastballs 80-82 mph with late sink. Jakob throws a curveball with 2/8 action with depth, he throws it 66-68 mph. His changeup has good action however he slows deception by slowing his arm down to execute the pitch. 

Chase Nix, LHP, Benton HS, 2016
Nix pounds the strike zone with fastballs at 82-84 mph. His secondary pitches have good action but lacked consistency in the strike zone. The curveball had late sharp 2/8 action, thrown at 74-76 mph. The change was thrown at 73-75 mph. Mechanically, Chase is sound with a clean arm from a ¾ slot. He has a 6-foot-2, 180 pound frame that projects. If he would get more extension, the off-speed pitches will improve.

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