Prep Baseball Report

Scout Ball Notes: 9/16/18


Les Lukach
State Scouting Director

The scout ball season is well underway and this past weekend offered an opportunity to get out many games as the annual Red Sox Classic took place at a few different sites. On Sunday I decided to head out to Mt. Sac to take in a couple of games. The first games had the A's vs the Braves and the second featured the A's vs the Rangers Red.

This was the first time I've seen the A's and Braves while I was able to see many of these Rangers players last week at APU. Nevertheless, the Rangers roster had arguably the most intriguing arm all day. It's not often you see uncommitted pitchers that touch 90 mph with a fast, loose, easy arm but that's what we saw at Mt. Sac yesterday.

Let's get into it...

QUICK HITS

2019 OF Andrew Sojka of Marina HS made sure schools in attendance know he is. At 6-1, 185-pounds he looks the part physically, he shows feel for the barrel with present bat speed with sneaky power from the left side. Shows good range and arm strength along with instincts in the outfield. Understands angles and took good routes to the ball. Backed up an errant throw by the third baseman and threw a laser to second base to get the runner who'd taken a wide turn. .....2019 MIF Jordan Brown of Serra HS continues to show flashes of future potential. The Fresno State commit is rangy and athletic. Continues to show feel for the barrel when his timing is right. Shot a missile into right-center field for a standup double showing his raw strength and his speed on the basepaths. Very high ceiling for Brown who, maybe more importantly, has a high floor as well.....2020 OF Nolan Ornelas of Wilson HS continues to leave an impression on me with his overall game. In addition to rangy outfield play, Ornelas is shaping up to be an impressive hitter at the plate as well. We knew about his ability to square balls up, but it's his plate coverage and discipline there that stands out. Had a nine-pitch at-bat result in a walk in-game. Spoiled three two-strike pitches to stay alive. Overall smart player.....2020 C Kevin Parada of Loyola HS will have an argument for being the best defensive catcher in his class in California when it's all said and done. Receives with soft hands and a quiet body. No wasted movements in his setup/shift. The arm is strong and accurate - popped 1.98-2.02 between innings - and he controls the running game well. The Georgia Tech commit is physical at 6-foot, 195-pounds.....2019 OF Rhylan Thomas of Oaks Christian HS showed that his developing power is going to compliment his plus speed perfectly. Thomas clocked a 4.08 H-1 time on a 6-3 putout on a ball that was hit right at the shortstop. He showed off his speed again tracking a ball in deep right-center field for an out. He started on the 3rd base side of the mound got a great jump and coasted into position for the catch. For good measure he turned on a fastball in - the ninth pitch of the at-bat - and put it over the right-center field wall for a no doubter. The power element from the USC commit was unseen before yesterday.....2020 OF Daniel Cruz of Corona HS is a guy that's on the edge of putting it all together and when he does, look out. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound outfielder is long, lean, rangy and athletic. Showed his bat speed when he caught up to a fastball up in the zone and hit a line drive into centerfield for a base hit. His overall game is very projectable and he carries a 4.2 GPA.....2020 1B Isaac Kim of Hart HS showed excellent defense where at 6-foot-4, 225-pounds he shows good footwork and some athleticism along with excellent hand-eye coordination. Scooped several balls on the day, a few of them of the high level of difficulty variety. His good hands carried over to the plate where he whips the barrel through the zone with speed and efficiency. Pulled a ball through the left side for a base hit in game. Flashes some raw power. Carries a 4.55 GPA.....2022 C/3B Luke Davis of Cypress HS is going to be a highly talked about prospect over the next four years. Already a USC commit, Davis shows big potential overall, but particularly at third base where his instincts, range, and arm strength are already average or better. Davis is a primary catcher who didn't catch in the first game. He made a play diving to his right where he not only caught the ball but popped to his feet quickly ready to throw. The ball was called foul making the play by Davis all the more impressive.

THE UNCOMMITTED PITCHERS

2019 RHP Bryan Perez of Glendora HS...

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
Rising Stars Showcase CA 09/23 Corona Santiago HS
Central Coast Open CA 10/07 Cabrillo College
Senior Games (Invite Only) CA 10/13 JSerra High School
Los Angeles Open CA 10/20 Maverick Field

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