Prep Baseball Report

SoCal Scout Day - Quick Hits - Underclass


PBR California Staff

  
IRVINE, CA - Under sunny skies at 84 degrees the January showcase felt more like a summer showcase, hence the newly coined term Januly. The ideal weather set the tone for the highly efficient and successful event with over 100 players participating in spaced Covid-19 guideline groups throughout the day. 
The players were put through a standard pro-style workout that included the 60-yard sprint, round of batting practice, defensive workouts at respective positions, and concluded with bullpen sessions where the pitchers' stats were compiled. TrackMan and BlastMotion dominated the event producing a significant amount of data to the baseball community.
The pre-season Scout Day serves as a baseline for all the participants going into their 2021 high school seasons. take a look at 5 players from the Underclass session (2023-2025 grads) that stood out to the staff. 

Justin Lee

Class of 2023 / RHP

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2023
  • Primary Position: RHP
    Secondary Position: 3B
  • High School: Notre Dame
    State: CA
  • Summer Team: GBG Navy 2023
  • Height: 6-2
    Weight: 204lbs
  • Bat/Throw: R/R

It’s not surprising to see another +arm coming out of Notre Dame. Lee has clean and repeatable mechanics where he finishes firm and in a good fielding position at landing. Lee’s upper 80's fastball combined with his tight spinning curveball is a lethal strikeout combo. He is a top uncommitted arm to watch but he isn’t too bad with the bat either as he showed some pull-side pop and averaged 69 mph bat speed which puts him above average for his age group.

Dean Carpentier

Class of 2023 / SS

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2023
  • Primary Position: SS
    Secondary Position: RHP
  • High School: Huntington Beach
    State: CA
  • Summer Team: TB SoCal
  • Height: 6-3
    Weight: 185lbs
  • Bat/Throw: R/R

Carpentier is another quality player coming out of Huntington Beach HS. His athleticism shined in both his OF and INF workout and showed he can handle the bat in BP, but he really impressed on the mound. His mid-80's fastball paired well with his slider as both came out of the same slot, had consistent arm speed, and had +spin.

Gavin Smith

Class of 2023 / OF

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2023
  • Primary Position: OF
    Secondary Position: RHP
  • High School: Trabuco Hills
    State: CA
  • Summer Team: Quakes
  • Height: 6-1
    Weight: 165lbs
  • Bat/Throw: R/R

Smith was one of the better arms of our underclass event. He is long and lengthy with plenty of room to fill out and has some deceptive mechanics. He steps into right-handed batters at landing and hides his arm behind his body until it comes back up at release. The way his curveball and slider move play into making right handed at-bats real uncomfortable. Smith is a player to keep up with down the road.

Jaden Alba

Class of 2023 / RHP

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2023
  • Primary Position: RHP
    Secondary Position: 1B
  • High School: Gahr
    State: CA
  • Summer Team: USA Prime National
  • Height: 6-3
    Weight: 190lbs
  • Bat/Throw: R/R

Alba’s game really shined at the plate and on the mound. At the plate, he spread line drives to all fields with a balanced on-plane swing. On the mound, he showed the potential to become a top arm in his class. He moves efficiently down the mound with +arm speed and showed he could get his curveball over for strikes. Has a large and sturdy frame with a strong lower half which shows potential for an uptick in velocity. Very interested to see his progression.  

Zach Mora

Class of 2023 / SS

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2023
  • Primary Position: SS
    Secondary Position: RHP
  • High School: Grace Brethren
    State: CA
  • Summer Team: GBG Navy & VCBA
  • Height: 5-11
    Weight: 155lbs
  • Bat/Throw: R/R

Mora showed some of the better defensive actions of our underclass event in terms of getting to his spots, fielding out in front, and getting off strong accurate throws. He also had an impressive bullpen. Velocity wasn’t off the charts but was able to locate to both sides of the plate and showed an ability to get his curveball over. He has plenty of room to grow and fill out with his frame and we are intrigued to see how he develops.  

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