Southwest Suburban Prospect ID: Pitching Analysis

December 3, 2015

By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

We began rolling out the Southwest Suburban Prospect ID analysis earlier this week and today we take a look at the top pitchers. There was plenty of young pitching on hand and a few projectable 2019 prospects who made our top 10.

Our scouting staff got together and ranked the Top 10 pitchers which are listed below.

TOP PITCHERS

1. Garrett Goetz, RHP/SS, Oswego East, 2017
Solid, athletic build 6-foot-1, 170-pound right-handed hitting infielder and pitcher. Flashed some impressive numbers at the event. Ran a 4.26 home-to-first. Registered an 89 mph exit velocity and ran his fastball up to 86 mph on the mound. On the bump, up-tempo delivery, high leg lift, some rhythm and regular effort. Quick arm action out of a high ¾ window. Fastball worked down in the zone and sat 85-86 mph. Curveball, tendency to shorten arm action, worked 11/5 and 10/4 at times, clocked 69-72 mph. Changeup, mostly straight, thrown with fastball arm speed and sat 76-77 mph. Offensively, flashed fast bat speed and strength through contact. Simple swing and level bat path. Wide setup, pre-pitch load, no stride and average balance throughout. Gap-to-gap approach. Defensively, athletic fielding position out in front of his body. Fluid footwork, quick and clean exchange. Loose arm action, ¾ slot and clocked at 82 mph across the diamond.

2. Eric Lundell, RHP/SS, Marmion, 2019
5-foot-11, 140-pound right-handed hitting infielder and pitcher. Looks to have a higher ceiling on the mound. Long, loose and quick arm action out of a high ¾ window. Smooth, easy and controlled delivery. Slight cross fire action with an athletic finish. Fastball sat 75-77 mph. Two breaking balls with distinct shapes. Curveball, thrown aggressively, worked 11/5 and ranged between 64-69 mph. Slider, more of a sweeper shape and 10/4 shape, sat 67-69 mph. Changeup, had feel, down in the zone and some sink at 69 mph. Offensively, balanced setup and a toe-tap timing trigger. Long bat path through the hitting zone. Registered an exit velocity of 72 mph. Defensively, long arm action, high ¾ slot, some accuracy and clocked at 74 mph across the diamond. Also, ran a 4.69 home-to-first.

3. Nick Brummel, LHP, Marmion, 2017
Lanky left-handed pitcher at 6-foot-1, 170-pounds. Works from an over the top arm angle with a short arm action. Tall and fall delivery with a slightly closed landing. Smooth rhythm with an athletic finish. Good balance throughout delivery. Three pitch mix for strikes. Fastball sat 76-77 topping out at 78 mph. Curveball showed 12-6 shape with depth for strikes at 63-65 mph. Maintained arm speed on changeup at 71-74 mph.

4. Hunter Simon, 3B/RHP, Seneca, 2017
Solid build 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-handed hitting infielder and pitcher. Ran a 4.23 home-to-first. Offensively, strength in swing, flashed bat speed and registered an exit velocity of 89 mph. Pre-pitch rhythm, balanced setup, short stride and uphill bat path through the hitting zone. Defensively, long arm action from an over-the-top slot on the infield. Throws flashed some carry and clocked at 80 mph across the diamond. On the mound, works out of a high ¾ window, short, quick arm action and some rhythm in delivery. Fastball, flashed arm-side-run and sat 80-82 mph, touching 83. Curveball worked 11/5, short, tight break, 67 mph. Changeup, sink and fade and sat 69-72 mph.

5. Cody Harrison, RHP/INF, Plainfield North, 2019
Lanky build 6-foot-1, 150-pound right-handed pitcher and infielder. On the mound, arm has some whip from a high ¾ slot. Some rhythm, regular effort, tall and fall delivery. Fastball thrown for strikes and sat 74-75 mph. Curveball worked 10/4, loose spin and ranged between 61-63 mph. Changeup featured cut and sink at times, 61-64 mph. Offensively, simple approach and swing. Balanced setup, no pre-pitch load and short stride. Registered an exit velocity of 75 mph. Defensively, short and loose arm action. High ¾ slot, some accuracy and clocked at 72 mph. Also, ran a 4.62 home-to-first.

6. Brendon Wills, INF/RHP, Joliet Catholic, 2017
Long and lean 6-foot-1, 160-pound right-handed hitting infielder and pitcher. Offensively, used the whole field during his round of batting practice. Tall, narrow setup, no load, long stride and average balance. Registered an exit velocity of 80 mph. Defensively, reliable hands and quick exchange on the infield. Loose arm action, ¾ slot and clocked at 75 mph. On the mound, over the head full windup. Repeats delivery, some rhythm, loose arm out of a high ¾ window. Fastball, thrown for strikes, flashed hard arm-side-run at times, sat 77-79 mph, touching 80. Slider, feel, worked 10/4, late action ranged between 74-76 mph. Changeup featured slight fade, 73-75 mph.

7. Connor Donlon, RHP/3B, Neuqua Valley, 2017
Solidly built 6-foot, 180-pound right-handed pitcher and infielder. On the mound, athletic and repeatable delivery. Quick and loose arm action out of a high ¾ window. Some rhythm, regular effort, tall and fall delivery. Fastball, thrown for strikes down in the zone, sat 78-80 mph and touched 81. Curveball worked 10/4 and sat 62-64 mph. Changeup worked down and ranged between 71-73 mph. Offensively, simple stroke and the ability to backspin the baseball. Bat stays through the zone well and gets extension after contact. Fluid rhythm and line drive approach. Balanced setup, pre-pitch load and toe-tap timing trigger. Registered an exit velocity of 88 mph. Defensively, steady hands and clean exchange on the infield. Loose arm action from a ¾ slot and clocked at 76 mph across the diamond. Also, ran a 4.53 home-to-first.

8. Tyler Guertin, RHP/3B, Bradley-Bourbonnais, 2017
Big-bodied 5-foot-11, 190-pound right-handed pitcher and infielder. On the mound, repeats his delivery well, throws three pitches for a strike and plus feel for both off-speed offerings. Short arm action from an over-the-top slot and smooth rhythm throughout delivery. Fastball, located down in the zone, flashed slight run and sat 78-79 mph. Curveball thrown aggressively, for strikes, worked 12/6 and sat 64-67 mph. Changeup, flashed arm-side-run and fade at times ranged between 67-69 mph. Offensively, some looseness and fluidness in swing. Balanced setup, short stride and good balance. Registered an exit velocity of 83 mph. Defensively, steady hands and clean exchange on the infield. Long arm action from an over-the-top slot and clocked at 77 mph across the diamond. Also, ran a 4.79 home-to-first.

9. Brandon Hutson, INF/RHP, Plainfield North, 2019
Long and lean build 6-foot, 155-pound right-handed hitting infielder and pitcher. Offensively, balanced setup, short stride and average balance through contact. Long, uphill bat path through the hitting zone. Registered an exit velocity of 76 mph. Defensively, clean exchange on the infield. Short arm action, high ¾ slot, some accuracy and clocked at 78 mph. On the mound, he features some arm strength for his age. Tall and fall delivery with regular effort. Short arm action, high ¾ window and some rhythm in the delivery. Fastball flashed slight sink and run at times, sitting 76-78 mph. Slider, thrown near fastball arm speed, 10/4 action and ranged between 67-69 mph. Changeup, slight run with a tendency to miss up in the zone, sat 65-67 mph.

10. Noah Plunge, RHP/OF, Joliet West, 2017
6-foot-2, 160-pound, right-handed hitting RHP/OF, with a lanky frame. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with a long arm action and slight stab on the backside. Tall at balance point with a high front side. Slightly closed landing with an upright finish. Missed up with his fastball that sat 77-79 topping out at 80 mph. Curveball showed 12-6 shape with early action at 59-60 mph. Showed feel for his changeup at 69-71 mph. Defensively has a long, loose arm action from a high ¾ arm angle. Plays thru the ball with fluid footwork. Threw 83 mph from the outfield. At the plate hits from a balanced, spread out stance and short stride. Pull hitter with a level swing path. Showed strength thru contact with 86 mph exit velocity from a tee. Home to first at 4.85.

Best of the Rest (Listed Alphabetically)

Ben Benoit, RHP/2B, Bradley-Bourbonnais, 2017
Long and lean 5-foot-11, 145-pound right-handed hitting infielder and pitcher. Ran a 4.15 home-to-first. Offensively, starts from a balanced, tall setup. No pre-pitch load and short stride. Average bat speed and short path to the baseball. Registered an exit velocity of 70 mph. Defensively, slow but clean exchange on the infield. Over-the-top slot and clocked at 72 mph across the diamond. On the mound, some rhythm and effort in his delivery. Short arm action from an over-the-top slot. Fastball, natural cutting action sat 70-71 mph. Curveball worked mostly 12/6, thrown for strikes and ranged between 58-60 mph. Solid feel for a changeup, slight sink and sat 57-60 mph.

Matthew Donahue, SS/RHP, Marist, 2017
Average build 5-foot-9, 155-pound left-handed hitting infielder and pitcher. Offensively, loose hands and aggressive swing. Pull pop at times during his round of batting practice. Balanced setup, pre-pitch load and big leg-lift timing trigger. Flashed a quick bat and uphill bat path through the hitting zone. Registered an exit velocity of 71 mph. Defensively, reliable hands on the infield. Long, loose arm action, ¾ slot, some accuracy and clocked at 77 mph across the diamond. Ran a 4.62 home-to-first. On the mound, pronounced delivery with some rhythm. Loose, short arm action from an over-the-top slot. Regular effort, in-line direction, square landing and athletic finish. Fastball mostly straight, thrown for strikes and sat 75-78 mph. Features a curveball and a slider. Both showed good spin and some feel. Curveball worked between 12/6 and 11/5 with depth and ranged between 60-63 mph. Slider, worked more 10/4, flashed late break at times, 65-67 mph.

Brandon Gonzales, C/RHP, Bartlett, 2019
5-foot-11, 200-pound, right-handed hitting C/RHP. Offensively hits from a balanced, closed setup with a short stride. Hits off the backside with a long uphill swing path. 79 mph exit velocity from a tee. Home to first at 5.25. Behind the plate has a short arm action from a high ¾ arm slot. Tall receiver with slower footwork. Popped 2.44-2.51 and threw 65 mph from the crouch. Decent receiving in pens. Also took drills in the infield, slower actions with a short arm action from a ¾ arm slot. Threw 67 mph across the diamond. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with a short, stiff arm action. Tall and fall, slow paced delivery with a closed toe landing. Fastball sat 64-67 mph. Curveball showed no action at 56-59 mph. Maintained arm speed on changeup at 55-59 mph. Also featured a knuckleball at 54-55 mph. Will continue to improve with maturity.

Clark Hendricks, LHP/1B, Kaneland, 2017
6-foot, 140-pound, right-handed hitting LHP/1B. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with a long arm action. Tall and fall, online delivery with regular effort. Some rhythm with a square landing. Hides the ball well. Threw fastball for strikes at 74-76 mph. Showed feel for his curveball with 1-7 shape at 67-68 mph. Maintained arm speed on his changeup at 70-71 mph. Defensively has a long arm action from a high ¾ arm slot. Moves well around the bag at first base. Threw 73 mph across the diamond. Also took drills in the outfield throwing 75 mph. At the plate hits from a balanced setup, heal lift stride. Opposite field hitter with a short swing path. 73 mph exit velocity from a tee. Home to first at 4.47.

Tyler Horvath, OF/LHP, Providence Catholic, 2018
6-foot, 180-pound, right-handed hitting OF/LHP. Defensively has a long arm action from an over the top arm slot. Showed quick, fluid footwork while playing thru the ball. Aggressive fielder, takes good routes. Threw 81 mph from the outfield. At the plate hits from an open stance with a short stride back to even. Opposite field hitter with a long, uphill swing path. Showed strength thru contact with 83 mph exit velocity from a tee. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with a short arm action. Drop and drive online delivery with a square landing. Repeatable mechanics with smooth rhythm. Threw fastball for strikes at 74-75 topping out at 76 mph. Curveball showed 1-7 shape with gradual action at 60-61 mph. Maintained arm speed on changeup at 63-66 mph.

Luke Kramer, LHP, Plainfield North, 2018
5-foot-11, 135-pound, left-handed pitcher. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with a long arm action with slight hook on the backside. Tal and fall, online delivery with a square landing, and some rhythm. Three pitch mix for strikes. Fastball showed occasional running action at 70-71 topping out at 73 mph. Curveball showed 1-7 shape with gradual action at 60-62 mph. Changeup thrown down in the zone for strikes at 61-63 mph.

Nico Natali, RHP, Bartlett, 2018
6-foot, 160-pound, right-handed pitcher. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with along, stiff arm action. Tall on backside, loading up before heading to the plate. Slow paced delivery, inline with home plate and a square landing. Fastball showed slight running action at 69-71 mph. Showed some feel for his curveball that showed 12-6 shape at 60-62 mph for strikes. Maintained armspeed on his changeup at 59-63 mph.

Adrian Perez, RHP, West Leyden, 2016
6-foot, 195-pound, right-handed pitcher. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with a long arm action. Tall and fall, slow paced delivery with a square landing. Slight back turn at balance point. Fastball sat 74-78 mph. Curveball showed sweeping action at 61-64 mph. Showed some feel for a changeup at 69-71 mph.

Kennedy Price, OF/RHP, Crete-Monee, 2017
5-foot-10, 170-pound, right-handed hitting OF/RHP. Offensively hits form a balanced setup with a short leg lift stride. Collapse on backside with fair balance. Pull hitter with an uphill swing path. 78 mph exit velocity from a tee. Home to first at 4.19. Defensively has a long arm action from a high ¾ arm slot. Slower actions with a long exchange. Threw 78 mph from the outfield. On the mound has a long arm action from a high ¾ arm angle. Tall and fall online delivery with a slightly open landing and an upright finish. Fastball was straight at 75-78 mph. Curveball showed 11-5 shape at 64-65 mph. Changeup was straight at 68-71 mph.

Tyler Venditti, RHP/1B, Geneva, 2018
Athletic, projectable framed 6-foot-2, 180-pound right-handed pitcher and infielder. On the mound, smooth rhythm, regular effort, tall and fall delivery. High ¾ slot, high leg kick and coiled at balance point. Fastball sat 72-74 mph, touched 75. Curveball located down in the zone, worked 11/5 with depth at 60-62 mph. Changeup, thrown with fastball arm speed, some feel ranged between 62-65 mph. Offensively, sprayed balls to all fields during his round of batting practice. Balanced setup, short stride and average bat speed. Registered an exit velocity of 81 mph. Defensively, flashed a long stretch at the first base bag. Steady hands, long arm action, over-the-top slot and clocked at 75 mph across the diamond. Also, ran a 4.67 home-to-first.

Rob Zagorski, RHP/OF, South Elgin, 2019
6-foot, 140-pound right-handed hitting RHP/OF. On the mound works from a high ¾ arm angle with a short, stiff arm action. Tall and fall delivery with a short leg lift and a closed landing. Fastball sat 70-71 topping out at 72 mph. Curveball showed sweeping action at 56-59 mph. Changeup flashed sink at 61-63 mph. At the plate hits from a balanced setup with a deep load to backside. Long, uphill swing path. 70 mph exit velocity from a tee. Home to first at 4.93. Defensively has a long arm action from a high ¾ arm slot. Infield actions in the outfield. Threw 72 mph from the outfield. Will improve with maturity.

Southwest Suburban Prospect ID: Pitching Analysis

Best of the Rest (Listed Alphabetically)

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