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Team Easton Scout Day: Takeaways

October 26, 2021
By: Drew Locascio & Peter Hamot
Illinois Scouting Staff

On Tuesday, October 5, the PBR Illinois staff traveled to Glen Ellyn, Illinois, to host the Team Easton Scout Day at the College of DuPage. This event gave our staff an opportunity to get an up close look at roughly 40+ prospects from the Team Easton travel program, representing the 2022-to-2025 graduating classes.

Shortly after the event, our content team collaborated to pump out a handful of post-event content pieces: Statistical Analysis, TrackMan Files, Blast Motion Board. 

Today, we’ll wrap up the post-event content coverage from this event with takeaways and standout performers that impressed our staff, below.

PITCHERS:

+ One of the highest ceilings of the event belongs to RHP/1B Tom Ford (Lisle, 2024). The 6-foot-5, 175-pound, long-limbed, extra-large bodied sophomore emerged as an arm to pay close attention to moving forward. Ford works with a stretch-only, directional delivery that should only become more repeatable/synced up as he gains control and feel for his long-limbs. The arm projects for more velocity down the road, thanks to a loose, quick, whippy arm action from a high ¾ slot. The fastball jumps out of the hand at 80-83 mph, touching 84 with an average of 2188 rpm. The curveball and changeup are still developing but both are thrown with arm speed and show the proper action and shape when right. The frame, arm action and raw upside on the mound should be fun to watch moving forward.

(10/5/2021)

+ OF/LHP Ryan Klukas (Lemont, 2023) looked to be one of the best two-way prospects in the entire event. The wiry/athletic, 5-foot-10, 150-pound, left/Left outfielder showed off a loose/strong arm with carry from a crow-hop (T84 mph), as well as sure-handed actions during defense. Offensively; Klukas starts in a tall/open setup and uses a level path to spray line-drives around the park. The left-handed hitter also demonstrated some of the best rotational acceleration in the entire event according to BLAST. Klukas was also interesting on the mound, with a long, clean, quick arm action from a high ¾ slot. Klukas showed a true three-pitch mix, sat 79-81 mph with his fastball to go along with an above-average slider at 67-70 mph and an average of 2329 rpm.

 

+ RHP Connor Chapulis (Riverside-Brookfield, 2022) has a short draw out of the glove and pitches from a high ¾ slot. The fastball plays clean out of the hand, mostly straight through the zone and sat 82-83 mph. Chapulis also spun a tight slider at 69-71 mph with T2318 rpm. Unsigned senior to follow moving forward. 

+ RHP Nate Cape (Lyons Township, 2023) has a 6-foot, 180-pound frame with a strong lower half. Cape has a short arm action, high ¾ slot and works slightly across his body. Arguably the most notable part of Cape’s bullpen was the ability he showed to spin his curveball with depth and for strikes. Cape’s curveball sat 65-68 mph with an average spin rate of 2109 rpm. Fastball sat 75-78 mph. 

POSITION PLAYERS:

+ INF Rocco Tenuta (St. Francis) is currently a ranked prospect in the state’s current junior class and the 5-foot-10, 180-pound prospect showed why with the day’s loudest round of BP. The right-handed hitting Tenuta had an average exit velocity of 90.98 mph during his round, including a max exit velocity of 98.69 mph. Tenuta starts in an open/balanced position, uses a long stride with a leg-kick timing trigger, and leverages  his loose arms through the zone with a slightly uphill path and a quick bat. From a defensive standpoint, Tenuta possesses soft hands with a quick transfer that’s paired with a strong arm across the field. Tenuta profiles as a corner infielder at the next level with middle-of-the-order upside. 

+ INF/RHP Max Pavlik (Hinsdale Central, 2023) gave our staff an intriguing look during the Team Easton Scout Day. As a switch-hitter, Pavlik showed a loose/whippy swing from both sides of the plate with the ability to repeat, as well as a max exit velocity of 94.46 mph and a max distance of 346’. With a level path through the zone, Pavlik drove the ball on a line to the whole field consistently. Not only is Pavlik a switch-hitter, but he is also a switch-pitcher, displaying a loose arm and repeatable delivery from both sides with a max fastball velocity of 78 mph. Pavlik cemented himself as an intriguing follow on our prospect radar after this event. 

+ After showing well at the Unsigned Senior showcase just a few weeks before, C/INF Julian Budziszewski (Morton West, 2022) gave our staff another strong look at the Team Easton Scout Day. The right-handed hitter uses a compact/repeatable swing, minimal stride, level path to the ball and loose arms with the ability to maintain balance after contact. Budziszewski used a line drive approach to spray balls to the whole field, recording a 44% line-drive rate and a max exit velocity of 89.13 mph. Behind the plate, Budziszewski is a sure-handed receiver with a clean transfer and directional feet out of the crouch, recording a 2.15 pop time with accurate throws. His hands behind the plate transfer over to the infield as well, showing athletic actions with soft hands during his workout on the dirt. 

+ OF Austin Carthan (Montini Catholic, 2024) emerged as an intriguing left/left prospect to keep tabs on moving forward. Boasting an athletic 5-foot-11 165-pound frame, Carthan is highly projectable with plenty of room to add on additional strength in the coming years. From an offensive standpoint, Carthan is loose and athletic throughout his swing, using a level path through the zone and quick hands to spray balls to the whole field. Defensively, Carthan showed athletic actions with a quick first step with an accurate throwing arm. 

+ MIF Cristian Guerrero (St. Rita) was another member of the 2024 group that showed well during the Scout Day. The left-handed hitter starts in a balanced setup, uses a minimal stride, and features a compact/repeatable swing that’s level to the ball with present balance through contact. On the infield, Guerrero showed soft hands with fluid footwork and athletic actions, while also showing the ability to maintain body control on the slow roller play. His arm plays true across the diamond, topping out at 75 mph with accurate throws. 

+ OF Sean Hill (Downers Grove North, 2023) started off his day by running to an event-best  7.07 laser-timed 60. His athleticism transferred over to the outfield as well, showing athletic actions with fluid footwork, also topping out at 81 mph from a crow-hop with carry to the target. Offensively, the left-handed hitter starts in a slightly open stance while moving into a short stride, has loose arms through the zone with a level attack angle and natural bat speed, According to Trackman, Hill was on the “sweet spot” of his barrel 70% of the time during BP. 

+ INF Jake Shumaker (Lyons Township, 2024) is a projectable 6-foot-2, 150-pound left-handed hitter who showed well with a polished round of BP. Shumaker starts in a balanced setup, uses a short leg-kick timing trigger, and swings a loose bat that stays level through the zone. Shumaker also had a 50% line-drive rate during his round of BP. 

+ OF Christopher Rowe (Naperville North) was yet another 2023 prospect from the Team Easton group that had a strong showing at the scout day. The right-handed hitter starts in a balanced setup, loads his hands back as he strides out and then brings the bat through the zone with a level path. Rowe also showed athletic actions in the outfield paired with an accurate arm.

Some other hitters that had noteworthy trackman statistics were OF Dimitri Spatharakis (Lemont, 2022; 95.75 mph), 1B Aayush Modi (Naperville North, 2022; 92.28 mph) RHP/1B Tom Ford (Lisle, 2024; 91.21 mph). 

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