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Fall Underclass Games: Pitching Analysis

November 17, 2014

By Sean McCann
Prep Baseball Report Kansas

Prep Baseball Report Kansas hosted the Fall Underclass Games at Tointon Family Stadium on the campus of Kansas State University in Manhattan on October 19, 2014. This was an invite-only event for Kansas high school class of 2017 and 2018 prospects.

There were several two-way players (pitcher + position player) at this event, but keep in mind that the evaluations below are based on the pitching side only.

Below are the scouting reports on the sixteen pitchers that participated in this event. Click on the player's headline link to be directed to their profile with video from this event.

Top class of 2017 prospects

1. Conner VanCleave, LHP, Holcomb HS (2017)
VanCleave is a projectable 6-foot-7, 205-pound left-handed pitcher. Starts under control, tucks knee at balance point, hides ball, picks up-tempo during delivery, high three-quarters slot, arm works, strides inline, athletic finish. Sound delivery with body control and rhythm allowing arm to work – impressive considering his size and age. Hitters see lots of arms and legs then the ball. Fastball clocked in the 79-84 mph range. Breaking ball with 11/5 shape, at times sharp, 67-70 mph. Faced eight batters, three strikeouts, 23/38 strikes. Outstanding class of 2017 prospect. 

2. Zebulon Vermillion, RHP, Shawnee Mission East HS (2017)
Vermillion is an athletic, projectable 6-foot-4, 170-pound right-handed pitcher. Up-tempo delivery, vertical knee lift, tall balance point, strides inline, high three-quarters slot, throws downhill, athletic finish. Simple and repeats. Fastball in the 81-83 range with one 85, very high percentage of strikes, pounded the outer half versus right-handed hitters. Curveball with late break at times, 67-69 mph. Showed change-up in warm-ups.  Vermillion retired nine batters in 33 pitches, including five strikeouts with no walks. He threw 70%+ strikes using a fastball heavy mix. One of the top prospects in the Kansas class of 2017.

3. Charlie Peyla, RHP, Junction City HS (2017)
Peyla is a physical 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-handed pitcher. Under control early, short knee lift, level shoulders, strides inline, quick  three-quarters arm action, arm works, athletic finish. Simple, efficient delivery for a big guy, repeats. Fastball runs and sinks, some cutting action glove side, 78-81 mph. Curveball 64-67 mph. Works down in the zone.  Faced five batters in the game, one hit, three strikeouts, no walks. 

4. Vincent Vilott, LHP, Olathe South HS (2017)
Vilott is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound left-handed pitcher. Simple and under control early, turns at balance, hides ball, high three-quarters slot, quick arm. Fastball with sink and occasional cutting action in on right-handed hitters, 78-80 mph. Breaking ball with 11/7 shape, 70-71 mph. Showed change-up in warm-ups. Good stuff down in the zone, faced eight batters, five ground balls.

5. Griffin McBride, RHP, Rose Hill HS (2017)
McBride is a 5-foot-9, 185-pound right-handed pitcher that earned KABC 4A-I All-State First Team honors as a utility player as a freshman. Under control early, up-tempo vertical knee lift, tall balance point, strides inline, short three-quarters arm action, athletic finish. Simple delivery, repeats. Fastball with arm-side run, 73-77 mph. Feel for a breaking ball with 11/5 shape, 62-65 mph. Also used a knuckle ball effectively. In game action McBride recorded nine outs in 34 pitches throwing 75% strikes in the process. Competes and throws strikes at a very high level.

Top 2018 prospect

Peyton Carson, LHP, Shawnee Heights HS (2018)
Carson is a thin, athletic 6-foot, 140-pound left-handed pitcher. Old school hands over the head wind-up with rhythm, tall balance point, natural three-quarters slot, athletic finish. Mechanically sound up-tempo delivery. Fastball has early arm side run and, at times, cutting action, 71-76 mph. Change-up with early arm side sink, 64-65 mph. Command of both pitches. Put in the top performance of the day on the mound recording nine outs in 27 pitches, throwing 67% strikes (including an impressive seven out of eight change-ups for strikes). Size, strength and velocity will come but feel for pitching and getting outs is already in place for this class of 2018 prospect.

Best of the rest (in alphabetical order)

Pryce Anderson, RHP, Labette County HS (2018)
Anderson is a 5-foot-10, 140-pound right-handed pitcher. Deliberate delivery, tall balance point, level shoulders, strides inline, three-quarters arm slot, finishes square. Fastball clocked at 69-73 mph, curve ball 60-61 mph. In game action recorded two ground ball outs in four batters and picked a runner off at first base.

John Egan, RHP, Wichita Collegiate HS (2017)
Egan is a 5-foot-11, 165-pound right-handed pitcher that has already earned All-League honors as a freshman. Deliberate tempo early, tall balance point, works slightly uphill, three-quarters arm slot, some effort, strides inline, finishes square.  Slow to fast tempo. Fastball with mostly early arm side run, 71-75 mph. Slurve at 65-65 mph. 

Jayton Haggard, RHP, Marysville HS (2017)
Haggard is a thin, athletic 6-foot-2, 150-pound right-handed pitcher. Under control early, tucks at balance, strides inline, three-quarters arm slot, arm works, athletic finish, good overall rhythm, simple delivery. Fastball with early arm side run, occasional cutting action, 75-78 mph. 12/6 curveball 63-65 mph. Class of 2017 prospect with projectable frame, plenty of room to fill out.

John Hilton, RHP, Olathe South HS (2017)
Hilton is a thin 6-foot-1, 150-pound right-handed pitcher with projection. Delivery is simple and under control early, vertical knee lift, tall balance point, strides slightly across, long three-quarters arm action, loose arm, falls off the first base. Fastball with early arm-side run, occasional downer sink when over the plate, 73-78 mph. Also showed 62-63 breaking ball and 64-65 mph change-up. Worked down in the zone in game, seven ground balls out of 11 batters faced.  

Connor Hughes, RHP, Olathe North HS (2018)
Hughes is a 5-foot-10, 165-pound right-handed pitcher. Very simple delivery, three-quarters arm action, arm works, strides inline, finishes square. Fastball 65-70 mph with early arm side run. Breaking ball with 11/5 shape 57-60.  Threw 9/16 strikes in game action.

Bryce Mitchell, LHP, Blue Valley Northwest HS (2018)
Mitchell is a thin, athletic 5-foot-11, 155-pound left-handed pitcher. Deliberate delivery early, tucks knee at balance, hides ball, easy three-quarters arm action, athletic finish. Fastball with sink, occasional cutting action, 70-71 mph. Slurve type of breaking ball with proper shape, 60-62 mph. Induced three ground balls, one strikeout while facing five batters in game action. 

Brett Parke, RHP, Maize South HS (2017)
Parke is an athletic 5-foot-10, 160-pound right-handed pitcher. Pitches from the stretch exclusively, in sync vertical hands and knee lift to start, high three-quarters slot, strides inline, athletic finish, aggressive delivery. Fastball with early running action, 74-77 mph. 12/6 curveball 69-70 mph. Faced five batters in game action yielding one hit and striking out two with no walks.

Blayten Tullis, RHP, Derby HS (2018)
Tullis is an athletic 5-foot-9, 140-pound right-handed pitcher. Easy, simple delivery, vertical knee lift, tall balance point, strides slightly across body, natural three-quarters arm action, athletic finish. Fastball with early movement, 70-73 mph. Curveball 57-68 mph. Faced 12 batters in the game 25/43 strikes, three hits, three strikeouts, no walks.

Reed Williams, RHP, Shawnee Mission Northwest (2017)
Williams is a 6-foot, 175-pound right-handed pitcher. Starts with deliberate pace from the wind-up, tucks knee at balance point, strides inline, low three-quarters slot, arm works, finishes square. Fastball with early sinking action, 71-74 mph. Breaking ball 62-63 mph, change-up 67-69 mph. Faced four batters, two ground balls, two strikeouts.

Nick Wohler, RHP, Manhattan HS (2017)
Wohler is a thin 6-foot, 155-pound right-handed pitcher. Under control early, tall balance point, strides inline, three-quarters arm action, loose arm, athletic finish. Very simple, repeatable delivery. Fastball 72-75 mph, most with early arm side running movement. Curveball, some with late break, 68-70 mph. Retired five out of six batters face, including two strikeouts.

additional fall underclass  games content