By Mike Penn

Here are some notes on the players that had a strong showings at the Open ID Showcase.  To see the complete results: Click Here

AJ Montoya, C/OF/INF, St. Joseph, 2014
Montoya doesn't pretend to be a flashy player, instead he is a hard-nose good athlete that produces.  He ran well for a catcher and can easily play the outfield or infield if necessary.  His time was 6.86 in the 60-yard dash.  His velo was 84mph from the outfield and he sported a solid 1.95 pop time behind the dish.  At the plate Montoya has excellent bat speed and can pop the ball out of the yard.  He has an aggressive approach and looks to drive the baseball.

Josh Bays, RHP/OF/P, Lake Orion, 2014
Bays will be a part of a dangerous team next year at Lake Orion joining teammates Brad Schaenzer and Nick Deeg.  Bays is a big strong body standing at 6-feet-2, 193-pounds.  Along with his strong frame you have his big arm.  Bays has a free and easy arm from the outfield with strong accurate throws.  He touched 87 mph from the outfield.  Because of his arm strength he can also get it down to second base in a hurry at 1.97 and sat 84-86mph on the mound with his fastball.

Dakota Mekkes, RHP, Jenison, 2013
Mekkes might have been the most exciting player of the day.  Standing at 6-feet-6 and weighing 225-pounds, Mekkes is physically imposing and is just now coming into his own.  He has flown under-the-radar for way too long.  A good athlete who played three sports in high school, he is just now focusing on baseball.  Was 85-88mph on the mound with a loose arm and a chance to be 90-94mph some day. Even though he is 225-pounds his frame has more pounds to gain.  His secondary pitches are average at this point but when he puts it all together it will be good. 

Michael Mokma, RHP, Holland Christian, 2016
Mokma was easily the youngest player at the event but he certainly fit right in.  The 6-foot-4 Mokma has long levers that produced an 82-84mph fastball.  He is still raw, which is what you would expect for a player just entering high school, but the tools are all there.  He needs to continue to refine his craft but has a chance to be pretty special.

Patrick Leatherman, RHP, Jenison, 2014 
It could be Patrick Leatherman's time to come into his own.  We saw him sit 82-86mph earlier in the summer but he sat 87-89mph consistently at the Open ID Showcase.  His arm strength alone is enough to put him on the map and make him join the rankings.  He needs to improve his command and his secondary pitches as he matures.  He is 6-foot-4 and when throwing properly he creates good tilt.  Leatherman has a slower delivery and short arm action which makes the ball seem to jump out of his hand a bit.

Matt Dileo, C/OF, Rockford, 2014 
Matt is the younger brother of Tony DiLeo, a freshman at Eastern Michigan.  Apparently baseball must run in the family.  DiLeo had a good showing behind the plate, moving well and throwing a 2.05 pop to second base.  He also demonstrated some good pop in his bat registering and 88mph exit velocity.  At the plate he was showed some athleticism and quick short hands.

Joe Wolf, RHP/SS, Sterling Heights Stevenson, 2014
Wolf has good actions.  The son of a coach definitely shines through.  He moved well at short and had a strong accurate arm across the diamond.  We think his biggest upside is on the mound.  Wolf knows how to pitch. He threw three pitches for strikes, one of which was a 12-6 downer curveball with some tight spin.  He was only 80-82 mph from the mound but his arm is quick and whip-like which leads us to believe there is quite a bit more when he fils out those big shoes of his.

Chad Roskelly, C, Dakota, 2013
Rosskelly is a bull, both physically and mentally.  We have seen Chad several times this summer and he seems to be making consistent strides.  He has good pop in his bat and is an offensive threat.  His defensive skills have dramtically improved this summer.  He is blocking the ball better and moving behind the plate with more ease.  His pop time was 2.01.  He also registered 81mph across the diamond in the infield as he can play third base in addition to catching.

Ryan Dorow, INF/RHP, South Haven, 2013
Dorow is another example of a winner and a gutsy player.  He has nice hands in the infield that are sure.  His arm is above average for high school as he was 84mph across the diamond.  In addition to solid defense Dorow can swing it.  He has good pop in his bat and an aggressive approach.  He can certainly help a program at the next level.

Alex Goodwin, C/OF, Midland, 2013
Goodwin is a smaller player but a good athlete.  He checked in at 7 flat in the 60 and displayed a strong accurate arm from the outfield at 83 mph.  His arm also played well behing the plate with accurate throws to second base that had some carry.  His swing path was short and compact and he seemed to make consistent solid contact.

Tyler Dundore, C/3B, Mattawan, 2014
Dundore had one of the better BP rounds on the day.  He produced several hard hit baseball several of which one hopped the wall in right field.  He had a balanced approach and some bat speed.

Connor Grimes, 1B, South Haven, 2014
First baseman are often overlooked defensively in a showcase setting, however Grimes was the exception.  He made pick after pick at first base and did a really nice job.