Prep Baseball Report

MO-KAN Fall Review: Pitcher's Analysis



Shon Plack
Missouri/Kansas Scouting Director

On Saturday, October 31, Prep Baseball Report Missouri/Kansas held the MO-KAN Fall Review at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. 

Fourty-one players in the 2019 to 2016 classes from both states took part in the event.  Profiles have been updated with times, velocities, profile pitchers and videos. 

We have broken down the event position-by-position.  Today we will break down the pitchers, and are listed in alphabetical order below. Click here for the catcher's analysis. Click here to see the outfielder's analysis. Click here to see infielder's analysis. 

CLICK HERE, to see the Instant Analysis from the MO-KAN Fall Review.

Pitchers

Ethan Baltz, RHP, Lee’s Summit West (MO), 2016
Baltz is a 6-foot 160-pound right-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2016 class.  Baltz has easy and loose arm action with a repeatable release point.  He has smooth rhythm during his delivery with a tuck and slight rotation with leg lift, lands in line, with an athletic finish, over the top release, fastball at 81-83 mph, late run, works both sides of plate, breaking ball at 67-71 mph, late -11to-5 action, works on same plane as fastball with late movement, change-up at 67-70 mph, slight arm side sink, near fastball arm speed. 

Braxton Bragg, RHP, Liberty (MO), 2019
Bragg is a 6-foot 150-pound right-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2019 class.  Bragg has a projectable pitcher’s build with long and loose arm action, conventional delivery with body staying under control, repeatable release point out front, high three quarters arm slot, stays inline down the mound, athletic finish.  Fastball at 79 max, working mostly at 77-78 mph, late run on downhill plane, curveball at 64-65 mph, 12-to-6 shape, controllable slider at 69-72 mph, late 11-to-5 action, change-up at 71 mph, some with arm side release.  Throws high percentage of strikes with fastball and slider. Arm action, delivery and body type would suggest increased velocity over time. 

Gibson Brown, LHP, Liberty (MO), 2018
Brown is a 6-foot-1 155-pound left-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2018 class.  Brown had one of the top lefty fastballs in the the event and the 2018 class at 83 mph max, works 79-81 mph, over the top release, high number of strikes at knees, clean arm action, stays tall throughout delivery, stays inline, lands square, throws with regular effort and smooth rhythm.  Curveball thrown for a strike at 64-66 mph, 12-to-6 action, consistently down in zone, change up at 69-71 mph. 

Jordan Carlson, LHP, Liberty (MO), 2019
Carlson is a 5-foot-8 140-pound left-handed pitcher in the 2019 class.  Carlson is a strike thrower with late run to his fastball at 64-68 mph.  He throws with regular effort and a high three-quarters release.  Curveball with 1-to-7 shape, gradual break and bottom of zone at 55-56 mph, change up 55-58 mph.  Delivery is smooth and controlled allowing arm to repeat release point. 

Blake Conner, RHP, Platte County (MO), 2017
Conner is a 6-foot-3 160-pound right-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2017 class.  Conner’s fastball was 75-79 mph, throws downhill, in line stride, over the top release, works mostly inside to LHH, but does use both sides of plate, controlled throughout delivery, throws with regular effort. 66-67 mph breaking ball, 12-to-6 action, change up at 70-71 mph. 

Connor Degginger, RHP, Park Hill (MO), 2016
Degginger is a 6-foot-1 200-pound right-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2016 class. Degginger was 74-79 mph with fastball, late run, over-the-top release, deliberate and controlled to leg lift, hands lift with knee, inline down mound, 11-to-5 shaped curveball 65-69 mph, change up at 70-72 mph. 

Dylan Dirks, Shawnee Mission Northwest (KS), 2016
Dirks is a 6-foot-2 left-handed pitcher in Kansas’ 2016 class.  Dirks has a long/thin frame with loose arm action, works downhill with an max fastball at 80 mph, working 78-79 mph, consistently down in zone, shows command of slider with 2-to-8 action at 70-71 mph, curveball has more 1-to-7 action at 64-65, change with arm side release at 71 mph.  Hides ball well and lands on a stiff front leg, repeats mechanics well.

Brett Evans, RHP, Rockhurst (MO), 2016
Evans is a 6-foot-4 180-pound right-handed pitcher in Missouri's 2016 class.  Evans has a slender frame with ability to add strength, he has an over the top release, working fastball at 81 mph max, working 76-80 mph,  he throws with regular effort staying under control throughout his delivery, stride is in line with an athletic finish.  curveball has 12-to-6 shape at 68-71 mph, late action, change up at 74-75 mph, slight arm side run.

Daulton Freeman, RHP, Winnetonka (MO), 2017
Freeman is a 6-foot-1 155-pound right-handed pitcher Missouri’s 2017 class. Freeman has an over-the-top release with controlled body during delivery, throws with regular effort, in line stride, fastball at 75-79, touching 80 mph, curveball at 61-65 mph 12-to-6 action, down in zone, change-up at near fastball arm speed 65-67 mph. 

Kamron Grant, LHP, Hillcrest (MO), 2017
Grant is a 5-fot-7 155-pound left-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2017 class. Grant has a drop and drive type delivery, over the top release, throw with regular effort, showing command of his fastball at 65-71, using both sides of the plate, curveball at 50-53 mph, 1-to-7 action, change up at 55 mph. 

Nick Johnson, RHP, Rockhurst (MO), 2018
Johnson is a 5-foot-11 165-pound left-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2018 class.  Johnson was 75-77 mph with is fastball some with late running action, high three quarters release, 1-to-7 action on curveball, late break, has some feel for curveball, change up at 69-70 mph, smooth delivery, throws with some effort, in line stride with athletic finish. 

Nick King, RHP, Hickman (MO), 2017
King is a 6-foot-4 195-pound right-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2017 class.  King throws downhill and threw a high number of strikes, fastball works 78-81 mph, able to hit his spots, slurvish-type breaking ball with tight spin and sharp 11-to-5 action at 66-69 mph, change up at 74-76 mph slight arm side sink, throws with a three-quarters release, late run on fastball, quick arm speed, slightly across body, aggressive down the mound, attacks the zone. 

Jared Lafal, LHP, Blue Springs (MO), 2016
Lafal is a 5-foot-11 180-pound left-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2016 class. Lafal’s fastball worked at 78-79 mph, working mainly inside to RHH, throws with some effort and deception in delivery, controlled leg lift, accelerated after hand separation, over the top arm slot, aggressive down the mound, curveball has 1-to-7 shape, throws for a strike, change up at 67-69 mph with some deceptive change in tempo in delivery. 

Cole Larsen, RHP, Concordia (KS), 2017
Larsen is a 5-foot-11 160-pound right-handed pitcher in Kansas’ 2017 class.  Larsen attacked the zone with fastball and curveball, working fastball at 80-83 mph, touching 84 mph one time, late and sharp 11-to-5 breaking ball at 69-72 mph, straight change up at 67-70 mph, throws with some effort, over the top release, aggressive to the plate, athletic finish. 

Nicholas Lasiter, RHP, Blue Valley North (KS), 2016
Lassiter is a 5-foot-11 160-pound right-handed pitcher in Kansas 2016 class.  Lasiter works 71-75 with fastball, late running action, high three-quarters reelase, 12-to-6 curveball gradual break, 58-60 mph, change up down in zone, 61-62 mph, conventional delivery, tuck at balance point, in line stride. 

Dylan Lloyd, LHP, Oak Park (KS), 2017
Lloyd is a 5-foot-9 150-pound left-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2017 class.  Lloyd’s fastball was 77-74 mph, over-the-top release, body controlled, drop and drive type delivery, hides ball, in line and accelerated down the mound, works bottom of zone, 66-67 mph breaking ball, 12-to-6 shape, change up mostly at 68-69 mph, arm side sink, works mainly fastball and change-up, throws with some effort.

Logan Pittman, RHP, Blue Valley (KS), 2018
Pittman is a 6-foot-3 200-pound right-handed pitcher in Kansas 2018 class.  Pittman showed command of three pitches, a fastball at 75-77 mph, working mostly inside to LHH, a 10-to-4 shaped breaking ball with late and sharp action at 65-68 mph and change up with fastball arm speed and arm side sink at 64-65 mph.  Pittman has simple and repeatable delivery, inline down the mound with an athletic finish, throwing with regular effort and quick arm speed. 

Zach Pitzl, RHP, Rockhurt (MO), 2018
Pitzl is a 5-foot-10 160-pound right-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2018 class.  Pitzl has fastball at 75-78 mph, slight run, over-the-top release, curveball works bottom of zone at 60-63 mph, 12-to-6 action, controllable change up at 68-70 mph, stays inline as he strides, repeats release point, throws with regular effort. 

David Robinson, RHP, Blue Valley Northwest (KS), 2018
Robinson is a 5-foot-9 165-pound right-handed pitcher in Kansas’ 2018 class.  Fastbal at 73-75 mph, 12-to-6 curveball at 64-67.  Throws with regular effort and over the top release, smooth rhythm with body control during delivery, in line stride throwing with regular effort.

Kade Short, RHP, Goddard Eisenhower (KS), 2017
Short is a 6-foot-5 185-pound right-handed pitcher in Kansas’ 2017 class.  Short is lean and loose, thows with downhill tilt and loose arm action, command of three pitches, fastball touched 82 mph on four pitches, 11-to-5 breaking ball 65-67 mph, late action, change up at 70-73 mph down in zone, near fastball arm speed, showed a splitter at 65-67 with some sink and fastball arm speed.  Highly projectable build and arm action, throws with some effort, but controlled down the mound.  Look for increases over next several months. 

Mark Smeltzer, RHP, Washburn Rural (KS), 2016
Smeltzer is a 5-foot-10 155-pound right-handed pitcher in Kansas 2016 class.  Smeltzer has room to add strength and weight. Throws with regular effort and repeats delivery well, one of the better curveballs at this event, 12-to-6 action at 69-71 mph, with sharp late break.  His strikes stayed low in the zone and has some arm side run run, quick up tempo delivery, has more in tank, fastball at 81-83 mph, change up at 72-7 mph. 

Gregory Sykes Jr., LHP, Grandview (MO), 2017
Sykes is a 5-foot-8 160-pound left-handed pitcher in Missouri’s 2017 class.  Sykes fastball had late life and worked 75-77 mph, showed a slurve-type breaking ball at 66-68 mph, and change up at 68-69 mph.   He has a high three-quarters arm slot, tucks at balance point, in line stride, falls to third base side in finish. 

Michael Velazquez, RHP, Blue Valley Southwest (KS), 2017
Velazquez, is a 6-foot-2 205-pound right-handed pitcher in Kansas’ 2017 class.  Fastball at 75-77 mph, conventional delivery with body control, over the top release, athletic finish, over the top arm slot, breaking ball with 11-to-5 action at 61-66 mph, change up at at 67-to-70 mph, throws with regular effort with smooth tempo and flow.

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