Day 2 of the 2018 PBR Future Games finished with a familiar feel to last year’s event as a talented Minnesota-Iowa team excited coaches in attendance led by a talented underclassman. This year, instead of a Minnesota infielder (2020 SS Mac Horvath) stealing the show, 2021 Iowa-product, SS Aaron Downs, grabbed the headline. After an impressive workout day in which he ran a 6.58 60-yard dash and produced an exit velocity off the tee of 97 mph, Downs carried it over into game play by smacking two triples with a walk, and reaching base in all four of his plate appearances. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder is physically-gifted with defined strength throughout, and utilizes his twitchy actions well by combining them with his high energy. HIs quick hands drive the barrel flat through the zone to impact the ball, and he demonstrates the ability to use all fields with strength. The elite athlete bounces around at shortstop with a quick first step, and is the consummate “gamer”, and his intensity is unmatched. He has certainly shown the country why he is one of the top players in the class.

Other notes:

Eli Giles, RHP, Faith Academy, AL
Giles greeted the hitters that he faced in the early morning with multiple 11/5 curveballs that dropped off the table at 75-78. The wiry, 5-foot-11, 155-pounder is elastic on the mound with a quick right arm, and sat 85-88 throughout the single inning stint. The breaking ball, however, was his calling card as he showed supreme confidence in throwing it for strikes and for swings and misses, and it will be a real weapon for him moving forward.

Robert Ready, RHP, St. Augustine HS, NJ
Ready’s durable, 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame stood out as an imposing presence even before he threw a pitch. With the stuff that he showed in his quick inning of work, I expect that he will be giving hitters a difficult time moving forward. He worked at 87-90 with his fastball which showed some late life in the zone, and that he controlled to both sides. HIs best secondary offering was an advanced changeup (80-81) that he threw with fastball hand speed, and received multiple swings and misses with. A quick look at his slider saw solid shape at 78-80, and the makings of a quality offering moving forward.

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