High School Scout Blog: Week 2
April 17, 2019
Our team of Ground Force Scouts are out and about across the Empire State this spring. Each week we will release a comprehensive list of players that have caught our eye during our travels.
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Teddy McGraw RHP / SS / Oneonta , NY / 2020Athletic 6-foot-2 frame with easy actions. Plenty of room for physical growth and velocity. Sat 88-91 in a CG no-hitter. Punched out 14 while only walking two. Fastball was complimented by a sharp two-tier slider that was 82-84 MPH early in the game before settling in around 78-80 MPH. One of the top arms in a loaded Class of 2020. Wake Forest Commit.
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Kyle Taborne RHP / OF / Vestal, NY / 2019Vestal’s senior ace and SUNY Cortland commit checks in at 5-foot-10 155 pounds. Taborne was in mid-season form against Maine Endwell throwing a complete game, scattering 3 hits, 1 R, 1 ER, with 15 Ks and 2 BBs on 103 pitches for the outing. Taborne fastball started 86-87 and topped out at 88 MPH and was still 85 MPH on the last batter in the 7th inning. He complimented the FB with a 12/6 hammer curve at 68-71. 11 of the Ks were with the batter looking at called 3rd strike, including CBs and FBs away. Taborne struck out every batter in a very experienced Maine Endwell lineup at least once. In 11 innings this season Taborne has 23 Ks.
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Holden Lazarus OF / Ithaca, NY / 2020Lazarus looks the part to go with his offer and commitment to Michigan. Stole 3 bases with ease in this game. Saw very few pitches that caught a lot of the plate. Walked twice, struck out once, and had a deep sac fly to right field that plated a run. Expect to see a lot of teams pitch around him as the leadoff batter. He will continue to get opportunity to hit the ball to the opposite field under these circumstances.
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Noel Foster 3B / RHP / Ithaca , NY / 2019Uncommitted senior. On the mound 6 innings pitched, 10 Ks, 1 BB, 5 H, and 1 ER. Constantly around the zone with his pitches. 93 pitches, 60 of which were thrown for strikes. FB sat 78-79 on a cold April night. CB was 68-71 on this evening. At the plate, Foster was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI’s. Very consistent player throughout his high school career.
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Blake VanDreason 3B / RHP / Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, NY / 2019Athletic build, and shows great instinct in the field. At SS he showed a great first step to read the ball off the bat. Flashed some arm strength while back handing the ball deep in the hole to rifle one across the diamond. At the plate, he distributes his weight well and stays balanced. In a game where hits and runs were thin, Blake came through in the top of the 6th with a double to the left center gap. He kept his weight back on a sweeping CB and exploded through it.
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Brett Myers SS / 2B / Lowville Academy, NY / 2020Myers puts his defensive skills on display today for Lowville, making plays up the middle all game. He has a very strong arm and throws the ball on a line across the diamond. At the plate, from the left batter box, Myers has an explosive swing. Myers is a 2019 NYS game commit and will have many opportunities to display growth as a complete player.
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Chris Bonacci OF / SS / West Genesee , NY / 2020Average, athletic frame producing a strong outing at the plate and a threat on the bags. Going 3 for 4 with a backside homerun with a stolen base. Barrel is quick through the zone, showed control.
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Derek Jann RHP / 3B / CBA-Syracuse, NY / 2020Strong lower half, athletic build, stands tall on the mound, Fastball was heavy for his 2 inning outing ranging from 81- 84 MPH. Used his 69-70 MPH curveball sparingly to keep hitters honest.
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Joe Biancone RHP / SS / John Jay - Cross River, NY / 2019Loose, athletic build with long limbs at 6-foot-2. Repeats delivery; long arm swing, lands closed. Was pulling FB across his body and missing glove side. Sat 87-89/90, touching a few 91’s on the day. Breaking ball was loose early on in the 72-73 MPH range but started to rip off some sharp, late breakers at 75-76 in the 3rd inning. At times there was more slider shape but long term 11-to-7 CB is the better look for him. At the plate he flashed above average bat speed going 3-for-4 on the day with a booming double to straight away center. George Washington commit.
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Brett Paulsen SS / 3B / John Jay - Cross River, NY / 2019Long, wiry, athletic frame in the 6-foot-2 range. Can easily add 15-20 pounds of muscle and still be highly athletic. Above average defender making three highlight plays to his throwing side; two slow choppers past the mound where he made the play on the run with opposite foot throws. Had a full layout, backhand stab and was quick to his feet for the perfect throw across. In game awareness; knows his runners, arm carries with ease. At the plate he has a hard right-center approach but is also able to pull the hands through and turn on one. Double and hard hit 2-run single to RF in the 1st inning; lined out on a web gem by the Mahopac SS later in the game. Stony Brook commit.
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Jack Sullivan RHP / SS / Carmel, NY / 20215-foot-11 170 pounds frame with room for more mass. At the plate Sullivan showed a balanced approach with a short stride. Quiet hands, keeps his head still and down on contact which was very loud today as he went 2-3 with a hard liner to CF and also went yard with a bomb to right-center. Didn’t throw today, but he was up to 86 MPH in February PBR Downstate Showcase.
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Jonathan Haines 1B / RHP / Arkport , NY / 2020Average build, strong lower half, uses sound mechanics, average pace. Throws from a ¾ slot with FB velocity 80-82.
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Ryan Birchard 1B / RHP / Auburn , NY / 2021Swings from the left-side, athletic appearance at the plate, loose fluid hands, short stride on the pitch, barrel has slight incline through contact. Very good looking prospect to keep a close eye on this spring and summer, especially from the mound.
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Brendan Williams 3B / RHP / Auburn , NY / 2019Strong thick lower half, strong appearance. Slower pace to his delivery, knee high leg lift, throws from a high ¾ slot, FB sits 84-86 with late action. CB 67-69 with mostly loose shape, at times 11/5. Competes on the mound, hard nosed kid.
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Hudson Bockmier LHP / 1B / Pittsford Mendon, NY / 20196-foot-1, solid strong frame. Threw a CG on 4/8. FB with armside run, topped 81 MPH and sat 76-78 MPH. Above average CB 60-62 MPH. Threw the CB when he wanted for a strike. Showed feel for a good CH. Threw the CH in every count.
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Keeghan Cummings SS / RHP / Pittsford Sutherland, NY / 20215-foot-5, lean frame. Leadoff type hitter. Aggressive at the plate. Three quality at bats (2b, 1B and lineout to CF) in the 4/8 game. Displayed good speed on the bases. Made the plays at third. Solid actions.
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Tate Pierson OF / LHP / Pittsford-Sutherland, NY / 20205-foot-10, physical build. The left handed hitter has pop. Will chase out of the zone. Just missed two home runs that went foul. Worth another look.
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Max Luke 1B / RHP / Croton Harmon, NY / 2020Another excellent outing on the mound from the uncommitted RHP/1B as he went the distance for the 1-0 win with 7IP 3H 4Ks 0R on 79 pitches. Hard running 2 seam FB and a tight CB. At the plate (2-2), the 6’3 lefty stick drove a CB off the wall, and went big fly on a FB for the game’s only run.
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John Alley RHP / OF / Fox Lane, NY / 2019Not going to intimidate anyone with his slight frame and size, or his 76-78 MPH fastball (max 79), but might just dominate with his 70-71 MPH wipeout slider. He leans heavily on the off speed pitch, and the comfort level he enjoys with that pitch gives him the ability to pitch backwards making his FB appear much harder than it actually is. More in the tank as he physically develops.
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Brendan Disonell RHP / 3B / Shenendehowa, NY / 2019Solid frame at 5-foot-10 165 pounds with good movement on fastball 81-83 MPH fastball, touching 84 MPH, but usually dominates with his 71-73 MPH wipeout slider. He leans heavily on the off speed pitch and throws it in any count making his FB appear much harder than it actually is. Also contributed two hits and two RBI’s on the day.
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Matthew Mariano RHP / SS / Shenendehowa, NY / 20215-foot-9 with a strong lower half. FB ranged from 82-82 MPH. Breaking ball is still a work in progress; expect him to work his way more into the plans of the varsity squad in the short term.
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Thomas Krill 1B / RHP / Shenendehowa , NY / 20206-foot-4 1B with long, athletic frame. Works well around the first base bag with ability and footspeed to move to the corner outfield. Hit two doubles and drove in a run. Two sport athlete and NYS Games participant will be fun to continue to watch develop.
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Will Kindl LHP / OF / Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake , NY / 2020Kindl is a 5-foot-10 LHP/OF who patrols centerfield with confidence. The LHH sets up in an open stance with little bat movement. Has a smooth trigger pre-pitch setting body up in a good hitting position. Didn’t have a great offensive day but put pressure on the defense with his speed reaching base twice on error.
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Luke Gold SS / 2B / Ballston Spa, NY / 2019Reigning POY in Section II, the BC commit continues to hit balls hard. Physical 6-foot-0 200 lbs SS with solid glove and strong arm. Ability to play all over the infield; hits leadoff for a balanced Ballston Spa lineup.
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Evan Fox SS / OF / Ballston Spa , NY / 2020Fox does everything well but isn’t flashy. Right handed hitter with a wide base, steps into the ball as the swing progresses and continues to show improved strength hitting a homerun, two doubles with 3 RBI’s. One of the best double play tandems in Section II (Luke Gold is the SS) and quite possible in the state.
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Thomas Evans 1B / OF / Orchard Park , NY / 2019A physical body build. The big 1B brings energy and flashed some power on the day. Hit the ball hard all game, opposite field HR in his first AB. Did a good job staying back on a breaking ball and not chasing pitches out of the zone. The 2019 has some major, next-level power potential.
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Isaiah Corry SS / Clarence , NY / 2019A lean but projectable 5-foot-11 frame. The slick fielding SS showed plus range going to his glove side. Made all the plays to him and easy free throwing actions across the diamond. Always seems to be in the right spot. At the plate, the left handed hitter squared up the baseball the whole day. Top of the order type guy.
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Wyatt Patchett C / Geneva, NY / 2021A 6-foot-2 athletic physical frame. The right handed hitter uses a leg kick for balance before attacking the baseball. Hit the ball hard all day against Penn Yan. Aggressive strong swing. Behind the plate, a little raw but Patchett is a good enough athlete to be a good catcher at the next level. The 2021 graduate is also the starting QB for his high school team.
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Brendan Williams 3B / RHP / Auburn , NY / 2019Strong thick lower half, strong appearance. Slower pace to his delivery, knee high leg lift, throws from a high ¾ slot, FB sits 84-86 with late action. CB 67-69 with mostly loose shape, at times 11/5. Competes on the mound, hard nosed kid. Cayuga CC commit.
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2019 RHP Jacob Horodnick (Vernon-Verona-Sherril)
Long athletic build, and pounded the strike zone all game. Threw a complete game shutout for VVS and had a perfect game through 4 ⅔ innings. Horodnick featured a FB: 75-77 (79), a tight CB: 67-69 (70). Finished the game with a stat line of 9 Ks, 0 walks and only 2 hits allowed in a 2-0 victory.
Lean, lanky, high waisted lefty with a high ceiling once he physically develops. Showed poise and command of both sides of the plate, FB sits 74-75 from a ¾ slot.
2019 RHP Brendan O’Neill (Pleasantville)
Lanky, athletic Skidmore commit was solid on the mound at Croton Harmon in a 1-0 loss. Over the top arm action creating downhill action producing a lot of ground balls. FB had some late life with excellent command. CG 6IP 1R 4H 3Ks. Only 66 pitches.
2020 RHP Nick Giattino (Fox Lane)
Sturdy uncommitted RHP with a long max effort action. Throws everything as hard as he can for as long as he can, which today was 4 innings. His FB has a little natural cut to it as he slings it from a mid ¾ slot. When he stays on path it’s very live at 83-86 topping out today at 87 MPH. Flashed a slider that has depth at 72-74 MPH but he has a tendency to overthrow it as high as 78 MPH which flattened it out. When he stayed under control with his velocity, the slider dominated. He ran into command issues in his fourth and final frame. Giattino also features an 11/5 curveball that sits 67-68 MPH.
2019 RHP John Alley (Fox Lane)
Not going to intimidate anyone with his slight frame and size, or his 76-78 MPH fastball (max 79), but might just dominate with his 70-71 MPH wipeout slider. He leans heavily on the off speed pitch, and the comfort level he enjoys with that pitch gives him the ability to pitch backwards making his FB appear much harder than it actually is. More in the tank as he physically develops.
2020 INF Luke Lawson (Geneva)
A 5-foot-10 lean but projectable frame. The left handed hitter has a slightly open stance and a smooth swing. Showed good plate discipline in the game against Penn Yann. Also runs well on the bases. Had base hit going backside with two strikes and pull the ball over the RF head just missing a HR.
2020 INF Luke Lawson (Geneva) with a nice lefty swing. Loose quick hands and projectable frame. pic.twitter.com/Xi9JH3fyF2
— PBR New York (@PBRNewYork) April 10, 2019
2019 OF Chris DeSousa (Massapequa / University of Tampa Commit)
Physical, athletic 6-foot-2 200 pound RHH hitter with an even setup on top of the plate; short, compact swing path; found plenty of barrels vs. Division going 4-for-4 with a triple in a scrimmage.
Our Boots ? on the Ground in Long Island saw 2019 OF Chris DeSousa (Massapequa) go 4-for-4 with a triple vs. Division on Friday.
— PBR New York (@PBRNewYork) April 14, 2019
Our Week 2 Scout Blog will be out Tuesday with coverage from Long Island to Buffalo this past week. #shapethestate @PbrNy pic.twitter.com/NiCwdCvmrc
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UPCOMING EVENTS
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| 2019 Improve My Profile With Game Video | NY | 04/01 | New York |
| Northeast JUCO Day - Upstate NY | NY | 06/04 | Gutchess Lumber Complex |
| Northeast JUCO Day - Downstate NY | NY | 06/05 | Dutchess Stadium |
| 2019 NYS Games | NY | 06/25 | Binghamton, NY |
| 2019 Campus Series - College of St. Rose | NY | 07/09 | Plumeri Sports Complex |
| 2019 Campus Series - Niagara University | NY | 07/10 | Bobo Field |
| 2019 Campus Series - Stony Brook University | NY | 07/16 | Joe Nathan Field |
| Northern NY Summer Open | NY | 07/19 | Lowville HS |
| 2019 Call to the Hall | NY | 07/24 | Doubleday Field |
| Junior Future Games | NATIONAL | 07/30 | LakePoint |
| 2019 Campus Series - St. Bonaventure University | NY | 07/30 | Fred Handler Park |
| 2019 Campus Series - St. John's University | NY | 07/30 | Jack Kaiser Stadium |