Prep Baseball Report

2017 Rankings Update Preview: Top 17 in '17 (#1-5)



By Jacob Gill
Pennsylvania Assistant Director of Scouting

Our preview of the soon-to-be updated 2017 rankings concludes today with a sneak peak at our top five prospects. All previous 2017 Rankings Update Preview articles are listed below under Recent PA News.

[Note: these rankings will not be reflected on player pages or in the overall list until the final update is input at the end of the week]

5. Cole Stetzar, RHP/IF, West Scranton
Often when a prospect is listed as a dual player, it is pretty clear at which one he will ultimately end up. In Stetzar's case, however, he is being recruited as someone who has a legitimate chance to contribute both ways at the college level. On the mound, he features a whippy arm that generates a mid- to upper-80s fastball along with a solid secondary offerings. At the plate, the athletic 6-foot, 180-pound right handed hitter has shown a loose swing with the ability to make outfielders turn and run to both the pull and oppo sides.

4. Zach McCambley, RHP, Pocono Mountain East
For notes on McCambley, see Monday's article on the top newcomers in the rankings. Shortly after that article was posted, McCambley announced his verbal commitment to Coastal Carolina.

Joe Lancellotti3. Joe Lancellotti, OF/RHP, Archbishop Wood
Like Stetzar, Lancellotti (pictured at right) has the potential to get at-bats and log innings in college (where he is verbally committed to North Carolina). The solidly built 6-foot, 195-pound right-handed hitter keeps his approach simple and the ball jumps off his barrel. On the mound, he has some effort in his delivery, but has shown the ability to hold his upper-80s (touch 90) fastball from the first inning to the seventh.

Trent Vietmeier2. Trent Vietmeier, RHP, Montour
The Louisiana State commit sports a quick arm along with a physically developed 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame. Sources tell us that his fastball has routinely reached 91, occasionally touching 93, this summer. His arm is relatively fresh, given his usage as a reliever during the first season and a half of his high school career, although the shackles came off during a playoff run last spring that saw him carry his effectiveness forward (40 K vs 7 BB) despite the role change to a starter.

Shane Muntz1. Shane Muntz, C/RHP, Malvern Prep
We've stated this before, but it bears repeating: this Virginia Tech commit is a manchild with an intimidating presence. While there may not be a ton of physical projection to be done with his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame, the ease at which he gets his fastball up to 91 indicates there could still be another level to which he jumps. In addition, he's got some nasty in him when toeing the rubber. The right-handed hitter continues to make strides as a position player, where his raw power has always been evident, while an improved approach is allowing him to more consistently barrel the baseball. Behind the dish, he has posted an in-game best pop time of 2.03.

Recent PA News