Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Elite Prospect Showcase Analysis: Class of 2018

November 3, 2014

By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

The 2014 Elite Prospect Showcase took place Saturday, November 1st at Keystone State Baseball Academy in Manheim, PA with 56 prospects from three states displaying their skills. The following is a look at the six freshman (class of 2018) participants.

Based in South Philly, the Bubba Baseball program is still in its infancy, but coach Kevin Schneider has quickly amassed a strong collection of young talent. 6-foot-1, 170-pound Malvern Prep RHP Brady Devereux (loose arm, FB 80-82, tight 69-70 CB) and 6-foot-1, 180-pound Lancaster Catholic 1B/LHP Dillon Marsh (FB 83-85, 90-mph exit velo) are two of the top prospects who helped Bubba win its pool in its first appearance in the WWBA Underclass World Championship last month. Read more about these two, as well as 6-foot-1, 185-pound Red Land RHP/3B Zeb Stough (FB 83-85, 88-mph exit velo) in our recap of the day's top performances.

Joining Devereux and Marsh on the Bubba roster is Bishop Eustace Prep (NJ) infielder Sky Duff, who took one of the most impressive batting practice rounds of the day. The left-handed hitter starts open, strides to square, and otherwise keeps things simple. His hands work and he stays on top of the ball well, allowing him to generate consistent backspin, while he logged a top exit velocity of 77-mph. The 5-foot-8, 145-pounder showed well defensively with solid feet and hands, as well as an 81-mph arm. His bat should play regardless, but his prospect status will jump significantly if he can improve his 7.52 60-yard dash.

La Salle catcher Hunter McGarvey consistently flashed more-than-respectable-for-his-age pop times of 2.19-2.22 with a 68-mph arm, while receiving and blocking well. Throwing will improve when he gets his feet going faster to sync with his upper half. Offensively, his head and body come forward with his stride, but he takes a short swing path and showed a feel for getting the barrel to the baseball.

Dallastown infielder Roberto Barranca is a switch-hitter who ran a 7.12 60-yard dash. Defensively, his 70-mph arm strength will limit him to second base until it improves, although his speed and quick feet would play in the outfield as well. From the left side of the plate, he incorporates a quick, lift-and-replace stride that takes him from square to closed and lays the bat flat behind him to launch. From the right side, he uses a similar, albeit more controlled stride, and spins a little bit, which could be helped by incorporating his backside more into his swing. Barranca worked around the ball with a pull-oriented approach from both sides. His bat speed and ability to drive the baseball (72-mph exit velocity) should improve as he adds strength to his 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame.

additional pa news: