Hunter Pence Scout Day: Top Ranked 2019 Grads

J.J. Goss burst onto the scene this summer when the right-hander was pumping 90 mph. A Texas A&M recruit, Goss stands 6-foot-2, 167-pounds, with a long-limbed, loose-projectable frame. He works from a high-¾ slot with a long, loose, quick arm stroke and an athletic, drop-and-drive delivery. He shows great command of his fastball that usually sits 88-90 mph, with more velocity to come in the future. His slider is a plus pitch with sharp 11/5 break at 78-80 mph. He can mix in a low-80’s changeup with fastball arm speed and also throws a low-70’s curveball with more downward shape.

Justin Barnes, a recent Louisiana-Lafayette commit, was electric in one inning of work at HP’s Scout Day. The right-hander sat 86-88 mph with a swing and miss slider at 75-76 mph. Also worth noting is that Barnes threw 92 mph from the outfield and registered an exit velocity of 91 mph. The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has a young face, that, combined with a whippy arm should be able to continue maturing into even more velocity. Coming from a tough ¾ slot, Barnes showcases a quick arm and pounds the bottom of the zone with a fastball that jumps out of his hand, and has been up to 90 mph. Overall, Barnes has great stuff and a high ceiling.

Jake Combs (Cypress Ranch HS) has been committed to ULL for a while, and is an all-around athletic player. He mixes smooth actions, quick footwork, and fast hands at shortstop. After a full workout in the morning session, Combs jumped on the bump for an inning. He has a quick, clean arm stroke from a ¾ slot with his fastball in the 82-84 mph range, and a 70-73 mph sharp slider with 10-4 shape.