Cooper
Benson

8/1/18 - Six-foot, 190-pounds, large frame with strength throughout particularly through the backside and thighs with a barrel chest and strength in the shoulders and arms/forearms. Full arm path in the back with a hint of wrist wrap. Arm is fast with regular effort. Drops and drives down the mound with quick & free hips and his strong lower half through to a high ¾ arm slot with ball exploding out of his hand. Lands square to the target in an athletic position. Fastball shows late life and is heavy as it enters the hitting zone with plus command while spotting it at or below the knees consistently. Pitch is deceptive in that it's on hitters quickly. Changeup shows cut action from the same arm speed and slot as fastball. Curveball shows plus pitch potential with its sharp, late biting action and 11/5 shape. Commands curveball very well and keeps it down. Benson shows plus secondary stuff making his fastball play up. His active delivery adds a bit of deception as he hides the ball well in the back.

7/15/18 - Benson currently sits atop the 2019 Top 100 player rankings and he showed that he belongs in that conversation. Working at his usual quick pace, Benson pounded the zone with his fastball at 87-88 which worked black-to-black and elevated for a different look. He appears to put some cut movement on the pitch at times causing more angst for hitters. His curveball at 68-70 was an excellent change of pace pitch and is deceptive given the same slot and arm he uses to deliver it. The Arizona State commit is a two-way player on his high school team where he's an excellent outfield, but he only pitched today.

6/24/18 - A 6-foot, 197-pound Arizona State recruit, pitched three innings, allowing one hit, four runs (none earned), two walks and four strikeouts. Benson's fastball ranged between 85-89 mph, pitching mostly 87-88 with occasional arm-side life. He also flashed a few 69-72 breaking balls with slurve shape and 75-77 changeups. There's some deception in the drop-and-drive delivery, coming out of a side rocker step with energy as the fastball seems to play up. He hides it well with a deep takeaway in the back, and has a fast, athletic arm with some effort at front strike.

2/14/20: Although he doesn’t profile as a future high round pick due his limited physical projection (6-foot, 200 pounds) and effort in his delivery, Benson is an exciting freshman arm for the Sun Devils and well-deserving of his impact freshman ranking. He fills the strike zone with an 89-91 mph high spin heater and 75 mph curveball which shows plus potential. His fastball is sneaky and has good carry to the plate. During his first college start against Michigan, he scattered six hits over 6.1 innings while striking out eight.