CLASS OF 2027

James Venick, Harvard-Westlake (CA), 2027 Southern California
Positional Profile: RHP Upper-half-driven arm with a short, repeatable delivery.
Body: 6-4, 216-pounds. Firm, athletic, imposing frame with present strength throughout.
Delivery: Side-facing wind up stance. Glove rests at chest level with a quick, medium leg kick towards the chest. Body stays postured up throughout with minimal sink into the rear hips, lunging forward. Hips and shoulders move somewhat in sync with minimal separation. Very upper-half oriented for power. Very repeatable, easy delivery.
Arm Action: RH. Low 3/4 release point with a quick, full-circle arm backpath. Short arm action with minimal recoil present.
FB: T93, 91-93 mph. Shows lots of life with some ASR present. T2380, 2230 average rpm.
SL: 77-79 mph. Sharp horizontal movement, almost sweep-like. T2808, 2594 average rpm.

4/07/26

Venick came in to close in what was already a blowout game, which can lead to some lapses of concentration even for a professional arm, let alone a high school pitcher. But, the USC commit showed no signs of any focus issues as he dominated the three hitters he faced with a powerful two-pitch arsenal in his 90-93 MPH FB that showed running life with the ability to ride when thrown up in the zone and sharp 78-80 MPH SLD. He dropped in for good measure a solid 78-79 MPH CHG, which has potential, but was not necessary as a primary offering in this outing. Venick is another Team SoCal alum from the 2025 Prep Baseball Future Games, and like his HW teammate Kirchner, has made quality gains across the board. The life on all his pitches has ticked up, but that has come with a cleaning up of the delivery for Venick, which is now cleaner, more athletic, and more repeatable than it was during the summer of 2025. His development is allowing the righthander to consistently tap into what is looking like a high-leverage relief profile at the floor, but is giving realistic starting potential to his future, both at HW or once he arrives at his next level destination.

7/24/25

James Venick, Harvard-Westlake (CA), 2027
Positional Profile: RHP Long, durable right-hander with clean mechanics, late life on the fastball, and developing secondary pitches that show swing-and-miss potential.
Body: 6-3, 211-pounds. Athletic, sturdy frame with present strength and room for continued physical development.
Delivery: Tall, upright setup with glove positioned at chest height. Employs a high leg kick to generate rhythm and drive, creating strong separation between hips and hands. Maintains balance and control throughout, finishing with a full, directional follow-through down the mound.
Arm Action: RH. Delivers from a high 3/4 arm slot with a full-circle arm path, generating a long, whippy release that creates late arm speed and extension. Natural follow-through while maintaining balance and directional control toward the plate.
FB: T89, 86-87 mph. FB with ride/run traits; above-average vertical carry and moderate arm-side life. Induced whiffs in and at the top of the zone. T2258, 1989 average rpm.
SL: 75-75 mph. SL shows sharp vertical bite with little sweep. The depth makes it effective for potential swing-and-miss situations. Work in progress pitch. 2238 average rpm.
CH: 76-79 mph. Tumbling action with heavy arm-side run and minimal vertical drop. The low spin helps play into the late fade, creating separation from the FB and inducing weak contact and missed barrels. T1700, 1629 average rpm.

5/31/25

James Venick, Harvard-Westlake (CA), 2027
Positional Profile: RHP/OF High-ceiling starter potential right-hander with lots of movement on pitches.
Body: 6-4, 206-pounds. Athletic, firm frame with plenty of strength to add.
Delivery: Tall, straight up stance. Glove set at chest level. High leg kick. Strong hip-hands separation. Follows through fully.
Arm Action: RH. Low 3/4 arm slot. Full circle arm path. Long, whip-like release. Medium recoil after release.
FB: T88, 87-88 mph. Live pitch. Slight arm-side run. Can command well. T2121, 2056 average rpm.
SL: 70-71 mph. Has sweeping action. Great horizontal break. T2102, 2063 average rpm.

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