The book has been closed on the 2020 draft class and all eyes are now squarely focused on the 2021 class. The premier event of the summer circuit, the Perfect Game National Showcase, was the first major event for prep players across the country since mid-March, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought life to a screeching halt.
It has been a little over two weeks since the event ended and it was my first look at many of the players in this draft class. Since then, I have been reviewing my own video and notes to determine who impressed and disappointed me the most. Many of the pitching prospects impressed throughout the week, as showcases tend to favor that demographic and the prep pitching class appears to be deep. However, a few big names struggled to make good impressions.
Since the end of the event, these players have gone off to play in other events and summer leagues, so those will be included in my notes about these players. Most of the players below are included in Perfect Game’s Top 100, but a couple have dropped out due to their recent performances.
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C Ian Moller, Wahlert Catholic HS (IA)
I had high expectations for Moller heading into the event and he did not disappoint. He was outstanding in drills, as he possessed a pop time of 1.80 seconds, which ranked him third amongst catchers in the category, and had a strong arm capable of reaching 84 mph on throws to second base. He’s very athletic behind the plate and he possesses a good blocking ability, too.
With the bat, Moller has a smooth and clean swing and generates a lot of power, which was extremely evident in BP and in-game. He is able to sit back extremely well during his load, which helps his timing. He showed off power to all fields in game, as he crushed one ball for a ground-rule double in Game 1 and hit another with authority to the opposite field in Game 2. Overall, he has made a solid case to be the top prep position player in this draft class and I am excited to see what he does the rest of the summer.
Be sure to catch our video conversation with him here and our feature piece on his upbringing as a Black athlete here.
OF Benny Montgomery, Red Land HS (PA)
The toolset that Montgomery possesses is otherworldly. In drills, he showed off a stellar arm that touched 97 mph from right field and ran the third fastest 60 yard dash of the entire event at 6.32. There is a lot of pop in his bat and his BP was particularly loud, as he peppered the left field wall repeatedly. In-game, he was able to beat out a grounder with a home-to-first time of 4.15-4.18 and showed off a sound, yet unorthodox, approach. He continued his stellar performances by continuing to show off his premier speed and power for Team Elite Nation at a PBR event the following week, lacing a triple in one game. At 6’4, 200 pounds, Montgomery still has some projection in his lanky frame and there is a chance that you could see 60 grades for future value across the board for him.
We recently spoke with Benny about a wide variety of topics. Catch the video here.
INF Tommy White, IMG Academy (FL)
White was someone who really turned heads down in Hoover. An NC State commit from Florida powerhouse IMG Academy, power has been the name of the game for White. His BP was very impressive, as he hit at least three home runs into the left field bullpen with ease. He has a knack for finding the barrel and he showcased power to all fields. He has good pitch recognition skills, turning on pitches inside in-game. Most notably, he is able to make adjustments during his at-bats and take pitches down the line, which he did to an inside fastball in Game 1 for him. Defensively, he has a strong accurate arm and moves well for his size at the hot corner. He’s going to be a fun follow to watch in the coming year.
LHP Maddux Bruns, Ums-Wright Preparatory (AL)
Last summer, Bruns was a pitcher that sat more in the high-80’s, but had the ability to improve after an impressive performance for the 17U National Team. But his performance at PG National was the most eye-opening of any pitcher in the class. He thoroughly grabbed my attention when he started his outing, as he started with a 94 mph fastball, following it up with an impressive curveball, and then finishing the sequence with a 96 mph fastball. His entire arsenal has swing and miss potential, as he worked mainly 92-96 mph with impressive spin rates, a big breaking curveball and tight cutter that both have a downer shape to them and equally impressive spin rates. Bruns easily pitched himself into first round conversation in my book and he could very well be the top prep southpaw for the 2021 class now.
RHP Jackson Jobe, Heritage Hall HS (OK)
Jobe came into the event as a natural shortstop and he showed potential with the bat in BP. But he left the event as a highly talented right-handed pitcher. Jobe came out guns blazing with a fastball that touched 96 mph and showcased one of the best, if not the best, sliders during the week. The pitch had devastating movement and was routinely topping 3,000 RPM on spin rate. He continued the excellent pitching the following week, as he touched 94 mph at PG Elite and continued to show off an excellent slider and an advanced feel for a change-up. He is very raw, as his mechanics will need some work, but he’s a fun prospect that's got legitimate two-way talent that’s quickly trending up in rankings.
LHP Josh Hartle, Reagan HS (NC)
Hartle has been my favorite arm in North Carolina for a little while now. At 6’5, 195 pounds, there is a lot of projection yet to come for Hartle and he’s got an advanced feel for all three of his pitches. His fastball sat 88-91 mph throughout his outing and was paired with a big sweeping curveball that has serious bite to it and a change-up that shows potential to be a plus pitch. His delivery looks relatively effortless and he is able to repeat it well, plus he has a clean arm action. He has an innate ability to tunnel his curveball and change-up and there is serious deception in his frame, as he is able to get a low release point, despite being as tall as he is. He is thoroughly in the mix to be the best southpaw in this prep class and he is someone that I hope to get a lot more looks at before next summer.
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SS Luke Leto, Portage Central HS (MI)
Leto is one of the more famous names in this year’s class, but I left the event with more questions than answers about him. In drills, he looked very stiff and moved a lot like a first baseman. He did clean it up a bit in-game, but the stiffness was very notable. There’s a good likelihood that Leto will not stick in the infield as he progresses, as he could end up in a corner outfield spot. With the bat, he has a good ability to hit, but the swing is not as smooth as it used to be. Whether that be due to rust or not, there is a hitch in his swing. As he enters the load of his swing, his hands seem to stop for a split second before resuming motion, which could be causing him some issues with his timing. However, that is my only issue with his swing. A lot of my questions arise from the defense and his future position.
RHP Brodie Chestnutt, Houston County HS (GA)
Chestnutt was a prep pitcher that intrigued me heading into the event, but I walked away a little disappointed. Primarily a fastball-curveball guy, Chestnutt’s heater sat 87-90 mph and topped out at 91 mph with some running life to it and the curveball did garner some swings and misses, but he did struggle to command the baseball a bit and he was knocked around. The spin rates on the fastball aren’t awe-inspiring either, as they were around 2,000-2,200 RPM. There is projection to his frame and he has appeared to look better in events following, but he has dropped outside of my Top 100 for right now.
LHP Cyle Phelan, Fuquay-Varina HS (NC)
Phelan is a local kid to me, as he goes to school within 15 minutes of my house, and I had heard good things about him leading up to PG National. However, there is a lot to be desired with Phelan. He struggled throughout his outing, with his fastball sitting 85-88 mph and his breaking ball in the mid-70’s with some bite to it. The command was sporadic at best, which I thought was one of his better tools heading into the event. In events following, he has looked better, but the velocity was in the mid-80’s, slightly concerning. I think there is still some projection to his frame, so I am holding out hope that he adds some velocity as the summer progresses, but he is trending the wrong direction.
OF Roc Riggio, Thousand Oaks HS (CA)
Riggio is one of the more interesting prospects for 2021. He has a lot of power in his 5’9, 180 pound frame, but it was not necessarily on display at PG National. He struggled in BP and in-game, he struggled a bit with the barrel and had a hard time making contact. In the field, his arm wasn’t too impressive either. He ran a 60 time of 7.33 and his outfield velocity was 88 mph in drills, which is a little concerning. However, he has looked better since then, but I would like to see a lot more from Riggio as the summer progresses. He’s still a Top 100 prep player in my book, but he did suffer a big drop from my previous rankings.