BACKGROUND: Freshman phenom for Air Force, played everyday between catcher and designated hitter, posted a 1.193 OPS and secured 11 saves in 18 appearances as the Falcons’ closer.
WHAT HE SHOWED: Skenes works from a 3Q arm slot with very smooth mechanics and a short arm action. Hides the ball for a long time and creates a lot of deception. Not much effort to his velo, just looks like he's out there playing catch with his catcher. Definitely an athlete, XXL frame and has a mountainous presence on the mound. Fastball sat 91-93 MPH and touched 94, good spin traits and works well up. Slider was 82-85 with good lateral and vertical break. Changeup was 84-85, an advanced pitch that falls off the table. Command was a bit off in this look, with the fastball and change just missing armside.
OUTLOOK: Skenes is showing signs of fatigue from a long year, with a lot of demand placed on his arm. The stuff across the board was above average in my look, but I have heard he was up to 98 with the fastball and a plus slider earlier in the summer. In any event, Skenes is a very exciting two way player to follow in the 2023 class that showed first round potential as a catcher in the spring, and as a pitcher in the summer.
Dalton Rushing (1B/C, Louisville, 2022) - #33 in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/18, 7/30, 8/6, 8/8, 8/10
BACKGROUND: Slugging first baseman/catcher that had received little playing time at Louisville due to being behind Alex Binelas and Henry Davis, but produced when he got the opportunity to step into the batter’s box.
WHAT HE SHOWED: Rushing's swing features a high hand load, and his hands stay loaded for quite a long time during his swing. This lets him plant his lead foot early and really let his hips and shoulders drive the barrel through the zone. Rushing's bat speed is plus, and while there is some swing and miss he can drive pitches at both the top and bottom of the zone. He's got plus game power and is a threat to go deep in any part of the field. Defensively, Rushing did catch some on the Cape and has a plus arm, but his actions are slow and his pop times are average. This is a 1B only profile, but Rushing handles that position well. He has soft hands, smooth actions, and shows an aptitude for picks.
OUTLOOK: The Cape was a coming out party for Rushing, as he was one of three qualifying hitters on the Cape to have a batting average over .300, OBP over .400, and SLG over .500, with #1 prospect Brock Wilken and #2 prospect Brooks Lee being the others. He has solidly positioned himself as one of the top college first baseman in this draft class, and could put up monster numbers in the spring for the Cardinals.
Ryan Ritter (SS, Kentucky, 2022) - #44 in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/12, 7/18, 8/1, 8/6, 8/8
BACKGROUND: Toolsy JUCO transfer from John A. Logan CC (IL) with a prep pedigree that struggled against SEC pitching in the spring, but was a lock in the lineup due to strong defense at shortstop.
WHAT HE SHOWED: Ritter's hands were active in his load during my first few looks, which made it difficult for his barrel to stay on plane through the zone. However, in later looks Ritter's hands were lower and much quieter, and his ability to lift the ball was definitely improving. Ritter has flashed some good pull side pop in games, and he's got the athleticism and frame to project additional power in pro ball. On defense, there wasn't much need for adjustments. Ritter is a very athletic up the middle defender, and has the range and smooth actions to make tricky plays look easy and hard plays seem feasible. There were instances where he'd try and do too much and concede an extra base with a bad throw, but on the whole this is a package that has a solid likelihood of matriculating into plus defense at shortstop.
OUTLOOK: The last few weeks of Ritter’s Cape campaign got evaluators very excited about Ritter as a potential first round pick. While that may come to pass, Ritter has still been able to put it all together at the plate, and is still more of an upside bet with the bat than a sure thing. However, with that upside and plus defense at a premium position, it’s hard to see a scenario where Ritter falls outside of the top 75 picks.
Mark Adamiak (RHP, Arkansas, 2022) - NR in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/17
BACKGROUND: Didn’t pitch at all for Arkansas in the spring.
WHAT HE SHOWED: Adamiak pitches from a high 3Q armslot, with an average length to his arm swing and some effort in his delivery. Fastball is low to mid 90s and touched 97 in my look. Velocity is mostly what drives the pitch profile here, as the fastball spin is solidly average and the shape is fairly generic. He has a slider and change as secondary offerings, and really relies on each pitch as the main secondary to right and left handed batters respectively. Slider is low 80s with above average depth and bite that flashes plus, and Adamiak commands it well to his gloveside. Changeup is low 80s and has some good armside fade, but an inconsistent release point affects the shape and command of the pitch.
OUTLOOK: Adamiak was the hardest thrower that I saw live on the Cape, and as such was able to attract a lot of attention from scouts when he took the mound this summer. There are command problems that cause concern about his future as a starter, but the more pressing issue might be opportunity--Adamiak finds himself behind Peyton Pallette, Jaxon Wiggins and freshman Hagen Smith on the starting depth chart. Stuff like this shouldn’t be limited to spot duty and weekday starts, so Adamiak could very well follow in the footsteps of Matt Cronin and Kevin Kopps as an elite late inning arm for the Razorbacks.
Pres Cavenaugh (OF, UNC Greensboro, 2022) - #47 in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/23, 7/30, 8/6, 8/7
BACKGROUND: Reliable producer in the UNCG lineup this spring, with a good combination of power and speed to supplement strong on-base skills.
WHAT HE SHOWED: Cavenaugh's swing is quiet and simple. His timing mechanism is a short step towards the pitcher, and his hands naturally drift down from about head high to letter high as he gears up to swing. He's short to the ball, and while he did struggle with pitches on the outer half occasionally, he's generally got a keen eye and a swing path that's good at elevating. He was more of a gap to gap hitter in my looks, but has the build and exit velocities to suggest fringe average game power upon the completion of his development. Cavenaugh has a solid arm and good range in left field, where I think he'll be a defensive asset. Could possibly be an average defender in center, which might be where he starts in pro ball to take pressure off his bat.
OUTLOOK: If there was one ding on Cavenaugh’s spring, it was a 23% strikeout rate in a smaller conference. On the Cape, Cavenaugh flipped the script; the over-the-fence power demonstrated in the SoCon was gap to gap with a wood bat, but the strikeout rate was trimmed down to 15%. Cavenaugh emerged from the Cape with only one carrying tool above average, but it was the most important one--the hit tool. Continuing these positive developments in swing decisions and contact rate could give Cavenaugh the helium needed to sneak into second round discussions for teams in 2022.
Dale Stanavich (LHP, Rutgers, 2022) - NR in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/30, 8/7
BACKGROUND: Transfer from Herkimer CC (NY) that got the lion’s share of save opportunities for Rutgers in 2021, arrived on the Cape as a temporary player on Brewster’s roster.
WHAT HE SHOWED: Stanavich pitches from a high 3Q armslot, with a moderately long arm path that helps him hide the ball on his back hip and stay in time with his long, drop and drive delivery. His fastball is in the low 90s with good carry up in the zone, though Stanavich will occasionally lose his release point with his timing intensive delivery and miss over his catcher's outstretched glove. He did get more comfortable and consistent as Brewster went into the postseason, so some of it might be attributed to nerves. His main out pitch is a gyro slider in the low 80s that has good vertical movement, which plays off the fastball very well.
OUTLOOK: Stanavich may have come to the Cape as a relative unknown, but he left as the closer on a championship winning team. He has a legit two pitch combo in that four seam fastball and gyro slider, and possesses a low release point to create a tough angle for hitters trying to square up that heater. A bulldog presence is also a plus, and even though he’ll be 23 on draft day, don’t be surprised if Stanavich hears his name called in the 3rd to 5th round area as a pool saving senior sign.
Max Romero (C, Miami, 2022) - #46 in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/17, 7/27, 7/31
BACKGROUND: Vanderbilt catcher that hit in limited plate appearances, but ceded time to the older and more defensively minded CJ Rodriguez (5th round pick by the A’s in 2021).
WHAT HE SHOWED: Romero has a very strong core and uses it well to generate all fields power without having much of a backswing. This core strength also allows him to eliminate a front foot stride in his two strike approach, while still having the capability to drive the ball to the gaps if a mistake is made. His swing mechanics are smooth and there's barrel feel, but the bat path is long and there's a pretty substantial swing and mess component at play. Defensively, Romero's receiving and blocking is below average--he's built stout enough to handle the rigors of the position physically, but without much in terms of twitchiness he might need to rework his body to gain some more mobility behind the plate. There is plus arm strength here, and in a small sample Romero did control the running game well for Chatham.
OUTLOOK: Romero made the decision to enter the transfer portal during the summer, and shortly after the CCBL season ended it was revealed that he was going to play for the University of Miami in 2022. He’ll be looking to show evaluators his improvements defensively behind the dish, and replace Adrian Del Castillo’s spot as a middle of the order masher for the Hurricanes.
Chase DeLauter (OF, James Madison, 2022) - #3 in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/16, 7/24, 7/31
BACKGROUND: Starting center fielder for James Madison that put up video game numbers in parts of two COVID shortened seasons for the Dukes.
WHAT HE SHOWED: A large framed man with a strong base, DeLauter's hands move very quickly through the zone--with advanced bat control emphasized over bat speed that shows plus when DeLauter is in big swing mode. The end result is great; DeLauter has an easy swing that gets to the ball on time, and said ball jumps off his bat. The power is massive, and he can go yard from pole to pole. In the field, DeLauter has moved from an outfield corner to center out of necessity, and has looked good enough that he should probably be considered there in his pro development until he plays himself off the position. He gets good reads on balls, has above average closing speeds, runs strong routes, and has shown off his plus arm on numerous occasions to nab baserunners.
OUTLOOK: DeLauter has the most exciting combination of hit and power on the Cape, and has raised his stock immensely. He looks every bit like a Top 10 overall pick in 2022, and could be under consideration as an underslot candidate for the Orioles at 1-1.
Eric Adler (RHP, Wake Forest, 2022) - #18 in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 8/8
BACKGROUND: Worked in an expanded late inning relief role for Wake Forest in 2021, with a loud fastball and slider combo that wasn’t lacking in the stuff department--but did leave a bit to be desired in the command department.
WHAT HE SHOWED: Adler works from a 3Q arm slot with a high leg kick and some effort to his velo. He pitches with intent, and that intent in Bourne was to salt away wins for the Braves. He features a mid to high 90s fastball that touches 99 MPH with plus carry and plus spin rates, a power curve in the mid 80s with plus plus vertical break and spin rates in excess of 2800 RPMs. Sprinkled in a cutter at 91 with solidly above average vertical break, need to see more to really evaluate it fully.
OUTLOOK: Adler had the best two pitch mix I saw on the Cape this summer, with both the fastball and slider having the potential for 70 grades with more looks. Needless to say, Adler performed at an elite level on the Cape as a closer. It'll be interesting to see how Wake uses him in 2022, but he is undoubtedly the best relief prospect in the draft right now.
Quick Hits:
Jack Brannigan (2B/SS, Notre Dame, 2022) - NR in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/24, 8/2
Brannigan has above average raw power and the range and arm to play shortstop, even if he didn't get a lot of opportunities to show it at Wareham behind Tommy Troy and Jim Jarvis. He did have trouble lifting the ball with regularity and struggled with breaking balls on the Cape, so spin recognition will be a big focal point of his 2022 campaign with the Fighting Irish. If he improves in that regard, then you're looking at a strong overall package of power and infield defense that should be off the board by the 3nd round.
Cayden Wallace (OF, Arkansas, 2022) - #32 in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/18
Wallace arrived on campus at Arkansas with a strong prep pedigree, and played very well in a middle of the lineup role for them during their run in Omaha. I only had the chance to see Wallace once before he headed home to prepare for fall ball with the Razorbacks, but it only takes one or two at bats to recognize that he has one of the quickest bats in college baseball. There's swing and miss in this package, but Wallace's swing decisions are generally good and there's loud raw power that gets into games. Expect him to be model friendly despite some high strikeout totals due to his age and performance, and off the board by the end of round 1 in the 2022 draft.
Carter Trice (SS/3B, Old Dominion, 2023) - #43 in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 8/1, 8/6, 8/8
Trice had a big freshman year at Old Dominion, and arrived at Cotuit in mid July after playing for the USCNT earlier that summer. He rounded into form offensively in the playoffs, and roped a pair of doubles in Cotuit's final game of the season. There are some concerns about his arm in the infield, as a number of throwing errors led him to get pulled for a defensive replacement at 3B on more than one occasion. However, Trice was a very young player on the Cape that played a lot of baseball, so it might be more attributable to fatigue than something to seriously monitor going forward. Keep a eye peeled on Trice, as he is still one of the top follows for the 2023 draft class.
Chris Newell (CF, Virginia, 2022) - #36 in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/30, 8/6, 8/7
Newell had an uneven spring for the Virginia Cavaliers, one that saw him struggle with whiffs and show off his plus raw power, but also an inability to get it into games. On the Cape for Harwich, he was able to curtail some of those strikeouts and displayed realized game power. A plus athlete, Newell played strong defense in center field with a plus outfield arm and above average foot speed. Further improvements will need to be made in regards to swing decisions, but Newell has all the makings of a projectable college bat that could break out in 2022 and rocket up draft boards.
Trey Faltine (SS, Texas, 2022) - NR in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/30, 7/31, 8/6
Faltine was in the top tier of defensive players on the Cape this summer, and possesses smooth transitions and a plus arm with double plus strength. There was some inconsistency related to Faltine rushing his actions at times, but the talent and playmaking ability definitely trend towards a plus defender at short. With that said, while Faltine possesses above average raw power, he really struggled with pitch recognition on the Cape and showed a below average hit tool throughout the summer. There's big pressure on his bat to perform this spring at Texas, and there's a lot of variance in his draft stock at the moment.
Caeden Trenkle (CF, Oklahoma State) - NR in Prospects Live CCBL Top 50
Dates Seen: 7/17, 7/27, 7/31
Trenkle had an inconsistent Cape, with hit tool concerns stemming from a very long hand load that keeps him from getting to balls in the zone on time. With that said, he did show above average power and speed, and reports on his defense in center have been very positive. A swing change is likely needed for him to be able to make enough contact to be a MLB caliber player, but Trenkle definitely possesses the athleticism to make that adjustment feasible.