Caden Dana, ,RHP, Don Bosco Prep (NJ)
Height/Weight: 6’5-225
Draft Age: 18.06
Date(s) Seen: 04/20/22
Pitching Line: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HB, 1 3B
In his first start since competing at NHSI down in North Carolina, Caden Dana was set to face off against bitter rival Bergen Catholic. He performed admirably in a 12-1 Don Bosco victory, yielding a single run in five innings of work. The Kentucky commit has phenomenal size with a long and strong build that projects well at the next level. He’s not an explosive athlete but his movements are fluid on the mound and he repeats his delivery well given his age and size. Dana’s arm action is quick and clean with minimal effort throughout the delivery. The ball comes out of the hand very clean and he does a good job following through his front side. He doesn’t really get down the mound all that much as he releases from a more upright position and from a ¾ arm slot. There are clear starting pitcher traits with the size, delivery, and arm action.
Dana was up to 94 MPH in the 1st inning but sat in the 90-92 MPH range for the majority of his five innings. He sprinkled in some 93s throughout but his average fastball velocity was right around 91 MPH. The fastball got hit hard in the first inning as he gave up an opposite field triple that went to the right-center gap. Dana was able to work around the first inning jitters, limiting Bergen Catholic to a single run, and mostly sailed the rest of the way. The fastball showed running life with some sink and it looked like a solid pitch when located down in the zone. The pitch doesn’t seem to have bat missing shape though he’s shown more life and velocity on the heater in other outings. Dana’s go-to secondary pitch was a curveball in the upper 70s that tunneled well off the fastball and was thrown for strikes consistently. It's at least a solid average pitch presently and will be a dependable weapon for Dana moving forward. Dana also mixed in some 81-82 MPH changeups that flashed some solid arm side fade but without much feel for locating the pitch effectively on this day. Probably the most intriguing offering for Dana was a slider/cutter hybrid that he’s only recently started to utilize. I was caught off guard a bit by this newly developed pitch and wasn’t exactly sure what I was seeing during my live look. The pitch was thrown hard in the 87-89 MPH range and showed tight, late horizontal movement. Dana’s slider is still in the nascent stages of development but it might be the pitch that ends up being his best whiff inducer at the next level. Dana worked all four pitches during this start and generated a lot of weak contact throughout.
There remains a good amount of development for Dana moving forward but he’s already showing impressive polish and poise on the mound. He competed at a high level in this start even without his best stuff. I do wonder if there is a true swing-and-miss offering for Dana at the pro level as the pitcher I saw was more of a pitch-to-contact type of guy. I’ll hopefully get another look at Dana later this spring to see if there are any developments on that front. He’s #95 on our latest draft board and I could see him going anywhere between rounds 4-6 on day two of the draft. I’d expect him to slide right into the weekend rotation as a freshman for the Wildcats should he manage to land at Kentucky next year.
Caden Dana, RHP, Don Bosco Prep (NJ)
Adam Mazur, RHP, Iowa
Height/Weight: 6-2 / 180
Year/Draft Age: Third Year Sophomore / 21.02
Date(s) Seen: 04/22/22
Pitching Line: 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K, 1 2B, 1 3B
This was probably my most highly anticipated pitching performance of the spring. Mazur was a relatively unknown arm before a fantastic showing on the Cape last summer. He’s been a bit up and down this spring, especially in the control/command department, but he’s been absolutely dominant when at his best. In a tough matchup against Rutgers, Mazur showed off his absolute best stuff for eight magnificent innings.
Mazur has a slender build with wiry strength and long limbs. His sloped shoulders don’t provide an overly projectable frame but there are likely some strength gains on the horizon. The body reminds me a bit of Clay Buchholz, a 42nd overall pick by the Red Sox in 2005 that went on to pitch thirteen years in the big leagues. Mazur is an impressive athlete and that shows up in the delivery which was simple and repeatable during my look. He doesn’t get a ton of extension in his delivery with a higher release point but the actions are smooth and the arm works cleanly. Mazur has electric arm speed from a high ¾ slot and that arm talent is a major reason why he’s able to generate impressive velocity from his slight frame.
On Friday, Mazur limited Rutgers to just a single run over eight innings of work. He gave up some hard contact early on during the contest with a well-struck single in the first inning and two extra base hits in the second that led to the Scarlet Knights’ only run of the day. After the 2nd, Mazur allowed only three more baserunners, all of which were recorded on singles. Mazur operated in the 93-95 range with his fastball for most of the afternoon, touching 96 MPH periodically. He held that velocity for six innings before dipping to 92-94 MPH in the seventh and eighth. The fastball was commanded well with good life and spin rates into the 2,300s early on. The pitch shows some late tailing action which makes it hard for hitters to square. It doesn’t have bat-missing shape but he throws it hard enough and mixes in enough secondary pitches to give it whiff potential. Mazur’s most lethal pitch of the afternoon was his slider. Thrown hard in the 83-86 MPH range, Mazur’s plus slider features late two-plane break and is tunneled effectively off the fastball with similar arm speed. Mazur’s feel for the slider improved as the game went on and it became his putaway pitch during the later innings. He also worked in a curveball, more so in the early innings, which was an effective pitch in the upper 70s/low 80s. The curveball had 11-5 shape with good depth at times. The quality of the pitch ranged from the “get-me-over” variety to an above-average weapon. It was his fourth most used pitch on the day which speaks to how strong his arsenal can be at its peak. The changeup was yet another solid offering for Mazur in the low 80s. He threw a plus changeup in the first inning but it mostly graded out as an above-average pitch. The changeup completed the full four-pitch mix and Mazur showed the ability to use any of his weapons in any count throughout his eight innings of dominance. Mazur finished the day with eleven strikeouts, eight of which were of the swinging variety. He generated called strikes and whiffs on all four pitches, getting stronger as the game progressed.
Mazur has clearly hit a groove after some instability early on. Since the Rutgers start, Mazur has pitched 26.2 innings and has allowed only two earned runs. He’s on a streak of six starts without allowing more than two walks or two earned runs. If Mazur can continue to limit free passes and hold his stuff deep into starts as he’s done recently, he has a good shot at hearing his name called before the end of the second round. Mazur is ranked #47 on our most recent draft board.
Adonys Guzman, C, Brunswick School (CT)
Bats/Throws; Right / Right
Height/Weight: 5-11 / 190
Draft Age: 18.07
Date(s) Seen: 04/23/22
Seeing a college game the day before I saw Adonys Guzman in action was a useful comparison tool. Guzman, of course, has a reputation for being one of the premier defensive catchers of not only the 2022 high school class but the 2022 draft class as a whole. It was clear that Guzman would have been a defensive asset had he been a member of either the Rutgers or Iowa rosters that I saw the day prior. There were plenty of scouts in attendance on this day as Brunswick School had a high-profile matchup against Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York. I would be surprised if there's a single amateur scout that believes Guzman will be anything besides a strong defensive catcher at the pro level.
Guzman has a compact and stocky build at 5'11 and 190 pounds which is typical for a professional catcher. The body and overall actions reminded me of Astros catcher Martin Maldonado. Guzman maintains his agility and quickness behind the plate despite his strong and thick frame. He showed this off by making several impressive blocks of balls in the dirt to both his left and right side. Guzman also showed advanced receiving skills. Brunswick's game one starter Boston Flannery (a major 2023 draft prospect) has pro-level stuff and Guzman had no problem handling it. He stole some strikes and showed quiet hands pitch to pitch during both games of the doubleheader. For Guzman, it's the arm that stands out the most. It's not just the arm strength that is an easy plus tool, it's the consistency and quickness of his release that allows it to play to a plus level. With sub 2.00 pop times, Guzman controls the running game in ways most amateur catchers could only dream of. It's not only base stealers that are in danger of being thrown out as Guzman is ready and able to throw behind runners to catch opponents who have strayed too far off first. He did this in game two with a strong, lightning-quick throw to first that clearly gunned down the runner, though the umpire botched the call. Guzman did allow a steal late in game one during a critical moment but Guzman’s transfer and throw were both strong and the play was close. It was a bold steal attempt that surprised most of the scouts in attendance and one that you tip your cap to the base runner. Overall, it was a highly impressive defensive showing for Guzman and he receives some extra props from me for remaining in the squat for both games of a doubleheader. Guzman is committed to his craft and looks comfortable and confident behind the dish.
Guzman's professionalism was on display all day that Saturday afternoon. He's a locked-in competitor with a no-nonsense attitude during games. When Poly Prep brought in a new pitcher in game two, Guzman was standing right up to the first base line watching the reliever warm up. Guzman fits the mold of a quiet leader who leads by example. The professionalism and leadership qualities that Guzman shows bode well for his future as a catcher and a pro player in general.
The performance at the plate wasn’t as noteworthy as the performance behind it but Guzman still showed some ability with the bat. He had a couple of hard hit singles, one of which was the winning run in game one, that were both lined to the outfield. Guzman also made hard contact on a ball hit to center field but it was caught in front of the fence. Guzman’s swing is simple and compact with both bat speed and strength in the swing. He showed the ability to drive the ball even when he wasn’t able to get his best swing off thanks to the strength in his lower half and his hands. Guzman didn’t have any egregious whiffs or issues identifying certain pitches. He expanded the zone a few times but was fairly disciplined during both games at the plate. Guzman didn’t seem to have his timing down which led to some mishits and weak contact. It looked like Guzman was often “around the barrel” which could call into his question his ability to consistently barrel balls at the next level. He’s certainly capable of hitting the ball hard and a long way, something that he’s shown in the past like when he doubled and homered at WWBA in Jupiter this past October.
If Guzman can get to his power in games it will be enough to carry the offensive profile even without high-level bat-to-ball ability. There is certainly a place in the pro game for catchers who hit dingers and defend at a plus level. It’s hard to say how teams will ultimately value him this July as prep catchers tend to find their way to campus. Teams have typically sought high school backstops with a “bat-first” profile though there are exceptions like when the Rockies selected Drew Romo 35th overall in 2020. We at Prospects Live currently have Guzman ranked #145 on our draft board which puts him in 5th-round territory. It should be noted that only six prep catchers have been drafted (and signed) in the 4-10 round range since 2018. Guzman is committed to Boston College and I wouldn’t be surprised if he made it to campus as a central component of the Eagles’ rebuild.
Adonys Guzman, C, Brunswick School (CT)
Other ‘22 Draft Prospects of Note
Peyton Williams, 1B, Iowa
Bats/Throws: Left / Left
Height/Weight: 6-5 / 250
Year/Draft Age: Third Year Sophomore / 21.10
Date(s) Seen: 04/22/22
Batting Line: 1-3, 2 BB
Williams is easily recognizable on the diamond due to his massive frame and imposing presence at the plate. The size and speed limit Williams to first base but I liked his glove/footwork around the bag and I think he could be serviceable there. His value will obviously be tied to his bat and Williams showed some things to like in the box. He has plus bat speed and huge raw power. Williams doesn’t need to sell out for that power as the swing is controlled with good balance at the point of contact. The swing path is pretty flat so even though he can make extremely hard contact, he doesn’t currently have as much home run potential as you’d expect. Williams worked a lot of deep counts in this game and showed an advanced understanding of the strike zone. He’s been able to get on base at a high rate and limit the strikeouts throughout his college career. College first basemen without huge in-game power have a tendency to slide on draft day. There is some day two draft potential, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up being selected in the 11-13 round area on day three of the draft.
Giovanni Colasante, SS/RHP, Poly Prep Country Day School (NY)
Bats/Throws: Right / Right
Height/Weight: 6-3 / 200
Draft Age: 18.05
Date(s) Seen: 04/23/22
Colasante is a two-way prospect with potential on both sides of the ball. He has an impressive physique at 6’3 and 200 pounds with present strength and projection remaining. I didn’t get to see Colasante on the bump or in the field as he was Poly Prep’s designated hitter for both games. The athleticism is impressive and there is some good twitch at the plate. Colasante struggled a bit with his timing and barrel feel during both games. Colasante did show some explosiveness off the barrel on a hard single in game two, showing some impact potential with the bat in the future. He’s committed to Harvard which will make it extremely difficult for a pro team to sign him. Colasante is likely headed to campus and will be a fun two-way threat to follow over the next few years.
Giovanni Colasante, SS/RHP, Poly Prep Country Day (NY)
Devan Kodali, OF, Poly Prep Country Day School (NY)
Bats/Throws: Right / Left
Height/Weight: 6-2 / 180
Draft Age: 18.06
Date(s) Seen: 04/23/22
Kodali, like Colasante, has an impressive combination of athleticism, strength, and future physical projection. He showed off some solid bat speed and looked hitterish at the plate. Kodali recorded above average home-to-first times and looked comfortable gliding around center field. The arm may be a question mark moving forward as he didn’t show off much strength or accuracy on a play at the plate during game one. While he didn’t have much luck with the bat during this two-game sample, you could see the raw tools and body projection on display. Kodali is committed to Vanderbilt which likely means he will be headed to campus instead of pro ball. He’s a name to keep an eye on as he could look and play very differently in the not-too-distant future.