As a part of our coverage on the amateur side of Prospects Live, we have been attending many of the bigger events on the summer calendar to help build the early version of our 2023 Draft Board. The following notes are from some of those events, which in this instance includes the National Program Invitational at LakePoint, the Perfect Game 17U National Elite in Hoover, and the 2022 WWBA 17U National Championship at East Cobb.
You can find Part One here.
MIF AJ Ewing (Springboro (OH), 2023)
Dates Seen: 6/10, 6/11, 6/25
Ewing has been quite impressive in the month of June for 5 Star National Black, with a smooth stroke from the left side generating a lot of sharp line drive contact to his pull side. Ewing has bounced around a bit on the middle infield, but has demonstrated good physical tools in the infield and looks quite a bit stronger this summer. The Crimson Tide commit is looking more and more like he’ll be able to handle the physical demands of shortstop, and as such is really rising up boards across the industry.
RHP Bryce Eldridge (James Madison HS (VA), 2023)
Dates Seen: 6/25, 7/10
Eldridge stands 6’7” with lean muscle mass and physicality on top of remaining projection. Good extension, works out of a high 3Q armslo with a lean arm, but has some effort and a big head whack right now. Fastball sat 91-93 all day, with flatter shape. Location lacked early, but started to get ahead in 2nd and got whiffs up in the zone. Flashed good arm side run on a possible two seam, decent amount of whiffs. Slider was in the 78-81 range, tight break with above average shape, flashed plus 2nd time through the order with a handful of whiffs.
RHP Michal Kovala (Combine Academy (NC), 2023)
Dates Seen: 7/7
Kovala is on the shorter side at six feet tall, but has a well-put-together body and clean overall operation. Sits 89-92 and touches 93 with a fastball that has plenty of armside life. Features a slurvy breaking ball at 75-77 that’s in between right now, but shows a strong feel for spin and command. Should evolve into a slider and/or curveball that has above average shape. The most promising pitch is a low 80s changeup with plus depth with crazy sidespinning shape, but confidence and feel for it is nascent now.
RHP Derek Schaffer (Cactus Shadows (AZ), 2023)
Dates Seen: 7/10
Schaffer had a good outing on for USA Prime National in the latter stages of 17U WWBA pool play. The lean 6’2” righty had some trouble repeating his delivery during the first inning, but found his rhythm in the second and handled himself well over the next few frame. Working from a high 3Q slot, he sat 89-91 with a fastball with good armside and carrying life that missed bats. His primary secondaries were a 76-78 MPH slider w/ downer shape that showed good tilty shape at times, and a 78-81 MPH change that showed impressive late drop and was located well. Flashed a low 70s CB that kept hitters off balance and rounded out his four-pitch arsenal.
LHP Alexander Clemmey (Bishop Hendricken (RI), 2023)
Dates Seen: 7/10
An extra large lefty out of the northeast, Alexander Clemmey showed elite stuff in his outing for the NEB Rays at WWBA 17U in East Cobb in early July. Working out of a high 3Q armslot, Clemmey sat 92-94 with his four seam fastball that featured high spin rates and strong carry. He paired that with his only other offering, a 79-82 slider with two plane sweep and plus spin rates. Both pitches got a plethora of whiffs, but Clemmey did have his fair share of issues with command. Operating with some violence and still learning to repeat his delivery with such a large developing body, there is some relief risk in this profile--but also premiere stuff that you rarely see from the left side.
MIF Steven Milam (Centennial (NM), 2023)
Dates Seen: 6/25, 7/10
A long heralded summer circuit player, Milam was shooting the ball into both power alleys with regularity at PG National Elite. He’s on the shorter side, but does possess present physicality in the box, strong barrel feel with whippy bat speed, and smooth defense up the middle. There are some doubts about his overall athleticism, but the shortstop from Las Cruces has looked good and moved well as of late. If he can continue to put up strong offensive performances in these premier summer events.
3B Edward Phelps (Georgia Premier Academy, 2023)
Dates Seen: 7/11
The one word that best describes Edwards Phelps is physicality. The high waisted 6’2”, 210 lbs. infielder from Georgia Premier Academy would not look out of place at strong safety in the SEC, with broad shoulders and defined muscle all over his frame. In the box, Phelps has a sound approach and has good twitch and vision, with strength to drive balls both up and down in the strike zone. With how advanced the body is, Phelps might be a third baseman down the line, but possesses the hands and physical tools to be valuable there defensively.