LHP D.L. Hall, Valdosta HS (GA)
Easily the most impressive arm of the event, Hall excited everybody in attendance with his combination of stuff as well as feel for pitching. Hall, who is officially listed at 6-feet, 179 pounds, still has some physical projection remaining given his age and a slender upper half. Pitching from a half windup, Hall combines a smooth, compact arm action with above-average arm speed and a three-quarters slot. His pitches played up thanks to an athletic, easy delivery that allowed the ball to really jump on batters. His fastball sat 93-94 and had some mild run down in the zone. His curve is a true weapon, coming in at 77-79, the pitch featured 1/7 shape with power and sharpness. It had consistent shape and he was able to locate it for strikes, as well as out of the zone when finishing hitters. It is a potential plus offering and given how well he located it, could play higher. Hall also flashed a potential above-average change at 80-81 which featured late, fading action and present arm speed. He located it to right-handers down in the zone and is comfortable throwing it in most counts. Hall has the potential to go early in the first round of the upcoming draft.
RHP Blayne Enlow, St. Amant HS (LA)
Hall might have been the most impressive arm of the event, but Enlow was certainly an intriguing arm. Officially listed at 6-foot-2, 179 pounds, Blayne is a LSU commit with a wiry, projectable body.
Enlow pitches from a full windup with a big leg kick, and a smooth, athletic delivery. With a compact arm action and above-average arm speed, he worked 91-93 and touched 94. While the fastball lacked movement, he located the pitch and was effective to both sides of the plate. His primary off-speed offering is an above-average slider with vertical action and moderate depth and tilt. He threw one changeup at 84, but it is a clear third offering and he needs more reps with it.
RHP/OF Nick Storz, Poly Prep Country Day (NY)
Pitching on day one for the Rangers squad, Storz impressed everyone with his combination of size, fastball velocity, and breaking ball. Like Enlow, Storz is an LSU commit, but unlike Enlow he features current physicality, standing 6-foot-5, 249 pounds. Pitching from a full windup, his delivery does feature some stiffness, but he is athletic enough to make it work. He strong-arms pitches but still features above-average arm speed through a three-quarters slot. His fastball sat 93-94 with riding life, coming from a tough angle for hitters, and it looks like it can generate a lot of weak contact. His slider was 78-81 mph, with good tilt and moderate depth. It can get slurvy at times but still has potential as an average offering. He threw some changeups but he wasn’t comfortable with the pitch and it is a developmental offering.
LHP Jacob Heatherly, Cullman HS (AL)
Heatherly, a large-bodied lefty with a commitment to Alabama, became someone to keep a close eye on come spring thanks to an impressive performance in Tampa.
Heatherly has an athletic and compact motion, and delivers the ball from a three-quarters slot with moderate arm speed. His fastball sat in the 92-93 range, topping out at 94 mph, and played faster due to his ease of delivery. Though his curveball got slurvy—he seemed to get on the side of the pitch too much, causing it to flatten—it flashed average potential while showing 1-to-7 shape. Heatherly's changeup, meanwhile, was clearly his third offering, and one that he doesn't deliver with sufficient arm speed.
LHP MacKenzie Gore, Whiteville HS (NC)
One of the best athletes in attendance, Gore positioned himself among the upcoming draft's most intriguing left-handed pitchers with a strong performance. Lean and equipped with average physical projection, Gore boasts a deceptive delivery—in large part because of a high, somewhat stiff leg kick. His deep arm action produced 88-91 mph fastballs, though they often lacked life. Gore's slider was his best off-speed pitch, since it features above-average tilt and usability—he was locating it to both sides for strikes, as well as using it to finish off hitters. Unfortunately, Gore's other secondary pitches weren't as promising: his curveball looked like a get-me-over offering, and he threw one changeup.
Quick Hits:
RHP Brandon McCabe, Forest Hills HS (FL) – McCabe has a relief profile and lacks overall projection. He has a quick, albeit stiff arm stroke and pitches from an overhead slot. His fastball topped out at 93 mph and showed natural sink, and he complemented it with a 12-6 curveball that featured depth and bite.
RHP Joe Perez, Archbishop McCarthy HS (FL) – A likely reliever, Perez doesn’t have much projection remaining. His delivery includes a stiff front side and arm action, and while he touched 97 mph from the windup, he wasn’t generating enough force on foot strike to show the same velocity from the stretch―problematic for someone who, again, is probably going to do his work from the stretch once he reaches the professional ranks. His curveball flashed average, but he threw just one changeup.
OF/RHP Jo Adell, Ballard HS (KY) – One of the best athletes at the event, Adell’s 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame still has projection remaining. He employs a low-effort, three-quarters delivery, with a long, smooth arm action and above-average arm speed. He was able to get some run on his 90-92 mph fastball when he worked the bottom half of the zone. His slider featured vertical action with depth, but lacked tilt and was often inconsistent. The Louisville commit is more of a thrower than a pitcher at present.
RHP Jeff Criswell, Portage Central HS (MI) – Criswell repeats his delivery well despite high leg kick, which precedes some spine tilt that he uses to get a higher slot. He sat 90-93 with his sinking fastball, topping out at 94 mph before fading later in the game. His curve arrived at 75-78, showing 12-6 shape with only moderate depth and a lack of bite. Criswell had inconsistent arm speed when throwing his changeup, but there was feel and late tumble to the pitch. He’ll look to refine his arsenal at Michigan he goes unsigned.
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