Elliott, Showing well at Showcase: Brown, Duncan, Flewelling, Lawson, Baker, Wallace
Great Lake Canadians RHP Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) showed well at the Canadian Futures Showcase.
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
As we did last year in Ottawa at the first Canadian Futures Showcase -- and the showcase’s forerunner -- we asked some coaches, scouts and recruiters to name the most impressive players on display at the Rogers Centre.
Some complied, some said yes but never got around to us and some said “no thanks.”
So here we go with opinions and some top 10 lists which are not guaranteed or iron-clad.
As always, they are interesting reviews and comparisons.
Top prospect list
T.J. Burton (Ottawa, Ont.) Showcase director and evaluator.
(“Probably more than 10. No particular order.”)
RHP Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.
“Easy 90 mph with a real quick arm. Extremely strong lower half and knows how to use his body well. Showed a great change up.”
OF Simon Baker (Cochrane, Alta.) Webber Wildcats.
“Super athletic and bat really impressed.”
C Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) Red Deer Braves.
“Solid behind the plate with a good hit tool with some raw power in there.”
LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze.
“Extremely polished lefty especially for his age. He throws three pitches for strikes and velocity continues to rise.”
RHP Josiah Romeo (Caledon, Ont.) Mississauga Tigers.
“Big tall kid with a great arm. Commands the ball well in the upper 80’s and gets as high as 92.”
LHP Reid Clauge (Langley, BC) of the Langley Blaze.
LHP Reid Clauge (Langley, BC) Langley Blaze.
“Big tall lefty with a real live and loose arm. Good breaking ball
RHP Matthew Brown (Carlisle, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“Big tall kid whose arm strength and ability to throw a slider can’t be ignored.”
OF William Polanco (Laval, Que.) Academie Baseball Canada
“Good arm from the outfield and power showed up in game.”
OF Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“Hard contact and plus defence. Good speed on the bases.
C Gianluca Montanaro (Aurora, Ont.) Toronto Mets.
“Great bat speed, would be nice to see him behind the plate but may end up at first.”
Ontario Blue Jays Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.).
INF Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays/P27
“Big left-handed hitting shortstop. Solid defender and has an ability to find barrels.”
OFs Quinn Carson (Oakville, Ont.) FieldHouse Pirates and Dante Smith (Pickering, Ont.) Toronto Mets.
“Both are projection guys that look great with a lot of upside.”
RHP Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, Que.) Academie Baseball Canada
“I love big power arms and this is one.”
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Corey Eckstein, coach 17U and president of the Ontario Blue Jays.
RHP Matthew Brown (Carlisle, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
RHP Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians
INF Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
C Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) Red Deer Braves
LHP Reid Clauge (Langley, BC) Langley Blaze.
Ontario Blue Jays OF Ryan Stalony (Mississauga, Ont.)
OF Ryan Stalony (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
OF Brodey Bitove (Toronto, Ont.) Toronto Mets.
RHP Josiah Romeo (Caledon, Ont.) Mississauga Tigers.
OF Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
OF Simon Baker (Cochrane, Alta.) Webber Wildcats.
OF William Polanco (Laval, Que.) Academie Baseball Canada.
Toronto Mets OF Dante Smith (Pickering, Ont.)
OF Dante Smith (Pickering, Ont.) Toronto Mets.
Up and comers ... C Gabriel Larocque (Azilda, Ont.) Sudbury Voyageurs, LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze and 3B Jordan Jacob (Maple, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
* * *
Jean-Gilles Larocque (Azilda, Ont.) Ontario Youth Team, Sudbury Voyagers.
(“In no particular order”)
1. RHP Aiden Taggart (Grimsby, Ont.) FieldHouse Pirates.
“He pitched in two different outings and only got better. Good fastball in the upper 80s low 90s and some good secondary stuff. Bulldog mentality.”
2. OF Lucas Alberti (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“Every ball Alberti hit was 95 mph or higher. He also made some great plays in the outfield and shows a plus arm.”
FieldHouse Pirate INFOwen Gregg (Oakville, Ont.)
3. INF Owen Gregg (Oakville, Ont.) FieldHouse Pirates.
“Gregg made one of the best plays of the week diving for a ball behind the bag at second and still throwing the runner out by two steps. Every at bat was quality. He is a sleeper. Whatever school or team picks him up will not be disappointed.”
4. C Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) Red Deer Braves.
“This was my first look at Flewelling and he did not disappoint. Won the home run derby and is a leader behind the plate. Gonzaga got a good one.”
5. Philip Cheong (Richmond Hill, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays
“Cheong makes things happen, period. It could be in the box, on the bases or on defense. He is also a good teammate in the dugout. Looking forward to what the future holds.”
FieldHouse Pirates OF Quinn Carson (Oakville, Ont.)
6. OF Quinn Carson (Oakville, Ont.) FieldHouse Pirates
“Showed some power at the plate and I can’t wait to see what that looks like in another year or two. He is also a plus runner and defender. Someone needs to pick him up ASAP.”
7. LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze
“I had heard a lot about Duncan before the showcase and he was exactly what people talked about. A complete pro on and off the field. His command on the mound along with his secondary stuff are very impressive.”
8. RHP Ben Goodacre (Ancaster, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“Ben pitched twice and was impressive in both outings. He threw 91 in his second outing which shows his ability to bounce back and compete. West Virginia is lucky they got on him early.
9. OF Dante Smith (Pickering, Ont.) Toronto Mets.
“Smith probably made the play of the week with an over the head catch in centre field. He’s a great base runner with plus speed. I think there is going to be more power coming from his bat in the next few years. He will be a 30/30 guy in the future.”
10. C Mason Ault (Hamilton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“Mason had a great showcase with the bat. Behind the plate he is a great defender and leader. Look for the bat to do some damage this summer.”
11. OF Ryan Stalony (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“Stalony is a guy you want in your dugout. He can do it at the plate, on the bases and on the defensive side. If you don’t have him in your dugout you will regret it.”
* * *
Les McTavish (Settler, Alta.) Vauxhall Academy.
RHP Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians
“Strong, ball comes out easy, plus change up.”
Webber Wildcat OF Simon Baker (Cochrane, Alta.)
OF Simon Baker (Cochrane, Alta.) Webber Wildcats
“Athletic and found multiple barrels.”
C Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) Red Deer Braves
“Bat is really going to play. Impressive showing in the all-star game.”
LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze
“Dominant in his first outing. Three pitches for a strike to both sides of the plate.”
RHP Josiah Romeo (Caledon, Ont.) Mississauga Tigers
“First time I have seen him. Impressive frame. Arm works easy with feel for multiple pitches.”
OF William Polanco (Laval, Que.) Academie Baseball Canada
“Strong. Showed power in the game and ran the bases well in the all star game.”
OF Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“The definition of a table setter.”
ABC RHP Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, Que.)
RHP Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, Que.) Academie Baseball Canada.
“Strong lower half, has swing and miss with his fastball in the zone.”
RHP Merek Yeager (Muenster, Sask.) East Central Red Sox.
“Showed no fear on the mound out of tough slot. Sweeping slider that complimented his fastball well.”
LHP Shane Brinham (North Vancouver, BC) North Shore Twins.
“Quick arm with compete and feel on the mound.”
LHP Brett Getz (Medicine Hat, Alta.) Vauxall Academy.
“Easy arm action, with fastball/change combo allowed for three very efficient innings. Velocity will improve with age and maturity.”
* * *
Life saver Lou Pote (Okotoks, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs, former Anahiem Angel reliever, now an Okotoks angel
1. RHP Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians
“Attacks hitters and I love how easy it is out of his hand.”
Ontario Blue Jays’ Matthew Brown (Carlisle, Ont.)
2. RHP Matthew Brown (Carlisle, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“Big body with tons of room to fill out and can really pitch.”
3. LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze
“Just his ability to pitch for his age is fun to watch.”
4. INF Will Moore (Paris, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.
“Just a solid defender who had really good at-bats all week.”
5. OF Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“I really loved watching him play.”
6. INF Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Rivieres, Que.) Academy Baseball Quebec
“He’s a physical guy with some pop, think his brother is at Stetson.”
7. OF Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs.
“Love the athleticism and the way he puts it all together with really good at-bats.”
Okotoks Dawgs’ Mike Yusypchuk (Edmonton, Alta.)
8. RHP Michael Yusypchuk (Edmonton, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs
“This kid can pitch and has a very smooth, repeatable delivery.”
9. INF Maxim Boies (Levis, Que.) Academy Baseball Quebec.
“Loved watching this guy play defense all week.”
10. C Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) Red Deer Braves.
“Love the bat and he has gotten a lot better behind the plate.”
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Veteran evaluator
“Great week for Canadian baseball, I couldn’t stop at 10.”.
1. LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze
“The youth, ease of operation and moxy got me. As far as stuff, his fastball looked like it was going in the dirt then it held the bottom of the zone for strikes. He commanded three pitches. There’s plenty to project on as well.”
2. INF Will Moore (Paris, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.
“It feels a little safe ranking him this high considering his age and ceiling but when you break him down, he is so dynamic that I feel it’s warranted. He looked like a major leaguer rolling through a rehab assignment - in a good way. Safe bet to hit and can really defend and run. Atypical Canadian high school player.”
3. OF Ryan Stalony (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“If he were American he’d be an All State athlete in three sports. This kid’s athleticism and strength are freakish. His bat speed is major league quality right now and the way he competed through his at bats and homered on a breaking ball gave me a good feeling on his hitting ability. Played centre field really well and can really throw.”
4. RHP Matthew Brown (Carlisle, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“This wasn’t his ‘A’ outing but his best version is awfully compelling. In the carry/spin era, he offers the angle and ability to kill the spin with his two seamer. If I didn’t look at the board, I couldn’t tell when he was throwing his fastball or change up it because of the late sink. Big upside here.”
5. RHP Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, Que.) Academie Baseball Canada.
“You could sell him as a starter with his physicality, delivery and pitch mix. He looked like he throws on a major league mound every outing. Low pulse, good stuff, looks durable. He will have both major college and pro interest in my opinion.”
6. RHP Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.
“I think he will present a lot differently when he chooses which way to take his pitch mix and his velocity takes another leap. Imagine 95 mph sinkers pounding the zone with that simple delivery and strike throwing ability. He is really strong in his lower half and his raw arm strength is impressive.”
Toronto Mets C Gianluca Montanaro (Aurora, Ont.)
7. C Gianluca Montanaro (Aurora, Ont.) Toronto Mets.
“It’s really hard to hit and he hits everyone. He had the best combination of size/strength, swing mechanics and performance. I’d be willing to have patience on the catching front as he can really throw but his running ability could help him land in an OF corner.”
8. 3B Jordan Jacob (Maple, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“I like this package a lot. He is very strong but loose and that barrel is heavy. They ‘breaking balled’ him to death but he more then hung in there and the double that he drilled into right-centre on a 3-2 curve ball was really impressive. He has work to do this winter with simplifying his mechanics and conditioning his body but he can field and throw so the third base profile is worth pursuing.”
9. LHP Brett Getz (Medicine Hat, Alta.) Vauxall Academy.
“He is really physical and it looked like he was playing catch. I liked the way he moved for a big man and it’s easy to see more velocity coming. He maybe a late bloomer but we could be hearing more of his name in three years.”
10. LHP Sam Maclaughlin (Toronto, Ont.) FieldHouse Pirates.
“This was a ‘C’ outing for him. His breaking ball has teeth to it and his feel to land it generally makes him unhittable at this level. He’s very athletic and his arm is fast so he will throw harder and with added strength, hold his velocity better. I can’t define the future role for him but he’s got a feel for a plus left-handed breaking ball and won’t need big velocity to be effective.”
11. OF Simon Baker (Cochrane, Alta.) Webber Wildcats.
“In the old draft system this guy would be a slam dunk pick out of high school. Classic projectable player who looks and throws like a right fielder, can run and hits from the left side. He had a really impressive week showing barrel ability with wood against good arms and if this all comes together for him, he could play for a long time.”
Ontario Blue Jays’ Anthony Unga (Oakville, Ont.)
12. RHP Anthony Unga (Oakville, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
“He has really improved over this year and as his confidence grows, you can see another leap coming for him. It’s raw but I don’t think he’s too far off and with how physical he is I can see him holding up over the course of the season.”
13. 3B Leo Cote (Boucherville, Que.) Okotoks Dawgs.
“He is strong and his swing really works. I see him as a position player but I liked that he pitched and showed good velocity/arm strength. He is a really good recruit for any college in my opinion and should be able to make an impact his freshman year.”
14. RHP Evan Schweizer (Oakville, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.
“Has the mould you look for in a high school pitcher. He’s tall with a good delivery, really good breaking ball and showed good velocity. He filled up the zone and you could see hitters beginning to guess at what was coming. Looks like a safe bet to be a starter and stay healthy with how his arm and delivery work.
15. RHP Walker Kokotailo (White Rock, BC) White Rock Tritons.
“He had the fastest/purest arm stroke for me. I couldn’t believe how hard he was throwing without any semblance of a front side or brake with his landing leg. He’s some corrections away from making a big jump and with how young he is, I think the ceiling is huge.”
* * *
Pro Scout I
1. RHP Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.
2. RHP Matthew Brown (Carlisle, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
Langley Blaze Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC)
3. LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) Langley Blaze.
4. C Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) Red Deer Braves.
5. INF Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays/P27.
6. OF Simon Baker (Cochrane, Alta.) Webber Wildcats.
7. RHP Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, Que.) Academie Baseball Canada.
8. OF Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
9. RHP Josiah Romeo (Caledon, Ont.) Mississauga Tigers
10. INF Will Moore (Paris, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.
11. OF Ryan Stalony (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
* * *
Pro scout II
1. INF Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays/P27
2. RHP Matthew Brown (Carlisle, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
Okotoks Dawgs OF Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, BC)
3. OF Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, BC) Okotoks Dawgs
4. RHP Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, Que.) Academie Baseball Canada
5. RHP Liam Cruickhank (Mississauga, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays/Georgia Premier.
6. RHP Evan Schweizer (Oakville, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.
7. OF Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
8. RHP Tate Carey (Windsor, Ont.) Great Lake Canadians.
9. RHP Anthony Unga (Oakville, Ont.) Ontario Blue Jays.
Vauxhall Jets’ Jack Baxter (Quispamsis, NB)
10. LHP Jack Baxter (Quispamsis, NB) Vauxhall/Saint John Alpines.
11. RHP Michael Yusypchuk (Edmonton, Alta.) Okotoks Dawgs.