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OC Top Prospects ID: Quick Hits

June 23, 2022
PBR California Staff

New Episode LIVE now! - At The Yard Podcast

ORANGE, CALIF. - Our OC Top Prospects ID showcase took place this past Tuesday and we hosted several talented players from all classes in the one-day showcase. Players were put through a traditional pro style workout that included a laser timed 60 yard dash, two rounds of batting practice, and an extended defensive workout. 

The event annually attracts plenty of talent as players look to earn invitations to some of our invite only events like our State Games, West Coast Games, and Future Games. With many talented players on hand we start our post event coverage with our Quick Hits highlighting 7 early standouts with some quick notes on how they performed. 

We will continue to break down the top performers in multiple categories as we review notes/data, until then here are some early standouts in this edition of Quick Hits.

 

Fraser opened some eyes this past Tuesday with his overall performace. Started with a solid 7.01 60-yard dash. Then he probably had the most impressive BP of the day where he peppered the RC gap with LDs and deep flyballs showing consistent feel for the barrel. He stands relaxed at the plate with lower hanging hands. He loads early using a leg lift trigger as hands load back into a good launch position. Barrel then works on a more uphill path through the zone with advanced bat speed (72.3 avg bat speed). Post impact results were positive as well with an average 91.1mph exit velo and 80% hard hit rate. Defensively his athleticism shined. In the OF showed controlled aggressiveness getting off strong accurate throws quickly (87 mph). In the INF his lateral quickness stood out showing ability to range well to both his backhand and forehand side. A broken hand set him back this past spring so we are excited to see what he continues to do the rest of this year and into the next HS season.


 

Kugler is another player who had himself a complete day on Tuesday. Ran a solid 6.98 60-yard dash. His BP round was impressive blasting several balls into deep centerfield showing present bat speed (71 mph) and barrel accuracy. Sets up with higher set hands in stance and brings them down into a good hitting position within his early rhythmic load. He turns the barrel well on an upward path that allows for some natural loft post impact. Arm strength and accuracy stood out in both the OF/INF showing an 89 mph arm from both spots. Looked the part of an athletic OF the way he would aggressively charge in balls. Flashed decent ability at his 3B workout with his footwork with room for growth in his glove skills. Kugler is a name to be on the lookout for the rest of this summer and at ND next spring.


 

Willerford is a two-sport athlete and was a key piece for a successful Aquinas squad this last season. On Tuesday, he showed above average skills across the board. Started with a solid 7.02 60-yd dash. Then it was 2 barrel filled rounds of BP where he showed some easy pullside power. Blast swing metrics were advanced painting a good power profile with his 74mph average bat speed and 21gs average rotational acceleration. The swing is relatively simple in its moves. There's a slight lean into his backside where he creates good stretch. Bat loads into a good early connection position and enters early and flat through the zone which shows with his 80% on-plane efficiency. We liked what we saw from him defensively as well as he moved well charging in on balls and displayed a strong 88 mph accurate arm. Willerford is definitely one of the more exciting uncommitted '23s we've seen so far this summer. 




Arther was a very intriguing LHP to watch on the mound. Stands at a lean 6-3 165lb with plenty of room to add. There's a lot of funk and deception to the delivery. Steps into the LHH batter's box and slings it from a lower ¾ slot. FB was 82-84 and it had some armside run to it (15.1 inch avg) which should prove hard to barrel. Showed a decent CH at 74-77 where he was able to kill some VB on it to give it some drop off the FB. His SL at 70-72 is a development pitch but there was feel for it in zone. LH arms that give hitters uncomfortable ABs are always interesting and if he is able to tick up a bit in the velo department, it should be an arm that can play at the next level.


 

 

Toth is a ‘25 that flashed real upside on the mound. Stands at an athletic 5’11 170 with a strong lower half. Uses an uptempo max effort delivery where he finishes with force at landing. He works with a shorter arm path in the back that gets to a ¾ slot. Showed advanced armspeed for his level. His FB was 84-86 T87 that had nice late life. With his secondaries, the SL and CH both flashed decent feel and shape. He was able to kill spin and VB on his CH to about 1250rpm and 13 inch VB. His SL exhibited sweeper shape at 69-70 and showed swing/miss potential. Toth should be a fun arm to watch develop these next few years.



Ethin was one of the more impressive ‘25s we had out on Tuesday. Stands at an athletic 5’11 175. In his batting practice he showed some present upside with the bat. It’s a balanced stroke with an approach that stayed through the middle of the field. He has above average bat speed of 69 mph and a slight uphill path that resulted in 60% LDs throughout his two rounds. Defensively he worked out at SS and exhibited fundamental actions. He fielded every GB cleanly and paired it with an accurate throw. He has average arm strength in the INF but showed above average strength on the mound where he was up to 85 with decent feel for a CB that was 68-70. Definitely a name to jot down to keep track of these next couple years.



Johnstone was a quiet standout on Tuesday. Didn’t do anything loud but put together a solid overall day. In BP it was one of the more professional rounds of the day where he sprayed LDs up the middle and to the RC gap. He’s quiet with his lower half and he lets his hands do the work. It’s a smooth balanced stroke that works on a level path through the zone. Worked out at SS and was another guy who displayed solid fundamentals. Some glove to hand quickness was present in his actions and showed an accurate arm across the diamond. Has definitely made some advancements to his game since our last look and as a '24 we are excited to see how he will continue to get better.  



UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
Inland Empire Top Prospects ID CA 07/06 Corona High School
Rising Stars Game (Invite Only) CA 07/12 Islanders Field - Lathrop
LA Top Prospects ID CA 07/12 O'Malley Field
California State Games CA 07/30 Hart Park


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