Pennsylvania Preseason All-State Showcase: Top Prospects
February 18, 2015
By Jacob Gill, Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting
and Greg Williams, PA Director of Scouting
PBR Pennsylvania held its annual Preseason All-State Showcase on Saturday and Sunday at Keystone State Baseball Academy in Manheim. Dozens of players who will ultimately find their way onto college baseball rosters attended. Below is a recap of the weekend's standout performances.
Jake Jessell, 2016, C/RHP, Woodland Hills (verbal commitment to Pitt)
A physical, 6-foot-1, 225-pounds, Jessell attacks the baseball with a bat in his hands. The right-handed hitter starts from a slightly open stance, takes a short stride, and gets his hands to a good launch position. He didn't generate much loft in his swing today, but with his body, bat speed (95-mph exit velo), and aggressiveness, he has serious power potential. Defensively, he showed a soft glove hand and good transfer, while making accurate throws with pop times of 2.03-2.09 and arm strength of 77-mph from the crouch. While not a burner, Jessell will by no means be a base clogger either (7.40 60-yard dash).
Physical and aggressive are apt terms when describing Jessell on the mound as well. While he yanked it gloveside by coming out of his delivery early, Jessell's fastball sat 86-87 and touched 89. He featured two distinct breaking balls -- a curveball with sharp 11/5 bite and a slider with more horizontal cut action -- with both offerings registering in the mid-70s. He also showed a change-up at 75-76 with late sink and fade when he maintained his elbow slot.