As you see in any sport, players can greatly help or hurt their future outlook by their performances on the field. That seems like common sense. The thing is, sometimes it doesn’t even have to be in a real game. Look no further than the 2018 NFL Draft in which Baker Mayfield rose his stock incredibly in a short amount of time, which didn’t even feature him in a game!
That happens in any amateur sport, because you’re dealing with a lot of speculation and information based on one person’s observation.
I’m guilty of it too. I may only get to see a kid play once or twice and my opinion of him is based on a very small sample size. As a scout, it’s my job to make snap judgements. Sometimes I’m right, sometimes I’m wrong. This article will be highlighting those errors. Here are a few players that I feel that I underrated and have done their best recently to make me pay for overlooking them.
- Tyler Becker (Adelphi 2020)
Becker came into the season looking to solidify himself as the starting SS at Adelphi. He wasted no time establishing himself as not just that, but one of the most consistent offensive players in the Panthers lineup. He finished the year second on the team in AVG at .331, with a team-leading 58 hits and .413 OBP. He also stole 14 bases in 14 attempts. If there was any nitpicking it was the lack of power (1 HR, 6 doubles over 175 at bats) and his errors (19 over 45 games) but he’s certainly addressed those issues this summer while playing in the Hamptons League. He has already smacked 9 (!) HR in only 109 at bats. As a SS in a wood bat league, those numbers are attention-grabbing. He has certainly put himself in a similar position to where Brett Malm was entering his junior year last year.
2. Michael Manzione (LIU Post 2019)
He is an imposing figure in the batter’s box at 6’2″ 275 lbs. He emerged as their biggest power hitters in a lineup that already featured some notable players. Manzione always seemed to have big hits when I was in attendance, especially in the ECC tournament when he hit a grand slam in the 9th inning against St. Thomas Aquinas’ closer, who wound up recording his 11th save of the season. Manzione hit .323 with a .564 SLG, which was far-and-away tops on the team. He will be with us in the HR Derby on August 16 at Baseball Heaven, I’m afraid we won’t have enough baseballs with him there.
3. Kyle Rausch (Longwood 2019)
Rausch is on an absolute tear. After virtually carrying the Longwood offense on his back in the postseason, he hit two HRs in the NY State Games last week and continued his torrid pace at the WWBA in Georgia this week with four HR, including two in one game. He is an animal and he’s performing about as good as anyone that I can recall during a hot streak. He has the measurables as well, with big time bat speed, exit velocity and speed. He’s also getting some attention in terms of next year’s MLB Draft.
4. Steven Rizzo (St. Anthony’s 2019)
Rizzo made the switch from SS to CF in order to keep his bat in the lineup with Jack Reardon coming up to varsity this year. He swung the bat well during the year but has taken his game to the next level this summer, contributing not just with the bat but also on the mound. Fired five shutout innings in Georgia in a playoff game in which he needed only 57 pitches. Plays a strong CF and is built extremely well for a high school junior.
5. Charlie Cucchiara (East Meadow 2019)
Cucchiara was one of my favorite pitchers to watch this year during his outing. He was dealt a loss, but he didn’t exactly get hit hard against Calhoun. He has very clean mechanics, he has command of three pitches and he is unflappable on the mound. It is not unusual for him to fan 10-12 batters per outing. He is in the 82-84 MPH range, a high-end Division-II pitcher in my opinion. He was an All-County selection. I don’t expect him to lose a game next season.
6. Matt Yip (Herricks 2019)
I wrestled with including Yip in our preseason players list and I erroneously omitted him. He made me look foolish by smacking seven HR on the season, and for a quality defensive catcher like him. His brother was a power hitter at SUNY Old Westbury when they won the Skyline Conference in 2015. He has a chance to be a Division-I player, I think he’s on the border of it. He will be in our HR Derby as well.
7. Cameron Mayer (Syosset 2019)
Mayer flew under-the-rdar this season primarily because it was a rough season for Syosset, but people had been telling me about him so I had to see for myself. He was outstanding in his performance a couple weeks ago at Baseball Heaven. At a lanky 6’4″, he has a similar build to Jacob DeGrom and very similar mechanics as well. He hit 87 MPH and had great tempo. I think he is a classic diamond-in-the-rough kid, he is a Division-I arm.
8. Matt Alifano (Center Moriches 2019)
Multiple people have been raving about him to me. He helped guide the Red Devils to the State championship and he also performed extremely well at the NY State Games and down in Georgia this summer. Strong defensive third baseman with quick feet and the ability to throw from any arm slot. He has been swinging a hot bat.
9. Brian Primm (North Babylon 2019)
A legit, two-way threat that is a .400 hitter and sub 2.00 ERA pitcher with a fastball in the low 80s. His brother was part of their Suffolk Class AA county championship winning team in 2009 that wound up playing at Ithaca. Brian has already had a similar impact on the Bulldogs.
10. Will McCarthy (Holy Trinity 2020)
McCarthy has gotten some attention from the local Division-I coaches. It will take some patience on their part as his velocity is not quite yet in that realm but it’s pretty clear that it should develop over the next couple years. He has a great pitcher’s frame at a lanky 6’3″, and I watched him shutdown a very dangerous Chaminade lineup early in April. He has great command, pitch ability and demeanor on the mound, he just lacks that elite velocity. He sits in the low 80s, but I think that will jump up this year.
11. Derek Livingston (Port Washington 2020)
Livingston got my attention in that epic playoff game against Plainview JFK that took 2 days to complete. He came on in relief and pitched 4 shutout innings. He came out throwing hard, but you could tell he was gradually losing his velocity as each rally-killing inning began to take its toll on him. Still, he was getting by on guts and guile. He was wearing his emotion on his sleeve and it was amazing to see how he was dealing with the high-intensity of the situation. After the strikeout with the bases loaded in the 11th he let out a primal scream and I knew this kid was for real.
12. Brad Sakellarides (Center Moriches 2019)
He has been one of the standout players for LI Strong, as they just completed a surprise 5-2 week in Florida, becoming the first NY team to make it to the Finals in that tournament. He has been swinging an exceptionally hot bat and was named All-Tournament for his performance. He stands 5’10, 190 lbs, strong frame for a catcher. Also was a part of the Class B NY State winning team.
13. Bobby DiCapua (West Islip 2020)
From the No. 3 starter to being the ace of the Class AA county champs. DiCapua was lights-out save for the LIC against Massapequa but he had already built up enough equity by that point. He has zero nerves on the mound, he works quick, he throws strikes, mixes it up, classic West Islip pitcher. Right now he’s in the low-to-mid 80s, but a little jump could put him on the radar of all the Division-I schools.
