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ECR Day 2 Blog

Coram, NY–Tuesday was the second and final day of the ECR Showcase at Diamond in the Pines. The weather was absolutely picture-perfect and there was a number of eye-opening players that caught the eye of the dozens of college coaches in attention.

Let’s jump right into it with the players that caught my attention…

Braden Clark (Plainedge 2020)

He caught my attention on Sunday at the Blue Chip event where he showed off his cannon. Tuesday he was 1.97 to second and 1.30 to third base. Obviously a red-light to base runners at the high school level. He also showed his stick with a well-struck double off the fence in right-center field. Very impressive showing from the incoming junior. Catchers rarely are developed defensively and contribute at the plate at this level so he’s one to keep an eye on.

Matteo Ragusa (Poly Prep 2020)

One thing I like to do is look at a young pitcher’s delivery and see if there’s any big-league comp. The first one that came to mind was Stephen Strasburg. Clearly, the velocity is not comparable but he has the same balance point and falling action to the plate. He was 81-82 MPH with command of a 71 MPH curve. He was lights-out in his outing today.

Nick Papageorge (Wheatley 2020)

At 6’3″ 180 lbs, he was one of the players with the highest ceiling due to his size and functional athleticism. He ran a 7.1 in the 60-yard dash, sat 82-83 and put on a clinic in BP. He has legit power and also sat back on a curveball and laced it into left field for a single in the game one pitch after being fooled by the same pitch. His body has several miles per hour in the tank, I think if he lands more on-line to home plate he will unlock. It looks harder because of his stride length but also lacks in deception because the hitter gets a clean look at it. He was dominant for Wheatley this year and I expect that again this season. He has two years to make that jump to the low 90s to become a prospect.

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James Myler (Longwood 2020)

Myler has been on the map for a couple years. He has a ton of untapped potential as he has the size and the sweet swing, but he needs to fill out and put on some more muscle. He displayed his swing in BP. There’s a Division-I player in there. On the mound, he was 81-83 MPH, but with clean, repeatable mechanics. He should be in the rotation at Longwood this season.

Thomas Palazzotto (Poly Prep 2020)

Despite his size, 5’7″, the LHP has lightning in his arm. He was 82-83 MPH and has touched 85 in Georgia. He pounded the strike zone and routinely threw his curveball for strikes. If he grows a few inches, that 85 can turn into 88 and all of a sudden he’s a Division-I arm.

Bobby Stang (Massapequa 2021)

As if Massapequa needs any more studs. Stang is a 6’1″ catcher with a 2.1 pop time and thunder in his bat. He put on a clinic during BP, crushing each pitch. Very nice swing and he will likely be called up to varsity as a sophomore with his skillset.

Sean Keys (Harborfields 2021)

Sean hit a home run in the game and also was very impressive on the mound. He hit 83 MPH with clean mechanics. Anytime a 9th grader has that velocity with room to grow still, it moves the needle.

Bruno Cergol (Frank Sinatra 2020)

At 6’6″, he is the player with the highest ceiling and most pro potential. He gets it up in the low-to-mid 80s but is the definition of raw. Since he’s grown so much in a short period of time, he is still learning his body but once he can have his body and arm work in synchronization, the command will develop and his velocity will spike. When that happens, look out.

Aidan Desmond (John Glenn 2020)

I didn’t get a chance to see all his at bats but he crushed a home run to right-center field and that caught my attention.

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Vinny is the President of Axcess Baseball. He is a 2013 graduate of Adelphi University and he is currently the Long Island area scout for the San Diego Padres

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