— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 26, 2019
The past two days we covered the second annual Prospect Launch.
Due to inclement weather, yesterday was moved indoors which consisted of the players showcasing their exit velocity and speed.
Today was a comprehensive showcase in which the 60+ players in attendance broke off into teams and played a 10-inning game in front of the dozens of Division-I schools in attendance. Some of the schools included St. John’s, Stony Brook, Hofstra, LIU, Manhattan, Fordham, Iona, Elon, Maryland, Fairfield, Siena, Albany, Sacred Heart, Seton Hall, Binghamton, Rhode Island, just to name a few.
There were a number of exceptional players at the event that caught the eye of the coaches. I’m going to go over the players that caught my attention:
Kyle Chase (St. John the Baptist 2022)
84 MPH on the first pitch from Kyle Chase pic.twitter.com/i1b4wYckow
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 26, 2019
Simply put, Kyle Chase is going to be a name to remember. This kid is special. He already established himself at the varsity level this season by going All-League as a freshman and going head-to-head with Logan Koester in a playoff game. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in that game. He has that ‘California cool’ about him when he plays, seemingly never breaking a sweat. The opposing hitters, on the other hand, have their hands full. His first pitch was 84 MPH today and gradually worked his way up to 87 MPH. That’s a freshman. Needless to say, those numbers are not typical for 14-year-old. He is not a ‘max effort’ guy, he exerts probably about 80 percent of his energy on any given pitch which means as he physically matures that fastball is likely to touch the low-to-mid 90s. Defensively, his athleticism is apparent. He is a QB on the football team, and you can see that he is comfortable moving to either direction, throwing from multiple arm slots and on the run. At the plate, he has great balance and hit 82 MPH off the tee. While he is young enough and talented enough to be a middle-of-the-order hitter in high school I think his calling is on the mound where he will likely be a starting pitcher at the Division-I level.
Leyton Pulsipher (Center Moriches 2022)
Leyton Pulsipher (Center Moriches 2022) displaying his strong arm and athleticism. He stands at 6’0 175 lbs pic.twitter.com/qqvTiZtQqp
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 26, 2019
Leyton, the younger brother of Liam and son of former MLB pitcher Bill Pulsipher, has outstanding athletic genes. Like Chase, he has already proven himself at the varsity level. He is coming off a New York State championship two weeks ago with Center Moriches. He strikes me as an extremely competitive player and he is not easily satisfied with the results. In today’s game, he went 3-for-4 with 5 RBI. He recorded an exit velocity of 82 MPH off the tee, but the ball jumps off his bat in games. He is balanced and has an advanced approached, not willing to expand outside the strike zone. In the field, he played 2B for Center Moriches due to the presence of League VII MVP Matt Alifano, but it is pretty apparent his future is at SS. He has the arm strength to throw from deep in the hole. That is not just an opinion, but he showed off his defensive prowess by ranging deep into the 5.5 hole with a backhand sliding play and firing a strike to nail the runner at first. He has great instincts as well. He is a winning player and a Division-I prospect. Already standing at 6’0 175 lbs, he is a physically gifted kid and will likely be a couple inches taller.
Dylan Banner (Plainview JFK 2022)
Banner was featured as part of our ‘Up Next Series’ back in the winter. The first thing you notice is his size. Standing at 6’1 180 lbs, he is larger than his peers. The ball jumps off his bat. The two at bats I saw both resulted in hard-hit balls. He smoked a line drive to center that was directly at the CF, but he followed that up with a single to left-center that was roped. He recorded 83 MPH on the exit velocity off the tee. Defensively, he has quick hands and a strong arm but I do project him to be a third baseman as his footwork is not quite on par with some SS. He is a middle-of-the-order bat at the varsity level and has a ceiling off a Division-I player.
Gavin McAlonie (Miller Place 2020)
McAlonie has drawn rave reviews for his bat this season. He was outstanding for Miller Place all season and has picked up right where he left off in the summer season, except has been against stiffer competition. He laced a triple to right-center field that I didn’t get on tape, which is frustrating for me as I feel it is an accurate depiction of the hitter he is. He took an outside fastball and drove it into the alley and hustled hard stretching it into three bases. He also has a very strong arm, as he has been clocked 86-88 MPH off the mound this summer. His 7.05 60-yard dash time proves he is fit for the top-of-the-order. I think he would be a great fit for an America East team.
Joe Durso (Kellenberg 2021)
Joe Durso (Kellenberg 2021) with a single down the line. The 6’0 190 lb catcher is a strong defensive catcher that also stars on the gridiron pic.twitter.com/CGBDhnxZZZ
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 26, 2019
A rare combination of speed and power for a catcher. Also a star on the Kellenberg football team, he has proven himself to be a high-end competitor. He is considered the top 2021 catcher on Long Island by many people. He is well-built at 6’0 190 lbs, and he projects to be a middle-of-the-order hitter on varsity next season. His arm strength behind the plate was second among all catchers in attendance, but he was the most prolific hitting catcher.
Nick Sampogna (Wheatley 2020)
Sampogna is a player you need to watch a few times to fully appreciate. This is because he’s undersized at 5’9″ 160 lbs but his bat is loud. He batted .500 (28-for-56) at Wheatley this season with 27 stolen bases. He ran the fastest 60-yard dash at 6.83, which essentially means he gets the greenlight to steal whenever he has a read on the pitcher. His swing is compact and clean without any glaring room for improvement. He recorded 85 MPH exit velocity off the tee. I think he’s a Division-II player at a northeast school.
Dylan Bruno (St. Dominic 2021)
Dylan stoodout as a two-way player this afternoon. He ripped a triple to right center field in the one at bat I saw, he also turned heads with a great outing on the mound. He sat 80-81 MPH with command to both parts of the plate as well as a change up from the same arm slot and arm speed. Listed at 140 lbs, he clearly has some mass to put on, which will likely result in an uptick in velocity to the mid 80s. I think any forward-thinking Division-I program would see the pitchability and his current size and see him as a project which could result in great results in a couple of years.
Giovanni Cocchiaro (Pat-Med 2021)
6’4 RHP Giovanni Cocchiaro (Pat-Med 2021) sitting 80 MPH with command pic.twitter.com/kzd8tclnww
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 26, 2019
It’s easy to see why coaches would be excited when they watch Cocchiaro. Standing at 6’4 160 lbs, he is as lanky as can be. He has a deceptive delivery, hiding the ball very well until he releases it. He induces many weak swings. He pitched on varsity this season, performing very well in relief. Cocchiaro has a ton of untapped velocity as he physically matures, and he’s likely to be in the upper 80s by his senior season.
Zach Hafner (Sachem East 2020)
Hafner is a prototypical power hitter. Standing at 6’3 230 lbs, he is physically imposing at the plate. He was easily the top performer at the dish today, going 3-for-3 in the at bats I saw, driving the ball to all fields and even ripping his foul balls. He performed well on varsity this season, hitting .433 with 2 HR and 17 RBI over 30 at bats. I think he’s a Division-II player given his power and ability to handle the first base position well. He was very good at fielding his position and making a quick turn and accurate throw to second base.
