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Recapping the BCP Pitchers & Catchers Showcase

Against all odds, Long Island was able to have a semblance of a baseball season in 2020. We started off about three months late, but I’m glad that the young ballplayers did not need to lose a year of development or playing time.

In addition to games, players also have been able to attend showcases to make up for the lost time and increase their exposure to colleges. Sunday’s Pitchers & Catchers Showcase hosted by Blue Chip Prospects was an outstanding event for young players to attend as the book is now closed on the season. There was over a dozen schools in attendance, and when factoring in the social media coverage, the players were seen by thousands of viewers.

I’m really glad I was in attendance because this was not simply a group of unsigned seniors hoping to go Div-III. There were a number of legitimate scholarship players that were impressed everyone. Aside from the eyeball test, these players also had every pitch and movement measured by Rapsodo, so we know the information is verified and accurate.

The day was broke into a morning and afternoon group to minimize the amount of bodies in the facility. One group of pitchers threw from about 9:30 to 12:00 and then the catchers took their swings and also had their pop times measured. After that was complete, another group of pitchers came down and threw their bulpens which wrapped up at about 2:00pm.

Here’s some players that really stood out.

Pitchers

Sebastian Lippman (Plainview JFK 2024)

I’m not sure I’ve seen a freshman sitting in the mid 80s since Jason Diaz. Lippman is 6’0 155 lbs and he has extremely advanced mechanics for his age. At a stage in development when his peers are barely cracking 70 MPHs due to poor mechanics, he has them lapped. I haven’t seen him in a game yet, but I have to imagine there’s very few 14-year-olds that can handle his velocity. To make it more difficult, he also commands a knuckledrop, which is a pitch that Division HS pitchers have used for decades to get weak swings-and-misses. I came away very impressed with Lippman and will be interested to see how he does on varsity in 2021.

Josh Knoth (Pat-Med 2023)

Josh was featured as part of our “Up Next” series last week. If you missed it, you can click here. He has a very high ceiling considering his age, his current ability and his off-speed arsenal. He throws three pitches for strikes, he throws sits in the low-to-mid 80s and he’s a competitor. I think we will be hearing a lot about him for the next three years. When you combine him and Tyree Jackson, I think Pat-Med has a bright future.

Aedan Forde (St. John the Baptist 2022)

Aedan is a legit two-way player. I’m not sure if he’s more of a SS or pitcher, but for the immediate future he can do both. I really liked him on the mound, I think he has very repeatable mechanics and he has a real feel for his slider. I think he’ll be a key piece of the Cougars starting rotation and lineup as a junior and he has garnered some interest from the local schools already.

Justin Arciniegas (St. John the Baptist 2022)

Arciniegas was outstanding this summer compiling an ERA of 1.29 over 37 IP with only 14 hits allowed. He throws from a tough arm slot that is death on lefties. He also showed me the ability to command all quadrants of the strike zone. He will be the perfect No. 2 starter between RHP Kyle Chase and RHP Aedan Forde at SJB this spring and he certainly has the ability to add more velocity as he adds to his 150 lb frame.

John Downing (Chaminade 2022)

Downing was the pitcher that recorded the final out for Body Armor in 2017 when they improbably won the championship in Cooperstown in a 104-team tournament. Since that time, he has shot up to 6’3 175 lbs and has continued to dominate. I like the tempo that he pitches with, and he pounds the low 1/3 of the zone. He can get swings and misses with his fastball because he commands his off-speed pitches and the curveball is sharp enough to keep hitters honest. I think he’s a Division-II starter and he will put up monster numbers in the Catholic League.

Jacob Lee (Syosset 2022)

Lee was up on varsity as a 9th grader, and has continued to make big improvements since that time. Multiple people told me they have been very impressed with how hard he’s worked to turn himself into a legit college prospect. His arm action is great, and he was around the strike zone with everything. Syosset will be relying on him to log big innings this season.

Colin Rhein (North Babylon 2021)

I hyped up Colin two weeks ago at the unsigned senior showcase in Medford. He didn’t quite have the same velocity today, he was mainly 85-86 MPH but it’s also mid-November. He showed the ability to reach the next level last outing. I think he has Division-I potential, it’s shocking that a pitcher of his ilk is uncommitted still. Everyone was locked into his bullpen, because he was one of the few 2021s with a clear ability to be an impact player.

Matthew Hannon (Massapequa 2022)

Hannon is another pitcher that kind of fell through the cracks because of how good Massapequa was during his freshman year and then the cancelled spring season. He’s 85-87 MPH, with very clean mechanics. His CB was 64 MPH, which is a huge difference. I think he will be an impact arm for them this year.

Dominick Persichilli (Centereach 2022)

It’s been a while since Centereach has had a big-time pitcher. Greg Marino was probably the last and that was five years ago. Before that it was another five years. Persichilli will likely be their ace this year. He’s not a flame-thrower, but he has great fastball command and throws a very deceptive splitter that will be an out pitch. I think he’ll end up being a Division-II starting pitcher or closer.

Palmer O’Beirne (Huntington 2022)

Palmer is another one that was at previous BCP events and dominated. He’s a lefty that is in the low-to-mid 80s with command. He got a ton of swings and misses during the September showcase. What is unique about him is the breaking ball is about 20 MPH difference. It’s very slow and distinct from his fastball. As long as he can maintain the same arm speed and show enough change ups to give a third look, it’s not really an issue. Sometimes, though, high school pitchers fall into the trap of just being fastball and curveball and the development of a third pitch (which you need in college) suffers. So I’ll be interested to see how he incorporates that during the high school season when he will probably get a ton of strikeouts with his fastball. I think given his size, fastball and command he’s a high-end Division-II starter.

Michael Gatti (Oyster Bay 2022)

It was a terrific summer for Gatti, who finished with a 5-0 record and miniscule 0.55 ERA over 50 IP with 64 K. He sat in the low 80s but did reach back and touch 85 MPH on one occasion. That’s not his game, though. He’s a command pitcher that rarely misses his spots. He’s going to throw strikes and rarely miss over the middle of the plate, either.

Catchers

Tucker Schiavoni (Pierson 2021)

Playing out on the very east end of Long Island is an inherent obstacle to getting exposure. But after two straight great showings at showcases, I think it’s time he gets his due. Schiavoni had a great BP round, with an exit velocity of 88.9, but it’s his defense that is really exceptional. He is probably the only catcher that ever stood out while catching bullpens. His pitcher happened to spike a bunch of pitches and he caught everything, and showed incredible agility to make some forehand catches blocking to his right. Just very impressive stuff. His arm strength is a plus too, so I’m not sure what else he needs to do to get noticed.

Christopher Velazquez (Comsewogue 2022)

Just a smooth swing with consistent line drive results. The max exit velocity of 90.1 was the third best, but his average exit velocity of 85.3 was second. This shows his finds the barrel consistently. I think he will put up big numbers this season.

Brandon O’Neill (Sachem North 2023)

Only a sophomore, he looks like he will have a very high ceiling. I liked his violent swing. He had a max exit velo of 86.3 but I wouldn’t be shocked if that hits triple-digits in another year. To me, he just looks like the type of player that will turn into an offensive force.

Kenny Hirschfeld (Kellenberg 2022)

It was a big summer for him, as he hit .356 with five HR and 33 RBI over 106 at bats. Hirschfeld had a 91.1 exit velocity and the best average exit velocity at 87.4. The ball jumps off his bat and he seems like the player that can have an immediate impact at the college level.

Michael Freda (Hills West 2021)

It’s clear he will hit wherever he goes. Freda is a very advanced hitter. I think he’s also underrated behind the plate too. Maybe schools are concerned about the body, but it hasn’t impact his play to this point. He can move and he’s certainly not lazy. The max exit velocity of 92.1 was the best of any player.

Vin Napolitano (Kellenberg 2022)

In my opinion, I think he had the best pure swing. Maybe it’s because he’s a lefty but it just looked the part. His max exit velocity of 85.7 wasn’t the best but he showed a pure ability to drive the baseball. Not much else to add, but he passed the eyeball test.

 

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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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