Jason Diaz
Re-Visiting The 2016 Top Prospects on LI List
It’s been five years since I really started following high school baseball here on Long Island. Back during the 2016, I tried to really immerse myself in the game and I was covering games 5 days per week – while bartending at Lombardi’s on the Bay on the weekend – so I did miss out on some action at times. But through conversations with high school and travel ball coaches, I attempted to compile a list of the Top 10 prospects on Long Island. This was not meant to be a prediction of who would have the longest and most successful career, but in that snapshot in time I wanted to gage who had the highest ceiling as a prospect. Like anything else in media, it got some attention from people that enjoyed it while others scoffed at it. I can laugh now, because I really had ...
Observations From Friday Night’s Bullpen at Prospect
The high school season might be more than two months away but the preparation is in full swing. Last night, I went to Prospect Sports in Farmingdale to watch two of the brightest young stars on Long Island get a bullpen in, as well as one college arm that has worked extremely hard to reclaim his status as a phenom. Prospect is the home of many of the top players in the region. On any given day, you can see players that will likely compete for the Diamond Award and Carl Yastrzemski Award as well as college players that will compete for All-Conference selections. Rafe Schlesinger (Sachem East 2021) has been a recognizable name for the past two years. Since that time, he has only continued to progress and since then, committed to Miami, appeared in the Area Code Games, East Coast Pro and has ...
OTD: Giancarlo Giacometti Throws a Gem, Leads SJB To 6-1 Victory
Giancarlo Giacometti fires 6.1 innings today against Kellenberg in a 6-1 victory for St. John the Baptist. He’s our @BsbLifestyle101 Player of the Game pic.twitter.com/sRz2Bffj67 — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) April 9, 2019 With several MLB scouts lined up behind home plate, Giancarlo Giacometti shined the brightest on a dreary day in East Meadow on Opening Day for St. John the Baptist. The crafty right-handed pitcher was unflappable, as he fired 6.1 strong innings in a 6-1 win for the Cougars over Kellenberg. He noted that he was excited for today and had it marked on his calendar facing Miami-commit Jason Diaz. “‘Especially being Opening Day, I just wanted to get the win,” said the right-hander. After going down 1-2-3 in the first, they had a huge second inning. Freshman st...
Long Island’s Top Pitchers Throw at Suffolk CC
Today was a scout’s dream, as every one of the top pitchers on Long Island were in one spot, throwing to a catcher. During a season, seeing all of these arms would probably take a full season but thanks to the loaded roster of the HDMH Titans, this was all possible today. The Mets, Phillies, Yankees, Tigers and Phillies were in attendance, Here’s a breakdown of them in the order they threw: David Falco, RHP, Center Moriches (Maryland-commit) Maryland-commit David Falco (Center Moriches 2019). Will transition to starting rotation after being closer for State Championship winning team last year. Fastball touched 94 last season, sat 89-92 MPH pic.twitter.com/z3b5ttT7Zo — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) January 30, 2019 Falco is well-built at 6’4 220 lbs. It is likely he...
Alfalla Closing In On 200 Wins As Kellenberg Looks to Bounce Back From Last Season
If you are judging programs on their ability to win championships and get players to the next level, there’s no question that Kellenberg is right there with any program including Nassau and Suffolk public schools. Since 2016, they have won two CHSAA titles and have sent 21 players to the collegiate level. Chris Cappas (Pittsburgh), Robert Weissheier (Hofstra) and Terrence Murray (Fordham) are all playing at the Division-I level while Kevin McCarthy is in the Major Leagues with the Kansas City Royals. Last year was certainly a down year by their standards, falling to 8-13 after winning back-to-back CHSAA championships and being named Axcess Baseball’s Team of the Year in 2017. “During the previous two years we found ourselves in a lot of one-run situations where we would b...
Who Has The Best Tools on the Island?
Regardless of where you’re from, who your parents are, what size you are and what your nationality is, if you’re good you will be found. People love to diminish baseball for being a sport that is tilted towards the upper-middle class that can afford to travel the nation. That is simply not the case. A good scout will locate the top players in their area. Look no further than Kyle McGowin, who hails from the smallest town in New York (Sag Harbor) or Franklin Parra who came from the Dominican Republic and made a name for himself in extremely quick fashion at a school not commonly associated with baseball prowess (Copiague). With the 2019 season right around the corner, I will attempt to name the tools associated with being an impact baseball player and name the players that posse...
What Are the Major Storylines for 2019? (High School Edition)
With 2019 upon us, it is time to turn the page and start to think about the upcoming season. College ball is just 44 days away, and that will be here before you know know. First, let’s start off with high school. Below are some of the major storylines to watch for this upcoming season. The more things change, the more they stay the same? At the high school level, we had repeat winners at the AA level (Massapequa), A (Wantagh) and Suffolk AA’s winner (West Islip) won their third since 2014. It came as a bit of a surprise just considering the quality of teams they were facing. Oceanside was so talented that they would’ve been the prohibitive favorites in Vegas after they swept the Chiefs in April and started out 12-0. Massapequa still found a way to run the table in the pos...
Where Things Stand With the Top Prospects in the 2019 Class
Yes it may seem like the 2019 draft is a long time away, but the reality for MLB organizations is that the preparation began immediately following the 2018 draft. Area scouts have had workouts and will continue to monitor their high-follows very closely from now until June. Below is a list of the eight players I believe have a chance to get drafted next year, and how they have evolved since I first watched each of them. Jason Diaz, RHP, Kellenberg Jason Diaz set such a high standard for himself that it was always going to be difficult to continue to outperform expectations. Having a 94 MPH at 16-years-old can be a blessing and a curse. From my perspective, I was blown away with him as a sophomore. His natural stuff, his composure, the similarities to Marcus Stroman, etc, put himself in eli...
Vinny Messana’s Big Board: Top High School Prospects on Long Island
With MLB Draft day just one day away it’s time to discuss which local high school players have a shot to play at the professional level. Many of these players I have watched for the past few seasons and have watched them evolve from talented players with lots of untapped potential to elite players. Additionally, each of these young men happen to possess rare leadership qualities that will help them excel at the next level. Several of these players will play high-end Division-I baseball and a few of them will play professionally after that. Criteria: high school graduates of 2018-2020 and I needed to see them play at least once. Frankin Parra (Copiague 2018, San Jacinto CC-commit) When you watch the video above, it’s easy to see why cross checkers were flying into Long Island to...
Jason Diaz Ks 10, Drives in Run in 3-1 Victory over Chaminade
Our @DigmiNation Player of the Game is winning pitcher Jason Diaz who struck out 10 and allowed just two hits and an unearned run. He also hit an RBI single to lead the Firebirds to a 3-1 victory. #TipYourCap pic.twitter.com/1YeATNSo7Q — Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 9, 2018 Jason Diaz knows his days with a baseball bat in his hands are numbered. The junior RHP is regarded as the top pitching prospect on Long Island. He verbally committed to the University of Miami during his sophomore year and more-than-likely will not get an at bat while playing in the ACC. That doesn’t mean he can’t make the most of his at bats before that moment comes. He helped himself with an RBI single in the bottom of the first against Logan Koester, in what proved to be a pitching duel betwe...
Axcess Baseball Weekly With Jason Diaz
On this episode we are joined by RHP Jason Diaz, a 2019 graduate of Kellenberg HS and a University of Miami commit. Jason led the Firebirds to the CHSAA championship over St. John the Baptist with a 1-0 complete game shutout with 10 strikeouts. Diaz has a fastball that has been clocked as high as 93 MPH. The junior spoke about his experience with the college recruiting process, why he admires Long Island native Marcus Stroman, what he did to improve this offseason and what it will take for Kellenberg to stave off their rival and win a third CHSAA title in 2018.
Jason Diaz: What I Am Thankful For
(Editor’s Note: Jason Diaz is a 2019 graduate of Kellenberg HS. He fired a CG shutout of St. John the Baptist to clinch the CHSAA championship earlier this year. He has a fastball that sits 90-91 MPH and tops at 93 MPH. He is committed to the University of Miami. The following words are his own.) Thanksgiving really brings out the positivity in people and it makes me think about what I’m thankful for. To me baseball is the greatest thing on this earth and it’s not even close. What kid growing up didn’t want to throw a ball as hard as they can and what kid didn’t want to hit bombs over the fence? The game of baseball has showed me that success isn’t just given to you and it makes me thankful for when the times are tough because it just encourages me to ov...
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