rankings

by Vinny Messana His fastball can be heard from a great distance. Not just from the entirety of Mount Sinai‘s HS campus but also from the entirety of League VII, as his dominance on the mound has allowed his team to climb to the top of the standings. Fastball velocity has always been a point of pride for Sam Kessler and last summer he hit his goal of touching 90 at the Connie Mack World Series. Since that time, he has been sitting at that velocity and he is now one of the prized prospects on Long Island. One person that doesn’t always enjoy that is his catcher, George Rainer. “He throws hard enough where I have to wear a batting glove under my catcher’s glove,” said Rainer. “And also, he throws from a 3/4 angle so his two-seam runs in on right handers a ...

(Photo Credit: Natalia Revere) by Vinny Messana When you get a scholarship offer from one of the most respected baseball schools in the northeast based on one inning of relief in a summer tournament, you’re doing something right. It was the summer of ’14 and Fordham‘s Head Coach, Kevin Leighton, saw enough in Oceanside‘s sophomore Kyle Martin to pursue him and make him a focal point of his team’s future. It’s hard to question his decision. Martin was coming off an All-State selection, having led his Oceanside Sailor’s to the county championship, where they were looking for their first title since 2004. They ultimately lost to Massapequa, but that was to no fault of the 6’3″ SS/P. Martin was more than happy to commit to the prestigious u...

by Vinny Messana By the time Marcus Stroman stepped foot in Patchogue-Medford HS, he was already a household name within the inner circles of baseball scouts. He had played varsity as an eighth grader and dominated players much older than him. Another player, that is 10 years younger, has the type of skillset that can make scouts drool in a similar way. He has yet to play in a varsity game, but pretty soon everyone will know who his is.   Jason Diaz, a 2019 graduate of Kellenberg, is beginning the year on the JV team but cannot be ignored much longer. Not after touching 87 MPH with his fastball at 14-years-old, and not if he accomplishes his goal that he has set for himself this year. “I want to make the Team USA 15U team,” said Diaz. “There’s nothing better th...

by Vinny Messana Class AA:  10. Smithtown West– They are losing their rotation which accounted for 14 of their 17 wins from last year and will be relying on pitchers that have not won at this level yet. Nevertheless, they will be counting on Nick Trabacchi and Nick Grande to lead the way offensively and hope their young arms can learn on the job. 9. Commack– They have a talented rotation led by Lorenzo Russo, Ryan Steffens and Peter Theodorelis that makes them a tough assignment regardless of who they play. Coming off a 12-win season, they are on the rise. 8. Bellport- Their rare combination of experience and youth makes them a program ready to take the next step. They are also positioned to be very good for a number of years. Head Coach Batewell knows talent when he sees it, a...