SOPHOMORE WINTER STANDOUTS

Wed March 10, 2021
PBR Staff

The Hotlist is looking at recent winter standouts and next up are members of the 2023 class.

Kyler Miritello, RHP, Sioux Falls Roosevelt HS, SD
Miritello had a notable performance at the South Dakota Spring Preview in February. He’s a projectable 6-foot-2, 180 pounds and has a simple, repeatable delivery. His arm is long and loose with whip and extension to finish. The fastball sat 85-86, touching 88. He throws a slider at 75-78 with good feel for strikes. The changeup is in there and will continue to get better as he gets into the season.

Luke Agnew, RHP, Marquette University HS, WI
Agnew has skyrocketed into a strong group of Wisconsin sophomore arms. At the West Milwaukee I.D. sat right around 85 mph, and reached 87-88 to close his bullpen out. He attacked the strike zone with all three of his pitches too, with a fluid, loose and athletic arm action that offers significant upside with his projectable 6-foot-2, 203-pound frame. Agnew’s changeup was his best offspeed offering on Sunday, though his curveball projects with its depth.

Ethan Blakeney, RHP/OF, Bayside HS, VA
Blakeney has a lankier athletic frame with some strength present and a lot of projection left to it. Was a top performer this past weekend at the PBR Va/DC Preseason All State East. Has some two-way potential as a prospect, on the mound, long loose three-quarters quick arm action, easier effort to delivery. Fastball was 82-84, touching 85. Showed feel for three offspeed pitches, curve and slider have different velos and distinctly different shapes, both pitches have sharp break and good armspeed. At the plate, good strong base to swing, hips have some explosion, short to ball with some strength at contact line drive swing generates some carry in the gaps, exit velocity was 90. Strong athletic package across the board, arm in the outfield was 90 while he also ran a 6.94.

Caden Cornett, RHP, Center Grove HS, IN
Cornett is projectable and broad-shouldered at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds. At Indiana's Preseason All-State Underclass event last weekend, he showcased a power fastball at 90-92 with life through the zone and an average spin rate of 2379. His breaking ball is still in the developmental stages at 66-72, but shows tight spin with some shape that gives him the chance of developing a sufficient secondary pitch. Cornett's arm is extremely quick, and with his athleticism and strength it makes him one of the more intriguing uncommitted arms in the 2023 class. 

Jake Devalk, RHP/3B, Bayside HS, AL
Devalk displayed his two-way ability at the Alabama Preseason All-State event. The physical right handed hitter started with an open stance and utilized a small leg kick to get his hands to the launch position. He showed some definite tilt in the bat path with a middle to pull approach. There is definite bat speed already present and he shows plenty of pop, as he recorded a 93.4 mph (Trackman) exit speed. Devalk was maybe even more impressive on the mound as the 6’foot-3 righty displayed a fastball with late arm-side action at 86-87, bumping 88 with little effort. The pitch showed nice tilt and there is plenty of projection in added velocity. The secondary offering is a true 12/6 breaking ball that he commanded well down in the zone and the changeup seems to be developing.

Rowan Donels, RHP, Cedar Rapids Kennedy HS, IA
Donels projects well physically with his 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame and should continue to add strength. He has shown significant overall improvement since last summer, when he was pitching in the upper 70s. On Sunday, at the Iowa Preseason All-State event, he was 86-88 and showed feel for a breaking ball and changeup as well.

Sean Finn, SS/RHP, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, PA
Among the top uncommitted sophomores in Pennsylvania, the primary shortstop turned heads on the mound this winter. At 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, Finn gets the most out of his frame, topping out at 89 off the mound and 91 mph across the diamond. A 7.1 runner, Finn is also impressive with a bat in his hand, showcasing some present power with a max batted ball distance of 357 feet and a top exit velocity of 93 mph. The right-handed hitter flashed his athleticism at the PBR Future Games Northeast last summer when forced to hit left-handed as a result of an injury. While not a switch-hitter, Finn held his own with five hits over three games.

Colton Hartman, LHP, Lebanon HS, OH
One of the biggest stock risers in the state over the past year who continues to ascend. Three-pitch southpaw on the mound, up to 89 mph with a legitimate run producer profile at the plate. 6-2, 185-pound L/L who had OF velocity of 91 and exit velocity of 93 while runing a 7.19 60-yard dash.

William Hill, OF, Brooks HS, IL
Hill put together the most head-turning performance of anyone in attendance at the Chicago Preseason I.D. He's a long-levered, high-waisted 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, and he used it to run the fastest 60-yard dash time (6.79) at the event by a large margin, and on what appeared to be a slow turf. Hill then proceeded to bounce around the outfield, playing light and easy on his feet, firing multiple throws that played true, at head height or lower, registering a number of 90-plus mph throws, his best coming in at 94. Not to be outdone, the right-handed hitter showed a simple, easy, twitchy right-handed swing with upside.

Cole Kershaw, 1B, Jordan HS, UT
At the Utah Preseason All-State Showcase, Kershaw put on a show with the bat. He is slightly open with his stance, waggling and bouncing the bat for rhythm and timing. He brings the bat to a stop from a high elbow and hits from a semi-dead hand position, but it doesn’t take away from his power or the ability to get the bat started and whistle it through the zone. He scored in the top five in bat speed and rotational acceleration and had the third-best exit velocity high at 99.23. He also had the best average distance of 342 feet, and blasted one ball 405 to right-center field.

Cale Latimer, RHP, Benton HS, LA
Latimer is physically imposing at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and was one of the biggest winners of the winter with his showing at the Northern Louisiana Preseason I.D. in January. He pitch exclusively out of the stretch, taking a high leg lift and striding slightly closed before using a short and quick arm action through a 3/4 slot. The fastball sat 86-87, touching 88, on a cold and rainy day. His average spin rate was 2097 rpm on the fastball, but his extension stood out at a little over 7 feet. His 80-83 changeup had heavy sink to the arm side. The slider is still developing at 66-70 with average depth and spin. He’s also an excellent student with a 4.18 GPA and 33 ACT.

Griffin Madden, RHP/1B, Alleghany, MD
6-foot-2, 180-pounds. Strong, athletic, projectable frame. Hits from a tall, balanced, slightly open stance at the plate. Smooth, fluid back load with really nice hand separation. Short in to out stride with quick hands and fast bat speed through contact. Attacks the ball with controlled aggression and a more level bat path. Creates solid extension through and past contact with evident barrel awareness. Strong lower half involvement with a slight recoil and a really nice middle of the field line drive approach. 99 mph exit velocity during BP per TrackMan. Power to the gaps and alleys is evident with even more projected as his body continues to fill out.

Chase McKelvey, 3B/RHP, Beaufort HS, SC
McKelvey has a lanky frame at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds and will easily handle strength gains as he matures physically. On the bump, his fastball peaks at 84 and he pairs it with a power slider at 76. It has late, hard depth and 10/4 tilt. In the box, he’s still developing feel for the barrel, but the max exit velo reached 94.

Bryce McKnight, RHP, Desert Vista HS, AZ
McKnight’s performance at the Preseason I.D. helped him earn a spot in this year’s Future Games as a member of Team Arizona. He has made big strides over the last year, adding good strength to a lean, athletic frame, which has translated to the mound. He threw from an athletic delivery that got stronger over the course of the session. He showed a solid three-pitch mix while pounding the zone. His fastball sat 84-86, topping out at 88 with ride through the zone. The slider showed sweeping action with 8:15 tilt and 18 inches of horizontal movement. The changeup showed sink at 75-76.

Sean O'Leary, 3B/RHP, Foxboro HS, MA
O’Leary has a physical frame at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds. At the New England Preseason All-State Showcase, he had the second-best exit velocity at 98. He begins in a balanced stance with a controlled load before using a small leg kick. He has explosive bat speed with uphill swing plane and high finish. He found multiple barrels with tons of loud contact and an aggressive approach. He’s athletic in the field with soft hands, a natural exchange and consistent footwork. His lateral movements are athletic and he fields the ball out front.

Peyton Prescott, SS/RHP, Sebastian River HS, FL
Prescott was a standout at the Florida Preseason All-State event and earned himself a Future Games invite. The frame is athletic and he has the ability to play multiple positions. He has above average arm strength from the outfield (94) and infield (90). Offensively, he shows a quiet, simple approach with the ability to consistently put the barrel on the ball. He went 2-for-2 in the game. On the mound, he competed in the zone with a fastball up to 86 and showed an advanced splitter and curveball.

Kyle Remington, OF/RHP, Grand Rapids Christian HS, MI
One of the top arms for Team Michigan at last summer's Future Games showed promise in the infield as well as the outfield. Athletic movements with a quick throwing arm. Threw 95 mph from the outfield while posting a 90 mph exit velocity with wood. Also ran a 6.85 60-yard at the Michigan Procase.

Nolan Stevens, 1B/OF, Franklin HS, CA
Regarded as one of the top all-around talents in the 2023 class, Stevens showed the offensive and arm strength tools that back up those lofty rankings at the Preseason All-State event. The frame immediately stands out at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. He runs a 7.23 60 and threw 89 from the outfield, as well as 85 from first base. The BP was loud and he projects to hit for raw and usable power down the road. He had a top exit velocity of 98 and max bat speed of 78.3. The event was before he was ready to take the mound this year, but he is a standout as a left-handed pitcher too.