After attending the Under Armour All-American showcase at Wrigley Field, my big takeaway is that prep pitching is ahead of the prep bats, and the 2020 MLB Draft could be heavy on pitching in the first round. It's too early to assume that will be the case when the 2020 MLB Draft is 10.5 months away, but my opinion is heavily influenced after watching a game that had 34 strikeouts.
Last year, after the UAAA showcase the hype for both Bobby Witt Jr. and Riley Greene reached another level. They both were able to catapult that into being Top 5 draft picks. At the moment, I don't foresee anyone having that type of helium after this game, but here are the prospects who I thought were most impressive.
Jared Kelley - RHP
The TCU commit pitched the first two innings which included facing Blaze Jordan. Kelley came out hot as expected to throw 96 mph with his fastball and paired with his changeup that ranged from 81 to 83 mph. One slider was thrown to get Ed Howard IV chasing for a strikeout.
In the second inning, Kelley mostly sat at 93 mph with his fastball but still getting good speed separation with his changeup at 80-82. More breaking pitches were thrown by Kelley as his curveball looked to have more break than his slider. After one viewing, I prefer the curve than the slider as it pairs well with his fastball that often sits higher in the zone.
Overall, I thought Kelley had the best performance. Striking out five hitters over two innings, Kelley featured a fastball that sat at current MLB average (93 mph) but can hit above average with good command. His changeup can be read out of his hand but tightening up the mechanics throwing that pitch will help with refinement. Without access to TrackMan data, it's hard to gauge if Kelley's breaking pitches featured plus-spin.
When it comes to scouting grades, if pitchers are consistently hitting 93+ mph, I consider that a 50 grade (average). Kelley is at a 50 fastball now but with a bit more maturity could improve to a 55 or 60 grade consistently sitting at 95-96 mph. His changeup is also a good pitch that could progress to being a plus pitch, and his breaking stuff still needs work to get more break to steal strikes when thrown in the zone.
FanGraphs currently has Kelley ranked 10th overall behind Mick Abel as the best prep pitcher.
Zac Veen - CF
Zac Veen caught my attention as I watched the home run derby before the game. With the wind blowing in at Wrigley Field, Veen was able to flex some power hitting seven home runs in two minutes. At 6'4" and 180 lbs, Veen has a body frame to grow into which could result in more power. He's not the top left-handed prep bat (more on that later), but Veen does a good job finishing high with his swing to generate loft.
Defensively, Veen has the athleticism to play in center and made a very nice catch in the seventh inning over his shoulder. His arm wasn't tested in any scenario during the game.
During the game, Veen demonstrated patience refusing to chase after starting pitcher Jared Jones changeups out of the zone. On a full count, Veen hit a single to left field driving in a run.
Zac Veen (@GatorsBB commit) drives in the top 2020 prep #MLBDraft prospect in the country, Pete Crow-Armstrong (@VandyBoys commit), with a 105.6 mph single, the hardest hit ball so far in today's #UAALLAMERICA game.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 22, 2019
Watch: https://t.co/DIgHLklDrk
Gameday: https://t.co/K8UpQtdgpN pic.twitter.com/ECyxCoQU2v
105.6 mph exit velocity is pretty impressive, and I thought he had the best game out of the prep batters. FanGraphs has Veen ranked 12th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft class.
Victor Mederos - RHP
Earning MVP honors, Victor Mederos made quick work of the fourth inning striking out the side in 14 pitches. The first strikeout was Dylan Crews whiffing on an 85 mph changeup and then freezing the next two hitters on an 82-mph slider. Featuring a fastball that sat at 92 to 94 mph, Mederos displayed excellent command of his pitches. Ranked 111th on FanGraphs, Mederos will be 19 years old for the 2020 MLB Draft and has some work to do in climbing up the draft boards. On Monday afternoon, Mederos made a good first impression.
Other observations
- I was hoping to see good things from Pete Crow-Armstrong as he carries a lot of hype, but he did not have a strong game. His highlight came in the first inning when after taking a walk, stole second base and advanced to third base after a poor throw from catcher Drew Romo. After that, Crow-Armstrong lost a ball in the sun resulting in an error and struck out in his next at-bats.
- The best left-handed prep bat in this class is Austin Hendrick who put on a show during the home run derby hitting dingers of the right-field scoreboard at Wrigley Field. Hendrick's swing reminds me of Bryce Harper's in setup. He'll stick in right field long-term as he doesn't have the athleticism to stick in center field, but he does have plus-arm strength. Just like Crow-Armstrong, Hendrick didn't do much during the game as he walked and struck out twice.
- A lot of chatter was made about Romo's pop time that he displayed at the scouting showcase on Sunday, but the accuracy of his throws was concerning. Three of Romo's throws trying to nail base stealers ended up in the outfield. Considered the top prep catcher, Romo did have a good day at the plate going for 2-for-3 with a double.
