Major propers to Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report for the information below. College baseball recruiting is still not nearly as mainstream as football and basketball recruiting, but these two sites (among others) are on the cutting edge.
Before I do a deep dive into projections for Virginia Baseball 2016, I wanted to introduce Hoofans and Wahooze Nation to our incoming class of recruits. There's some instant impact among these guys, and even though Evan Sperling is recovering from Tommy John Surgery and likely won't play in 2016, I think we're about to get a major boost on the mound. (Two as-yet-unnamed JUCO pitchers are going to help, as well.)
Anyway, here's a good, long look at the Virginia Baseball 2015 recruiting class...
OF Doak Dozier
A very good athlete who showed outstanding hitting ability at PG National. Always hits.
Doak Dozier is a 2015 OF with a 6-3 180 lb. frame from Fort Worth, TX who attends Arlington Heights HS. slender young athletic build, very projectable physically. 6.57 runner, athletic actions in the outfield, very good range, plus arm strength, can improve accuracy with a more on line plane, high level centerfield tools. Left handed hitter, upper half rotational hitter, spread stance, can get better low half use, very fast hands create bat speed, handles the barrel well and makes adjustments to pitches, multiple game hits against 90+ mph velocity, impressive hit tool, power to come with additional strength and swing adjustments. Very good all around athlete with skills and projection. Excellent student, verbal commitment to Stanford. Selected for the Perfect Game All-American Classic.
Elite-level college baseball recruit.
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| I am guessing that Doak Dozier starts in the UVA outfield from Day One. |
3B Ryan Karstetter
Bat projects very well. Stood out at WWBA.
As athletic as they come. The body is very athletic and projectable. He will be a big strong man some day. He showed good actions, arm strength and speed and also smoked a double to the center field wall in a game. He is a projection guy that will probably become a big time player at Virginia.
5/20/15 - Another big physical athletic live projectable body. Played some SS but not a true SS. Had loose actions with softness in hands and a solid avg arm. Is an above avg runner. Has quickness and some strength in bat with avg to above avg power. Swing has length to it. Likes the ball down. Will have big power when that body starts to fill out. Could be a good draft but could be tough to get out of Virginia.
3/24/15 - Virginia commit. 6-foot-4, 200 pound infielder with a tall loose athletic lean projectble body.Went 2-3 today with an infield single and ran 4.2 to 1B and also smoked a line drive single up the middle.
3/23/15 - Virginia commit. 6-foot-4, 200 pound infielder with a tall loose athletic lean projectble body. Decent actions with enough arm at third base. Swing has length with avg bat speed. Good path. Barrel stays in the zone. Can drive ball a long way when he gets extended. 4.3 to first base. Very athletic body. High ceiling. Had a single today.
2/4/15 - Virginia commit. Ranked #23 in Florida. 6-foot-4, 200 pound infielder with a tall strong live athletic projectable body. Continues to fill out into a nice looking athlete, and is not finished yet. In the field Karstetter has good actions with decent hands and some arm strength. At the plate, his hands start off low and get nice separation. Bat stays through the zone with a good path. Stays inside ball with quickness and strength. Can drive ball to all fields. Good bat speed. Ball jumps off his bat. Above avg power. Against Clearwater he was 0-5 but had a few loud outs and a couple bang-bang plays at first that showed off his good speed. The body and athleticism will attract a lot of scouts to his games this Spring. Tall lean loose live very athletic projectable body. Loose quick bat with some length and a very good path. Stays inside ball. Can drive ball when he gets extended to all fields. Shows power now with a lot more to come. Bat will continue to improve with added strength. Very high ceiling. Runs a sub 6.5, 60. Avg type actions and hands in infield with enough arm. Could be a 2015 draft. Karstetter is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound corner infielder who is very athletic. This summer the right hander has been clocked at 6.7 in the 60 and has consistently sat 84-85 on the mound.
8/24/14 - Karstetter has a mature 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame and showed solid actions and arm strength at the hot corner. Hailing from Pennsylvania (and ranked 19th in the state's 2015 class), the Virginia recruit has some swing-and-miss in his offensive game, but makes hard contact when he gets the barrel to the ball and runs well.
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| Karstetter could step right in to fill the hotcorner hole left by Kenny Towns. |
RHP Evan Sperling
Interesting RHP was up to 94 at WWBA.
A Virginia commit that stands an imposing 6-foot-6 on the mound and throws from a low-three quarter slot. He generates plus movement while creating good deception. He has not sacrificed his velocity, which has been as high as 94 and usually sits 88-92. Sperling also has feel for his curveball and a change-up.
Evan Sperling 2015 MLB draft preview - Sperling has a tall, strong frame at 6-foot-6, 205 pounds and offers a different look, coming through a low-3/4 arm slot. His fastball ranges from the high 80s to low 90s, but can get good life on it, which induces weak contact from hitters. He throws a slider in the mid-70s, though it’s a slurvy pitch and remains a work-in-progress. He also mixes in a changeup at 74-75.
SS Jack Weiller
Jack Weiller is a 2015 SS with a 6-1 170 lb. frame from Katonah, NY who attends John Jay Cross River HS. Medium build with a lean athletic frame. Plenty of room to gain strength. A left handed hitter with a smooth fluid swing. He uses a toe tap trigger and generates good bat speed. Showed a great approach at the plate and is not afraid to use the entire field. Made hard line drive contact up the middle and to the opposite field in game. On the infield he has smooth actions and soft hands. His feet work well and he gets himself in good position to throw. He has a quick release and makes accurate throws. Also ran a 6.89 60 yd dash. Very good in the classroom.
Jack Weiller (John Jay Cross River HS, NY) who emerged as the clear standout in a warm-up game against a Canadian team down in Jupiter last month. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Virginia recruit is a fluid athlete who exudes confidence on the field. Offensively, the left-handed hitter has a relaxed plate approach, one that is highly athletic with an easy, loose swing. In his first at-bat, he got fooled on a pitch but kept his hands back, allowing him to wrist-flick a line-drive single through the right side. Following a walk, he inside-outed a single through the 5-6 hole. Defensively, he moves well laterally and showed good carry across the infield.
Probably the best shortstop in Section 1. Very smooth defensively with range and a strong, accurate arm. Handles the bat extremely well while swinging from the left side. Pretty stroke with great bat speed who uses all fields. Went 2 for 3 with two intentional walks against Lakeland on 04/11. First at-bat, he hit a first-pitch fastball into the left-center field gap for an RBI double. Later in the game, drove a ball down the left field line that hit the foul pole just below the fence for a long single. Definitely has opposite field power and rarely over-swings.
Jack Weiller (John Jay Cross River HS, NY) jumps up two spots (previously No. 11) after impressing the PBR national scouting staff down in Florida a few weeks ago. He recently made the top 100 in our Class of 2015 Overall Rankings coming in at No. 99. Weiller emerged as the clear standout in a warm-up game against a Canadian team down in Jupiter last month. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Virginia recruit is a fluid athlete who exudes confidence on the field. Offensively, the left-handed hitter has a relaxed plate approach, one that is highly athletic with an easy, loose swing. In his first at-bat, he got fooled on a pitch but kept his hands back, allowing him to wrist-flick a line-drive single through the right side. Following a walk, he inside-outed a single through the 5-6 hole. Defensively, he moves well laterally and showed good carry across the infield.
HERE is a nice Q&A with Jack.
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| Apparently, he was one of Westchester's top jocks. |
LHP Connor Eason
Easy upper 80s at PG Junior National with more to come.
Connor Eason is a 2015 LHP/1B with a 6-3 210 lb. frame from Chesapeake, VA who attends Hickory HS. Nice athletic build, strong and loose with some projection remaining. Slow paced leg raise delivery, very loose deep arm action, 3/4's release, accelerates well to the plate, has some deception. Upper 80's fastball, topped at 89 mph, higher velocity fastballs mostly straight, will cut his fastball at 84 mph with good effect. Throws two different curveballs, mid to upper 60's curveball needs to be abandoned, throws it frequently with soft spin and roll, 75 mph breaking ball flashes spin and some bite and can be developed, rare change up. Around the plate with all pitches and mixes well. May throw very hard in a few years, mid 90's possible with arm speed and looseness, has gained 7-8 mph in last year, development of secondary pitches will be key. Potential high ceiling talent. Good student.
A 6-foot-3 Virginia commit who throws from a three-quarters arm slot and hides the ball well with a slight crossfire. Eason works in the mid-to-upper 80s with an athletic frame and a long arm action. He throws a solid slider and change-up and has more velocity in the tank.
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| He's got that 'future ace' kind of look. |
RHP Grant Sloan
Big time two-way talent. Huge ceiling. Very good at PG Junior National.
Grant Sloan is a 2015 RHP/3B/1B with a 6-5 205 lb. frame from Zionsville, IN who attends Zionsville Community HS. Tall slender build, some present strength with room for lots more, long limbs. Compact arm action, over the top arm slot, tends to fall off to the first base side on release, arm is fast and loose coming through. Upper 80's fastball, topped out at 90 mph, gets very good running and sinking life at times. Slurve type breaking ball shows very good depth at times, hard spin with good bite. Rare change up. Projects well on the mound. Right handed hitter, open stance, long stride into contact, long lifting swing with an early hand release out front, has some raw power potential, can shorten up for more consistent contact. Very good student.
4/1/15 GAME NOTES: The Virginia commit was up to 91 last night, but struggled with command; up in the zone and behind in the count. Threw 3 1/3 innings striking out 4 and walking 2, allowed 5 Runs, 2 Earned.
2/22/14 - 6-foot-4, 195 pound Junior is committed to Virginia. Sloan has a strong athletic frame with a strong arm. At the he showcased a heavy fastball with little effort at 85 mph . The No. 13 ranked Sloan has been up to 89 mph with his fastball and arguably has one of the highest ceilings in the 2015 class. The Virginia commit needs to become more consistent this spring, and if he does should be talked about in regards to the 2015 draft. Fielding: Possesses a strong, athletic arm across the diamond at 87 mph. Hands are above average and shows good athleticism in the field. Footwork is fluid and has a clean exchange. Offensively uses a leg kick. Shows above average bat speed. Swing path is level and gets to extension. Barrels up the baseball with some power. Ran a 7.00 60 at the event. Sloan is committed to Virginia as a RHP.
7/22/13 - Sloan is an interesting prospect. Sloan is better every time out, touching 89 at the Area Code workout. He was consistently 84-87. Offensively, the swing is there, but has been inconsistent in game action at the plate. Expect Sloan to gain more attention nationally very soon. Fall 2012: Sloan is a 6-foot-3, 175-pound Class of 2015 3B/RHP. He runs a 7.18 60 and is 74 across the infield. At the plate, Sloan shows an advanced approach at the plate with the ability to barrel the ball to all sides of the field. His swing plane was short and level. Sloan consistently showed the ability to hit the ball to both gaps with good pop. On the mound, he is 83-85 with his fastball, and 70-73 with his breaking ball. He shows the ability to throw both pitches for a strike. Sloan is a high-follow, two-way player in Indiana’s loaded 2015 class.
Grant Sloan - (Zionsville HS, IN) has a projectable frame at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds. His fastball sits in the mid to upper 80s and can creep into the low 90s. Committed to Virginia, he’ll be one to watch down the road.
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| Will Sloan be ready to help the Hoos in 2015? |
LHP Daniel Lynch
Lynch, a Virginia commit, is a lanky 6-foot-5, 165 pound, LHP. On the mound, Lynch is smooth with a good rhythm and stays on line. He has the ability to move in and out with a fastball that sits 85-87 mph, touching 88 mph on occasion. Lynch also offers a breaking ball that sits 73-76 mph that could end up as a plus pitch and a change up that has a split finger type action at 74-76 mph.
Lynch, a Virginia commit, is a lanky 6-foot-5, 165 pound, LHP. On the mound, Lynch is smooth with a good rhythm and stays on line. He has the ability to move in and out with a fastball that sits 85-87 mph, touching 88 mph on occasion. Lynch also offers a breaking ball that sits 73-76 mph that could end up as a plus pitch and a change up that has a split finger type action at 74-76 mph.
OF Cameron Simmons
Cameron Simmons is a 2015 OF/RHP with a 6-4 190 lb. frame from Royersford, PA who attends Spring-Ford HS. Long and lean athletic build, has some present strength with more to come. Excellent defensive tools in the outfield, 6.55 speed in the sixty, works to the ball very well, good footwork and release on his throws, long fast arm action with on line carry, big centerfield tools. Right handed hitter, closed stance, some backside collapse, short line drive swing, could extend and separate better, has strength at contact and the ball comes off the barrel well, mid field contact, has leverage and bat speed he isn't using at present but projects offensively. Good student.
Cameron Simmons is a 2015 OF/RHP with a 6-4 190 lb. frame from Royersford, PA who attends Spring-Ford HS. Long and lean athletic build, has some present strength with more to come. Excellent defensive tools in the outfield, 6.55 speed in the sixty, works to the ball very well, good footwork and release on his throws, long fast arm action with on line carry, big centerfield tools. Right handed hitter, closed stance, some backside collapse, short line drive swing, could extend and separate better, has strength at contact and the ball comes off the barrel well, mid field contact, has leverage and bat speed he isn't using at present but projects offensively. Good student.
Cameron Simmons - Cameron Simmons is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound OF/RHP from Spring-Ford HS. He is a terrific athlete with plus speed and arm strength. 4/10/17 Simmons is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound athlete that is toolsy with a great frame. Has above average arm strength and foot speed (especially for someone his size), plus good bat speed. Made adjustment after strikeout on ball away in first at-bat to smoke opposite field single in second at-bat. Ran a 4.25 home-to-1B on a barreled ground ball to SS.
SS Jonathan Meola
SS Jonathan Meola
Oustanding all around SS.
OF Jake McCarthy
McCarthy is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound outfielder who attends Scranton HS. He is a multi-sport athlete and plus runner with a smooth stroke.
3B Nathan Eikhoff
An athletic player who has outstanding hands at the plate and in the field. Eikhoff has the ability to hit for a high average, spraying line drives the other way and up the gaps from his left-handed stance. He has the bat speed to develop significant power as he fills out and begins to turn on balls.
RHP Grant Donahue
HERE is a nice Q&A with Grant Donahue.
RHP Chesdin Harrington
A classic Virginia-bound righty, tall, athletic, and projectable. Harrington’s fastball has been up as high as 89 mph and he usually works in the mid-80s. He has good feel for his change-up and curveball and has a frame that suggests there is more velocity to come.
C Cameron Comer
Here's good amount on Cam Comer, but it's really old!
8/1/12 - 6-foot, 160-pound prospect with solid frame and strength projection. Has excellent ability with the bat from the left side. Upright stance with high hand trigger. Shows balance in swing. Squares barrel well on ball. Quick into hittting zone with long finish. Shows power loft on pull. Defensively, grades well from third base showing good feet and hands with good arm strength from all angles (81 mph). Behind the plate, has lateral movement and block ability. Accepts ball with 2.0 to 2.04 split time and 77 mph velocity from the crouch. Registered a 7.32 60-yard dash.
1/28/12 - Medium body with strength projection. Good athlete. Worked out at numerous positions. (5.3 40 yd dash). Best skill is his bat. Definite HR power potential, has loft. Squared upright stance with quick bat speed into zone, squares barrel on ball with controlled upper-cut. Good load & finish. Needs to enhance his consistency in lower half which will come. Defensively, projects best as a corner infielder, has corner infield range, accepts ball well with 4 grade arm. As a catcher, shows some lateral ability but needs enhancement in footwork and glove to hand exchange (2.18-2.22 pop) On the mound, he shows moderate arm speed through 3/4 slot. Needs to enhance velocity. FB (77-80 mph) with some late movement; some feel and spin on curve (63-64 mph) and good arm side run on change (70-71). Bat will make him major D-1 candidate, but he needs to master a defensive position.
12/18/11 - Comer is an athletic infield prospect. In the field, he uses long, easy arm action from a high 3/4 arm slot to generate a top velocity of 70 mph across the infield. In time, he should become more polished as he improves his footwork. At the plate, the left-handed hitter uses a swing that you could watch all day. He uses a balanced, athletic setup. He displays a smooth, easy load and rhythm along with a short stride. He uses an explosive lower half and quick bat speed to generate gap-to-gap tendencies. As he becomes physically stronger, Comer will become even more of a threat at the plate.
More recent stuff on Cam...
More recent stuff on Cam...
2/5/15 - Comer started his day off by running a 7.18-second 60 and then showed good footwork and a clean exchange during the defense portion. He threw from a long, high-3/4 slot with pop times consistently in 2.00-2.10 range. In the infield, he showed good range and the ability throw from different slots across the diamond. He really shined during batting practice. He starts with a spread out stance that keeps him balanced. He showed good rhythm and quick hands spraying the ball to all fields and showed some power to the pull side.
2/2/15 - During the position workout Olentangy Liberty standout Cam Comer showed well. The Virginia commit started off by running a 7.18 60-yard dash. During the defensive portion of the workout, behind the dish Cam showed good footwork and clean exchange. He threw from a long, high-¾ slot with pop times of 2.00-2.01 consistently. In the infield he showed good range and able throw from different slots across the diamond. The 9th ranked player in Ohio’s 2015 class really shined in the BP portion of the workout. He starts with a spread out stance that keeps him balanced. Shows good rhythm and quick hands. The left-handed hitter sprayed the ball to all fields and showed some power to the pull side. Definitely showed as one of the top hitters at this event.
1/28/15 - Comer’s strongest tool may be his bat as he possesses a smooth with quick hands through the zone, an advanced approach and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. He has good reactions behind the plate to go with a quick release and strong arm.
11/17/14 - The Virginia staff first saw Comer at the 16U level as his Ohio Elite squad played in a tournament at UVA. They later followed up as McMullen shadowed Comer in the fall of 2013 at the Perfect Game WWBA Underclass in Fort Myers, Florida. Comer is easily the top hitter in the state and continues to impress even pro scouts.
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| Heir apparent to Matt Thaiss? |
2B Andy Weber
Andy Weber is a 2015 2B with a 6-0 172 lb. frame from Aurora, OH who attends Aurora. Large, athletic frame, well built frame, lean with room to fill out with added strength. Ran a 7.17 60 yard dash. Primary second baseman, displays athletic actions, light on feet, strong range to either side, works through the ball nicely, quick and smooth release, strong arm with carry and accuracy. Left handed hitter, rotational swing, line drive swing plane, power to pull side, gets backspin on the ball with loft to right field, good back speed, ball creates a good sound off the barrel. Very good student. Named to National Underclass Session 3 Top Prospect Team.
Weber, who has gone a bit under the radar, was a camp discovery. The athletic prospect quietly pulled the trigger to the Cavaliers. The Virginia staff continues their trend of pulling athletic, versatile, left-handed hitting prospects to the Charlottesville campus.
Andy Weber is a 2015 2B with a 6-0 172 lb. frame from Aurora, OH who attends Aurora. Large, athletic frame, well built frame, lean with room to fill out with added strength. Ran a 7.17 60 yard dash. Primary second baseman, displays athletic actions, light on feet, strong range to either side, works through the ball nicely, quick and smooth release, strong arm with carry and accuracy. Left handed hitter, rotational swing, line drive swing plane, power to pull side, gets backspin on the ball with loft to right field, good back speed, ball creates a good sound off the barrel. Very good student. Named to National Underclass Session 3 Top Prospect Team.
Weber, who has gone a bit under the radar, was a camp discovery. The athletic prospect quietly pulled the trigger to the Cavaliers. The Virginia staff continues their trend of pulling athletic, versatile, left-handed hitting prospects to the Charlottesville campus.
