East Coast Pro Notebook: Days 2 And 3 — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

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TAMPA—With rain shortening play at the 2017 East Coast Pro Showcase on both Wednesday and Thursday, we have combined the notebooks from the action of days two and three.

If you missed out on our day one notebook, feel free to check that out here, otherwise check below for some of the top performers from the middle days of the event:

David Erickson | RHP | Cape Henlopen High, Lewis, Del.

Erickson had one of the most efficient innings we’ve seen through three days at East Coast Pro, needing just nine pitches to get through a perfect third inning during the second game on Wednesday. Each of Erickson’s pitches went for strikes, and each of the three batters he faced went back to the dugout with strikeouts.

Erickson pitched off of an 89-92 fastball in this inning, finishing off his first batter with an 85 mph fading changeup, his second on a 90 mph fastball and his third when a batter swung through an 80 mph curveball.

He also struck out the side and faced the minimum in the bottom of the fifth inning, when his fastball dropped down to 88-89, but was seemingly just as effective.

Xavier Edwards | SS | North Broward Prep, Coconut Creek, Fla.

One of the several talented shortstops on the Blue Jays club at East Coast Pro, Edwards might be one of the better defensive shortstops in the class, and he showed why on Thursday, making every play that came to him and displaying elite footwork, a soft glove and quick hands. While he doesn’t have the arm strength of Blaze Alexander or some power in the bat like Nander De Sedas and Raynel Delgado, Edwards seemingly does everything well on the field.

During the first game on Thursday against the Rangers, Edwards was tested in the field right away, when Delaware infielder Zack Gelof hit a slow ground ball to him at shortstop. Edwards covered ground quickly, gloved the ball cleanly and made a quick, accurate throw on the run to nail Gelof at first—who reached the bag in 4.50 seconds.

Just a half inning later, Edwards led off the bottom of the first by barreling an 89 mph fastball back up the middle against Jack Carey, and stealing second base two batters later, and he again made solid contact in the sixth inning against Massachusetts righty Sean Burke.

You can see how his quick hands play in the batter’s box in the video below:

2018 Florida SS Xavier Edwards made a ton of solid contact Thursday. Here’s a single off of Massachusetts RHP Sean Burke: pic.twitter.com/TohPxqPVU8

— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) August 4, 2017

Bryce Reagan | SS | Souhegan High, Amherst, N.H.

Another shortstop impressed at East Coast Pro, and for a change it wasn’t a player from the state of Florida—which is loaded at the position. New Hampshire switch-hitter Bryce Reagan had a solid defensive workout earlier at the showcase, with solid footwork, a strong throwing arm and the ability to throw from multiple angles.

He reinforced those tools in-game Thursday morning, showing quick footwork from second base and a potential plus arm from shortstop as well.

Reagan also performed at the plate from the lefthanded batter’s box (the Texas commit is a switch-hitter), lining a hard single to right field off of Florida righty Lyon Richardson and then doubling to right-center in his second game off of Alabama outfielder/righthander Jalon Long.

Corey Rosier | OF | Riverdale Baptist High, Upper Marlboro, Md.

Rosier made lots of loud contact on Wednesday, squaring up a 91 mph fastball from Arizona righty Jaden Hill during the first inning of the second game, for a line drive single to center field. He added a second base hit in the sixth inning against Alabama righthander Landon Green, taking an 88 mph pitch backside to left.

Mason Denaburg | RHP/C | Merritt Island (Fla.) High

Since Denaburg pitched against Ethan Hankins during the final game Thursday night, his performance might have gotten a bit overshadowed, but what the top two-way player in the class did was impressive.

The 6-foot-3 righty pitched off of a 94-95 mph fastball in his first inning, where he faced three batters and sat three batters down, one on a groundout and two on strikeouts, both looking at upper 70s curves with depth.

Denaburg struggled a bit in his second inning after retiring his first two batters in nine pitches, allowing a ground ball single up the middle to Georgia first baseman Lawrence Butler on a 94 mph fastball, and then walking Georgia catcher Anthony Seigler twice. Denaburg ended the inning with a groundout and then struck out the side in his third and final frame.

Although his velocity dropped from mid 90s to 90-92 in the ninth, Denaburg was effective spotting the pitch on the edges of the strike zone, generating three swings and misses, and finishing each strikeout with the pitch.

Other Players To Note

Tennessee lefty Ryan Weathers struck out five batters in three innings during Thursday’s second game against the Indians, using a low 90s fastball with run that topped out at 94 mph.

Arkansas lefthander Kaleb Hill showed good feel for a mid-70s curveball. While on a few occasions the Mississippi commit didn’t get on top of the pitch, that was more of the exception than the rule, as he predominantly kept it down in the zone, with a lot of depth and good shape. He got four swings and misses on the pitch, and used it to end each at-bat in his second inning, when he struck out the side.

Seemingly every time New Jersey outfielder Nick Decker puts the bat on the ball, it’s loud. He hit a hard line drive up the middle against an 89 mph fastball from Florida righty Gunnar Hoglund during game one on Thursday, and then sent a sharp ground ball through the right side against a 91 mph fastball from Alabama righty Tyler O’Clair in game two.

Louisiana outfielder Basiel Williams fouled off a pair of low 90s pitches against live-armed righty Lenny Torres Jr. in Thursday’s second game, before squaring up a 91 mph fastball over the plate and one-hopping the fence in right-center.

One of the top 2018 players in the deep south, Alabama shortstop Jeremiah Jackson has shown above-average arm strength throughout the showcase, and showed some pop with the bat on Wednesday against Pennsylvania lefty Mason Ronan. The Mississippi State commit spit on two low 70s curveballs in the dirt before barreling an 89 mph fastball, burning the Indians’ centerfielder and one-hopping the fence in the deepest part of George M. Steinbrenner Field.