Notes from the Field

Exciting two-way player with standout tools as both a position player and a pitcher. Big, physical side-armed sinker/slider guy on the mound. Works primarily east west and should also have success locating 4 SM up due to favorable approach angle. Starts on extreme 1B side of rubber and drifts down mound xbody, creating a lot of space for the slider to break back across. Good balance and easy deceleration. Lands in good fielding position and should throw a lot of strikes. Doesn’t need to sell out for velo, just lets his strength play. Near ideal SP frame. Well build and strong throughout. Listed 6’3” 185, looks more like 6’3” 205 now. Coordinated mover on mound, repeats well and throws a lot of strikes. Power sinker features big tail and depth at times, in on RHH. Sat 94-96 T97 in the first. Touched 99 earlier in season too, according to Statcast. Sinker was touched up a couple times when it got too much plate. Slider is easily best secondary pitch, feel to land in zone or expand zone with it. Got some ugly sw/m down and away from RHH. Workman-like persona on mound and in field, treats baseball seriously. Confident/decisive fielder off the mound. Have not seen enough at short to get a good grasp of him defensively. Certainly plus athlete and well-coordinated for his size. Looks engaged/focused at all times. Simple swing without a lot of moving parts. Can mash fastball and easy plus power, but struggles vs spin. Doesn’t see it well and lot of late swings despite the relatively short/compact swing path. Discouraged by amount of sw/m in my looks. Would guess future is on mound if forced to choose right now. Tough write up since he is splitting time between hitting and pitching. Hard to make SP/RP call unless he is fully committed to pitching. Has big/durable SP frame and stuff should play in rotation.

Sometimes you go to the backfields hoping to see Josh Owens throw and not only do you get to see Owens, you also get an electric look at Izac Tiger on rehab. Tiger dominated the ACL White Sox and looked too good for the level. It’s a high slot 4SM/SL/SPL mix. Tiger pounded the zone and challenged hitters with little resistance, landing 19 of 23 pitches for strikes. Bulldog mound presence. The in-zone utility of his SL was notable. SL is an already plus high 80s offering with more depth than tilt. Power SL that Tiger lands in zone or below the zone as a chase pitch with intent. The fastball sat comfortably 96-97 with good carry. Works N/S and changes eye levels. Didn’t see SPL as much but threw one that dropped off table late. See #2 SP upside with much lower risk than the exciting HS arms on the complex. Hurt his elbow in 2024 Spring Breakout game, so health will be biggest risk factor and something to monitor going forward. Needs to prove he can log SP innings – believe he has the body and ease of operations to do so. SP caliber stuff and understands how to attack hitters with his mix. Only his third game back in 2026, and I am as sold as I could be from a 2 inning look. Don’t expect he will be on the complex much longer. Looks like he could pitch in HiA or AA now.

Impressive look at Cincinnati Reds LHP Ryjeteri Merite last week. Netherlands native – also represented the team in WBC. Live-armed lefty with mid-90s heat and a plus now breaking ball. Dominating ACL hitters on the strength of his breaker, even when he throws it predictably/often. Low 80s breaker sharp/tight big late depth and more of a chase pitch but also landed it over the plate for strikes. Less confident about in zone utility against better hitters. Not fine in the zone but the SI/SL combo was overpowering. Big leg kick and lot of torque to the delivery with big hip rotation. Plus arm speed and athletic burst to home. Will vary timing and either quick pitch or delay stride to mess with hitters. Strides closed and gets some natural cut life on 4SM. SI/SL gets a combination of weak contact and sw/m. CHG showed potential as ground ball generator. Not sure I see an arsenal with enough wrinkles to turn over a better lineup 3x, and the biggest threat to SP status is strike throwing ability. Do not see an obvious mechanics issue to correct. Already too many non-competitive misses vs overmatched competition. Lean body through extremities but thicker through hips and shoulders. Believe he will continue to add strength in a way that reminds of Abner Uribe. Listed 6’3” 150, probably 180-185 now. Torn on SP/RP future. Excellent stuff but corners with strike throwing. Develop as a starter and see obvious pen fallback. Chance at leverage pen frames going full throttle if he can't stick - suspect there are more ticks in the tank, and he could settle something like 95-97.

Po-Chu Lin threw for the ACL Mariners Monday evening, touching 95 with an elite changeup. Lin signed out of Tawain in 2025 for $450k with a $100k tuition/scholarship allowance. Lin isn’t a big kid but he makes up for that with plus athleticism. He is listed at 5’11” 172 and hasn’t filled out yet. He sat 92-94 and touched 95 once. Chance to add a couple ticks with added strength. Smooth mover with excellent body control. He employs a high front leg lift and launches himself down the mound -> expect it would be good extension for his height. Really impressive balance - he repeats a difficult delivery very well and throws a lot of strikes. The splitter/changeup have a chance to be special. I initially thought it was a single pitch with an almost knuckleball-esq quality in that it not only falls off the table late but also dances in unpredictable ways. Lin showed he has feel to them land in zone for strikes or expand the zone for chase. The SPL/CHG got -**checks notes** - a combined10 sw/m in 4 innings! Lot of ugly flails and uncomfortable takes. Lin pounds the zone and challenges hitters. There’s some feel to pitch, and he has an idea of sequencing. Command/control projects to above average. He showed an ability to spot the fastball on the corners of the plate early in counts - tails it down and away from LHH at will. The slider is a clear 4th pitch. It is more of a wrinkle to get give hitters something else to think about, but it was still encouraging to see some sw/m from it. Can see a back end SP case for Lin. Will need get stronger and prove he can log SP type innings. The mix is advanced for his age and believe he has enough weapons to turn over a lineup. Mid 90s with a potential ++ SPL/CHG in the pen is also a viable fallback option.

Padres Taiwanese lefty Zack Qin threw on a rehab assignment Thursday night in Tempe and overmatched the ACL Angels. He is coming back from 2025 TJS; he went under the knife right after spring training in 2025, so this is a relatively quick rebound. It was his 3rd outing since coming back. He works from a high slot N/S approach. Qin’s fastball sat 89-91 but played above its velo, getting frequent sw/m up in the zone. Qin changes eye levels and has good feel for spin. The curveball has big depth but only comes 72 mph - a faster velo less depth alternative would likely be more effective. The slider is mostly vertical low 80s offering. Qin got occasional cut life on his fastball in on RHH hands – unsure if this was a cutter or just a fastball that can cut. Qin challenged hitters in zone and threw a lot of fastballs. It got a lot of uneasy takes and sw/m in the zone. Very few pitchers can survive at MLB throwing 89-91, but I wonder if the ride/carry traits of Qin’s fastball can get him there. Qin spots his fastball well and throws a lot of strikes – you could argue future plus command due to his mechanics and ease of operations. He also has some feel to pitch – so there is a chance he can make it work. Can see a path to back end starter but it is not the most likely outcome. Slower big depth curves generally don’t play as well vs better hitters – so I would expect developing a harder curve to be a player development point of emphasis. also needs to prove he can land spin in zone consistently. I am skeptical of increased fastball velo. There may be room for him to work more full throttle in a pen role, but Qin is physically maxed out. He signed at 6’2” 170 and looks closer to 195-200 lbs now. Could be a tough bullpen profile fit if he can’t make it work in a rotation b/c the velo would be below average even if he adds a couple ticks.

Really impressive swing by Guardians C Gustavo Baptista here. Compact bat path. Strong hands. Creates easy loft and does so in a small space. Good balance and timing to swing. Dying to see more of him. Need to dedicate a few innings to his defense as well.

Guardians 2025 CB-B pick Will Hynes threw last night at SRF. HS righty from Ontario, Canada. Sinker/slider guy with smooth mechanics. See several leading indicators for possible velo increase and future plus command. Lean frame, plus athlete w/excellent body control. Lived on low corners and worked east/west - lot of weak contact w/his sinker & slider. 7 GBs in 4 IP. Jams RHH inside and works SI down/away from LHH. SL flashed tight break/late dive but was more of a GB generator -has most potential as a sw/m pitch. CHG was firm. Near perfect mechanics - how you might engineer them up in a lab. Good balance, stable head. Effortless/graceful delivery. Easy finish in good fielding position. Well-timed rotation and good use of lower half. Should throw a lot of strikes and a lot of quality strikes. Low ¾ arm slot but didn’t work the fastball up at all. Believe fastball should play well upper half due to flat approach angle and could envision it being a good sw/m offering. SS/RHP in high school. Plus athlete/defender off the mound. Quick/agile mover. Chance to stick as a starter but profiles as more of a back end guy w/current pitch-to-contact reliant approach. Amount of velo he can gain and development of secondaries are biggest variables– needs to create more sw/m, but has some possible avenues to do so.

Monday night Texas Rangers 2025 11th rounder Jacob Johnson threw at SRF and showed MLB SP type upside. 20 year old JUCO arm from Pearl River CC (MS). Johnson is a low slot sinker/slider guy with a big sweeper that he has advanced feel for – might even say SL command. Athletic high-waisted pitcher frame. Projectable w/room for good weight between his shoulders. Fastball sat 93-95 for 4 1/3 innings. Has a chance to gain velo with some combination of added strength and more delayed hip rotation Pitch mix works off SL. Throws it often: can land for strike early in counts or expand the zone for chase. Confidence to land it in zone was striking – catcher set up inside on RHH, and Johnson landed FD. SL gets a lot of sw/m and weak grounders. Could be ++ pitch at maturity Worked primarily E/W with the sinker/slider combo but also elevated fastball too. 4SM up could be real weapon. Don’t have access to the data any more but looks like a flat vertical approach angle guy. CHG a distant 3rd offering but see chance to get to average. Easy stride and loose arm. Hand/arm in good position by foot plant, but still a lot of non-competitive misses glove side. Disconnect between upper and lower halves. Hips are fully rotated by foot plant and front foot lands open - while arm lags behind, left to play catch up. Strike throwing ability and CHG development are Johnson’s biggest development areas. Great job by Rangers area scout who covers Mississippi. Believe in SP chance. High floor too – stuff to profile in a pen if strike-throwing issues persist.

Angels 2025 3rd rounder Johnny Slawinski threw Friday night on the Sloan Backfields. Signed for $2.5 MM – well above $1MM slot value. Three-sport HS athlete from Johnson City, Texas. Projectable lefty with great pitcher frame and picturesque delivery. Not hard to see what the Angles liked w/this kid. He’s listed at 6’3” 180 and already sits comfortably in the 92-94 range. Good chance to add velo as he fills out through chest and mid section. Excellent body control and smooth mover on the mound. Easy/low effort arm action. Great balance, posture and use of torque through his hips. Easy follow through/deceleration toward home. Landing on front leg is a bit stiff; represents a possible player dev opportunity. Chance for better ground/foot interaction and velo gain. 4 pitch mix: FB, CHG, SL, CB. Change is best secondary pitch and projects to + or better. ✅ all the boxes: repeats arm speed/slot, sells it well. Late depth & fade down and away from RHH. Curve a sweeping 1/7 pitch – big horizontal mover. Slider more of a slicer w/two plane break. Shows the ability to work N/S with intent and will also pitch backwards as he navigates an order multi[le times through. Makeup read – low pulse individual who doesn’t get too excited when things go his way OR against him. Does not show much emotion on mound and appears very stoic/calm. See a lot of elements that point to SP future. Will need to improve breaking pitches and get stronger but has a good chance to do so. View as high floor player with #2/3 SP type ceiling.

Saturday in Goodyear – Padres Taiwanese RHP Lan-Hong Su made his professional (and stateside) debut. Uber projectable 19 year old. Very good athlete with explosive arm speed. Worked 94-95 and flashed a comfortably plus splitter. Thin high-waisted build with lots of room for added strength. See chance for high 90s velo. Big changes to delivery between U18 Baseball World Cup tournament and now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41uZJn13qA0 High front leg lift and long stride resembles Yusei Kikuchi’s motion. Slow to home but works down the mound well. See balance for momentum exchange in mechanics changes. New delivery is more explosive but less stable. Some recoil with his follow through, really airing it out. 3-pitch mix: FB, SPL, SL. Threw a couple easy plus splitters with deep/late dive. SPL and SL both mid 80s offerings. SL shape was less consistent but flashed a couple with tight two plane break. Chance for 3 plus pitches at maturity. Amount of effort to the delivery and “throw it past them” vibe suggest pen future. But the video of his U18 tournament was a totally different look. Feels premature to make SP/RP call. Impressive arm talent and athlete who projects to be – something of impact. Develop and see

Cubs Jubrayker Salaya a sleeper on the AZ complex. 2024 IFA out of VZ. 19 year old projectable righty with good feel for spin. Sat mid 90s, touched 97 and flashed a plus slider. Listed at 6’2” 170 – buying it. High waisted, lanky/lean build. Could settle in around 185. Good athlete with plus arm speed. Chance for more velo as he fills out. Full throttle high intent look feels suited for a bullpen. Power pitcher vibe - looking to throw it past you. Lands out front with big extension, which should help fastball play up as well. North/south approach with fastballs up in zone. Occasional bore life inside on RHH hands. Slider 82-85 flashes big dive late and generated ugly swing and miss. Very Exciting RP prospect. Can see leverage pen upside. Would like to see a 3rd pitch. No real track record; only 7 1/3 career IP (2 DSL last year). Just believing what my eyes saw for 1 1/3 innings. Activated from restricted list in February per MiLB page. High interest follow.

Cubs 2025 4th Rounder Kaleb Wing threw Friday on the Sloan Backfields. Advanced HS righty from Cali. Exciting arm many would argue has the best pure stuff on the AZ complex and highest upside. Bad outing outing results wise, but you can still see why he’s gotten so much hype. Absolute bulldog mound presence –works quickly and is on the attack. Gave up a homer and didn’t look remotely phased. Next pitch - just went about his business. Makeup read: hyper-competitive borderline manic energy on the mound (in a good way). Deep pitch mix. Fastball LOOKS high carry. CHG an invisi-ball that drops off the table late and projects to double plus. Multiple slider variations: one a shorter cutter-ish slider and the second had more depth. Able to land spin in zone or as chase pitches. Likes to back door curve to lefties early in counts. Curve was tight 12/6 breaker with lower crest – LOOKED high spin. Makes hitters defend full zone: combo approach. Worked fastball E/W early, also to change eye levels and set up secondary stuff or vice versa. Multiple pitches to attack both-sided hitters and enough wrinkles to turn over a lineup. Listed at 6’2” 180. Well proportioned, right mix of athletic/loose and strong. Not completely filled out yet. Not the biggest guy but believe he will be strong enough to log SP innings as he fills out. Repeats delivery well. Lot of torque with big hip to shoulder separation – rotates very well. Live arm with plus arm speed. Elbow flexion inside 90. Should throw a lot of strikes and quality of stuff may give him some margin for error. Highest upside arm I have seen on the complex this year. Believe in #2 SP potential. Consistency of breaking ball shapes can be improved. Fastball can be touched lower half and believe more a N/S approach would be ideal.

White Sox RHP Felix Doroteo threw Wednesday at Camelback. An under-the-radar arm I am adding to my follow list. Signed as a 20 year old Dominican in 2025. Now 21. Interesting arm talent and frame you can dream on. 93-96 mph fastball and flashed a workable SL Lanky/lean physique stands out immediately. Listed 6’6”195. Likely to always be skinny but could add some strength. Pitch mix was very fastball dominant. Had a tailing version that ran in on RHH and a standard 4SM. Only threw a few breakers. Strike throwing ability his biggest concern. Had too many non-competitive misses in this outing. It’s hard to parse out the cause – seems to be a combination of trouble harnessing long limbs and mechanics flaws. Believe he has a chance to clean up mechanics and that will “fix him”. Strides open and hips open early, which appears related to glove side yanks. May also be potential for more velo with mechanics changes. Lower half is underutilized. Current delivery is very arm dominant, velo is all result of arm speed and long levers. Not benefiting from hip rotation. Lead leg block also looks stiff, poor ground/foot interaction. Pretty good athlete with plus arm speed/loose arm action. Shows quickness off mound but simultaneously gives off baby giraffe vibes, not sure how to reconcile this paradox. Late covering first on a P3 makes you question baseball IQ or newness to playing? Would need to research why he was signed at 20. Is he new to baseball? Late growth spurt? Could view as a positive, if either are true. Can see plausible path to MLB pen. Needs some dominoes to fall his way but would write this as a “keeping alive” report. Whether (or not) secondary stuff improves an important variable for Contreras and that will go a long way in determining future role. An interesting arm to keep tabs on.

Kansas City Royals’ 2025 3rd round pick Cameron Millar threw Wednesday night at Camelback. HS righty from Cali. Works straight over the top with north/south approach. Generates sw/m with 3 pitches: high carry fastball, CHG, and SL. Arm slot and the arm action remind of Trey Yesevage, but Millar is much slower to the plate. High front leg lift and drifts down the mound as he finds his balance point. Elbow flexion outside 90 but not egregiously so in a way that limits strike throwing ability. Works fastballs up and secondary stuff down. Able to tail fastball in on RHH too but more of a wrinkle than his primary method of attack. Fastball wasn’t overpowering velo-wise 90-94, but still got sw/m upper half. Hitters often swinging under it. Could be touched lower half. CHG got some ugly sw/m - repeats arm speed but a noticeable dip in his slot. Some concern more advanced hitters would pick up on that and spit on it. SL shape varied – majority were mostly vertical movers, some 2p break. Showed feel for spin and SL flashed late diving action. Ideally, SL shape is mostly vertical to pair with high carry fastball. Deliberate worker on the mound. Slow to home in both delivery and amount of time between pitches. Camelback not running pitch clock. How would that have affected him? - Seemed uncomfortable with runners on, shorter leg lift from the stretch appeared to mess with his timing. Thicker build, large/powerful legs. Durable look. Expect he will be able to log SP type innings. Some concern over CHG effectiveness up the ladder. Believe in mid-rotation type SP potential.

Tuesday night Athletics Yohandri Contreras showed intriguing potential. 2024 IFA from VZ. Immensely strong 19-year-old RHP. Listed 6’4” 240 - 100% buying it. This kid is a physical specimen – looks like NFL linebacker on mound. Fastball worked 92-97 and flashed a 50 slider. “Just trying to get it over” look the delivery – relies on brute strength. Baseball explodes out of hand w/playing catch effort. Body control is fringey, might have been tiring in 3rd-4th - > see some posture issues w/ his torso tilting glove side, resulting in hooks/pulls. Slider shape was inconsistent but flashed average to maybe a tick above with sweeping 2p break. Seemed to be “guiding it” at times or it looked cutter-y. Believe I saw a change too, but shape was not good Would throw him into the bucket of interesting developmental arms on the AZ complex. Elite strength/physicality. Believe he has enough strike-throwing ability to profile in a pen, and suspect he could be mid to high 90s in short high-intent outings.

Cincinnati Reds 2025 2nd rounder Aaron Watson threw last night in Goodyear. HS righty from Florida. MLB body right now – near ideal SP frame. Has multiple ways to attack hitters and gets mix of sw/m and ground ball outs. 4 pitch mix: 4SM, 2SM, SL, CUT. Versatile pitches he can use in multiple ways, and he has an idea of how to attack. SL is best sw/m pitch. Features deep/late break and tilt, really falls off table late. Got some ugly swings down and away from RHH especially. Feel to land SL in zone and backdoor to lefties. Work 2sm down and away from lefties or inside on RHH hands – not a big sw/m pitch but will miss barrels and could help turn over a lineup/limit pitch count. Like the 2SM and SL/CUT combo - good horizontal separation between them - gives hitters a lot to think about and defend. SL 84-86. CUT 87-89. Throws cutter in zone more than SL and early in counts. More strong than athletic, but a well-coordinated mover on mound and repeats well. Low effort to the delivery. Drifts down mound and lets strength play. Believe he could improve velo in a few ways. 1) See “intent-based projection”. He’s throwing an easy 92-95. What would about at higher intent? 2) Listed at 6’5” 205 – can see more weight/added strength. 3) Hips open a bit early. Shorter stride for a big guy, suspect below average extension. Good arm with a lot of SP qualities. View as high floor player who also has mid-rotation ceiling, maybe a bit more. Degree to which he improves velo an important variable. Also keeping an eye on changeup development, as better sw/m option vs LHH.

Diamondbacks 2025 4th rounder Dean Livingston threw at SRF Friday night. Livingston signed for $1MM which was almost double slot value. Intriguing HS righty from Georgia who is oozing with SP traits. Good athlete. Two-sport kid in HS – also QB for the football team. 5 pitch mix - 4SM/2SM/SL/CHG/CB. Induced a lot of weak contact – 8 ground balls in 4 IP. The tailing 2sm bores in on RHH and misses barrels. LHH also rolled over the CHG down/away. Livingston spotted his fastball on low corners and made hitters defend the plate E/W. Showed some pitching acumen, wasn’t afraid to double down on a pitch if it elicited a bad swing or uncomfortable take -> would see him go SL, SL or CHG, CHG. SL best present secondary pitch with most swing and miss potential, flashed late 2p break. CB shape often loose/lazy, had trouble staying on top of it. Would like to see more 4SM up/SL down type sequencing – possible pitch mix optimization opportunity. CHG shows promise as an early count GB inducer. believe in FB projection, which would help CHG play better too Smooth, graceful delivery with low effort and easy arm action. Good balance; easy finish. Repeats very well. Coordinated athlete on the mound, above average fielder off. Great SP frame with solid present strength but also see room to add more. Listed at 6’4” 205. Believe 6’4” 225 is a reasonable projection. Delivery, arm action, body, athleticism all suggest velo could improve with age. Strong belief in SP chance. Consistency of secondary pitches a risk factor. Present feel for spin is just ok. Could argue with full-time dedication to baseball it is lower risk. Didn’t get velo in this outing, but read he was routinely 92-94 in HS and and touched 97-98 at MLB draft combine. Even though all signs point to improved velo, he still needs to prove it. High variance in outcomes depending the type of velo he can sustain.

Rockies RHP Yeremmy Cabeza was electric last night at Papago. The 22 year old Venezuelan is a power arm with elite arm speed; he was pumping 96-98 with two sharp breakers. The SL is comfortably + and the CB isn’t far behind. The vibe on the mound is he’s looking to blow it past you. Works from a HTQ slot and gets some tail/bore life on his FB which is a little unusual given the arm slot. Lot of ugly/uncomfortable swings when throwing the fastball inside on RHH. Plan to monitor righty/lefty splits as the season progresses. The SL has late-two plane break and dives off the table at times. The CB was 12/6 downer. He has some feel to land both in zone for strikes. The CHG was rarely used and firm, it is behind his other offerings. The delivery is simple, and he repeats well. High lead glove might create a bit of deception. The biggest risk factor to Cabeza’s long-term SP status is probably his size and subsequent durability / ability to log innings. Even if he falls short of a rotation, his stuff is loud enough to play in a pen. Exciting arm to keep tabs on.

Catching up on some aged notes…Athletics RHP Erick Matos threw last week in an extended game. The A’s signed him for $700k as a 2024 IFA out of Cuba. Matos is an immensely strong/physical teenager. He’s listed at 6’4” 195, and I suspect he could be 6’5” 225 now. Strength-based power game. Drifts down mound and lands tall/open. Relies on brute strength and has PLENTY of it. Suspect the data will say below average extension, which is surprising given his height. Hitters get a very good look at the baseball out of hand. Mechanics inefficiency might represent a player dev opportunity. Hips are fully open at foot plant. Can he keep his back hip closed and benefit from better rotation? The slow start to his deliv may allow for more strikes but also saps power and leaves velo on the table. FB/SL/CHG mix. Works mostly FB/SL but also flashed a 55 change. Believe I saw 2sm/4s fastball variants. Slider flashes big tight/late break and shows some feel to land for a strike and pitch backwards. Near ideal pitcher body/frame. Should be able to log SP innings no problem. Strike throwing ability is biggest hurdle. High variance player depending on possible mechanics adjustments. See a lot of untapped potential. Really intriguing developmental arm.

Angels RHP Mikey Cascino shoved last night in the final night game of extended ST. Polished high school pitcher with high-carry fastball and surgical in-zone command; his ability to spot the fastball was superlative. Worked low corners early and elevated for sw/m with two strikes. Did not get velos b/c the Trackman was not in sight, but the opposing hitters’ swings told the story. The fastball got a lot of ugly defensive swings. Cascino works from a HTQ slot and creates a lot of backspin. Slider depth varied. Wasn’t sure if he played with it or whether there were separate ptiches. Flashed plus with tight late break/tilt. Showed a CHG and warmups but did not see it in game (unless I missed it). Love the mechanics – free and easy mover with good balance and posture. Strides slightly closed, good use of lower half with well-timed rotation. Under control throughout. Loose arm. Repeats very well; expect him to throw a lot of strikes and a lot of quality strikes. Good pitcher body – reminds a lot of Cole Winn. Medium density frame, well-proportioned. Above average athlete with right combination of flexibility and strength. Fundamentals were sound, looked like a ⚾️dirt dog too. Quick pitched once and picked a runner off at 1st. Workman like aura - didn’t show a lot of emotion. Ump misses a call? Don’t care. Next pitch. Generally acted like he had “been there before”. Great job by Florida Area Scout and the Angels for taking this kid. Cascino was a 15th round pick from A3 Academy in Clearwater Florida. A steal in my mind. Real belief in SP chance and think he could shoot up prospect lists this year. Great job by Florida Area Scout and the Angels for taking this kid. Cascino was a 15th round pick from A3 Academy in Clearwater Florida. A steal in my mind. Believe in SP potential and think he could shoot up prospect lists this year.

Athletics RHP/INF Shotaro Morii threw Thursday in an extended spring training game. It was his third time throwing stateside (the first two were in instructs last fall). The delivery now appears to be modeled after Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with the same signature small front leg lift and non-stop momentum flowing towards home. It’s a difficult delivery to pull off, but Morii has the athleticism and body control to make it work. This was a “how not what” outing for Morii in terms of player evaluation. He only pitched one inning, gave up some hard contact, and hit two batters. I wouldn’t read too much into the results. You could still see why the Athletics gave him a $1.5 MM bonus as a 2025 IFA, making him the highest amateur Japanese signing of all time. He’s a plus athlete or better with a special arm. Quick cat-like reflexes when fielding off the mound. I didn’t scout the 2025 ACL - so I didn’t see Morii in the field, but I’d kill to see him take an INF at SS. Having seen him so little, it’s hard to make a call on him. He’s an exciting player I would love to see more of.

Another lesser known Angels arm – 18-year-old Venezuelan lefty Sebastian Caseres. Silky smooth delivery and advanced feel for spin. Thin/wiry build but plus athlete with standout body control and a loose arm. You know those prospects who (SEEMINGLY out of nowhere) show up next spring throwing 5 mph harder? Caseres checks a lot of those boxes. He’s listed at 5’11” 148. I thought closer to 6’ and 165-170 lbs. Regardless – this kid doesn’t have his man muscles yet. In love with the delivery. Easy/repeatable mechanics. Well-timed rotation and good balance – head very still through landing with no recoil. Compact arm circle. Easy on-line follow through with finish in good fielding position. Only pitched one inning but pounded the zone with fastball/slider combo. Slider flashed plus with late break/tilt. Able to land in zone or chase with intent. Makeup read – works at a deliberate pace. Seems calm, cool, collected. Low pulse vibe. Body projection, athleticism and smooth delivery you can really dream on. Would like to see in a longer outing and a 3rd pitch. Really intrigued by this short look. On my follow with keen interest list. 6/6

Really impressive XST outing from 18-year-old Giants LHP Carlos De La Rosa Tuesday night. He went 3 IP more than held his own against a Diamondbacks lineup with four rehabbing MLB players - Luis Urias, Gabriel Moreno, Carlos Santana, and Tyler Locklear. Full throttle bulldog on the mound – he went after hitters and attacked the zone. Great mound presence. De La Rosa was aggressive and oozed confidence; he didn’t seem to give a sh** he was facing MLB guys. 5-pitch mix: 4SM, CB, SL, CHG, 2SM. The 4SM sat 94-95 and natural cut/bore life in on the hands of RHH and generated a couple weak grounders. The curve had tight 1/7 shape and late bite. The slider was equal parts horizontal and vertical break. Similar velo bands in low 80s. Change flashed late fade/dive in mid 80s. Used 2sm down/away to RHH to set up his breaking stuff. Good feel to pitch. He varied sequencing and showed the ability to land breaking balls in zone for a strike to get ahead. Combo approach - work E/W or N/S with intent. 4sm played well up. Curve is best present secondary pitch, unique movement profile given high slot –expected a more vertical 12/6 type shape. His ability to create spin is real and believe in slider projection. CHG was inconsistent but flashed late dive and fade. De La Rosa is listed at 5’10” 193. He looks closer to 6’1” 215-220 now. It’s a body built for logging innings. Thick through the hips and thighs. His delivery is explosive, and he is a sneaky athlete for his size. Works down the mound well and creates a lot of torque with big hip to shoulder separation. Elbow dips a little low on his takeaway, which makes it harder to repeat. Body language read – get the impression he is an intense competitor. Moreno hit an F9 and the way De La Rosa went to back up a throw made me feel like he takes baseball seriously and his head is in the game at all times. Strikes you as a kid who will look for every edge. See a lot of SP traits: the mix/stuff, body, and feel to pitch are all encouraging. Can see path to MLB #2 or #3 SP type ceiling.

Yesterday Dodgers RHP Adriano Marrero threw at Papago Sports Complex (SFG facility) in an extended spring training game. He k'd 5 in 2 IP and flashed impressive stuff. Marrero, an 18-year-old Cuban, was originally signed by the Miami Marlins as a 2025 IFA for $350k. Last December he was acquired by the Dodgers in the Estuery Ruiz trade. Hitters were overmatched by Marrero’s breaking stuff. The slider featured sharp/slicing two-plane break and the low-cresting curve moved 11 – 5 with more depth. Marrero has advanced feel for spin and can land breakers in zone to get ahead in the count. SL has a good chance to be elite and CB also plus. The CHG is more of a work in progress. This is an advanced arsenal for a pitcher who is the age of a HS senior. I didn’t get velos, but the fastball LOOKED in line with what was previously reported. Marrero has a good frame, listed at 6’3” 184, appears closer to 195 now. not hard to see him adding weight and strength with age. Well-proportioned athlete - the right mix of coordinated and strong. Thick thighs/well-built lower half should take burden off of his arm. Easy mover on with loose arm and clean arm action. Low-effort delivery w/easy deceleration/finish. Good balance and well-coordinated. Back hip opens early and front foot also lands slightly open which lead to “yanks”, non-competitive misses, and east/west control problems. He still threw a good amount of strikes in spite of these flaws. I believe command and velo could both take a step forward with delayed hip/trunk rotation and a better landing. Makeup cookie crumbles – Marrero struggled early, hitting a batter and mis-timing his release point but quickly regained composure and to k the next 5 hitters. He also flashed a wry smile after the ump missed a strike call and looked unperturbed by it. It was a brief look, but I see a lot of SP ingredients here, and I like Marrero’s odds of sticking in the rotation. Upside something like a #2 SP, but he is far away so it is high risk, and he has a lot to prove. Factors that will determine whether he can reach his ceiling: - Can he log SP type innings? - Weather he can clean up mechanics issues and become more fine in zone - How velocity develops It would not surprise me to see Marrero in the CAL League sooner than later b/c he might not be challenged much on the complex. The breaking stuff is too dominant.

SFG Giants INF Luis Hernandez 3-hit day Thursday. Quiet confidence in the box. Easy/powerful swing. More focused on solid contact than “crushing it” - lets his strength play. Takes what the pitcher gives him and doesn’t try to do too much in a way you rarely see from teenager. Easy to forget he’ll be 17 until December. Mature build for his age. Really strong kid with impressive physicality. Still a coordinated athlete but the strength really stands out. Shorter limbs help keep bat path short. Sees ball well out of hand, displays pitch ID vs spin/offspeed. Jittery pre-slot hands a timing mechanism. Have seen him tinker a bit with amount of hand movement and front foot toe tap – current version is less noisy than in extended. Good balance - head stays very still. Inside/out oppo tendency - likes to keep his hands inside and punch baseballs the other way. Can also drop the barrel on balls inside but have seen less of that. Effortless standout power for a teenager. High ceiling bat – can see 6 hit and 6 power potential. Love this stroke. Good timing, loose easy hands. Impressive barrel control and hand eye coordination. Body comp is Wander Franco, who I caught in 2018 instructs. Both shorter but densely-packed teenage SS. Luis a bit stronger than Wander was, but I’d give teen Wander an edge in agility. FWIW 18 year old Wander looked a lot like 22 year old Wander

Love the body, love the atheleticism, love the glove. Elastic-y look to hand/wrist throwing motion and easy plus arm. Impressive cross body throw on play ranging right. Nimble feet around the bag and graceful DP turn. Quick hands/transfer. He doesn't run, he glides. See some George Valera elements to the swing. Starts and finishes open. Loose pre-slot hands w/bat waggle. Step in bucket a-la Ichiro. Got 4.08 on this single. Stared at Accusplit in disbelief. *I must have got it wrong* Joystick quickness - ++ runner. Always on feet. Likely to be menace on basepaths. A special defender. Some of the best hands I have ever seen. Quick tag on a SB attempt - wizardry with the glove.