East Coast Pro goes beyond what an ordinary showcase entails. Supervised by scouts, players spend the week with each other, staying in the same hotels with teammates. Pitchers–even if they pitch only once–stick around for the duration of the event, embracing a team-first culture and simulating professional baseball more than a showcase. The six teams each represent a particular area of the country; scouts from each area volunteer to organize and coach the teams. All the players on hand are prospects, but all of them did not perform equally in their week at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field. These 10 stood out on the field in the 2017 edition of ECP.
1.Ethan Hankins, RHP Forsyth Central High, Cumming, Ga.
All eyes were focused on the Aug. 10 finale, which pit the Georgia-based Orioles, with righthanders Hankins and Kumar Rocker, among others, against the Blue Jays (predominantly Florida players), with some of the top arms in the class involved on both sides. Entering in the bottom of the sixth inning and throwing three perfect frames, Hankins turned in the most dominant outing that scouts have seen thus far from a pitcher in the 2018 class. He worked at a rapid tempo from a half windup, peppering the zone with 94-97 mph fastballs inside, outside, up and down. He struck out the first six batters he faced and needed just 37 pitches to record nine outs, showing a 70 fastball on the 20-80 scale, plus control and a plus curveball in this outing.
2.Xavier Edwards, SS North Broward Prep, Coconut Creek, Fla.
Edwards has been compared with 2017 shortstop Nick Allen as a well-balanced middle infielder with very quick hands. At just 5-foot-8, he’ll face similar questions, but he is a better runner and may have a better hit tool.
3.Landon Marceaux, RHP Destrehan (La.) High
Perhaps the best pure pitcher in the class, Marceaux showed feel for four pitches and his 12-to-6 curveball is one of the best you’ll see.
4.Mason Denaburg, RHP/C Merritt Island (Fla.) High
A prospect on the mound and at catcher, Denaburg regularly sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and spots it to both sides of the plate.
5.Ryan Weathers, LHP Loretto (Tenn.) High
Weathers, who has plenty of polish, struck out five over three innings, working off a low-90s fastball with tremendous running action.
6.Ryder Green, OF Karns High, Knoxville
Green was the first player to homer at the event and had one of the loudest batting practices of any player, giving Tennessee a pair of intriguing prospects on both sides of the ball, along with Weathers.
7.Bryce Reagan, SS Souhegan High, Amherst, N.H.
New Hampshire gave scouts a gem in Reagan, who hit from both sides of the plate and made several impressive plays up the middle, flashing above-average arm strength.
Stewart’s curveball is the best breaking pitch in the class, and he continues to use it to mystify high school batters. Pair that with a low-90s fastball and good luck squaring him up.
9.C.J. Willis, C Ruston (La.) High
Willis is a physical lefthanded-hitting catcher who showed solid pop in the batter’s box and a strong arm from behind the dish.
10.Jaden Hill, RHP Ashdown (Ark.) High
Hill showed the best changeup of any pitcher at ECP, and mixed in what some scouts thought was a top-three breaking ball as well.
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