Lucas Alberti, OF/2B, 2024 eligible, Ontario Blue Jays
Report: Compact frame with muscular legs which he uses to rotate into the ball. Alberti’s bat stands out, as his quick bat speed allows him to barrel balls for extra-base hits paired with excellent bat-to-ball skills. Alberti is a plus runner with the range and arm to stick in centre field.
Uncommitted 2023 OF Lucas Alberti drives a double to the fence in left.#TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/V5HNf6YoTC
— TBJ Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 23, 2022
Noah Konings, OF, 2023 eligible, Great Lake Canadians
Report: Long, muscular, and projectable, Konings has a short swing and keeps his barrel in the zone before making hard contact. Plus bat-to-ball skills, Konings has the opportunity to hit for average and power as he adds more to his 6’1, 180 lb frame. Konings has a plus arm in the outfield and is an average runner.
Uncommitted 2023 OF Noah Konings continues to swing a hot bat.#TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/QYZfFbHvLq
— TBJ Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 23, 2022
Reece Usselman, LHP, 2023 eligible, P27 Academy
Report: Lanky, long-limbed with projectability, Usselman sits 83-85 mph with his fastball, touching 86 mph. His best weapon is his slurve, which he can manipulate to look more like a curve or slider. Usselman’s last pitch is a changeup, which is primarily used against righties, locating it on the outside portion of the zone.
2023 Oregon commit LHP Reece Usselman works 83-86.#TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/IdNU6DKFJ1
— TBJ Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 21, 2022
Cardel Dick, C/3B/1B/OF, 2023 eligible, Vauxhall Academy
Report: Compact, strong build with a good catcher’s frame. Dick has plus bat-to-ball skills with consistent contact. Limited power which may increase as he fills out his 5’11 frame. With great feet behind the plate, it allows him to block balls quickly and get into position to throw out runners with his average arm and carry to the bag.
Uncommitted 2023 INF Cardel Dick continues to swing a hot bat. Here he is picking up another hard hit single. #TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/GYEkJAN6XR
— TBJ Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 22, 2022
Jorge Valdes, OF, 2024 eligible, Ontario Blue Jays
Report: Short and compact, Valdes could potentially add gap power as he adds to his 5’10, 165 frame. He has solid bat-to-ball skills with a loose swing from the left side. Valdes is a plus-plus runner with an average arm that could improve or play better at second base.
2023 WVU commit OF Jorge Valdes takes 92 MPH the other way for a double.#TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/z3NsKT8S71
— TBJ Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 24, 2022
Keaton Cottam, C/3B, 2023 eligible, Fieldhouse Pirates
Report: Tall and muscular build. Cottam has plus athleticism behind the plate with a strong arm to throw out runners. Cottam has a fluid swing, keeping his bat in the plane of the zone and spraying the ball to all parts of the field. As he continues to fill out his frame, there’s a chance he can hit for power as well as average.
Uncommitted 2023 C Keaton Cottam triples to right field.#TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/b9eWx1gwca
— TBJ Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 23, 2022
Eric Hartman, OF/2B, 2024 eligible, Okotoks Academy
Report: Long, muscular body. Hartman has great bat speed and can connect with the ball anywhere in the zone. Currently a line drive hitter, Hartman is projectable which may see him hit his fair share of home runs as he matures. An average runner with a strong arm will allow him to move all over the field defensively.
Uncommitted 2023 INF/OF Eric Hartman singles through the right side.#TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/67LV7RAaiz
— TBJ Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 24, 2022
Evan Gunn, 2B/SS, 2023 eligible, Team Ontario Astros
Report: Short and compact, Gunn packs a punch despite his smaller stature as he has extremely quick bat speed and a surprising amount of power. Plus plus speed makes him a stolen base threat. His strong arm will allow him to stick at shortstop as long for the foreseeable future.
Uncommitted 2023 INF Evan Gunn triples off the RCF fence. 99 EV.#TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/saXG9GWxoI
— TBJ Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 24, 2022
Sam Shaw, 2B/SS, 2023 eligible, Canadian Junior National Team
Report: Shaw has a compact build, with some remaining projectability. He has quick bat speed and an ability to hit the ball in all parts of the zone. He is a plus runner with a good sense of when to steal. Defensively, he has soft hands and good range, making some impressive plays at shortstop.
2023 Xavier commit INF Sam Shaw lines a pitch the other way for a double.#TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/VwZlhkxKBG
— TBJ Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 22, 2022
Myles Naylor, SS/3B, 2023 eligible, Ontario Blue Jays
Report: Long-limbed with plenty of muscle, Naylor is the best Canadian-eligible draft prospect. The raw power is there, as he won the home run derby at the event. He also has a fluid swing, which results in plenty of Vladimir Guerro Jr-Esque line drives.As he fills out his frame, the opportunity to hit 20-25 professional homers a season is there. Defensively, he’s likely to play third base as he has a strong arm and a good internal clock.
Hard contact off the bat of 2023 Texas Tech commit INF Myles Naylor.#TBJFutures pic.twitter.com/FDRGP0NIbM
— TBJ Baseball Academy (@BlueJaysAcademy) September 21, 2022
- Noah Cantwell: Hits the ball hard and makes solid contact. Likely will play 1B in the future.
- Esteban Dessureault: A standout on the youngest team. Hit plenty of hard-hit balls and participated in the HR derby.
- Sean Duncan: Born in 2008, Duncan was the youngest player invited to the tournament. High 70s fastball, Low 70s changeup. Solid results in his start (3 strikeouts, 1 earned run)
- Noah Bourgeois: Nasty changeup with an RPM hovering around 2,000, a great out pitch. Features a low 80’s fastball (82-84 mph) with great spin. His curveball is a get-me-over pitch, but has an excellent bend and could develop into a plus breaking ball.
- Felix-Antoine Verstricht: Fastball/Curveball guy. Fastball sits mid 80s (82-85 mph), while his curveball hovers around an RPM of 2650-2750.
- Eric Machej: 6’3, 170 lb, and 2024 eligible. His fastball sits in the high 80s (87-89 mph). Also plays shortstop and sprays the ball, has some pop. Could be an interesting player to track through college, as he’s committed to Illinois State University.
- Jason Green: Hit the only in-game home run of the tournament (albeit wind assisted). Behind the plate, he has a strong arm and solid pop times. Blocking will need work.