To say he has dominated would be an understatement. Aberdeen’s Jake Geis has allowed just one hit in 9 2/3 shutout innings. He’s also walked just one, struck out 14 and opponents are batting .033 against the 6-foot-4 right-hander from Loyola Marymount. Geis works from a high slot and mostly pairs a 93-95 mph fastball with a mid-80s slider. He’s also shown a 78-mph curve and has produced some whiffs with his fourth pitch, an 85-mph changeup. His slider in-zone whiff rate of 50% is one of the best in the league while his overall strike-throwing is 71% which resides in near-elite territory. Both the shape and velocity of his slider have ticked up since this past spring when the pitch averaged 82 mph with less depth. Statistically, his changeup is an underutilized weapon that shows high whiff both in the Draft League and for the Lions in the spring. All in all, the 23-year-old checks a lot of boxes with his stuff and performance and has caught a lot of attention after just two weeks in the Draft League.
Running right alongside Geis with high performance is Mahoning Valley’s Justin Abercrombie. The 5-foot-10 right-hander has appeared in five games, totaling 8 2/3 innings. He’s allowed just two hits and one walk to go along with 12 strikeouts. Abercrombie features a four-seam fastball with good carry that has averaged 92.5 mph. He’s consistently located it just above the belt for repeated swing/miss. His second offering is a low-80s changeup with excellent depth. The pitch has been put in play just once so far this season. A 78-81 mph breaking ball completes his nearly unhittable three-pitch mix.
Trenton’s John Higgins has also been a sure thing out of the Thunder’s bullpen post-draft. Coming off a spring season in which he posted eight saves in 21 appearances with a 3.16 ERA out of the Seton Hall bullpen, the 24-year-old has appeared in six games, totaling nine innings to date in Draft League. With a high leg kick and easy delivery from a three-quarters release point he’s allowed no runs on just three hits and has struck out eight in the second half. Higgins will mix a 92-mph fastball with three secondaries that include a 83-84 slider, 85-87 cutter and a low-spin (1,400 rpm) 82-mph changeup. It’s a four-pitch punch that is led by his slider (.091 opp avg, 38.1% whiff) and has limited hitters to a .103 batting average.
Williamsport’s Luc Lavigueur is still settling into his role out of the Crosscutters’ bullpen, but he’s shown good arm strength with a fastball up to 96 mph. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-hander throws with a higher effort level, but does a solid job of staying in good direction to the plate. Both his 84-85 mph slider and low-80s curve spin quickly at over 2,600 rpm. His slider especially has flashed great shape with bite and late action. Overall, Lavigueur is someone that can develop into an arm that can have a lot to like out of Rhode Island.
Dawson Hall has combined solid velocity and a dirty changeup into good performance out of the West Virginia bullpen. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound right-hander from Western Kentucky operates with a short, quick and deceptive arm action. He’s struck out nine in 8 2/3 innings while posting a 1.04 ERA. Hall has allowed just four hits with a two-pitch mix led by his 83-84 mph changeup. Opponents are batting just .100 against this soft-contact inducing pitch that has produced an average exit velocity of 76.6 mph and a max exit velocity of just 92.5 mph. His low-90s sinker has also been largely effective going under bats for a 27.8% z-whiff rate to produce an average exit velocity of just 70.1 mph. Hall also fills the zone at an exceptional rate of 67.4%. He has everything necessary for an opportunity at the affiliated level.
My first look at Pablo Torres was last summer during the USA Collegiate National Team Trials and he returned there again this summer showing a consistent 94-95 mph fastball. Now with State College the 5-foot-11 right-hander from Bethune-Cookman continues to pump mid-90s from a low release height that has averaged 5-foot-3. With further manipulation and increased extension this now below average-shaped pitch could turn into a high-rider at the letters as it already has 15.6” IVB with a -4.3 VAA from a much lower than average release height. Developing dependable breaking pitches, Torres is a potential diamond in the rough who is off to a strong start (1.59 ERA) in the league.
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