By Alan Matthews
Updated August 08, 2005

WILMINGTON, N.C.--After two intense months of evaluating rising high school
seniors--following a 2005 draft that featured 19 high school players taken in
the first and supplemental rounds--scouts say the Class of 2006 is a tick
below last year's in overall talent.

The annual East Coast Professional Showcase provided more than 400 scouts and
college recruiters a long look at next year's East Coast crop. And while the
class appears to lack premium position players like Justin Upton or Cameron
Maybin, and polished power pitchers, it does offer intriguing arms and a
handful of hitters who have considerable ceilings.

"Overall, there were some very interesting guys," a scout with an American
League organization said. "No definite first-round position players but a lot
of guys you would love get in the second or third round."

About 150 players from 26 states came to Wilmington, filling out rosters of
six teams competing in four games over a four-day span. The electric arms
came out on day three.

Righthander Jeremy Jeffress from Halifax County High of South Boston, Va.,
lit up radar guns, touching 98 mph on some and pitching at 95 on the Baseball
America Stalker gun. He polished off the side in his first inning by blowing
a 97 mph fastball by Andrew Clark, a powerful lefthanded hitter from New
Palestine (Ind.) High who will be Jeffress' teammate at the upcoming Aflac
All-American game. Jeffress established himself as one of the top pitching
prospects in the class, showing good control of his fastball from a
three-quarters arm slot. His slider sat at 79 mph, though he needs to tighten
it a touch.

"I saw the whole East Coast this year and I didn't see one person hit 98, and
he did it three times," one crosschecker said. "He really impressed a lot of
people there and he appears to have a decent feel for the zone. He's got a
long way to go with the secondary stuff, his breaking ball is just okay, but
when you're running 96s and 97s up there, as long as you can get your
breaking ball near the zone, you've got enough to make someone (draft you
high) and work with it."

One game featured five arms that could potentially become high-round picks,
including all three of the pitchers on the Reds team, made up of players from
Florida.

Lefthander Bryan Morgado of Miami's Florida Christian High started and struck
out four in three frames, flashing a slider that at times was a plus pitch
with tight rotation and late break. His feel for pitching is advanced, as he
added and subtracted velocity off his fastball, ranging from 84-89 mph.

Colton Willems, a 6-foot-4 righthander from Fort Pierce, was equally
impressive in relief of Morgado, tossing three shutout innings with a hit and
four strikeouts. Carmen Giardina of Durant High in Valrico touched 90 mph
from a high arm slot that allows him to pitch downhill with late life on his
four-pitch mix. His changeup was one of best at the event.

"Coming in to (the third day), I would have just said the arms are about like
they always are--some good guys but nothing overly impressive at the top and
not the deepest bunch. But after seeing five guys trot out there and show the
stuff they did, I think I'd have to say the arms are a pretty good class,"
one scout said. "Jeffress . . . (Matt) Latos, these guys aren't the total
package like a Gavin Floyd, Zack Greinke or Chris Volstad. They've got power
but you've still got some questions about the secondary stuff and the
control. But there's reason to be optimistic about next spring, and the group
behind (Jeffress and Latos) is deep and solid."

Righthanders Ryan Butner and Nick Fuller were among the pitchers opposing the
Reds' trio. Butner's opening inning was arguably the most impressive all
week--until Fuller trumped him. The 6-foot-4, 170-pound Butner, from Hialeah
(Fla.) High, painted the outside corner with an 88 mph fastball to catch Ryan
Jackson looking, then carved up John Tolisano, one of the event's best
hitters.

Fuller featured a fastball/slider mix that one scout compared to Brad
Lidge's, as he ran 93 mph fastballs over both corners of the plate and spun
an 83 mph slider with excellent, sharp break.

Jackson and Tolisano were two of the Reds' handful of impressive position
players, and it looks like Florida will be loaded with premium prospects for
2006. Jonathan Pigott from Seabreeze High in Daytona Beach made the biggest
leap forward of any player. A sturdy, 6-foot-2, 190-pound outfielder, Pigott
has above-average tools across the board, including a short, powerful swing
that was just as impressive in games as it was batting practice. He went
5-for-11 during the showcase, including a line-drive home run off Baltimore's
Neal Davis on the opening day. Chris Duffy from Orlando's Cypress Creek High
also has a powerful stroke and plays with passion.

Max Sapp's prowess at the plate was less surprising, as he's been recognized
as an outstanding hitter since his youth days, but the lefthanded-hitting
catcher fortified his reputation with another good showing.