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Read Tyrell Jenkins Scouting Report

Read Tyrell Jenkins Scouting Report

Tyrell Jenkins, RHP
6-4, 175
Henderson HS, Henderson, TX
Games 2, Innings: 4

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Long, lean, lanky and loose athletic actions. Tall and projectable, loose features.

STRENGTHS: FB, 89-91, SL, 81-84, CH, 74-76. Fast arm, whippy arm action, loose and coordinated athletic actions. FB hard sink, SL run.

WEAKNESSES: Developing strength, power and stamina. Should have more power in arm as he physically matures. Overall command and control need to improve for long pro career.

SUMMARY: Fast arm action, whippy body, and physical projection paired with improved overall command and physical maturity should combine to create two-pitch starter with emphasis on hard sinker and hard slider. Plenty of more power to come in this arm and frame.

GRADES (Present/Future):
Fastball           40/60
Slider               30/60
Change-up     30/50
Control           30/50
Command      30/50

Overall Future Potential: 54

What the Grades Mean

In the scouting world, every quality player is on a follow list. It’s a good bet that most of these players are already on such lists, but it’s important to remember that things will change over the next eight months – no list, no matter this one or one by a team should be considered definitive at this time of year, but should instead be regarded as a road map.

Some players who are not on this list will be hot and others who were hot in summer and fall will lose some luster in spring. That’s why you won’t see rankings here, because Baseball Beginnings works like a major league team. We’re not ranking players right now. And when we do, we keep them in-house. The world is full of people who will rank players. A good scout NEVER tells.

Every single player on this list has been seen by our scouting staff IN PERSON, meaning we don’t take our information from secondary sources. It’s on us.

High School Pitchers (June 2010 draft prospects)

Jason Adam, RHP, 6-2, 225 (Blue Valley HS, Overland Park, KS)
Big body, FB 86-90, CB 72, has room for improvement

Stetson Allie, RHP, 6-4, 225 (St. Edwards HS, Olmsted Falls, OH)
Three-pitch workhorse, sound delivery, plus command: FB 92-94, CH 79, CB 77-80

Robbie Aviles, RHP, 6-4, 190 (Suffern HS, Suffern, NY)
FB 88-92, CB 75-76, CH 83; wiry and loose, needs to corral mechanics, has projection

Alex Balog, RHP, 6-4, 210 (Archbishop Mitty HS, Saratoga, CA)
FB 89-92, big body, closer type, raw, college best and follow from there.

Cameron Bedrosian, RHP, 6-0, 195 (East Coweta HS, Senoia, GA)
Stocky w/high hips, power frame, multiple weapons: FB 90-96, CB 75-76, SL 84-89

Jesse Biddle, LHP, 6-5, 225 (Germantown Friends HS, Philadelphia, PA)
FB 91-93, CB 73, CH 85: Power build, gets extension, live arm, FB run, projects.

Cody Buckel, RHP, 6-1, 170 (Royal HS, Simi Valley, CA)
FB 90-91, gets downhill despite height, aggressive, power lower half. Makes most of it.

Andrew Cole, RHP, 6-5, 190 (Oviedo HS, Winter Springs, FL)
Tons of projection; premium HS guy, FB 91-94, CB 76, SL 78-81, Split 84-86, CH 83

Jake Cole, RHP, 6-3, 220 (Sahuaro HS, Tucson, AZ)
Good balance and extension, easy life, room for projection. FB 88-90.

Dylan Covey, RHP, 6-2, 190 (Maranatha HS, Pasadena, CA)
Premium! FB 92-96, CB 81-86, CH 81-83, great frame, arm, power; all elements here.

Kaleb Cowart, RHP, 6-3, 190 (Cook County HS, Adel, GA)
Easy, loose gas, aptitude and pitch-ability. FB 90-93, CB 73, SL 87, Cutter 84, CH 75 

Cito Culver, RHP, 6-1, 167 (Irondequit HS, Rochester, NY)
Build is a concern, athleticism is not; raw and quirky actions; FB 90-91.

Adam Duke, RHP, 6-2, 180 (Spanish Fork HS, Salem, UT)
Fast arm, stays closed, good frame, room for development: FB 89-91, CB 75.

Scott Frazier, RHP, 6-6, 205 (Upland HS, Upland, CA)
FB 89-91 with 87-88 SL, no true off-speed pitch; Great frame still putting all together.

Nicholas Frey, RHP, 6-4, 170 (The Woodlands HS, Woodlands, TX)
Great baseball athlete, also SS: rangy, loose and easy arm & body, FB 89-91 easy.

Nathan Foriest, LHP, 6-2, 190 (Harpeth HS, Kingston Springs, TX)
Lot to like: FB 91-93, SL 83-84, Avg. command, loose body, fast arm, athletic enough

Kevin Gausman, RHP, 6-4, 180 (Grandview High School, Centennial, CO)
Raw stuff in a big body, HS draft in a good round: FB 92-97, SL 94-89

Evan Hudson, RHP, 6-6, 240 (Bothell HS, Bothwell, WA)
Big body, FB 90-91, SL 85-87, has room for conditioning and improvement; follow.

Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, 6-4, 175 (Henderson HS, Henderson, TX)
Lanky, lose, live arm, lots of projection, great athletic. FB 88-91, CB 76, SL 81-84

Mason Justice, RHP, 6-4, 185 (Holland Hall HS, Tulsa OK)
Frame has projection, FB 89-91, occasional plus arm-speed, room for development

Nick Kingham, RHP, 6-5, 205 (Sierra Vista HS, Las Vegas, NV)
Good body, arm speed/action. FB 89-91. Follow.

Forrest Koumas, RHP, 5-11, 190 (Elgin HS, Lugoff, SC)
Little guy, max effort, produces some power, FB 88-91, SL 83-84, size is concern

Austin Kubitza, RHP, 6-5, 185 (Colleyville Heritage HS, Colleyville, TX)
Great frame, loose arm, a little raw, much projection: FB 88-92.

Zach Lee, RHP, 6-4, 190 (McKinney HS, McKinney, TX)
College pitcher now, FB 87-89, SL 80, good body, has projection, should follow.

Artie Lewicki, RHP, 6-3, 195 (St. Joseph HS, Wyckoff, NJ)
FB 89-90, good body, college best, should have some projection.

Josh Mason, RHP, 6-3, 180 (Crespi HS, Woodland Hills, CA)
FB 86-89, Division I college pitcher for certain

Albert Minnis, LHP, 6-0, 190 (Lawrence HS, Lawrence, KS)
Four-pitch LH starter, broad thighs and frame, FB 85-88, CH 74-76, best weapons

Brandon Moore, RHP, 6-2, 235 (Van Buren HS, Van Buren, ARK)
FB 86-91, CH 77, big body, should be Div. 1 pitcher out of HS, follow-up player

Griffin Murphy, LHP, 6-3, 200 (Redlands East Valley, Highland, CA)
Big body, arm slower on day I saw, FB 84-89, CB 75-76, has room for more.

Christian Pfaff, RHP. 6-4, 200 (RS Central HS, Rutherfordton, NC)
Live, raw arm lacks polish and control, FB 89-92: follow

Kyle Richter, LHP, 6-4, 200 (Santa Margarita HS, Orange County, CA)
Good frame, rushes some but creates power/deception, quality arm: FB 88-92, CH 72-74

Chris Roglen, RHP, 6-3, 200 (Rocky Mountain HS, Fort Collins, CO)
Has projection in arm and frame, FB 89-91 w/life, CB 71, SL 77, can be HS draft    

Robby Rowland, RHP, 6-6, 205 (Cloverdale HS, Cloverdale, CA)
Inexperienced, got the right body, 90-91 FB, projection. Interesting.

Aaron Sanchez, RHP, 6-3, 170 (Barstow HS, Barstow, CA)
Lanky frame yet to mature, FB 89-91, inconsistent in Fall 09. Oregon sign.

Jordan Shipers, LHP, 5-10, 160 (South Harrison HS, Bethany, MO)
Limited FB power, 87-89, better CH, CB improving. Spring follow, college best

Tyler Shreve, RHP, 6-4, 215 (Redlands East Valley, Redlands, CA)
FB 89-92 at Area Codes; ineffective at Aflac; would like to see again.

John Simms, RHP, 6-3, 190 (College Park HS, The Woodlands, TX)
Good arm speed, good body, closed delivery, lands good: FB 88-90, SL 79-81

DeAndre Smelter, RHP, 6-2, 205 (Tattnall Square Academy, Macon GA)
Stocky and strong body; could be top closer; FB 89-94, SL 82-84. Good HS draft.

Eric Stevens, RHP, 6-5, 215 (Don Bosco Prep HS, Pompton Lakes, NJ)
Good body and actions, lots of promise: FB 88-91, SL 73-76.

Colby Suggs, RHP, 6-0, 230 (Sulphur Springs HS, Sulphur Springs, TX)
Joe Blanton-body, FB 89-91, CB 77, CH 84, some pitch-ability

Peter Tago, RHP, 6-1, 160 (Dana Hills HS, Laguna Niguel, CA)
FB 92-94 from high slot, 90-92 from low slot; Power hips, fast arm.

Jameson Taillon, RHP, 6-7, 230 (The Woodlands HS, Woodlands, TX)
Premium guy: Size, FB 93-96, CB 83, CH 76. Long, lean and whippy.

Luke Taylor, RHP, 6-5, 190 (Woodinville HS, Woodinville, WA)
Long, lean and raw, FB 85-87, college now, has arm speed to indicate projection

Brando Tessar, RHP, 6-1, 185 (Chaminade HS, Simi Valley, CA)
FB 88-90, SL 86, college pitcher now, check on in future.

Trevor Teykl, RHP, 6-7, 215 (Kempner HS, Sugar Land, TX)
Frame projects, should develop more power, should follow: FB 87-88, SL 72-73

Taijuan Walker, RHP, 6-5, 200 (Yucaipa HS, Yucaipa, CA)
Great frame, power in arm and legs; FB 90-92, SL 81, CH 77; has projection.

Sam Wilson, LHP, 6-1, 195 (El Dorado HS, Albuquerque, NM)
Great 2-way college guy; like as bullpen arm after college, FB 85-87, life.

Karsten Whitson, RHP, 6-4, 190 (Chipley HS, Chipley, FL)
Fast arm but a little stiff; FB 91-94, CB 81, SL 81-84, CH 75-77, good HS draft/polish.

Jesus Valdez, RHP, 6-3, 185 (Hueneme HS, Oxnard, CA)
FB 89-92, great lower half, strong hips and thighs, hard FB action.

AJ Vanegas, RHP, 6-3, 200 (Redwood Christian HS, Alameda, CA)
Premium RH power arm, FB 90-94, SL 79-81, needs 3^rd pitch, great frame

Kevin Ziomek, LHP, 6-2, 180 (Amherst Regional HS, Amherst, MA)
Lanky, fast arm, uses back leg, HS draft or Fr. D.1 starter: FB 87-91, CH 72-74

Among the Californians, right-hander Peter Tago (Dana Hills HS, Laguna Niguel) got in two sound innings, pitching at 90-91 with his smooth and explosive arm action, strong hips and thighs and whippy arm. Aaron Sanchez (Barstow HS, Barstow) also threw well and has plenty of room to add to his 90-91 fastballs. Christian Yelich (Westlake HS, Thousand Oaks) had a well-hit single and Anthony Wolters (Rancho Buena Vista HS, Vista) hit a ball somewhat hard into right field, where Anthony Bryant couldn’t make a diving catch, allowing Wolters to get to third. Wolters later hit another ball hard to right field.

Angelo Gumbs made another exceptional defensive play. Starting in shallow left-field and fighting the high afternoon soon, he raced back on a very strongly hit ball by Jared Lakind (Cypress Woods HS, Cypress, Tex.). Gumbs caught up to Lakind’s drive near the warning track and made an athletic over-the-shoulder one-handed catch. It is a play that few high school outfielders in any year are going to ever be able to make.  Gumbs gets the good sound with the bat as well.

Because Baseball Beginnings is based in California, we won’t run down every kid who is draft worthy from the Brewers Blue roster, because, well, I’d like to escape Blair Field before the sun goes down and I have to hop the outfield wall to get to my car. Stay here and you’ll meet a number of them and see video soon. 

Among the Texans, catcher Tyler Pearson (Monterey HS, Lubbock) just missed a home run, hitting his hardest ball of the Area Codes, a loud shot that hit near the 348-marker down the left-field line. Spencer Davis (Woodlands HS, The Woodlands) has a chance to be a standout third baseman. He has the body for the job (6-4, 215), a good approach from the right-hand side, and room to grow. He hit a hard single and later picked a clean ground ball at third and made a strong throw to first for an out. Matt Lipka (McKinney HS, Frisco) has made solid contact throughout these games.

Jenkins (Henderson HS, Henderson, Tex.) pitched earlier in the week at 86-89 with a slider at 81, but his arm speed and body type indicated that there was more to come. Sunday, Jenkins’s outing warranted following him next spring. The 6-4, 175-pound right-hander pitched at 89-91 with a good slider at 84 and a change-up down to 80-81. He should have much more upside and has a true whippy arm – loose, strong, and resilient. He also has a long way to go before physical maturity, so Jenkins has nowhere to go but up.

Colby Suggs pitched effectively again. The right-hander, throwing for the Athletics, topped at 91 and pitched at 89-91 with a change-up down to 84. He pitched two scoreless innings, retiring Brian Ragira and Matt Lipka. Christian Summers hit the hardest ball against him, a sharply hit single to right field. Suggs (Sulphur Springs HS, Sulphur Springs, Tex.) pitched effectively here and should be watched in the spring. He’s only 6-0, but 230 pounds. He does a good job of getting on top of the ball to compensate for his height and of maintaining balance and landing. He’s broadly built through the back and shoulders and is a good athlete.

Kjerstad, a 6-2, 205-pound, right-handed hitting outfielder from Canyon Randall HS (Amarillo, Tex.), hit a solid double to left field, stole third on the next pitch, and scored on a bad throw. He’s not the biggest name on this Texas roster, but he has shown good hands, a large frame and a little upper cut in his swing that is part of his power. He’s far from the finished product and should be a very good college player at the very least, though he could be considered a high school draft in 2010 depending on what comes next.

Christian Summers (Central HS, San Angelo, Tex.) came off the bench to hit a hard RBI single late in the game and Tyrell Jenkins also came off the bench to slap an RBI single.

Brian Ragira (James Martin HS, Arlington, Tex.) continued his solid Area Codes showing with a well-hit RBI single and also showed his speed. He’s an intriguing player whose talent will warrant a decent draft round out of high school and is a player Baseball Beginnings will cover with a scouting report and Q&A in the future. He will be one of the most complete high school players out of Texas in the 2010 draft and will have some projection and development to come.

For the Reds, starting pitcher Jake Cole, a husky 6-3, 220-pound right-hander from Sahuaro HS (Tucson, Ariz.), hit 90 and pitched at 87-88 with enough secondary stuff to warrant good looks from Division I schools. Reds teammate Sam Wilson (El Dorado HS, Albuquerque, New Mex.) gave scouts a well-hit ball for a single and also showed a plus throwing arm from right field during pre-game. Prospect Kris Bryant (Bonanza HS, Las Vegas), built with a Troy Glaus type of body, hasn’t done much in the first few days.

He profiles as an everyday major league second baseman with above-average speed (4.17 to first base from the right side). He doubled to left-center, showing an ability to drive the ball with authority and should bring more power into his game as he ages, and is a smooth defender. He also endears himself to scouts with his hard-nosed play and the tendency to get dirt on his uniform. He made a sliding, diving play to spear a ball and threw out a runner from the seat of his pants in the sixth inning. Moments later, he ranged from normal depth at second base and reached full speed within a few steps to chase down a foul ball, making the running catch at full speed. He also started a double play. In the seventh inning, he charged a slowly-hit ball, fielded and threw across his body to record the out. Lipka’s skill set translates well offensively, defensively and on the bases.

Lipka’s high school teammate at McKinney HS (McKinney, Tex.) is Rangers starting pitcher Zach Lee (6-4, 190), who pitched at 87-89 with a slushy curveball down to 78 for a strike. Lee got a strikeout and a pair of fly outs in his first inning. In the second inning, Lee gave up a single that Alex Sloan hit hard back up the middle and almost hit him. The double-play crisply turned by Lipka and shortstop Christian Summers, one of the best double-play tandems here, helped Lee complete two scoreless innings. Sloan later grounded a two-run single into center field, where Brian Ragira made an off-balance throw to third base, and then redeemed himself on the next ball by charging and sliding to make a play for the final out.

For the Washington (State) Nationals, Ryan Brett (Highline HS, Seattle, Wash.) continued to establish himself. He flashed plus speed Wednesday and did so again Thursday. He beat out an infield single against right-hander Tyrell Jenkins (Henderson HS, Henderson, Tex.) at 4.1 from the left side and is one of the best runners here. He later lined a solid single into left-center field. Defensively, he ranged to his right at full speed and made a diving catch with full extension, hinting at above-average outfield defensive skills.

Brett will probably always have doubters because of his size, but he continues to show that he is a good player, partly because he doesn’t fall into the trap that often kills diminutive players like the 5-8 Brett – he does not try to create that which he does not have on the field.

Playing to his strengths should make him a desirable high school draft prospect from the Pacific Northwest in 2010, though he may find his pro future in the dirt next to second base rather than on the grass behind it. Brett won’t get the same national attention that Lipka is going to collect in the coming months, but he’s making a strong case that his own athleticism, speed, and body type could allow him to become a candidate to sign out of high school instead of a player who should automatically play in college because of limited height.

The right-handed Jenkins presents an interesting case. His 6-4, 175-pound body lends itself to physical projection and is extremely loose, lanky and whippy in nature. He pitched with his fastball at 86-89 with a slider at 81, but his fastball has natural run on it and he has a fast arm. He’ll be worth following as strength comes and velocity begins to complement his athleticism.

Nationals starter Austin Voth (Kentwood HS, Kent, Wash.) topped out at 92 in the first inning and pitched from 87-89. He mixed in a slow curveball for strikes at 69 and a change-up at 80-81.

Among Nationals hitters, an early follow is 2011 outfielder Spencer O’Neil, a lanky left-handed hitter from Southridge HS (Kennewick, Wash.). O’Neil fisted a ball into right field for a base hit. It didn’t sound very pretty, and O’Neil probably felt it stinging for the next few minutes, but it would count in the box score, if box scores counted in these things.

Other hard hit singles in a game that had 24 hits included knocks by Josh Sale (Bishop Blanchete HS, Seattle, Wash.) and Drew Vettleson (Central Kitsap HS, Bremerton, Wash.).