Perfect Game Impressed With 6 Texas High School Players

The Perfect Game organization was present to observe the Area Code Games in early August. These 6 Texas High School Players made an impression with their scouts.

Position Players

Jordan Groshans, 3B (Magnolia, Texas): Groshans took perhaps the best batting practice of any hitter at the event, showing outstanding righthanded bat speed and a notable ability to square up and drive virtually every pitch. Interestingly, it was his defense at multiple infield positions that shined the brightest in the games.

Max Marusak, OF (Amarillo, Texas): Marusak’s plus/plus speed was a dominant factor in a couple of games both on offense and defense, which opened the eyes of the scouts, most of whom had never seen the Texas speedster. Marusak had some swing-and-miss in his swing approach but he also has real bat speed and can drive the ball.

Pitchers

Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP (Houston, Texas): Woods-Richardson threw four innings over two outings and was dynamic and dominant in three of those innings, including striking out the side once on 11 pitches, most of them 93-95 mph fastballs. The key for Woods-Richardson seems to be bringing his emotions to the mound. When he is visibly worked up and pacing the mound, his stuff is crisp and consistent. When he’s less animated, the opposite seems to be the case, at least this summer.

Grayson Rodriguez, RHP (Nacogdoches, Texas): While many pitchers show signs of fatigue late in the summer, the big 6-foot-5, 230-pound Rodriguez seems to be getting stronger and stronger. He was steady between 91 and 93 mph with a sharp-biting slider and few hitters got decent swings off him.

Adam Kloffenstein, RHP (Magnolia, Texas): Kloffenstein has been perhaps the most consistent pitcher on the summer circuit, as he’s been 90-93 every outing with very good command of a heavy groundball-inducing fastball. His low-80s slider is a second very strong offering.

Bo Blessie, RHP (Midland, Texas): Blessie is one of the hardest pitchers in the 2018 class to figure out between his very unusual delivery, his very slender build and his sometimes inconsistent stuff and performance. When he’s on, it’s low- to mid-90s stuff with a 3,000-plus spin rate slider, with potentially more in his future.