01/13/2017 - Under Armour All-America Pre-Season Tournament
Jesse continues to show steady progress in his baseball abilities. At the plate he shows an athletic setup. Hands are quick, generating bat speed to and through the baseball, creating extension. He is aggressive and attacks balls and has strength in his swing with gap to gap pop. Behind the plate, feet are active as he gains ground and works through a clean / transfer exchange as he gets rid of the baseball quickly. Pop times showed in the 2.10 range. Times will continue to drop as he builds more arm strength through a long toss program. Hands are soft as he lets the ball travel and tracks well, sticking in the zone. He shows off his athletic abilities through the blocking process with tool improving as he creates better angles to deaden ball.
05/29/2016 - College PREP - Wappinger Falls, NY
Jesse is a hard worker (C/3B) who continues to progress on the diamond. Behind the dish, he sits in with athletic actions and flexion. Transfer exchange is quick with strong/accurate throws on the bag - pop times now at 1.96. At 3B, he has active footwork and moves around the GB right to left. He presents his glove, fields the ball in front and funnels smoothly with soft hands. As a hitter - Jesse steps into the box looking to swing it. He has an athletic setup with centered balance and a strong base. He has fluid rhythm to load, whips the barrel with quick hands and connects with strength. Gerdes is a talented prospect whose tools will translate well into the next level.
03/06/2016 - College PREP - Hightstown, NJ
Jesse continues to show improvements in his baseball abilities. Foot speed has improved as he ran his best 60 time to date. At the plate is where he has improved the most, now showing solid hitting abilities with well above average power potential. Hands are quick (89 mph exit velocity) and work through a level swing path. He shows a feel for the barrel and strength in his swing, displaying gap to gap pop. Behind the plate, his pop times showed in the 2.09 range with accuracy / carry on his throws. He shows off his athletic abilities through his blocking / receiving skills. At 3B, feet are active as he works through a low approach and displays clean hands. Hands are clean and he presents well out front.
12/06/2014 - Hitting Accelerated Training Weekend (Ages 14-18) Commuter
Jesse is a big strong kid that has the ability to be a middle of the order guy. He looks to drive every pitch and shows good pop in his bat with great pull side power. Jesse also shows a great setup with a solid launch, getting to a good hitting position before the baseball enters the hitting zone. When Jesse gets the baseball in the correct contact point of the hitting zone he is able to extend through contact and drive the baseball to all parts of the field. However, to improve at the plate Jesse needs to be more consistent with his contact points, and letting the outside pitch travel deeper into the hitting zone.
11/06/2014 - Baseball Factory Select Training & Competition at Pirate City
Jesse showed a good baseball IQ, hard work, and good defensive skills during his time at Pirate City. Behind the plate, Jesse has a good setup, soft hands, and proper footwork. He has good body control, he keeps the ball in front of his body, and he throws with carry and accuracy to 2B. Offensively, Jesse has an open stance, an activated load, and he swings in good rhythm. He is an aggressive hitter with direct hands to the ball and good barrel accuracy.
10/05/2014 - College PREP - Trenton, NJ
Jesse is a 2017 graduate that stands at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds. He posted release times between 2.10 and 2.18 behind the plate. He gained momentum to the target and showed some body control in his actions to throw, and showed solid arm strength. He setup well to receive, showed a good target, and presented pitches well out front. He was solid to block as well, making him a well rounded defender behind the plate. At the plate, he made an aggressive pass with good lower half action and strength at contact. His raw power appears to be ahead of his hitting ability at this point, but with work to let the ball travel and to work the barrel to contact on a more direct route he stands to become a more well rounded offensive player. Overall, he offers ability both with the glove and the bat for a young 2017 graduate.