06/17/2014 - USA Baseball 17U Championships Joe is a solid, athletic RHP/1B that will graduate in 2017. Currently, he projects best on the mound for the next level where he has a tremendous upside. Arm strength is outstanding as indicated by his top velocity of 86 mph. Arm action is loose / easy and works through an over the top arm slot. Fastball showed a range of 83-86 mph with sinking action. Breaking ball is an outstanding pitch displaying 11/5 shape with late / sharp break. He throws a split finger and shows a solid feel for pith with tumbling action. Control is tremendous as he throws strikes with all his pitches and locates to both sides of the plate. He has a sound mound presence and competes on the mound and had 2 quality outings at the event, picking up 2 wins. At 1B, he displays proper footwork around the bag and displays clean hands. He is a quality receiver and consistently showed the ability to pick balls out of the dirt, saving throws. At the plate, he shows a balanced setup. Hands are quick and work through a level swing path. He makes consistent contact, mainly to the pull side. Hitting grade will continue to improve as he works to stay inside the ball, utilizing all fields. Power numbers will increase as he learns to use his lower half more. Mental makeup is a plus as he is a great kid and is very coachable with a high ceiling on the mound. With 3 years to further develop, Joe has the makings of a special type player and will get looks from the collegiate coaches with his baseball abilities.