Image Credit: MLB
MLB and USA Baseball Have Invited Appx. 60 Top High School Baseball Players To Development Experience As Part of a Series of Similar Camps Through June & July
The first “Breakthrough Series” development camp & scouting showcase event in 2019. Approximately 60 rising High School juniors and seniors of diverse backgrounds have been invited to the Jackie Robinson Training Complex (JRTC) in Vero Beach, FL, where they will learn from former Major League players and coaches in a special amateur development experience that also serves as a showcase for professional scouts and collegiate recruiters. The participants – all of whom received special invitations via recommendations by former Major Leagues, MLB, USA Baseball, RBI programs, MLB Youth Academies and other sources – represent 17 states from around the country and Puerto Rico. *NOTE: A roster of the JRTC Baseball Breakthrough Series participants accompanies this media advisory.
Twenty-five (25) alumni of previous Breakthrough Series, as well as additional diverse-focused amateur development camps from MLB & USA Baseball, were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Following are roster notes:
- Out of the 17 states represented through the Breakthrough Series participants, Georgia has the highest total with 17 out of 62, followed by Illinois with 10 and Florida with 9 players.
- MLB markets with represented players include:
o Arlington, TX; Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL (Coral Gables); Milwaukee, WI; New York, NY (Brooklyn & Bronx)
- Non-MLB States include:
o Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina
WHO: Event Instructors
- Tom “Flash” Gordon
- Juan Samuel
- Antonio Grissom
- Marquis Grissom
- Charles Johnson
- Ken Hill
- Junior Spivey
- Jerry Manuel
- Pat Mahomes
- Mark Whiten
- Lenny Webster
- Marvin Freeman
- Lou Collier
- Tye Waller
- Reggie Waller
- Rob Sasser
MLB Executives
Tony Reagins – Executive Vice President, Baseball and Softball Development, MLB
Del Matthews – Vice President of Baseball Development, MLB
WHERE: Jackie Robinson Training Complex, 3901 26th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960
Following is the official schedule for the ‘Breakthrough Series,’ which includes on-field instruction and showcase games:
| Date | Time | Activity |
| June 7th | 8:40 am – 11:00 am | Orientation, Dynamic Stretches, PDP Assessments & Batting Practice |
| June 7th | 11:00 am – 11:30 am | Stretch, Throw, Infield/Outfield Work |
| June 7th | 11:30 am – 3:00 pm | Games |
| Date | Time | Activity |
| June 8th | 8:20 am – 11:00 am | Games |
| June 8th | 2:20 pm | Marlins Park – Meet & Greet with Marlins President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill |
| June 8th | 4:10 pm | Marlins Park – Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins |
| Date | Time | Activity |
| June 9th | 10:20 am – 11:00 am | Throwing, Bunting, Team Defense, Batting Practice |
| June 9th | 11:30 am – 3:00 pm | Games |
| June 9th | 4:00 pm | Evaluations |
PDP Player Assessments
The participants will have the opportunity to undergo unique athletic assessments, consisting of performance vision screening, swing analysis and precise physical testing. These voluntary assessments are supported on-site by USA Baseball, typically through Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) Premier Events, which have helped establish an official identification and player assessment pathway to all 30 MLB Clubs for elite high school age baseball players in advance of the annual MLB Draft. Regional PDP Premier Events are currently underway throughout the country in 2019.
These assessments include the following:
- Athletic Assessment – Will capture objective performance measurements including gait analysis, dynamic broad & counter-movement jumps, agility, cognitive speed of processing, and, grip strength & slant board sway tests.
- Sport Vision Screening– Will screen players with a set of vision tests designed to help athletes by assessing vision strengths and identifying areas of vision that can be improved to enable them to reach maximum performance levels.
- Swing Analysis – Each athlete will be assigned to a sensor to track each swing they take, to monitor the barrel speed, hand speed, acceleration and impact momentum. High-speed, slow motion video will also be captured on every athlete.
- Ball Flight Analysis – For pitchers, measurements will include velocity, spin rate, spin axis, spin efficiency vertical & horizontal break. For hitters, measurements will include ball exit velocity, spin rate, distance and launch angle.
|
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| # | Player Name (Last) | Player Name (First) | Pos | School | B/T | Ht | Wt | Class | City | ST | Committed | ||||||||||
| 10 | Andrews | Jaih | OF/RHP | Ramsay H.S. | R/R | 6’0 | 175 | 2020 | Hoover | AL | |||||||||||
| 18 | Hence | Markevian | RHP | Watson Chapel H.S. | R/R | 5’11 | 160 | 2020 | Pine Bluff | AR | Arkansas | ||||||||||
| 31 | Davis | Chase | OF | Franklin H.S. | L/L | 6’1 | 210 | 2020 | Elk Grove | CA | Arizona | ||||||||||
| 26 | Armstrong | Eldridge | 3B/RHP | Oaks Christian | R/R | 6’2 | 180 | 2021 | Pasadena | CA | |||||||||||
| 48 | McDowell | Darrien | 1B/LHP | Take H.S. | R/L | 6’3 | 220 | 2020 | Cantonment | FL | Alabama State | ||||||||||
| 43 | Jackson | Manuel | C/1B | Doral Prep Academy | L/L | 6’3 | 190 | 2020 | Coral Gables | FL | |||||||||||
| 37 | Fields | Brandon | OF | Dr. Phillips H.S. | R/R | 5’11 | 195 | 2020 | Orlando | FL | South Carolina | ||||||||||
| 24 | McCants | Jordan | SS | Pensacola Catholic H.S. | L/R | 6’1 | 155 | 2021 | Pensacola | FL | |||||||||||
| 47 | McCants | T.J. | SS | Pensacola Catholic H.S. | L/R | 6’3 | 180 | 2020 | Pensacola | FL | Ole Miss | ||||||||||
| 56 | Hill | Donovan | |||||||||||||||||||
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