BTL Fergie Jenkins Showcase League Showcase Recap

by | Apr 16, 2022 | Showcase Coverage

BTL headed up north to Ontario, Canada to team with the Fergie Jenkins Showcase League to host a showcase for their athletes. Below is a look at some of the top performers from the event.

Connor Rodwin

C/OF | R/R | Burlington, Ontario | 2022 | Uncommitted

Rodwin combined a powerful 6-foot-1, 210 pound frame with some very solid overall athleticism to put together one of the better performances at the showcase. He moves well for his size on the 60-yard dash, his 7.23 time the best at the event. His work behind the plate was arguably the best at the event, his receiving crisp and his transition from glove-to-throw quick. He throws across his body as he slings the ball down to second, his throwing velocity topping out at 61 MPH on the throw down, which also helped him achieve a pop-time of 2.0.. He stands open in his stance and starts with his hands behind his back shoulder, using a toe-tap stride prior to using his strong wrists to whip the bat through the zone at a slightly upward angle. This swing helped Rodwin achieve exit velocities up to 91 MPH.

Gabe Cheddie

1B/OF/LHP | L/L | Toronto, Ontario | 2022 | Uncommitted

Making an impact on both sides of the ball, Cheddie showed some serious potential as a two-way player in his showing. Standing in at 6-foot, 180 pounds, Cheddie possesses a strong frame that he used to his advantage in more ways than one. He had a good first step while taking infield and he was able to make a very quick transition into his throw by bringing the ball to his chest and putting himself in a position to make a throw, his top infield velocity reaching 70 MPH. In the outfield, Cheddie does a good job of getting around the ball and uses a crow hop approach on his throw-in, his outfield velocity topping out at 81 MPH. In the box, Cheddie’s stance starts tall with his hands level with his ear and the bat wrapped around his head. His swing is a pretty violent one, driving the bat through the zone with a bat speed of 65.0 and hand speed of 21.3 to achieve a max exit velocity of 93 MPH, the best at the event. Moving from the box to the mound, Cheddie continued to have success, posting some impressive numbers and a strong outing against live hitting.He displayed a 3-pitch mix consisting of a 78 MPH FB, 63 MPH CB, and a 65 MPH CH. He comes over the top in his delivery and throws across his body, showcasing a pretty loose arm with some whip to it. Against live hitters, Cheddie did a good job of getting soft contact from hitters, using all three of his pitches pretty consistently.

Darren Lowe-Gaillard

RHP/OF | R/R | Toronto, Ontario | 2023 | Uncommitted

Displaying an athletic and strong 6-foot, 173 pound frame, Lowe-Gaillard used his physical assets to the best of their abilities. Starting off with the 60-yard dash, Lowe-Gaillard was able to clock a 7.49 second time. In the infield, his movements were smooth and athletic, doing a good job of working through the baseball as well. Lowe-Gaillard also showed off a strong arm, slinging the ball across the field at velocities as high as 83 MPH. Translating his athleticism in the field to the box, Lowe-Gaillard put on a solid performance on the offensive side of the ball as well with his aggressive yet smooth swing that helped reach a top exit velocity of 83 MPH. He continued to impress as he moved to the mound, showing off a four pitch arsenal comprised of a 81 MPH FB, 69 MPH CB, 73 MPH CH, and an 81 MPH 2S. He comes over the top on the throw and has a lot of whip to his arm, displaying some good arm action. Lowe-Gaillard’s delivery is a rather explosive one, using his whole body throughout the motion to generate maximum force. He fared well against live hitters, collecting two strikeouts and avoiding hard contact against five hitters, making for a very solid overall outing.

Jax Arcuri

C/3B | R/R | Welland, Ontario | 2023 | Uncommitted

Despite possessing a smaller 5-foot-9, 150 pound frame, Arcuri still put up some of the best numbers at the event to go along with a very solid overall showing. In the infield, Arcuri exhibited good footwork and soft hands, his transitions from glove-to-throw being notably impressive. Arcuri worked well at the catcher position  as well, displaying athletic movements behind the plate and the same soft hands we saw while he took infield. He also showed off a very strong arm, the velocity on his throw down topping out at 71 MPH, as well as a solid pop time of 2.2. In the box, Arcuri stands upright with his feet slightly wider than his shoulders prior to taking a long stride and getting into his legs during his aggressive swing, leading him to an exit velocity of 84 MPH.

Nigel Sebastianelli

SS/2B/3B | L/R | Burlington, Ontario | 2023 | Uncommitted

Remaining consistently solid in all categories throughout the showcase, Sebastianelli put together an overall convincing performance. Sebastianelli used his wiry 6-foot, 175 pound frame to achieve a 7.51 second 60-yard dash before heading to the field. He proved to be very well-rounded while in the field, impressing in all aspects of his fielding. He showcased some clean footwork by taking a good first step while getting around the ball and putting himself in a position to make a quick yet accurate throw with a very smooth transition. Sebastianelli also displayed a very strong arm, his infield velocity getting up to 82 MPH out of a low ¾ arm slot. His stance is very tight and upright, keeping all components close together before opening up and exploding in his aggressive swing. During his swing, Sebastenilli showcased the ability to get the barrel through the zone quickly, seeing a top bat speed of 71.1 and top hand speed of 21.3.

Nolan Browne

RHP/OF | R/R | Grimsby, Ontario | 2023 | Uncommitted

Exhibiting a consistently strong performance across most all categories, Browne showed off the skills he possesses in the field, in the box, and on the mound. In the outfield, Browne did a good job of fielding the ball off of his glove side foot and built up some momentum heading into his throw to achieve an outfield velocity of 86 MPH. Browne’s stance is a simple yet effective one, standing tall with little movement to his hands that start tight to his shoulder and his feet about shoulder width apart. His swing is a casual-looking yet smooth one, helping him reach a top exit velocity of 86 MPH. On the mound, Browne presented a four pitch arsenal that consisted of a 76 MPH FB, 70 MPH CB, 72 MPH CH, and a 65 MPH SL. All four of Browne’s pitches had some good movement to them, his CB most notably getting up to 2253 RPM. In his delivery, Browne uses his 6-foot-1, 160 pound frame to gain ground towards the plate before whipping the ball to the strike zone with an over the top arm slot. Facing live hitters, Browne found a good deal of success, striking out three of the five hitters he faced, all swinging on the final strike.