The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are about to embark on their 8th season as a member of the BIG 10. The program has looked dangerous at times but has yet to get over the hump into true contender status. Rutgers hasn't finished over .500 since joining the BIG 10 and their highest finish in the conference standings sits at 8th. They looked well on their way to an above .500 record in 2021 before a brutal losing streak in May saw them finish 4-10 over their final 14 games. On the positive side, Rutgers' 8th place finish was a program-best and their 21-23 record came against an all BIG 10 conference schedule. They were able to capture series wins against Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Illinois.
There is good reason for optimism with this 2022 squad and the program moving forward. Rutgers head coach Steve Owens seems to have the team on the right course and the program definitely earned some respect after they showed flashes against the conference's top teams last year. Rutgers will return the majority of their lineup from last year while adding some more reinforcements in the interim. They did lose all 3 of their weekend starters from last year (Harry Rutkowski, Ben Wereski, and Brent Teller) but have some decent options to fill those slots this spring.
This is definitely a team that will be carried by their offense. Rutgers has a potential star in outfielder Ryan Lasko who might end up being their best hitter since Todd Frazier and Patrick Kivlehan. The Scarlet Knights were tied for 5th in homers (48) last year and are set to return their two best power hitters in Lasko (11 HR) and veteran Chris Brito (10). The team has impressive depth both on the dirt and in the outfield. That left side of the infield is locked down by the aforementioned Brito and Danny DiGeorgio at short, both of whom had career years last season. Owens did a good job acquiring talented transfers like Nick Cimillo, Tony Santa Maria, and Garrett Callaghan. Cimillo and Callaghan have good physicality and experience at multiple positions. Santa Maria should stick up the middle long term and is an excellent insurance policy should something happen to DiGeorgio at shortstop. Other intriguing bats that return in 2022 include Mike Nyisztor, Richie Schiekofer, Evan Sleight, and Bradley Norton. Every guy in that group has experience at multiple positions and on Thursday they all looked capable of providing some offense for the Scarlet Knights. Finally, freshman Danny Rogers impressed with the bat in this scrimmage and looks like a solid long-term piece to pair with Lasko. Fellow freshman Joshua Kuroda-Grauer shows good physicality with compact strength and smooth actions at second base. All told, this is a deep group of bats that should be able to compete with the top offenses in the conference this spring.
Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see pitchers Dale Stanavich, Jayson Hoopes, Justin Sinibaldi, Brian Fitzpatrick, or Matthew Rowe who have some of the better stuff on this Rutgers staff. But I did see several versatile arms that have the potential to contribute in different ways. I saw 4 of Rutgers' freshman arms on Thursday and they all showed some promise with lefty Joe Mazza looking like a potential rotation anchor down the road. Ethan Dodd, Cole Hansen, and Andrew Tofolo all showed upper 80s present velocity, feel for at least one secondary, and flashes of advanced pitchability. There wasn't a big velo guy (92 MPH was the top reading on my gun) but I saw a lot of good breaking balls from a bunch of arms. The Scarlet Knights might lack established pitchers outside of Stanavich but they have some depth with a number of contributors on the horizon.
Here's what I saw on Thursday:
Arms
Throws: RHP
Height/Weight: 6'2/205
Year: 3rd-year Sophomore
Gorski was the first pitcher to take the mound on Thursday. He pitched sparingly during his first year with the Scarlet Knights but on Thursday he looked like someone that could fill a more prominent role in 2022. Gorski has good size in his 6'2/205 pitcher's type build with long legs. He throws from a clean 3/4 arm slot.
His fastball was 89-92 in the 1st inning with mostly 90s and 91s. The fastball velo dipped into the 87-89 range after the 1st inning. The pitch showed some arm side run and sinking action and he did a good job of filling the lower part of the zone early. He recorded a swinging strikeout on a very nicely located fastball up in the zone during the 2nd inning. The fastball lost life in his final inning and he had some trouble locating it as well, causing the pitch to be more hittable.
As for the secondaries, Gorski showed three pitches in a slider, curveball, and changeup. Gorski utilized the curveball as his main secondary during the 1st inning. The pitch showed 11/5 shape and good depth in the mid-to-upper 70s. Gorski liked to use the curveball as a chase pitch and he recorded a swinging K on a curve in the dirt. The slider was sharp at times between 78-80 MPH with good tilt and horizontal movement. He seemed to go with that pitch a bit more as the outing went on. The pitch flashed solid average and he was able to land it in the zone at times. I started seeing more changeups during his final inning. There was OK feel but he struggled to get swings on the pitch below the zone.
The ability to throw 4 pitches might give Gorski some starting potential. With the way his stuff tailed off after the 1st inning, he might be better suited as a reliever for 2022. With low 90s velocity and the ability to get whiffs on 3 distinct pitches, Gorski could be a solid late-inning option for Rutgers this year.
Throws: RHP
Height/Weight: 6'3/220
Year: Graduate Student
Muller was a nice surprise on Thursday and I really enjoyed watching him pitch. He stands in at a tall 6'3 with a thick and strong lower half. He sets up closer to the 1st base side of the rubber and throws from a lowish 3/4 arm slot. Muller releases from a good angle and the ball was coming out of the hand clean on this afternoon.
The fastball velocity was below average at 87-89 MPH over multiple innings. The pitch showed nice sinking action and it played up with good command. He relied heavily on his slider during this appearance and for good reason. The pitched flashed above average with tight spin and late biting action. Muller worked the pitch to both sides of the plate with advanced command. He had no problem using it early in counts or doubling up on it to hitters. Muller also showed the ability to go front door to righty bats with the slider. He utilized a changeup more as his appearance went on. His changeup showed good depth and arm side fading action which should make it a nice weapon against lefties. Muller did a good job selling the pitch with similar arm speed and shape as his fastball.
Muller commanded all 3 pitches during his 1st two innings of work. The command of all 3 pitches dropped off in the 3rd inning and that's when he started giving up some harder, fly ball contact. Still, it was an impressive outing for the veteran righty. Because of the lack of fastball velocity, Muller will be walking a tight rope of sorts as he will need to maintain a high level of command. If Muller can do that and show two quality secondaries as he did in this game, he could be useful in a variety of roles.
Throws: RHP
Height/Weight: 6'6/230
Year: 4th-year Junior
Nate McLain enjoyed a solid season for Rutgers in 2021, finishing the year with a 3.65 ERA in 24.2 innings of relief. McLain is a big dude at 6'6/230 with very long limbs and levers. He has strong legs with a thick lower half and wide hips. The body still has some projection remaining. McLain uses a long arm action that gets very deep in the back. He throws from a high 3/4 slot and uses his big body to work downhill. It's a very deceptive delivery when his timing is on point.
McLain had trouble syncing everything up from the get-go on this look. He had trouble repeating his arm action and keeping things timed up in his delivery. This led to well below-average command. This is a common occurrence for tall, lanky arms with a lot of moving parts in their delivery. The fastball had some life on it and most of them sat in the 90-91 area with a few below that. McLain's curveball was his best pitch with impressive depth at times. I also thought I saw a couple of solid fading changeups as well. McLain's command of his secondaries was way ahead of his fastball command. Overall, McLain showed some intriguing potential but the strikes just weren't there on this day.
Ryder Tallent
Throws: LHP
Height/Weight: 6'2/210
Year: 3rd-year Sophomore
Ryder Tallent was another nice surprise on this look. He was with the team last year but didn't pitch in a game. He showed a well-proportioned build and came at hitters from a high arm slot. The fastball velocity was below average (86-88 MPH) but the pitch showed some impressive carry to it. Tallent's fastball showed some play at the top of the zone and it looked like it was coming in quicker and harder than the velocity indicated. Tallent showed very good feel for his curveball which he went to a lot. It has heavy vertical movement with good snapping action. The curve was consistently solid average and he spun some above average hammers and even one that was a plus. It's a present swing and miss pitch at the college level. Tallent did a good job tunneling his two-pitch combo and both pitches look like they will compliment each other very nicely moving forward. He threw strikes with both pitches and he made it tough for hitters to square him up.
Tallent has the type of operation and pitch shape to profile in pro ball. He'll likely need a few more ticks of velocity to garner draft interest, but his fastball/curveball combo from the left side makes him worth tracking moving forward.
Throws: RHP
Height/Weight: 6'3/215
Year: 3rd-year Sophomore
Sam Bello was at BIG 10 rival Maryland the past two years and he operated as the team's closer in 2021. He has the type of durable build that you see in a lot of college starters. Bello came in to close things out for the Black Team on Thursday. He worked quickly and made short work of the Scarlet Team hitters in a 1-2-3 inning. Bello completed his inning so fast that it was hard to get a good look at him on Thursday. His fastball sat in the 90-91 MPH range while hitting 92 MPH once. That velocity is down a decent amount from where he was at times with Maryland. Bello was in attack mode and went after hitters with his fastball, pounding the zone and showing decent command. He mixed in a breaking ball that flashed tight spin.
I would not be surprised if Bello gets a chance as a starter because of his build and experience in the BIG 10. I'm curious if there will be more velocity in the tank or if he sticks in this low 90s area long-term. It looks like Rutgers has several arms that can offer versatility in how they are deployed, Bello included.
Bats
Position: 3B
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6'2/215
Year: 4th-year Junior
Brito led the Scarlet Knights in OPS (.923) last season while moving across the diamond to third base full time. He also slugged 10 homers and was named to the All-BIG 10 3rd team in 2021. Brito has a wide frame at 6'2/215. It's a thick build, especially in the lower half around the hips and thighs, with noticeable strength. I watched him field some grounders during warmups and he did a good job shuffling his feet laterally with balanced actions. Brito has quick reactions and good glove work and should have no problems making the necessary plays at the college level. He doesn't have much foot speed which limits his range, especially when coming in on balls. Brito's hands are OK for this level and his arm strength is solid. He showed a bit of a long release on his throws which dials back the grade on his arm which is around average. He's perfectly fine at third base now, a position that he only started playing full-time relatively recently. Brito is likely a first baseman as a pro.
At the plate, Brito sets up in a slightly open and slightly crouched stance. He uses a moderate leg kick and does a good job loading his backside and getting his powerful lower half involved in the swing. There's solid bat speed but more bat strength in the swing. Brito does a good job impacting balls down in the zone. There's probably average game power (above raw) at the next level and he'll be a threat for double-digit homers again in 2022. I didn't see much swing and miss from Brito this game but he did have an awkward half-swing on a breaking ball in the dirt and he wasn't challenged with velocity up in the zone. These are a couple of areas I'll check in on the next time I see him. Brito has a bit of a track record now and he figures to fill a middle-of-the-order lineup spot this spring. There is some day 3 draft potential if Brito can build on his 2021 performance.
Position: C/OF
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6'3/215
Year: 4th-year Junior
Nick Cimillo had a solid career at Manhattan College (.891 OPS) and he'll bring another power bat to the Rutgers lineup in 2022. He was primarily a catcher while at Manhattan but didn't catch during this game. He has some experience in the outfield and runs/moves better than a typical college catcher, so that may be an option for the spring.
Cimillo shows impressive physicality with a professional look to his body. He rests the bat on his back shoulder pre-pitch with relaxed hands that are held close to his body. Cimillo will then throw his arms/hands outwards towards the plate before sliding them back into hitting position. He's able to generate good torque and leverage in his swing which also features a sizeable leg kick. There are a lot of moving parts, especially with the hands, so it's important for Cimillo to keep everything timed properly. He did a good job of that on Thursday and drove a couple of hard hit balls to the outfield, though neither dropped in for hits. As with Chris Brito, Cimillo has raw pop and a track record of hitting in games. He'd garner more draft interest behind the plate but I don't know how realistic that is. Cimillo has late day 3 draft potential if he can perform against BIG 10 pitching this spring.
Position: SS
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6'5/210
Year: Graduate Student
DiGeorgio was another Rutgers veteran that experienced a career year with the bat in 2021. He's very tall at 6'5 but he moves quicker than you'd expect given his size. It didn't feel like I was looking at a 6'5/210 player. He has long legs with a good amount of wiry strength in his upper half. He's a loose athlete with some twitch which definitely aids him in the field. The swing is simple and features quick hands and decent bat speed. DiGeorgio did a good job taking what pitchers gave him and didn't try to do too much. His line drive swing plane works well with his up-the-middle approach and he has enough power to drive balls to the gaps for extra bases. There's some sneaky pop in DiGeorgio's bat and I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up setting a new career-high in homers (6 HR in '21) this spring. DiGeorgio also looked solid at shortstop defensively and he has a reputation of being a steady fielder.
DiGeorgio is a grad student so he's going to be much older than the typical college draft prospect. He has the type of profile that sometimes gets interest in the 8-10 round range as an underslot signing.
Position: SS
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 5'11/185
Year: Sophomore
Santa Maria comes to Rutgers by way of Iona College where he had a productive freshman season in a limited sample. He played shortstop for the Scarlet Team in this game and looks like the heir apparent at the position after DiGeorgio moves on. He has a slick glove and good body control and handled a couple of tough hops effortlessly. Santa Maria showed loose, twitchy movements at short and the arm and hands looked solid overall. It was only one look, but Santa Maria certainly showed potential at shortstop long term. Santa Maria also showed some potential at the plate. He flashed feel for finding the barrel and he has enough wiry strength to drive the ball when he finishes squared. There may not be true home run power presently, but he is capable of making plenty of hard, line drive contact.
Position: OF
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height/Weight: 6'0/190
Year: Sophomore
Ryan Lasko was the star of the game in this one and looks primed for a big 2022 season. The Scarlet Knights haven't had a hitter with early-round draft potential since joining the BIG 10. Lasko could be the first. As a freshman in 2021, Lasko led the team in homers with 11 and finished with a respectable .813 OPS. He was a Freshman All-American in the BIG 10 last year.
Lasko isn't the biggest guy at 6'0/190 but he is built strongly with some physical projection still remaining. He's an excellent quick-twitch athlete and he plays the game hard and with a high motor. At the plate, he has a lot of pre-pitch movement in his upper body and the swing itself features a huge leg kick. He didn't have any timing issues in this game but with so many moving parts it's going to be something to watch in the future. The bat speed is explosive and the bat looked to be coming through the hitting zone at a good angle. With his strength, Lasko is able to drive the ball out to all fields. His triple and home run both went the opposite way. The home run looked like it had a ton of backspin which allowed it to carry a long, long way. Even without perfect timing, Lasko should be able to do a lot of damage at the plate. The swing and approach are certainly aggressive which could make him susceptible to the kind of stuff he'd see in pro ball. Lasko did swing through an offspeed pitch in the dirt but for the most part, he laid off pitches outside the strike zone. Lasko is still only 19 years old so there will be plenty of time for him to strengthen his approach before the 2023 draft.
I knew going into this game that Lasko had serious juice in the bat. I was not aware of his speed. He ran a 4.20 on a groundout to the shortstop and was absolutely flying around the bases on his triple. Lasko is a plus runner and I'd bet on him stealing way more bases in 2022 after stealing just 4 last year. For what it's worth, Lasko stole 18 bases (72% success rate) during the summer in the Northwoods League which could be a sign of things to come. I didn't really get a chance to watch him on defense, so that will be an area of his game I'll try to get a read on this spring. He split time between right field and center last season. Lasko has the tools and physicality of a top 3 round pick for the 2023 draft.
Freshman
Danny Rogers
Position: OF
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height/Weight: 6'0/185
Danny Rogers looks like he'll be a substantial part of RU's future moving forward. The freshman showed impressive pull side power during the scrimmage on Thursday. He narrowly missed a homer to right field as it smashed off the top portion of the wall. Rogers looked athletic at the plate with a simple, relaxed swing and the ability to impact the ball on contact. With further physical growth, he could develop into a middle-of-the-order type bat to pair with Lasko. Rogers was an infielder in high school but played left field for Team Scarlet on Thursday. It was obvious that he's still adjusting to the position as he struggled reading balls off the bat. The defense in LF is a work in progress and it remains to be seen where he profiles long-term on defense.
Cole Hansen
Throws: RHP
Height/Weight: 6'0/200
Hansen didn't light up the radar gun with his fastball that sat around 88 MPH. But he located the pitch well, especially to his glove side where he did a good job working away from righty hitters. He has a short/compact arm path and feel for executing a 3 pitch mix. Hansen was able to record some whiffs on the changeup and it has the makings of an above average pitch. Hansen located all 3 of his pitches and most of his misses were close misses. He showed some solid potential and could be a rotation piece in the future. A few more ticks on the fastball would make him an attractive professional prospect.
Joe Mazza
Throws: LHP
Height/Weight: 6'3/210
Like with Hansen, Mazza didn't show any loud velocity. He sat in the 87-88 MPH range and showed some running life to his glove side. He flashed a little carry with his fastball when thrown up in the zone. I liked the way Mazza attacked hitters as he wasn't afraid to work the inside part of the plate to righties. He did a good job moving his fastball in and out and he competed in multiple quadrants of the zone. The curveball was the most used secondary pitch on this day. The pitch flashed really good depth at times but many were slurvy. He showed the ability to land the curve in the strike zone and he stole some strikes with it early in counts. Mazza showed feel for backdooring the curveball to righties and it was Mazza's ability to locate the pitch overall that stood out for me. He mixed in some changeups but it looked like a pitch still in development as Mazza had a tendency to slow his arm when throwing it.
This was a nice showing for Mazza and he looks like the kind of lefty you can build a college pitching staff around. With his loose and durable build and clean arm action, Mazza has clear starting potential.
Quick Hits
Sam Portnoy- classic sidearm college reliever. Fastball sitting mid-80s and flashing late sink. Also showed a sweepy slider around 80 MPH and a couple of changeups. Potential groundball/RHB focused pen arm if the fastball command shows more consistency.
Parker Scott- 90-91 MPH fastball and a couple of 2's. Showed very good feel for his curveball between 73-75 MPH with 11/5 shape. Curveball played up with his feel for the pitch and ability to locate it.
Bradley Norton/Evan Sleight- Norton had the most consistent hard contact on the day outside of Lasko. A line drive up the middle and a double to the opposite field gap showed off strength on contact. Did not play much in 2021 but could be a bigger factor this spring.
Sleight was a top recruit for Virginia in 2019 but never played for the Cavaliers. Transferred to Rutgers and had a decent first year with the Scarlet Knights. Very strong and can muscle line drives to all fields.
Richie Schiekofer/Garrett Callaghan- Two corner outfield bats that showed well physically. Schiekofer didn't hit for much power last year (1 HR) but did finish with an OPS above .800. Slender build with good athleticism and long limbs. Definitely has some bat speed and I'm surprised he only hit 1 homer last year even with his flatter swing plane. Tweener profile.
Callaghan is a grad transfer from DIII Ithaca College where he hit 9 homers last spring. Big, strong build at 6'2/220 with power potential. Showed off a strong arm in right field to complete the power corner profile.
Brian Fitzpatrick- Fitzpatrick was on crutches in the dugout so he's clearly dealing with some type of lower-body injury. He was excellent on the Cape this past summer and looked poised for a breakout this spring. He still has time to recover before the start of the 2022 season.
Other players of interest: Ethan Dodd, RHP; Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, 2B; Mike Nyisztor, OF; Andrew Tofolo, RHP; Jared Bellissimo, LHP
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