In 2017, P3 saw arguably its most successful draft in its 4-year history. There were 8 young men drafted including long time P3 member Tanner Houck, the 24thpick of the 1stround. That was a tough act to follow, but the 2018 group was up to the task. Beginning with Missouri State RHP Dylan Coleman, we watched as players began flying off the board in the 4thround, and didn’t finish until the very last round with Francis Howell North High School RHP Sam Grace capping off the sensational 3-day period.
The growth we have experienced over the past 4 years is truly humbling. Whether it is a MLB veteran gearing up for another season, or a freshman trying to map out a high school plan it has been an amazing 4+ year period. One of the things that makes this draft class so fun, is the amount of guys who we have been working with for multiple years. It is always rewarding to watch someone who has worked tirelessly be rewarded for the sweat equity that they have produced. Here are a few of the highlights from this class:
Dylan Coleman (San Diego Padres – 4thRound, Pick 111)
Junior RHP, MO State
Dylan has been coming in during his off-seasons over the past 2 years in a semi-remote setting. Dylan is from Potosi, MO and would make the drive to P3 to collect programming and guidance on bullpen days. He is a quiet guy with a fiery competitive drive that will serve him well at the next level. He joins P3 alum Jonathan Harris (29thpick of the 2015 MLB Draft) as the only MO State alums to lead a P3 draft class.
Michael Plassmeyer (Seattle Mariners – 4thRound, Pick 118)
Junior LHP, University of Missouri
Michael has also been coming to P3 for 2+ years during his off-seasons. Beginning in 2015, we began seeing Michael tag along with his brother Mitch (Bradley University) after his graduation from De Smet High School. Over the next few years, we saw Michael develop into one of the most consistent starters in Mizzou history. The 2018 season saw Mike elevate his game to a new level, and helped him join the previously mentioned Tanner Houck as another standout Mizzou Pitcher. Similar to Tanner, Michael is an outstanding guy to have in the facility on a daily basis. He has a tremendous work ethic to complement his all-around “good guy” personality. On a side note, he will be joining P3 co-founder Brian DeLunas, as Michael was selected by the Seattle Mariners which was extra exciting for our P3 family!
Matt Vierling (Philadelphia Phillies – 5thRound, Pick 137)
Junior OF/RHP, University of Notre Dame
The 3-year standout starter from Notre Dame, Matt Vierling, was also selected out of CBC High School after his senior season in 2015. Matt is what we refer to as a “P3 OG,” since he has been training with us since the beginning of our existence. Beginning in high school and continuing throughout his collegiate career, Matt is a P3 staple, and also spent time in the Cape Cod League this past Summer. He paced the Irish over his career in 156 games played and started. Similar to Plassmeyer, Matt is a great guy to have around the facility and is outworked by no one. In addition to playing an MLB level CF, Matt also pitched for Notre Dame running his fastball up to 94 mph.
Zach Spears (Pittsburgh Pirates – 8thRound, Pick 234)
Junior LHP, University of Miami-Ohio
Nick Ernst (New York Yankees – 15thRound, Pick 457)
Junior RHP, University of Miami-Ohio
It was appropriate to put these two together since they were basically inseparable since coming to P3 this past off-season. Zach and Nick had an immediate impact on the College Program with their infectious attitude and elite level of performance. These teammates came and lived in St. Louis for the 2017 Winter break in anticipation of their 2018 seasons, and we just wish we would have gotten to know them sooner! Both guys have tremendous pitchability and have high ceilings at the next level.
Nick Allgeyer (Toronto Blue Jays – 12thRound, Pick 356)
Junior LHP, University of Iowa
Nick first came to P3 along with 5 of his Iowa teammates in the Summer of 2016. This group saw 4 of the 6 stay to train and now 3 out of the 4 have been drafted with Nick’s teammates, Nick Gallagher (Indians, 2017) and Ryan Erickson (White Sox, 2017), getting drafted last year. Nick really is a great story. During the fall of 2016, he suffered a UCL tear and had to undergo Tommy John surgery. Nick was easily the most determined rehabilitation case I have seen in my 9+ years of training guys. He worked like a mad man in the weight room, and came back stronger than ever to lead the Hawkeyes on Friday nights this past year. Like all of these guys, we can’t wait to have Nick in over the course of an entire off-season and see what he’s capable of accomplishing. An additional note: stay away from Nick on a golf course if you value your pride.
Zach Neff (Minnesota Twins – 31stRound, Pick 934)
Grad Student LHP, Mississippi State University
Over the years, “Neffer” as Brian referred to him has captured the interest of many a coach and player. Zach is also a “P3 OG”, and is the definition of a typical lefty. Last Summer as I was running through my Twitter feed, I ran across a video that had gone viral of a pitcher getting an opportunity to finally hit. He had roughly 10 bats in his hands swinging them high in the air over his head. He proceeded to fire all but one back towards the on deck circle and stride confidently to the plate. That pitcher was Zach Neff. Zach not only has a love for humor, but he also has a love for the game of baseball. I’m incredibly happy to see him get a shot, and you won’t find me betting against him.
Sam Grace (Baltimore Orioles – 40thRound, Pick 1195)
Senior RHP, Francis Howell North High School
Sam came to the P3 family during his junior year of high school looking for some answers. His initial assessment had him coming in at 81 mph and he was ready to work. Over the next two years, Sam kept a quiet but consistent approach as he continued to pass up his peers one at a time. His first start of the 2018 season he sat 92 – 94 mph and topped out at 97 mph. Even with the significant strides he has made, there is still “more in the tank” and I’m sure Sam will tap into that. Sam has a bright future, and will surely be fun to watch as he continues to grow.
Not previously mentioned but just as proud of the rest of the class:
Trey Riley (Atlanta Braves – 5thRound, Pick 142)
Sophomore RHP, John A. Logan CC
Brady Feigl (Oakland Athletics – 5thRound, Pick 143)
Junior RHP, Ole Miss
Miller Hogan (Tampa Bay Rays – 6thRound, Pick 180)
Junior RHP, St. Louis University
Zach Haake (Kansas City Royals – 6thRound, Pick 182)
Junior RHP, Kentucky
Chris Holba (St. Louis Cardinals – 11thRound, Pick 333)
Junior RHP, East Carolina
Jacob Voss (Anaheim Angels – 27thRound, Pick 811)
Junior RHP, Creighton University
Brady Schanuel (Milwaukee Brewers – 27thRound, Pick 815)
Junior RHP, University of Iowa
Lucas Krull (San Francisco Giants – 34thRound, Pick 1006)
Sophomore LHP, Jefferson College
I hope this has been as fun for readers as it has been for me and the staff here at P3. As you can see this didn’t cover everyone, but if I wrote on everyone we would be reading for hours!
Thanks so much for reading and thanks so much for supporting these players. I’m sure they have many people who contributed to their success, but I just wanted to take some time to appreciate their accomplishments from the P3 perspective. We look forward to this off-season when these men will hopefully enter into our Professional Program, and we can’t wait to get back to work!
Best Regards,
Josh Kesel
P3 Co-Founder & CEO
