Matt Manning (Sheldon High, Sacramento) showed off impressive stuff on Saturday night, and he has a chance to be an early draft pick in next June’s draft. In one of the better performances of the Arizona Senior Fall Classic, Manning struck out eight batters, walked three, and allowed a double in three innings.
Manning is the son of former NBA player Rich Manning, and while Matt isn’t quite the 6-foot-11 that his father was, he has plenty of size. He’s listed at 6-foot-7, 185 pounds, and he has long legs and a high waist, as well as coathanger shoulders that could pack on good weight as he matures.
On Saturday, Manning’s fastball sat from 91-94 mph and touched 95 a handful of times in his three-inning cameo. The pitch showed late life as it entered the zone, with explosive finish and sink or arm-side run. When Manning located it down in the strike zone, his fastball was all but unhittable, especially at the high school level.
Manning’s second pitch is his curveball, which has a long way to go, but has exciting upside, thanks to Manning’s ability to generate plus spin. He lost his arm slot on his curveball at times on Saturday, but the pitch consistently showed power break. When Manning was on top of and behind the pitch, it broke with 11-to-5 shape and plus depth.
Manning begins his delivery with a stride towards the righthanded batter’s box, and finishes his delivery with his front side slightly closed off. His arm action starts with a deep wrap in the back, and there’s enough force back there to cause his momentum to reverse itself as Manning’s shoulder hits the borderline of hyperextension. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot with outstanding arm speed, and he finishes across his body.
The timing and tempo of Manning’s delivery is still a work in progress. The righthander has only been pitching for a little over a year. Manning is also a prolific basketball player, a shooting guard that could be a Division 1 prospect, though his future is clearly on the mound.
Manning is the son of former NBA player Rich Manning, and while Matt isn’t quite the 6-foot-11 that his father was, he has plenty of size. He’s listed at 6-foot-7, 185 pounds, and he has long legs and a high waist, as well as coathanger shoulders that could pack on good weight as he matures.
On Saturday, Manning’s fastball sat from 91-94 mph and touched 95 a handful of times in his three-inning cameo. The pitch showed late life as it entered the zone, with explosive finish and sink or arm-side run. When Manning located it down in the strike zone, his fastball was all but unhittable, especially at the high school level.
Manning’s second pitch is his curveball, which has a long way to go, but has exciting upside, thanks to Manning’s ability to generate plus spin. He lost his arm slot on his curveball at times on Saturday, but the pitch consistently showed power break. When Manning was on top of and behind the pitch, it broke with 11-to-5 shape and plus depth.
Manning begins his delivery with a stride towards the righthanded batter’s box, and finishes his delivery with his front side slightly closed off. His arm action starts with a deep wrap in the back, and there’s enough force back there to cause his momentum to reverse itself as Manning’s shoulder hits the borderline of hyperextension. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot with outstanding arm speed, and he finishes across his body.
The timing and tempo of Manning’s delivery is still a work in progress. The righthander has only been pitching for a little over a year. Manning is also a prolific basketball player, a shooting guard that could be a Division 1 prospect, though his future is clearly on the mound.
