LATEST PG SHOWCASE REPORT
2006 National Showcase
John Gast is a 2007 left hand pitcher from Lake Brantley HS, residing in Longwood, FL. Gast has a strong, mature type build on his 6'1" 195 lb. frame. He likely will continue to gain strength in his lower body, providing more power in his arm, which at this point is quite good. Gast was good at PG National and was ranked #24 among PG National Top 85 pitchers, but he was not as good as he can be and is. One week later in Joplin he was dominant, one of the top pitchers there. Gast pitches from an over the top slot and has a very quick arm, particularly from the apex of his arm arc. He hides the ball well and is deceptive to hitters. Not only is his delivery deceptive, it is a good delivery, one that he can repeat and keeps under control. As for his stuff, Gast's stuff can at times be very very good. His fastball topped at 92 and sat 87-90 with plus movement down and late in the zone. That fastball has power tilt and is rarely straight. With his fastball alone he can buzz through a line-up. To complement his fastball, Gast has a 78-80 mph slider with power tilt and a slower 70-72 mph curveball with big shape and tight spin. Both his breaking pitches have good depth and late bite and both are capable of being out pitches. The slider actually is a put away pitch. With an 80-83 mph change-up, Gast's repertoire is pretty complete. His stuff and delivery are all quality and taken together, make him one of the top lefties in the '07 draft class. He is a top tier D1 talent and an upper round professional prospect.