Jason Savacool got his ultimate wish of competing this weekend on the same field as the Major League Baseball All-Stars in Cleveland, in no small part due to the work he did against many of the country’s top diamond prospects in the last couple of weeks.
After his junior season for B’ville’s baseball team, Savacool was one of 80 high school standouts invited to participate in the Prospect Development Pipeline League at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Co-run by MLB and USA Baseball, the PDPL was a showcase top high school baseball players across the country, with everything from games to clinics conducted by a host of former Major League greats.
Of the four teams put together at Bradenton, Savacool was assigned to Team Jeter, named for Yankees legend Derek Jeter, and got to pitch three times as Team Jeter had eight games over a span of two weeks.
In his first appearance on June 21 against Team Jones, Savacool pitched three shutout innings, only allowing one hit and one walk while striking out five, all of which helped Team Jeter prevail 7-5.
A week later, on June 28, Savacool was credited with the win as Team Jeter topped Team Howard 10-2. This time, Savacool’s stint was two innings, where he was a bit wild, allowing three walks, but struck out four, limiting Team Howard to one hit and one run.
One more stint followed in last Wednesday’s game against Team Larkin. Savacool only threw one scoreless inning, with two strikeouts and a walk, part of yet another Team Jeter victory, this one by an 8-3 margin.
Having helped Team Jeter to three wins in his three outings, Savacool was chosen by MLB and USA Baseball as one of the 40 players to go to Cleveland’s Progressive Field for Saturday’s High School All-Star Game, named to the National League side in a random draw.
Just one other player from New York State was chosen – Alex Santos, from the Bronx and Mount St. Michael Academy. Ironically, Santos is committed to attend the University of Maryland, just like Savacool is in the fall of 2020.
In his appearance in Cleveland, Savacool tossed a scoreless sixth inning for the National League team, overcoming a walk with a flyout and starting a 1-6-3 double play.
Though the American League team won 4-2, Savacool had made his impression, and will continue to work this summer in numerous prospect camps that include, from Aug. 13-17, the USA Baseball 18-Under National Team tryouts in Los Angeles, with a chance to compete in early September in the World Baseball-Softball Confederation World Cup in South Korea.
