Pro prospect dominates Newtown

The twenty or so professional scouts with radar guns in hand told the story. This was not just an ordinary high school game between prospective playoff teams.
They were all at Newtown to watch the Baby Unit, Grand Street Campus’s 6-foot-8 fire-balling right-hander, senior Dellin Betances.
The Pioneers eagerly anticipated the match-up with the kid believed to be the best baseball prospect to come out of the tri-state area since George Washington’s Manny Ramirez, who was selected 13th overall in the 1991 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians. “Throughout this whole week we were excited,” said Abel Taveras, the Pioneers’ cleanup hitter.
After seeing Betances, with his low 90’s fastball, the Pioneers left as impressed as the many scouts. Betances whiffed 16 in six no-hit innings, as Grand St. breezed to a 6-1 victory over Newtown last Thursday, May 11th.
Landimi Gonzalez scored the Pioneers’ lone run when he walked, stole second and third and scored on catcher Cleveland Gonzalez’s throwing error. Of the 18 outs, just two Pioneers - Wilmer Peralta and Victor Tejada - managed to put the ball in play, each weakly grounding out to third base. “The kid’s phenomenal,” said Taveras, who struck out in all three at-bats. “You just try to get in there, throw your hands and keep it simple.”
Although Newtown has faced some of the best pitchers in the city playing in Queens A-West, arguably the PSAL’s top division, Betances is a different animal altogether. “Once the ball starts coming in over 88, it looks completely different,” Taveras said.
Never mind that Betances can drop in a devastating 12-6 curveball at 15 miles an hour slower than his tailing fastball, plus an ever-improving circle changeup from the exact same arm slot. “It’s challenging,” said the Newtown ace, Andres Caceres, who struck out twice and allowed six runs, just one of them earned, for his second loss.
Many consider Betances a potential First Round pick. Although his fastball has been topping out at just 92, not an overly impressive figure for a top selection, his other two pitches are impressive and if and when he grows into his 6-foot-8 frame, it’s conceivable he could consistently hit triple digits. One scout who has been following him since last spring said Betances “would go in the top four” rounds, and added: “he could be a first round pick.”
That was no consolation to the Pioneers (8-5, Queens A-West), who lost their second straight to Grand St. An error-plagued third inning - the Wolves (13-1, Queens A-West) managed just two hits, but drew three walks in the six-run rally - put Newtown in an insurmountable hole. “This should’ve been a one-run ballgame,” Newtown Manager Neil Rosenblatt lamented.