Parker Dunshee, RHP, Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Cape Cod League Chatham Anglers)
After a Swiss Army knife season in the ACC, in which he started, ate up middle innings, and closed a few games for good measure, Dunshee dominated the most potent lineup on the Cape in an elimination game last week. Despite sitting “just” 90-91, his fastball showed outstanding late life and explosion at the finish. He registered a full 18 swings-and-misses with the pitch in or around the margins of the zone, and Orleans hitters were routinely late on it, making weak contact when they did get a piece of it. He worked in a handful of sliders that showed bite in the low 80’s and a couple changeups with modest tumble in the same velocity band. His repeated success with the heater continued all night, however, and never really required him to move on to Step Two of the game plan.
Mechanically it’s a low-effort delivery, albeit one with some inconsistencies. Dunshee’s arm is quick and clean, though the length of his arm swing will vary from pitch to pitch. While his drive action is clean, he’ll decelerate his front foot before strike, resulting in inconsistent command. It certainly wasn’t a problem on this night, however, as he worked the ball to all quadrants with precision. He’s likely to get a crack at full-time starting in the Demon Deacons’ rotation next spring. – Wilson Karaman