Two-way players more common in high school
Palm Beach County players emulate Angels rookie pitcher/hitter Ohtani.
Angels rookie Shohei Ohtani (left) hits and pitches well; several PBC players also are double threats.
Los Angeles Angels rookie Shohei Ohtani has taken baseball by storm.
Ohtani, who the Angels signed from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league in the offseason, is unlike all major leaguers from the past century: He hits and he pitches, and he does both well.
Ohtani made his second professional start Sunday, pitching seven shutout innings — and retiring the first 19 batters he faced — and striking out 12. He has also hit .389 with three home runs (including one off Indians ace Corey Kluber) in four games at the plate entering Wednesday.
Two-way players are much more common in high school baseball than at the college or professional level, but here is a look at some of the best in Palm Beach County this season (all stats via the High School Baseball Network):
Kris Armstrong, Benjamin, Sr.: This Florida Gators signee has been one of the top players in the county since he was a freshman. The shortstop/ pitcher has a .351 career average and has clubbed four home runs while also posting a 2.13 career ERA and averaging more than one strikeout per inning. This year, Armstrong has a triple-slash line (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) of .371/.480/.645 and has a pair of home runs. He’s also been the Buccaneers’ relief ace, pitching 21⅓ innings out of the bullpen with a 2.30 ERA. Armstrong also has another advantage over his opponents: He can pitch with either hand.
Mitchell Hartigan, Jupiter, Sr.: Hartigan has been one of the more reliable bats for the Warriors this year as the team has struggled at the plate. The left-handed hitter (but right-handed pitcher) has a .286/.379/.411 triple-slash line this year. The senior also ranks second on the team in ERA (2.10) and
has the team’s best WHIP (1.01). He plans to stay
local next year, signing with Florida Atlantic, where he will play the outfield.
Carmine Lane, American Heritage, Jr.: Lane was a first-team All-Area pick last season after a dominant sophomore year. He is following it up with a strong junior year, too. Lane, who plays third base as well as pitcher, has a .288/.382/.390 line with a home run. On the mound, he’s 4-1 with a save and a 1.87 ERA. The junior is third on the team in strikeouts, ERA and WHIP — mainly because the Stallions boast a loaded pitching staff.
Alec Mendez, Wellington, Sr.: The Welling ton southpaw has had a breakout senior season, leading the Wolverines in batting average (.415) while ranking second in ERA (0.81). Mendez, who pitches and plays the outfield, also leads the team with 20 RBIs and has one of the team’s two home runs this season. He has struck out a team-best 41 batters this season in 26 innings pitched. The Wellington senior is signed to play at Bethune-Cookman.
Miguel Peralta, Santaluces, Sr.: Peralta is the first member of the Chiefs’ two-headed, two-way machine that has led them to a 17-2 record this year. The 6-foot senior is 6-0 with a 0.72 ERA (three earned runs in 29 innings) while striking out 34 batters against only seven walks. At the plate, Peralta is hitting .345 with 15 RBIs and has a .446 on-base percentage.
Jared Petronis, Santaluces, Jr.: Petronis is having maybe the best season of any pitcher in Palm Beach County. The junior, who also plays second base, has been nothing short of dominant, surrendering only one earned run in 45 1/31/3 innings for a minuscule 0.15 ERA. The junior is also hitting .345 with 10 RBIs this season. Petronis will pitch against di strict rival Park Vista, which handed him his only loss of the season, on Friday.
Estevan Rishard son, Palm Beach Gardens, Sr .: The 5-11 R is hard son has played a major role in the Gators’ resurgence this season. The senior leads the team in batting average and has posted a .411/.450/.571 triple-slash line. Rishardson has pitched primarily out of the bullpen (playing third base when he’s not pitching), posting a 1.65 ERA in 34 innings. On a team with several good pitchers, Rish- ardson is second in ERA and the leader in WHIP.
Angel Tiburcio, Trinity Christian, Sr.: Last year’s Small Schools Player of the Year, Tiburcio has been just as good as a senior. A prodigious power hitter, Tiburcio has a triple-slash line of .411/.542/.821. As a junior, he hit a county-best seven home runs, and he has five so far this season. Tiburcio, a Florida International signee, brings power to the mound, too. He leads the county with 51 strikeouts in only 28⅔ innings pitched, and he has a 2.20 ERA.
Armani Zalez, Berean Christian, Sr.: A 6-foot-tall senior who has been playing varsity baseball since he was in seventh grade, Zalez is a major factor behind Berean Christian’s 10-3 record. Zalez, who pitches and plays first base, is hitting .387/.548/.806 this year with a pair of home runs. As a pitcher, he has a 2.30 ERA and has struck out 39 batters in 241/31/3 innings.