FORT MYERS, Fla. - When Riley Pint walked a batter in his first inning at Perfect Game's national showcase in June, there was a rumble of surprise among the hundreds of observing scouts.
In the buildup to this gathering of the nation's best high school players, the lanky Kansan had been portrayed as some sort of baseball ideal, one without pitching or personal flaws.
His pre-showcase scouting report from Perfect Game, a website that ranks baseball prospects, raved about a fastball that reached 96 m.p.h. and a breaking ball that was even more impressive.
"As good as the velocity is," wrote Jheremy Brown, "it's the knuckle-curve that separates him.