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High School  | General  | 2/17/2016

Regional HS Preview: Southeast

Photo: Perfect Game




For all of Perfect Game's regional previews as part of the 2016 high school baseball preview content, the Dream Team is available for free. The region top tools can be viewed with an Insider subscription. To learn more about Perfect Game's subscription packages and to sign up today please visit this link.




Southeast Region: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee

Perennially one of the best regions of the country as far as baseball goes, the 2016 season looks to be another very strong one in the Southeast. This is true for more than just individual talent, but team talent too, given how many of the high school teams ranked in the Preseason Top 50 – including three of the top four – find themselves in the Southeast, and a few of those schools are represented by the players listed on the individual Dream Team and Top Tools categories.

Austin Biggar is from Parkview High School (Ga.) while both Grae Kessinger and Thomas Dillard represent Oxford High School (Miss.), as the two schools are ranked Nos. 2 and 3 in the aforementioned preseason rankings.

Walker Robbins, Joshua Lowe and Braxton Garrett all find themselves on the Dream Team of the Southeast Region, as the trio also represented the Southeast during the Perfect Game All-American Classic last August.

With talent in spades, from potential first rounders through incredible depth of Division I college talent, the Southeast Region represents one of the best in the nation.


Southeast Region High School Dream Team

C – Thomas Dillard, Sr., Oxford HS, Oxford (Miss.)
Dillard, along with fellow Dream Team member Grae Kessinger, are the key cogs to the No. 3 ranked Oxford High School offensive attack. Dillard is lauded for his offensive prowess, showing both the ability to hit for average as well as significant power, from both sides of the plate. In addition to his offensive firepower, Dillard is a quality defender behind the plate, where he showcases advanced athleticism for the position in addition to solid arm strength.

1B – Walker Robbins, Sr., George County HS, Leakesville (Miss.)
Robbins is also a standout lefthanded pitcher who will presumably be a two-way contributor once he gets to Mississippi State, but he finds himself on this list due to his supreme defensive talents at first base in addition to his hitting prowess. The 2015 PG All-American is more athletic than your typical first baseman, and while he possesses great size and strength, he isn’t done filling out his frame yet, leading some to project even more power from his lefthanded bat at maturity.

MIF – Cam Shepherd, Sr., Peachtree Ridge HS, Duluth (Ga.)
Shepherd was one of the players who improved his stock the most over the course of the 2015 season, seemingly getting better and better every time we saw him. Known for quality defensive talent to go along with advanced hitting tools, Shepherd began to show more and more power throughout last summer in addition to continuing to develop defensively. It remains to be seen if he will make it to campus at the University of Georgia, but if so expect him to be an immediate impact player for the Bulldogs.

MIF – Grae Kessinger, Sr., Oxford HS, Oxford (Miss.)
One of the more projectable athletes in the country, Kessinger is still physically developing while at the same time consistently showing off excellent athleticism and all-around baseball prowess. A very good runner, defender and hitter Kessinger’s game is well-rounded and still a good bit away from his overall potential, given the strength he can still add to his frame. A University of Mississippi signee, Kessinger stands to be an impact performer for the Rebels for several years.

3B – Carter Kieboom, Sr., Walton HS, Marietta (Ga.)
Kieboom may be in line for a position switch should he be drafted into professional baseball, as some evaluators see him as a great fit for right field. With that being said, he’s one of the best righthanded bats in the class, and projects to be a very good hitter both in terms of batting average and power. With a combination of size, projection, strength and athleticism – all of which endears him to scouts – it’s likely that Kieboom will be taken early in the upcoming MLB draft.

OF – Taylor Trammell, Sr., Mt. Paran Christian HS, Powder Springs (Ga.)
Trammell is one of the more premium athletes in the class of 2016, possessing near elite speed on the diamond in combination with great strength and body control, making him a high-end running back prospect on the gridiron as well. While his speed and athleticism are tremendous, he’s also a quality defensive outfielder in addition to having good bat speed and overall feel for the barrel when hitting, giving him potential early-round projection as far as the draft goes. If he develops as some have projected he could be an impact Major Leaguer.

OF – Akil Baddoo, Sr., Salem HS, Conyers (Ga.)
Baddoo really came on strong at the World Showcase event in January, especially with the bat where he showed significant offensive upside. With excellent bat speed from the left side of the plate to go along with tremendous strength, Baddoo projects to hit for both average and power at the next level, in addition to being a high-quality athlete and above average runner who is still getting stronger as a player.

OF – Will Benson, Sr., The Westminster Schools, Atlanta (Ga.)
Benson is one of the more physically imposing presences on this list, checking in at 6-foot-6, 220-pounds and still projects to get bigger. He’s able to play first base and does so successfully, but he checks in on this list in the outfield spot because of his plus arm and quality athleticism that profile very well in right field moving forward. With some of the best power projection in the class, Benson also has good feel to hit and is not just a free swinger. When he gets the barrel out and lets it go to work, the power off his bat is something to behold, and is the main reason why he’s considered a potential first round draft prospect.

UT – Joshua Lowe, Sr., Pope HS, Marietta (Ga.)
One of the best combinations of size and athleticism in the class, Lowe stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 210 pounds, all while being a plus runner with plus arm strength and plus raw power. In fact, he’s so athletic and toolsed-up that evaluators aren’t even sure where he profiles best in professional baseball: As a righthanded pitcher or a middle-of-the-order third base or outfield prospect? He can reach the mid-90s on the mound and complements it with a pair of quality off-speed pitches, but also shows some serious thunder with the bat in additional to his athleticism/strength playing extremely well in the field. Regardless of what he ends up playing he’s a potential impact prospect.

P – Alex Speas, Sr., McEachern HS, Powder Springs (Ga.)
Blessed with arguably the best raw arm speed in the class of 2016, Speas is cut from a similar mold as former first round pick Touki Toussaint in terms of physicality and raw pitching tools. Capable of ramping his fastball into the mid- to upper-90s while flashing a plus breaking ball, Speas has one of the higher upsides of any pitching prospect in the class. If he can take strides forward this spring in terms of command and pitchability he’s a pretty solid bet to be in the first round conversation come draft time in June.

P – Braxton Garrett, Sr., Florence HS, Florence (Ala.)
Garrett is one of the more complete pitching prospects in the class of 2016, with a full arsenal of three pitches (fastball, curveball, changeup), advanced command, pitchability, and clean, highly projectable mechanics. He doesn't blow anyone away with velocity, but he can work in the low-90s with some projection for more, shows a plus curveball and can get hitters out in a variety of ways. He’s committed to Vanderbilt but has the talent to potentially be a high draft candidate.

P – Zach Linginfelter, Sr., Sevier County HS, Sevierville (Tenn.)
Linginfelter really burst onto the national scene this past June at the PG National Showcase, when, as the first pitcher of the event, he worked 93-95 mph with his fastball, flashing a plus slider and showing advanced feel for his changeup. He’s a very physical pitcher with excellent size and strength throughout his body. While there are some concerns about the delivery and arm action fluidity, he’s still a large-framed righthander with two potentially plus pitches which should keep him in the early round conversation leading up to the draft.

P – D.L. Hall, Jr., Houston County HS, Warner Robbins (Ga.)
One of the few juniors on this list, D.L. Hall checks in at No. 7 overall in the class of 2017 player rankings, and for good reason. With a fastball that can work in the low-90s from the left side along with advanced feel for a power curveball, Hall enjoyed a very successful tournament and showcase circuit in 2015. He pitches from a crossfire delivery with an extended arm action, which can lead to some command concerns but also adds significant deception to his delivery and makes him an extremely tough at-bat for anyone, especially lefthanded hitters.

P – Davis Daniel, Sr., St. James HS, Montgomery (Ala.)
Really bursting onto the scene at the WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Daniel showed an excellent combination of stuff and command, making evaluators stand up and take notice of the Alabama native. Working in the low-90s and touching 94 mph with his fastball, he showed a very quick arm with feel to spin the breaking ball as well as deaden the changeup, giving him an intriguing three-pitch mix to go along with quality athleticism.


Southeast Region Top Tools


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