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| 2,630 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,630 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Draft  | State Preview | 5/29/2017

State Snapshots: South Atlantic

Photo: Perfect Game

 


Perfect Game 2017 MLB Draft Preview Index

South Atlantic
– FL, GA, NC, SC

Southeast – AL, KY, MS, TN
South Central – AR, LA, OK, TX
Mountain – AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY
Pacific – AK, CA, HI, OR, WA
Great Plains – IA, KS, MO, NE, ND, SD
Great Lakes – IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
Mid-Atlantic – DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV
New England – CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
Canada and Puerto Rico


Florida

BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
Florida
BEST JUNIOR COLLEGE TEAM: Chipola
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Archbishop McCarthy

PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Jeter Downs, ss, Pace HS
WILD CARD: Christopher Seise, ss, West Orange HS

Best Out-of-State Prospect, Florida Connection:
 Adam Haseley, of, Virginia
Top 2018 Prospect: Jackson Kowar, rhp, Florida
Top 2019 Prospect: Hunter Barco, lhp, The Bolles HS

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History:
Chipper Jones, ss, The Bolles School (1990, Braves/1st round, 1st pick); Alex Rodriguez, ss, Westminster Christian HS (1993, Mariners/1st round, 1st pick); Paul Wilson, rhp, Florida State (1994, Mets/1st round, 1st pick); Pat Burrell, 1b, Miami (Phillies, 1998/1st round, 1st pick)

2012 Draft: Mike Zunino, c, Florida (Mariners/1st round, 3rd pick)
2013 Draft: Chris Anderson, rhp, Jacksonville (Dodgers/1st round, 18th pick)
2014 Draft: Nick Gordon, ss, Olympia HS (Twins/1st round, 5th pick)
2015 Draft: Brendan Rodgers, ss, Lake Mary HS (Rockies/1st round, 3rd pick)
2016 Draft: A.J. Puk, lhp, Florida (Athletics/1st round, 6th pick)

2016 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
 47/45
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: 31/16
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 41/19

PROSPECTS IN THE TOP 500:

• Alex Faedo, rhp, Florida (14)
• Nate Pearson, rhp, College of Central Florida (24)
• Brendon Little, lhp, State College of Florida (30)
• Jeter Downs, ss, Pace HS (37)
• Mark Vientos, ss, American Heritage (39)
• James Marinan, rhp, Park Vista (48)
• Dalton Guthrie, ss, Florida (51)
• Brady McConnell, ss, Merritt Island (53)
• Tommy Mace, rhp, Sunlake (54)
• MJ Melendez, c, Westminster Christian (57)
• Christopher Seise, ss, West Orange (69)
• Kevin Merrell, ss, South Florida (71)
• Mike Rivera, c, Florida (80)
• Shane Drohan, lhp, Cardinal Newman (91)
• Taylor Walls, ss, Florida State (101)
• Jake Eder, lhp, Cavalry Christian (103)
• Garrett Cave, rhp, Tampa (105)
• Jack Leftwich, rhp, TNXL Academy (115)
• Sam Keating, rhp, Canterbury (116)
• Zach Jackson, c, Winter Haven (119)
• Freddy Tarnok, rhp, Riverview (122)
• Evan Steele, lhp, Chipola (123)
• Alejandro Toral, 1b, Archbishop McCarthy (123)
• Christian Santana, rhp, American Heritage (132) 
• Austin Martin, ss, Trinity Christian (136)
• Garrett "Hunter" Ruth, rhp, F.W. Bucholz (139)
• Sam McMillan, c, Suwannee (141)
• Logan Allen, lhp, University (144)
• CJ Van Eyk, rhp, Steinbrenner (147)
• Christian Robinson, of, Viera (151)
• Reese Albert, of, Jupiter (153)
• Deacon Liput, 2b/ss, Florida (174)
• Joseph Perez, rhp, Archbishop McCarty (185)
• Cash Case, ss/2b, The First Academy (189)
• Tim Elko, 3b, Hillsborough (214)
• JJ Schwarz, 1b/c, Florida (218)
• Austin Pollack, lhp, Lawton Chiles (232)
• Matthew Golda, ss, Inspiration Academy (241)
• Andrew Bechtold, 3b, Chipola (244)
• Pearson McMahan, rhp, St. John's River (250)
• Jackson Tetreault, rhp, State College of Florida (264)
• Jackson Stoeckinger, rhp, College of Central Florida (272)
• Jake Walsh, rhp, Florida Southern (284)
• AJ Labas, rhp, Trinity Christian (292)
• Matt Morales, ss/2b, Palm Beach State (295)
• Jordan Spicer, rhp, Polk State (296)
• Troy Bacon, rhp, Santa Fe (299)
• Ricky Vanasco, rhp, Williston (301)
• Bowden Francis, rhp, Chipola (307)
• Reynaldo Rivera, 1b, Chipola (314)
• Dylan Busby, 3b, Florida State (343)
• Bryson Hutchinson, rhp, Spruce Creek (344)
• Scott (John) Kobos, lhp, St. John's River (348)
• Michael Rothenberg, c, Pine Crest (359)
• Jordan Butler, lhp, Alonso (375)
• Harrison Francis, rhp, Lawton Chiles (382)
• Cam Sanders, rhp, Northwest Florida State (387)
• Raymond Gil, 3b, Gulliver (404)
• Keshawn Lynch, 2b, State College of Florida (409)
• Justin Smith, of, St. John's River (418)
• Jaren Shelby, of, State College of Florida (422)
• Brady Smith, c, TNXL Academy (423)
• Austin James, ss, State College of Florida (425)
• Jordan Scheftz, rhp, Central Florida (426)
• Jared Johnson, lhp, Palm Beach State (438)
• Gio Arrierra, rhp, Palm Beach State (444)
• Andres Santana, of, Doral Academy (451)
• Michael Largey, of, TNXL Academy (456)
• Robert Touron, rhp, Gulliver (458)
• Oraj Anu, of, Home School (462)
• Brandon McCabe, rhp, Trinity Christian (468)
• Mason Doolittle, c, Jupiter (474)
• Francis Villaman, ss, Olympia (478)
•  Phoenix Sanders, rhp, South Florida (488)
• Dalton Wingo, of, Plant City (489)


Georgia

BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
 Mercer
BEST JUNIOR COLLEGE TEAM: Highlands
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Pope

PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Luis Campusano, c, Cross Creek HS
WILD CARD: Emerson Hancock, rhp, Cairo HS

Best Out-of-State Prospect, Georgia Connection:
 Clarke Schmidt, rhp, South Carolina
Top 2018 Prospect: Kumar Rocker, rhp, North Oconee HS
Top 2019 Prospect: C.J. Abrams, ss, Blessed Trinity HS

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History:
Ron Blomberg, 1b, Druid Hills HS, Atlanta (1967, Yankees/1st round, 1st pick); Mike Ivie, c, Walker HS, Decatur (1970, Padres/1st round, 1st pick); Tim Beckham, ss, Griffin HS (2008, Rays/1st round, 1st pick)

2012 Draft: Byron Buxton, of, Appling County HS (Twins/1st round, 2nd pick)
2013 Draft: Clint Frazier, of, Loganville HS (Indians/1st round, 5th pick)
2014 Draft: Max Pentecost, c, Kennesaw State (Blue Jays/1st round, 11th pick)
2015 Draft: Cornelius Randolph, ss, Griffin HS (Phillies/1st round, 10th pick)
2016 Draft: Kyle Lewis, of, Mercer (Mariners/1st round, 11th pick)

2016 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
 23/19
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: 2/2
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 21/12

PROSPECTS IN THE TOP 500:

• 
DL Hall, lhp, Valdosta (13) 
• 
Drew Waters, of, Etowah (19)
• 
Luis Campusano, c, Cross Creek (43)
• 
Cole Brannen, of, Westfield Schools (52)
• 
Kyle Jacobsen, of, Allatoona (65)
• 
Emerson Hancock, rhp, Cairo (135)
• 
Tony Dibrell, rhp, Kennesaw State (166)
• 
Terriez Fuller, of, Griffin (179)
• 
Steven Williams, c, Deerfield-Windsor (194)
• 
Barron Radcliff, of, Norcross (281)
• 
Pat DeMarco, of, Winder-Barrow (286)
• 
Oscar Serratos, ss, Grayson (297)
• 
Ivan Johnson, ss, Kennesaw Mountain (317)
• 
Josh Hatcher, of, Lee County (396)
• 
Beau Hanna, c, Winder-Barrow (416)
• 
Ryan Avidano, lhp, Georgia (452)
• 
Zachary Daniels, rhp, Eagle's Landing Christian (487)
• 
Brant Hurter, lhp, Woodstock (500)


North Carolina


BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
 North Carolina
BEST JUNIOR COLLEGE TEAM: Brunswick
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: TC Roberson

PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Greg Jones, ss, Cary HS
WILD CARD: Joe Dunand, ss/3b, NC State

Best Out-of-State Prospect, North Carolina Connection:
 Bailey Ober, rhp, College of Charleston
Top 2018 Prospect: Jason Bilous, rhp, Coastal Carolina
Top 2019 Prospect: Brennan Malone rhp, Porter Ridge HS

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History: B.J. Surhoff, c, University of North Carolina (1985, Brewers/1st round, 1st pick); Brien Taylor, lhp, East Carteret HS, Beaufort (1991, Yankees/1st round, 1st pick); Josh Hamilton, of, Athens Drive HS, Raleigh (1999, Devil Rays/1st round, 1st pick)
2012 Draft: Corey Seager, ss, Northwest Cabarrus HS, Kannapolis (Dodgers/1st round, 18th pick)

2013 Draft: Colin Moran, 3b, University of North Carolina (Marlins/1st round, 6th pick)
2014 Draft: Carlos Rodon, lhp, N.C. State (White Sox/1st round, 3rd pick)
2015 Draft: Eric Jenkins, of, West Columbus HS (Rangers/2nd round)
2016 Draft: Will Craig, if, Wake Forest (Pirates/1st round, 22nd pick)

2016 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
41/37
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: 1/1
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 4/2

PROSPECTS IN THE TOP 500:

• 
MacKenzie Gore, lhp, Whiteville (5)
• JB Bukauskas, rhp, North Carolina (6) 
• 
Austin Beck, of, North Davidson (10) 
• Logan Warmoth, ss, North Carolina (21)
• 
Brian Miller, of, North Carolina (58)
• Stuart Fairchild, of, Wake Forest (78)
• Gavin Sheet, 1b, Wake Forest (83)
• 
Greg Jones, ss, Cary (138)
• 
Kier Meredith, of, Glenn (156)
• Nick Feight, c, UNC-Wilmington (199) 
• Kyle Datres, 3b, North Carolina (221)
• Jason Morgan, rhp, North Carolina  (234)
• Spencer Smith, c, Northern (247)
• Griffin Roberts, rhp, Wake Forest (260)
• Gavin Williams, rhp, Cape Fear (269)
• Evan Mendoza, 3b, North Carolina State (273)
• Donnie Sellers, rhp, Wake Forest (287)
• Josh McLain, of, North Carolina State (300)
• Josh Roberson, lhp, UNC-Wilmington (304)
• Noah Campbell, ss/of, Cardinal Gibbons (311)
• Zack Gahagan, 2b/3b, North Carolina (345)
• Justin Bullock, rhp, South Granville (353)
• Nick Jodway, rhp, Jimmy C. Draughn (365)
• Tommy DeJuneas, rhp, North Carolina State (445)
• Parker Dunshee, rhp, Wake Forest (457)


South Carolina


BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
 Clemson
BEST JUNIOR COLLEGE TEAM: Florence Darlington
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Northwestern

PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Tyler Johnson, rhp, South Carolina
WILD CARD: Clarke Schmidt, rhp, South Carolina

Top 2018 Prospect: Seth Beer, of, Clemson
Top 2019 Prospect: Logan Davidson, ss, Clemson

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History:
Kris Benson, rhp, Clemson University (1996, Pirates/1st round, 1st pick)

2012 Draft: Richie Shaffer, 3b, Clemson University (Rays/1st round, 25th pick)
2013 Draft: Nick Ciuffo, c, Lexington HS (Rays/1st round, 21st pick)
2014 Draft: Grant Holmes, rhp, Conway HS (Dodgers/1st round, 22nd pick)
2015 Draft: Taylor Clarke, rhp, College of Charleston (Diamondbacks/3rd round)
2016 Draft: Chris Okey, c, Clemson (Reds/2nd round)

2016 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
 24/21
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: 2/1
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 3/1

PROSPECTS IN THE TOP 500:

• Clarke Schmidt, rhp, South Carolina (36)
• Will Crowe, rhp, South Carolina (55)
• Tyler Johnson, rhp, South Carolina (164)
• Will Gaddis, rhp, Furman (175)
• Bailey Ober, rhp, College of Charleston (178)
• Charlie Barnes, lhp, Clemson (196)
• Chris Williams, c, Clemson (216)
• Alex Destino, of/1b, South Carolina (254)
• Alex Cunningham, rhp, Coastal Carolina (363)
Carmen Mlodzinski, rhp, Hilton Head (491)


Draft | Story | 9/19/2026

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Ryan Miller
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The 2027 MLB Draft cycle is still in its early stages, but the overall makeup of the class is beginning to come into focus. With the first version of our Top-100 board out, we took a closer look at positional demographics from both college and prep players within the class.  Let’s kick things off with a deep dive into the prep class.  Prep Right-Handed Pitchers  Top Ranked Players: George Ferguson, Abilene (TX) | Brogan Witcher, Liberty (CA) | Ethan Gustus, Roseville (CA) | Cullen Scott, Melissa (TX) | Striker Pence, Corona (CA) | Samir Mohammed, Tampa Jesuit (FL) Potential Sleepers: Brennan Neal, Brookstone (GA) | Andrew Carlson, Trinity Classical Academy (CA) | Calum Andersen, Vauxhall Academy of Baseball (CAN) | Gavin Henderson, Boiling Springs (SC)    High speed look at the FF-CH from '27 RHP George Ferguson (TX)... #PGAAC @Texas_PG...
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Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 68

Ron Wolforth
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Are You Fixated on the Wrong Variable? Why Pitch Count Alone Was Never Going to Prevent Arm Injuries   You know a family this happened to. You might be one. They did everything right. They followed the pitch count. They honored the rest days. They tracked innings. They sat him when the chart said sit. They were the parents who spoke up when a coach wanted one more inning in a bracket game. And he got hurt anyway. I've been working with throwers for a long time, and that conversation is the one I have quite often… A parent sitting across from me genuinely bewildered because they followed the rules and the rules did not work. They usually assume they missed something. Most of the time they didn't. They managed exactly what they were told to manage. The problem is that what they were told to manage is one variable out of four.   The Uncomfortable Part First   Throwing...
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Northeast Qualifier Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Another day, another Gavin Greene (‘28 GA) barrel as the @AuburnBaseball commit is now hitting well over .500 on the event #NEQ<ahref="https: pg_scouting?ref_src="twsrc%5Etfw'">@PG_Scouting @PG_Georgia https://t.co/Lf6G8AExjB pic.twitter.com/LFMueYHMxB</ahref="https:> — Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic (@PGMidAtlantic) September 14, 2026 Gavin Greene (2028 Alpharetta, GA) played a major factor in AZ Diamondbacks Scout’s Championship run, finishing his weekend with a .528 AVG and 7 RBI. The 5-foot-11, 175 pound Auburn commit was simply a hit machine regardless of who was on the mound, showcasing the ability to handle velo with ease and repeat the stroke at a high level. Starting from a narrow and upright, slightly open base, Greene does a great job of working directly to the point of impact with consistent hard line drive impact to the pull side of the field. He...
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JUCO Impact: Top 100 D1 Transfers

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With the season upon us, let's take a minute to look at 100 of the biggest impact players who played at the JUCO level last year and have since transferred to a D1 program for the upcoming spring.  RK Name JUCO in 2025 DI in 2026 1 Ryan Bradford Johnson County TCU 2 Carson Bailey McLennan Texas Tech 3 Kameron Yearsley John A. Logan  Oklahoma 4 Holden Pantier Walters State Georgia Tech 5 Caden Davidson Gaston Florida 6 Anthony Quigley Northwest Florida Oklahoma 7 Walt Jones Weatherford Kansas 8 Colin Coonradt Johnson County West Virginia 9 Collin Smith Cochise Kansas 10 Ned Frutchey Sac City Arkansas 11 Hayden Blair Walters State Georgia 12 Parker Ishee Co-Lin Oklahoma 13 Coy Clements Pearl River Florida State 14 Griffin Rardin Shelton State Alabama 15 Jordan Martinez Gulf Coast State Florida State 16 Noah Bentley Weatherford Oklahoma 17 Kole Fenton Walters State North Carolina...
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PG Softball Des Moines Elite Scouting Showcase

Ashley Mears
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Perfect Game Des Moines Elite Scouting Showcase 2026 Indianola. IA Ashley Mears What started off a perfect weather weekend, unfortunately was cut short due to thunderstorms mid-morning on Sunday. In the 18u Division, the Iowa Gold Prospects and the Midwest Speed National Kotzmacher were undefeated. In the 16U Division, 515 Fastpitch Twogood and Iowa Premier Gold- Brower. The tournament featured a ton of solid hitters and pitchers from across the state and Minnesota. Even with the poor weather on Sunday, there was still plenty to see and write about! 18u Division Lexi Adams (2028 Ankeny, IA), a catcher for Iowa Gold Prospects, had a stellar weekend at the plate. Behind the plate, Adams shows strong command of the game and does an excellent job working the zone, using her framing ability to consistently give her pitchers a chance to earn borderline calls. At the plate, Adams starts from a...
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South Underclass Qualifier Scout Notes

Geoff Billock
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Cole Marquardt (2029, Montgomery, Texas) left no doubt this weekend as he came home with Tournament MVP honors for his work with Banditos 2028 Black. Went 7-10 with a double, a home run, a pair of triples, and the walk off single in the championship game. Projectable left-handed swing with plenty of tools to dream on. Bat to ball was on point all weekend and he had plenty of chances to show off an advanced run tool. Plenty to dream on moving forward. Callen Corley (2028, Houston, Texas) put together a stellar two-way performance for Houston Wildcatters Navy 2028. At the plate, he went 5-10 with a double, triple, and home run, driving in seven runs. Sinks into his lower half well and creates strong angles for leverage. Plenty of power upside remaining in that frame, to go along with the twitch already present. On the mound, Corley went four shutout innings, surrendering just one hit while...
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Midwest Labor Day Classic Scout Notes

Brayden Powell
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Ryan Jones (2027, Tinley Park, IL) was one of the most productive hitters of the weekend, collecting six hits, including three doubles and a home run, while driving in nine runs. The left-handed hitter consistently got the barrel out front and created hard contact throughout the event. Working from an open setup with high hands, he features a compact swing that allows him to get to the ball quickly. His hand speed stood out and helped him drive the baseball to multiple parts of the field. Jones showed a strong understanding of pitches he could handle and rarely missed opportunities to do damage. The swing remains efficient through the zone and produces carry off the barrel. His combination of consistent contact and extra-base impact made him a key offensive contributor all weekend. Uncommitted  JP Elbert (2027, Dubuque, IA) put together an impressive tournament, finishing with five...
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Perfect Game Staff
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Walk. It. Off! ‘27 IF Drew Giles (GA) calls game here as he hammers a ball over the CF wall for a solo HR to win it in the bottom of the 7th. #FLQualifier pic.twitter.com/YrzspVZzUY — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) September 12, 2026 Drew Giles (2027, Brunswick, Ga.) took home MVP honors from the weekend after hitting .385 including a walkoff home run during pool play. Giles helped lead his Canes team to victory and did so with the bat. The swing is super short and simple and he gets immense jump off the barrel. It’s a level path through the zone but the blend of hit and power showed out all weekend for the MVP.  August Backman (2027, Venice, Fla.) had a solid weekend on both sides of the ball: hitting .333 over three games and also sitting 88-91 mph on the mound. Backman, a Florida commit who is nationally ranked, has a three pitch mix highlighted by a really...
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Fall World Series Scout Notes

Jason Phillips
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Joseph Mosley 2028, Hendersonville, Tenn.) showed the upside all weekend for Southeast Rawlings Mad Mavericks. The right-handed hitter starts from a medium stance with in-line feet and a low handset with a low back elbow, utilizes a low leg lift stride. Creates separation in the back shoulder with strength through the hands into a flat bat plane and line drive lift in the swing. Stays balanced throughout the swing and showed the feel to use the whole field. The outfielder has an athletic, strong 6-foot, 190-pound frame with more gap-to-gap type power to be unlocked. Collected four hits, including two triples, to drive in an RBI and came around to score three runs. Exciting player with two-way upside. On the mound the right-handed pitcher went two innings in relief with three strikeouts and spread three hits and three walks for one earned run. The fastball ran up to 87 and paired it with...
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California Champions Cup Scout Notes

Steve Doherty
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Zain Valdiva (‘28,CA) with an absolute nuke! 💣 https://t.co/oCCIuVeNFQ pic.twitter.com/xK9sirEk64 — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) September 11, 2026 Zain Valdivia, 3B, La Quinta, CA. ZT National (2028) Physical, right-handed hitter with present strength through the lower half and a frame that already looks the part of a corner infielder. He gets into his legs and stays connected through contact. The swing is aggressive and long through the zone with real extension out front. The ball jumps off the barrel and the power is present, Primary third baseman. Moves well enough for his size with some lateral quickness and a strong arm across the diamond. Two-way value exists; the fastball has been up to the upper 80s, 90, but the bat is the reason to follow him. Noah Paek (‘27,CA) with another solid hit cashing in 2 RBI. Kid plays with infectious energy....
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