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Tournaments  | Story  | 11/4/2019

South Fall Champs Scout Notes

Jheremy Brown      Jerry Miller      Andrew Jenkins     
Photo: Ridge Morgan (Perfect Game)

While it’s still early in the 14u evaluation process with the calendar recently flipping, shortstop Jordan Luna (2024, Washington, La.) is already showing tools on both sides of the ball that stand out and they were on display during both days of the PG South Fall Championship. Luna, who is already well built at 6-foot, 165-pounds, found himself hitting from the heart of the Louisiana Knights order where he has shown a nice combination of present bat speed and strength with the stick.

It’s a longer path through the zone for Luna but he does a nice job of handling the barrel, showing the ability to work to all parts of the field with some authority. In one of his first at-bats of the tournament Luna pulled the barrel in on a 3-2 fastball into left field for a double before getting extended in his next at-bat for a triple to the opposite field gap. His swing offers plenty of looseness and there’s no doubting the tools as he continues to develop physically. On the other side of the ball, Luna shows all the tools to stick on the left side at this point in his career, showing ranging actions with lateral range and quick feet on the pivot, as well as solid carry on his throws across.

It was a Perfect Game debut to remember for young righthander Ridge Morgan (2024, Austin, Texas) as he took the hill for Crawdads Red by Yeti in their second pool play game of opening day, falling one out shy of a complete game shutout. Morgan, a high-waisted and long-limbed 6-foot-2, 147-pounds, is a name to keep on your radar moving forward and one college recruiters will likely be chasing once their recruiting efforts flip to the 2024 class as he offers a quality arsenal and sky-high upside as we saw throughout his start Saturday evening.

The first things that jump out regarding Morgan on the mound is not only the overall ease of his operation, but the athleticism and coordination that allowed him to repeat his mechanics from the first pitch to the last, all the while maintaining the velocity on his fastball. With both tempo and pace, Morgan gathers well on his backside and incorporates his lower half as well as you’ll find at the 14u level, which when coupled with his quick and efficient arm stroke, led to plenty of strikes and maintained velocity.

Able to work on top of the ball consistently, Morgan showed the ability to move his fastball to either side of the plate with intent, sitting very comfortably in the 81-84 mph range throughout with limited effort at release. His velocity and command are noteworthy and amongst the best in Tomball opening day but was the late running life on the pitch with subtle sink when down in the zone. Morgan punched out ten on the day while scattering two hits and didn’t issue his first walk until late in the contest. The fastball proved to be one of the four pitches in his arsenal and the slider was the go-to secondary and rightfully so as it has true swing-and-miss potential. Thanks to a mimicked release and arm speed Morgan was able to spin the pitch up to 78 mph with late bite while also showing bigger depth to a curveball and the ability to turn over a changeup at 76 mph.

Righthander Andrew Daniels (2023, Forney, Texas) has already made a name for himself at the 14u level of play thanks to a fastball that routinely works into the upper-80s, something that held true once again this past weekend. While he isn’t the most physical of arms to take the mound at Premier, that doesn’t detract from his abilities as he’s plenty athletic and features plenty of quick-twitch muscle, all of which help him produce what he does on the mound.

Daniels’ made a brief cameo on Saturday during pool play to close out a game, recording the final outs while sitting comfortably in the 84-86 mph range with his fastball, bumping 87 mph while showing nothing but the heater. His start Sunday provided a clearer picture as he threw against a talented Yeti squad and kept his team in the game while making several big pitches. Since earlier this spring Daniels has made some noticeable adjustments to his delivery and arm stroke, working with less effort while still showing the same big fastball and arm speed. There’s undoubtedly more velocity in the tank as he continues to fill out physically, but also can find a few more ticks as he gets his legs under him on his drive and works down through his finish. It wasn’t until late in the outing that Yeti was able to jump on the scoreboard and part of the reason was Daniels curveball, a secondary pitch that has made nice strides and with which he showed plenty of confidence, spinning the mid-70s pitch well with late biting life and 11-to-5 shape.

Julius Ramirez (2023, San Juan, Texas) wasn’t in West Palm Beach the other week for the 14u World Championship but his presence in Tomball provided Yeti with yet another power bat in the heart of their order. Strongly built with broad shoulders at 6-foot, 205-pounds, Ramirez goes to the plate looking to drive the ball and certainly has the requisite strength to do so. Heading into the playoffs Ramirez was hitting north of .600 with a couple of extra-base hits, one of which came in the form of a deeply driven double over the center fielder’s head Saturday morning, showing leverage to his path and quickness to his hands. He moves well at third base on his feet with balance on the charge and there’s plenty of carry on his throws across from the hot corner. Speaking of his arm strength, Ramirez got the start in the championship game for Yeti where he lived comfortably in the low-80s with his fastball and punched out seven in 5 2/3 innings of work.

It was a quiet offensive weekend from catcher Cade Arrambide (2024, Spring, Texas) but that doesn’t mean he didn’t make an impact for the Banditos’ playoff run. Already standing at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds, Arrambide did all the catching for the Banditos and shows advanced defensive actions, from his ability to receive Andrew Daniels’ fastball to the strength in his wrists to stick pitches and steal strikes at the bottom of the zone. The biggest takeaway with Arrambide’s defensive exploits however are his catch-and-throw skills which rank amongst the best at his age. There’s plenty of athleticism to his overall profile and the quickness to his hands stands out, as does his arm strength as he was able to get one of the fastest base runners in the tournament by a step, showing the type of arm strength and accuracy you don’t readily find at the 14u level.

Jake Allen Dufner (2023, Edinburg, Texas) is one of the more physical players in the Bandito lineup and he made sure to put that strength on display throughout the weekend. A lefthanded stick and listed as a primary utility player, Dufner connected for a long blast over the right field fence during pool play and showed that strength also plays to the opposite field with a hard line drive double to the left-center field gap. He made two brief appearances on the mound and ran his fastball up to 82 mph his first time out, showing quickness to his arm stroke with short running life to his arm side.

Elbert Craig (2024, Arlington, Texas) came into the 14u PG South Fall Championship on the heels of a loud performance in West Palm Beach, Florida at the 14u World Championship where he hit .538 on the week, picking up at least one knock in each of his team’s four games. It was more of the same for Craig this weekend, once again hitting out of the middle of the order for Enemy Baseball, grabbing at least one hit in each pool play game once again. Strongly built at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds and not turning 14 for another two months, Craig once again showed a handle for the barrel and has plenty of juice behind the ball at impact. During Saturday’s action Craig showed the strength in his hands as he got a bit jammed on an 82 mph fastball but still got enough barrel to drive the ball to the opposite field for a double. His performance on Sunday however was even louder as he was able to get his arms extended regularly and drove an outer half fastball to the right-center gap for an inside the park home run. The hard, barreled contact continued as he sent another hard line drive single back up the box, showing the type of jump off his barrel you don’t typically see at this level.

Hayden Federico (2024, West Monroe, La.) carries himself on the field like somebody beyond the 14u level and he has the talent to make an impression on either side of the ball. A young switch-hitter out of Louisiana and the son of UL Monroe head coach Mike Federico, the younger Federico already shows an advanced overall feel for the game with tools that will only continue to develop as he adds physical strength to his frame. Federico took a majority of his reps from the left side this weekend and though he didn’t fully fill up the stat sheet there are still offensive components to his game to like. He does a nice job of staying direct to the ball with his path, showing some extension through the point of contact and jump off the barrel when going the other way.

The defense is what first stood out in my looks this weekend with Federico first starting at shortstop before suiting up behind the plate for the last couple of games. He moves well up the middle and works through the ball well with his footwork while showing softness to his hands which also aids him well behind the plate. There’s enough arm strength as well and he put it on display early with a turn at the second base bag in which he completed the throw on to first base despite having his feet planted and straddled around the second base bag.

The Canes Southwest Allen made a run into the playoffs and shortstop James Almanza (2023, San Antonio, Texas) was at the center of it all. While not overly physical at 5-foot-7, 145-pounds, Almanza gets the most out of his frame and showed well on both sides of the ball over the weekend. He does have strength to his frame and he incorporates it well into his righthanded swing, generating bat speed through the zone and showing carry on a triple to his pull side with some jump at contact. Heading into the playoffs he was sporting a .429 batting average and proved to be a prototypical leadoff hitter, walking three times with a couple of stolen bags and three runs scored. After showing his speed on the bases with longer strides, Almanza was able to put his lateral range on display defensively with a diving grab up the middle, robbing the batter of a base knock as he sprung to his feet and delivered a strike across.

Mason Gerrard (2023, Temple, Texas), like teammate Ridge Morgan above, made his Perfect Game debut this weekend and the well-built righthander shows plenty of upside on the mound. Gerrard, listed as a primary shortstop, got the start for the Yeti Crawdads Red squad in their semi-final game against the Canes Southwest and went the distance in a five inning, run shortened content. Physically he looks taller and stronger than his listed 6-foot, 167-pounds and given the broadness of his shoulders he’ll have plenty of room to fill out, though his arsenal was already plenty good as he ran his fastball up to 81 mph and showed a present feel for his curveball. There’s some length to his arm stroke through the backside but he does a nice job of working within the strike zone, generating occasional cut from his cross-body release while showing a lower effort release. While he was able to work off of his fastball successfully, Gerrard also mixed in an 11-to-5 shaped curveball in the upper-60s with comfort and confidence.

Shortstop James “Will” McKinzie (2025, New Waverly, Texas) could very well have been playing in the 13u tournament this weekend but instead elected to swing wood and played up a year with the Banditos Texas club in the 14u South Fall Championship. Not only did McKinzie play for a club where he was the only 2025 graduate, but he was the team’s starting shortstop and hit in the middle of the order. He didn’t fill up the stat sheet, but he also wasn’t overmatched by any means, consistently showing a direct path to the ball looks while handling the barrel well. He has plenty of time to physically develop upon his listed 5-foot-4, 120-pound frame and also possesses quality starting points in the box as he barreled a few balls well with some carry though they were ultimately right at a defender without much to show stat-wise.

Righthander Nayden Ramirez Cruz (2023, Katy, Texas) brought with him one of the better fastball velocities we saw throughout the weekend, running his best heaters up to 84 mph for Premier Baseball Future 2024-Moore. Strongly built with broad shoulders, Ramirez Cruz shows obvious arm strength, and given his listed primary position of catcher, it isn’t much of a surprise that he works with a short and tight arm action prior to release. His overall mechanical operation will continue to refine as he gets more reps on the mound as he has some drop-and-drive components down the mound and gets mistimed with his release, but when he is in sync he shows some heavy running life to his arm side. His curveball worked in the mid-60s, and though he slows his tempo at release, he was still able to land the pitch for strikes and provide hitters with another look.

A primary shortstop, Isaiah Castaneda (2024 Pearland, Texas) made two different one-inning appearances on the mound for Los Tigres 14u and was particularly impressive on Sunday afternoon. Longer and stronger than his 5-foot-11, 130-pound measurements on his profile, Castaneda shows rhythm to his delivery on the mound as well as a short and quick arm stroke, working to a higher slot with a tight release while living in the 76-78 mph range with his fastball. The velocity came easy for him and he worked around the zone well, showing short running life to his fastball as well as a curveball that quickly improved the more he threw it, working in the mid-60s with depth through the zone.

You could put catcher Darren Ledford (2025, Council Hill, Okla.) into a 15u lineup and he wouldn’t look out of place physically, already standing at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds and possesses the skill that would play at a higher than his current 13u. A middle-of-the-order presence as one would assume given his physical build, Ledford is more than just a strong body offensively as he already does an excellent job of creating separation and extension in his swing, allowing him to unlock his power at the point of contact. And while some players his age may get pull happy and look to impact heavily to their pull side, Ledford showcased the ability to go with the outer half pitch and drive it to the opposite field with authority. He also shows skill behind the plate that stood out amongst his peers this weekend, highlighted by his arm strength and simple release, generating big carry on his throws down to second base. Ledford bounces well on the dirt ball and shows the ability to stick pitches, all of which will only continue to refine with additional reps behind the dish.

Following Ledford in the “could pass for older” category, shortstop/righthanded pitcher Colton Cordeiro (2025, Cornith, Texas) won’t turn 13 for another month but already stands 6-foot, 145-pounds with long limbs and a high waist, meaning he’s far from finished growing and hitting his physical ceiling. The first tool that jumped out with Cordeiro was his arm strength from shortstop as he possesses plenty to make the throw across and does so with authority, but also delivered a strike on a relay from half way down the left field line on a firm line to home plate to beat the runner. He then jumped on the mound and ran his fastball up to 81 mph from an over-the-top slot, an impressive feat given his age, with plane to the pitch and life through the zone while working exclusively out of the stretch. Cordeiro tends to get a bit uphill with his path at times offensively but still managed to hit .462 on the weekend with three extra-base hits and showed off one of the better run tools in the tournament too with long stride and nice acceleration around the bases.

John Ruckert (2025, Baton Rouge, La.) is another player off of the USA Prime National 2025 squad who won’t turn 13-years old for a few more months but he showed off one of the more balanced strokes on the weekend in the 13u PG South Fall Championship. Ruckert, a primary shortstop, Ruckert played third base throughout the weekend and manned the position well, showing softness to his hands and accuracy on his throws across. His lefthanded swing stood out as he found the barrel well throughout the weekend, hitting .500 on the tournament with a couple of balls that jumped off the bat, including a hard line drive single he sent back up the box. The Louisiana native scored eight runs and helped set the pace of the offense throughout, collecting a base hit in four of his team’s five games.

– Jheremy Brown


Fierce competition and superb play dominated the weekend as the 13u Fall South Championship concluded on Sunday in Tomball. A number of players and teams stood out in the highly competitive tournament that saw the deep and talented USA Prime National 2025 club capture the championship over a gritty, never-say-die, Adidas American Team 13u (Marrero) squad.

Kaden Robardey (2025, Keller, Texas) had an outstanding weekend swinging the stick and was particularly impressive during the USA Prime run through the playoffs. The 5-foot-11, 155-pound switch-hitter shows a calm presence at the plate and has a knack for consistently getting his barrel to a plus contact point. The ball jumps off his bat. There is some easy raw power in/with his swing, and he is capable of driving pitches to the gaps with authority. He has a flatter bat path from both sides of the dish, with a slight lift at contact. On the bases is a very capable runner who has an aggressive streak to his style.

Tournament MVP Grady Emerson (2026, Trophy Club, Texas), could not have been much better at the plate as he seemingly was always on base. Like his teammate Kaden Robardey, Emerson is a 5-foot-6, 125-pound switch-hitter and is very capable from both sides of the dish. His big double to deep right-center field in the championship game all but sealed the victory for USA Prime. Emerson, like many of the USA Prime players is a gifted athlete and a plus runner who has an instinctive and aggressive running style. He is also a very capable defender who shows plus average arm strength, quick feet and a smooth glove.

Showing plus power and a classic lefthanded hitter’s swing path was Jody Murillo (2025, Corinth, Texas). The 5-foot-9, 155-pound future Denton Guyer HS player hit one of the longest home runs in the tournament when he drove a fastball well over the right field fence in the USA Prime semifinal victory over a tough Canes Southwest-Allen club. The stout and strong Murillo shows consistent pull-side barrel ability and outstanding plate discipline, rarely chasing out of the zone.

The Canes Southwest-Allen club made a run to the tournament semifinals behind the bat and glove of their talented third baseman, Ruben Lopez (2025, Alton, Texas). The long and lean Lopez showed one of the smoother fielding styles in the entire tournament. His first-step quickness is commendable and his ability to transition and throw is already at an advanced level. What sets Lopez apart defensively is his well above average arm strength. All his throws show consistent carry and are routinely on target. At the plate the mature righthanded hitter has a great understanding of the strike zone and a uses a flat, line drive swing path and a foul line to foul line approach to spray the ball to all parts of the diamond.

Performance Baseball Texas 13u ran a tough righthander out to the mound on Sunday. Kaleb Carter (2024, Stonewall, La.) is a physically imposing 5-foot-8, 160-pound bundle of muscle who has a very unique pitching style that can tie opponents up and force a lot of weak swings. He pitches from the stretch only and has a whippy, sidearm slot. He hides the ball behind his frame and his pitches appear to jump at hitters. He pitches off his well-commanded fastball that shows consistent and heavy arm-side run to lefthanded hitters and bat-breaking bore type action to righthanded hitters. He mixes in a sweeping slider that he is still developing but it eventually will be a tough swing-and-miss out-pitch.

Premier Baseball-Campos had a strong showing on the weekend paced by Brandon Lang (2024, Cypress, Texas). The 5-foot-8, 125-pound righthanded swinger is a very disciplined hitter who can get his barrel on plane and to the contact point consistently well. His short, direct and quick bat path allows the future Cy Ranch HS player to drive the ball with some authority to the gaps. He is also a very heady runner who possesses plus average speed and an aggressive style.

One of the better leadoff hitters in the tournament was Canes Southwest-Ferrell’s scrappy lefthanded swinger Johnny Slawinski (2025, Johnson City, Texas). The smaller bundle of energy appeared to always be in the middle of the Canes rallies, whether he was on base and scoring runs or driving runners in. He has a gifted ability to hit the ball to all parts of the field and is an advanced runner who shows consistent plus speed and an ability to take the extra base.

On the 14u side of the PG South Fall Championships, the Crawdads by YETI club is loaded with solid arms paced by two pitchers who have bright futures. Orlando Jose Gonzalez, Jr (2023, Austin, Texas) is a solidly built righthander who shows an advanced three-pitch mix that is unquestionably ready for the rigors and challenges of Texas high school baseball. The 6-foot, 185-pound Lake Travis HS freshman pitches off a well-commanded 80-85 mph fastball that he works to both edges. His heater shows explosive life at the dish and is especially impressive up in the zone. He mixes in a cut fastball at 78-79 mph that shows quick and late life and is especially touch on righthanded hitters. His 70-71 mph, 12-to-6 breaking curveball is a tight-spinning knee-buckler that he throws to the front hip of righthanded hitters and the back foot of lefthanded hitters. His breaking ball is a plus swing-and-miss out-pitch. Gonzalez pitches with a definite plan and pace and has the poise of a veteran hurler.

Vinny Cano (2024, Pharr, Texas) is a long and lean lefthanded pitcher who uses highly deceptive mechanics, a veteran’s tempo and an ability to routinely command the strike zone. His fastball, clocked consistently in the 76-80 mph range, looks much faster than the gun reads and appears to jump on hitters. His long arm stroke is hidden behind his taller frame and hitters offer weak passes at his heavy, sinking fastball. His 11-to-5 sweeping curveball is almost unfair as he can ably work his breaking pitch to both sides of the plate. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Cano, who will play his high school ball at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo HS, is well ahead of many in his age group with his presence and ability to consistently pitch to the edges of the plate and all quadrants.

Multi-tooled Joshua Atomanczyk (2024, Franklin, Texas) had his very projectable talents on display during the entire weekend. The 5-foot-8, 155-pound very athletic Atomanczyk toed the bump, wore the catcher’s gear and showed a plus bat throughout the tournament. On the hill, the future Franklin HS player pitched off his well-commanded 76-78 mph fastball. His heater was never thrown to the heart of the plate and showed solid life down in the zone. He complemented his fastball with a sharp, 12-to-6 breaking curveball that showed consistent depth at the plate. Atomanczyk was also a threat at the plate. He offers a calm presence at the dish and uses a quiet approach that incorporates a solid lower half. He has a flatter path with a slight lift at contact and seemingly always gets his barrel to the ball. His plate discipline is obvious as he rarely chases outside of the zone. The future is bright for the very gifted young player.

The Crawdads by YETI table-setter at the top of their order is Theodore Gillen (2024, Austin, Texas). The lefthanded swinging speedster is a highly discipline leadoff hitter who is patiently aggressive at the dish and always appears to be on time with his swing. His bat-to-ball ability is impressive and his flat path allows the future Westlake HS player to spray line drives from foul line to foul line. Once on the bases, he is a real basestealing threat. On more than one occasion during pool play Gillen reached first base and promptly stole second and third on the next two pitches.

Alexander Jimenez (2023, Pflugerville, Texas) paced the Crawdads RED by Yeti squad to an impressive early game shutout victory. The 5-foot-8, 135-pound freshman at Hendrickson HS was simply outstanding in showing plus pitchability in commanding both sides of the plate. His fastball, thrown between 70-72 mph, while not particularly overpowering was thrown with crisp accuracy and consistent sink at the plate. His curveball at 61-62 mph was a great secondary offering. He was able to throw his breaking ball in any count and he used his curve to keep opposing hitters off balance throughout his outing.

Davin Brazzle (2024, Temple, Texas) was the Crawdads RED club’s offensive leader in helping his team to two shutout victories on Saturday. The 5-foot-8, 140-pound righthanded hitting Brazzle uses a flatter bat path and a routinely quick pass to drive the ball with authority to the pull-side of the diamond. Brazzle, who will play his prep ball at Salado HS, is also a threat on the bases. He shows advanced speed and an instinctive and aggressive running style.

One of the more impressive and athletically gifted players at the PG South Fall Championship was Xavier Woods (2024, Cleveland, Texas). The 5-foot-10, 140-pound lefthanded swinging leadoff hitter for Team Houston, is a slasher who shows a great understanding of the strike zone and a routine ability to get his barrel to the ball. He is also a plus runner whose smooth running style and advanced speed allows the long and lean Woods to consistently put pressure on defenses with his aggressive approach on the bases. Woods is also an elite defender in the outfield who can track down just about every ball hit in his direction. He reads the ball well off the bat and shows consistent first-step quickness. Woods, who will play his high school ball at Cleveland HS, shows plus arm strength that also allows the lefthander to pitch.

Turning in a plus outing on the hill for Team Houston was righthander Eoghan Collins (2024, Magnolia, Texas). Collins twirled five shutout innings against the Crawdads by YETI, a club that entered as one of the tournament favorites. The long and lean 6-foot, 165-pound future Magnolia West HS hurler shows a well-commanded three-pitch mix that he used to command the strike zone throughout his outing against the hard-hitting Crawdads. His velocity on any of his pitches was not the story. His ability to throw three sound pitches in any count was. His fastball showed consistent arm-side run and sink and was never thrown to the heart of the plate. His changeup was a plus out-pitch that he threw in any count and found his opponents consistently making weak passes. His change was thrown out of the same window as his fastball and with the same arm action. His curveball showed just enough break and depth at the plate to also miss barrels.

Vendetta 2024’s barrel-chested Preston Jackson (2024, Baytown, Texas) can power the baseball. The righthanded hitting slugger shows a consistent approach at the plate and incorporates his solid core into every pass. He can drive the baseball especially well to the pull-side gap. He also shows excellent plate awareness, rarely chasing out of the zone and has a plus ability to consistently get his barrel to the ball. Jackson, who will play his high school ball at Barbers Hill HS, is also an emotional leader for the always scrappy and competitive Vendetta 2024 club.

Canes Southwest Allen rode their usual tried and true formula of solid pitching, sound defense and timely hitting to the tournament semifinals. Gavin Hickman (2023, Spring, Texas) helped pace the Canes’ effort and his approach at the plate was particularly noteworthy. The 5-foot-8, 150-pound lefthanded swinger showed advanced plate discipline and rarely expands the zone unnecessarily. His plus bat quickness and short and direct swing path allows the Oak Ridge HS freshman to drive the ball with authority to all parts of the field. In addition to his exploits with a bat in his hands, the gifted Hickman also shows promise on the hill. In a short outing on Sunday, Hickman flashed impressive 81 mph fastball velocity and the command and control that should allow him to develop on the mound.

Isaac Lopez (2024, Alton, Texas) had an impressive showing throughout the tournament. The 5-foot-6, 160-pound Lopez, who will play his high school ball at Pioneer HS, shows the unique ability to play multiple positions defensively. He plays each equally well. He has quick feet, positions well, shows a plus throwing arm and a soft easy glove. At the plate, Lopez can power the ball to both gaps with authority. He incorporates his strong lower half into every pass and always appears to get his barrel to the ball.

– Jerry Miller


Lane Arroyos (2023, Katy, Texas) earned the win for Canes Southwest Allen allowing one hit and striking out eight batters in six innings of work. The young lefthander stands at 5-foot-9, 172-pounds and worked his way through the opposing lineup quite easily with a two-pitch mix from a high three-quarters arm slot. He stayed online throughout his delivery which was simple and easy. Although Arroyos arm strength is still developing, he worked his fastball in to hitters creating weak contact and kept hitters off balance with his 12-to-6 curveball. It was an overall impressive day for Arroyos as he also collected a knock in his first at-bat of the day with a single to right field.

Despite being limited to a pitch count to return later in the tournament, Joseph Garcia (2023, Pearland, Texas) was impressive in his two innings of work for Los Tigres 14u. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound righthanded pitcher created good plane from a high-three quarters arm slot and had an advanced feel for his 12-to-6 curveball that he kept low in the zone which produced plenty of swings and misses. Showing to be very poised on the mound, Garcia also trusted his defensive and pitched to contact off his fastball that topped out at 76 mph. He was able to locate to both sides of the plate but mainly worked arm side with some running action that created weak contact to the left side of the infield. At the plate, he showed off his power by hitting a no-doubt grand slam. He gets the bat head out front and makes loud contact in his at-bats. The hands have some speed and the lower half has some strength. With an already projectable frame, Garcia is a player that should continue to develop as he matures over the next four years at Pearland High School.

Standing out offensively for Premier Baseball Future 2024-Moore was Braylon Mitchell (2024, Houston, Texas). This young prospect has plenty of time to grow and fill out his 5-foot-4 frame. He possesses very quick hands in the box with the ability to hit to all parts of the field and has slight lift at contact out front. He is a rotationally swing and has a good feel for the barrel along with great awareness of the strike zone. As he fills out and matures, he should add more strength that could make him a possible top-of-the-order type of hitter. In his first at-bat, he mashed a fastball to the left field that was smoked off the bat for a double and followed that with a single down the left field line right over the third base bag. The future is bright for Mitchell and should be an interesting prospect to keep an eye on as he develops.

Jayden Boyd (2024, Jacksonville, Texas) is listed as a primary third baseman for Performance Baseball Texas 14u. Boyd came out of the bullpen had a smooth first inning and worked his fastball from 78-83 mph that was mainly flat, but a pitch that he could still control to both sides of the plate. He throws from an over-the-top arm slot, rotates slightly closed into his delivery and leads with his hip downhill. He was able to limit the damage and get out of the inning only one unearned run during his 1 1/3 innings of work. His curveball had 11-to-5 break at 63 mph that he could keep low in the zone and in the dirt for swings and misses. With Boyd being raw on the mound, he could use fixes to his delivery, and perhaps lower his arm slot to create more action on his fastball and relive constriction in his shoulder allowing for more fluidity to his arm action.

John Pearson (2024, West Monroe, La.) came in relief for the Louisiana Knights and had an impressive outing. Throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot, he showed confidence in two pitches with a fastball that was 79-81 mph topping 82 mph and curveball that was in the mid- 60s that had 11-to-5 break. When Pearson repeated his delivery, he threw a lot of strikes with both pitches and by doing so was able to strike out four hitters in two innings of work. When his command comes around as he matures, Pearson could turn into a prospect college coaches will want to follow over the years at West Monroe High School.

Andy Perez (2024, Orange City, Fla) is a very athletic shortstop for Enemy Baseball Showcase Team. At shortstop, he displayed soft hands, a strong arm with good lateral range and was able to make all the throws. He had very good bat speed with some whip and made hard, regular contact with a line drive swing plane. He smoked an RBI single to left that came off the bat with a very high exit velocity in his first at-bat and smoke a double to left field in his third plate appearance of the day. Overall, Perez is a young prospect that colleges will be paying close attention to once he enters high school in Florida.

Theronos Michalis (2024, Missouri City, Texas) is a young lefthanded pitcher for Banditos Black. Michalis attacked hitters with his fastball that topped out at 75 mph and showed a good feel for a 1-to-7 curveball at 62 mph and a changeup at 68 mph. He had some funk in his delivery, a quick arm and created angle from his 5-foot-10 frame and three-quarters arm slot. Michalis worked the knees with his fastball that had arm-side run, threw a lot of strikes and generated weak groundball contact. When out of the stretch his velocity dropped a bit but was still consistent with his delivery. Michalis worked 4 1/3 innings, struck out nine and allowed two hits.

Righthanded pitcher Drew Dyke (2024, Mount Pleasant, Texas) has a lot to offer on the mound. Dyke had a quick arm and was able to locate two pitches for strikes. His fastball sat was 78-80 mph with sink and tunneled his slider at 68 mph that was a swing-and-miss pitch. He located his fastball to both sides of the plate and kept his slider below the belt keeping hitters fooled. Dyke is a prospect to keep an eye on as he matures over his high school career.

Daniel Garcia (2023, Spring, Texas) struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings for Canes Southwest Allen. Garcia worked consistently in the 79-82 mph range and flashed a 68-73 mph curveball that had 11-to-5 break. He threw from a three-quarters arm slot, primarily worked his fastball and threw his curveball for strikes when needed. The arm works well with clean actions, he gets downhill with good extension out front and stays online. This young prospect should gain more velocity and projects to grow more than his listed to his 5-foot-7 frame and will be one to watch once get begins at Grand Oaks High School.

Dakylan Johnson (2024, Longview, Texas) showed potential on the mound for Enemy Baseball Showcase Team. Johnson lived off his fastball and worked 78-80 mph while topping out at 82 mph. Throwing from a high-three quarters are slot, the 6-foot-1 young prospect creates angle, can command his fastball to his glove side with ease and overpowered hitters during his outing. The curveball showed promise with late and sharp break that he was able to throw at any time in any count at 70 mph. He has a loose and easy arm action with a longer arm circle in the back, had slight effort to his delivery and utilized his lower half well. Johnson outing was impressive as he lasted five innings, stuck out eight and only allowed three hits.

– Andrew Jenkins
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