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High School  | General | 2/18/2021

Regional HS Preview: Mid-Atlantic

David Rawnsley
Photo: Kahlil Watson (Perfect Game)
For all of Perfect Game's regional previews as part of the 2021 high school baseball preview content, the Dream Team list is available for free. The Dream Team reports, top tools list and corresponding top tools breakdowns 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.

2021 High School Baseball Preview



Regional Previews: Florida | Pacific | Southeast | Texahoma | Southwest | Midwest

While Georgia has been the big story over the last decade as a state that has improved tremendously in its baseball talent base, the Mid-Atlantic Region may be the area that really steps forward during the 2020s. Seven juniors are mentioned in the All-Region categories below, with a number of highly-ranked 2022s just missing recognition. And that doesn’t even consider sophomores TayShaun Walton (Virginia) and Walker Jenkins (North Carolina), the top two outfield prospects in the 2023 class.
 
While talented high-ceiling athletes abound in the region, the depth to populate the PG High School Top 50 hasn’t quite happened yet. Two North Carolina teams, Charlotte Christian (33rd) and Reagan (50th), are the region's only representatives.
 
It should be noted that three of the All-Region selections, PG All-Americans outfielder James Wood and left-handed pitcher Mason Albright, along with junior left-hander Jackson Ferris, all attend high school at IMG Academy in Florida but are included in the Mid-Atlantic Region, as that is where all three call home.
 
C – Jacob Cozart (Sr., Wesleyan Christian Academy, N.C.)
Cozart is a well-rounded catcher with polished defensive skills behind the plate and a strong left-handed bat that has both barrel skills and power potential. He hails from one of the top baseball families in the country, with his father, Craig, being the head coach at High Point, his older brother Caleb a right-handed pitcher at North Carolina, and his younger brother, Samuel, another right-handed pitcher, being the top-ranked player in the 2025 class.

1B – Grant Hussey (Sr., Parkersburg South HS, W.V.)
Hussey is a big left-handed hitter with a loose and fluid swing and he doesn’t have to work very hard to get to his power in games and register 100+ mph exit velocities. He’s also a very good athlete with 7.00 speed who will be an asset at first base and has a chance to be a corner outfielder in the future if a team needs him at that position. Hussey is signed to stay in-state at West Virginia.

MIF – Kahlil Watson (Sr., Wake Forest HS, N.C.)
Watson was better known as a cornerback/wide receiver on the football field prior to last summer and had played very little on the baseball travel circuit. That changed quickly when he was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2020 17U BCS National Championships for the Dirtbags and followed that up by hitting .476-0-11 at the WWBA 17U National Championships the next week. Those performances and Watson’s high-level athleticism earned him a late spot in the PG All-American Classic.

MIF – Alvin Keels (Jr., Maury HS, Va.)
Keels is a high-level athlete with 6.6 speed in the sixty and middle-of-the-field tools on defense. His best tool, though, might be his right-handed bat speed, which features very fast hands and plenty of raw pull side power. Keels is committed to Miami.

3B – Tucker Toman (Jr., Hammond HS, S.C.)
Toman is a switch-hitter who has some of the best left-handed bat speed of any high school hitter in the country and is a career .404 hitter in 80 Perfect Game tournament games. The son of long-time college coach Jim Toman, now at Middle Tennessee, Toman is a polished defender at both third base and second base with plenty of arm strength.
 
OF – Will Taylor (Sr., Dutch Fork HS, S.C.)
Taylor is a dynamic fast-twitch athlete who has been recruited to play both baseball and football by Clemson. He hasn’t played as much baseball as many of his peers but the 6-foot, 170-pound Taylor has prototype center field/leadoff tools and a chance to develop more power in his bat as he fills out.

OF – Michael Gupton (Jr., Nolesville HS, N.C.)
Gupton has gotten plenty of attention for his blazing speed but the strongly built 5-foot-9 athlete stands out just as much for his strong right-handed bat and overall offensive potential. He hit .364-2-13 at the 2020 WWBA 16U National Championships playing for Team Elite and is currently the No. 26 player in the 2022 class. Gupton is committed to North Carolina State.

OF – James Wood (Sr., IMG Academy, Fla./Mary.)
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Wood is the highest-ranked player in the region, checking in at fourth overall in the PG 2021 class rankings. Wood’s left-handed swing is smooth and fluid with huge power potential and he’s a superb athlete for that size, running a 6.70 sixty and able to play an impressive center field on defense.

P – Mason Albright (Sr., IMG Academy, Fla./Mary.)
One of two Perfect Game All-American pitchers on the Mid-Atlantic team along with Josh Hartle, Albright is a 6-foot left-hander with a fastball up to 94 mph to go along with a devastating hard breaking ball from a deceptive arm slot that is one of the best breaking balls in the class. He is signed with Virginia Tech.

P – Daniel Brooks (Sr. Bishop England HS, S.C.)
Brooks is one of the larger top prospect pitchers in the country, measuring it at 6-foot-8, 245 pounds but with plenty of athleticism that could make him a two-way player at College of Charleston if he doesn’t sign professionally. Brooks has been up to 94 mph on his fastball and has good feel for changing the shape of his breaking ball while also turning over a promising changeup.
 
P – Jackson Ferris (Jr., IMG Academy, Fla/N.C.)
Ferris features a very projectable 6-foot-4, 185-pound build and a short and compact arm action that hides the ball very well from hitters and makes his raw stuff, which includes a fastball up to 93 mph and a tight curveball, play up. The No. 15 player in the 2022 class nationally, Ferris absolutely dominated hitters at 2020 PG tournaments, striking out 43 hitters in 24 innings while allowing only five hits.

P – Josh Hartle (Sr., Reagan HS, N.C.)
Hartle is the No. 17 player and second ranked left-handed pitcher in the 2021 class. He’s also one of the most projectable pitchers in the class, with a very athletic 6-foot-5, 195-pound build and lots of strength gains ahead of him. Although he only tops out at 91 mph now, he possesses outstanding pitchability and is a strong bet to continue to add velocity as he gets stronger. The PG All-American is signed with Wake Forest.

P – Tristan Smith (Jr., Boiling Springs HS, S.C.)
Smith has a power pitcher’s approach and arm on a strong 6-foot-2, 200-pound build. He works up to 95 mph on his fastball and compliments his fastball with a big breaking upper-70s slider that has angle to it. Like his fellow junior All-Region southpaw, Jackson Ferris, Smith was dominant in PG tournaments in 2020, striking out 40 hitters in 20 innings while allowing only eight hits.

UT – James Triantos (Sr., Madison HS, Va.)
Triantos has been a highly-ranked two-way prospect since his freshman year but he really stood out this fall at the WWBA World Championships. The North Carolina signee went 10-19 at the plate with two home runs for Stars Baseball and also was up to 92 mph while striking out eight hitters in a five-inning one-hit performance.

Mid-Atlantic Region Top Tools

Best Hitter for Average: Kahlil Watson (Sr., Wake Forest HS, N.C.)
A left-handed hitter with extremely fast hands and surprising power despite a slender 5-foot-10 build, Watson hit .434-2-29 with 18 stolen bases across four high-level PG tournaments last summer and fall. He is signed with North Carolina State but is the ninth-ranked player in the 2021 class rankings and a potential first round pick.
 
Best Hitter for Power: James Wood (Sr., IMG Academy, Fla./Mary.)
Wood’s size gives him huge leverage at the plate and he hit some of the most impressive home runs on the travel circuit last summer. Interestingly, his power extends to more than just home runs, as Wood has hit 11 triples in 46 games the last two years in PG tournaments.

Best Baserunner: Will Taylor (Sr., Dutch Fork HS, S.C.)
Michael Gupton would win this honor in almost any other region, as he is a track and field standout with a 10.52 100 meter and 21.57 200 meter time to his credit. But when Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney says, “He (Taylor) can fly, I mean he can flat-out run. His acceleration makes him special,” that sort of stands out.
 
Best Defensive Catcher: Ethan Anderson (Sr., Frank Cox HS, Va.)
Anderson is a big and strong switch-hitting catcher who recently reclassed to the 2021 group. He is very athletic behind the plate with especially quick lower half actions that give him lateral range and a quick release on his throws.

Best Defensive Infielder: Kahlil Watson (Sr., Wake Forest HS, N.C.)
Watson doesn’t have a cannon infield arm, but then no one in the region really does. What Watson has is excellent first step quickness and a soft and sure glove working through the ball. He could end up as a second baseman professionally.

Best Defensive Outfielder: James Wood (Sr., IMG Academy, Fla./Mary.)
The most obvious tool and size comparison for Wood is likely Jason Heyward and that includes a comparison to Heyward’s Gold Glove defensive abilities, too, although Wood obviously has lots of game work to do to get to that level. The speed, instincts and arm strength are all there to be a superb defender.

Best Defensive Arm: Calvert Clark (Jr., Charlotte Christian HS, N.C.)
North Carolina’s 2022 class is loaded, with six players, including the multi-talented Clark, ranking in the top-50. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Clark, a Clemson commit, is a two-way standout with a big right-handed bat at the plate, 6.9 speed in the sixty and a 92 mph fastball on the mound.

Best Fastball: Daniel Brooks (Sr. Bishop England HS, S.C.)
Brooks may not have the top radar gun fastball in the region right now but with his huge downhill angle to the plate and big extension out front it probably looks that way to hitters. In addition, Brooks has had an ideal velocity progression over the last three years, gaining 5-6 mph each year, and there is no reason to believe he’s hit his velocity ceiling yet.

Best Off-Speed Stuff: Mason Albright (Sr., IMG Academy, Fla./Mary.)
Albright’s breaking ball could be called either a curveball or a slider, as it has curveball depth and more of a sweeping slider shape at 78-80 mph. He has very good command of the pitch and can spot it to both sides of the plate or locate it outside the zone as a chase pitch to both right-handed and left-handed hitters.

Best Pitchability: Josh Hartle (Sr., Reagan HS, N.C.)
Hartle has already mastered two of the most elusive skills of any pitcher; he is adept at pitching inside to hitters and moving his fastball from side to side and he has the ability to tunnel his release point on his curveball and changeup precisely with his fastball, creating plenty of deception on those secondary pitches.

Best Multi-Sport Athlete: Will Taylor (Sr., Dutch Fork HS, S.C.)
For a player with his speed, Taylor is surprisingly more accomplished as a passing quarterback, having thrown for 2,237 yards and 21 touchdowns in 10 games while only rushing for 448 yards and 11 more scores. Clemson plans on auditioning him at quarterback before transitioning him to wide receiver. Michael Gupton, with his track and field exploits, is again a worthy consideration here.

 
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High School | Rankings | 11/4/2026

Class of 2027 Rankings Risers
Kyler Peterson
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Complete Class of 2027 Rankings With the end of the summer and fall seasons behind us, it was time for a quick refresh of the 2027 class rankings. Below you'll be able to read about some of the biggest risers up the board, led by North Carolina outfielder John Hucko who jumped more than 110 spots to now sit at No. 20 overall.  John Hucko, OF, Charlotte, N.C. Previous Rank: 132 | Current Rank: 20 Hucko makes a huge leap into the top-20 players in the class after a dominating showing in Jupiter. It’s as good of a left-handed swing as you’ll come across with pretty easy impact to all parts. He’s a supreme athlete with all the tools to play center long term and is a present plus runner. Hucko is a name that cemented his prospect status in Jupiter and will be a name to follow for next year’s MLB Draft. Elyjah Mason, SS, Lake Forest, Calif. Previous Rank: 71 |...
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Tournaments | Story | 11/8/2026

14u National All State Scout Notes: Day 1

Tyler Russo
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2031 C/OF Jace Winston (Fuquay-Varina, N.C.) had a really nice day at the dish as he picked up a couple hits in his first game, both well-struck, and then launched a bomb in game 2. He’s one of the more physical players here who can really impact the baseball already, and the consistency in which he’s hitting this fall is a great sign going into 2027. 2031 SS/RHP Weston Stalls (Blackstock, S.C.) came in for a couple innings of relief on the day and showed off the arm talent running the fastball up to 87. It’s a fast arm and he generates real life to the fastball, while the breaking ball is a good pitch as well.   ‘31 SS Parker Smith (NC) went 3-for-3 to open the weekend, this a line drive single the other way. 6’2/140 & can accelerate the barrel already, intriguing projection. #NatAllState @PG_Coastal https://t.co/Z7C5kDGdIM — Perfect Game...
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General | General | 11/6/2026

Class of 2028 Rankings Update

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Tournaments | Story | 11/6/2026

National All State Preview: Week 1

Hannah Jo Groves
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This weekend, teams from all around the country in the 10U, 12U and 14U divisions will converge on the Houston area for the 2026 PG National All-State Select Championships. The 10U division will have 22 teams, 12U will have 23 and 14U will have 22. All ages have many different states represented - from Hawaii, to the Pacific Northwest, to Arizona, to New England, to Carolina to Florida and many more. “National All-State brings together the best players in the country across Houston,” national crosschecker and northeast scouting director, John McAdams, said. “It’s a fun atmosphere for ultimate bragging rights amongst all the regions the PG platform reaches domestically while serving as a good litmus test for myself, Jheremy Brown and Tyler Russo to see the players. We get another glimpse at the end of the year as we start to formulate our initial thoughts on the...
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Draft | Rankings | 11/6/2026

2027 MLB Draft Board Update: Top 200

Tyler Henninger
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PG Draft Content Hub With the fall season winding down and the winter months approaching, it is time for another draft board update.  After getting more live looks and gathering information from the fall action across the country, we have expanded the board to a Top-200. The class continues to feature an intriguing mix of arms from both the prep and college ranks, along with an enticing position player pool.  There is still plenty of time for new names to emerge and established prospects to continue to improve their draft stock, but here is where things stand as we head into the winter.  * denotes draft eligible sophomore Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Dylan Seward H SS S-R Norco Eastvale CA Tennessee 2 Brendan Lawson C SS L-R Florida Toronto ON 3 Dax Whitney C RHP R-R Oregon State Blackfoot ID 4 Tomas Valincius C LHP L-L Mississippi State...
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College | Story | 11/6/2026

College Fall Notebook: November 6

Craig Cozart
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Virginia Cavaliers  2026 In Review:  Under the leadership of first year Head Coach Chris Pollard, the Cavaliers won 37 games which was the second most victories by a first-year coach in program history.  Virginia went (37-23) finishing tied for 8th in the ACC and earned an at-large bid to the Hattiesburg Regional.  They fielded a talented offense that averaged over 8-runs per game, highlighted by AJ Gracia and Eric Becker who were both selected on Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft.  While the defensive squad wasn’t quite as elite as usual, they were ultra-competitive on the mound with a strong rotation and lock down bullpen.  With plenty of talent returning for Pollard and his staff in ’27, they should be a force on a national level once again.  Impact Returners:    Senior Antonio Perrotta (.266/.459/.431, 5 HR, 6 2B, 24 RBI) experienced...
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General | General | 11/5/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 70

Ron Wolforth
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That Off-Season Program Wasn't Built for Your Son. It Was Built for Nobody. The Harsh Reality of Skill Development · Part 2 of 5 Somewhere right now, a pitcher is starting a twelve-week off-season program. It came from his travel team. Or a trainer. Or a big leaguer's Instagram. It has phases and a logo, and every kid in the building got the same one. Here is the harsh reality. That program was written before anybody looked at your son. It doesn't know he exists. It was built for the average pitcher... and the average pitcher does not exist. A Template Fixes Somebody's Problem. Maybe Not His. Every pitcher who is stuck is stuck for a reason. We call that reason his constraint... the thing that is actually limiting him right now. For one kid it is strength. For the next it is mobility. For the next it is a mechanical inefficiency, or an arm that isn't recovering, or a body that...
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General | General | 11/5/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 69

Ron Wolforth
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Your Son's April Arm Injury is Being Scheduled Right Now   The Harsh Reality of Skill Development - Part 1 of 5 Let me start this series with something most people in baseball won't say out loud. In my experience, a great many of the arm problems we will see next April are being set up right now... in October, November and December. Not necessarily because a young pitcher is throwing too much. Often it's because of what happens when he stops. Here is the pattern. I have watched it for more than thirty years. The fall season ends. The arm is tired, so the family does what seems like the responsible thing.  They shut it down. No throwing. For a lot of kids, no anything. Weeks go by. The holidays come and go. Then somebody looks at a calendar in January and realizes tryouts are three weeks away. Suddenly, an arm that has done nothing since October is asked to go from zero to game...
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General | General | 11/3/2026

Class of 2027 Rankings Update

Perfect Game Staff
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Press Release | Press Release | 11/2/2026

PG Partners Up with Minority Prospects

Perfect Game Staff
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  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES MEDIA RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP WITH MINORITY PROSPECTS   Sanford, Florida (Monday, November 2, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a media rights partnership with Minority Prospects, the Atlanta-based organization that has become the largest platform in the world for minority baseball and softball prospects. The partnership kicked off last month at the WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., Perfect Game's premier fall event, where Minority Prospects produced content featuring some of the nation's top amateur players in front of college coaches, professional scouts and MLB legends. Under the agreement, Minority...
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