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Tournaments  | Story | 10/20/2021

WWBA Sophomore Prospect Breakdown

Vincent Cervino
Jered Goodwin
Photo: Ty Southisene (Perfect Game)
WWBA Sophomore World Championship Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4-5

The Next Wave



Ty Southisene, SS, USA Prime National 
Southisene is one of the most electrifying players in the class, currently ranked No. 20 as he went down to Fort Myers and did what he typically does: perform. He hit .333 over the weekend, showing his typical excellent approach with the bat speed and tools to project out further down the line. Southisene is also a standout defender, and he’s as good a prospect in the 2024 class as anyone out there right now. 

Tague Davis, LHP/1B, US Elite 2024 Williams
Davis followed up his strong performance at the Sophomore World Championship by committing to Louisville right after and with good reason. Davis works into the upper-80s, holding right around 85 with two advanced secondaries. At the dish, he showed big power from the left side along with a knack for the barrel as Davis is a super intriguing two-way prospect moving forward. 

Fabio Peralta, OF, CBU United
The Miami commit had a strong burst onto the scene this summer before taking things up a notch this fall, raking at both the Sophomore and Underclass World Championships. Peralta is a super athletic 6-foot-2, 165 pounds with explosive bat speed and the athleticism and instincts to stick in center long term. There’s significant power upside as well as he fills out his frame as we’ll be watching Peralta closely heading into next summer. 

Andre' Modugno, 3B/OF, Canes National 16U
Modugno currently slots in as the No. 7 overall prospect in the class and there’s a ton to be excited about the offensive upside long term. At 6-foot-5, 195 pounds there’s massive physical upside to go along with the bat speed and hitting IQ. His long term defensive position doesn’t matter too much as he’s athletic enough to play almost anywhere and the Duke commit’s bat can certainly slot into a lineup at any position. 

Austin Nye, RHP, Alpha Prime 2024
Dominant would be the correct term to describe Nye’s results on the mound during the tournament as he pitched twice, coming in both times to blow his stuff by opposing hitters. He’s coming off a very strong summer and reaches 90 mph, holding upper-80s with good feel to spin too. It’s a very clean delivery and Nye has certainly looked the part as one of the best arms in the class moving forward. 

Mason Brassfield, OF/LHP, Alpha Prime 2024
Brassfield is a long, athletic outfielder who moves with plenty of twitch along with bat speed from the left side of the plate. He’s got upside everywhere you look, including on the mound where he’s got a super fast arm and an upper-80s fastball. Whether his long term future is on the mound or at the plate, or even both, remains to be decided but what isn’t is the fact that he’s got impact type of talent. 

Owen Paino, SS, Canes National 16U
Paino checks a ton of boxes for a young prospect with a super-projectable 6-foot-3 frame, light and easy actions on the infield dirt, and a sweet left-handed stroke. Everything looks really easy for Paino right now and the obvious projection along with the feel allows for substantial upside in the long term. 

Mateo Gray, 3B/RHP, TBT National 2024
Gray is the epitome of a do-it-all type of prospect, who always seems to produce in the clutch and has the positional and two-way versatility to help his team in any regard. It’s a repeatable, quick stroke from the right side with the athleticism and arm strength to perform well all over the infield. He pitches in the mid-80s with a good changeup along with excellent feel for strikes and mixing. 

Anthony Tralongo, 3B, TBT National 2024
Tralongo is a Select Festival alumni and draws rave reviews for his approach and overall hittability. He hit over .300 across the entirety of the Sophomore World Championship, showing a very polished swing with the ability to use the whole field. He’s got a very long track record of hitting along with the positional versatility to slot in anywhere on the diamond. 

PJ Morlando, C, Canes National 16U
Morlando is a very physical presence with big left-handed bat speed and already impressive power, among the best in the class. The Mississippi State commit hit .385 at the Sophomore and better at the Underclass as there’s significant impact in the left-handed swing. He can throw well from behind the dish and offers versatility on the corners defensively, but the bat plays anywhere. 

Kayson Cunningham, SS, Lonestar National 2024 – Sanders
Cunningham is one of the top offensive performers in his class, 2025, and did what he’s good at during the week: rake. He’s got a sweet left-handed swing with plenty of barrel skill and his ability to play anywhere on the diamond stands out. Cunningham was a PG Select Festival participant this fall down in Fort Myers and he still looks comfortable in the box in South Florida. 

Sam Erickson, OF, Knights Knation Baseball
Erickson was a top performer all summer and it didn’t look like his bat was any slower at the Sophomore World, hitting .429 with more extra base hits than singles. He’s got an excellent combination of physicality and twitch along with the barrel skills that he’s shown off all year, including while playing up in events. The Texas A&M commit had a monster summer on the circuit and we look forward to seeing what he’s got in store next summer. 

Parker Lakey, SS/RHP, Richmond Braves 15U Platinum
Lakey is another freshman playing up in this event and to really solid results as the physical left side defender keeps performing at a high level this year. Lakey has a bat path with plenty of length throughout the hitting zone where the ball just jumps off the bat due to his strength and bat speed. He’s also a potential two-way prospect where he can work the fastball into the upper-80s with consistency. 


Breakout Performances

Drew Downs, OF, South Charlotte 
Downs pulled off the rare feat of coming and performing during each of the Sophomore, Underclass, and Jupiter during three straight weeks. Downs jumps off the page with a long and lean 6-foot-2, 170 pounds build and tons of bat speed from the left side. He looks the part of a prototypical left-handed slugger while moving like a fluid up-the-middle prospect and the combination makes him an exciting prospect to follow. 

Perry Hargett, SS, Dirtbags 16U Camo
Hargett was absolutely scorching balls over the course of the tournament as he finished hitting .667 along with eight stolen bases over five games. He’s a supremely quick twitched athlete who has the makings of a plus run tool with big bat speed along with a swing that is strong and compact and allows the North Carolina commit to impact the baseball well. He’s an exciting prospect who has a ton of tools and upside to dream on. 

Zach Swanson, RHP, Trosky Platinum 2024
Anytime a sophomore in high school is pumping 90 mph bullets you’ll be intrigued, throw in that this was Swanson’s first PG event and he had the attention of our entire scouting staff. He’s got an electric arm with plenty of arm speed, a fastball that was up to 91 mph with a real slider in the low-80s that has bite. There’s a ton of present stuff with the upside for much more from the Oregon State commit who’s got stuff to rival most in the class.

Dylan Green, SS, Alpha Prime 2024
The Oregon commit really came into his own over the course of a long summer and did a nice job at maintaining that performance heading into the fall. He’s a loose, fluid athlete who moves really well over at shortstop and he’s also one of the youngest players in the class, having only turned 15 a few months ago. Green hit over .300 with a handful of walks and solid defense at the Sophomore, showing a very well-rounded skill set in the process.

Paul Vazquez, 3B, Alpha Prime
Green’s teammate Vazquez also hit well over the course of the tournament, showing easy loft and leverage to the stroke while also showing the ability to really impact the ball hard out in front. He’s got great size at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds and uses that strength to drive the ball for power potential. Vazquez hit over .300 during the event, also working into the mid-80s on the bump as there’s some two-way potential long term. 

Efrain Morales, C, Elite Squad 2024 National
Morales was crushing balls all week for Elite Squad as he finished with a .524 batting average that included 11 hits and the majority of those being extra base hits. He’s got a quick, compact stroke with the barrel feel being obvious after his ability to use the entire field over the course of the Sophomore World. The hittability is impressive and he’s been around for a couple years, though his performance took him to another level. 

Jacob Mader-Cooper, RHP, Trosky Platinum 2024
Mader-Cooper had his strikeout stuff working on the mound, striking out seven batters over the course of 3 2/3 innings and showing a strong two pitch mix in the process. The swing-and-miss stood out to our scouts with the ability to miss bats with the riding, upper-80s fastball and sharp, downer curveball. This was a loud weekend for Mader-Cooper who is now firmly on radars for his performance on the mound. 

Matt Hansen, SS, Slammers Zavaras
Hansen was crushing baseballs, hitting .455 over 5 games with the Slammers and he looks much stronger from a physical perspective. It’s a patient, easy approach from the left side of the dish with potential for much more in terms of power while he already shows some feel for hittability. He’s moving fluidly too, and can line up anywhere from the dirt to the outfield grass, but the offensive profile is going to be really fun down the line.

Riley Luft, OF, TBT National 2024
In a week full of strong performances for TBT National, Luft’s might have been the most impressive as he hit .667 with six out of his eight hits going for two-bags. It’s significant bat speed from the right side with the ability to stay connected through contact and really create some backspin at contact. A lot of those doubles will turn into home runs at physical maturity and it was an eye-opening performance for Luft. 

-Vinnie Cervino

Devin Fitz-Gerald, SS, TBT-Fitz 2024
What’s not to like about a switch-hitting shortstop that should hit at the top of the order at the next level and stay at a premium position? Fitz-Gerald looks strong and athletic in the box with good feel for the barrel from both sides. The let-handed swing, however, has especially good accuracy and explosiveness helping balls carry hard to both gaps. On the dirt he routinely made plays to both sides with advanced footwork and very quick release. He did all he could do on both sides of the ball is was generally just fun to watch work, as there are plenty of winning qualities that will help as he climbs the prospect ranks. 
 
Ryan McPherson, RHP/2B/3B, TBT-Fitz 2024
McPherson displayed plenty of pure stuff that should garner lots of attention. The 87-90 mph heater was heavy and really got on hitters with some deception. The carry helped make it tough on hitters, especially up in the zone late in counts. When that happened the hard upper-70s breaking ball and sinking low-80s changeup played up off the fastball. At 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, the body is athletically proportioned and can carry extra strength especially in the lower half. He will need to repeat his tempo and release to take the next step but there is no doubt it should happen given his athletic peripherals. 
 
McCall Biemiller, LHP, Top Tier Roos American 2024
Biemiller is a super projectable 6-foot-2, 165-pound southpaw with monster upside as he fills out and adds strength. The loose and whippy arm already peaked at 86 mph at the Sophomore WWBA and its easy to see consistent velocity jumps. The breaking ball has great shape/spin and could turn into a real go-to offering with added reps. The horizontal movement he gets on all pitches should make the repertoire extremely tough on opposing hitter as he learns to command east-west. Biemiller is a good athlete that will also help the upside as he matures. 

-Jered Goodwin


Uncommitted…for now

Niko Benestad, C, TBT National 2024 
Benestad has mashed all year at PG events and that’s continued down in Fort Myers as he finished with a .526 batting average including a home run and nine RBI. Benestad is a physical, middle-of-the-order presence who hits the ball with authority and will likely be a significant power hitter at the next level. He looks the part of a premium, run-driving bat that schools will likely want to jump on sooner rather than later. 

Nolan Naese, SS, Burn 2024
The MVP of the Sophomore World Championship, Naese is a very solid athlete with good movements up the middle and a fast bat from the right side. Naese raked during the tournament, hitting .455 with four doubles and six stolen bases as he was the driving factor behind Burn’s run to the finals. He shouldn’t remain uncommitted for long following the strong effort and skills he showed over the entire calendar year. 

Will St.Onge, CIF/RHP, Burn 2024
It’s been a solid year for St. Onge who’s been able to show some of the better two-way skills in the class. He’s been consistently into the mid-80s on the mound, showing good strike throwing ability while it’s a powerful swing from the right side. St. Onge raked at the Sophomore World, hitting .474 while showing some of that long term upside in the process. 

Jackson Robbins, 1B, SBA Scout Team 2024 
Robbins put forth an eye-opening stat line with a .667 batting average, an OPS over 1.500, and a really impressive swing. There’s good length through the hitting zone with a solid finish through contact as he can adjust with his upper and lower halves to drive the ball to every part of the field. He looks like a guy who should hit at every stop and he certainly performed during the Sophomore World Championship. 

Cole Huddleston, 3B, Top Tier Roos American 2024
Huddleston was a revelation for the eventual champion Top Tier Roos, showing off a solid contact-oriented stroke who came up with big hits a lot. Huddleston hit .391 with a short, quick swing from the right side and he’s a barrel finder, looking to spray liners throughout the field. He’s a solid player with some gamer tendencies and he came up with a big weekend. 
 
-Vinnie Cervino
  
Kaden Smith, RHP/3B/INF/OF, Power Baseball 2024 Platinum 
Smith had a five-inning outing that was notable for the competitiveness, swing and miss, and solid three pitch mix. The shoulder speed is really taking shape allowing for some jump on the fastball that played up more than the 83-86 mph range. The CB/CH both have excellent potential and Smith already has learned to throw them with some intent. This is a pretty easy pick for organic velocity jumps, and he already knows how to finish hitters as his seven strikeout performance proves. 
 
Rylan Lujo, SS, TBT National 
The high-waisted and broad-shouldered 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame is ideal to build on and mold into an super athletic and strong middle infielder. He has a solid first step and fluid hips that allow easy lateral range. The transfer and release helps the average arm play up. All things being taken into account, the parts should lead to long term middle of the infield defender. The bat is also plenty lethal as he produced a .438 clip with a 1.171 OPS. The offensive picture should include his five walks and four stolen bases giving him a true top of the lineup profile. 
 
Dillon Smalley, RHP/OF, Power Baseball 2024 Platinum 
The right-handed pitcher has long track record for a sophomore, and he continued it in Fort Myers. The 6-foot-2 and long and slender 165-pound frame has been ready to pop and now seems to be. The velocity is ticking up with he added strength and the firmer stuff led to just under two strikeouts per inning pitched during his two outings. The projection is really intriguing and the continued development that seems take shape with every outing makes this easy to predict the righty will get close to reaching his ceiling. 
 
Ryan Maggy, SS, Richmond Braves 15U Platinum 
It was a special week for the left-handed hitting Maggy who produced in a big way during a deep playoff run for the Braves. The swing is tight with good flick through contact with a consistent gap-to-gap approach. He found barrels consistently on his way to a .400 average and 1.271 OPS, working counts and knocking some extra-base hits around the yard. He can play anywhere on the infield now with his arm, bat and athleticism will fashion the chance to stay on the left side. He also starred on the mound flashing mid-80s velocity. 
 
-Jered Goodwin
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