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Draft  | Story | 12/23/2023

Carolina Region: Draft Prospect Dive

Craig Cozart
Coastal Region Top-200 Draft Prospects – First Impressions

There are endless fascinating things about the game of baseball and none of them are more unpredictable than scouting the talent on the field. A player and his skill set are seen through so many different lenses and the opinions are as varied as the ones doing the evaluating. When I first started coaching college baseball, all the way back in 1997, I relied on something my head coach told me before my first day on the recruiting trail. He said, “When you see a player for the first time and he shows you something special, remember it. When you see that player a second time and he does that something special again, then trust it”. There are very few players that the more you see them, the more you like them. So, most of the time, your first impressions are the correct impressions.

Here are some reflections on the first time I remember seeing the members of the Top-200 Draft Prospects in the Coastal Region:




Vance Honeycutt, OF, Salisbury, NC
No. 5 Draft Prospect
University of North Carolina

Scouting Report: Honeycutt made one of the more impressive jumps in physicality you will likely ever see between the fall and spring of his senior year in high school. He went from a gangly, long-limbed prospect and is now a well-built 6-3/210 and the skill set has gone to an elite level. In 2022 he put together a monster freshman campaign in Chapel Hill where he was a consensus Freshman All-American as he slugged 25 home runs and stole 29 bags. His footspeed became as dangerous as his power, and he is arguably the best center fielder in all of college baseball. He followed that up in 2023 where he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and collected double digit home runs and stolen bases once again. Honeycutt was a 20th round draft pick by the San Francisco Giants in 2021 and if he duplicates his first two seasons offensively, he should go off the board in the top-10 picks in July.

First Impression: The South Charlotte Panthers were playing a Perfect Game tournament in High Point, NC on a steamy day in June of 2018. Honeycutt was playing second base that day and I remember noting that he didn’t have much twitch to his actions yet but already used his long, graceful strides to cover more ground that expected. Interestingly enough, he never played the outfield until the fall of his senior year. I also noted that he found the barrel often but was never a threat to move the outfielders back, even with his best bolt. Little did I know he would be one of the greatest power/speed threats in the country by his freshman year in college.

PJ Morlando, OF/1B, Summerville, SC
No. 6 Draft Prospect
Summerville High School

Scouting Report: The 2023 Perfect Game All-American is the best bat in the country at the high school level as he boasts not only barrel accuracy but light tower power to go with it. He hits from an extra-wide base and relies on his core rotation and strong hands to produce elite bat speed. He is your classic lefthanded power hitter who will play a corner outfield position or first base, letting his 6-3/200 frame cover ample ground. Morlando performs on the biggest stages, is the marked man in every lineup but still produces massive numbers as seen with his slash line of .440/.541/.720 in 21 games on the PG circuit this year. Morlando signed with South Carolina this November, but it could be a long shot for him to see campus as he is likely to be the first high school bat to be drafted this summer.

First Impressions: Walking between fields at the East Cobb Complex for the 2022 16u National Championship, I was working my way to the back fields when the crack of the bat stopped me in my tracks. We all know the sound of pure contact with a wood bat when the crisp, sound of impact seems to silence everything around you. This was my first-time seeing Morlando put his prodigious power on display with some of the easiest violence you’ll see in a swing. It was the type of power that you know is real and you knew was going to be top of the class once he was draft eligible.
 

Jacob Cozart, C, High Point, NC
No. 9 Draft Prospect
North Carolina State University

Scouting Report: Having made 90 starts and appearing in 104 games in his first two collegiate seasons, Cozart has put himself in position to be considered one of the best catchers in the nation. Excelling with the glove, metrically he is one of the best receivers when it comes to shadow zone strikes. A Second-Team All-ACC member in 2023, he had a breakout season with the bat as he hit .310 with 10 home runs, 14 doubles and 42 RBI. Named to the Golden Spikes and Buster Posey Watch List, he has added to his frame and is now 6-3/215 heading into the 2024 season. Cozart has not been previously drafted but offensive catchers tend to go off the board early and he could hear his name called very early in the ’24 draft.

First Impression: Well, I was obviously there the day he was born but when he was 13 years old, I needed him to be my bullpen catcher for my college team. We had no depth behind the plate and had to put our backup catcher at 1B because we needed his offense in the lineup. So, since he was homeschooled at the time, we suited him up every game and he got both our starting pitchers and our bullpen arms ready to go each day. Being able to handle D1 arms at that age made me realize he may be special behind the dish.

Will Taylor, OF, Irmo, SC
No. 26 Draft Prospect
Clemson University

Scouting Report: An exceptional athlete, Taylor is the only athlete in the last decade to play both football and baseball for the Tigers. He made the decision in July to focus exclusively on baseball and based on the massive jump in performance last season, there is significant anticipation for what 2024 will hold. He added over 100 points to his batting average from his freshman to sophomore season to hit .362 with 16 doubles, 46 RBI and finished with an impressive .489 OB%. At 5-10/180 he is durable and plays the game with a hardnosed attitude that is infectious. Taylor has always been a hitter and a run producer, profiling to be a top of the order bat at the next level. He was also drafted in the 19th round by the Texas Rangers in 2021 and as he adds to his stellar ’23 season, expect his name to be called in the first round this July.

First Impression: While it may not have been my first impression, it is hard not to mention the legendary performance Taylor put on at the East Coast Pro Showcase. When most players walk away from that event being satisfied with picking up a couple hits and a few hard barrels, he went out and seemingly found the barrel ever swing he took. While I cannot say for certain, I believe he collected 9 hits during the event with multiple extra-base hits and ran the bases with reckless abandon. It was literally a performance for the ages.
 

Josh Hartle, LHP, King, NC
No. 30 Draft Prospect
Wake Forest University

Scouting Report: The 6-5 lefty has long been revered for his clean delivery and smooth arm action. He is an elite strike thrower and has added to his repertoire during his time at Wake Forest and seen a small uptick in velocity as well. He was a consensus All-American in the 2023 season as he may have been the best starter on the most dominant pitching staff in the country last year. Showing his durability, he pitched 102.1 IP on his way to an 11-2 record and struck out a program record 140 batters as he finished with an almost 6-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He will showcase one of the best 4-pitch mixes this spring with a 90-94 mph fastball, an upper-80s cutter, low-80s curve and fading change up. Hartle pulled his name from draft consideration his senior year in high school and the way teams value pitchability lefties with his track record usually find their way into the 1st round.

First Impression: I was off sight during the 2020 WWBA National Championship and the stands were absolutely packed with not only area scouts but plenty of cross-checkers as well as scouting directors. Hartle was on the mound for the start, and he went about business as usual on the mound. Most pitchers will have the tendency of getting a bit juiced up and may try to light up the multitude of radar guns in this situation. But the lefty navigated his outing with his usual methodical, emotionless manner and was completely content with “pitching” which was so refreshing. The industry has always begged for more velocity from Hartle, but he has been unwavering in his craft, and we are all seeing the rewards of that presently.

Eli Serrano, OF, Fuquay Varina, NC
No. 73 Draft Prospect
North Carolina State University

Scouting Report: One of the top sophomore eligible prospects for the 2024 draft, Serrano is beginning to fill out his long, projectable 6-5 frame. He played most of his freshman year at 1B and at roughly 185 lbs. for most of the season. Having added significant mass and now weighing in at 200 lbs. he is making the transition to centerfield for the 2024 season. His long easy strides allow him to cover a ton of ground defensively and he will steal a bag here and there with his 6.80-foot speed. He batted just under .300 in his freshman campaign, with 12 doubles, 7 home runs and 32 RBI. He displays elite barrel awareness and stays through the ball working the middle of the field as good as anyone. Expect the lefthanded stick to be at the heart of the Wolfpack success and he looks primed for an All-ACC type season. If the power goes next level, Serrano should see interest at some point on Day 1 of the draft.

First Impression: My first opportunity to see more than an at bat here or there with Serrano was at the 2021 WWBA in East Cobb. He gave me flashbacks of his father, Sammy, during his days at Stetson University back in the 1990s when he lit up opposing pitchers by using the oppo gap on his way to batting .400 every year. This difference is that the younger Serrano has the ability to pull the ball in the air with easy, lofted juice. In 12 games this event, he hit .419 with an OPS of 1.384 collecting 4 home runs and driving in 12 RBI. While he launched a couple of his round-trippers, a couple went out even though he didn’t totally catch them leaving you much anticipation for what to come.

Eli Jerzembeck, RHP, Charlotte, NC
No. 74 Draft Prospect
University of South Carolina

Scouting Report: Jerzembeck was a top-100 prospect coming out of high school and received plenty of interest professionally in his senior year. He has bloodlines, as his father Mike pitched in the Yankees organization for years and his ability to spin the baseball was unrivaled in his class. At 6-2/185 he added significant strength in his freshman campaign and saw an immediate uptick in velocity. Making 16 appearances with an ERA below 3.00 and collecting more than a strikeout per inning, he was on the fast track until being sidelined by an injury in 2023. When he was healthy, Jerzembeck’s fastball sat in the 92-95 mph range and would run a tick higher at times, setting up his mid-80s, 3000+ RPM slider that is a true wipeout pitch. He also refined his delivery, keeping on the plate with much better command and added in a changeup that became a weapon as well. Considered a tough sign out of high school, he went undrafted but if he is fully healthy this spring, he could go off the board late on Day 1 or early on Day 2.

First Impression: I got to see him make two appearances at the 2019 WWBA 15u National Championship. He was operating at a frenetic pace, and he would walk halfway to home plate to get the ball back from his catcher. He would then toe the rubber and seemingly not even get a sign before he had begun his delivery once again. Jerzembeck was high energy to say the least and I remember hearing the ball rip out of his fingers the first time I saw him throw a slider. His ability to spin the ball is elite; he seems to do it with ease and hitters really don’t stand a chance. He went a total of 9.0 IP over two games and punched out 7 batters without surrendering a free pass. He was a gangly 6-2/165 at the time and touching 90 mph, so you knew there was much more to come.
 

Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, OF, Greensboro, NC
No. 107 Draft Prospect
East Carolina University

Scouting Report: Super athletic for his length at 6-6/215, Jenkins-Cowart stepped onto the field his freshman year and made a massive impact immediately. His actions are smooth, and he plays with high energy and as if each game may be his last. Versatile defensively, he has shown the ability to handle any outfield position and was a fixture in the middle of the lineup as he hit .330 with 10 doubles, 13 home runs and led the team with 65 RBI in his freshman campaign. He didn’t quite duplicate those numbers in 2023 but still created a ton of offense for the Pirates. With his long levers, he shows the ability to keep the barrel in the zone for a long time and gets excellent extension through impact. Showing he can handle center field and with his track record offensively, Jenkins-Cowart should go off the board early on Day 2 at the worst in the coming MLB Draft.

First Impression: In 2019 I saw Jenkins-Cowart playing for Southeast Guilford HS at the Greensboro Grasshoppers stadium when he was a sophomore and even then, he looked like a man amongst boys. He was already 6-5/185 but moved with advanced dexterity and showed the dense, muscular strength that allowed him to control his long levers. I remember him having that special whip in his hands as he accelerated the bat head to impact. It seemed like he missed balls that still went farther than those squared up by the other players on the field that week. He played fast, always looked to take the extra base, and played with a tenacity that you knew would be a perfect fit for ECU.
 

Perry Hargett, IF, Peachland, NC
No. 160 Draft Prospect
Metrolina Christian Academy

Scouting Report: An elite athlete at 6-0/190, Hargett is already densely muscled with twitchy actions and is a legitimate 6.30 runner. He can stick in the middle of the field, whether that be at shortstop or in centerfield and the 95+ mph arm from the field is a real weapon. There is no doubt about his bat speed, and he has well above average power but how quickly the stick refines will determine how high he goes in the draft. There is a bit of swing and miss and he didn’t have the best year on the circuit batting .286 and only slugging .381 but the projection is there. Clubs will be in early to see Hargett and if he gets off to a hot start, he could play himself into an early Day 2 draft and have an interesting decision to make.

First Impression: The 2021 PG Sophomore Coastal Fall WWBA Championship was a great event, hosted at a fun venue in downtown Greensboro, NC. But full disclosure here, the roster of teams wasn’t the all-time best but that is what made Hargett, and his skillset jump up and smack me in the face. Not expecting to see this type of talent at this age group, Hargett was explosive on all sides of the ball. Batting leadoff, he already possessed high end bat speed, resulting in an .800 BA for the event with 6 runs, a home run and 6 RBI all told. Leaving the yard at the age of 15 with a wood bat in a spacious minor league ballpark definitely caught my attention.

Bryan Arendt, C, Holly Springs, NC
No. 198 Draft Prospect
UNC-Wilmington

Scouting Report: With the prototypical build for a backstop at 6-2/210, Arendt is a defense first prospect. He has refined his game behind the plate, with improved mobility and clean glove work as he presents a big target and expands the strike zone for his staff. His arm is his distinguishing tool with its elite strength and advanced accuracy as the ball explodes out of his hand. The arm alone neutralizes opposing teams from a base stealing standpoint, and he literally takes runs off the board due to this tool. The bat is the big question as he has only hit a combined .263 in his first two seasons with 7 home runs in over 200 at bats. He showed some good signs this summer in the Cape and if he puts together a solid spring and the power comes, he could push himself into an early Day 2 selection or better in July.

First Impression: Arendt was a player I missed for most of his career until catching him at the first ever MLB Combine in Cary, NC. He already looked the part physically and impressed with his ability to sit in deep behind the dish. But I distinctly remember his first pop-time and he unleashed a missile down to second base. The ball came out low and I assumed it would one hop the short stop, but it stayed on plane and literally handcuffed the sure handed fielder who’s name I won’t mention. Some catchers will grunt and groan in a workout to flash velocity and arm strength but Arendt did it with ease, showing off an elite tool.
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