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2011 Top Prospects

Connor Lynch  C - 2011 - Marietta, GA
Georgia Tech

Lynch is a very athletic 6-0, 185 lb catcher who grades out as one of the top defensive catcher's in the country. He's cat quick in his blocking skills and his plus arm register's regular 1.8 - 1.9 pop times. Lynch has some power in his bat but is most effective keeping his swing short and driving line drives to the gaps.

Nelson Ward  SS - 2011 - Marietta, GA
Georgia

Ward is an outstanding defensive shortstop with excellent quickness and actions and plenty of arm strength to stay at shortstop at the upper levels. His left handed swing is short and quick and his 6.6 speed gives him an added offensive dimension.

Nick Jones  RHP - 2011 - Woodstock, GA
UNC-Greensboro

The 6-4, 195 lb Jones has recovered very well from ACL surgery that cost him most of his 2010 season. He topped out at 90 mph with a loose, easy arm action and also threw a 74 mph curveball and a developing change up. Jones is a good athlete who ran a 6.77 60 and has some power in his bat, a good sign for his projection on the mound.

Jared Walsh  1B - 2011 - Duluth, GA
Georgia

The 6-1, 195 lb Walsh and Ben Lumsden (see below) are very similar left handed pitching prospects, with Walsh having the edge due to a better breaking ball. Like Lumsden, Walsh has excellent mound presence and a mature idea how to mix his pitches and his spots.

Kyle Streicher  OF - 2011 - Grayson, GA
Georgia Southern

Streicher has a slender 6-0, 170 lb build that packs more strength than it appears. He's a 6.64 runner with top level defensive tools in centerfield. His wiry strength comes through in his quick right handed swing and the ball comes off his bat hard.

Ben Lumsden  RHP - 2011 - Dallas, GA
Mercer

Lumsden has a strong, mature build at 6-3, 220 and a loose and strong left arm. He has a steady upper 80's fastball that has heavy sinking action at the plate and a nice change up that he throws with ideal arm speed and release point in relation to his fastball. How well Lumsden develops his curveball is the next step in his development.

Heath Holder  OF - 2011 - Loganville, GA
Georgia

The 6-4, 215 lb Holder has excellent raw strength and projects as a middle of the order run producer at the next level. His right handed swing has nice extension and bat speed thru contact, although he'll have to develop a more effective trigger when facing better stuff on a consistent basis.

Stephen Collum  RHP - 2011 - Cartersville, GA
Georgia Highlands

The 6-3, 180 lb Collum is a nice pitching prospect but grades out just as highly as an infield/outfield prospect. Off the mound he throws 84-86 mph with a nice mid 70's slider and plus command potential. Collum has very good bat speed from both sides of the plate as a switch-hitter and the tools to become an above average third baseman defensively.

Jerad Curry  C - 2011 - Buford, GA
Chipola College

Curry showed some of the top bat speed and power potential of any player at the showcase, including blasting a long home run in one of the showcase games. He still has raw actions behind the plate and may end up at a corner infield position, but his bat should be more than enough to carry him there.

Alex Herceg  C - 2011 - Jackson, NJ
Uncommitted

Herceg is a very fundamentally sound catcher and hitter with some quick twitch athletic ability. His footwork and release are very simple and efficient, as is his swing at the plate. He should continue to improve as he adds strength to his 6-0, 170 lb frame.

Christopher Long  RHP - 2011 - Zebulon, GA
Darton College

Long is a one-man roster, as he shows prospect level tools in the middle infield, in the outfield and behind the plate. He shows the most long term potential behind the plate. To add to his versatility, Long is also a swing hitter with nice power in his bat from the right side.

Casey Gibson  SS - 2011 - Fort Myers, FL
Air Force

Gibson couldn't throw because of a tender elbow but everything else in his athletic package points to a top prospect. He's a 6.88 runner with very quick and confident actions in the infield and it looks like his bat will be a plus as a middle infielder.

Zac Freeman  OF - 2011 - Lake Park, GA
Georgia/Middle Georgia State University

Freeman isn't a big athlete at 5-10, 175 lbs but his left handed swing packs plenty of bat speed and gap power. He has an advanced ability to square up good pitching and put together consistent quality at bats. Freeman is also a 6.8 runner with solid defensive instincts.

Patrick Kulick  LHP - 2011 - Coral Springs, FL
Miami

The 6-1, 200 lb Kulick had one of the strongest arms at the event, throwing consistently in the 87-89 mph range. He still needs plenty of work on his curveball to get hitters out at the next level but flashes the ability to spin the ball. Kulick also showed plus power in his left handed bat.

Jared Cheek  C - 2011 - Buckhead, GA
Uncommitted

The 6-0, 160 lb Cheek has outstanding raw arm strength, throwing 84 mph from behind the plate in drills with a best pop time of 1.82. He was up to 87 mph off the mound with a smooth delivery and projects to add more velocity in the future. Cheeks ceiling as a catching prospect will depend on how he develops his switch-hitting skills as a hitter

Ryan Whaley  OF - 2011 - Pompano Beach, FL
Uncommitted

Whaley is a strong and physically mature 6-1, 190 lb outfielder with 6.85 speed and a very strong outfield arm. He has good present bat speed from the right side and shows the ability to stay on the ball for a long time and drive it hard to the opposite field.

John Holland  MIF - 2011 - Johns Creek, GA
Florida State

Holland, a Florida State commit, has a very smooth left handed swing that should continue to improve as he adds strength to his 5-10, 165 lb frame. Holland will likely end up at second base at the next level, where he has easy, well balanced actions and quick hands.

Nate Kuhns  SS - 2011 - Aiken, SC
Coastal Carolina

Kuhns relative arm strength likely makes him a second baseman at the next level but his smooth actions and 6.84 speed will make him a very capable defender at that position. His best tool, however, is his right handed bat, which combines a short, quick path to the ball and nice power potential.

Adrian Farris  2B - 2011 - Lawrenceville, GA
Appalachian State/Louisburg College

The 6-0, 185 lb Farris has a nice well rounded set of tools, including 6.94 speed and a strong right handed swing that shows plenty of power potential from a simple, quiet hitting approach.

Kenny Reeves  C - 2011 - Sharpsburg, GA
Uncommitted

Reeves is much more athletic than his 5-10, 205 lb frame would indicate and he looked good at third base in addition to standing out behind the plate. He has a loose and extended swing at the plate and nice power potential.

Jarmani Conway  SS - 2011 - Atlanta, GA
Uncommitted

The 6-2, 170 lb Conway is a very projectable 6-2, 170 lb athlete. He has nice natural hitting tools with quick hands and deceiving strength, which give him the ability to hit the ball hard to all fields. He's a playmaker defensively and could end up at any of the three infield positions eventually.

Sam Howard  LHP - 2011 - Cartersville, GA
Georgia Southern

Howard is a very slender and projectable 6-3, 155 lb left hander with smooth pitching mechanics and an easy arm. He topped out at 85 mph with very nice feel for his change up and a consistent curveball that will add more power with his fastball.

Jared Shelton  MIF - 2011 - Columbus, MS
Wallace State CC-Hanceville

Shelton isn't overly blessed with raw tools but he has outstanding actions in all areas of the game. Because he is so advanced with the bat he projects as an offensive minded second baseman at the next level.

T J Montgomery  LHP - 2011 - Rockmart, GA
Uncommitted

Montgomery is a 6-5, 190 lb left hander who throws from an easy low 3/4's release point. He topped out at 84 mph on his fastball and had a sharp slurve type 73 mph breaking ball. He should keep improving with more strength and physical maturity.

Kelend Smith  1B - 2011 - Pleasant Grove, AL
Uncommitted

Smith is a man of a physical speciman at 6-2, 255 lbs with lots of that weight and strength in his upper body. He has a surprisingly loose, easy and short swing for his body type and the ball understandably explodes off his bat. He's not consistent in his swing mechanics yet but the tools are there to be an impact hitter.