South AL Preseason All-State: Quick Hits, Infielders
January 15, 2025
ORANGE BEACH, AL - The South AL Preseason All-State, one of the top events of the year, was held on Sunday, January 12th at Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, AL. This event was an invite-only event that consisted of prospects from the 2025-2029 classes. These players went through extended pro-style workout that included batting practice using Trackman and Blast Motion, ran the 60-yard dash using VALD Performance, and much more. Pitchers were able to throw in simulated bullpens during the workout and were able to get numbers and metrics off of our Trackman unit, such as pitch velocity, spin rate, horizontal & vertical movement & much more. There were some players who showed up and continued to build off of prior performances, but there were also some new names who jumped onto our radar with a strong showing on Sunday.
Continuing our post-event coverage for this event, we continue our Quick Hits edition by highlighting some of the top infielders in attendance at the event. Please continue to check back over the next week, as we will release other leaderboards and individual scouting reports on each player present at the event.
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Jaxson Wood SS / 2B / Hoover, AL / 2026Tennessee recruit. 5-foot-8, 156-pounds. Athletic build with some present strength. One of the more highly-touted infielders in the country in the 2026 class and ranked No. 3 overall in Alabama. A notable standout at last week's Birmingham Preseason ID, Wood continued to show what makes him such a prized recruit with another stellar showing at this event. Possesses advanced offense ability from the right side with a high-level hit tool and some more power continuing to show up in his offensive profile. Has plenty of balance and athleticism in his right-handed stance and has the ability to create space and separate well during his load. Uses a quicker leg kick that gets down on-time and works the barrel on an upward path through the zone. Looking to drive gap-to-gap within his approach, the right-hander possesses some elite hand and bat quickness, and also led the event with a 25.1 G average rotational acceleration which allows him to generate plenty of force in his lower-half during his swing. Recorded a 91% hard-hit percentage during his round of BP, and peaked at a 99.1 mph EV while averaging 94.6 mph, an event-best. On the infield, he possesses quick, athletic footwork and pairs it with a reliable glove and lateral range. Has the ability to stick at shortstop for the time being, but could easily make the move to second base in the future with an 89 mph arm across the infield. Also clocked a 6.69 60-yard dash, another event-best.
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Braylon Nelson SS / Lighthouse Christian Academy, FL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 69 / POS: 12
Florida State recruit. 6-foot-5, 217-pounds. Towering, imposing frame with scattered strength and some room to continue to add. One of the top infielders in Florida's 2026 class. Offensive-minded prospect with huge power upside and the ability to impact the baseball at a high-level with easy juice. Hits from a square, balanced right-handed stance with weight shifted on back-side. Utilizies a simple, quick load for timing trigger with not much wasted movements throughout. Has a fluid right-handed swing with the ability to generate high exits with ease using a gap-to-gap approach. Barrel works on a mostly upward path through the zone and allows him to create some lift and impact it to the pull-side for power. Ball jumps off different when squared up, and peaked at 101.8 mph during his round of BP, an event-best. On the infield, Nelson has long, rangy movements and glides laterally well for a prospect of his size. Possibly projects more as a corner defender given his stature, but moves well and has some arm strength. Just went through the workout as a primary infielder, but also possesses some two-way ability, as well.
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Marcus Lawler INF / Oxford, AL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 32 / POS: 1
Uncommitted. 5-foot-8, 164-pounds. Compact, physical build with athleticism. A former Prep Baseball Future Games attendee from this past summer and ranked inside the top-35 in the 2026 class in AL. Stands smaller in the stature, but possesses impressive gap power for his size. Offensive-minded prospect right now with ability to flash some hit tool and slug some. Hits from an upright stance with hands slotted higher. Uses a controlled leg kick for timing and keeps weight shifted on his back-side throughout the swing. Barrel works uphill through the zone while using a strong lower-half to drive the baseball gap-to-gap. Has present bat speed and some hand quickness, but controls the barrel well through contact. Consistently on the barrel throughout his round of BP, posting a top EV of 94.8 mph. Defensively, Lawler profiles as a second baseman with quality skills and athleticism. Can move laterally well with smooth hands on the infield. Also clocked a 7.20 60-yard dash and peaked at 88 mph across the infield. One of the top performers for Team Alabama at this summer's Future Games, and should be a name to follow moving forward this spring.
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Judson Harris SS / Gulf Shores, AL / 2027Uncommitted. 5-foot-10, 149-pounds. Lean, wiry build with room to add future strength. Ranked inside the top-10 in the 2027 class in AL. A star multi-sport prospect who has already competed at a high-level as a freshman both in baseball and in football, serving as a starter in both sports, including quarterback on the gridiron. Harris is a high-level athlete that seems to excel at most things on the diamond and starred at multiple stations of this event's workout. Hitting from a slightly-open stance, Harris has good rhythm pre-pitch and uses a medium leg kick for timing. He generates some strength from the ground-up and uses his lower-half well to help him drive the ball with a line-drive approach. Barrel works upward through contact with some ability to lift for power to the pull-side gap. Has a strong top-hand with some bat speed. Posted a top EV of 94.3 mph during his round of BP. Defensively, he has enough athleticism to stick on the left side of the infield, and has also shown the ability to play some outfield, as well. Worked up to 84 mph across the infield and clocked a 7.21 60-yard dash.
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Xander Hughes SS / RHP / Oak Mountain, AL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 29 / POS: 7
Uncommitted. 6-foot-0, 159-pounds. Athletic, wiry with plenty of room to add future mass. Lean frame, but still strong enough to generate some pop from the right side of the plate. A notable two-way prospect ranked inside the top-50 in the 2026 class in AL, but showed off his positional ability at this weekend's event and was a standout at a few stations of the workout. Utilizies an upright, slightly-open setup and works back square using a medium stride. Coils his barrel during his load, and is quick getting it to the point of contact while staying short with his swing. Has consistent two-handed finishes with some premium hand speed, leading the event with an average of 23.4 mph. Guides the barrel through the zone with ability to change planes some, and does a good job of staying balanced throughout. Posted a top EV of 98.3 mph with a chance for higher exits as he adds strength. Primary shortstop defensively with adequate athleticism and arm strength (86 mph) across for the position. Also clocked a 7.22 60-yard dash during the event. Name to follow this spring.
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Dylan Ackerman 1B / RHP / Daphne, AL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 153 / POS: 10
Uncommitted. 6-foot-1, 216-pounds. Mature, physical build with proportional strength. Talented two-way prospect who some upside on both sides of the ball. One of the top uncommitted first baseman in the 2025 class in AL and has seen a recent jump in velocity on the mound heading into his senior season. Offensively, Ackerman hits from a narrow base and in an upright position from the left side of the plate, and looks to drive to the pull-side gap with each swing. He possesses a simple operation with a shorter stride for timing/load, and works the barrel on an upward path with consistent two-handed finishes. Uses the back-side and stronger lower-half well to impact the baseball, and posted a top EV of 92.2 mph during his round of BP. On the mound, he's equally as intriguing with a fastball that peaked at 87.0 mph while ranging 83-86 mph. He gets good ride and some arm-side action to the pitch, as well. Spins a slider ranging 72-73 mph witih good conviction and late bite to it while averaging 2330 RPM of spin. Can also turn over a 73-75 mph changeup well with diving action as a third offering. Real ease of effort delivery and comes out clean out of the hand. Repeats mechanics well and lived in the strike zone with all three offerings.
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Rhys Jones INF / Spain Park, AL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 60 / POS: 12
Uncommitted. 5-foot-7, 152-pounds. Smaller, athletic build with some added strength. A top-60 ranked prospect in the 2026 class in AL. A consistent in-game performer who plays the game with tons of confidence and moxie. May not boast the flashiest tools of some higher caliber prospects, but is a flat gamer who plays the game hard and makes an impact on the game in a variety of ways. Well-rounded, polished approach from the right side of the plate. Balanced offensive setup with some coil and separation of the hands during his load. Short and quick to contact using a level path, allowing him to drive line drives to all parts of the field with consistency. Fundamental swing with a strong understanding and feel for the sweet spot of the barrel. Posted a top EV of 90.6 mph while consistently lining firm contact back up the middle and to the back of the net during his round of BP. Excellent footwork and a reliable glove on the infield. Projects to be more of second baseman at the next level but has the versatility to play numerous positions. Posted an 87 mph infield velocity and an 88 mph OF velocity. Clocked a 7.23 60-yard dash, as well.
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Bryon Martin INF / Fairhope, AL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 57 / POS: 3
Uncommitted. 5-foot-7, 146-pounds. Smaller frame with an uber-athletic skill set. Another gamer-type prospect who can affect the game in plenty of ways on the diamond using his athleticism and in-game performance with the bat. Slightly-crouched stance with a lower hand-set during pre-pitch. Pushes hands back during his load while maintaining his weight on his back-side well. Turns the barrel with good intent using a knob-led path to contact. Stays balanced throughout his swing with good athleticism. Clean barrel path through the zone allows him to square up balls routinely during his round of BP. Another versatile defender that can play a number of positions defensively. Posted a top EV of 89.9 mph with consistent firm line drives to all parts of the field. Didn't run during the workout, but has been clocked as low as 6.42 in the 60-yard dash at prior events.
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Upcoming Preseason Events
SHOWCASE | DATE | LOCATION |
North AL Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) | January 18th, 2025 | Hartselle HS Indoor (Hartselle, AL) |
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