Initial Georgia 2023 Rankings Released

September 2, 2019
Phil Kerber
PBR Georgia

They are a few weeks into their freshman year of high school, meaning it is time to open the book on Georgia's Class 2023. It is important to remember that the first iteration of a list like this is going to fluctuate as these freshman continue to grow, mature and develop. Regardless, as high-level prospect this age continue to pledge commitments earlier and earlier, it is time to reveal who the state’s top prospects are within the 2023 class.

After a full spring and summer season at LakePoint and covering the entire state, we have gathered enough information to produce a list of the top-25 prospects in Georgia's 2023 Class.

Debuting as the state’s top-ranked freshman prospect is SS Dylan Cupp (Cedartown; uncommitted). Cupp immediately stood out to our staff this spring at the Junior Future Games Identifier in late April. Cupp stands 6-foot-1, 165-pounds with a long, lean build; a high-waisted athlete he still has plenty of physical development to go. The game seems to move in slow motion for him. Sure-handed, he possesses soft, easy hands, playing extremely well on the move as he fields the ball with natural rhythm and out front. At the plate, he fills the role of leadoff hitter for East Cobb Astros, and Cedartown this coming spring, to a T. Seemingly on time with everything, the swing works loosely and is low-maintenance, generating above-average bat speed. His high-level hand-eye coupled with overall athleticism allows him to spray line drives all over the field. On top of all this, Cupp can hop on the mound and sit in the low-80s with a solid changeup. Overall, Cupp looks to be a premium national-caliber athlete who should be highly coveted in the coming years.

Dylan Cupp (4/30/19)

The top-10 table

RANK	NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
1	Dylan Cupp	GA	Cedartown	2023	SS
2	Cam Collier	GA	Mt. Paran	2023	SS/RHP	Louisville
3	Connor Crisp	GA	Locust Grove	2023	SS/RHP
4	Dylan Lonergan	GA	Brookwood	2023	RHP
5	Drew Burress	GA	Houston Coounty	2023	OF
6	Jake Hembree	GA	North Paulding	2023	LHP
7	Jake Lankie	GA	Blessed Trinity	2023	RHP
8	Justice Haynes	GA	Blessed Trinity	2023	LHP/OF
9	Cooper Milford	GA	Blessed Trinity	2023	OF
10	Daegan Strickland	GA	Savannah Christian Prep	2023	C

Coming in at No. 2 is a recent transplant from Illinois, SS/RHP Cam Collier (Mt. Paran; Louisville). Collier has been on our radar since early March when he lit up the Future Prospects Showcase hosted by PBR Illinois in March. The big-bodied left-handed hitter has a chance to be a real two-way threat given his already athletic and physical 6-foot, 190-pound frame. His loose, quick bat generates hard line drive contact. Given his present skill set and with further development, Collier has a chance to be a real power threat down the road. On the mound, he works with the same loose and quick actions exhibited at the plate. The fastball reached as high as 86 mph this summer at the National Program Invitational, with plenty more in the tank.

Cam Collier (6/2/19)

The next two prospects on the Georgia 2023 board are both right-handers making a name for themselves with elite fastballs: No. 3 SS/RHP Connor Crisp (Locust Grove; uncommitted) and No. 4 RHP Dylan Lonergan (Brookwood; uncommitted). Crisp has a power arm, pitching into the upper-80s, in addition to having the tools to be a serious two-way prospect with athletic defensive actions an aggressive line drive swing at the plate.

As for Lonergan, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder possesses premium arm strength with little effort in his delivery. Another standout at the Junior Future Games Identifier in April, Lonergan topped out at 87 mph. With a clean, full arm path, his arm works loose and athletic to a high ¾ slot. Balls come out super easy and repeats well, indicating Lonergan is just scratching the surface of his overall arm strength. The breaking ball has flashed signs of being a wipeout pitch in the future; presently he manipulates the pitch at 74-77 mph, when thrown aggressively it can be a devastating out-pitch.

Dylan Lonergan (4/30/19)

Rounding out the top-5 is OF Drew Burress (Houston County; uncommitted). Burress is an exciting spark plug type player at 5-foot-8, 155-pounds. His advanced athleticism profiles well in the outfield. At the plate, he has shown an advanced hit tool and some surprising pop with a smooth swing, as he rarely gets cheated.

Pitchers occupy the next three slots in our top-10 with No. 6 LHP Jake Hembree (North Paulding; uncommitted), No. 7 RHP Jake Lankie (Blessed Trinity; uncommitted) and No. 8 LHP/OF Justice Haynes (Blessed Trinity; uncommitted).

Hembree jumped up our list with his impressive performance at the PBR National Championships in July. The southpaw is equipped with a loose, whip-like arm action, finishing all the way across his back to maximize extension and spin. The fastball presently plays at 84 mph, but with much more development to come, Hembree will continue to add velocity. The real revelation was his sharp breaking ball that sat in the low 70s with an astonishing 2700 rpm spin rate.

Three Blessed Trinity teammates appear in our list back-to-back-to-back starting with Lankie. Lankie adds to the list of standouts from the Junior Future Games Identifier in April to appear in our top-10. The 6-foot, 145-pounder has a lean, wiry frame that has plenty of room for more physicality. Despite his age, Lankie already has feel for a three-pitch mix and one of the best repertoires we have seen in this class. The fastball ranges 80-84, locating to both sides of the plate. Confident with his curveball at 71-74 and a low, sinking changeup at 70. Haynes is an impressive two-way talent, from the left-side, at 5-foot-10, 170-pounds. His present arm strength and hitting ability will make him a feared two-way for years to come.

Jake Lankie (4/30/19)

The second primary outfielder to grace our rankings comes in at No. 9, OF Cooper Milford (Blessed Trinity; uncommitted). Milford was a standout all spring/summer with Team Georgia. A high energy, projectable athlete at 6-foot, 150-pounds with lots of room to fill out down the road. Milford consistently produced line drive contact with an aggressive swing. His overall barrel control and quick hands will make him a gap-to-gap threat in the future.

Cooper Milford (6/20/19)

Capping off our top-10 is C Daegan Strickland (Savannah Christian Prep; uncommitted). Strickland has an advanced frame at 5-foot-10, 165-pounds with strength and athleticism throughout. Behind the dish, he possesses top-end catch and throw skills and an overall good feel for the defensive game. At the plate, his frame lends itself to big time power potential.

Complete Class of 2023 Rankings

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