Prep Baseball Report

Underclass Invitational Analysis: Outfielders


Phil Kerber
Georgia Scouting Director



PBR Georgia's first ever
Underclass Invitational took place on Jan. 12 at Mike Cameron Baseball Academy in Stockbridge, GA. The event brought together some of the top 2022 and 2023 prospects in the state of Georgia for a pro-style workout. Today, we will be spending some time highlighting the best things we saw from Sunday in the form of our Quick Hits post.

We already took a look at the top statistical performers with leaderboards and full stats on every prospect in attendance in our Statistical Analysis. We followed our release of the stats by giving our instant reaction and thoughts from the day's events in the form of a Quick Hits story. We continue our event analysis with a look at a loaded group of outfielders who were in attendance. 

Top Prospects

Gage Harrelson OF / LHP / Houston County, GA / 2022

6-foot-3, 175-pound left-handed hitting outfielder, long, athletic frame, projectable build, as he fills out with strength will add even more power to his entire game. Showed off his athleticism in all facets of his game. At the plate, balanced setup, reverse toe-tap stride, hands load back smoothly, great balance throughout. Whip-like bat speed, barrel path is mostly level, short to the zone, quick, explosive hands, line drive type hitter who can use the whole field, as he matures will have the ability to drive the ball with power to all fields, 86 exit velocity off a tee. Defensively, a natural center fielder, arm works quick and loose with some length to an over-the-top slot, throws are true with back spin, does a good job of getting downhill, 85 from the outfield. Plays through the ball athletically with quick feet and quick exchanges, gets to the ball out front, losing zero momentum.

Stan Zagrodnik OF / LHP / Buford, GA / 2022

6-foot-1, 175-pound right-handed hitting, left-handed throwing outfielder, broad shoulders, athletically built, strong lower half. Offensively, balanced setup, strides out to a wide position, hands load back, keeps barrel upright, some barrel wrap, explosive lower half, balanced through contact. Easy effort in swing, advanced bat speed as he looks to elevate the ball, drives the ball to all fields, 91 exit velocity. Defensively, arm works loose and athletically to a high ¾ slot, ball comes out of hand hot, keeps throws low and on a line, 87 from the outfield. Fields position athletically, plays through the ball, clean footwork, fields the ball out front, quick on exchanges, utilizes a crow hop, falling off towards glove-side.

Jayce Blalock OF / OF / Trinity Christian, GA / 2022

5-foot-9, 183-pound right-handed hitting outfielder, athletically built, advanced strength throughout his entire frame that he uses exceptionally well at the plate. There is no better word to describe Blalock than gamer. We have seen him multiple times, in-game, rise to the occasion and deliver a big time power hit. Offensively, balanced setup, leg lift stride, loads weight back and drops hands on load, good balance, finishes leaning back some through contact. Swings with aggressive intent at the plate, looking to drive the ball with violent force, has a controlled power approach at the plate, working gap-to-gap, 82 exit velocity. Defensively, clean arm action, draws the ball straight back and accelerates quickly to release, throws are true and accurate, 83 from the outfield. Attacks the ball, playing through athletically with soft hands and clean footwork.

Bryant Herring OF / Dutchtown, GA / 2021

5-foot-9, 160-pound left-handed hitting outfielder, highly athletic prospect with developing strength in all areas of his game. Has made impressive improvements in his entire game since the Future Games. At the plate, he has a simple setup, and a consistent approach. He is steadily progressing from a line drive hitter to one that can drive the ball into the gaps with an easy effort swing, posted a personal-best 91 mph exit velocity off a tee. In the outfield, he is as fundamental as they come, everything works on-line as he fields out front and plays through the ball. His throws are true with back spin and accurate at 85 mph. His natural foot speed allows him to cover ground at a high rate in the outfield and be a threat on the base paths to take extra bags and steal bases.

Bryce Clavon SS / OF / Dutchtown Middle, GA / 2024

Oklahoma commit. 5-foot-11, 160-pound right-handed hitting middle infielder and outfielder, an elite athlete, built with quick twitch muscle, his present ability will make him a highly sought after prospect, and he is one of the most projectable prospects in his class that we have come across with years of development still ahead. He possesses an advanced feel for the barrel and present strength at the plate, aggressive intent, explosive upper half drives the ball, 77 exit velocity off a tee. Balanced setup, leg kick timing trigger, hands start back and load smoothly, good balance throughout. Defensively, has the athleticism and feel to be a future shortstop or center fielder at the next level, arm works short and loose from a mostly over-the-top slot, 80 across the diamond, 84 from the outfield. Quick, fluid actions when fielding the ball, fundamentally sound, keeps the ball out front and plays through it. A high follow prospect. 

Best of the Rest (Listed Alphabetically)

Tyrus Cobb, OF, Locust Grove, 2022
5-foot-9, 165-pound right-handed hitting, left-handed throwing outfielder, strong build especially in his lower-half, quick foot speed, has posted 4.00 home to first times in a game. Offensively, keeps it simple at the plate, wider setup, leg lift stride, short hand load back, great balance throughout, front-side has some break to it on follow through. Consistent line drive approach, barrel works level through the zone, 80 exit velocity off a tee. Given his natural foot speed, Cobb can pepper the field and then put pressure on the defense. Defensively, smooth actions, plays through the ball, one of the most accurate arms from the outfield in attendance, put every ball on target, arm works long and loose, 84 mph.

Colton Daniels, OF, Emanuel County Institute, 2022
5-foot-8, 160-pound right-handed hitting outfielder, athletically built, proportional frame, quick foot speed. Offensively, balanced setup, loads hands back smoothly, short stride, good balance, stays closed on front-side. Gap-to-gap type hitter, lets pitches travel, showed the ability to drive the ball, good angle on swing plane, 87 exit velocity off a tee. Defensively, full arm swing, some pie action on the back-side, over-the-top slot, 80 from the outfield. Plays through the ball athletically, loses no rhythm as he fields the ball and makes transfers, clean footwork.

Santegus Dennis, OF, Walker School, 2023
6-foot, 166-pound right-handed hitting outfielder, long, lanky athletic frame, naturally quick runner. Offensively, open setup, short stride to balanced, hand load back to a near arm bar, finishes leaning back onto back-side. Some quickness in barrel, line drive type hitter, keeps shoulders closed and on a downhill angle, 85 exit velocity off tee. Defensively, a raw athlete, arm works long to an over-the-top slot, some stiffness and jerky actions, gets on top of the ball more times than not, 79 mph. Fields position consistently, flys through the ball with clean footwork and transfers.

Max Eubanks, OF, Flowery Branch, 2023
6-foot, 180-pound right-handed hitting outfielder, long, lean frame, projectable build. Offensively, balanced setup, short stride, short, smooth hand load block, good balance. Line drive type hitter, barrel path is mostly level, can get steep at-times and hit down on the ball producing ground balls, some whippy barrel speed, 73 exit velocity. Defensively, long arm action, quick acceleration to release from a ¾ slot, ball comes out of the hand hot, 80 from the outfield. Projects to be a corner outfielder, developing feel for glove-hand, clean footwork and transfers, has a tendency to do a short pack.

Luke Fernandez, RHP/OF, West Forsyth, 2022
6-foot-3, 190-pound right-handed pitcher and outfielder, strong, projectable frame, strength throughout, has been highly thought of on the mound since his freshman year at West Forsyth. Showed more polish and command of his stuff during the event. Arm works clean and loose on the back-side, accelerates quickly with whip-like action through a high ¾ slot. Drop and drive delivery, gets into his powerful lower half, working on-line towards home. Fastball sat 87-88, gets on top of, working downhill with, controls the zone. Changeup, flashed fade and sink action, 76-81. Curveball, 68-72, true out-pitch, sharp 11/5 action, has shown a consistent ability to get swing and misses with in-game. Offensively, balanced setup, leg lift stride, hands load back smoothly, stays balanced. Takes a power approach, keeps hands inside, working the middle and pull side, elevates with force, 89 exit velocity off a tee. Defensively, big arm strength, arm action works similarly as off the mound, 93 from the outfield. Profiles as a corner outfielder, keeps the ball in front, fielding towards glove-side of the body.

Cody Funk, OF, Union Grove, 2022
5-foot-10, 145-pound right-handed hitting outfielder, long, lean frame, high waisted. Offensively, open setup, quick leg kick timing trigger, hands load back into an arm bar, finishes leaning back through contact, somewhat abrupt actions leading up to contact. Barrel works mostly level through the zone, produced loft, gap-to-gap type hitter, featured some aggression in his swing, feasted on pitches in the lower half of the zone, driving them back up the middle, 81 exit velocity off a tee. Defensively, clean arm action to a ¾ slot, some inconsistencies on release point, 83 from the outfield. An apt fielder, clean footwork, fields the ball on glove-side more times than not.

Garrett Garner, OF, Franklin County, 2023
6-foot-2, 170-pound right-handed hitting outfielder, has a frame that you can dream on, lean with broad shoulders, potential to add a ton of strength. It is already evident that he has a powerful, loose arm, given his 84 mph throws from the outfield (has been 87 from the outfield previously). Arm works short and loose to an over-the-top slot, really pulls down on the ball with his throws. Moves well for his size, projecting as a corner outfielder as he matures, fields out front, playing through the ball. Offensively, open setup, longer stride towards the plate, does a good job maintaining balance, leans back through contact. Has a smooth swing, handles the bat with aggression using his long arms to gain some extension, his hands work athletically with present bat speed, producing line drive contact, 77 exit velocity. As he continues to physically develop and add to his frame look for Garner to add major power to his swing.

Reid Harvey, SS/OF/RHP, Thomas County Central, 2023
6-foot-1, 180-pound right-handed utility prospect, athletically built with broad shoulders, will only continue to fill out as he matures and hits the weight room, projectable. At the plate, balanced setup, low reverse leg sweep stride, hands load back smoothly, great balance. Fluid swing, fundamentally sound, gets hands out front and drives the ball gap-to-gap, easy effort throughout, 88 exit velocity off a tee. Defensively, arm works clean, keeps it shorter with throws on the infield, works to an over-the-top slot the majority of the time, can drop down and successfully make throws, 75 across the infield, 83 from the outfield, much more in the tank though. Athletic fielder, soft glove work, clean footwork, gets the ball out quick on transfers to release on the infield. On the mound, full arm swing on the back side, shows low and wide, is able to get out front and work down on the ball. Drop and drive delivery, works on-line, finishes square to home. Fastball sat 76-78, topped out at 79, some armside run. Curveball, 12/6 shape, depth and some late action to it, at its best when he is able to get out front with it, at-times can get backed up on him, 64-66. Changeup, good feel for the pitch, fade action, swing and miss type pitch when it gets down in the zone, 64-65.

Bryce Herring, MIF/OF, Dutchtown, 2024
5-foot-5, 110-pound right-handed hitting middle infielder and outfielder, younger brother of 2019 Future Games participant OF Bryant Herring, still has an enormous amount of time to physically develop, strength and size will come, showed a good fundamental understanding of the game. Offensively, balanced setup, short stride, hands load back smoothly, good balance through contact. Has an advanced feel for the barrel for his age, uses the whole field with a line drive approach, 73 exit velocity off a tee. Defensively, arm works short and loose from both the infield and outfield, 69 across the diamond and 72 from the outfield. Plays through the ball well, natural actions in the outfield, soft hands work quick on transfers, fluid footwork.

Matthew Hoskins, OF/RHP, Peachtree Ridge, 2022
6-foot-1, 190-pound right-handed hitting outfielder and right-handed pitcher, broad shoulders, strength throughout frame, especially in his lower half. At the plate, athletic, crouching setup, short stride, hands load deep onto back-side into a near arm bar, finishes on back half. Barrel path is mostly uphill elevating the ball, when on time is able to gain extension and drive the ball with force gap-to-gap, 89 exit velocity off a tee, at-times will cut himself off, resulting in hard hit line drive contact. Defensively, full arm swing on the back-side to a ¾ slot, keeps throws low and on a line, 88 from the outfield. Clean footwork, plays through the ball, fields on glove-side, utilizes a crow hop, adding more strength to his throws. On the mound, long arm action, some wrist cupping on the back-side, quick arm action allows to get out front on-time to a ¾ slot, cross body. Stay tall in his delivery, works on-line, lands with lower half open, finishes upright. Fastball sat 83-84, ramped it up to 87 to close out bullpen, mostly straight. Curveball, 10/4 shape, depth with some bite, showed the ability to bend pitches onto the corners, 67-68. Changeup, fade action, 75-77, still gaining feel for pitch.

Christian Jackson, SS/OF, Dutchtown, 2022
East Georgia State JC commit. 6-foot-1, 175-pound right-handed hitting utility player, a natural athlete, has a chance to be a middle infielder, outfielder or two-way prospect at the next level. Offensively, balanced, high leg lift stride, hands start back, upper half crouches over the plate, good balance. Line drive type approach at the plate, consistently worked the middle and opposite field with hard hit balls, 86 exit velocity off a tee. Defensively, has a quick, whip like arm action, throws carry with much more to come as he gets more physical, 81 across the infield, 84 from the outfield. His athleticism lends itself both up the middle and in the outfield. A smooth infielder, quick footwork and transfers, showed great body control on slow roller. In the outfield, keeps everything in front and on line, playing through the ball.

McDonald McCommons, UTL, Lake Oconee, 2022
6-foot, 185-pound right-handed hitting utility man, athletically built, strength in frame, a true jack of all trades displaying the arm strength to play anywhere on the diamond. Offensively, open setup, hand load back deep, short stride, finishes over the plate. Takes a line drive approach, swing path is level through the zone, whippy bat speed, drives the ball back up the middle, 78 exit velocity. Defensively, similar arm actions on the infield and behind the plate, short with some loading on the back-side, whips through an over-the-top slot, 84 across the infield and 80 out of the crouch. From the outfield, keeps his arm speed while lengthening it out, 88 from the outfield. Plays through the ball athletically, keeps his feet under him and fields the ball out front, fluid footwork and transfers, pop times ranged 2.01-2.11. On the mound, arm works very short with little action on the back-side out of an over-the-top slot, quick arm speed. Tall and fall delivery, stays tall throughout, works on-line, lands square, finishes square to home. Fastball sat 81-83, touched 86,good angle on the pitch, arm-side run. Cutter, 78-79, tight sweeping action, will create weak contact with pitch. Curveball, 11/5 shape, still a developing pitch, 75. Changeup, 74-78, sinking action when down in the zone, has tendency to straighten out when up in the zone.

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