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Top Prospect Games: Underclass Quick Hits

June 12, 2023
By: Diego Solares
Area Scout, Illinois & Missouri

On Tuesday, June 6th, the PBR Missouri staff traveled to Atkins Field in Columbia, MO, to host the annual Top Prospect Games: Underclass event. This invite-only event featured some of the state’s top 2025, 2026, and 2027 graduates, and those in attendance will participate in a pro-style workout, followed by a simulated game. 

Over the years, this event has provided our staff with an up-close look at some of the state’s premier underclass talent. These ‘Top Prospect’ events, like all of our PBR showcases, serve as identifiers for future invite-only events, like the PBR Future Games. 

To see the full rosters from the event, click HERE.

Today, after compiling our notes and digesting the day as a whole, we’ve put together these ‘Quick Hits’ to shine some light on some of the day’s top performers. Below you’ll learn more about a few names-to-know from our trip to Columbia.

2025

+ Perhaps the day’s biggest winner was OF Ryan Bradford (Seckman), who showed well in the event’s workout portion, as well as during the game. A muscled-up 5-foot-10, 175-pound athlete, Bradford started his day by running a 7.01 60-yard dash, which was one of the day’s fastest times. He hammered balls deep into the right-center gap in batting practice, averaging an event-high 298 feet per batted ball, while peaking at 343 feet, per TrackMan. His 94.2 mph max exit velocity was amongst the day’s highest marks, averaging 86.1 mph per batted ball. Bradford’s feel to hit showed in-game, as he hammered three balls with authority, including two stand-up doubles to the opposite field. He’ll begin his summer circuit with a major arrow-up next to his name and is a high-follow prospect in Missouri’s 2025 group.


+ Fresh off a state championship with Festus, OF Brady Nolen (2025) was another winner from Tuesday’s trip to Columbia. At 6-foot, 180-pounds, Nolen ran the day’s fastest 60-yard dash (6.66) and also hurled the firmest bullet from the outfield (88 mph). His 89.6 mph average exit velocity was amongst the event’s highest, peaking at 92.5 mph on his hardest barrel. Also a football player, Nolen is a high level, impact-type athlete that’s headed into his junior year.


+ We’ve always known RHP Tanner Graham (Hickman, 2025) for his aptitude to pitch, and the 6-foot-1, 200-pound soon-to-be junior only solidified that sentiment last week. In his lone inning of work, Graham pounded the strike zone with three pitches, starting with a lively 86-87 mph fastball that showed both rise (20.3 IVB) and run (17.2 HM) at peak. He spun two different breaking balls; a softer, more gradually spun 69-72 mph curveball that averaged 2452 RPM and a tighter, bullet-like slider at 75-77 mph that spun at 2374 RPM on average. A simple, low-effort mover down the mound, Graham’s stuff should keep ticking up as he gets older, raising his ceiling on the mound as a result.


+ 1B Garretson Cook (Bolivar, 2025) is a physical 6-foot-2, 235-pound left-handed hitter that swung one of the loudest barrels in attendance. Cook launched his furthest ball at 346 feet, a pulled fly ball that easily cleared the right-center fence, and his 98.4 mph peak exit velocity was the day’s loudest barrel.


+ RHP Calen Jones (Hellas Catholic, 2025) came away from his PBR debut a winner after an upside showing on the mound. Jones stands at a lean, projetable 6-foot, 170-pounds with a loose, quick arm that finishes out of a clean high ¾ window. His fastball played in the low-80s, touching 85.1 mph, with hard run and sink at times (20.7 HM peak). Jones turned to a low-70s breaking ball aside from his heater, landing it around the zone on occasion.


+ An upside two-way name to follow from this event is 6-foot-2, 175-pound LHP/OF Landon Martin (Lafayette, 2025). Offensively, the left-handed hitter primarily elevated baseballs to the pull-side in BP and utilized his long limbs to create leverage that way. He averaged 285 feet per batted ball, peaking at 340 feet, and was on the barrel with regularity (71%), too. Martin hopped on the mound later on and featured a low-80s fastball from a whippy ¾ slot, spotting a mid-to-high-60s breaking ball for strikes as well.

+ 1B Matthew States (Father Tolton Catholic, 2025) took the most polished round of BP we’ve seen from him to date. States peppered the pull-side with line drives from a simple right-handed swing - one that should grow into more power as he fills out his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame.

2026

+ We’ve become increasingly familiar with C Kendall Hagedorn (Smith-Cotton) over the last few months, and the 5-foot-11, 175-pound backstop has continuously cemented himself as a high-end prospect in the state’s 2026 class. In this look, Hagedorn averaged 87.5 mph per batted ball, recording a 94.9 mph high from a fast, aggressive right-handed swing in BP. He hammered a few baseballs in the gameplay portion too - a loud triple into the right-center gap, and a pull-side double later on. Hagedorn looks the part of a premier right-handed hitter in his class, and he’s a stable presence behind the plate too, with soft hands that receive the baseball well.


+ The day’s biggest breakout was RHP Tyler Putnam (Battle, 2026), coming away from Columbia as a high-end follow on the mound in Missouri’s soon-to-be sophomore group. At 6-foot-3, 170-pounds, Putnam ran his fastball up to 87.1 mph, pitching in mid-80s throughout with plenty more to come. He spun a gradual breaking ball off his heater, flashing feel to land it for strikes at 71-73 mph. Still learning how to control his long limbs down the mound, Putnam’s ceiling once he consistently syncs up his levers is that of a true impact arm. He showed some intrigue positionaly too, running into a few loud elevated barrels in batting practice, with a 91.4 mph max exit velocity and 323 ft. peak distance.

+ INF/RHP CJ Lake (Oakville) is one of the top two-way prospects in the state’s 2026 class and showed just that at this event. At a wiry 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, Lake swung a flat, twitchy right-handed swing that worked line drives to all fields, averaging 88 mph per batted ball with a 93 mph peak. He hopped on the mound later in the event’s gameplay portion and pitched in the low-80s with his fastball, peaking at 84.9 mph, from a fast, loose arm that’s sure to tick up as he continues to mature. Lake spun his breaking ball for strikes, a pitch that played from the same arm window as his fastball and spun laterally off a 10/4 plane.


+ RHP Henry Vedder (St. Francis Borgia, 2026) saw playing time on the state runner-up Knights as a freshman and has a projectable skill-set on both sides of the ball. Vedder stands at a long-limbed 6-foot-4, 165-pounds, though he controls his levers down the mound well, repeating his delivery with enough present consistency that should only improve as he gets older. Vedder’s fastball played in the low-80s, touching 83.8 mph, from one of the highest release points on average (6.7 ft) of the entire event. He spun his breaking ball with intent at 69-71 mph and spotted it for strikes consistently from a similar arm window to his fastball. Vedder swung an athletic right-handed barrel in BP, using his long levers to drive a few deep to the pull-side, including a 333 ft. max.


+ C Logan Studer (SLUH, 2026) remains one of the top backstops in Missouri’s incoming sophomore class. Studer’s added strength since we’ve last seen him, now standing at a stronger, more compact 5-foot-9, 165-pounds. He swings a simple and strong right-handed barrel that covers the plate confidently, and he peppered a hard line drive to right field for a single in his first at-bat of the game. Studer continues to be an asset behind the plate too, working quickly to release from a short arm slot and receiving the ball well with soft, secure hands to boot.

+ Another name that saw time on the mound in his first year at the varsity level, RHP Landon Matthews (Lafayette, 2026) continues to pound the strike zone each time we see him. Also a football player, Matthews has started to fill out his frame, tacking on more strength to a 5-foot-10, 165-pound frame than we’d seen from him previously. His fastball played in the low-80s, touching 83.6 mph. Playing off his heater, Matthews spun an advanced breaking ball, ripping it off for strikes at 66-68 mph while averaging 15+ inches of horizontal movement and peaking at 2306 RPM. We’ve seen him spot a changeup around the zone for strikes in the past, too. Matthews continues to show well in our looks and is a competitive three-pitch strike thrower.

+ A member of Team Missouri at the PBR Junior Future Games last summer, RHP Eli Kemna (St. Elizabeth, 2026) continues to show well on the mound in our looks. Kemna’s aptitude to spin the ball is his calling card, as both his curveball (68-71 mph) and fastball (79-82 mph) peaked at 2500+ RPM, with his heater topping at 2605 RPM. He’s athletic at the plate too, staying short to the ball from a quick, direct right-handed swing.

+ OF/RHP Justin Seaver (Russellville, 2026) impressed at this event in his PBR debut. Seaver stands at a compact 5-foot-10, 170-pounds with muscle throughout and he started his day off by running a 6.98 60, which was one of the event’s fastest times. Seaver showed bat speed at the plate with intent to elevate the baseball, working uphill through the zone consistently. Later, Seaver hopped on the mound and pitched in the low-80s with his fastball from a loose, clean, and athletic arm that’ll add velocity as he gets older. Seaver also spun his a tight breaking ball with late break at nearly 2500+ RPM - another indicator that he’ll likely make strides in the velocity department sooner rather than later. Seaver is a two-way follow for Russellville, who’s perennially one of the top ‘Small School’ programs in Missouri.

2027

+ Tuesday provided our staff an up-to-date look at LHP Chase Stieferman (Capital City, 2027; Missouri commit), who clearly looks the part as one of the top names in the state’s incoming freshman group. A well-proportioned 5-foot-11, 175-pound athlete, Stieferman’s pitchability on the hill is advanced for his age, showing three quality offerings, starting with a low-80s fastball, and mixing in two above-average secondaries as well. Stieferman had a presence to him at the plate as well, swinging a heavy barrel from a strong, level left-handed swing.


+ A pair of brothers, both Max Partney (Hillsboro, 2027) and Zach Partney (Hillsboro, 2027) looked the part at Tuesday’s event. Max is a highly polished hitter for his age with a clean, rhythmic left-handed swing and an advanced approach at the plate, taking consistently competitive at-bats in the gameplay portion of this event. Zach is stronger in stature, standing at a physical 5-foot-11, 178-pounds with bat strength to pair from an aggressive, uphill right-handed swing.


+ RHP/1B Brandon Ott (DeSmet Jesuit) continues to solidify himself as one of the top arms in the state’s 2027 class. At 6-foot-3, 150-pounds, Ott’s fastball peaked at 82.5 mph, pitching at 78-81 mph from a loose, highly projectable arm that’s going to add significant velocity over the next few years. Ott threw his curveball with the same level of ease and fluidity as his heater, spinning it around the zone at 65-66 mph, and he featured a tighter, more firm 72-73 mph slider as well. Similarly to his talents on the mound, Ott’s left-handed swing is highly projectable too, working gap-to-gap with present power and plenty more to come as he gets stronger.

+ C Carson Leuthauser (Rockwood Summit) is a name-to-know offensive threat to come away from this event. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound backstop took a loud round of BP, swinging a physical right-handed barrel with bat speed to pair. He worked mostly to the pull-side, though did cover the plate on a few hard line drives the other way, averaging 86.8 mph per batted ball with a 92.8 mph max exit velocity. Leuthauser turned on one with authority, launching his furthest ball 329 feet, and he almost exclusively elevated the baseball (89%) off the barrel (78%).


+ Another backstop with present physicality and future upside is C Luke McAtee (DeSmet Jesuit, 2027). McAtee boasts a well-proportioned 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame that’ll add strength as he gets older, adding to the impact of his barrel, which is already advanced for his age. McAtee backspun baseballs to the pull-side throughout his round of BP, barreling the ball consistently (78%) with a 328 ft. peak and 90.3 mph high.

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