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Missouri Bulls Scout Day: Quick Hits

January 29, 2024
By: Diego Solares
Central Region Media Director, Scouting

On Sunday, January 28th, the PBR Missouri staff traveled to Cape Girardeau, MO, to host the Missouri Bulls Scout Day. This event featured 20+ players from southeast Missouri in the Bulls’ program that represented the 2025-to-2027 high school classes.

Those in attendance participated in a pro-style workout in front of our staff, gathering unrivaled data and measurables through the help of our tech partners. To see what our events offer, click HERE.

Today, after combing through our notes from the day, we’ve compiled some of the event’s standouts within these ‘Quick Hits’. Read below to learn more about more than 15 names that popped to our staff from yesterday’s event. 

QUICK HITS 

+ A member of Team Missouri at the PBR Future Games last summer, C Rylan Mills (Oran, 2025) put together his most impressive showing to date in front of our staff. Packed with strength at 5-foot-11, 200-pounds, Mills’ round of BP was one of the loudest we’ve seen over the last few years. He generated easy bat speed and kept a level barrel through contact, creating leverage out front with the ability to backspin the baseball to the pull-side. Mills’ firmest ball screamed off his barrel at 107.4 mph, with barrels of 102.2 mph, 102.9 mph, and 105.7 mph included as well. Only one of Mills’ batted balls came off his bat at less than 92 mph as he posted an average mark of 98.2 mph per swing. Additionally, Mills had four balls travel 345 feet or further, with a peak batted distance of 360 feet, per TrackMan. Though he didn’t throw from behind the plate at this event, Mills has shown our staff 81 mph arm strength in the past, and he’s an accurate receiver behind the plate that knows how to captain a staff. Mills enters his junior year as one of the top uncommitted catchers in Missouri’s 2025 class. 


+ Also a member of Team Missouri at last year’s Future Games, RHP Noah Johnson (East Prairie) holds considerable upside on the mound in Missouri’s 2025 class and is years away from reaching his future ceiling. At 6-foot-4, 185-pounds with long limbs to project on, Johnson’s arm draws short and quick on the backside, finishing from a ¾ slot with jump out the hand. In the middle of basketball season, Johnson’s fastball played at 87-89 mph, and he’s likely to continue to tick up as he continues to mature physically. Johnson's best off-speed pitch in this look was a 74-75 mph curveball that he landed for strikes consistently, though he also showed a 77-78 mph slider with more lateral tilt to it. Additionally, he also showed a 76-79 mph changeup that flashed late arm-side action in this look. Expect Johnson to be one of the more coveted arms in the state still on the market this spring and summer. 


+ A follow athlete to know from this event is RHP/INF Braeden Hays (Meadow Heights, 2025). At 6-foot-1, 170-pounds, Hays had one of the top vertical jumps (29.1”) and comfortably led the entire event with the highest RSI jumping score (3.11) as well. Hays flashed bat strength in BP and keeps a level barrel through the zone, recording a max exit velocity of 92.4 mph with a peak batted distance of 321 feet, per TrackMan. Hays fastball played at 80-82 mph and was able to land his 69-72 mph curveball for strikes consistently, while also showing a hard running changeup at 74-76 mph. 

+ INF/RHP Parker Bryant (Oran, 2025) showed well on both sides of the ball in this look. Offensively, Bryant backspun baseballs gap-to-gap from a strong right-handed swing that creates leverage through contact. He was on the barrel often, averaging 84.7 mph per batted ball with an 89.6 mph peak. Bryant’s also a clean and polished mover on the mound with a fastball that touched 81 mph and he was able to land his breaking ball for strikes, too. 

+ OF Kole Burger (Oran, 2025) had one of the stronger arms from the outfield at this event, touching 86 mph on his hardest throw, with three others at 85 mph. At the plate, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Burger worked on top of the baseball and produced a peak exit velocity of 94 mph. 

+ The day’s leader in the vertical jump test was OF Dylan Hall (Poplar Bluff, 2025), who reached 30.5 inches on his max jump. At the plate, Hall stays short and on top of the baseball with a middle-of-the-field approach. 

+ OF Brayden Moore (Saxony Lutheran, 2025) holds well-proportioned strength on a 6-foot, 175-pounds. Moore was on the barrel from a level right-handed swing throughout BP, producing five of his nine batted balls at 90+ mph. 

+ There’s no shortage of physicality or strength with C Christian McNew (Cape Central, 2026), who came away from this event as a name-to-know left-handed hitter in the state’s sophomore class. Packed with power at 6-foot-2, 212-pounds, McNew finished second amongst his peers in peak exit velocity (100.3 mph) and average exit velocity (92.5 mph), while launching the day’s furthest batted ball (369 ft.). It’s a fast, intentful left-handed swing that works uphill through the zone and creates plenty of impact off the barrel, particularly to the middle of the field. McNew will be one to watch this spring for a Cape Central club that has a handful of young, promising prospects on the roster. 


+ Another physically imposing prospect to know from this event, CIF Kale Richardson (Bell City, 2026) steps into the box at 6-foot-2, 215-pounds. Seven of Richardson’s 11 batted balls came off his bat at 92+ mph, including a peak mark of 96.2 mph, with barrels at 94.6 mph and 95.1 mph included as well. Richardson’s furthest ball traveled 341 feet to the middle of the field, with four total balls traveling over 320 feet throughout his round. 


+ One of the event’s louder rounds of BP belonged to 6-foot, 185-pound sophomore OF Ethan Colvis (Chester, 2026; IL). Colvis has inherent bat strength and a flat right-handed swing that works on top of the baseball through contact, favoring the pull-side in this look. He averaged 89.7 mph per batted ball, peaking at 92.5 mph, with his furthest ball traveling 315 feet. 

+ INF TJ Bolen (Notre Dame, 2026) consistently sprayed line drives off his barrel to the middle of the field during yesterday’s workout. The 6-foot, 155-pound sophomore showed a simple and direct left-handed swing that he repeated consistently with balance through contact. 

+ MIF Chase Lawson (Notre Dame, 2026) is an athletic up-the-middle defender with advanced actions for his age. Lawson’s a fluid mover with quick feet that work in rhythm, trusts his hands, and is comfortable on the move both to his back hand and glove side. 

+ A freshman two-way follow from yesterday is RHP/INF Kaden Lowery (Scott City, 2027). Lowery offers projection on a 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame that’s plenty capable of adding strength onto his frame over the next few years. Offensively, Lowery repeatedly got off aggressive hacks from an intentful right-handed swing, averaging 87.5 mph per batted ball with a peak of 91.8 mph. On the mound, Lowery is an easy and athletic mover that controls his body downhill well for his age. He threw three pitches for strikes, starting with a 76-78 mph four-seam fastball that he’s able to backspin up in the zone. Lowery also spun a 61-63 mph breaking ball with depth for strikes and threw his changeup around the zone at 66-68 mph with 17 inches of horizontal movement on average. 

+ INF/RHP Lane Miller (Scott City, 2027) is a strong, physically advanced 5-foot-11, 175-pound athlete for his age. Miller flashed bat strength in BP from a long, level right-handed swing that primarily favored the opposite field, posting a max exit velocity of 88.5 mph. He was also up to 79 mph on the mound with feel for both his curveball and changeup. 


+ RHP Trey Pedigo (Dexter, 2027) showed polish and feel for three pitches during his ‘pen at yesterday’s event. The 6-foot, 160-pound freshman pitched at 77-79 mph with his fastball, working from a clean, easy, and repeatable delivery. His best secondary pitch in this look was a potential swing-and-miss 69-71 mph changeup that played with natural run and fade. To round out his arsenal, Pedigo spun an upper-60s breaking ball at 2300+ RPM on average. 

+ Plenty physical in stature at 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, CIF Aidan Gusta (Carterville, 2027; IL) is a name to follow from this event. Gusta controls his limbs and levers well for his age, staying balanced after contact throughout his entire round of BP. Working mostly to the opposite field during his round, Gusta looked to elevate the baseball from an uphill right-handed swing. Gusta has the potential to develop middle-of-the-order power as he continues to mature physically and gain more comfort with his frame. 

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