Prep Baseball Report

MS All-State Games: Outfield Analysis


Ronald Sims
Mississippi Scouting Director

 

Jackson, MS – For the second year the MS All-State Games revealed more depth in both the 2020 and 2021 class, along with several 2019 standouts. Statistics and video have already been uploaded into players profiles. This week we begin rolling out player reports, today we bring you the outfield analysis.

+ Eric Newsom, OF/1B, Germantown, 2019
Projectable, lean-muscular frame at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds. The right-handed hitter works with a rotational path through the zone generating significant bat speed and natural lift through contacting, posting an exit velocity 96 mph off the tee. In the outfield, he plays through the ball with athletic footwork and quick exchange. Accurate arm to the dish with carry and a top velocity of 92 mph. The arm strength also plays on the mound as he ran his fastball up to 88 mph, pitching in the 86-87 mph range while showcasing a 70-72 mph breaking ball.

+ Mac Sims, UTL, DeSoto Central, 2020
Athletic 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame with room for added strength. Switch hitter starting from an open and tall setup with loose rhythm in hands. Loads with a quick, abbreviated leg kick into a short stride, slightly creating separation with hands. Loose, rotational path with quick hands and bat speed through the zone producing an exit velocity 86 mph. Defensively displayed fundamental footwork, moving with smoothness through the play with a clean exchange, and made low accurate throws that produced a positional velocity of 87 mph. Ran a 7.46 60-yard dash. 

+ Brady Windham, OF/RHP, Richland, 2019
Smaller, athletic frame at 5-foot-9, 170-pounds with proportional strength. Right-handed hitter showed off quick twitch hands during BP as he barreled up line drives from the middle of the field to the opposite gap with an inside out path and top exit velocity of 83 mph. Short path through the zone with an easy effort swing allow his barrel to stay in the zone a long time. In the outfield worked with smooth actions as he plays through the ball with rhythm, quick footwork, cuts distance, clean exchange with a quick-short arm swing and top velocity of 87 mph. Ran a 7.19 60-yard time.

+ Cole Pittman, OF/RHP, Porter's Chapel Academy, 2019
Long, wiry 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame with room for added strength. Right-handed hitter starting from tall, open setup with hands slightly above shoulders. Works closed with a pronounced leg kick and rotational path through the zone that producing an exit velocity 78 mph. Defensively played through the ball with rhythm, receptive hands, and throws from a medium arm swing producing a positional velocity of 84 mph. Ran a 7.49 60-yard dash.

+ Javondus McGruder, OF, Ridgeland, 2019
Long, athletic 5-foot-10, 175 –pound frame. Displayed a quality level of athleticism as he posted an event best 6.58 60-yard dash time. The athleticism and speed translated well defensively, covering the gaps of the outfield with ease. Tracked balls well, taking efficient routes to fly balls with long strides. Worked with smooth footwork through the ball into high release, making accurate throws to the plate posting an 82 mph positional velocity. Right-handed hitter starts from a tall stacked setup with high hands. Subtle shift of weight back as he loads onto back side creating slight separation with hands. The path showed looseness through the zone and created and exit velocity of 81 mph. 

+ Landon Bull, OF/C, Warren Central, 2019
Medium build 5-foot-8, 185-pound frame. Right-handed hitter has tall setup with easy bat waggle rhythm. Simple load with compact stride and short path to the ball, produced ground ball/line drive contact from gap to gap and an exit velocity of 81 mph. Defensively played through the ball with deliberate footwork, creating direction to the plate, into a medium arm stroke that produced a positional velocity of 79 mph. Ran a 7.84 60-yard dash. 

+ Matt Jones, OF/INF, Jim Hill, 2020
Athletic 5-foot-6, 150-pound frame. Right-handed hitter starting from tall setup with a loose relaxed rhythm in hand. Slight step back before loading with hanging leg lift, lands balanced with short stride. Short, direct path with whippy uphill finish through the zone that produced an exit velocity 79 mph. Defender with smooth footwork and receptive hands out front working into clean exchanges and high-3/4 release, recording an outfield positional velocity of 78 mph. Ran a 7.20 60-yard dash.

+ Cole Ables, OF/LHP, Benton Academy, 2019
Long, wiry 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame with room for added strength. Defensively played through the ball with rhythm, receptive hands, and throws from a medium arm swing producing a positional velocity of 77 mph. Ran a 7.28 60-yard dash.

+ Justin Robinson, OF/RHP, Pearl River Central, 2022
Maturing 5-foot-6, 136-pound frame. Right-handed hitter starts from a balanced stance then sits down as he loads, before taking a short stride closed. Loose wrist through the zone with an inside-out approach and high finish produced a top exit velocity of 71 mph. Showed solid arm strength from the outfield for age posting 77 mph as he plays through the ball with smooth footwork. Ran a 7.74 60-yard dash. 

+ Colton Neal, OF/LHP, Lewisburg, 2022
Maturing 5-foot-9, 165-pound frame, with athletic build. Right-handed hitter has loose rhythm, quick hands with lag in the barrel through the zone that created ground ball/line drive contact and a top exit velocity of 82 mph. In the outfield, he plays aggressively through the ball with receptive hands out front into a relaxed exchange and high release, producing a positional velocity of 76 mph. Ran a 7.44 60-yard dash.

+ Lanacus Hudson, OF, Raymond, 2022
Athletic frame at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds. The right-handed hitter has quick hands through the zone as he starts from a tall, open stance then loads back with leg lift, triggering his hands slightly back before striding forward. Worked on a flat plane through contact producing an exit velocity of 80 mph. Defensively he cuts distance with quick footwork and threw with a top velocity of 74 mph from a high-¾ slot to the dish.