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Team Georgia: Day 3, Quick Hits

July 31, 2023
PBR Georgia
Staff

Quick Hits

Gavin Greene, RHP/C, 2028
Greene was an arm I was interested in seeing since I watched him hit in the 13U National Championship. Despite having a rough outing, I wasn’t disappointed. Has a strong, medium frame at 5-foot-8, 150 pounds with noticeable athleticism. Delivery looked clean and repeatable with good pace. Good footwork creates good direction in pitch. Had a good feel for his curveball that generated a lot of whiffs that ran 62-64 and a fastball than ran 73-75. Even though he struggled the first couple innings, he was let out for the 3rd inning and shut it down after making some adjustments. 

Jaycob Veloz, RHP/SS, 2028
Another hitter I watched in the 13U National Championship, yet didn’t know he could pitch and impressed. Medium, athletic frame at 5-foot-7, 135 pounds. Had an impressive feel for pitching, featuring a quick pace with a full circle arm delivery and lands flat footed. Located the fastball well and filled the edges, fastball running 74-77. Curveball confused hitters, as he threw one that looked to be running at the batter before breaking in for a strike. Curveball ran 67-68. Watching how he continues to develop his pitches will be interesting to watch as he builds strength. 

Jax Lathem, RHP/C, 2027
Lathem had a strong 1st inning in a game that only lasted 3 innings due to walk issues and a load of offense for the remainder of the game. In a game that both teams struggled with pitching, Lathem looked good. Has a medium frame with proportional strength at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds. Short circle arm action at a ¾ arm slot. Something that stuck out to me is how long he hides the ball with his deceptive arm action which allows his pitches to play up. He pulls the ball up his backside and behind the head in the arm action, with the ball suddenly popping out which can confuse hitters. His fastbal ran 73-77 with a curveball running 62-64. With one strikeout in the first inning, he managed the inning well for a game that probably had 20 walks total in 3 innings. 

Malachi Butler, SS/1B, 2027
In a 3 inning game that produced a lot of walks, Butler stood out with a pair of singles on the day. Medium, lean frame at 5-foot-9, 145 pounds with noticeable athleticism. Tight, connected swing staying strong through the zone. Good timing on foot landing and displays quick hands. Displayed the ability to spray the ball in bracket play with the first single being to the opposite field and the second going right over the first base bag. Has a good feel for the barrel and makes consistent contact and will be a good follow to see how consistent he makes contact and develops power at the next level. 

Matthew Westbrook, RHP/1B, 2027
6-foot-1, 175 lbs. Athletic build and quick player and his athleticism is noticeable among other players. Westbrook was someone to watch last night. Having multiple hits and adding a walk off homerun to his resume. Westbrook has a smooth, repeatable swing. He battles in the box every at bat, coming out on top in many of those. Westbrook is a good player to keep an eye on in the 2027 class as he develops.

Jayzen Johnson, MIF, 2027
5-10, 170 pounds. Johnson was a key contributor for Georgia 2 last night as he got a big hit in the bottom of the first to drive in 2 runs and cap off a 9 run-inning. Johnson has a strong, compact frame that flashes athletic actions through fielding, hitting, and overall baseball IQ. Johnson has a well-sequenced load with a tight, connected swing that stayed flat thru the zone and made hard contact with the ball. Good ball-player that will only continue to get better throughout the years.