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The PBR Georgia Player of the Year: 2023 SS Trey King, McIntosh HS.

June 15, 2023
Justin Goetz
Assistant Scouting Director

PBR Georgia followers and readers from across the globe, we’d like to introduce you to our 2023 Player of the Year… 6-foot-2, 170 pound SS and UGA Commit, Trey King of McIntosh HS!

Although he may not be the most famous name in the state of GA, he has an extremely well rounded game that is built to last. While King has had consistent success ever since stepping into a starting role for McIntosh as a sophomore, the smooth SS took his game to a completely different level in 2023. So what catapulted him into greatness this spring? It starts with improving his intangibles, most noticeably plate discipline.

He’s always had very natural bat 2 ball skills, but was a bit over aggressive his JR year at the plate (12 BB, 19 K’s). But this spring, Trey walked 3x more than he struck out (21 BB, 4 HBP, 7 K’s). The pitch recognition, swing decisions, and approach have been incredibly consistent and precise. This is routinely putting him in advantageous counts where pitchers have to challenge him with fastballs or risk walking him and having to deal with his speed.

Due to his dominance of the strike zone, the OBP shot up from .419 in ‘22 to a whopping .578 in ‘23, Batting Average jumped from .364 to .517, and the SB increased by 8 from 14 bags to 22. Even more importantly, the UGA commit scored 20 more runs in 9 more games played this year. Don’t sleep on his power numbers though, he led all of GHSA in 2B’s (23) with 4 HR and 44 RBI in addition. Hitting 2 hole between speedster Luke Meszar (26 SB) and power hitter Chase Fralick (8 HR, 56 RBI), this gave the Chiefs an unstoppable trio that punched teams in the mouth routinely inning 1. When teams get ahead early in games, they win a lot of them. That’s exactly what happened, leading to the arrival of McIntosh in the state championship vs Loganville. 

When it mattered most deep in the playoffs, King was the player his team could count on to deliver. Up 3-1 with bases loaded in G2 of the 5A State Championship, this baller made one of the best plays we saw this spring. What looked like a sure hit up the middle to tie the game was stolen and followed by a perfectly timed 360 spin flip to 2B to get the force out just before the runner touched the base. This play showed off his rare instincts, soft hands, buttery smooth exchange, and ideal internal clock. Trey is a walking web gem at SS who glides to baseballs in any direction, able to make all the routine plays & make the difficult ones look easy. Not only are the defensive actions smooth, but his innate reads, lightning quick exchange and ability to throw from all angles accurately put him a level above the rest.

His high level athleticism shows just as well at the dish, with one of the sweetest swings in the southeast. The linear connection is so good that the hands mimic his steeper shoulder plane,  matching up perfectly with pitch trajectory and creating perfect backspin. This backspin he produces plays a big part in why he hit so many doubles this season. Trey can manipulate the path with ease vs opposing arms that try to climb in the zone on him, just like he can adjust on the fly to anything thrown at him on a baseball field. It’s no surprise that he’s an acrobat on the wakeboard in his free time, getting big air and doing tricks with incredible balance.

For those who think the player of the year should have come from our highest classification, McIntosh played a very strong schedule throughout, with King facing a slew of D1 arms. They went undefeated at GDC, beating 3 playoff teams in Archer, 7A Walton, and Cambridge. King also had consistent success vs D1 arms from John’s Creek, Harris County, Winder-Barrow, and multiple well known teams from KY and OH. While one could argue there are other players who equally deserved this honor, we feel King had the most complete season of any player in the state on a state championship team. In our 6 game extended look on him, he consistently made game changing plays in all facets and delivered in the clutch. Not only is he a great teammate with incredibly efficient numbers, but this is a sleeper draft prospect who we expect to contribute in the SEC right away. What a legendary season he had. 


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