Virginia/DC State Games Data Dive: Position Players
June 26, 2023
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Last week, over 130 players from around Virginia and DC descended upon Fred Nats Stadium for a sold out Summer State Games. We take a look at a few positional standouts from the event.
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Hunter Depriest RHP / OF / Alleghany, VA / 2024DePriest was in event as a Pitcher Only, with added BP, and while he had his moments to shine on the mound, he really showed some bright flashes at the plate. Top 5 bat speed average, 2nd best max hand speed, 2nd best hand speed average, Top 10 max distance, and Top 5 max exit velo. DePriest also showed off the raw arm strength with a 87 mph throw from the outfield. Positonal projection would be corner outfield, or first base, as well as two-way value. The Alleghany product was up to 87 on the mound. -Jason Burton (VA/DC Scouting Director)
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Jake Gunning C / 1B / Osbourn Park, VA / 2025Gunning had some very solid rounds of BP and it transferred into game at bats. Tied for the 5th best max distance at 366 ft and a Top 10 finish in average distance (270 ft). The Osbourn Park catcher had a 64% hard hit ball percentage, which landed him in the Top 10. The arm strength behind the plate will need to continue to grow, but also has the power in the bat to slide to first base and give some middle of the order production. -Jason Burton (VA/DC Scouting Director)
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Patrick Lyons OF / RHP / Woodgrove, VA / 2025Lyons put together some impressive rounds of BP. Highest HHB % (78%), tied for 1st in max distance (385 ft), highest exit velocity average (92.7 mph), and 3rd best max exit velocity (97.6 mph). While the Blast swing metrics are not elite numbers, his innate ability to get the barrel on the baseball and impact the baseball in a big way, is a valuable trait, especially for a left handed hitter. His average distance was not a chart topper, it was more s due to the fact that his path allowed for line drives in both gaps, showing his ability to spray doubles around the field. -Jason Burton (VA/DC Scouting Director)
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Caden Merritt OF / RHP / Gainesville, VA / 2025Merritt is a quality position player with a powerful swing. He hit eight baseballs over 90 MPH, maxing out at 96 MPH. He plays a primary outfield position where he can cover ground, showcasing a 6.79 60-yard sprint, and holding value at the centerfield position. He launched a 91 MPH throw from the outfield during the defensive workout, demonstrating that the arm has more ceiling. Caden Merritt has the potential to enter college as a viable 2-way player with ceiling left on both sides of the ball. - Bradley Greenberg (Data Analyst Intern)
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Bryce Neely OF / SS / St. Christophers, VA / 2025An all-around high end athlete. After this event, there was a hashtag that appeared on our Twitter feed and, for good reason, #NeelyNukes. In batting practice, Neely flashed power by opening up with a bomb, posting seven 90+ MPH exit velocities and hitting 100. Not only is there a presence of power, Neely also showed his premium run tool, as he posted a 6.57 60-yd. sprint. Neely features plenty of bat speed, the second fastest at the State Games, maxing out at 79.8 MPH bat speed. His showcase at the State Games quantified what we already knew; he is a toolsy athlete that can announce his presence at any time. -Bradley Greenberg (Data Analyst Intern)
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Owen Peterson SS / 2B / Potomac School, VA / 2024Peterson is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound infielder. While he is not the most imposing, physical hitter, you should take notice that he is one of the best pure bat to ball hitters in the state. The hand-eye is high end, as his ability to put the barrel on the ball, and to get deep into at bats; these are all present tools for Peterson. We have seen Peterson a number of times and it is hard to quantify his value in the box. The run tool continues to improve, turning out a 6.76 60 at the event (ran multiple sub 6.9 times). Second base/left field projection positionally and the bat will be a must have in the lineup. -Jason Burton (VA/DC Scouting Director)
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Ben Pulliam OF / SS / Glen Allen, VA / 2025Pulliam posted some gaudy numbers across the board last week. Sub-7 runner, 90 mph outfield velo, 95 mph exit velo, 366 foot max distance, and slightly above average hand speed (23.3 mph). The 6-foot-1 outfielder has really filled out and has some loud tools to display. Corner outfield projection with raw power in the bat and solid bat to ball to go along with it. -Jason Burton (VA/DC Scouting Director)
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Adham Sahebzadah 1B / LHP / Langley, VA / 2024Big, physical lefty with fantastic hitting tools. Adham stood out among the blast data by producing a whopping 90 MPH bat speed and 29 MPH hand speed. For reference, in a 2022 article by Mike Petriello of MLB.com (article), the average major league baseball bat speed at the sweet spot is 80 MPH. On the day, he averaged 85.1 MPH for bat speed. -Bradley Greenberg (Data Analyst Intern)
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Henry Stewart C / OF / West Springfield, VA / 2024Stewart had a quality and consistent round of BP outside of two outliers, hitting 10 baseballs between 85.5-93 MPH. He sprayed the ball gap to gap, featuring some opposite-field pop. He performed well on the visual skills test, posting the 6th highest score at 78.05, giving some insight into his pitch recognition abilities. Behind the plate is where Stewart stood out most, featuring a 1.90-2.01 pop-time to 2nd (78 mph C velo). While his primary position is catcher, Stewart demonstrated speed on the 60-yard by posting a time of 6.97, showing that he has some positional versatility that he could add to a potential outfield spot. The 2024 West Springfield standout also posted the highest Power-Speed score for all catchers. -Bradley Greenberg (Data Analyst Intern)
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Jack Woda C / SS / Bishop OConnell , VA / 2026Compact 5-foot-10 frame for the Bishop O'Connell catcher. Woda has long shown his advanced defense and catch and throw ability, but the bat continues to improve. Aggressive approach and some violence to the path through the zone and on finish. 95 mph exit velo, 2nd best HHB % (73%), and the top score on Vizual Edge (89.06 Edge Score). Hand eye coordination with intent to the swing and shows some traits that will allow him to stay behind the plate. One to follow long term. -Jason Burton (VA/DC Scouting Director)
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