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Tournaments  | Story  | 3/10/2018

PG HS Showdown Day 2 Notes

Vincent Cervino      Greg Gerard     
Photo: Perfect Game

2018 PG High School Showdown: Day 1 Notes | Player Stats | Daily Leaders




Proving to show the loudest offensive presence of the event thus far is none other than PG All-American Will Banfield (2018, Lawrenceville, Ga.). The Brookwood catcher has done nothing but crush baseballs all weekend long and he continued to do so during the team’s double-header on Friday night.

The first swing Banfield took was a no-doubt shot to deep left field that left the bat at 102 mph. The Vanderbilt commit has one of the prettier swings you will see when he gets fully extended out in front, showing plus bat speed through the zone and has easy plus raw power that translates well into games. That home run was one of four hits thus far on the tournament that have had an exit velocity of 100-plus mph and he has had a few more that were only 90-plus mph.

Banfield’s carrying tool as a prospect is his defensive prowess, including the plus arm strength which he hasn’t really had to show off this weekend as teams are hesitant to run on him. That being said, during Thursday’s game Banfield was just popping 1.8s and 1.9s from his knees in-between innings for, as this scout can only guess, for the fun of it.

If Banfield can continue his hitting ways there’s no doubt he can move himself solidly into the top-half of the first round, if he isn’t there already. Banfield has some of the loudest, pure hitting tools in the class and he showed just how special it can look when the results match the tools this weekend.




Turning in a sterling performance on the rubber was underclassman Bryson Lucas (2019, College Station, Texas) as he guided College Station to victory on Friday afternoon. The Texas Christian commit was practically unhittable during a complete game shutout that saw the southpaw strike out 12 batters and allow only two hits.

Lucas is a pretty physical lefthanded pitcher, with present size and broad shoulders too. The delivery itself creates some deception as it’s a bit funky and features a leg lift above the belt and a shorter, compact arm action that allows Lucas to hide the ball well through release. That release point is practically over the top, however it’ll vary and drop lower at times which allows him to create sink and arm side life to his fastball.

The fastball worked up to 91 mph in the first inning before settling in the 86-89 mph range for the majority of the start. Lucas held that velocity well as he was still bumping 88s and 89s in the sixth inning of the start. What jumped out about the fastball was how many swings-and-misses he racked up, likely due to the deception.

The off-speed pitches could see some improvement, as the breaking ball was a clear third offering and he mostly went fastball-changeup in terms of sequencing. The chaneup was in the mid-70s for the game and was very effective against righthanded hitters as he sold the pitch well with similar arm speed to the fastball, though he will drop his slot on the pitch.

Troup County scored a big victory over North Gwinnett during the first time slot, thanks in large part to the efforts of leadoff man and shortstop Ryan Bliss (2018, Lagrange, Ga.). The Auburn commit is well-known for big performances at PG events in the past and he made some loud contact during his first game on the day. The first two hits mirrored each other almost identically as Bliss recognized curveball out of the hand, sat back on the pitches, and drove them each to the opposite field with authority for extra base hits. Bliss’ swing allows his hands to do the work as his hands guide him through the follow through and the gap power is serious for the righthanded hitter. Bliss turned in mostly average run times but posted a best of 4.25 seconds to first base as he broke out of the box quickly to beat out an infield single. The Troup shortstop is one of the more intriguing draft prospects in the class this year as his professional future may lie at second base, however he has legitimate barrel skills and flat out mashes against competition.




Another shortstop to have a good showing during the weekend has been Kelvin Smith Jr. (2018, College Park, Ga.) for Redan HS. Offensively, Smith has very loud bat speed and impact strength, the ball comes off the bat best when he’s out in front and shifting his weight through contact, however even when he is a bit late he has enough hand quickness and bat speed to more than make up for it and pull the ball. The Missouri commit laced two hard hit singles during his first game and approaches at-bats with a very aggressive mentality.

Smith’s speed also plays a key role near the top of the order for Redan. Smith gets out of the box quickly and allows his feet to do the work on ground balls, posted a 6.6 second 60-yard dash at the National Showcase. He recorded a few steals during the game too and has good instincts on the basepaths.

The approach is to hunt fastballs and jump on the first pitch in the zone, and when he reads the pitch correctly he can send it a long way. Smith also shone defensively making plays both to his left and right with easy. The hands are very soft and everything very clean, and while the arm strength might be a bit of a question, he certainly has the range and presence to make the plays at shortstop.

Batting in front of Smith all night was Lyndon Weaver (2018, Stone Mountain, Ga.) and the Eastern Kentucky commit showed off some impressive speed and impact strength. Weaver is an athletic infielder who posted run times around Major League average all night, recorded a best time of 4.28 seconds to first from the right side. Weaver has a short, powerful stroke and does a good job at utilizing that jump off the barrel to all fields. Weaver’s speed was evident, he has four steals through three games, however the bat was vey loud on Friday. Weaver laced six hits in two games, which included a 99 mph exit velocity triple to open the second game of the doubleheader for Redan.




One of the top prospects for the junior class, Cade Doughty (2019, Denham Springs, La.) has put on a loud performance all weekend, showing out in all facets of the game while also being seen as a potent offensive threat. The Louisiana State commit has a very strong collection of overall tools including his ability to impact the ball with tons of strength.

Doughty is hitting a scorching .571 through three game on the weekend which included his first hit against Houston County in the semifinals, a loud home run to the pull side that left the bat at 93 mph and traveled an estimated 357 feet. Doughty starts from a very wide base in the box, which can make it difficult at times to get his lower half involved consistently. However, when the timing is right, the ball flies off the barrel and the compact stroke travels through the zone with lots of bat speed; the strength does play to all fields too. The offensive approach overall is pretty polished, he won’t chase many pitches and knows which ones to hunt.

The Denham Springs shortstop turned in run times in the 4.3 range pretty consistently and has the requisite athleticism and speed to stick at shortstop. The physicality of the build may cloud the future at short, however he showed soft hands and fluid actions while absolutely having the arm strength to play the position. That arm strength showed its form when he took the mound to pitch. Doughty throws with intent as a high impact reliever, and can run his fastball up to 91 mph as he did to toss four shutout innings in the playoffs.

Doughty’s talent is extremely high and well-known, after his home run he received a couple of intentional passes out of fear he would do so again, and the ceiling is pretty limitless for the Louisiana product.

One of the focal points for the Cullman offense has been Grayson Taylor (2018, Cullman, Ala.) and the talented shortstop has shown out well over the weekend. The Belmont commit stands at a tall and projectable 6-foot-3, 195-pounds with room still left to grow, and with additional added strength might move his future over to the hot corner. Taylor has the arm strength for third as he worked 84-86 mph on the mound during a short relief sting. The righthanded hitter has a lot of strength in his swing, as evidenced by his 90 mph double against Buford on Friday night. Taylor is a solid piece for the Bearcats and has shown to be one of the more adept players on the field this weekend.

It would be impressive to be starting as a sophomore in any lineup, much less a state-champion lineup, and that’s what Dylan Strickland (2020, Loganville, Ga.) is doing for the Loganville Red Devils. The righthanded hitter has a lot of pure offensive talent and that has shown as he has been batting in the middle of the order for Loganville all weekend. The Georgia Tech commit laced three singles, two of them at 90-plus mph off the bat and has a very clean and easy stroke through the zone. Strickland was part of a high-powered offense that has combined for 22 runs in their two victories this weekend. Jacob Boyd (2019, Loganville, Ga.) has also been a part of that big offensive outburst as he has a hit in each of the three games, which includes a monster shot during game two on Friday for a 340 foot home run.

Connor Bruce (2019, Loganville, Ga.) got the start for the Red Devils in their victory and there is a lot to like about the uncommitted righthander, starting with the frame and projection on the prospect. Bruce stands at an especially lean and young-looking 6-foot-6, 180-pounds with extra-long limbs and a high waist, all positive indicators for velocity gains in the near future. The delivery itself is extremely low effort and the arm stroke loose and easy through the back and mostly online through release.

Bruce worked in the 80-84 mph range for most of the night while bumping a few 85s and one 86 through the start. For someone of his size it was especially encouraging to see him repeat the delivery with impressive extension toward the mound to pound the strike zone. The breaking ball was a solid pitch for him with consistent shape and the ability to be thrown for strikes, and he flashed a couple changeups too that were thrown with some conviction and sink. The velocity has already jumped from a year ago for Bruce, and the righthander looks to have a bright future ahead of him.




Another intriguing draft prospect who was roaming PG Park all weekend is Lawrence Butler (2018, Atlanta, Ga.) for Westlake and he showed an extremely patient and polished approach in the box. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound lefthanded hitter has a keen awareness of the strike zone, as evidenced by his five walks in three games, and waits until he can get a pitch in his wheelhouse to drive with authority. The power potential is seemingly endless to dream on when you combine the size and the natural leverage that his long limbs create when extended. When he swings he explodes through the baseball and cranked a double down the pull side line during his late game and registered a 4.5 turn time. The West Virginia commit can play all over the diamond, he patrolled centerfield for Westlake on Friday night, and it will be intriguing to see where professional teams think his positional home is in the future.

Drawing what appeared to be the biggest crowd of the night was righthander Kerry Wright (2018, Montverde, Fla.) as his gem propelled Montverde into the championship game for the Blue bracket on Sunday. The Louisville commit struck out ten batters while allowing only three hits and was in absolute control from the start of the game.




Wright stands at an extremely physical and projectable 6-foot-5, 235-pounds with broad shoulders and well-proportioned strength throughout. It’s easy to dream on big velocity for the righthander but he was comfortable pumping 90-93 mph bullets through the first two innings and settling in the 88-91 mph range the rest of the way. The fastball was mostly straight, it showed some riding side life when working to the arm side of the plate, and was best when leveraged from his high three-quarters release point into the bottom third of the zone. The pitch garnered a lot of swing and miss as he just powered it by hitters all night.

The delivery itself has some check points, as does the arm action, however when he was timed up and locating he was nearly unhittable. Wright didn’t show a changeup but he did work with a hard slider, in the 79-82 mph range, with short life to it. With the ease of the delivery and athleticism you could project it to be a solid-average pitch in the near future, although he really didn’t need the second pitch often.

It’s not hard to envision Wright being selected high in the draft when you factor in the stuff, projection, and the fact that he is young for the grade. The only question is whether he will be joining professional baseball this June or after attending Louisville.

– Vincent Cervino





C.J. Abrams (2019,Alpharetta, Ga.) had perhaps the biggest single-game offensive performance ofthe day. On Friday Abrams committed to the University of Alabama prior to Blessed Trinity’s 3:30 matchup with Buford. The junior shortstop did not disappoint after his commitment as he went pull side for a triple that left his bat at 97 mph. The very next at-bat Abrams squared up another pitch and drove this one deep to right field and over the fence for a 92 mph exit velocity home run. Abrams can flat-out hit. He is a threat each and every time he steps into the box and his speed is a huge factor as well. The 6-foot-1, 177-pound lefthanded hitter sprinted down the line on his way to third base turning a home-to-first base time of 4.32-seconds. The very recent Alabama commit has some of the best tools in the entire 2019 class and it shows in his PG ranking at No. 14 in the country.

Will Morrison (2019,Cullman, Ala.) is one of the more unique arms in the 2018 class as he throws from two very different arm angles. The Auburn commit can run his fastball upto 91 mph over the top and 84 mph from a submarine delivery. Morrison works exclusively from the stretch in each delivery and pitched an outstanding seven innings giving up just two runs on six hits and striking out three. Morrison’s fastball shows lots of arm-side life especially from the submarine angle and his slider has frisbee-like movement as well topping out at 74 mph. Morrison took an unfortunate loss as he was up against a very talented Parkview team, but the senior Auburn signee held his own and pitched worthy enough of a quality start.




Anthony Seigler (2018,Cartersville, Ga.) is a unique prospect in his own right as his future is likely behind the plate, but what he brings to the mound is interesting nonetheless. Seigler is a switch-pitcher as well as an elite catcher and the senior Cartersville Purple Hurricane started on the mound and later closed the game as well. Interestingly enough Seigler threw with his left arm for the first six innings of the contest before throwing the final inning with his right arm. The entire outing was a masterpiece by Seigler as he threw all seven innings on just 78 pitches. From the left side, Seigler’s fastball tops out at 88 mph and he locates the pitch well. From the right side, however, his fastball topped out at 91 mph as it did Friday night when he came in to earn the save, throwing just two pitches.

Seigler also mustered a pair of hits on the day to help himself earn the win. His first coming on an 0-0 fastball that he squared up for a double to the pull-side gap as he was batting from the left side. His next hit was also from the left side as he sprayed a line drive single to right field. Seigler is a very talented player in all areas of his game and he has done nothing but show off those tools thus far in the PG High School Showdown.

Jonathan French (2019, Lilburn, Ga.) showed off the pop in his bat as he stung an RBI double to deep center field. The hit also ended up being the game-winning hit for Parkview as it came in the sixth inning as the Parkview Panthers advanced to the semifinals of the PG High School Showdown. When French squares up the ball, it is loud contact with the potential to go a long way. French was sitting on a first-pitch slider in this at-bat when he got his pitch and drove it deep to center field. The Clemson commit has a hit tool that is impressive and also plays a strong role behind the plate.

Seth Clark (2018,Loganville, Ga.) pitched an outstanding game for Loganville High School Friday afternoon going 5 2/3 innings striking out six. He only allowed four hits, but took the unfortunate 2-0 loss as the Red Devils could not push a run across the plate. Clark did show interesting ability on the mound. Coming from a low three-quarters, almost sidearm angle, the lefthander’s arm adds deception to the three pitches that he commands well. His fastball topped out at 89 mph and given the amount of arm-side run that he generates from his low release point, hitters struggled to find the barrel on the pitch. The senior Georgia State signee seemed to prefer his curveball over his changeup. Although throwing strikes with both and generating soft contact and or swings and misses, Clark’s changeup was an above average pitch and may even be considered plus to some scouts. His delivery may be unique, but the stuff and pitchability were impressive Friday.




Garrett Wright (2020, College Station, Texas) settled in very nicely in his relief role for the College Station Cougars Friday evening. Wright ran his fastball up to 88 mph and earned the win after coming in in a pinch and pitch 4 1/3 innings of three-hit baseball and six strikeouts. Wright was inconsistent at times with his release point, but when he let the ball go out in front the fastball showed good cutting action away from righthanded hitters leading to lots of missed barrels. Wright is a big framed athlete at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds with lots of present strengthin his lower half and he uses that size to his advantage on the mound. Creating lots of angle and getting outstanding use from his physical lower half, Wright’s fastball gets on hitters quickly. The ball comes from a full arm action as the arm work well throughout the circle. When the arm is on time through the circle, Wright’s command is good.

Corey Collins (2020, Suwanee, Ga.) is a highly ranked player in the 2020 class and he showed why in North Gwinnett’s 6:00 p.m. game Friday night. In his first at-bat Collins roped a ball down the right field line for a first inning triple. The ball left Collins’ bat at 100 mph and he showed off impressive speed as well turning first base boasting a 4.32-second home-to-first time with the aforementioned turn. Collins is a strong baseball player at 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, and with the ability to run the way he does it really makes him stand out. He also plays a lockdown position behind the plate as well showing off some impressive blocking skills in this game helping lead North Gwinnett to a 6-5 win.

Max Dejong (2020, Powder Springs, Ga.) is one of the more intriguing young pitchers who made a jump in velocity early this spring. Dejong, prior to Friday night’s 6-3 Hillgrove victory, topped out at 86 mph with his fastball at Perfect Game events, but during day two of the PG High School Showdown his fastball toppedout at 89 mph. Dejong started on the mound for Hillgrove and was virtually unhittable early on, but did struggle with command, and, unfortunately, his night was cut short. Nonetheless, Dejong did show some impressive stuff on themound. His fastball was up to 89 mph early with short sink from an over-the-top slot. His arm works well with a full arm action and minimal effort at release projecting for more to come as he matures.

Levi Clark (2019, Saraland, Ga.) is a long-limbed junior righthanded pitcher from Saraland High School, who, with some fine tuning, could be a force on the mound in years to come. At an extremely projectable 6-foot-4, 198-pounds, Clark possesses an outstanding pitcher’s body and he took that frame to the mound late Friday night for the Saraland Spartans. The junior’s fastball was up to 89 mph, but the velocity was very rangy due to the discontinuation of his release point and effort at release. Clark struggles to repeat his mechanics, but that should come with some added repetitions on the mound. His curveball is still developing as well. The upside is certainly there for Clark as a pitcher. At this time and during this game the numbers may have not stood out, but the uncommitted righthander has some promise moving forward.

Both Jake Holland (2019, Clermont, Fla.) and Diego Millan (2018, Carolina, Puerto Rico) helped lead Montverde Academy to a 9-0 victory late as they each hit home runs to go back-to-back in the seven-run sixth inning. Each ball was a no-doubter and traveled deep into the chilly night.

Holland is a physical catcher committed to Miami and has pure strength on his frame and in his swing. He put that strength on display as he connected on a pitch and deposited it on top of the storage building in left field on Field 15 at LakePoint. Millan is also a physical catcher standing at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, and he's committed to Miami-Dade College. His home run was to pull side as well and landed just short of the storage shed. Millan has present strength in his swing as well and raw pop that was on display late Friday night.

– Gregory Gerard
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