Alabama Scout Blog: Round of 32 Edition

The Prep Baseball Alabama Scout Blog provides insider information and scouting notes from the Prep Baseball Scouting Staff during the season. This running blog will feature information on underclass prospects, unsigned seniors, draft prospects and anything else that is notable. We will provide a wide range of information, including player evaluations, velocities, pop times, home to first times and much more.

Today, we take a look at some notable prospects our staff saw during the 1st round of the Class 6A-1A playoffs last week. 

+ 3B/RHP Caleb Barnett (Mountain Brook, 2025) continues to distance himself from his peers at the top of the list in the 2025 class in Alabama due to his elite two-way capabilities and long & projectable 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame. An Alabama recruit, Barnett is currently the top-ranked prospect in the junior class in Alabama and lived up to the billing offensively in the first game of a three-game playoff series. Slotted in the heart of the order, the right-hander, who was dealing with some discomfort in the lower-half, still showed the ability to make an impact in the designated hitter spot while not being at 100%. Hitting from an upright stance with good balance and fluidity through the swing, Barnett can really impact the baseball at a high level with one of the higher combinations of hit/power upsides in his class. While having such long levers, he still does a really good job of staying short and direct to the point of contact with not much wasted movement pre-pitch, and displays some above-average bat speed and can change planes, as well. He was seemingly on the barrel throughout the whole contest, as he laced a missile into the RCF gap in his first at-bat, walked in his next at-bat, and capped it off with a mammoth home run to LF in the 7th inning to pull his team closer. He carries a real presence to the right-hander's box and has an advanced approach with ability to recognize spin well. Also hopped on the mound in Game 2 in a must-win spot and delivered a complete-game effort, and was also intentionally-walked in all four plate appearances in the deciding Game 3.

+ OF Eric Hines (American Christian Academy, 2025) showed why he is the top available uncommitted prospect in the 2025 class in Alabama, as he impressed in every facet of his game. The three-sport star already looks the part at 6-foot-3, 210-pounds while also looking like a high-level center fielder as he continually got great reads off the bat and truly covered gap-to-gap. The advanced read off of the bat, partnered with the ability to run balls down make it look easy for him defensively. The current arm strength is adequate and will continue to develop over the years. Offensively, Hines shows electric bat speed with an uphill bat path and simply makes it look easy in the box. The operation is simple as he is simple on the front side with a short, controlled load of the hands. Hines possesses plenty of explosiveness and quick twitch to his offensive profile, and is a threat to leave the yard each time he steps in the box. He can get to pitches on the inner-half, but is also disciplined enough to hammer balls to the back-side on pitches on the outer-half. The home run he hit in Game 2 was a no-doubter over the RCF fence on a pitch on the outside part of the plate. He averaged a double-double in basketball this season, and is also a standout WR/FS recruit on the gridiron. While he is not a finished product at all on the diamond, the advanced athleticism and ease at which he does things make him a high-level follow in the 2025 class in Alabama.