AL HS Team Preview: Moody Blue Devils

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in the Jacksonville/Oxford/Montgomery area at the AISA or AHSAA state championships, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Alabama. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing our scheduled podcasts and releasing our preseason Top 10 in each AHSAA classification. 

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state. Each week we will be releasing our players of the week, updating the Top 10 in each AHSAA classification as well as a Power 25. One thing that you especially don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state as well as recaps and previews of big games across the state.  

*Please note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.

High School Name: Moody Blue Devils

Coach’s Name: Eamonn Kelly 

Classification: AHSAA 5A 

2022 Record: 15-17

Area Number: Class 5A, Area 10 

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5 

No. of Returning Pitchers: 5 

Team Strengths: Defense 

Top Returning Players:

• SS Chase Mashall (2023)
• INF Payton Isbell (Gadsden State CC, 2023)
• C Landon Cherry (2025)

Top 2024 Prospects:

• LHP Brady Dodd (2024)

Top 2025 & 2026 Prospects:

• UTL Braden Wright (2025)
• RHP Bryant Hardin (2026)

Team Outlook

The Moody Blue Devils come into the 2023 season expecting to be a tough-out in Class 5A after just missing out on the playoffs last spring in a tough area. This spring, the Blue Devils move to Area 10 for the next few years and will be competing with Leeds, Ramsay and Carver-Birmingham for a berth in the playoffs.

Although the Blue Devils missed the Class 5A playoffs in 2022 by finishing third in their area standings behind St. Clair County and Alexandria, there were still plenty of bright spots in their season. Moody played some tough competition all year long, and recorded big wins in the regular season over Oxford, Mortimer Jordan, Leeds, Briarwood Christian and Tuscaloosa County, who are all in either Class 6A or 7A. They will feature a good amount of talent that is coming back from last year's team in hopes of winning their area and making a deep run throughout the Class 5A playoffs in 2023. They have five positional starters coming back, as well as five pitchers who saw time on the mound that will look to help provide leadership for the Blue Devils this spring. SS Chase Marshall (2023) is one of those key returning upperclassmen who is expected to help lead the charge offensively. The senior has great hands up the middle defensively, and will be a consistent hitter in the heart of the order this year. INF Payton Isbell (Gadsden State CC signee, 2023) just committed last week to play at the next level after his high school career, and looks poised for strong summer campaign. Isbell can play multiple positions on the infield and should be one of their leading offensive producers in the lineup, as well. Another prospect for the Blue Devils who looks poised for a breakout campaign in 2023 is C Landon Cherry (2025), who was a top performers at last week's North AL Preseason All-State event in Hartselle. Moody, a Top-40 prospect in the sophomore class in AL, continues to get better at each look and is advanced for his age both in the right side of the box and behind the plate defensively. He'll also be a key contributor for the Blue Devils this spring after seeing significant playing time as a freshman last spring.

‘25 C Landon Cherry (@Landon_Cherry44; @MHSDvlBaseball)

6-0, 175 || 90.8 mph EV#NALPAS23 pic.twitter.com/4nv4vizbEM

— PBR Alabama (@PBR_Alabama) January 7, 2023

C Landon Cherry (1/7/23)

Looking to help lead the pitching staff this spring will be LHP Brady Dodd (2024), who was a solid pitcher for the Blue Devils during his sophomore season and will look to build off of that success during his junior campaign. A couple other sophomores who will be looking to help contribute both at the plate and on the mound will be UTL Braden Wright (2025) and RHP Bryant Hardin (2025). Wright is a quality underclassmen prospect who has a strong arm and shows a good presence at the plate, while Hardin will look to earn a spot in the pitching rotation and is only expected to get better as he gains more experience at the varsity level. In addition to these players, there are sure to be many more players who will look to step up into bigger roles and fill the needs left by last year's graduating senior class. Competing in a new area this spring, the Blue Devils will definitely be a team to keep an eye on throughout the season in Class 5A as they look to make a charge and be a threat once the playoffs come around in 2023.