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15U National Championship: Dynamite Follows

July 14, 2023
Justin Goetz
Assistant Scouting Director

College coaches came in droves to one of PBR’s best events of the summer, the 15U National Championship. There was a mix of some of the top players in the country and some of the best sleepers looking to get their name on the map. In this article is a blend of big power, pure hitters, power arms, and master of pitchability. With nine uncommitted players in this article, there are certainly some game changers below who you won’t want to miss.

Brooks Zumwalt C, 2026, Royals Scout Team (Summit Christian, MO)
Uncommitted. 6-foot-5, 180 pounds.

With 2 HR’s just under 100 EV (97 & 99), few players if any made this loud of a statement at the PBR 15U national championship. The prototype frame and elite swing mechanics for his age stood out among all others I scouted. The power potential in this bat can be truly special, as the effortlessness and natural loft in the swing are only going to benefit him more and more as he begins to fill in the frame. Brooks shares an average launch angle with one of the games biggest power hitters today, Pirates OF Jack Suwinski (5th in MLB AB per HR). Zumwalt’s 23.7 degrees is almost identical to Suwinkski’s 24.0 degrees. When you put together the fact he hit 2 HR in our biggest 15U tourney, the advanced swing mechanics, highly projectable frame, and launch angle, you’ve got a player who is going to be one of the biggest power threats in the country for his class. While his swing decisions and ability to decelerate on offspeed will need to continue improving, he shows very good feel to manipulate the barrel based on pitch location. He shows the ability to turn the barrel in tight space, flatten the path some on top of zone heaters, and inside-out pitches on the outer half. Brooks has the ability to adjust and isn’t just a one dimensional hitter. His minimal negative move allows Zumwalt to be on time with release points and spend more time gaining ground in stride, allowing him to attack the ball outside his front foot instead of letting it attack him. His calm and collected nature at the plate will bode well long term for handling failure as he moves up to the highest levels of the game, as he doesn’t get too high or too low. It was also refreshing to see him acting humble on his HR’s. He has one of the best resources in the game to learn from, as his dad Alec is the hitting coach for the Kansas City Royals. I didn’t get to see him catch, but his strong arm and large frame can also be an ideal fit for multiple other positions (3B, RF). Regardless of position, the powerful bat is going to play.


Beckett Doane LHP, 2026, Indiana Bulls Black (Noblesville, IN)
Uncommitted. 6-foot-5, 175 pounds.

As far as ceiling goes, this was one of the 2 best arms I scouted at 15U Nat. In such a long levered frame with broad shoulders, it will take Doane a bit longer to reach lofty expectations I have for him velocity wise. But make no mistake, this dude is going to throw hard. The gradual build of pace in his delivery is ideal and builds explosiveness for controlled violence post landing. He stacks the upper half over the rubber in stride and uses the lead arm very well as a lever to create more arm speed and rotate more explosively (matches shoulder rotation+arm slot perfectly). He repeats the full circle arm action well from an L3/4 slot that combines with his slight crossfire to make him a nightmare to track for hitters. Doane is very well balanced for his lengthy frame and the arm is right on time at foot strike. With how bent his front side is at landing, the potential to lengthen the stride and create more torque in separation is there. This will also increase his extension, playing up his perceived velocity to hitters. Right now the minimal stride helps him feel the lead leg block, which is advanced for his age. His incredible velo potential aside, Beckett’s pitchability for his age, and the control+life of his FB & SLV have starter written all over him. The CH is quickly developing and I feel this is a prospect of the highest priority who will take large jumps in stuff each year his strength+flexibility increases. 
Cooper Shrum RHP/UTIL, 2026, Royals Scout Team (Belton, MO)
Tennessee Commit. 6-foot-4, 170 pounds.

All it took was 1 pitch and 1 swing to know that PBR Missouri and Shooter Hunt got it right on ranking Shrum as the blue chip of blue chips in state and nationally. While his mound talent is beyond worthy of the big time recognition he’s getting, he has the athleticism, swing mechanics, and hand-eye to be a real two way in Knoxville. As you can see in the tweet below, he checks every box to be one of the best draft prospects in the country on the mound when 2026 rolls around. While he’s just an underclassmen, he has stuff as good and even better than some D1 commits 1-2 years ahead of him. Not only does he already have some fast twitch where most players with his frame don’t at this age, the sequence and pace of his delivery is built so well that it creates some of the most violent arm speed I can remember at this age. While “whippy” is one of the most overused terms in scouting history, this is an arm that is truly whip-like. But Shrum creates this in the healthiest way possible, starting with a loose (dead in weight hand) drop out of his glove that allows gravity to create the initial speed of his arm action. This prevents any tension in the arms or shoulders, as opposed to pulling the ball out of his glove. This allows his elbow lift to be much more natural and the arm speed only increases into layback. His aggressiveness in the zone with his FB (has makings of bore) and willingness to pitch inside with it only play up his 2 plane CB. Shrums ability to keep the same arm speed on it despite such a change in velo is shocking to hitters, as well as the snap on the pitch. While the arm is on another level, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see his position player value catch up or even surpass as he gains strength. 
Bubba Coleman SS, 2026, East Cobb Astros (Buford, GA)
LSU Commit. 6-foot, 175 pounds.

It feels like I’ve almost said everything there is to say about Coleman’s talent at the plate, but every look I get on him there is a steady progression of improvement. He produced hard nearly every AB I filmed this spring, but just since April the swing has already become more dynamic. He’s gone from more of a larger hand load that wasn’t as connected to the upper half, to now his chest loading the hands for him with the load being shorter and twice as efficient. This is allowing him to be not only quicker to the ball, but create more rotational force as his hands are now more. connected to the core and shoulders. Speaking of shoulders, they are now rotating on a more linear plane as opposed to a subtle yet slightly rotational plane he was on in the spring. As you see in the tweet below, this has zero negative impact on his ability to hit top of the zone FB’s. His timing of release points, elite bat 2 ball, and reaction time allow him to easily work his hands above the ball, he now just creates more lift and backspin than he was. The hip pace is still right on point he’s now got the legs more involved, showing a subtle sink and gradual coil to his back hip in stride. Bubba is beginning to create power from the ground up and connecting the kinetic chain at a rapid pace. He’s clearly been studying his craft and there’s not a hitter in the state I’m more convicted on long term. The next step for me in his evaluation, is to focus on his defensive side of the game.
Wessley Roberson OF, 2026, East Cobb Astros (Glynn Academy, GA)
Uncommitted. 6-foot-165 pounds.

When watching Roberson for the 1st time this spring down in Augusta, it was easy to see this was a dude. But not because of his performance, he didn’t have one of his better days. It was the confidence, approach, and swing decisions that first caught my eye. Just a freshman at the time facing 86-89, this guy was looking to punish a FB and the way he tracked showed it. He was hunting with the Yes, Yes, No thought process, all of his takes were aggressive but under control at the same time. He wasn’t looking to hit bombs, just to hit the ball hard wherever it was pitched. Most importantly, he didn’t chase pitches. Everything he offered at was hittable. His HS team is loaded with offensive talent, and for the staff to have him in the leadoff spot as a FR spoke volumes. At PBR 15U National I got to see all of his advanced intangibles go to work. He takes a FB & CB to set himself up in an ideal 2-0 count, but still doesn’t get overly excited. Roberson stuck with his LC to RC approach and tattooed a middle away FB that he caught perfectly outside his front foot for a leadoff triple. The next game I saw, he lays down a textbook drag bunt right down the 3B line and beat the throw by 3 steps. While he’s an AVG runner on a pro scale now, he certainly will be A/AVG and he accelerates very quickly. His baseball IQ and instincts overall as a player will continue to play up his tools as he gets stronger.
Teagan Leach LHP, 2027, Stars Colangelo (Battlefield, VA)
Virginia Tech Commit. 6-foot-2, 205 pounds.

As one of the younger players in PBR 15U National (just turned 15) there certainly was zero concern for as he mowed right through a solid lineup on day 1 of the event. With a large frame and strong proportional build, maybe the best way to describe him would be a man child. You can tell he’s nowhere near his eventual physical ceiling, and looks very young despite the frame. But the way he operates on the bump is of someone much older. He pitches to his strengths, and the traits are quite rare. Leach throws a true spin FB that worked in the 2400’s (RPM) with riding life at the top of the zone that hitters constantly swung under. Not only is it high spin, but his near sidearm slot allows it to play up in the zone even better. Just when they started looking for the heater up & away, he would drop in the heavy fading CH that tunneled perfectly off his heater for some really ugly swings. Teagan also as very good control of the FB arm side for his age, as he was able to locate to that edge easily and also mix up heights with it and work low in the zone when needed. He also flipped in a sweeping CB for strikes to keep hitters off balance. This is already an advanced strike thrower at such a young age who approaches each hitter with a plan. The effortlessness in the delivery plays up his FB even more, as you wouldn’t expect a mid 80’s heater to jump out of his hand. This is a highly exciting follow who should continue a steady climb as the body matures. 
Carter Harrington RHP, 2025, Upstate Mavs Scout (AC Flora, SC)
Uncommitted. 6-foot-2, 170 pounds.

This is one of the more consistent outings I saw, and it’s always refreshing to see an aggressive strike thrower who challenges hitters with his best stuff instead of trying to strike everybody out. He really dominated the zone horizontally with a 3 pitch mix focused on tunneling. His repeatable short circle arm action from an L3/4 slot creates not only deception but his release point is very consistent with each offering in the repertoire. Most of his whiffs come from the fact that you never know which pitch is coming, because they all look the same out of hand. Harrington likes to get in on RHH’s hands with the FB and his advanced CH life has the initial lateral action of the FB only to drop off the table last second. The fact he can locate it down in the zone either centered or in on RHH gives him a weapon few ‘25 arms have. When he’s got hitters protecting the inner half, he throws the sweeper with late horizontal bite that got some of the ugliest swings in the entire tournament. If any hitters are able to figure his go to sequences out, he can just reverse it on them with the ability to throw any pitch for strikes in any count. Carter’s delivery is very compact through up (knee lift), down (knee comes down) , and out (stride) phases due to an advanced hip hinge that allows him to stack in a balanced position over the rubber and to forcefully redirect his momentum to the plate during the stride & landing. His gradual coil to the back hip adds another element of deception to his delivery and creates the connection of his largest muscles on the backside. His feel to uncoil slowly in stride allows his hips and shoulders to square up to the plate just before he lands which is a big reason he’s able to repeat the release point and pitch life so well. I think there is more velocity in the tank right now if he can learn to work his shoulders and lead arm more diagonally (instead of elbow pointing north, shoulders flat) in stride to match his arm slot instead of being slightly disconnected to his slight currently. With his high waisted, long levered frame, compactness and obvious athleticism in the delivery it's easy to see him making a large jump in velocity once he makes a couple small adjustments. He already hes advanced pitchability and unpredictable stuff, so it would vault him past others in the next tier.
Blake Taylor OF, 2026, Devine Baseball (North Gwinnett)
Uncommitted. 5-foot-10, 155 pounds.

This was one of my top 2 favorite swings in all of 15U. While he was a virtual unknown in the class before showing out at LakePoint, we are glad to bring you this beautiful swing before his name rings bells to colleges across the country. Taylor brings a whole different meaning to being athletic in the box, as everything is perfectly sequenced from start to finish and his body control and balance are ideal despite a bigger leg kick. This is due to 2 things - 1. The chest works (and stays) in a vertical line with the balls of his feet as soon as he starts moving. 2. His leg kick stays under the hamstrings and close to his center of balance, therefore keeping him from drifting or being sent off balance. The stride gains just enough ground for the hip hinge to create some lower half momentum and his front hip clears perfectly before landing, creating ideal torque in the lower half for his linear connection (hands, back elbow, back hip, back knee) to work against. It also clears room for his hands to not only turn and burn in tight space, but allows him to get into a position to stay inside the baseball at all times and able to inside-out a FB for a hit the other way that may have otherwise jammed him. Everything Taylor does from an offensive perspective is advanced, and it’s a quiet confidence you don’t typically see in a player his age. Nothing at the plate is forced, as his selective aggressive approach fits perfectly with his low effort swing mechanics. He focuses on timing and precision over effort and intent, and lets his hip timing, exceptionally clean sequencing, and swing path do the work for him. When you consistently catch the ball on the barrel outside the front foot, good exit velos happen more often. Blake’s timing and precision is his power, and the perfect backspin created from the balanced path (with top hand palm up thru contact) puts extra distance on everything he hits. This is an athletic runner who is only going to increase his speed and other tools as he gets stronger. But for now, his effortless actions, advanced intangibles, and elite swing mechanics for his age set him apart.
TJ McQuillan 3B, 2026, Top Tier (Mt. Carmel, IL)
Louisville Commit. 6-foot-1, 215 pounds.

This barrel chested beast wasn’t just one of the best power hitters at the 15U National Championship, he was one of the best hitters overall. McQuillan consistently put himself in hitter’s counts due to his selectiveness at the plate, and he did not miss when he got something in the zone. His bat speed+bat strength combo is as real as it gets, with some of the best hitting metrics in the entire class at our showcases. His average launch angle of 18.1 matches up with many of the game's best power hitters (Adames 17.8, Olson 17.2, Arenado 18.4, Rizzo 18.4, Bellinger 19.0, Trout 19.2). Long story short, this means he is consistently driving the ball with backspin that most often produces the trajectory of 2B’s and HR’s. He’s not just a hitter who is stronger than the rest in his age group, TJ also has well above average bat speed (83.0 max), rotational acceleration (28.6 max), and elite exit velo (94.6 avg, 102.6 max) to go along with 88.9% hard hit rate that just puts him in a completely different class from others his age. The best part about it is the juice is to all fields, typically staying from the right center to left center gap. His repeatable, naturally handsy trigger flows perfectly with his simplified forward move and efficient timing+stretch in separation.. McQuillan is so strong, that he doesn’t need to add any effort or extra movement to produce power. He doesn’t just have the physical traits to hit for power, he has exceptional timing and muscle memory. The Louisville commit showed time and time again throughout the tourney how well he can manipulate the barrel to any pitch location, giving him the ability to cover the entire zone and further simplify in deeper counts. One of his biggest separators is the ability to see spin early, decelerate to get on time, and smash breaking balls in the zone nearly as well as he does FB’s. Another standout trait is his talent for hitting LHP’s, as he had a few hits off them in this tourney. Not only his swing comp, but the offensive profile of the gap 2 gap power production, BB’s, and OBP reminds me strongly of former Oakland Athletic Jack Cust. As he begins to be evaluated as a pro follow by scouts next summer, he will quickly distinguish himself with the ability to get on base and hit quality pitching for consistent power production.
Anthony Grippo RHP/C, 2026, Flood City Elite (Greensburg Central Catholic, PA)
Uncommitted. 6-foot-2, 180 pounds.

Of all the other PBR states I’ve been privileged to scout this summer, PBR Pennsylvania has stood out strongly as far as young pitching talent. They seem to not only be very athletic with plenty of current tools, but also highly projectable with unique traits. In Grippo’s case, the high spin FB is his No. 1 separator. Not only does he have high potential on the mound, he has some tools behind the plate as well. Playing behind the dish has undoubtedly helped him develop a very compact and connected arm action that gives him a distinct advantage on the mound. There are many notable catcher to pitcher converts in the highest levels of the game today, Kenley Jansen, Jason Motte, and Nats reliever Jordan Weems to name a few. While the swing plays and he definitely has the feel and toughness to catch, I feel Grippo’s arm talent will surpass his catching. He’s high waisted with a strong lower half thats built for velocity to go with long levers. Although there is some rawness to him as a pitcher, he has a natural delivery and he has both arm speed and arm strength to allow him to hold velo deeper into outings. Grippo’s natural elbow spiral allows him to stay behind the baseball extremely well, creating some ridiculous carry on his heater. He seems to blow away every hitter up in the zone, as it hovers above barrels like some sort of UFO. The pitch resists gravity like few others I’ve seen in the age group, with RPM’s averaging in the 2450 range with true backspin and reaching 2541. The pitch is even more dominant when pairing it with his short, tight, vertical SL that stays on FB plane forever. As his FB continues to tick up and SL sharpens along with it, Grippo will be a strikeout machine.
Bobby Knight OF, 2026, 5 Star National VA Beach (Lakeland, VA)
Uncommitted. 5-foot-6, 150 pounds.

There wasn’t a player at 15U Nat that caught more barrels than this top of the order spark plug. But he impacted the game in all facets regularly. In CF, he took away a handful of what seemed like sure hits with his advanced anticipation, instincts, ability to change direction on a dime, and pure determination. He has true closing speed, meaning he can take it to another gear in the last seconds of ball flight. At the plate every swing is a carbon copy of the next and he hits the ball hard on a line so consistently you’d think you are watching the same video on repeat. But the reality is, Bobby had 4 games with 2 barrels or more in the tourney. It’s not only from ridiculous hand-eye, the swing mechanics were the most efficient in all of 15U. The hip hinge keeps his negative move minimal so he stays close to his center of balance so he’s never stuck on the backside. The hip pace is perfect allowing him to always be on time. The load and tilt into launch position happen at the exact same pace of his stride so he’s ready to fire the hands right at foot strike. His hands+elbows work close to the body creating perfect layback & lag in a perfectly balanced knob led path that is incredibly quick to the ball. It’s not just bad speed, it’s reaction time and swing path. The body control is just insane for his age and he’s very strong for his size, allowing him to decelerate on breaking balls with ease. Once he gets on the basepaths he’s an absolute menace, with some of the best jumps you’ll see. He reads pitchers deliveries so well, he rarely needs to get to top speed. The stronger he gets, the more unfair it’ll be for everyone else on the field. 
Nolan Winfield RHP, 2025, Canes American (DH Conley, NC)
Uncommitted. 5-foot-11, 165 pounds.

While he plays MIF, his natural athleticism on the mound is truly on another level. There are very few pitchers I scout in this age group that I’m all in on after a few pitches, but Winfield is one of those. It’s really quite simple… Pitchers with the best deliveries typically throw the most strikes, have the most consistent movement, and have the best chance for high level command in the future. For his age, Winfield has an elite delivery. It’s no surprise he went 4 INN of shutout baseball in just 51 pitches. The video below certainly doesn’t do him Justice, as he painted both edges with his running+sinking FB that missed barrels with ease. He threw a sharp 2 plane CB early in counts that got a combo of whiffs and allowed hitters to get themselves out. He flashed a CH with nearly identical life to his FB to multiple LHH & RHH that I feel can be just as big of a weapon as his other 2 pitches. Don’t let the size fool you, this is a no doubt D1 starting pitcher who will pitch early in his college career. He simply knows how to get hitters out at a high level, and has ridiculous arm speed despite being nowhere near his physical ceiling. Imagine him at 170 lbs in a few years. You’ll be looking at an 89-92 arm with 2 advanced offspeed pitches and command of all 3. He will be able reach back for even more velocity when needed. The stronger he gets, the twitchier he will get.   Delivery breakdown - The smooth overhead wind works simultaneously with the peak of his lift knee, leading to ideal separation timing. He’s impeccably balanced when the glove+knee meet, and his gradual coil to the back hip naturally drops the ball out of the glove for him. Not only is this the beginning of an ideally connected arm action, but promotes identical depth in the arm path is the foundation of a clean arm action. It’s not only deceptive but the elbow lift is clean and his range of motion in the elbow spiral shows natural mobility and promotes long term arm health. His slow coil of the knee+core+chest begins just before the down phase and continues in stride (out phase) allowing his front hip to lead the stride. This begins a stack of the upper half over the rubber, storing power and backside connection for post landing. This creates optimal stretch in hip/shoulder separation, and keeps the upper half closed until he’s near landing, preventing early rotation in the upper half while the lower half separates. His lead arm matches shoulder rotation & slot perfectly, and notice how the lead arm lever develops at the same pace of the stride. This allows his arm to time up and get in a great position to throw with ideal weight distribution at landing. Notice how Nolan’s knees stay angled inside his feet as he works down the mound, creating a perfect center of balance. His timed up coil lands him in a perfectly straight line to the plate (base, hips, and shoulders), allowing him to repeat his release point and work to any spot in the zone with ease. The lead leg block will come more pronounced as he gets stronger.

Daniel Nienaber RHP, 2026, Richmond Braves (Gary Allen, VA)
Virginia Commit. 6-foot-5, 190 pounds.

This was one of the most advanced FB’s in the tournament and will continue to be the biggest strength of his game, but the pitchability in such a large physically advanced frame is what stood out to me. While he will continue to control his body better as he gets more experience on the mound, the feel for a dynamic CH that he can throw both to the glove side and arm side in any count makes his FB up in the zone all the more threatening for hitters. The SLV is currently the sharper, more advanced of his 2 breaking balls and has the highest ceiling in the future. But, his ability to flip in a bigger CB for strike just shows he knows how to keep hitters off balance. While the delivery is somewhat rigid, he’s very compact and has the makings of using all of his size in the delivery. A bit less drop & drive will prevent the backside from slightly collapsing, create a stronger front side (landing with less bend) so his lead leg can block explosively to creat more slingshot effect. Once he stacks more of the upper half over the rubber in stride and creates more posture and tension from holding a slight bend (in back knee), he will naturally creat a stronger foundation with better weight distribution. There is so much potential in the frame and it’s an extremely strong arm. With these adjustments and such a well built lower half, Daniel can easily be working in 88-90 right now and creeping into the low 90’s. This is an exciting one to follow.

 

Grant Hill RHP, 2026, Excel Blue Wave (Chelsea, AL)
Uncommitted. 6-foot-3, 190 pounds.

One of the more athletic deliveries in our 15U national championship, Hill makes thing look easy on the mound. When he toes the bump, he expects to dominate. That’s exactly what he did, grabbing whiffs and weak contact on his steep FB/SL combo. With a long levered frame and clean full circle arm action that builds momentum gradually, the velocity projection in this arm is very serious. The FB will be his biggest weapon in the future, with his 6’9” release height being 1ft higher than MLB avg. it creates an incredibly steep plane for hitters to match, and his other FB metrics (VAA, spin, etc)  say he should work almost exclusively down in the zone with it. Of course you have to change eye levels on hitters to keep the unpredictability there, but as you see in the video the SL doesn’t need a top of zone FB to tunnel with to be impactful. His confidence on the mound was fun to watch, A’s Hill goes out there with the expectation that no one is going to touch him. I love the mentality and look forward to scouting him more in the future. 

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