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PBR Southeast Select - Tournament Standouts

July 17, 2022
Justin Goetz, Sean Smith, Chaz Crawford, Paul Gies
PBR Georgia Staff

PBR Southeast Select has been an excellent blend of talent from the 2023 to 2027 class. It featured some of the best young incoming freshmen in the country, and multiple arms who are going to be on draft boards in the future. There have been many projectable arms & bats that stood out to us, and you can find them below!
RJ Cope, LHP, Georgia Premier Academy (GA), 2026, GBSA Rays
Uncommitted. 6 foot 6, 240 pounds, XL frame that moves very well for size. Cope is mechanically sound with unbelievable ease of operation. It looks like he's just playing catch and sitting mid 80’s, and that's arm strength you just can't teach. It also foreshadows that he’ll settle in as a strike thrower when he fully grows into the frame. Evaluators need to give him ample time to get stronger, more coordinated, more explosive - because he might be the biggest upcoming 9th grader I’ve ever seen on the mound. It’s going to be a sight to see in his upper classmen HS years. He has nice footwork in the windup leading to good direction with shockingly good balance for his size and creates rhythm of hands & lift knee - which give the arm easy momentum for his mid depth, big circle AA (¾ slot). He’s patient over the rubber and very light on his feet especially at landing, which might be the most impressive thing about him to me. Because of these reasons, I believe he’s going to have real command of his FB. The pitch sat 84-86 gradual tail, 6’4 release height creates deception, steep plane low in the zone, and angle up in the zone. His SL at 76-77 has a gyro profile (-4 IVB), meaning it has bullet like spin so it fights the force of gravity longer then drops. But it has some late cut to it, making it an interesting pitch. It could take off as a pitch with more topspin. The CH is 78 with no tells in the delivery. The projection + pitchability combo are going to be hard to match in the ‘26 class.

 


Trey Robbins, 1B/LHP, Whitewater (GA), 2026, Georgia Roadrunners
Uncommitted. A 6 foot 3, 205 pound beast with a large frame, present strength, and much more to come. The first time I saw him he hit a 340-350 ft bomb to RF at Lakepoint. This was 3 months an inch of height and 10 pounds ago though, but he didn't just improve physically. He came out with a much more dynamic, connected arm action, and the core & lower half were more involved. It went from short & conservative to a loose, more full AA with noticeably more separation (due to core and chest gradually working toward back hip during stride) at landing & extension! He started off the game with a scary 95 EV off end of the bat that luckily hit the pitchers glove. Robbins then preceded to sit 88 w/ FB (bore) in his 1st inning of work!! It was an official 6-7 mph jump from our last look, and he settled in at 84-86 inning. The pitch has just as much life as it has velo. He also featured a new mid 70’s SL 16 IVB, -9 HZB that has big time tilt and huge potential. This is easily one of the best players in GA’s ‘26 class and we can’t wait to watch him progress. One things for sure, it’s going to be light tower power and big velo.
Jordan Walker, CF, Hillgrove (GA), 2026, USA Scout
Uncommitted. A lean and athletic 5 foot 9, 140 pounds with lightning in his wrists. This is a top of the order bat who’s a real threat on the basepaths. He’s already turned in plus home to 1st times for us and he’s nowhere near done growing. His brother Deion Walker, is a 6’4 200 lb CF prospect in the Pirates organization with ridiculous tools. We believe Jordan will be just as explosive roaming the position and continue to rise year by year. Walker has a tall, open setup so he can track with both eyes. Slow flow in hands, timed up separation. I like how he gets into his launch position slot - its not barrel overhead, knob pointed to catcher. The barrel has more horizontal tilt than vertical, allowing the path to level out before the hands are thrown. This involves his core more and creates faster rotational acceleration, with his lower half maintaining direction to the pitcher. It's a picture perfect layback as hands are thrown, producing a blurry “knob led” path. It’s quite obvious visually, and even more obvious when you slow his swing down on video. Advanced twitch, going to really run!
Cole Eison, OF, Alexander (GA), 2023, Canes Southeast
Uncommitted. 5 foot 9 160 pounds of pure dynamite. 1 of best uncommitted bats left in his class! Eison is the definition of twitchy and we love how he’s able to keep his head still when making violent, conttrolled movements in all areas of the game. He was an obvious standout at our Top Prospect Games, averaging 91 EV and up to 97 EV in BP! He runs a sub 7 60 yd dash, and threw 88 from OF. This is a player with 5 tool potential and a calculated hitting approach that still has much more strength and mass to add to his frame. With 10-15 lbs more the bat speed and twitch will get to a crazy level and could lead to him being a draft prospect in college. He hit an absolute nuke onto the batting cages while choked up on a 3-2 pitch! Love how he sits over the backside in stride creating elite linear connection at landing. Dynamic forward move filled with patience, fluidity & timing. + bat speed! It’s a more level, high contact swing plane than you typically see in a power hitter, and he does a great job of creating loft with his hip angle when matching plane. This could easily end up being the biggest uncommitted steal left in the ‘23 class.
Cameron Jackson, SS, Georgia Premier Academy, 2026, GBSA Rays
Uncommitted. 6 foot 1, 155 pounds high waisted medium frame w/ long levers. This is a legit switchy w/ advanced actions offensively & defensively. He’s one of the most athletic players we’ve seen in the class, and he possesses lots of twitch for his current strength. He has a smooth inside out swing from the left side and can just as easily turn the barrel with an effortless front arm shrink for backspin doubles to the RC gap. In fact, we believe he’s going to have rare power for his size from the left side. The hands are connected to his core & chest and they load the hands for him. His shoulders gradually work south in stride so he can rotate north on a diagonal plane for big time loft. With elite twitch comes elite bat speed if the hands are connected. From the right side he’s just contact oriented with an all fields approach that takes what’s given to him. Overall its a patient approach that looks to drive up pitch counts. I would like to see him be more aggressive on strikes early in the count which will drive up his power production. I like that he’s patient over impatient at this point, as impatience is a tougher adjustment. Good lower half momentum w/ hips in stride, repeats launch, gaining ground allows him to make contact in front of plate. Rotates extremely well. High level talent!


Chase Meyer, RHP, Cherokee (GA), 2023, Canes Southeast Select 
Uncommitted. It is no question that Meyer has some of the best stuff in the entire 2023 class. The FB sits at 90-93 T94 w/ a very flat VAA (3.15-4.5) which makes it almost impossible for hitters to touch up in the zone. The SL which is a truly one of a kind, sits in the 79-81 range and consistently registers spin rates of 3000+. The pitch was thrown with up to 19in of sweep and 16in of depth. The CH, which is definitely his most overlooked pitch, possessed a unique spin profile with spin rates getting up to 2500. Not many pitchers are able to throw there CH with high spin, but Meyer is one of them. The pitch shows heavy tumble to both right-handed and left-handed hitters. The pitch sits in the upper 70’s w/ HZB numbers eclipsing the 20in mark. This is one of the best arm talents in the country and if I had to guess, has the best 3 pitch mix out of any pitcher in the country right now!

 


Braden Smith, RHP/OF, George Jenkins (FL), 2025, Ballers Baseball
Uncommitted. Smith is a name that many people should begin to know in the 2025 class. Opened up the tournament with a 13k, 85 pitch, no hitter! It was the most dominant performance of the summer thus far. Wiry, lean frame at 6’0 155lbs w/ high 3/4 arm slot. The FB sat in the 83-85 range the entire game and showed great comeback life and ride (14-18 IVB and HZB). The SL was commanded to both sides of the plate in the low 70’s with upwards of 18in of sweep. The CH was the real equalizer in the low 70’s that was thrown to both right-handed and left-handed hitters. It showed heavy fading action that broke a few bats in the process (up to 19in of HZB). Crazy metrics from this kid on all of his pitches and showed a lot of competitiveness on the mound!

 

 
Ryan Perry, RHP/IF, Calvert Hall (MD), 2023, East Coast Royals
Uncommitted. Two pitch mix w/ EZ delivery. Commanded the outer half extremely well with the FB and went to it early and often. Then FB sat in the 84-87 range and touched 88mph with late sink+run. He also mixed in a SLV in the mid 70’s with late 2 plane depth. The SLV proved tough for hitters to pick up on and received a lot of swing and miss. Possesses elite hip/shoulder separation, but he can tend to open a little early when going into rotation. Fixing this minor issue could lead to big velo jumps for Perry in the future. The athleticism jumps off the chart on the bump and I am sure we will only see better stuff in the future!

 


Brandon Stone, RHP, Shawnee Mission West (KS), 2023, Precision Baseball Kansas
Uncommitted. High-waisted, solid frame at 6-foot-6, 210-pounds. Short arm action with a H3Q slot, quick arm that creates a steep angle at his release point. Needs to improve lower half flexibility somewhat to completely uncork his potential but the stuff was impressive. Located lively, running FB (86-89, T90) best on his arm side to both lefties and righties, but pitch plays best glove side as its late life moves back in over the corner of the plate. Showed feel for both a SL at 75-76 and CB at 72, each tunneling well off FB creating for some tough ABs. Big potential once he can put it all together.
Brooks Willis, RHP, Houston County (GA), 2024, Game On Travel
Uncommitted. Solid, big-bodied 6-foot-6, 200-pound frame with more room to mature. Long arm action with a lower ¾ slot, creating solid ride and run on his FB. Pitch sat 84-87 and will only see a jump in velocity as he continues to mature, located well in any quadrant and generated several s/m. Showed the best feel we’ve seen him have for his off-speed, CB at 71-72 was very tight in his outing, looks like a FB coming out of his hand before sharply diving out of the zone, was in command of pitch and thrown at will. Also flashed developing feel for CH.
Jevon Edmondson, OF/1B, John Overton (TN), 2023, Showcase Baseball Tennessee
Uncommitted. Solid frame at 6-foot, 210-pounds with present strength throughout. Stands tall and balanced in the box with a slightly open stance and high back elbow. Smooth weight transfer as he loads with a medium leg kick and plants softly on front foot. Nice hip rotation with an middle-away approach, looking to spray the ball to all fields with some pop. Big juice in his barrel with good extension as he separates.
Jacob Doster, C/OF, North Oconee (GA), 2026, Diesel Baseball
Uncommitted. Strong frame at 6-foot, 165-pounds with some athleticism and plenty of room to continue adding on. Stands somewhat hunched with both elbows at 45 degree angles to the ground in setup, before slightly raising hands as pitch comes in to achieve a more relaxed position. Good balance on back leg as he loads with a bigger leg kick. Strong and athletic swing with quick hands/wrists and a whippy barrel. Some present juice already. Will be a big power bat as he continues to fill out and begins his HS career. High potential.

 

 
Mac Bradley, C, Prince Avenue HS (GA), 2025, East Cobb Astros 
Strong mature frame from the 2025 Catcher. He keeps it super simple at the plate. Short stride with a quick load, his hands working straight back until he swings. Hips rotate well to create a lot of pop. Efficient barrel path that keeps the bat in the zone a long time. He is very relaxed until he unloads on the ball. Has a lot of strength with a pair of singles at 98 and 94 exit velocity. Not a kid you want to make a mistake pitch against. Big power bat to keep a close eye on.

 

 
Zach Meyer, C, Olentangy Liberty HS (OH), 2024, Wow Factor 
Powerful frame at 6-foot-1 235- pounds. Hips and hands stay connected. Bat flies through the zone and his hands stay inside the baseball. Created easy backspin. Gets his “A” swing off at the plate and is always looking to do damage. Showed big power potential with his double off the wall in his game missing a home run by just a few feet. Looked good behind the dish. Showed a solid arm posting a 2.1 pop time.

 

 
Cesar Valera, SS/2B, Braden River HS (FL), 2023, Knights Knation 
Strong athletic build. Starts swing with a leg kick that causes minimal head movement. Barrel gets on plane early and stays in the zone a long time. He drives from his strong lower half to create power. Let’s his hands work out front and the barrel gets extended. To compliment his big bat he also is a great runner with a triple in his 1st at bat and an infield single in his second. Really productive for Knights Knation at the top of their order. Looked fluid and smooth at short.

 

 
Cade Culbreth, 1B/LHP, Chipley HS (FL), 2024, Team 850 
Big strong frame at 6-foot-3 235-pounds. He keeps his hands loose throughout the swing. Toe-tap to start the forward move. Really whippy bat that flies through the zone. Great extension after contact. Power swing that creates backspin. Drove the ball to all fields with power including a solo shot to deep right field. Love the intent on his swings; looking to do damage at the plate. Exciting bat to continue to see develop.

 

 
Mason Horwat, RHP, Avonworth HS (PA), 2023, Steel City Select 
 The 6-foot-1 Penn State commit looked dominant in his outing. The righty has good balance over the rubber. He drives hard off his backside down the mound. Finishes over a strong front side. Medium circle arm action throwing from a high 3/4 arm slot. Came out ready to go in the 1st flashing a 90 and 91 on the radar. He pounded the zone with his hard FB 85-87 T91 with run. He also flashed a sweeping breaker at 74-77 that he used to complete the strikeout. Was not afraid to challenge hitters with the fastball and pitch inside.
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