Prospect World Series: Georgia Notebook

For the second consecutive year, the Atlanta Braves hosted the Prospect World Series at SunTrust Park, and it's the ninth edition of the event overall. The scouting departments belonging to both the Braves and New York Yankees combined forces to host the high-profile pro-style workout. There were 11 prospects representing Georgia performing in front of a collection of 80 pro scouts, as well as the PBR Georgia staff. 

Below, we’ve added notes on the Georgia boys who made it out.

PITCHERS

+ Ben Johnson, RHP, Providence Christian (Georgia Southern commit): The tall, wiry Johnson continues to show the arm strength, pushing his fastball up to 91 mph. The Georgia Southern commit has a very projectable 6-foot-4 frame with good hand-speed, and even more velocity coming over the next year. Johnson will have to show more breaking ball feel by draft time in order to boost his pro profile, but there his size, build, and arm strength make it easy to find the upside.

Ben Johnson (9/14/19)

+ Andrew Armstrong, LHP, Flowery Branch (Florida State commit): Armstrong is a talented 2020 left-hander from Flowery Branch who offers little projection in terms of future role, but what he has right now plays just fine. Armstrong can work underneath the baseball at times, but when it’s all in sync, he is hard to handle. The deception in his delivery help to play up two very effective secondary pitches. What Armstrong lacks in ceiling he more than makes up for in terms of his floor.

Andrew Armstrong (9/14/19)

+ Donye Evans, RHP, Redan (Kennesaw State commit): Evans was one of the day’s bright spots. The Redan righty pitched without fear and challenged hitters with his fastball during his time on the mound, mixing in a promising changeup that kept bats off balance. While his breaking ball and feel to spin is a question mark, Evans flashed a solid cutter and consistently missed barrels. If he continues to raise his game, he could make some noise come June, but the development of his breaking ball needs to be eyed closely.

Donye Evans (9/14/19)

+ Ty Floyd, RHP, Rockmart (Louisiana State commit): Floyd is set to take his talent to Baton Rouge if the MLB draft does not get in his way. At SunTrust Park, he worked 90-93 mph with his fastball, showing solid feel for a changeup, too. Floyd’s athleticism on the mound will bring a bunch of scouts through Rockmart this spring and, if he can answer questions about his breaking ball, he has a chance to make a strong move up draft boards by June.

+ Marquis Grissom Jr., RHP, Counterpane (Georgia Tech commit): Grissom struck out five of the six batters he faced and was among those who stole the show on Saturday. His fastball topped 92 mph, with feel for the corners, and he made use of a swing-and-miss changeup with which he recorded most of his punch-outs. Grissom has flashed the makings of an average curveball over the past year, giving him the three-pitch arsenal that should allow him to start long-term. He still has room to add strength and already uses leverage well in his delivery, working with a stiff front side, generating advanced hand speed.

Marquis Grissom Jr. (9/14/19)

+ Jackson Phipps, LHP, East Paulding (South Carolina commit): The large southpaw and South Carolina commit worked with an 86-90 mph fastball, tossing in a soft breaking ball to go with it. Phipps has long been an attraction in the state of Georgia, and will be once again this spring for MLB scouts. If Phipps can answer questions about his overall strike-throwing ability, while firming up his feel to spin, he could see a steady stock rise over the next eight months.

+ Jaden Woods, LHP, Houston County (Georgia commit): Woods is a highly interesting 6-foot-2 lefty from HoCo. On Saturday, he sat in the upper-80s while landing some serviceable breaking balls, too, giving him a path to success throughout the spring. He’s also an athletic prospect with a fast arm, granting him some added upside and projection, which is why the Bulldogs are investing in his future. Woods was formerly committed to Georgia State before deciding to make the switch to Athens.

Jaden Woods (9/14/19)

POSITION PLAYERS

+ Alek Boychuk, C, Mill Creek (South Carolina commit): Boychuk is a well-traveled standout catcher from Mill Creek. Boychuk possesses a very strong frame and got off good swings at the plate all event. Defensively, he is more than capable and will be an asset at the next level. Boychuk’s ability to be a strong two-way catcher is what has him ranked as the No. 1 backstop in the state. 

+ Brad Grenkoski, OF, Kell (Georgia Tech commit): From Kell, Grenkoski showed up as a two-player for the scouts in attendance. He has above-average arm strength off the mound and in the outfield and is one of the older members of this 2020 class. He’s tooled-up across the board and is primed for a big spring, but he’ll need to answer some questions regarding his hit tool, that’ll determine just how much of his strength and power he’ll get to in games.

+ Fernando Gonzalez, C, North Cobb Christian (Georgia commit): Gonzalez is going to be a big asset to North Cobb Christian this spring. The Georgia recruit plays with excellent energy and his catch-and-throw abilities are both above-average.  At the plate, the medium-framed Gonzalez is a competitive at-bat and shows solid gap-type power. He is new to the state and is making a strong impression in his short time around.

+ Josh Shuler, OF, North Gwinnett (South Carolina commit): Shuler is a well-documented talent from North Gwinnett with real left-handed power. While he wasn’t necessarily at his best on Saturday, he’ll still be heavily scouted this spring because of his frame and power potential. Shuler carries a strong profile with the tools for his corner outfield spot and but will need to prove he has the hit tool to activate that power potential in gameplay.

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