By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

School is back in session, temperatures are dropping and playoff races are heating up. Despite what the calendar says, summer is essentially over. It was another busy one in the amateur baseball world, filled with big events and highlights from the country’s top prospects. Summer started for me at the conclusion of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft. After that, I started to look ahead at the Class of 2017 and beyond. The biggest events on my schedule were the Under Armour Classic, Tournament of Stars, Metropolitan Baseball Classic, Under Armour All-America Game, East Coast Professional Showcase, Prep Baseball Report Future Games and Area Code Games.

To wrap up our summer coverage, I’m sifting through all my notes and highlighting some of the standouts. We’ve highlighted the top 2017 two-way players, hitters and pitchers as well as the top underclassmen. Our last entry shifts back to the 2017 class with an others to watch category. Most of these prospects are on the map, but may be underrated or have something to prove.

Any stats referenced in the reports are ones that were recorded myself or come from trustworthy sources and don’t include days I was not physically present. Specifically, the schedule didn’t allow for me to see the entirety of East Coast Pro and the Area Code Games.

Reese Albert, OF, Jupiter HS, FL
The best quote about Albert I heard from a scout this summer was “We’ll probably see him as a freshman in college and say ‘What were we thinking?’” A Florida State recruit, Albert has a solid frame with room to add strength at 6 feet, 190 pounds. He doesn’t flash plus tools, but is solid across the board and plays hard. He shows average bat speed with a loose swing and hands, flashing a line-drive approach. He runs a 6.9-second 60 and shows a quick arm in the outfield that should be at least average at the next level.