Adam Akin
Director of Scouting

The 2016 Future Games were held at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana on August 4-6 and played host to the top uncommitted talent in the 2018 and 2019 classes throughout PBR’s 25+ state coverage.  College coaches from some of the biggest programs in the entire country were once again in attendance and looking heavily for the group of guys that will make up their next recruiting class.  Team Tennessee was composed of players that have shown very well at previous PBR showcases, as well as players that came highly recommended by scouts and/or high school and summer coaches throughout the state.  On Thursday, our position players completed a pro style workout, followed by game play on Friday and Saturday.  Below is a list of our outfielders and some of the highlights from their performances.

Outfielders

Jaylen Wilbon, 5-9, 180, OF, St. Benedict, 2018
Jaylen is a spark plug with an aggressiveness that is hard to teach.  On the base paths, he works hard and even ran a 4.38 down the line on a play in Game 2 that forced the opposing team’s SS to hurry himself into an error.  His short and compact swing can produce some solid line drives, with the ability to find the outfield gaps and battle when behind in the count.  He projects as either a leadoff hitter or a guy at the bottom that is consistently on base for the top of the lineup.  Jaylen ran a 6.91 60, showed an 84 mph arm from the outfield, and recorded an 89 mph exit velocity.

Eli Davis, 6-0, 170, OF, Brighton, 2018
Eli is a very athletically gifted kid that caught the eye of college coaches at the highest level as early as Thursday afternoon.  In the outfield, Davis covers a ton of ground and made two or three catches deep in the gap during game play that seemed sure to be doubles off the bat.  He put together some good at bats and really made every pitcher work to get him out, drawing two walks and getting hit by a pitch, while also racking up two stolen bases in the three games.  Davis showed a lot of very quick-twitch actions, running a 6.93 60, throwing 89 from the outfield, and producing a 90 mph exit velocity.

Elijah Pleasants, 6-4, 160, OF/RHP, Rossview, 2018
Elijah is long and lanky with a frame that leaves a ton of room to fill out.  He is smooth and does a lot of things with a certain amount of ease.  Pleasants seems to run much better than his 7.29 60 time would suggest, which could be a product of his lanky physique and need to grow into his body.  With a swing that produced a lot of line drives, he showed the ability to foul off tough pitches when behind in the count.  His long and loose arm action produced 90 mph velocity from the outfield and was able to record a 92 mph exit velocity.  Elijah impressed a lot of coaches with his versatility and ability to contribute on the mound, as well.

Alec Lubas, 6-1, 202, OF/LHP, Ravenwood, 2018
Alec is a strong kid that is built well and uses it to his advantage.  Although he doesn’t necessarily stand out in any one particular area, his production and competitiveness come without question.  Lubas plays a solid outfield and takes very good routes to the ball, allowing him to cover more ground than you might think.  His offensive approach is further along than most his age and consistently worked counts to his advantage, while drawing two walks and punching a double down the LF line in three games.  His 7.12 60, 86 mph OF velocity, and 88 mph exit velo will almost certainly continue to increase.

Brad Grenkoski, 6-3, 185, OF/RHP, Farragut, 2019
One of the youngest players in the entire event, Brad showed very well and will continue to develop into one of the best players in the 2019 class.  Having just turned 15 over the summer, Grenkoski is even young for a 2019 graduate.  He plays through the ball well in the outfield and can produce some gap to gap power when he squares one up.  His arm strength is solid, at 85 mph from the outfield, and his exit velocity was recorded at 87 mph.  Grenkoski has a family history in baseball at a high level and has a very high “baseball IQ” for his age.  He should continue to grow and will also be highly regarded on the mound.