National Program Invitational: Preview
June 5, 2024
Prep Baseball’s National Program Invitational (NPI) marks the start of the summer baseball calendar for many of the top amateur players in the nation. Beginning tomorrow, June 6th at LakePoint's elite baseball facility in Georgia, this five-day event will attract MLB scouts, Agents, and College Coaches from around the country.
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Below, we dive into the data behind 7 of the top prospects who will be showcasing their talents at the event, look for each player to make a splash over the next several days in Georgia.
2025 Top Prospects:
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Ethan Holliday SS / 3B / Stillwater, OK / 2025Prep Baseball’s top-ranked player in the 2025 class needs little introduction. Holliday has been among the strongest performers on the travel ball circuit over the past few years, including an amazing showing at the All-American Game in the fall of 2023. From his BP round, Holliday led the event in Average Exit Velocity posting a 98.3 mph mark, while placing second in Max Exit Velocity, 104.6 mph. His Blast Motion profile is also generally aligned with MLB averages, with a 24.2 mph Max Hand Speed (MLB average = 22.3 mph). Holliday has tested out as one of the stronger players in the class while possessing a rare feel to hit, making him a must-see ahead of the 2025 Draft for fans and scouts alike. |
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Ty Peeples OF / OF / Franklin County, GA / 2025The left-handed-hitting Peeples may be the best defensive outfielder in the 2025 prep class. Standing at a lean 6-foot-2 175-pounds with a 2.86 RSi, good for 3rd among All-American Game participants, he provides a high-end body/athletic ability package. My first look at Peeples came at the 2022 Prep Baseball Cup, where he played what I had graded at the time a present plus CF. A draw with Peeples, offensively speaking, is the extremely efficient nature of his swing. During his BP round at the 2023 All-American Game, he posted an event best in both average On-Plane Efficiency and max On-Plan Efficiency (83% and 89%, respectively. MLB average = 69.6%). He also possesses above-average hand speed and rotational acceleration, which have allowed him to generate triple-digit exit velocities despite being far from physically mature. As he continues to add strength the intrigue here will only become more apparent. |
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Cannon Goldin OF / OF / Buford High School, GA / 2025Looking to be the next product out of national powerhouse Buford High School, Cannon Goldin comes into this summer at Prep Baseball's 37th ranked player in the nation for the 2025 class. Goldin is lighting in a bottle athletically, with an advanced run tool in addition to holding a Max Jump Height of 32.5 - an elite mark among high school athletic testing data collected by Prep Baseball. Goldin has taken steps forward offensively this spring, displaying a notable swing efficiency profile at the Georgia Pre-Season All-State event, with a 76% average On-Plane Efficiency and 84% max On-Plane Efficiency in his BP round (MLB average = 69.6%). |
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John Stuetzer SS / OF / Pope High School, GA / 2025A Florida State commit and an alum of the Prep Baseball Future Games last July, Stuezter comes into this summer looking to build a case for himself as a high-end prospect for the 2025 Draft. This is a player who is a stand-out athlete with the ability to play the shortstop position at a high level, posting a near thousand-yard year as a Wide Receiver for Pope High School in 2023. During the 2023 Future Games, he graded out as one of the best athletes in the event as expected, putting up a 21.2 mph Max Sprint Speed and a 2.66 RSi - both metrics standing within the event Top-15. At the plate, he carries top-end hand speed (peaking at 26.1 mph), which has allowed him to create potentially plus power to his pull side. |
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Tyler Baird RHP / 1B / William A Hough , NC / 2025The 6-foot-4 right-hander is primed to pitch for the South Charlotte Panthers on Friday night. With Baird, you get a three-pitch mix, headlined by a two-seam fastball. Baird’s fastball sits in the low-90s, coming from a 5.2 release height with 10.5” of vertical break and 16.5” of arm-side run. Baird’s off-speed offerings are a slider and a change-up. The slider is thrown with -5.5’ of vertical break and 11” of sweep, with feel to land the pitch for strikes. His third pitch change-up is thrown 10 mph off of his fastball, getting 17” of arm-side run with just 1.5” of lift. Baird looks eerily similar to Noble Meyer at this stage: a long-limbed, athletic right-hander with high extension and a low release. Furthermore, it’s essentially the same pitch mix Meyer works with, all that’s missing here is the velocity bump. |
Underclass Gems:
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James Tronstein OF / SS / HARVARD-WESTLAKE, CA / 2026Tronstein first emerged as a high-end prospect at USA Baseball’s 14U ADP in 2022. Since then, Tronstein has been even better every time he’s been seen by evaluators. He has some of the best bat speed of any underclass hitter I’ve evaluated, putting up a 76.6 mph average Bat Speed and 79.8 max Bat Speed at the 2024 ProCase - West, while also posting a 105 mph max Exit Velocity in BP. He also has advanced rotational acceleration and hand speed, currently ranking well ahead of MLB average in both areas. Tronstein has tested as an elite athlete going back two years, rating as one of the best jump testers in the nation regardless of class with a vertical jump of 32.6. He carries a plus run tool, posting a 6.64 60-yard dash time and 21.2 mph max run speed. He will continue to play the shortstop position long term, possessing the athleticism, lateral quickness, and arm to stick at the position. He profiles as a first-rounder in 2026. |
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Braxton Beaty LHP / OF / Angleton, TX / 2026Beaty operates from a low arm slot, attacking hitters with a four-pitch arsenal. His fastball has gotten into the low-90s this spring, touching 94, with 15.5” of vertical break and 17” of arm-side run. He throws two breaking balls, the first being an upper-70s SL which he throws with 15” of sweep. His CB at 73–76 mph plays like a slurve, getting -6” of vertical break while sharing the sweep trait of his slider. His change-up profiles as possibly his best pitch, though. He’s able to kill spin effectively, getting 10” of IVB and 20” of arm-side on it. |