Prep Baseball Georgia POTY: Cade Brown

Brown came into the year as one of the best returning bats in the state, and has been exceeding expectations so far this spring. Relaxed and ultra-confident in the box, Brown consistently stays in-rhythm with a toe-tap trigger and impressive weight transfer. Barrel head is electric through the zone and creates significant carry from foul pole to foul pole. Came through with the two biggest swings of the day with a pair of home runs including a massive go-ahead grand slam in the 6th inning that would put Parkview up for good. The Georgia commit moves well at third base with quality footwork and ability to bend. Plenty of arm strength to make every throw. Brown was a big riser in the recent 2024 rankings update, and the stock is only growing.

UGA Commit. 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. I’ve been rolling with the “Boss of Bat Strength” nickname for a month now, after seeing Cade send a ball to the moon at Parkview that sailed over the scoreboard on a G6 like trajectory in their double header rivalry with Brookwood. We’ve well documented his amazing swing adjustments since last fall, and Cade has proven all spring that his new improvements are like second nature at this point. His simplified load is now the definition of fluidity, and his rare natural bat speed is able to produce lasers game by game as he’s now catching the ball in front of the plate (just outside front foot) consistently. When you combine perfect timing, big bat speed, and ridiculously strong hands+forearms, you get a team leading 14 nukes sent to another state! But what has come to light now that he’s freed up his natural ability is the pitch recognition. Brown is seeing the baseball on a completely different level than his peers, as he almost laughs at quality offspeed pitches out of the zone. He’s also barreling them in the zone, which you don’t see in many HS hitters. He’s basically been an impossible out for the last 2 months of the season regardless of who he faces, and his 4 hits in the Lowndes series were more of the same. The rest of Brown’s numbers lined right up with Houck - .486 AVG, .580 OBP, 19 SB, 52 RBI. At his size, the 19 bags are eye opening and an ode to his good instincts, baserunning, and near plus speed. When you look at his frame, power & speed tools/numbers, and high OBP, it’s easy to see him as a legit draft prospect once the ‘23 draft passes.
 

UGA Commit. 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. You’d never expect one of the most humble, hard working players in the state to be really good at bat flips, but he is. Take an extended look at the bat flip, and you’ll notice his Popeye type strength in the wrists and forearms spinning a 34 in bat like a toothpick. That strength in his hands+wrists+forearms is what he’s becoming known for across the state. Just like a boxer who has heavy hands, Cade’s have the same effect at point of contact. The sound is different, and he can make 90 mph FB’s look soft when they come off his bat at 95-100 EV on the regular. This force in the hands through contact has long been one of the first things I look for in a hitter, as I grew up being told to look for it by legendary Braves crosschecker John Flannery. Brown’s bat strength can turn outs into hits, fly outs into HR’s. The one he hit in Week 11 was neither of those, it was a no doubt MOON SHOT that electrified the home crowd in a huge rivalry. What was most impressive to me about the bomb was his point of contact. It was caught perfectly outside the front foot with bend in the elbows, putting him in a powerful position. You can have strong hands but if you don’t catch the barrel in the right spot, full power potential will never be reached. So not only does he have big bat strength, he has the ideal timing out front to go with it. Cade delivers the blow, he doesn’t let FB’s attack him. The intensity, passion, and endless motor he plays with showed on the HR. He got the dugout and crowd riled up and they rode that wave for an easy 2 game sweep. We couldn’t be more excited to track Cade’s summer where he becomes an eligible draft prospect for the 1st time.

UGA Commit. 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. We couldn’t be more excited by the progression this beastly power+speed combo has made at the plate over the past 8 months. This seems to be a trend in Parkview guys, they just get a lot better every year. Not only is that due to coaching, but the work ethic instilled in these players from the first day they step on Hugh Buchanan Field. But for Cade, the View Boys' way was molded into him at a very young age. Since the first time he picked up a baseball. It’s very refreshing to see this type of on field makeup, and makes him even more enticing as a prospect. Brown goes into each game with 100% focus and will do anything to win, happily sacrificing his own body to win a game. This is just what happened Wednesday night. Cade stole both 2nd & 3rd base with aggressive slides after barreling an outer edge, upper quadrant pitch that most hitters would’ve swung right through. Brown’s A/AVG speed and instinctive baserunning created an extra run on a Mason Davis single, allowing the runner behind him to advance to 2B on his 2nd steal. These little things are what make this future Dawg so exciting to watch, he’s a true baseball player of the highest order. As we’ve talked about before, his relentless work ethic has doubled the efficiency in the swing and allowed his ridiculous bat strength to play on a much more consistent basis now. It’s eye opening how well he can run for his size, and Cade is only going to punish baseballs even more as his upper half fills in to match his ridiculously strong lower half. This player is trending consistently in the right direction since last fall.

Underclass Games - Infield Analysis 

Positional Profile: 3B/2B Big power bat with athleticism to stick at third base.
Body: 6-foot-2, 190-pounds. Physical build with athleticism, continues to add strength with room for more.
Hit: RHH. Wide, slightly open setup, rocks back weight onto back-side as hands load back and elbows separate, short stride, good balance. Swing path has length to the zone, quick, strong hands sweep the barrel through the zone, impressive lag through as well, able to lift with extension, strong lower half, generates power contact to all fields.
Power: 100.3 max exit velocity, averaged 94.5 mph. 341’ max distance. Some of the top raw power in the entire state.
Arm: RH. INF - 86 mph. Short, loose arm action to a 3/4 slot, easy carry, accurate.
Defense: Fields position athletically, good instincts, quick first step, fields out front with a soft glove, quick, clean exchanges.
Run: 6.88 runner in the 60.

 Positional Profile: 3B/2B
 Body: 6-1, 175-pounds. Long, lanky frame, natural strength throughout, plenty of room to fill out.
Hit: R/R. Wide balanced stance, shifts weight from back side to front side, uses rocking action as timing, long stride, creates upper body stretch. Long, flat swing, long, heavy barrel in zone, stays on plane, looks to elevate to gaps, power to pull-side, consistent hard contact, elite hand and bat speed.
Power: 96.81 max exit velocity, averaged 85.73 mph. 328.00’ max distance. Power potential
Arm: R/R. INF - 82.00 mph. Short arm action, quick high 3/4 slot, good carry, accurate throws.
Defense: Fields position athletically, remains low, fields ball out front of body, presents glove early, quick exchange, smooth footwork, effortless action, good range, soft glove.
Run: 7.03 runner in the 60.

NPI

Standing 5-foot-11 160 pounds, Brown will completely fill out the frame in the near future. He has advanced strength and handles the bat well with the quickness at the plate to throw the bat head with some force. He drives from the back hip well really getting in his lower half and maximizing the trunk turn. When he’s on time he gets the barrel to any pitch on the plate and has above average pop that suggests the backspun liners will turn into gappers soon.