By Brandon Hall
North Carolina Director of Scouting

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Tuesday July 25th brought about the first outdoor invitation event with Prep Baseball Report in North Carolina.  A roster of over 50 elite players, mainly from the 2018 class, with a few 2019's sprinkled in, met at Boshamer Stadium on the campus of the University of North Carolina.  The all-star event was attended by college coaches and pro scouts as well as national crosscheckers from PBR.

Each player ran through a full workout, including multiple rounds of BP on the field and exit velocity testing in a cage area.  Defensively, players were put under the spotlight, working out from their primary position.  Players, divided into four teams, then played in a controlled scrimmage, facing live pitching.  Each player was filmed and video, along with the updated statistics and an evaluation, will be added to the player's PBR Profile page.

The outfielders began their day with BP.  Several showed some power potential and exit velocity off the bat.  As they progressed into the defensive portion the group's ability to be accurate on a variety of throws stood out.  Continuing to impress into the game play portion of the day, several have bright futures as they continue to move forward in their playing careers.

Outfield Analysis

 

Matt Burke OF / LHP / Weddington , NC / 2018 Presbyterian commit.  Athletic 6-foot, 175 pounder with a quick twitch nature.  Left handed hitter works from a balanced position with a smooth load back and short stride.  Good balance from above average bat speed that works level through the zone.  Occasionally long, the path is set to remain flat.  Decent head posture and strong hands.  Exit velocity peaked at 86.  Some swing and miss tendency in game.  Ran a 4.50 down the line.  Defensively, cautious to the ball, receiving it deep.  Clean exchanges work to the release point with quickness.  Athletic arm swing to a high-3/4 slot show carry and accuracy at 87 mph out of the hand. Intriguing on the bump as the slider has out-pitch potential.  Stretch only, slightly closed to the line at the set.  Elbow loads the arm swing, working slightly above the shoulder line.  Good arm speed gets to a high-3/4 slot with some effort.  Fastball is around the zone at 80-83.  Slider is late and sharp at 71-73 with good hand speed.  Showed feel for a “get-me-over” and a put away slider.  Better slider has depth with late 1/7 tilt.

 

 

Drew Luckey OF / 3B / Beaufort, NC / 2018 Strength is present in a 6-foot, 190 pound frame.  Balanced and athletic in his setup from the right side.  Uses a waggle and vertical bat head position to create bat speed.  Quick bat through the zone with some uphill leverage.  Strong hands.  Aggressive back side.  Good balance.  Exit velocity of 92 mph.  Worked with more extension in games, getting caught on his front side.  When the ball travelled deeper in the stance it jumped off the barrel.  Ran a 4.56 down the line, finishing swings before leaving the box.  Defensively, good posture on catch and feet work to get the front side on line for throws.  Long arm action and high front side.  Average accuracy.  Above average carry.  Arm speed measured at 85 mph.

 

 

Mark McLamb OF / LHP / Wesleyan Christian Acad, NC / 2018 Left handed hitter is 6-foot-1, 160 pounds with length in his levers.  Balanced setup and short stride.  Above average bat speed works flat through the zone.  Good rhythm, staying gap-to-gap.  Exit velocity peaked at 83 mph.  Ran a 4.46 down the line.  From the outfield, aggressive to the ball.  Lacks some bend in the hips but was clean with the catch and through his exchange.  Feet quicken, allowing the arm to work fast through a long arm action and over-the-top slot.  Good accuracy with average carry.  Arm speed measured at 79 mph.  On the bump, worked from a quick tempo in his delivery.  Fastball ranged 71-73, touching 75.  Change-up showed deception, mimicking fastball at 66-67.  Breaking ball rolled out of the hand with a hump, working with a 1/7 arc and gradual break at 61-67.  Choppy rhythm, lands slightly closed, working level throughout.

 

 

Tyler Tachman OF / OF / Chapel Hill, NC / 2019 Young frame with maturation left.  5-foot-8, 145 pounds.  Left handed hitter ran a 4.48 down the line.  Works from an open stance.  Lacks a true load and uses a short stride.  Vertical bat works direct to the ball.   Average to above feel for the barrel.  Average bat speed, flat through the zone, staying gap-to-gap.  High finish with the hands.  In the outfield, cautious to the ball, breaking down and fielding with two hands with high hips.  Re-starts the feet to load the arm.  Long arm action and an over-the-top slot produced average carry at 80 mph out of the hand.  Some accuracy as the ball fights fade to the arm side.

 

 

Anthony Castellano OF / Chapel Hill, NC / 2018 Strength in a 5-foot-10, 185 pound frame.  Exit velocity peaked at 91 mph off the barrel from a level, gap-to-gap approach from the right side.  Loads to vertical from a tall base.  Aggressive back side creates a whippy bat with some feel for the barrel.  Good rhythm.  Strength showed in the game with a double that jumped off the bat.  Attacks the ball in the outfield, playing through after breaking down.  Feet are active to get on line with the throw.  Average arm swing, stays in a strong position working to a loose, over-the-top slot.  Carry is present with throws measuring 85 out of the hand.  Advanced accuracy, working through cut men, giving position players a chance to catch-tag.

 

 

Lemonte Johnson OF / East Forsyth, NC / 2018 Athletic and thin at 5-foot-10, 140 pounds.  Fast twitch is present and frame suggests more strength can be added.  Attacked the ball with caution in the OF.  Average exchanges lead to a clean, long arm action and an over-the-top slot, touching 77 mph out of the hand with average carry.  Advanced accuracy on all throws.  Offensively showed better than average bat speed from the right side.  Works from an open stance with a loose, direct, short, and on-top swing.  Average barrel awareness.  Inside-out approach, peppering balls to the second baseman and right fielder with a level, line drive swing. Exit velocity topped at 78.  Worked through some stiffness in the lower back on the day.

 

 

Davon Alston-Thomas OF / 3B / Western Guilford, NC / 2018 Strength is beginning to show on a 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame.  Raw actions at times but moves well in the outfield and shows flashes of the ball jumping off the barrel.  Exit velocity peaked at 88 from the right handed hitter.  Tall stance, loads back, using a short stride.  Better than average bat speed that looks for extension.  Pull tendency and tends to feel for the barrel throughout BP.  Some swing and miss in game settings. Aggressive to the ball and fields through with rhythm to a clean exchange.  Strong arm swing where the elbow loads the scapular into a high-3/4 slot.  Average carry, 78 mph out of the hand, with above average feel for accuracy to 3B and the plate.

 

 

 

Alex Pruitt OF / 2B / Alleghany, NC / 2018 5-foot-10, 145 pound right handed hitter.  Pressed back on his back leg in the setup and uses a weight shift back to set his timing.  Short stride.   Level bat path, working inside the ball and staying in the middle of the field.  Rushed at times through the setup, the rhythm continued to improve as each round of BP progressed.  Exit velocity peaked at 77 off the barrel.  Two hands through balls from the outfield.  Good feet worked to get the front side on-line.  Clean arm to a high-3/4 slot showing average accuracy and carry.   77 mph out of the hand.

 

 

 

James Wells OF / C / Southern Lee, NC / 2018 Average frame at 5-foot-11, 160 pounds.  Athletic base from the right side of the plate.  Loads down, using a leg kick to press the weight back.   Vertical bat and short stride.  Shoulders set uphill.  Uphill leverage with a pull tendency, looking for extension.  Aggressive, looking to attack the baseball, did show some swing and miss tendency.   On-time in game peppering balls to left field, including a home run over the left field wall.  Exit velocity peaked at 86 off the barrel.  From the outfield, works to the ball with quickness.  Clean exchanges and a long arm action to an over-the-top slot.  Front side and head clear the line to create room for the slot.  Average carry at 84 mph out of the hand.  Accuracy can improve, as the ball tends to fade to arm side.