The PBR of NC Top Prospect Games has quickly become one of the "must" events of each summer for college coaches, pro scouts, and the top players from across the state.  With continued regulations from the NCAA, college coaches were able to follow via a live stream that featured 3 separate camera angles throughout the day.  With the roster put together, there were several pro scouts on hand, representing their MLB clubs, to see the talent on hand.

Position players kicked the day off with a full pro-style workout, including running a laser timed 60 on the Burlington Royals's warning track.  Live BP followed with TrackMan and Blast following the action of each player's swing.  Players then went through a defensive workout, showcasing from their primary positions.

After the pro-style, the position players were split into 3 teams competing in a live scrimmage situation.  Pitchers did not compete for a team, instead throwing assigned innings.   The 3 team rotation allowed players to play and fill in at secondary positions, gave them a little time off, and allowed for the batting orders to be limited in their size, working to get each hitter 4 live at-bats on the day.  With the pitchers throwing live, TrackMan was again in use, tracking ball flight out of the hand, giving PBR Scouts advanced analytics on each arm.

Below we take a look at some of the pitchers who stood out during the 2020 Top Prospect Games.

CLICK HERE to see the full roster and all of the stats produced at the 2020 Top Prospect Games.

By the Numbers:

• 30 position players took part in the day
• 18 arms threw in the live scrimmage
• 3 graduating years were represented, 2021, 2022, and 2023
• 3 players ran a sub-7.00 sixty on the laser, on a slow warning track lane
• 12 players ran a sub-7.29 sixty
• 7.34 was the median sixty time on the day
• 10 position players posted position velocities of 83 mph or better
• 2 Outfielders were at or above 93 mph from RF on throws to the plate
• 5 catchers in attendance, and all posted a workout pop time of 2.20 or better
• 4 position player posted a 90 mph or higher exit velocity off the tee
• 16 players posted an exit velocity of 85 mph or higher off the tee
• 85 mph was the median exit velocity off the tee
• 11 hitters posted an exit velocity of 85 mph or higher in BP, per TrackMan
• 370.6 ft was the furthest hit ball in BP, per TrackMan, off the bat of Walker Jenkins
• 4 balls in BP topped the 100mph mark in exit velocity per TrackMan
• 91 mph was the top fastball from the event, from Isaiah Lowe
• 7 arms worked at or above 85 mph
• 84 mph was the median top fastball at the Top Prospect Games
• 2366 rpm was the top spin rate on a fastball at the event
• 2710 rpm was the top spin rate on a breaking ball on the day

 

QUICK HITTERS - pitchers

 

Jackson Humphries (2022, LHP, Fuquay-Varina HS) – Campbell commit.  Member of Team Carolina at the 2020 PBR Future Games.  Has continued to work since the Future Games, tweaking the pace and rhythm of his delivery for refined command.  Still a work in progress, but he is making progress.  Arm strength is still present, working up to 86 with some ease.  Power breaking ball spun up to 2634 creating issues for LHH and RHH.

Zac Martin (2022, RHP, Foard HS) – Member of Team Carolina at the 2020 PBR Future Games.  Projection is easy to see in a thin frame and ultra clean arm action that creates extension and some downhill tilt.  Feel for three pitches that each work out of the same window.  Strike thrower.  Solid movement metrics on all three pitches.

Aubrey Smith (2022, RHP, South Brunswick HS) – Member of Team Carolina at the 2020 PBR Future Games.  Strength is present.  Creates heavy, hard sink.  Velo was down a bit in this outing, but still created soft contact with the sinker/slider combo.  Flashes feel for a solid change-up as well. 

Sean Clark (2021, RHP, Asheville HS) – Projection left in a 6-foot-4 frame.  Has feel for pitching.  Added and subtracted on the fastball and breaking ball throughout the outing.  Has feel for creating some soft contact.  Strike thrower with ride on the fastball, peaking at 84. 

Jacob Halford (2021, RHP, Northern Guilford HS) – Simple delivery building rhythm to an over-the-top slot that creates angle on the baseball.  Hard, tight down breaking ball created swing and miss.  Fastball has some arm side action.  Bumped 89 with a spin rate up to 2317rpm.

Chance Purvis (2022, RHP, Union Pines HS) – Physical presence with strength in the lower half.  Up tempo delivery.  Some effort in the arm swing.  Slider has late, hard tilt, tunneling with the fastball. 

Isaiah Lowe (2022, RHP, Christ School) – Strength is present in a mature frame.  Clean arm swing to an over-the-top slot.  Showed an ability to stall the delivery and still throw strikes.  Fastball bumped 91, spinning up to 2303rpm.  Secondary stuff is still developing but showed flashes of average potential moving forward.  Flooded the zone, with an arm side emphasis with the fastball.

Evan Suarez (2021, LHP, Oak Grove HS) – Creates some deception with his arm action, but is consistent with his release and spin metrics.  Fastball has ride with 20.5 inches of induced vertical break at 81-83, spinning up to 2165rpm.  Elevated for most of the outing, did create some swing and miss.

Blake Hanly (2021, LHP, Heritage HS) – Large frame, broad shoulders.  Small hitch in the arm action but is fairly consistent with his release and spin tilt out of the hand.  Advanced change-up created issues for all hitters.  Has feel for the change, down in the zone, attacking the zone and creating chase out of the zone.  11 inches of horizontal break with 4 inches of difference in induced vertical break between the change and fastball. 

Brady Turner (2022, LHP, Oak Grove HS) – Filled the zone up at the bottom 1/3 with the fastball.  Solid ride on the fastball with 7 inches of horizontal action.  The breaking ball is the difference maker, getting freeze and swing and miss in the zone.  Showed feel for expansion with it.  Peaking at 73, and spinning up to 2143rpm, the curveball has 1/7 and 2/8 type tilt with 11 inches of horizontal break to go with good depth.

Evan Hart (2021, RHP, Rocky Mount HS) – Committed to NC A&T shortly after the appearance.  Thin frame will add strength.  Quick arm from a high-3/4 slot.  Fastball up to 86 with a peak spin rate of 2366 rpm.  Average ride through the zone with 13 inches of horizontal movement.  Solid 3 pitch mix.

Owen Bynum (2022, RHP, Western Alamance HS) – Good feel for the glove side, working elevated in the zone with 19.6 inches of induced vertical movement on the fastball, peaking at 84 with a 2137 rpm. 

Casey Gouge (2022, LHP, West Rowan HS) – Strike thrower whose breaking ball has made a jump since we last saw him.  Curveball has 2/8 tilt with a max spin of 2710rpm.  Fastball peaked at 82 with 19 inches of induced vertical movement.

Ryan Hench (2023 RHP, Orange HS) – Strong arm with feel for the zone.  Fastball up to 85 from a physical frame.  Solid direction.  Short look but impressed.