Quick Hitters: Preseason All-State Central 2024 Pitchers
February 21, 2023
On Saturday February 11th, PBR of North Carolina hosted its final Preseason All State Event of 2023 at the spacious Diamond Xtreme Facility in Kernersville, NC. The Preseason All State Events have become the premier winter event in NC featuring some of the top talent from across the state. The events feature players from the 2023-2026 grad classes.
The event began with catchers going through a defensive evaluation followed by pitchers throwing a controlled bullpen with Trackman collecting advanced data. Once the pitchers were done the position players ran a laser timed 30. After the running outfielders and infielders went through a defensive evaluation. The night concluded with players taking batting practice in the open cage with Trackman gathering ball flight analytics.
Below we begin our breakdown of the players in attendance. Look for more information to follow in the coming days.
Click Here for full roster and stats.
Quick Hitters - 2024 Pitchers
Gavin Turner, RHP, Cary HS, 2024
Lanky, 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. Frame will continue to handle strength and weight gains with ease. Easy projection with his size and arm action. Good rhythm over the rubber with solid direction. Slight coil around the back leg through balance. Long arm swing to a ¾ slot. Good arm speed with whip. Fastball up to 87.8, 2028rpm. Heavy sink and run metrics with a 2:00 spin tilt at release. Slider has length with horizontal sweep at 72-75, 2543rpm. Showed feel for 3 pitches, pounding the zone with his fastball, especially to the arm side.
Colby Vanhook, RHP, Hickory Grove Christian, 2024
Strength present at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. Solid direction with a high front side for some leverage and deception. Long arm swing. Some effort. Over-the-top release. Average to above arm speed. Good arm strength. Fastball up to 87.2, 2302rpm. Good ride out of the hand with some arm side run. 12:45 spin tilt at release. Slider showed sweep and 10/4 tilt at times, working 78-79, 2146rpm.
Julian Arreola, RHP, The Burlington School, 2024
Broad shoulders with an athletic frame at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds. Long arm swing. Low-¾ slot. Some stiffness in the lower half. Good rhythm and direction. Solid arm speed with whip through the release. Fastball shows sink and run metrics with 1:45 spin tilt at release. Sat 85-88, 2108rpm. Solid feel for the zone. Slider at 74-76, 2436rpm. Split finger for his change-up had solid arm speed with early fade at 75-77.
Lucas Brooks, RHP, Morehead HS, 2024
Average 6-foot-2, 190 pounder. Good rhythm and line over the rubber. Long arm swing to a high-¾ slot. Average arm speed. Fasthall has average ride with some run at 78-82, 1804rpm. Better feel for his glove side.
Logan Rodriguez, RHP, West Forsyth HS, 2024
Physical presence with broad shoulders at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. Works with a long arm swing and average arm speed through a high-¾ slot. Elbow works above the shoulder line as he gets to his cocking phase. Strike thrower. Fastball sat at 85, 2113rpm with some arm side run. Showed feel for working down in the zone. Short, tight slider at 75-77, 2297rpm. Horizontal sweeping action, lacking length but should create soft contact.
Brayden Hill, RHP, North Davidson HS, 2024
Strength present. Broad chest. Stands 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. Kick to the mid-chest, working level and on-line. Good rhythm. Loads the backside while leaving balance. Long arm swing, clean, to an over-the-top slot. Good arm speed and arm strength. Direct line, working with intent throughout. Good arm. Fastball up to 91.6, 2203rpm. Average ride with good run to the arm side. 1:30 spin tilt at release. Tight, late action to the slider at 75-78, 2312rpm. Heavy horizontal sweeping action. Has length. Works with intent and the two pitch mix should create a ton of issues for hitters now. As he continues to mature, better feel for the change-up could give him a chance to have starter’s stuff at higher levels.
Brody Roderick, RHP, Charlotte Catholic, 2024
Strike thrower. Average frame. 6-foot, 175 pounds. Choppy rhythm but works back to an on-line delivery. Long arm action. Some effort. Over-the-top slot. Average arm speed. Fastball at 81-83, 2123rpm. Good ride through the zone, playing true with 12:45 spin tilt at release. Showed an ability to locate to both sides of the plate. Curveball and slider have slightly different movement characteristics with the slider showing heavy length horizontally. Breaking ball maintains the sweeping action with some tilt for 10/4 action. Both spun above 2600rpm.
Matthew Lefevers, RHP, Hickory HS, 2024
Physical presence with broad shoulders at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds. Repeats the delivery with average rhythm. Simple and direct, working level throughout. Athletic arm through a long arm swing, clean to an over-the-top slot. Good arm speed. Fastball up to 86.6, 2273 rpm. Sink and run metrics with a 1:15 spin tilt at release on the baseball. Solid feel for the arm side. Slider and change-up are both weapons. Slider at 78-79, 1959rpm. Change-up at 77-81, 1644rpm.
Mason Middleton, RHP, Reagan HS, 2024
Appalachian State commit. Strength present at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. Defined lower half. Active lower half in the delivery, giving to advanced arm speed. Average rhythm, at times fighting to be on time. Athletic enough that he is around the zone consistently. Long arm swing with some effort to an over-the-top slot. Fastball up to 88.5, 2561rpm. Average ride and run that may improve with a slight shift in the 1:00 ball spin at release. Slider has 10/4 arc, heavy on the sweep with advanced length at times. Slider sat 68-70, 2299rpm.
Braylon Whitaker, LHP, Cox Mill HS, 2024
Average frame, still maturing, at 5-foot-9, 155 pounds. Athletic delivery with good rhythm. Solid direction. Works level. Long arm swing with the elbow working above the shoulder line. High-¾ slot. Above average arm speed. Around the zone with the fastball / curveball mix. Fastball at 80-83, 2238. Good arm side feel. Length present on the slider, peaking at 74.2, 2388rpm.
William Everett, RHP, St. Stephens HS, 2024
Wiry and thin at 6-foot, 160 pounds. Abbreviated leg kick and choppy rhythm leading to a quick arm that showed feel for the zone with his fastball and breaking. Lacked pure feel for any one spot, but did throw strikes. Medium arm swing, turning the ball early in the cocking phase, working through an over-the-top release. Good arm speed. Fastball ranged 85-88, 2196rpm. Good ride through the zone with a 12:30 spin tilt at release. Worked elevated in the zone. Hard 11/5 tilt on the breaking ball. At 71-74, 2391rpm, the breaking ball allows the fastball to play up more and could be a developing out-pitch.
Jack Welsch, LHP, Green Level HS, 2024
Thin, 6-foot, 160 pounds. Strike thrower with solid feel for his complete arsenal. Slight crossfire, landing on the arm side of his line. Long arm action to a high-¾ slot. Occasionally higher with the release. Solid arm speed. Cut the fastball at times, sitting 81-84, 1563rpm. Flooded the zone with the fastball. Change-up works through a similar tunnel with heavy fade from a 4:00 ball spin at release. Change-up at 70-72, 1252rpm.
Carson Moore, RHP, Morehead HS, 2024
6-foot-2, 165 pounds. Arm has some effort as it bottoms out leaving the glove working through a long action to an over-the-top release. Fastball up to 82.1, 2175rpm. Some arm side run on the fastball. Better feel for the arm side.
Seth Sharpe, RHP, Morehead HS, 2024
Average 5-foot-10, 165 build. Athletic arm works through a medium arm action to a high-¾ slot. Natural scapular load. Fastball up to 82.8, 2415rpm. Plays true through the zone with average ride. Breaking ball rolls through 10/4 action at 68-70, 2053rpm.