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Top Stories of 2022: From Relative Obscurity to the National Scene

January 9, 2023
Brandon Hall
Mid-Atlantic Scouting Director

Following high school baseball in North Carolina, we all know, there are a ton of great stories, players, and teams to follow each year.  As we continue to look back at 2022, we will take a look at some of the great stories of the year.  Today’s look back features a player that burst onto the seen and will be one of the most followed players in North Carolina over the next 3 years.  His impressive spring season landed him on Team Carolina for the PBR Future Games where his two inning outing garnered attention from across the country, leading to a commitment to a SEC powerhouse.

In the fall of 2020 a 7th grade LHP caught the attention of PBR Scouts at an organizational scout day.  Featured in both the “Quick Hitter” write-ups for pitchers and position players, it was his size and some of the ease of his athletic movement that stood out.  Standing 6-foot-2 at an early age, he was only 140 pounds.  Obviously with plenty of maturation ahead, projecting a fastball that sat 72-75 was fairly easy, but just how much projection and how quick could you begin to heap praise on a young prospect.

Flash forward to his Freshman year at Corinth Holders HS and Briggs McKenzie quickly answered some of those questions.  Now standing 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, as of the end of the summer of 2022, the average to above arm speed in 7th grade was now electric through release, creating a fastball and breaking ball combination that was baffling varsity hitters for most of the spring.

PBR’s first look at McKenzie in 2022 came in March as he faced off with another highly thought of LHP in the 2025 class, Hugh Collins.  McKenzie would come out with the win and PBR Scouts would have this write up:


Briggs McKenzie, LHP, Corinth Holders HS, 2025
Thin frame.  Straight line build at 6-foot-2, 150 pounds.  Simple delivery with a stable head.  Kick to the mid-chest.  Slight load of the front hip.  Some rhythm in the hands as they rise with the leg.  Methodical pace over the rubber through balance and then ramps up the descent down the hill.  Long arm swing.  Slight hitch at the bottom as it works to a high-¾ slot.  Average to above arm speed.  Fastball at 81-82, touching 84.  Good feel for a big breaking ball at 67-72.  Breaking ball created issues for hitters throughout the outing.

While the velocity was just beginning to peak, McKenzie caught eyes for his advanced feel for pitching and his presence, especially for a Freshman in a big game, on this night.

Flash forward about 1 month and PBR was in again to see the lefty in what was a PBR Power 25 Top 10 matchup.  Corinth Holders visited Garner HS and their highly touted Junior, NC State commit, Jaxon Lucas.  The Pirates would get the 3-0 win behind McKenzie’s 6 innings where he punched 9.  Below is the write-up on McKenzie’s outing.


Briggs McKenzie, LHP, Corinth Holders HS, 2025.
Some length in a young, maturing frame.  Stands 6-foot-2, 160 pounds.  Plenty of room to add strength in the coming years.  Very polished for a freshman. Controlled and stable over the rubber.  Repeats the delivery.  Solid arm speed on offspeed lends to deception.  Fastball up to 83, sat 79-82.  Sharp breaking ball has depth with downer tilt at 70-72.  Landed the breaking ball throughout the outing.  

 

 

At this point, the pure stuff of a highly touted prospect had not appeared, but it was evident it was coming.  PBR Scouts offered McKenzie a coveted spot on Team Carolina at the PBR Future Games after he worked at 83-86 during the State Games of North Carolina.  As the summer progressed, McKenzie continued to see his stuff tick up as he body got stronger.  And then he showed up and showed out at the PBR Future Games.

Team Carolina had the late slot on Day 3 of the PBR Future Games.  With well over 300 college coaches still in attendance, there was some buzz around the Team Carolina vs. Team Missouri game, as both clubs had shown offensive fire power in the workout and 2 games leading up to the last day.  McKenzie stepped on the mound mid-game to fire his two innings of work, and electric is an understatement as to what college coaches and scouts saw from the young lefty.  He created swing and miss in the zone and with chase… He controlled the short game and running game… He showed an advanced ability to move down the mound and create arm speed that baffled very good hitters… Very simply, during his two innings of work, it was very quiet around the complex as everyone in attendance watched and wondered what this uncommitted lefty could be capable of in the coming years.


Future Game Write-up from Shooter Hunt:
It was not until the final bloc of the week that those in attendance got a chance to see McKenzie who was well worth the wait. Now ninth ranked player in the class, he wow’d on-lookers with his pure arm talent, natural feel for spin, and starter’s profile. An easy operation allowed the 6-foot-2, 170-pound southpaw to find a consistent high ¾ slot that delivered fastballs at 87-90 with some late arm side life on a somewhat steeper plane. The arm alone, which worked through a controlled, continuous stroke with quickness out front, would be enough to carry him as a player of note, but it was the secondary that pushed him over the edge. Ripping off a tightly spun curveball at 75-77 with multi-tier break, McKenzie exhibited advanced feel for the pitch, collecting multiple whiffs and flashing killer intent late in counts. An athlete on the mound, there are strong signs of even greater future development, and his performance at the event catapulted his status as one of the biggest names to follow in the class.

 

 

The recruiting picked up for McKenzie significantly after the PBR Future Games with schools from across the country showing interest. After the outing McKenzie jumped to No. 1 in North Carolina's 2025 Rankings as well as the top 10 in PBR's Overall Rankings.  While most North Carolina schools were aware of McKenzie and his prospects, his performance on the national stage opened up all sorts of possibilities for the left hander.  Ultimately McKenzie committed to LSU and head coach Jay Johnson.

The growth of McKenzie throughout the year, and his ability to perform at his highest level, on the biggest stage put him in this list as one of the top stories of 2022.  We are excited to continue to follow him during his high school career and we are excited to see who the next North Carolina prospect is that creates buzz in such a massive fashion.




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