The Alabama Scout Blog provides insider information and scouting notes from the PBR Scouting Staff during the season. This running blog will feature information on underclass prospects, unsigned seniors, draft prospects, and anything else that is notable. We will provide a wide range of information, including player evaluations, velocities, pop times, home to first times, and more. 

Continue to check back over the course of the week, as the Alabama Scouting Staff will add scouting reports daily.

Week 2 Reports

 

5A No. 1 UMS-Wright (13) vs. 7A Gulf Shores (3)

Saturday, February 27th @ Saraland HS

+ LHP Maddux Bruns (No. 1, 2021, Mississippi State) was relatively sharp in most aspects during his 2nd start of the 2021 season. At 6-2, 215 pounds with a strong lower-half, Bruns bumped up another tick in velocity after hitting 98 mph last weekend. The southpaw worked primarily 95-97 mph throughout his first two innings, and hit 99 mph on the last pitch of his second inning. Continued to show a two breaking ball mix, one being a 12/6 breaking ball and the other a slider with tight spin and hard action. Cruised through the first two innings, but walked the first two hitters in the third inning and allowed a double to the next hitter. He bounced back strong in the fourth inning, striking out two hitters in a clean inning. Bruns earned the win on the mound in four innings, and punched out six while allowing three earned runs on three hits and two walks.

LHP Maddux Bruns (2/27/21)

 

6A Chilton County (4) vs. 6A No. 4 Oxford (2)

Saturday, February 27th @ Choccolocco Park (Oxford, AL)

+ LHP Pico Kohn (No. 2, 2021, Mississippi State) was given the ball on Saturday to face a potent Oxford Yellow Jacket lineup, and the 6-4, 185 pound southpaw was dominant throughout his second outing of the 2021 season. Pitching from a deceptive ¾ arm slot, Kohn worked 87-90, 91 mph (2300 rpm) with the fastball & commanded that pitch to the inner-half of the plate versus right-handed hitters. Flipped in a sharp slider at 77-79 mph (2600 rpm) that missed a lot of barrels to both-sided hitters. Showed excellent feel for spinning it to the back foot versus right-handed hitters and front door to left-handed hitters. Flashed an above average changeup at 79 mph, mostly against right-handed hitters. Held his velocity well through seven innings, as his last pitch of the game was 90 mph. Punched out eight hitters & allowed two unearned runs while scattering four hits and no walks. 

LHP Pico Kohn (2/27/21)

+ SS Sam Robertson (No. 6, 2023) probably had the best offensive day out of any Yellow Jacket hitter in the doubleheader on Saturday. From the right side, the former Future Gamer reached base in all four plate appearances from the leadoff spot during Game 1. He recorded a single in the 1st inning, but was hit-by-pitch in all of his next three at-bats. He did add in a stolen base, as well. During Game 2 versus Mississippi State signee LHP Pico Kohn, Robertson recorded two of the four Yellow Jacket hits in the game. The biggest hit of the game for Robertson & Oxford HS came in the 1st inning, when he tripled home a leadoff error. He worked the count with two strikes, and finally took advantage of an elevated fastball and showed quick hands to serve it into the LCF gap. Robertson did show some uncharacteristic defensive miscues on the day with a fielding & throwing error, but the athleticism continues to show up at the plate.

SS Sam Robertson (2/27/21)

+ RHP Carter Johnson (No. 26, 2024) made a lasting impression on our Scouting Director in his start on the mound vs. Pico Kohn. Johnson went toe-to-toe, and may have even out-pitched Kohn for the first four innings, with a talented Chilton County lineup. He worked 80-81, 84 mph (2300 rpm) and that above average spin on the fastball translated to late life on the pitch. Mixed & matched a 70-73 mph slider with downer action & excellent feel for spin all day long. What stood out the most was the advanced makeup & maturity for the freshman right-handed pitcher. He consistently pounded the zone while working fast and controlling the tempo. He faced one over the minimum (1 BB, 7 K) after the fourth inning, but looked like he ran out of gas a bit in the 6th inning as the Tiger lineup was able to take advantage of seeing him for the 3rd time through. Nevertheless, it was ultra impressive stuff from Johnson on the mound.

RHP Carter Johnson (2/27/21)

 

6A No. 4 Oxford (6) vs. 6A Mountain Brook (5)

Saturday, February 27th @ Choccolocco Park (Oxford, AL)

+ OF Trey Higgins (No. 10, 2021, Mississippi State) continued to play a big role, offensively and defensively, for the Yellow Jackets on Saturday. Higgins got the head out on an inside fastball and smoked it to the right field wall in his first at-bat of the day for a double. After recording another hit later in the game on a single to right field, Higgins showed his defensive ability in a huge spot in the game. With his team trailing by one run with two outs, a base hit was hit up the middle to Higgins and he did an excellent job fielding it clean with a quick transfer and delivering a perfect one-hop throw to the plate to gun the runner out attempting to score from 2nd base. Higgins continues to show different aspects of his game that he excels at during each look. 

OF Trey Higgins (2/27/21)

+ OF Patch Lyman (No. 185, 2022) had the biggest day offensively for the Spartans in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Saturday. Hitting out of the 3-hole, Lyman singled sharply through the right side during his first at-bat of the game on a fastball over the plate. In his third at-bat, the left-handed hitter faced a tough look on the mound against a left-handed pitcher that threw from a ¾ arm slot. Lyman showed no issue facing L/L, as he got a hanging slider over the middle of the plate and displayed maturity by driving back up the middle instead of pulling it. This drove home one of his RBI’s on the day. He reached base in his other two plate appearances, via base on balls. 

OF Patch Lyman (2/27/21)

+ OF Chance Griner (No. 92, 2022) is a player that we have become familiar with from past events & tournaments over the summer/fall travel ball circuit. Griner continued to trend upward in this look with the bat. With his team trailing in the 2nd, Griner cut into the lead as he smoked a fastball over the plate that resulted in a RBI double. Hitting from a balanced, athletic stance, Griner has a direct & fluid path to contact with a good feel of hitting for average. He’s a real offensive weapon towards the bottom of the Yellow Jacket lineup.

OF Chance Griner (2/27/21)

 

7A No. 5 Hewitt-Trussville (11) vs. 6A No. 9 Hazel Green (1)

Saturday, February 27th @ Thompson HS

+ Future Game 2019 participant OF Trey Burrell (No. 82, 2021, Grambling State) showed off his varied skill set in 2 games on Saturday as he just continues to shine for Hewitt-Trussville. Hitting out of the leadoff spot, the senior showed he could do it all with the bat he had 4 hits on the day. He showed some pop off the barrel as he left the yard to the pull side and a few plate appearances later didn’t try to do too much and showed plate discipline by serving a single to the backside. If that wasn’t enough, Burrell later dropped down a perfect drag bunt that he beat out easily with his speed. The arm strength in the outfield appears to have improved as well.  

OF Trey Burrell (2/27/21)

+ OF Landon Baeder (No. 63, 2022) is definitely a catalyst for the Trojans as he hits out of the leadoff spot in the lineup and can do it all. On Saturday, the junior was at the hot corner but he can play just about anywhere on the field. Baeder handles the bat very well and is very tough to strikeout but he also has plenty of power in the barrel. There is some tilt in the swing path and he does a nice job staying connected through the swing, resulting in a definite middle of the field approach. He contributed a 2B and 3B on Saturday. The athleticism is evident as he is also a premium runner and has a solid understanding of the game.

OF Landon Baeder (2/27/21)

+ RHP Baker Green (No. 85, 2022) is a name that we have known about but Saturday was our first chance to see him and he did not disappoint. Has been known as a quality backstop behind the plate but his ability on the mound was quite impressive. The 6’3 RHP showed an over the top arm action and every pitch looked identical out of the hand. The fastball played at 83-84 mph which created a nice downward tilt on the pitch. The breaking ball showed more slider type action at 71-72 mph and was a true late breaker. He consistently located well to glove slide and seemed to always be down in the zone. Briefly showed a nice deceptive changeup at 73-74 mph that can be a definite “swing over the top” pitch against RH hitters.

RHP Baker Green (2/27/21)

6A No. 5 Chelsea (6) vs. 7A No. 6 Oak Mountain (4)

Saturday, February 27th @ Oak Mountain HS

+ A dominant outing on the mound Saturday was turned in by RHP Andrew Floyd (No. 64, 2022) as he recorded a win versus Oak Mountain in 3 1/3 innings of perfect relief. Although not the biggest player on the field (5’7 145 lbs.), don’t let that fool you. The arm works! Clean, athletic mechanics with no wasted action in the delivery and locates the fastball at 84-86 mph to both sides of the plate at will. We have seen him 87- 89 mph previously. The breaking ball shows high spin and tunnels well off the fastball as he consistently located it down in the zone.  A high end uncommitted arm in the ’22 class. 

RHP Andrew Floyd (2/27/21)

+ 1B Jackson Webster (No. 126, 2021, Birmingham Southern College) had an impressive day at the plate as he continued to show what we have seen in the past. Hitting in the 3 hole for the Hornets, Webster accounted for 3 RBIs in their win over Oak Mountain. Physical presence in the box has a heavy pull side approach but seemed to be on time for fastballs while also having the ability to sit back on offs peed offerings. Obvious middle of the order hitter with tilt in the swing path and stays on the ball through contact. Small leg kick approach and has been up to 102 exit velocity (Trackman) at events in the past. 

1B Jackson Webster (2/27/21)

+ SS Evan Jones (No. 158, 2022) is an athletic middle infielder that seemed to strive in the big moment as he came through with the go ahead single in the top of the 7th inning in the Hornets win on Saturday. Shows solid barrel control and a short, compact approach to contact with a definite middle of the field mindset. The bat path is fairly level and appears to be a line drive type hitter. Does a nice job staying inside the ball and through contact to finish. Rhythmic load of the hands and an even, balanced stance and doesn’t try to do too much in the box. Both base hits in the win were right back up the middle. Athletic ’22 to keep an eye on.

SS Evan Jones (2/27/21)

 

7A Smiths Station (9) vs. 6A Valley (0)

Thursday, February 25th @ Crestview Stadium (Valley, AL)

+ LHP Jackson Sanders (2024, No. 1, Auburn), who is ranked No. 1 overall in the 2024 Rankings, received the ball on Thursday for his first outing of his freshman campaign, and he turned in a solid outing to kick off his season. In the 1st inning, Sanders worked primarily 87-88 mph (2350-2514 rpm) and touched 90 mph once. He showed some occasional cut to his fastball when to the glove side. He mixed that with a 1/7 breaking ball at 75-78 mph (~2300 rpm), and located it well to both right-handed (back door) and left-handed (front door) hitters. He settled into more 85-88 mph in the 3rd & 4th frames, and continued to pound the zone with strikes. The command and ability to compete was what jumped out in this look. He had some tough luck and loaded the bases to start the 3rd, but struck out the next hitter and induced an infield fly. The lone run scored off of Sanders was on a passed ball. Loose arm action with a projectable frame at 6-2, 190 pounds. Seems like he is an elite competitor and was not fazed against an experienced lineup with numerous D1 commitments & signees. Pulled after 61 pitches (43 strikes) due to pitch count, but fanned four hitters in 3 ⅓ while only allowing four hits, no earned runs and no walks.

LHP Jackson Sanders (2/25/21)

+ RHP Jacob Blackmon (2021, No. 58, Northwest Florida State College) started on the mound for the Panthers and attacked hitters with a live fastball. At 6-2, 175 pounds, the senior worked 88-91 consistently in his outing, and bumped 92 mph in the 1st inning. It was a heavy dosage of fastballs in this look, overpowering hitters with an electric fastball. Command was a bit spotty at times to start off, but he really locked it back in during the later innings of work to navigate his way through four scoreless frames. It’s an aggressive, quick arm that worked out of a few jams. Finished with six strikeouts, while only allowing one hit and walking four.

RHP Jacob Blackmon (2/25/21)

 

7A No. 9 Sparkman (8) vs. 6A Buckhorn (1)

Wednesday, February 24th @ Toyota Field (Madison, AL)

+ RHP AJ Causey (2021, No. 23, Jacksonville State) is a very difficult matchup for both left-handed and right-handed hitters, as he attacks hitters from multiple arm slots. The senior features multiple pitches from multiple arm slots and creates a ton of action on all of his offerings. The fastball over the top showed some late life at 87-89 mph while the same pitch from the side was 84-85 mph with two seam action. Featured a slider from the side arm slot that darted away late from right-handed hitters. Flashed a couple changeups that tunneled well with the fastball with deception and late fade to the arm side. After seeing him once again, very hard for hitters to get comfortable against him. 

RHP AJ Causey (2/24/21)

+ 3B Ryan Strachan (2023, No. 16) seems to be projecting very well and has also changed his body and looks to be slimmer while adding some definite strength. Very disciplined approach at the plate and seems to very rarely chase out of the zone. As has been the case in the numerous times we have seen, shows a definite middle of the field to the backside gap approach. Got an elevated fastball middle to away and hammered it to the backside gap for a triple. Does a nice job keeping the barrel through contact. 

3B Ryan Strachan (2/24/21)

+ RHP Sam Hildestad (2021) impressed once again in our second look of the uncommitted right-handed senior on the mound. The delivery is a bit of a different look, but the arm works well from a high ¾ arm slot. The uncommitted senior had a one inning stint on Wednesday night and was exclusively fastball dominant. The velocity wasn’t as high as we saw previously (87-89 mph), but he was very effective with the pitch at 84-85 mph. The arm slot creates a ton of arm side action and makes it very difficult for right-handed hitters to get the barrel to contact. Consistently got in on right-handed hitters and forced repeated soft contact.

RHP Sam Hildestad (2/24/21) 

+ OF Cameron Winebarger (2022, No. 139) is an athletic outfielder with efficient arm strength and shows plenty of speed on the diamond. He has shown some power to all fields and has some tilt in the swing path. Hammered a breaking ball that was down in the zone and on the outer-half of the plate to straight-away centerfield for a standup RBI triple. Handled the pitch very well and did not try to do too much with the swing. Shows solid skills all over the field and should be a two-way junior to keep an eye on.

OF Cameron Winebarger (2/24/21)

 

6A No. 2 Helena (13) vs. 7A No. 2 Hoover (3)

Tuesday, February 23rd @ Helena HS

+ 3B Mac Turner (2022, No. 27, Southern Union CC) has always been a steady & consistent performer at the plate, and he has started off the 2021 season on a great note offensively. As a junior hitting in the three-hole of a talented lineup, Turner rarely misses a fastball over the plate and doesn’t get cheated. We saw him flex some power on a home run in a scrimmage in early February, and he continues to supply extra bases & power in the middle of the lineup. In his second at-bat, Turner caught a fastball left over the middle of the plate and lined it over shortstop and into the gap for a double. He’s really shortened his swing and polished it up a bit. Coupled with some notable strength added to 6-2, 190 frame, Turner continues to show well at the plate.

3B Mac Turner (2/23/21)

+ 2B Landon Leake (2021, No. 44, Southern Union CC) attended our first ever PBR Alabama showcase, and it’s been great to see how much he’s progressed and gotten better over the past couple of years. Played a big role at the plate hitting in the two-hole, especially in the fourth inning. Leake caught a fastball over the middle/inner-half of the plate and pulled it down the left field line for a RBI double. Barrel stays through the zone a while, has enough strength in the 5-10, 180 pound frame to hit for some power. Leake has been a consistent performer for the Huskies for the last few years. Reliable defender up the middle. Scored the winning run on a RBI sacrifice fly to end the game. Gamer-type mentality.

2B Landon Leake (2/23/21)

+ 1B Lucas Steele (2022, No. 14, Samford) was a member of Team Alabama at this summer’s PBR Future Games & stood out with the bat in the process. He has continued to show that the best is his best tool. Steele has shown the ability to be able to hit for average and hit for some power, as he homered during a midweek contest vs. Helena HS. As a switch-hitter, we saw him from the left side exclusively vs. all right-handed pitchers. In his second at-bat while trailing, Steele took advantage of an elevated fastball over the middle of the plate and deposited it well over the right field wall for a solo shot. A former Future Gamer, he creates excellent extension and uses a strong lower-half to hit. 

1B Lucas Steele (2/23/21)

+ OF/UTL Noah Gwin (2021, No. 97) may be one that not many people know about for the Huskies, but we’ve seen Gwin very consistent with the bat from the left side. At a 5-10, 150 slim frame, Gwin shows excellent barrel awareness and control. In the 5 or 6 at-bats we’ve seen in 2021, the uncommitted senior has generated hard contact in each of those at-bats, with the majority of them being line drives back up the middle. He’s got quick hands at the plate and has shown the ability to spray the ball to all fields. An excellent nine-hole hitter for the Huskies, and continues to produce and be a spark plug at the bottom of the lineup.

OF Noah Gwin (2/23/21)

 

7A No. 1 Hartselle (8) vs. 7A No. 8 Bob Jones (5)

Monday, February 22nd @ Hartselle HS

+ RHP/OF Elliott Bray (2022, No. 7, Auburn) tossed four innings in Game 1 of the doubleheader and allowed four hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out nine hitters. The Auburn commit has widely been known as a pitcher, but his performance in Game 2 proved that Bray is a legitimate threat with the bat after hammering two doubles in his first two at-bats. The first was a ball driven deep to right field, while the second was a laser to the pull side gap. Showing legit juice to all fields, Bray has really progressed physically and has improved his speed as well. He also had two solid barrels in his final two at-bats with nothing to show for.

RHP/OF Elliott Bray (2/22/21)

+ LHP/OF Drew Cartee (2021, No. 30, Samford) was downright dominant on the mound on Monday night, as the junior logged the final three innings of Game 2 to earn the win on the mound. He finished with eight strikeouts and only one walk while only giving up one hit and no runs. The Samford signee showed solid command to both sides of the plate and featured his full arsenal of pitches. On a very chilly night, the fastball was 85-87 mph and he can go to both sides of the plate while also elevating the pitch when needed. Make no mistake about it, his best pitch is a well-shaped breaking ball with tight spin that shows true late depth. The breaking ball is one of the best we have seen in the high school ranks in the past few years in Alabama. Cartee is a two-way threat, as he doubles as an impressive left-handed bat with plenty of arm strength and speed as well. Left very impressed.

LHP/OF Drew Cartee (2/22/21)

+ OF Coleman Mizell (2023, No. 5, Alabama), a former Future Gamer and University of Alabama recruit, just continues to show an impressive hit tool from the left side. Just days out of basketball, the sophomore outfielder had two at-bats and both resulted in hammered balls off the bat. The first at-bat tied things up at 2-2 in the sixth inning of Game 1 has he stayed back on a ball and served it to left field. In Game 2, Mizell again came off the bench to pinch hit and really showed an advanced approach and kept his hands inside of a two strike pitch and smoked a ball over the center fielder for a RBI double. Mizell has unlimited juice at the plate and is also a very good runner (6.83 laser), especially at his size (6-3, 205 lbs). 

OF Coleman Mizell (2/22/21)

+ 1B JW Hopkins (2022, No. 39) Hopkins has long been known for the power tool in the bat, as he has shown upper 90’s-low 100’s exit velocity at previous events. No doubt the juice is still there, but Hopkins showed a very disciplined approach against the quality arms that Hartselle rolled out on Monday night. In an early at-bat, Hopkins took a quality breaking ball down and slightly away right back up the middle for a solid single. In his next at-bat, the junior saw an off-speed pitch on the inner-half and promptly got the barrel out front for a pull side double to help jump start the Patriot offense. 

1B JW Hopkins (2/22/21)

 

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