North Carolina Class of 2019 Rankings
December 21, 2016
By Brandon Hall
Director of Scouting, PBR NC
Follow us on Twitter: @PrepBaseballNC
Prep Baseball Report of North Carolina launched in June with a mission of covering high school baseball across the state. Through the summer and fall countless games, workouts, and practices were seen. Over 200 players appeared on the scout blogs, between the summer and fall. PBR also worked to run high level events, providing college coaches and pro scouts with information on players in the Tarheel state. Today, PBR releases its initial Class of 2019 state rankings.
There is a lot of growth left to do in the players of the 2019 class. There will be a lot of development in the players in the coming year which will lead to shifts, and additions, to the class rankings moving forward. At this time, the top 4 players have all committed to an ACC or SEC school. Eight of the top 10 have committed as well.
Checking in at No. 1 is Brennan Malone of Porter Ridge HS. Malone is an imposing 6-foot-3, 175 pounds and has run his fastball up to 90mph. There is athleticism in the delivery and room for the body to continue to rise. The University of North Carolina commit is the highest ranked player from NC in the Overall Rankings, checking in at No. 8.
Pitchers dominate the top 10, holding down nine spots. Chris Villaman (LHP, Ledford HS), Isaiah Bennett (RHP, Pine Forest HS), and JD Brock (LHP, Hough HS) have each committed to an ACC school. Villaman, ranked No. 2, works with long levers in his 6-foot, 170 pound frame, touching 86 consistently with his fastball. The ceiling continues to be high for the North Carolina State commit.
Bennett is a high waisted athlete that has been up to 91 as part of the Team USA 40-man trials last summer and is committed to North Carolina. The velocity can fluctuate at times as Bennett plays soccer in the fall. Very athletic and loose, there is more in the tank for the No. 3 ranked right-hander.
Brock possesses a mature 6-foot-1, 180 pound frame with loose hips that drive down the line well. The fastball has been up to 86 for the Clemson commit, flashing advance pitch-ability at times. Brock rounds out the pitching heavy top four in the rankings.
Ray Torres is the top ranked position player. A catcher from Providence HS in Charlotte, NC, Torres is committed to LSU. Still developing, the bat has come a long way in the last year for the switch hitter, but it is the defensive skills that separate the 5-foot-10, 185 pound backstop. Pop times have ranged 1.96-2.14 in game situations, consistently on the bag, with carry on the throws.
The top ranked uncommitted player is LHP JT Killen (Charlotte Christian). A dual sport athlete, splitting his time with football, Killen has a fastball that works up to 87. There is some effort in the delivery, but the 6-foot-2, 190 pound athlete has the time and athleticism to transition his strength in to his motion.
Below is a sneak peek at the Top 10. The full rankings list is available to PBR+ subscribers.
CLICK HERE for the full North Carolina Class of 2019 Rankings
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CLASS OF 2019
Updated on Dec 20, 2016
RANK | NAME | STATE | SCHOOL | CLASS | POS | COMMITMENT |
1 | Brennan Malone | NC | Porter Ridge HS | 2019 | RHP | North Carolina |
2 | Chris Villaman | NC | Ledford | 2019 | LHP | North Carolina State |
3 | Isaiah Bennett | NC | Pine Forest | 2019 | RHP | North Carolina |
4 | JD Brock | NC | William Amos Hough | 2019 | LHP | Clemson |
5 | Ray Torres | NC | Providence | 2019 | C | Louisiana State |
6 | JT Killen | NC | Charlotte Christian | 2019 | LHP | |
7 | CJ Neese | NC | Grimsley | 2019 | RHP | North Carolina State |
8 | David John Herz | NC | Terry Sanford | 2019 | LHP | North Carolina |
9 | Cody Benton | NC | West Columbus | 2019 | RHP | East Carolina |
10 | Caleb Cozart | NC | Wesleyan Christian Academy | 2019 | RHP |