VA/DC Class of 2024: New Faces
August 25, 2022
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After releasing the updated Top 200 this week, we would like to highlight some of the new faces that have made their way into the 2024 rankings.
Starting off, we have six new faces coming into the rankings from Pro 5 Academy in Fredericksburg. These six players come from three other states and move into the VA/DC rankings. We look forward to getting out and getting more video and notes on these six players and others throughout the fall and spring.
The other four players that have made their way into the rankings come from three schools across the Commonwealth. Two of which have transferred into the Highland School, one transferred into Benedictine Collegiate Prep, and the other from Grassfield High School in Chesapeake.
Enough talk, now lets see more on these new additions.
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Jacob Seek LHP / 1B / Pro 5 Academy VA, VA / 20246-foot-2 lanky frame. Intent and effort in the delivery. The delivery has a lot coming at you and offers some deception and ability to get chases out of the zone. Full arm swing from a three quarter slot. Fastball was up to 90 this past spring and usually sits in the mid to upper 80's range. Excited to potentially get out and see Seek this fall/next spring.
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Aidan Paradine C / OF / Pro 5 Academy VA, VA / 2024Rankings StateRank: 42 / POS: 4
Paradine is a physical 6-foot, 180-pound athlete. Square stance, minimal load, hands set back, and does not get cheated. Real power to the pull side and above average hand speed through the zone. Above average arm strength behind the plate and throws are on line. Long term C/1B/corner OF profile, but the bat will play in the middle of the order.
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Joshua Bonaparte 2B / SS / Pro 5 Academy VA, VA / 2024Rankings StateRank: 43 / POS: 1
5-foot-10 athletic frame with lean strength. At the plate he is short to contact, quick bat, and has flashed a little extra pop to the pull side. Gets out the box well and seems to have an extra gear when he wants. Defensively the hands work out front, clean exchange, and accurate thrower. Athletic middle infielder that has a chance to catch some helium this spring playing some tough competition.
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Dalton Blades RHP / 3B / Pro 5 Academy VA, VA / 2024Rankings StateRank: 48 / POS: 11
Projectable 6-foot-5 frame. Longer arm swing and leverages the fastball downhill from a higher slot. Sits mid 80's and was up to 87 in late February at the East Coast Royals Scut Day. Velo on the secondary seemed to pick up a touch this summer and is still developing.
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Kehler Hamilton OF / RHP / Highland School, VA / 2024Our staff got a chance to see Hamilton a few times this spring and the first thing that jumped out was the physicality and athleticism he offered. Once a '23, now a '24 at Highland, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound outfielder quickly becomes one of the more interesting uncommitted outfielders in the 2024 class. After a few outfielders graduated from the state champion Hawks, Hamilton has a chance to be an immediate impact bat and defender for Highland next spring.
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Zeb Packer 1B / RHP / Pro 5 Academy VA, VA / 2024Rankings StateRank: 63 / POS: 2
Packer is a physical middle of the order bat in a state class that seems to lack some of the in game power that Packer has a chance to give. Some uphill path to the swing and strength to the pull side, Packer has a chance to be a premier 2024 VA/DC power bat.
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Ryan Hoeft 3B / 1B / Grassfield, VA / 2024Rankings StateRank: 66 / POS: 3
We first saw Hoeft at ODU at Top Prospect Games in late June. Very intriguing corner infielder with some present tools at the plate. A few weeks later our staff saw him at Lakepoint in the 17U National Championship and there were few players that had a more consistent week than Hoeft. Multiple extra base hits, a homerun, battled deep in counts, and handled spin well. Better in game runner than watch, turning out a 4.51 on the turn. Definitely one trending up.
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Dagan Kitner RHP / 1B / Highland, VA / 20246-foot-3, 200-pound frame. We last saw Kitner in November at State Games where he was low to mid 80's, but wee have seen him up to 87 other times. Slower paced delivery, the fastball plays downhill, and the slider velo ticked up a little in the fall from what it was summer 2021. Another experienced, quality arm added to the Highland roster.
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Lucas Henn RHP / 1B / Pro 5 Academy VA, VA / 2024Rankings StateRank: 73 / POS: 22
Physical 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame. Easy arm stroke and more left in the tank. Low to mid 80's arm, getting up to 86 in February. Has flashed some feel for two+ secondary pitched and a changeup that has shown well at times.
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Elijah Coston OF / LHP / Benedictine, VA / 2024Rankings StateRank: 197 / POS: 27
Coston has a lean athletic 6-foot-2 body. Early on in his high school career the game was raw and lacked polish. Coston has started to piece together the offensive side and has versatility to patrol all three outfield spots. Square stance, direct load, and has hand and bat speed to get to the inner half. Intriguing addition to the 2024 class, after reclassing and transferring into a Benedictine program that continues to reload on the talent.
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