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.

 

Saturday, February 26th

+ LHP/OF Bryce Sanders (Central Phenix City, 2022) got the start for the Red Devils and he did not disappoint in his five inning stint. Sanders scattered four hits while only allowing one earned run. He walked three but struck out six Patriots. The uncommitted senior was forced to make some high pressure pitches and did not seem fazed at all in the big moments. While he doesn’t have elite velocity, he consistently misses barrels and shows high confidence in spotting the fastball to both sides at 79-81 mph and flipping in a quality breaking ball with late depth at 65-68 mph. Sanders also came up huge at the plate as he drove in a go-ahead run in the bottom of the 6th.  

Bryce Sanders (2/26/22)

+ SS Caleb Johnson (Central Phenix City, 2022) is an athletic shortstop that has shown solid lateral range in the dirt and still continues to do so. The Jacksonville State recruit continues to produce in big moments for the Red Devils, and did so again on Saturday with a rocket off the barrel back up the middle in a big sixth inning. The swing is well-connected and he does a solid job of keeping the barrel through contact and has juice to both gaps. There is present strength in the hands with advanced bat speed. Johnson will have plenty of opportunities to produce out of the two-hole this season. 

Caleb Johnson (2/26/22)

+ RHP/3B Landon Russell (Central Phenix City, 2022) is a new name to the Red Devil lineup but he seems to have already gotten comfortable with his new team. Russell, the state’s No. 1 prospect in the 2022 class, is a definite two-way talent as he showed that talent with the bat a day after turning in a solid outing for Central on Friday night. The Auburn recruit got the scoring started in the 3rd inning as he got a pitch out over the plate and deposited it over the left field fence for a solo shot. Defensively, the senior makes difficult plays at 3rd base look routine with plenty of arm strength across the diamond. Russell gives the Red Devils an added dimension to an already potent lineup and pitching staff. 

Landon Russell (2/26/22)

+ LHP Benjamin Arn (Bob Jones, 2023) is an uncommitted junior southpaw that will not light up a radar gun or look physically imposing on the mound but he does that one thing that all pitchers look to do, which is force soft contact and not allow hitters to get comfortable in the box. This has been a trend that we have seen from Arn on multiple occasions. With pinpoint command, Arn is able to work the fastball on the inner half and outer half of the plate at 78-81 mph. The fastball does show late arm side action as well. The breaking ball at 68-71 mph is another pitch that Arn can flip in at any count and he routinely pitches backwards and commands the breaking ball to the bottom half of the zone. The fastball plays up a bit because of his ability to throw the breaking ball in any count. 

Benjamin Arn (2/26/22)

+ OF/RHP Fisher Moss (Bob Jones, 2022) is a name that we know because of his ability as a quality arm on the mound, but he is making a name for himself with that bat during his senior season. Hitting out of the leadoff spot for the Patriots, the Snead State recruit collected two hits on Saturday in completely different ways. In the 5th inning, with runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs and a sure bunt situation, Moss laid down a perfect drag bunt down the 3rd base line and easily beat it out without a throw which helped the Patriots tie things up at 1-1. An inning later, Moss again came to the plate in a big spot with a runner on 3rd and two outs and again, the left-handed hitting outfielder produced for the Patriots with an RBI line drive up the middle. Moss gives the Patriots some versatility at the top of the lineup. 

Fisher Moss (2/26/22)

+ OF Jax Yoxtheimer (Central Phenix City, 2023) is an uncommitted junior that immediately jumps out at 6-foot-4, 185-pounds and his skills back that up as he seemed to always be in the middle of Red Devil scoring chances. Hitting out of the three-hole in a very deep lineup, Yoxtheimer had three hits on Saturday and scored two runs and drove in an important run as part of a big 6th inning for Central. The hands are loose in the swing with a direct path to contact and the barrel stays in the hitting zone for a long time. The junior is a sub-7.0 runner and was also able to pick up the win on the mound in relief as he threw the last two innings. He allowed one hit and one earned run and did not walk a batter while striking out two hitters. An interesting follow in the 2023 class. 

Jax Yoxtheimer (2/26/22)

+ OF Preston Bedford (Central Phenix City, 2023) ultimately got the big hit that ended the game, as the left-handed hitter hammered a 2-1 pitch to the wall in left center field to score the walk-off winner in the bottom of the 8th. Bedford also had solid contact earlier in the game and was able to show his speed as he stretched the hit into a double. While he may not be the biggest guy on the field there is some pop in the barrel, showing a slight uphill path with present strength in the hands. Really like the look of Bedford’s setup, forcing the hands inside contact and a back-side gap approach.

OF Preston Bedford (2/26/22)

 

Friday, February 25th

+ 3B/RHP Braden Booth (Bob Jones, 2024) has really emerged as one of the top prospects in the sophomore class in Alabama courtesy of a big summer last year. The Mississippi State recruit has some of the best two-way upside in the class, and he put those two-way abilities on display in a big-time matchup. An athletic & still projectable 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame, Booth flashes gap-to-gap pop from the right side hitting in the three-hole in an upperclassmen-led lineup. The sophomore recorded two hits against quality arms, including a missile over the head of the right fielder for a stand-up double. Booth uses an athletic setup from the right side with an on-plane path and a quick barrel that generates hard contact. He also hopped on the mound in relief and touched 90 mph while working in the upper-80's with his fastball. Slider was inconsistent at times in the mid-70's with bite and has the potential to be a real out-pitch. He finished going 2.2 IP, H, R, 2 BB & 3 K's in relief.

Braden Booth Hitting (2/25/22)

Braden Booth Pitching (2/25/22)

+ RHP Patrick Davidson (Auburn, 2023) answered the bell with multiple scoreless innings of relief in a tightly-contested, one-run game to earn the win on the mound. Now back the market after de-committing, the durable 6-foot-3, 195-pounder dominated with his fastball at 87-88, 90 mph that featured cutting action to it for the majority of his outing. He also showed a tight slider in the upper-70's that he used sparingly due to his ability to get swings-and-misses with his fastball. The uncommitted junior works using a clean & athletic delivery with a high 3/4 slot and good angle. He earned the win in relief and finished going 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB & 7 K's.

Patrick Davidson (2/25/22)

+ C Walker Zapp (Auburn, 2022) was one of the main sources of offensive production last night driving in a pair of runs and reaching base in two of his four plate appearances. Hitting in the middle of a lineup that features numerous SEC recruits, the Air Force signee found consistent firm contact in his at-bats facing off against some talented upper-80's arms. Zapp has a physical and compact 5-foot-11, 195-pound frame that translates to plenty of pop to the gaps in his offensive profile. The senior has above average bat speed from the right side of the plate using a really strong lower-half. Looked solid all night long behind the plate with blocking ability and carry on his throws to 2nd & 3rd base. He finished going 1-for-3 with a double, two RBI's & a walk.

Walker Zapp (2/25/22)

 

Thursday, February 24th

+ SS Sam Silas (Holtville, 2023) has always been one of the top shortstops in the junior class in Alabama over the past couple of years and he continued to show strides that he’s made during the early part of his junior season. A recent Jacksonville State recruit, Silas possesses an athletic 6-foot-0, 170-pound frame with proportional strength throughout. The junior has a short swing from the right side with a quick barrel that has continually been able to generate hard contact to all fields. He worked some quality at-bats, including executing a hit-and-run on a tough pitch out of the zone, and recorded a single and an RBI throughout four plate appearances.

Sam Silas (2/24/22)

+ MIF Drey Barrett (Holtville, 2024) showed why he’s regarded as one of the top infielders in the sophomore class in Alabama after making significant strides over the past year. A long & projectable 6-foot-2, 175-pounds that passes the eye test, the Southern Miss recruit didn’t have much to show for in his four plate appearances, but put some good swings together hitting in the three-hole of a talented lineup. Barrett has a good rhythm & athleticism in his swing and showed the ability to find firm contact from the right side. Athletic actions up the middle with a chance to move to the left side in the future.

Drey Barrett (2/24/22)

+ OF Drew Brown (Prattville, 2022) has gotten off to a really good start to his senior year, as he’s paced the Lions hitting at the top of the order. After blasting a home-run last week, the uncommitted senior wasted no time making his presence felt with a leadoff double that one-hopped the wall in the pull-side gap in his first at-bat. He also recorded a single on a sharply-hit ball to the opposite field in his third at-bat, as well. Brown has a 5-foot-9, 165-pound frame that plays with bounce and athleticism in his game. Covers ground well in the outfield with 6.86-speed that he showed at a previous event. A really solid uncommitted senior who would be a good late addition to a college program.

Drew Brown (2/24/22)

+ C Mikey Vanderheyden (GW Long, 2025) has continued to make an impact as a freshman after starting behind the plate as an eighth-grader on last year’s Class 2A runner-up team. Vanderheyden has already seemed to add some muscle to a solid 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame that will hold more strength in the future. The freshman uses a simple setup at the plate and gets on plane and works with a mostly uphill path through the zone. He found two barrels in his first at-bat with a run-scoring groundout and a missile to the third baseman, but with nothing to show for. His defensive skill set is what has set him apart from others in his class with quality receiving skills and has gained the utmost trust from his pitchers to keep everything in front on balls in the dirt. Pop times ranged from 2.00-2.05 in between innings.

Mikey Vanderheyden (2/24/22)

+ 3B Travis Stauter (Prattville, 2022) is one of the state’s most powerful right-handed hitters using a physical & imposing 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame. The UT-Martin signee has settled in nicely over the past two years after transferring in from Wyoming, and looks poised for his best season yet as a senior. Stauter took some healthy swings last night, mostly early in the count, but showed the ability to shorten up and simplify with two strikes and still make hard contact. Facing a left-hander in his third at-bat, the senior drove a fastball on the outer-half in a pitcher’s count to right field for a hard-hit single. Stauter keeps the barrel through the zone for a while and has a chance to put up double-digit home runs this spring.

Travis Stauter (2/24/22)

+ 1B Cade Prestegard (Huntsville, 2022) showed why he is regarded as one of the top uncommitted hitters in the state on Thursday. The left-handed hitter uses his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame well, showing the ability to generate hard contact on pitches all around the strike zone. Prestegard got the Panthers started early with an RBI groundout in his first at bat to make the score 1-0. Later he showed off some juice in the 4th inning, crushing a ball over the head over the right fielder to drive in his second run of the game. 

Cade Prestegard (2/24/22)

+ 3B Travis Gentry (Huntsville, 2022) had an impressive offensive showing for the Panthers with three singles and a walk on the day. The uncommitted infielder showed advanced strike-zone awareness at the plate, working pitchers deep into counts. Gentry plays with bounce, out of the box, on the base paths, as well as in the field. Gentry looks to be a key piece for the Panthers this season, both in the field and at the plate. 

+ RHP Josh Mackey (Huntsville, 2022) commanded the baseball game from the moment he stepped foot on the mound on Thursday. The MUW signee worked well in the strike zone for the majority of the game, limiting traffic on the base paths. Mackey’s fastball at 78-81 mph and changeup at 69-70 mph played well off of each other. He also complemented those offerings with a well-shaped breaking ball at 74-76 mph which generated a lot of swings-and-misses on the day. He allowed only one earned run while scattering four hits with four strikeouts over five innings of work.

Josh Mackey (2/24/22)

 

Wednesday, February 23rd

+ 1B Luke Price (2022, Buckhorn) has shown an above average hit tool over the course of the past year and that was evidenced this summer at the Southeast Unsigned Senior Games at LakePoint. Price showed solid plate discipline on Wednesday and did not chase out of the zone, including drawing a walk in his second at-bat. The Lawson State recruit staked the Bucks to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning as he served a two-strike pitch on the outer half to the right side to drive in the runner from 2nd base. Hitting out of three-hole, Price will be a bat the Bucks will depend on. 

Luke Price (2/23/22)

+ OF/RHP Christian Sutphin (2022, Grissom) is another Lawson State recruit that had the only multi-hit game of any player on Wednesday, and both of those hits were significant for the Tigers. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Sutphin got a hanging breaking ball and promptly served it back up the middle to tie things up at 1-1. Later in the game (bottom of the 4th) Sutphin came to the plate with bases loaded and two outs with his team trailing by a score of 6-2 and he promptly drove a ball to center field for a bases-clearing triple.

Christian Sutphin (2/23/22)

 

Tuesday, February 22nd

+ LHP Jaxon Shineflew (Wetumpka, 2023) was masterful in his first start of the spring for the Indians, working four scoreless innings against an offense that put up a combined 18 runs over the course of two games this past weekend. The South Alabama recruit has already shown an uptick in velocity after being 80 mph last year, as the southpaw worked 85-87 mph (2300 rpm’s) with good life and held it well throughout his outing. Shineflew also featured a firm, tight slider at 77-78 mph (2400 rpm’s) flashed wipeout potential with late, downward break. An athletic mover down the mound at 6-foot-2, 170-pounds with fairly low-effort operation, the southpaw should certainly have more velocity to come down the road.

Jaxon Shineflew (2/22/22)

+ 3B/RHP Kyle Morrison (Wetumpka, 2022) continues to be a major run-producer for the Indians, as he’s now slated at the top of a talented order to get more at-bats. Strong 6-foot-0, 205-pound frame that has shown easy to gap-to-gap power from the left side. Ball jumps off the bat using a heavy barrel through the zone with a direct path. Turns the barrel well with really good bat speed. A Troy signee, Morrison took quality swings in each at-bat and finished going 1-for-3 with two RBI’s and a walk. He also hopped on the mound in a big spot and turned in two scoreless innings of work using a 90-92 mph fastball and a power breaking ball at 77-79 mph (2500 rpm’s).

Kyle Morrison (2/22/22)

+ SS Ty Brooks (Wetumpka, 2022) is another Division 1 recruit slated at the top of a really talented lineup that drove in a pair of runs last night. An athletic 5-foot-9, 170-pounder, Brooks is regarded as one of the top middle infielders the state of Alabama has to offer with slick footwork and quick, reliable hands defensively. Making all of the routine plays, the bat stood out last night, going 2-for-5 with two RBI’s including the game-winning, walk-off single in the bottom of the 7th. Brooks is balanced from the left side with the ability to cover all quadrants and use the whole field with a confident approach in the box. 

Ty Brooks (2/22/22)

+ C Brooks Bryan (Opelika, 2022) has gotten off to a good start to begin his senior campaign recording a game-tying grand slam on Saturday and a multi-hit game last night facing some quality arms. A Troy signee, Bryan has a really physical 6-foot-1, 215-pound frame that he uses well in his offensive profile. An offensive-minded backstop, Bryan went 2-for-4 last night with a pair of singles hitting in the three-hole of the Bulldogs’ lineup. After taking some aggressive swings in early counts, Bryan simplified his approach in the video below and drove an off-speed offering to the back-side for a single.

Brooks Bryan (2/22/22)

+ RHP Carter Wells (Sparkman, 2023) got the start for the Senators on Tuesday and was able to give his team 4 ⅓ innings of quality work on the mound. Wells, an uncommitted junior, was dependent on the fastball early and kept his velocity throughout the outing as he was 83-84 mph and bumped 85 mph twice with some arm-side action. The second time through the lineup, Wells flashed more of his secondary stuff with a late-breaking curveball at 71-73 mph. He also showed a quality changeup that tunneled well with his fastball at 77-78 mph. The junior struck out five hitters while also walking three during his outing.

Carter Wells (2/22/22)

+ OF Jack Buening (Sparkman, 2023) shows up at the park each day and has one thing in mind, to do damage in the batter’s box. That was evident again on Tuesday as the former PBR Future Gamer collected two hits, including a double to the LF wall. Buening is a bit of a free-swinger but showed that he could extend at-bats after getting behind in the count and produce deep in the counts. The uncommitted junior showed power to the pull side but has also shown that he can drive balls to the backside gap as well. One of the top 2023 hitters in the state. 

Jack Buening (2/22/22)

+ RHP Jackson Hunter (Hazel Green, 2024) is an uncommitted arm that has continued to add size and strength and that has certainly carried over to the mound. From a high ¾ slot, the sophomore shows a clean, repeatable delivery and stays on plane to the plate. Hunter established the fastball early as he comfortably stayed 85-87 mph and touched 88 mph twice with solid command to the glove-side. The breaking ball shows sharp break with solid 11-5 action at 71-73 mph. Hunter showed confidence in the changeup that tumbled late into right-handed hitters at 75-78 mph. Hunter continues to show he is one of the top arms in the AL ‘24 class.  

Jackson Hunter (2/22/22)

+ OF/INF Tarpley Priest (Hazel Green, 2024) hit out of the 2-hole for the Trojans and was consistently the toughest out in the lineup on Tuesday. The LH hitter is on top of the plate and simply grinds out every AB as he reached base all four plate appearances by drawing two walks and delivering two base hits. He worked deep in the count by spoiling some good pitches to work a walk while showing plenty of strike zone awareness and did not chase pitches out of the zone. Priest seemed comfortable handling pitches on both halves of the plate while showing he could hit to all fields.  

Tarpley Priest (2/22/22)

+ RHP Ethan Clark (Sparkman, 2023) was credited with the win on Tuesday as he showed an electric two-pitch mix over the final 1 ⅓ innings. Clark established the fastball from an over-the-top slot at 85-87 mph that he had no trouble in spotting up down in the zone, and elevating when needed. The fastball played much quicker due to a high-quality changeup at 78-79 mph that he mixed in any count that seemed to just disappear as he got on the hitter. Both pitches seemed identical out of the hand and made life difficult on hitters. Clark struck out all four hitters he faced while not allowing a walk, making quick work of opposing hitters. Without a doubt, Clark was one of the big winners on Tuesday night.

Ethan Clark (2/22/22)

 

Monday, February 21st

+ OF CJ Bush (Bob Jones, 2023) is a speedy outfielder that has gotten off to a torrid start to the 2022 season, as he has collected six hits in his first 10 at-bats. The junior has continued to improve his arm strength while already showing a laser 6.84 60 yard dash. Bush shows a mostly middle to pull-side approach with a slightly uphill path with the barrel as he also keeps the barrel through contact with solid extension. On Monday, he showed a direct path to contact and was able to get the barrel to an inner-half fastball that he promptly deposited over the LF wall. An uber-athletic outfielder that continues to trend in the right direction.

CJ Bush (2/21/22)

+ C/RHP Tucker Stockman (Athens, 2022) is a two-time member of Team Alabama at the 2019 and 2020 Future Games who is a legitimate two-way talent. On Monday, Stockman was behind the plate and continues to elevate his game as he showed quiet receiving skills and expanding the plate for his pitchers. Stockman has plenty of arm strength on throws to 2nd base and also looked very natural handling balls in the dirt. The Southern Miss recruit showed a disciplined approach at the plate and did not chase pitches out of the zone while extended at-bats, spoiling good offerings. Stockman has power to all fields and (although he didn’t throw Monday) is also a quality back-end arm with an upper-80’s fastball.

Tucker Stockman (2/21/22)

+ LHP Logan Mooney (Athens, 2023) is an uncommitted junior southpaw that has seen a recent uptick in velocity, which plays well off his ability to command all quadrants of the zone with multiple pitches. Mooney has no issues pitching backwards to hitters and doesn’t allow hitters to get comfortable against him. The sophomore kept his velocity throughout (82-83 mph) while topping at 85 mph in the second inning. The 1-7 shape on the breaking (71-73 mph) shows tight spin with late depth. Mooney scattered four hits over five innings of work while striking out five hitters and only walking one. An intriguing arm in the 2023 AL class that has continued to improve over time. 

Logan Mooney (2/21/22)

+ 1B Sam Sandy (Athens, 2022) picked up right where he left off in 2021 with his 1st at-bat of the 2022 season as he doubled to the LCF gap to give the Golden Eagles a lead they would never relinquish. Sandy, a Bevill State CC recruit, has continually shown upper 90’s exit velocity (TM) at events which has carried over to games. He is equally adept to drive balls to the backside gap as well while showing a simple, well-connected swing. Sandy should be a huge RBI producer during the 2022 season.

Sam Sandy (2/21/22)

 

Thursday, February 17th

+ LHP Jackson Sanders (Valley, 2024) delivered a quality start in his first outing of his sophomore campaign en route to four scoreless frames and picking up the win. The long & athletic 6-2, 170-pounder opened up working 90-91 mph (2400 rpm's) with his fastball before settling into more 87-89 mph throughout the later parts of his outing. His breaking ball in the low-70's (2400 rpm's) flashed some quality depth, and showed feel to back-door it to right-handed hitters. Sanders has a loose & whippy arm action that should continue to see upticks in velocity over the coming years courtesy of an athletic, projectable frame. The Auburn recruit finished tossing 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 HBP & 10 K's. 

Jackson Sanders (2/17/22)

 

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