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Team Georgia: vs Texas, Quick Hits

August 1, 2023
PBR Georgia
Staff

QUICK HITS

Vick Gann, OF, 2025
5-foot-11, 175 pounds. We saw consistent production vs quality arms throughout the spring from Gann, and all he did at Future Games was set in stone that he’s a D1 talent who can be relied upon on/off the field from the first time he steps on campus. Let's start with the fact that his makeup and baseball IQ cannot be measured on a scale. The IQ stands out in the mid-swing/mid-AB adjustments, situational hitting, baserunning, and overall awareness in the OF. We feel he showed a perfect blend of his skillset not only in the workout portion but the games. He was one of the top 5 fastest players in the entire event (6.50 60 yd) but maybe even more importantly, his 10 yd split was the 2nd fastest of all states. His ability to get to top speed almost immediately separates him getting out of the box, on the basepaths, and in the OF. In this game of inches, it’s the difference between being safe/out, or the difference between a game saving catch in the gap/walk off double. It means his double plus speed can play even better than his insane 6.50 suggests. It may not be immediately noticeable watching him from the stands, but he’s very well built especially in the lower half and the broader shoulders suggest there’s much more power on the way. One of my favorite parts about his offensive game is the discipline he shows in his overall plan. If Vick is facing an aggressive arm who is challenging hitters with his FB in the zone, he will jump on the first pitch (if it's there) and use his plus bat speed to juice one in the gap pull side. When facing a finesse arm he will adjust his approach and think inside-out and work the count. Although he doesn’t get into 2 strike counts often, he is a very good 2 strike hitter. This is a player who can wear down pitching staffs on his own with the ability to waste pitches until he gets a hanger. He doesn’t swing and miss, and he doesn’t chase. Gann is a run scoring machine who can get on base with any element of finesse/power, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see him at the top of many statistical categories in college. You’ll never see him give in on the baseball field, and this is the definition of a player who can be the foundation of winning culture on a D1 baseball roster. When the game is on the line, this is who you want the pressure on no matter the situation. It's rare to find a player whose tools and intangibles stand out evenly, this is a game changer in every sense of the word.  


Reiston Durham, SS, 2026
5-foot-11, 165 pounds. The only 2026 player on GA’s Future Games roster, it can sometimes be intimidating for younger players on the big stage. But Reiston has been playing against top competition much older than him all year now, and has delivered against top arms time and time again. Everything about his game is advanced. This is a true 5 tool potential who plays cool, calm, and collected regardless of the pressure of the situation. What you love to see in a young player is for him to progress in each game he plays, and that’s exactly what Durham has done here at Future Games. He’s consistently had better AB’s and been on time with some of the best arms in the country. He really began to get a rhythm game 2 and was timing up release points with ease. But his offensive game really broke out in game 3, as he had 2 dangerous 90+ EV lasers to the pull side. One was a hit that got an inning started for us, and one was hit directly at the RF. If there were 2 more games at Future Games with a playoff setup, we have no question Durham would’ve been on a hot streak. This true SS has played all over the infield this week, making an incredible diving play to save runs at 2B and showing off his instincts and ability to switch positions naturally. But don’t get it mistaken, this is a true SS with advanced actions and arm strength that is going to be a mainstay atop of our 2026 rankings.
Ethan Garrett, RHP, 2025
6-foot-2, 160 pounds. If you know this high projection hurler like we do, you know it’s a mixture of pitchability and ceiling that earned him a spot on this roster. Without question the lightest player on our team, he’s also got some of the most noticeable fast twitch fibers on the team before even having muscle on his frame. This is such an intriguing part of Garrett’s overall outlook. The arm speed matches up with anyone in the state for his class without question. So when he develops just a little bit physically, he’s going to jump past many of the top arms in the country. He’s a very good athlete and the ball absolutely jumps out of his hand. The FB is extremely rare metrically, and he’s only just now learning how to use it. This is a heater that can truly be impactful in all 4 corners of the zone, as well as above the zone. The almost perfect spin efficiency on his heater along with a unique release point and some other factors lead to a devastating IVB & HZB combo that most hitters can’t touch when he’s on. It rides up, runs down, and makes his advanced changeup all the more devastating. Speaking of the CH, he can throw it in any count without hesitation, and he actually went offspeed on 6 of his first 7 pitches at Future Games. It tells us two things - his pitchability is high being comfortable throwing 2 off speeds, and that he needs to trust his rare FB a bit more. It can be dominant in on RHH hands or away from LHH, even at 86-88. This is going to be a fun one to track over the next couple years. 

DJ McDowell, RHP, 2025
6-foot-4, 188 pounds. If you want to see what projection truly looks like, just watch DJ pitch. Smooth and effortless with a perfect build of momentum, he’s already able to throw strikes at a high level while being built like a college hooper. But what people don’t realize is he’s only at the floor of his eventual ceiling. Just last summer, he was working more in the mid 80’s T87. He’s already made a consistent jump every year in the last 3 years, and he’s nowhere near he’s eventual velocity. There’s a small adjustment or 2 that can really take him to the next level. With some slight tweaking of his sequence, his SL will soon reach a different level along with his velocity. While his SL may have been a little off in Game 3, he’s thrown it for strikes consistently every other time I’ve seen him. DJ was also dealing with bad cramps and extreme heat yesterday so it was unfortunate everyone didn’t get to see the full picture of his current talent. Regardless, McDowell is going to have a slew of phone calls and offers beginning on August 1 and he’s a hard worker who has a true passion for pitching and constantly wants to improve his game. Not only is he a rare talent with big time fast twitch fibers, but has endless ceiling that will continue to rise each look we get at him.

Jared Glenn, 3B/RHP, 2025
5-foot-11, 200 pounds. While this effortless masher with incredible feel for the barrel went off throughout the spring at the plate and on the mound, we actually didn’t get to see him pitch until 2023. The 1st looks I got on him were last fall at LakePoint, where he was timing up 88 mph arms and spitting on future hammer breaking balls. If you don’t believe us check the tweets. While we have no doubt Glenn is going to bring 2 way value to the D1 level, this is as pure of a hitter as they come and is one of the best in the state, as we’ve been claiming in multiple articles for some time now. This stocky beast has hand eye coordination you just can’t teach. Every BP round I’ve ever seen him take, it’s nothing but clean barrels. The swing mechanics are impeccable and he creates perfect backspin on nearly every hit he gets. Not only does he almost never roll over, he has the combo of bat speed and bat strength that allow him to match or exceed the impact of 90+ mph FB’s. This is a player who is a lock to hit for average and power at the D1 level, and has elite makeup. He leads by example and is a very humble player, which is a rare trait in todays age of social media and hype. The standout qualities are truly endless for Glenn, and he’s been working hard off the field to build the frame. He’s gotten noticeably stronger while trimming up his build, making the upper half more proportional with his extremely strong lower half.  His exceptional timing of release points, near perfect swing mechanics, and hitting intangibles now have even more fast twitch fibers to work with. Glenn wasn’t just our MVP of Game 3, but was so consistent at the plate he honestly deserves to be the MVP of the entire tournament. Whoever decided to go all in on Glenn in the month of August, it will be one of the best decisions they have ever made.

Henry Akopov, OF, 2025
6-foot, 180 pounds. Despite having very few live AB’s to prepare for Future Games due to a pulled quad about a month ago, this freak athlete did not let that stop him. He racked up some ridiculous numbers in a 3 game span, reaching base a total of 7 times out of 10. Henry had 2 lasers at 92.8 in his last 2 games, showing off his plus bat speed (80 mph) that puts him ahead of many pro baseball players in the category. Akopov’s overall fast twitch fibers are beyond special. But to go along with that, his top hand grip strength was one of the best in the event. This helps him create serious force in the hands through contact and a different level of whip in the barrel to the pull side. His swing is very well sequenced and makes it even easier for the incredible athleticism to show, as he has nothing in the way of his raw talent playing every swing at the plate. As we’ve seen him mostly develop into a doubles/power production hitter this spring and summer, it was fun to see him get a few infield knocks with his blinding top of scale speed. He’s so fast, he even got a hit on a grounder to 2B! When he gets on it’s pure misery for opposing teams, and he stole 7 bases in 3 games with 6 runs scored! His lightning quick jumps and incredible top end speed make it look like he’s jogging, just toying with even the best catchers. While he may not be the purest hitter yet, there’s so much potential in the bat. But what makes him low risk is the run, defense, and arm tools. Even on the days he doesn’t crush the ball into gaps, he’s going to manufacture/score runs, save runs in CF (instincts & range), and save runs with his arm. Even though he’s one of the strongest players in the class pound for pound (435 squat, 275 bench for reps), he still has much room to fill in the frame. When in doubt, bet on the tools!


Jake Howell, LHP, 2025
6-foot, 170 pounds. Thanks to bad luck with the weather at Future Games, one of our favorite arms wasn’t able to be at his best stuff wise in Game 3. Anyone who has pitched before knows how it can impact velocity when a pitcher gets fully hot and the adrenaline is pumping, only to be shut down for over an hour after he was locked in and ready fire. Even under bad circumstances, Howell’s delivery was able to really get in sync once he faced a couple hitters. It’s truly special to watch him once he gets on a roll. High spin cut ride FB’s that dart above barrels or inside hands, sweeping CB’s with big shape that he can throw to both edges for strikes at anytime, and a ridiculously sharp SL that snaps off the table in the blink of an eye. What I love most about Howell is his ability to get outs even without his best stuff or control. The delivery is so deceptive and the arsenal is so unique that he’s able to work his way through a line up even on the days where he’s not as sharp. His ability to get outs vs RHH shows he has starter potential in college, and his floor is extremely safe as he’s at worst a high leverage reliever who is going to dominate LHH with two of the best breaking balls in college baseball one day. Whoever has a track record with him from this summer and prior knows they will be getting an absolute steal if they invest in him August 1st.