Louisiana Uncommitted Underclass
November 5, 2021
The annual PBR Louisiana All-State Games, held at the shrine that is Alex Box Stadium on the campus of Louisiana State University, always provides a glimpse at the best talent that “The Boot” has to offer. Players and prospects from all over the state were in attendance to show of their skills in a full workout followed by game play. Closing out the fall, the event provided a glimpse at some must-follow players for the spring. Below, a look at some of the uncommitted underclassmen that made an impact on the day, and are names to follow in the spring.
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Howard Dobson III SS / RHP / Catholic, LA / 2024Rankings StateRank: 11 / POS: 3
It is going to be interesting tracking Dobson’s progression on both sides of the ball as this was the first time that I was able to get a glimpse at the powerful right-handed hitter on the mound. At 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, he already features some present physicality with broad shoulders and natural strength throughout a frame that still shows some projection. At the plate, the right-handed hitter starts upright with the hands held further back shifting the weight slightly back with a leg lift stride before quickly working the barrel through the zone with intent to lift. Dobson gets quality use of the lower-half including creating torque with the hips, and there is considerable power potential to the left side and all fields as he demonstrated such in-game with triple to deep right field. Likely an offensive second baseman or quality third baseman at the next level, Dobson exhibits a natural ability to make throws from all angles and is an athletic mover side to side. That natural arm angle ability carried over to the mound in this look as Dobson was an eye-opening act at the event. An easy mover down the mound, Dobson was up to 85 mph in this look (up to 88 mph in the past) from a tough low ¾ slot that is even more deceptive thanks to a more pronounced step across down the mound. His ability to sync up and find a consistent slot is likely due to the athleticism he has as a shortstop, and there was clearly much more velocity in the tank while he was pitching at the event. Quick and whippy with a flatter vertical approach angle, the ball jumped out of Dobson’s hand at times, and he demonstrated an ability to tunnel a sweeping slider against the fastball. The slider, which flashed upside as a future wipeout offering maxed at 75.29 mph via Trackman with later separation that made it nearly impossible for hitters to pick up. Overall, Dobson left plenty to like about his upside both at the plate and on the mound, and is sure to have college coaches tracking his development closely. Playing at Louisiana power, Catholic High, which has produced a plethora of high-level talents (and especially some premium arms), expect him to continue making jumps in all facets.
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