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GBA Scout Day: Quick Hits

February 15, 2023
By: Diego Solares
Area Scout, Illinois & Missouri

On Saturday, February 11th, the PBR Missouri staff traveled to the SportsBarn in Wentzville, MO, to host the GBA Scout Day. More than 110 prospects representing the 2023-to-2026 classes from the GBA travel program participated in a pro-style workout in front of our staff, collecting measurables and unrivaled data with the help of our tech partners.

To see a complete roster of the players that attended this event, click HERE.

Shortly after the event’s conclusion our staff put together several statistical leaderboards to highlight the names that put up numbers and paced their peers. We created those within our ‘Stat Story’, which you can find by clicking HERE.

Today, after compiling our notes and digesting the day as a whole, we’ve put together these ‘Quick Hits’ to shine some light on some of the day’s top performers. Below you’ll learn more about which players really stood out at this year’s GBA Scout Day.

2024

+ RHP John-Paul Sauer (Jackson, 2024; Tulane commit) is one of the top arms in Missouri’s junior class, and the 6-foot-1, 195-pound PBR Future Games put together an impressive ‘pen in Saturday’s look. Sauer pitched in the upper-80s with his fastball, pounding the corners with consistency throughout. He spun his bread-and-butter slider to play off it, a pitch that features tight spin and late break off his fastball’s plane and tunnels especially well when spotted on the arm-side corner. Sauer also turned over a changeup at 75-76 mph, rounding out as polished of an arsenal as you’ll find in Missouri. We’re expecting a big spring from Jackson’s ace as he aids the Indians in their quest for a state championship.


+ Arguably the day’s biggest winner after a truly stellar performance on the mound: RHP David Barker (O’Fallon, IL, 2024). At an ultra projectable 6-foot-3, 170-pounds with long, lanky levers, Barker moved down the mound in rhythm, creating forward momentum downhill and staying in sync to front foot strike. He produced effortless upper-80s velocity on the mound from a loose ¾ slot, topping at 90 mph on his firmest bullet with plenty more to come. He swept a slider at 72-73 mph and also showed arm-side feel for a 79-81 mph changeup, spotting it down in the zone with more polish than we’d seen in the past. Barker’s undoubtedly one of the top pitching prospects in Southern Illinois, if not the state’s entire junior class, and he’s seemingly just scratching the surface of what his ceiling could be as an arm.


+ RHP Michael Barker (O’Fallon, IL, 2024) was another standout performer on the mound at this event. Boasting a similar build to his aforementioned twin brother, Barker moves down the mound similarly to his counterpart and also works from an easy operation that oozes projection. Barker sat at an effortless 85-88 mph with his fastball, reaching back for a 90 mph peak on his penultimate bullet, and it’s reasonable to say there’s plenty of future velocity to come down the road as he continues to mature physically. He threw a shorter wrinkle 66-70 mph curveball with more depth than sweep, and also mixed in a changeup to the arm-side at 76-78 mph to pair off his fastball. Like his brother, Barker is another high follow arm in Southern Illinois that should see plenty of time on the mound for O’Fallon this spring.

+ OF Hank Gomric (Althoff Catholic, IL, 2024; Saint Louis commit) continued to show plenty of upside tacked onto a highly projectable, long-levered 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame. Gomric started his workout out by running a 6.94 in the 60, while reaching a peak run speed of 20.2 mph, which was one of the day’s highest marks. He generated some of the day’s loudest contact both on average (90.5 mph) and at peak (99.5 mph), and did so from a much improved, more polished left-handed swing that we’d seen in the past. Gomric was also up to 85 mph from the outfield, improving four mph from when we saw him at the Chicagoland Open in the fall.


+ OF Trevor Geis (Mascoutah, IL, 2024) is one of the top uncommitted juniors in Southern Illinois. A lean, highly projectable 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete, Geis had his loudest showing offensively to date at this event, setting personal records in max exit velocity (97.3 mph) and average exit velocity (85.2 mph). He swings an athletic upside right-handed bat, staying through the zone while working uphill on occasion. Geis was up to 86 mph from the outfield in his workout and ran a 7.06 60, getting off the line quickly with a 1.66 10-yard split. He hopped on the mound later and ran his fastball up to 88 mph, sitting 85-87 mph while landing both his curveball and slider for strikes.


+ RHP Keaton Fort (Johnston City, IL, 2024) popped up as an upside follow at last year’s GBA Scout Day, and the 6-foot-5, 198-pound uncommitted junior is even more impressive now after polishing up his delivery throughout this winter. A multi-sport athlete, Fort’s fastball topped at 87 mph in his ‘pen, sitting at 85-86 mph from a loose, athletic high ¾ arm slot. His go-to secondary is a firm 75-77 mph slider that, although it plays from a slightly lower arm slot than his fastball, has hard horizontal action with late break off plane at times. He also threw an 80-81 mph changeup that flashed tumble, greatly improving his feel for it since the last time we saw him.


+ Two sturdy southpaws to follow from this event, both of which are uncommitted: LHP Dalton Hosack (Holt, MO, 2024) and LHP Charlie Kilcullin (St. Dominic, MO, 2024). Hosack, who represented Team Missouri at the PBR Future Games last summer, has long been known for his advanced pitchability, consistently pounding the zone with his entire arsenal. Hosack threw his fastball at 84-86 mph for strikes, and he worked all three of his secondaries around the zone as well: a curveball (73-74 mph), changeup (78-79 mph), and slider (74-75 mph). Kilcullin attended the Preseason All-State a few weeks ago, and the 6-foot-2, 215-pound southpaw showed similar stuff in this look than he did at that event. His fastball sat 83-85 mph from a ¾ arm slot, and his changeup showed the natural arm-side fade we’re accustomed to seeing, playing at 74-75 mph in his pen.

+ C Logan Winkleman (Christian Brothers College, 2024) is an uncommitted junior backstop to follow coming away from this event. A strong, sturdy 5-foot-11, 180-pound athlete, Winkleman swung a heavy right-handed barrel in BP, one that produced loud contact both on average (87.6 mph) and at peak (94.7 mph). His 248 ft. average per batted ball was amongst the day’s highest marks, and he favored the middle-in side of the field from a short, simple operation throughout. Winkleman’s strength carried to his defensive workout, where his firmest bullet came out at 79 mph.

+ INF Trey Kent-Landrum (Principia, MO, 2024) swung a heavy right-handed barrel with bat strength to pair at this event. Physically built at 6-foot, 171-pounds, Kent-Landrum drove his furthest batted ball 322 ft. at this event, reaching a max exit velocity of 95.3 mph as well. He found the sweet-spot 60% of the time, per TrackMan, and 20% of his batted ball events registered above the 95 mph threshold. Also, Kent-Landrum impacted the baseball while keeping it elevated, limiting ground balls (10%) while favoring fly balls (60%) throughout his round at an average launch angle of 27.7 degrees. He also ran a 7.04 60-yard dash with a peak run speed of 19.5 mph.

+ 1B Tyler Laskowski (Christian Brothers College, MO, 2024) was another uncommitted left-handed bat to show well at this event. Laskowski sprayed line drives back up the middle throughout his round of BP from a short, simple left-handed swing with hand speed and strength.


+ OF Austin Rathgeb (Alton, IL, 2024) is a physical 5-foot-11, 190-pound athlete that repeated some of the day’s loudest contact throughout BP. Rathgeb found the barrel with authority to his pull-side, averaging 86.8 mph per batted ball while peaking at 95.1 mph. Adding in his noteworthy quality of contact measurements, Rathgeb also generated far batted balls (263 ft. average) and peaked at 360 ft., which was amongst the highest of this entire event. 41.7% of his batted balls were above 95 mph and he did so without hitting a single ground ball throughout BP. He was also up to 84 mph from the outfield, which is a four tick increase from this event last summer.

+ RHP Kyle Taylor (Quincy, IL, 2024) impressed on the mound with wiry arm strength attached to a lean, athletic 5-foot-8, 140-pound frame. He worked with tempo and pace on the mound, repeating an athletic delivery throughout his ‘pen. Taylor’s fastball peaked at 86 mph from a long arm path, working the corners at 84-85 mph. He spun a slider with depth at 72-74 mph and kept his changeup down in the zone, maintaining fastball arm speed at 74-75 mph.

+ After showing well at the Preseason All-State earlier this month, OF Max Guenther (Francis Howell, MO, 2024) provided another strong look this past weekend. Guenther packs a punch within his 5-foot-9, 165-pound stature, launching his furthest batted ball 374 ft., which finished a foot behind the day’s leader. He almost exclusively elevated the baseball (80% fly ball), averaging 261 ft. per batted ball, and squared his firmest batted ball up at 94.2 mph. Guenther was up to 87 mph from the outfield and ran a 7.05 in the 60.

+ OF Gavin Poindexter (Holt, MO, 2024) offers plenty of intrigue attached to a 6-foot-3, 183-pound frame. A 7.09 runner in the 60-yard dash with a 1.68 10-yard split at his size, Poindexter’s level right-handed swing produced consistent line drive contact (62.5%) off the barrel in BP. His average mark (86 mph) was near his high (89.9 mph) and his furthest ball traveled 329 ft., averaging 240 ft. per batted ball. There’s likely more power to come as he continues to add strength onto his frame, and he’s an uncommitted junior to know in the state heading into the spring.

+ RHP/INF Noah Arnold (Harrisburg, IL, 2024) is a lean 5-foot-8, 155-pound athlete to follow with wiry arm strength, both across the infield and on the mound. Arnold nearly led the event in max infield throwing velocity (88 mph), increasing by five mph since our look at the St. Louis Open last June. He pitched at 83-84 mph with his fastball on the mound, spinning a tight 68-69 mph breaking ball with depth and adding in a 72-73 mph changeup to the mix as well.

2025

+ RHP/OF Joseph Chiarodo (Edwardsville, IL, 2025; Alabama commit) was the top prospect in attendance at this event. Chiarodo added strength onto his 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame since we saw him in the summer, particularly in the lower half and broadening his shoulders, too. He started his day by running a 6.87 in the 60-yard dash, getting off the line quickly (1.63 10-yard) and nearly reaching 20 mph at his peak run speed. He participated in his outfield workout afterwards, recording a 98 mph high from the outfield on his hardest throw, which may be amongst the highest marks in the Midwest, regardless of class. Chiarodo took the day’s loudest BP round, swinging an extremely quick right-handed barrel and generating plenty of authority with aggression out of his load. Both his max exit velocity (100.8 mph) and average exit velocity (94.9 mph) led the event, and his peak batted distance (369 ft.) wasn’t too far off of the event’s highest mark either. Chiarodo then toed the rubber and stole the show, repeating an athletic delivery with controlled violence downhill. He held upper-80s velocity throughout, topping at 90 mph twice, pounding the strike zone with plenty of polish. Chiarodo spun a firm upper-70s breaking ball with tight action and late spin off his fastball’s plane, and he also showed a low-80s cutter with late glove-side action. And, while he didn’t have his best feel for it in this ‘pen, Chiarodo’s changeup is a pitch we’ve been impressed with before, rounding out a highly advanced arsenal for someone his age. It was an extremely impressive showing from one of the top sophomore in Illinois that should certainly ride this momentum into his high school season as a key cog for the reigning state champions.


+ This was our first up-close look at RHP Gavin Richars (St. Dominic, MO, 2025) in quite some time, and one of the top prospects in Missouri’s sophomore class certainly didn’t disappoint. Richars is an electric athlete on the mound, creating plenty of momentum downhill and working with controlled aggression throughout. He showed advanced arm speed for his age and his fastball jumped up in the zone with clear life at 88-90 mph. Richars’ spun a tight bullet-spin slider at 80-81 mph with late wrinkle off his fastball’s plane at times, and he showed a firm 85-86 mph splitter that occasionally tumbled down in the zone. His high level athleticism and present loud stuff equate to one of the higher ceilings on the mound in his class, and we’re eager to see more of Richars this upcoming season for his St. Dominic squad.


+ One of the highest ceiling arms in Missouri’s sophomore class had an explosive showing on Saturday: RHP Richie Swain (Timberland, MO, 2025). Standing at an ultra projectable 6-foot-4, 185-pounds, Swain’s fastball exploded in the zone from one of the fastest arms we’ve seen thus far, holding 88-90 mph throughout his ‘pen. Swain ripped off a firm 76-78 mph slider in this look and, while he’s still developing full feel to land it around the zone, it has the raw makings of a potential swing-and-miss offering down the road. The sheer arm talent and upside with Swain is undeniable.


+ OF Jackson Vaughn (Francis Howell, MO, 2025) continued to show our staff one of the more projectable and polished left-handed swings in his class. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound long-levered sophomore repeated line drive contact from a smooth, simple operation, staying poised and balanced in the box throughout. Vaughn’s knack for hitting is evident - he tore up the Midwest Premier Super 15 this summer - and he’ll almost certainly enhance his offensive profile once he adds mass, impacting the baseball on a more authoritative level down the road. He showed pitchability on the mound as well, throwing all three of his pitches for strikes in his ‘pen.


+ One of the top prospects from the Preseason All-State, C/INF Jake Greer (Liberty, MO, 2025) was arguably the day’s most impressive position player yet again at this event. The 6-foot, 185-pound backstop continues to show an explosive all-around skill set, starting with a fast right-handed bat that hammers balls on the regular to the deepest parts of the pull-side gap. His hardest barrel screamed off his bat at 96.1 mph and his furthest ball traveled 361 ft., both of which were among the leaders for this event. His bat strength is consistent, as Greer averaged 88.4 mph and 296 ft. per batted ball, respectively. He’s an incredibly valuable asset defensively as well, popping as best as a 1.88 on the bag from an extremely quick trigger from the chute. His arm strength proved across the infield too, as Greer uncorked an 88 mph high on his firmest throw on the dirt. He’s further padding his status as a high-end prospect in the state’s sophomore class - one that’s certainly set to rise next time we update the 2025 rankings.


+ A high follow prospect in Southern Illinois who showed louder, more polished tools in this look: INF Lucas Krebs (Edwardsville, IL, 2025). At 6-foot, 174-pounds with muscle throughout his frame, Krebs really looked the part in BP, showing twitchy hand strength and controlled aggression from the right side. Krebs generated quality contact with consistency (86.7 mph) and at peak (95.5 mph), and his furthest batted ball traveled at 344 feet, per TrackMan. His inherent strength showed on the infield as well, where Krebs led the day in max infield velocity, firing a 90 mph laser beam across the diamond during his workout. Slotted within the top-35 prospects in the Illinois’ sophomore class, Krebs has the talent to make an impact for the reigning 4A state champions as an underclassmen this spring.


+ RHP Eli Skidmore (Francis Howell, MO, 2025) put together another impressive ‘pen at this event, something we’ve become rather accustomed to from the 6-foot, 170-pound sophomore. Skidmore’s fastball held at 85-86 mph throughout, and he spun one of the day’s best sliders, ripping it off at 74-76 mph with late horizontal swing-and-miss bite. Skidmore rounded out his arsenal with a firm upper-70s changeup, throwing it at fastball arm speed throughout this look. Also a formidable follow on the football field, Skidmore continues to look the part of a high-follow arm in Missouri’s 2025 class.

+ RHP/INF Tyler Powell (Edwardsville, IL, 2025) was another sophomore that really impressed on both sides of the ball at this event. Powell, who now stands at 6-foot, 190-pounds with more strength, especially in the lower half, started his day off by taking one of the day’s loudest BP rounds. He juiced the furthest batted ball of this entire event (375 ft.) and recorded one of the day’s hardest hit balls (97.3 mph), while also finishing towards the top of the event in average exit velocity (91.7 mph). Adding on to the sheer raw strength he has at the plate, Powell saw an uptick in velocity from what we’d seen in the past, sitting at 85-87 mph with his fastball. He’s always been known for his pitchability and reaffirmed that in this look. Powell spun two different breaking balls - a high-60s curveball with depth and high arch, and a firm 75-78 mph slider that showed more horizontal break than the former. He also spotted his 80-81 mph changeup down in the zone, showing more two-seam action with run and sink. Powell’s capable of positively contributing on both sides of the ball and will be one to watch for the Tigers this spring.


+ RHP Austin Musso (Mascoutah, IL, 2025) is a name-to-know sophomore on the mound in Southern Illinois. A varsity basketball player at Mascoutah that’s in the middle of his season, Musso’s fastball came out clean from a loose high ¾ slot at 84-86 mph with more to come down the road. He spun two different breaking balls, a high-60s curveball with higher arch and a tighter, more horizontal 72-73 mph slider, and he mixed in a 76-77 mph changeup as well. Built at a proportionally strong 6-foot-1, 180-pounds, Musso’s present stuff and future upside are certainly intriguing, and he should see plenty of time on the mound for Mascoutah this spring.


+ Set to rise up our rankings in this next update, C/INF Charlie Wortham (DeSmet Jesuit, 2025) was a winner from the Preseason All-State earlier this month and impressed yet again at this event. An athletic 6-foot, 180-pound prospect with room for added strength down the road, Wortham barreled balls up the middle throughout his round from a clean, polished right-handed swing. His average exit velocity (86.7 mph) was relatively close to his peak (88.8 mph), indicating a knack for impacting the baseball with consistency. Perhaps his most valuable asset comes on the defensive side of things, where he was one of the day’s best backstops from a catch-and-throw standpoint. Wortham’s firmest bullet from the crouch came out at 79 mph, and he routinely worked around the bag in the 1.90-to-1.95 range during his workout.


+ INF Drew Kleinheider (Father McGivney, IL, 2025) continues to show a pure knack to hit each time we’ve seen him and owned one of the cleanest right-handed swings in attendance on Saturday. Kleinheider popped up to our staff at Creekside this summer, where all he did was hit, and he picked up several hits in a handful of at-bats this fall in Columbia for our Missouri Fall Underclass Games. Here, Kleinheider used the entire field to spray line drives off his barrel rather effortlessly. He’s the type of bat that you can pencil in to the top of a lineup and expect consistent production out of. Kleinheider showed sure-handed actions on the infield in his workout, ranging well laterally to both sides with a soft glove that played out front of his body. We’re eager to see him contribute this spring for a Father McGivney squad that should have a legitimate chance at capturing the 1A state championship in Illinois.


+ 1B Connor Blue (O’Fallon, IL, 2025) was one of the more physical right-handed bats in attendance at Saturday’s event. At 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, Blue smashed baseballs throughout BP from a short, compact right-handed swing with clear bat speed. He averaged 91.6 mph per batted ball, good for the day’s third-highest mark, and his 100 mph max was the second highest mark of the entire event. Blue’s peak batted distance (347 ft.) further reiterates his sheer raw power, and his ability to drive the baseball to the deepest parts (263 ft. average) is certainly noteworthy, too. From an underlying standpoint, Blue found the sweet-spot 88% of the time and 63% of his batted balls in this sample breached the 95 mph mark. Aside from his talents on the mound, Blue’s also an exceptional follow offensively, and he’s slated for a big spring into his sophomore campaign.

+ LHP Dax Dunnill (Edwardsville, IL, 2025) added strength since our look last summer, now standing at a physical 6-foot-3, 205-pounds. On the mound, Dunnill’s last three bullets were his hardest, ripping off back-to-back 87 mph fastballs to end his ‘pen. It’s a pitch that jumps out of his hand from a short tight arm slot, and his high front hip turn helps him hide the ball prior to working downhill. He cut a changeup to the glove-side corner of the plate at 76-77 mph, keeping it down in the zone and throwing it with fastball intent. Dunnill’s strength translated to the batter’s box and he barreled his furthest ball up at 94.2 mph, per TrackMan.

+ INF Dane Hrasky (O’Fallon, IL, 2025) is a name we’ve become increasingly familiar with over the last calendar year, starting at the Peoria Preseason ID last February and extending throughout 2022. Hrasky made for his most impressive look to date on Saturday, however, and he appears to have added strength onto a still projectable 5-foot-10, 155-pound frame. He ran the day’s fastest 60, clocking a 6.63 on our lasers with a 1.61 10-yard split and 21 mph max run speed. Offensively, Hrasky generated harder contact than we’d seen from him in the past, peaking at 91.7 mph while averaging 87.1 mph per batted ball, both of which are significant increases from his best marks last year. He continues to show advanced actions on the infield that’ll keep him there in the long run, and his improvements offensively only make him more valuable from a prospect standpoint given how fundamentally sound he is with the glove. Hrasky will be one to watch this spring, especially should he earn consistent playing time on O’Fallon’s varsity squad as a sophomore.


+ OF Camden Cox (O’Fallon, IL, 2025) came away from this event as a winner and a sophomore to follow in Southern Illinois. A strong compact athlete, Cox showed a flat right-handed swing throughout BP, repeating line drive contact throughout and backspinning the baseball consistently. His furthest batted ball traveled 337 ft., a testament to his inherent bat strength and ability to drive the ball to the pull-side, and his hardest came off his bat at 91 mph, per TrackMan. Cox ran a 7.07 60-yard dash, reaching nearly 20 mph at his peak run speed, and increased his outfield velocity (84 mph) by five ticks since our last look.


+ INF/RHP Collin Lovelady (Francis Howell, MO, 2025) came away as a two-way winner from this event. An athletic 5-foot-9, 158-pound prospect, Lovelady enhanced his tools in nearly every aspect of his game from this same event last summer, particularly from an arm strength standpoint. His firmest bullet carried across the infield at 87 mph, up five ticks from 2022, and he sat 82-84 mph on the mound with his fastball, trending up from 77-80 mph last year.

+ RHP Jack Brettschneider (Francis Howell, MO, 2025) is a physical 6-foot-6, 210-pound athlete who looked the part on the mound during Saturday’s event. His fastball played in the low-80s from a high arm slot, spinning a 67-68 mph slider to pair off it and also featuring a 68-69 mph changeup. His size and ability to work down the mound at that stature are noteworthy, and he’s one to follow heading into his sophomore year at one of the state’s premier high school programs.

+ Another player to follow from Illinois at this event: MIF Eli Carlson (Rochester, IL, 2025). At 5-foot-10, 175-pounds, Carlson showed a simple right-handed swing with a consistently fluid rhythm throughout his BP round, squaring line drives up to almost exclusively the middle part of the field. His ability to work on the barrel is clear - he found the sweet spot 75% of the time and his batted ball average (85.8 mph) approached his peak (89.8 mph). Carlson was also up to 84 mph across the infield, showcasing above-average arm strength for his age.

2026

+ The day’s biggest surprise was RHP Anthony Eberlin (Edwadsville, IL), who came into this event as an unknown name to our staff and departed as one of the top pitching prospects we’ve seen to date in the Illinois’ 2026 group. At 5-foot-11, 160-pounds, Eberlin offers plenty of future projection, and he’s likely to grow even more while adding quality mass as physical maturity continues. He showed advanced polish on the mound for his age, working with tempo and repeating his delivery with a certain ease to him throughout. His last two fastballs topped at 88 mph, sitting at 85-87 mph prior from a short, quick, continuous right-handed arm that’s clean out front. Eberlin landed his breaking ball for strikes at 73-75 mph and he spotted a 79-82 mph changeup beneath the zone to the arm-side consistently. He’s advanced for his age already, and Eberlin’s next in line to be one of the premier arms in southern Illinois.


+ After a breakout showing at the Bootheel Preseason ID, RHP/1B Jathan Spain (Cape Central) did nothing but solidify his status as an upper-tier prospect in Missouri’s 2026 class at this event. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound freshman has a highly projectable fastball, one that sat at 85-87 mph at this event, yet comes out of his hand so clean and easy that there’s no doubt more velocity is coming soon. Spain spun a sharp 74-75 mph breaking ball around the zone with late break on occasion, and he showed more feel for his changeup than we saw at the Bootheel, fading it down in the zone at 77-79 mph in this pen. Aside from his talent on the mound, Spain has plenty of bat strength at the plate, swinging a fast right-handed bat that registered a 96.1 mph max exit velocity in BP.

+ OF/RHP Sam McCollum (IL, 2026) was another name-to-know from O’Fallon’s high school squad that stood out at this event. A lean, projectable 5-foot-10, 165-pound athlete, McCollum showed hand speed at the plate and a shorter, more level bat path than we’d seen in the past, peppering line drives to all fields with consistency throughout. Later, McCollum hopped on the mound and pumped his fastball at 82-84 mph for strikes, spinning a quality 72-73 mph breaking ball off it and showing a 78-80 mph changeup as well.

+ 1B Cooper Montgomery (St. Dominic, MO, 2026) represented Team Missouri at the PBR Junior Future Games this past summer and the 5-foot-10, 170-pound freshman showed premier bat strength from the left side at Saturday’s event. Montgomery’s 96.5 mph max exit velocity the second-highest of any left-handed bat in attendance, and he drove three balls into the right-center gap at 325+ ft., including a 337 ft. peak, per TrackMan. He generates fast rotation out of his load, keeping a level barrel through the zone while flashing leverage to the pull-side. With his first year of high school ball set to start in a few weeks, Montgomery looks the part of a true middle-of-the-order type left-handed bat in Missouri’s 2026 class.


+ Another member of Team Missouri at the Junior Future Games, UTL/RHP Drew Parsons (Jackson, MO, 2026) was another underclassman to follow from this event. At 5-foot-11, 160-pounds, Parsons showed more athleticism and a looser right-handed swing at the plate in BP, working on top of the baseball and spraying line drives throughout. His hardest hit ball came off his bat at 90.6 mph, which was a near seven mph uptick from the summer, and he was all over the barrel, posting an 80% sweet-spot rate, per TrackMan. Parsons’ defensive skill-set behind the plate is extremely advanced for his age, and his catch-and-throw skills are especially impressive. He was all over the bag during his workout, popping as fast as a 1.93 from an ultra quick trigger. A willing blocker with soft hands when receiving too, Parsons has the makings of a true do-it-all type of backstop in this class. He hopped on the mound later in the day, bumping his fastball up to 80 mph with two above-average secondaries, a changeup and slider, to pair.

+ RHP Jake Brettschneider (Francis Howell, MO, 2026) further cemented his status as one of the top arms in Missouri’s current freshman group at Saturday’s event. Another member of Team Missouri at the PBR Junior Future Games, the 6-foot-3, 170-pound freshman pitched in the low-80s with his fastball, topping at 84 mph on his firmest bullet. Brettschneider showed sharp downer spin on a 72-73 mph slider, and his changeup worked on the arm-side corner of the plate at 72-74 mph as well. His age and projectability are certainly a plus, and he’s one we’ll monitor closely throughout this year and beyond.


+ A pair of high school teammates came away as follows in the Illinois’ 2026 class from this event, both of them backstops: C/INF Mason Crump (Roxana) and C/INF Max Autery (Roxana). Crump worked long to contact from the right side, keeping a level barrel through the zone and producing line drives to all fields. His furthest batted balls favored the pull-side, but a large collective of his best barrels on his spray chart were up the middle. He showed well advanced arm strength for his age behind the plate, uncorking his best bullet at 77 mph and popping in the 1.95-2.02 range throughout his workout. Autery showed a more uphill operation than his counterpart, creating extension after contact with a high two-hand finish. He favored the opposite field and elevated contact that way throughout his round, squaring his hardest ball up at 89.3 mph. Like Crump, Autery’s arm strength from behind the plate is also noteworthy, peaking at 77 mph with pop times in the 1.97-to-2.01 range.

+ RHP/INF Chase Milburn (Edwardsville, IL, 2025) is a physical 6-foot-1, 170-pound freshman that showed advanced strength on both sides of the ball at this event. Offensively, Milburn impacted the baseball with authority from a quick level right-handed bat, elevating his furthest barrel 338 feet at a 94.8 mph max. Milburn hopped on the mound later on and showed a three-pitch mix, pitching at 80-82 mph with his fastball, mixing in a changeup (73-74 mph) and slider (74-76 mph) as well.

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