Prep Baseball Report

PBR Scout Day: South Charlotte Panther Evaluations


Brandon Hall
Executive Director, PBR NC

Saturday November 2nd featured a PBR Scout Day at Mooresville HS with the South Charlotte Panthers.  The Panthers invited current and potential Panther players from the 2022 and 2023 classes to the Scout Day.   PBR was able to take each player through a full pro-style workout, updating and verifying stats on each player.

Position players ran a laser timed 60 followed by offensive and defensive workouts.  Following the position player workout, pitchers threw a controlled bullpen for Panthers staff and PBR scouts.  With over 35 players in attendance, PBR scouts have begun to work through all of the information. 

With over 40 players in attendance, select players choose to receive the full scout day experience with evaluations and video.  Players in attendance included current South Charlotte Panther players as well as several invited to workout for the program.  Inside we breakdown players requesting the evaluation, including several high end prospects from the 2022 and 2023 grad classes.

CLICK HERE to see the full roster and stats from the Panthers Scout Day

 

South Charlotte Panther Evaluations

 

AJ Camp LHP / 1B / Porter Ridge, NC / 2023

Average frame standing 5-foot-10, 165 pounds.  Simple delivery that works quick to balance before gathering and building tempo again through release.  Average kick to the mid-chest, staying level and in-line.  Lands on-line with a slightly closed foot at foot-strike.  Long arm swing is clean to a high-3/4 slot with average to above extension.  Average arm speed.  Fastball at 76-77 with occasional arm side run.  Has feel for both sides of the plate with the fastball.  Breaking ball tends to sweep at 62-64, with early action out of the hand.  Good depth on the change-up at 64, maintaining some deception in his arm speed. 
Right handed hitter is balanced in his setup.  Loads back, using a leg kick before a medium stride.  Glides to his front side working to stay level and get extension through contact.  Average bat speed and barrel awareness.  Exit velocity peaked at 77 mph off the barrel.  Defensively at first base, works with active feet and average hands.   Ball can get deep, working off his glove hand side.  Clean exchanges to an athletic arm swing and high-3/4 release.  Positional velocity of 63 mph across the diamond.  Ran a 8.16 sixty.

Will Fowler C / 3B / Cherryville, NC / 2023

Average frame at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds.  Right handed hitter.  Works from an open and tall base.  Leg kick to set his load.  Slight hitch in the hands through the load, loading down and in with some coil in the upper half.  Short strider.  Strong hands.  Average batspeed.  Above average barrel feel.  Works to stay level, working gap-to-gap.  Exit velocity of 86 mph off the barrel.  Behind the dish, good bend in the hips and relaxed hand position, receiving with some ease.  Exaggerated staggered stance in the feet.  Quick feet with an exchange across the chest.  Short arm action with a pie release on positional throws measured at 74 mph out of the crouch.  Pop times ranged 2.11 – 2.25 with good feel for the bag.  Ball tends to fade back to his arm side on release.  Ran a 7.51 sixty.

Walker Jenkins SS / OF / South Brunswick, NC / 2023

Physical with strength present at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds.  Balanced and athletic in his setup from the left side.  Uses a toe tap with a smooth load back.  Medium stride.  Strength is present in the swing, looking to create damage.  Above average bat speed, working level through the zone with a gap-to-gap approach producing back spin and line drives.  Fluid throughout with head discipline and an explosive back side through contact.  Exit velocity peaked at 90 mph.  Defensively, the arm has carry at 81 mph across the infield with some feel for the bag.  Lacked true feel on off-platform throws, but the arm strength carried.  Good footwork with average hands, working to play through the ball with athleticism.  Hips can be high through the catch.  Long feet on clean exchanges.  Ran a 7.40 sixty.  High ceiling potential moving forward. 

Drew Lanzo LHP / OF / Hickory Grove Christian, NC / 2022

Average frame with some athleticism present at 6-foot, 175.  Strike thrower with feel for all three pitches.  Change-up is advanced and should create swing and miss opportunities.  Fastball has run, working to both sides of the plate at 77-80.  Worked down zone but showed an ability to elevate when asked to do so.  Change-up has good arm speed, producing arm side run and fade at 72.  Flooded the zone with the change, working middle to arm side.  The breaking ball is the 3rd pitch but is a usable weapon with late, 1/7 tilt at 65.  Decent arm speed and consistently landed the pitch.  Small side step lifting to the belt.  Stable head.  Closes front side as the arm works clean and athletic to a ¾ slot.  Lands across his line with a closed foot-strike.  Average extension, occasionally rolling to the 3B side on finish.  Arm speed is above average and with his athleticism suggests there are more jumps coming to the stuff. 
Hits from the left side with a balanced setup.  Smooth load back, using a leg kick.  Flat through the zone with good barrel feel and average bat speed.  Wants extension, but uses each gap with back spin.  Exit velocity of 88 mph off the bat.  From the outfield, works to play through the ball with ease and athleticism.  Fluid through the exchange to a long arm swing and high-3/4 slot.  Flashed some feel for accuracy out of the hand with solid average to above carry at 82 mph out of the hand.  Ran a solid 7.13 sixty.

Owen Platts SS / 3B / Concord, NC / 2022

Strength is present in a stocky 5-foot-10, 172 pound frame.  Right-handed hitter is balanced in his setup.  Uses a toe tap to load back with some rhythm.  Short stride.  Works level with above average bat speed through the zone.  Wants extension.  Some length present.  Produced line drives to the pull side, occasionally with top spin.  Good hand-eye coordination, with above average barrel feel.  Raw with some stiffness but there is quickness through the zone and an exit velocity of 86 mph off the bat.   Defensively, fights for rhythm between the hands and feet through the catch.  Hands can plunge to the ball, working off the right hip.  Exchanges from the point of the catch.  Clean transitions to a short arm action and high-3/4 release.  Some feel for accuracy with average carry at 75 mph across the diamond.  Ran a 7.48 sixty.

Brady Turner LHP / Oak Grove , NC / 2022

Strength is present in a compact 5-foot-7, 160 pound frame.  Good arm speed and the ability to spin the baseball set him apart in the bullpen.  Loose, explosive hips allowed him to create leverage from the small stature.  Fastball has heavy bore at times to the arm side at 82-84.  Erratic, there is arm speed and aggression with the fastball.  The breaking ball sat 66-69 with late, sharp 1/7 tilt.  Good arm speed on the breaking ball, he landed a majority of the pitches thrown once he found the release.  Good extension through both the fastball and breaking ball.  Change-up is the 3rd pitch but is a useful weapon at 75 with solid hand speed.  Slight side saddle with a small rocker and pivot, lifting to the high-chest.  Hands set under the chin, rhythmically separating around the belt.  Long, strong arm swing fights to get to an over-the-top slot.  Slight up-hill setting through the shoulders, while landing on-line and square.  Occasionally will re-coil out of his extension, but when he finishes with extension the ball has late bite. 

Colby Vanhook OF / RHP / Jay M Robinson , NC / 2023

Strength is present in an average frame, standing 6-foot-1, 185 pounds.  Balanced and athletic in the box from the right side.  Uses a toe tap for rhythm and to load back.  Short stride, occasionally rushed.  Good rhythm when on time producing average bat speed with above average barrel feel.  Level, gets extension, staying gap-to-gap.  Good presence in the box.  Exit velocity of 86 mph off the barrel.  From the outfield, was fluid, working to play through the ball.  Quick, clean exchanges to a medium arm swing and high-3/4 slot.  Above average feel for the throws with above average carry at 83 mph out of the hand.  Ran a 7.72 sixty. 
On the mound, works from the stretch only.  Average kick to the mid-chest, building rhythm.  Separates around the chest to a long arm swing with a slight body wrap.  Quick, strong arm works for a high-3/4 slot.  Average extension, falling to the 1B side.  Fastball at 80-82.  Heavy at times.  Run is present when the front side flies early.  Breaking ball was erratic at 70-71.  Late tilt when in the zone.  Some feel and depth present on the change-up at 71-74.  Still working to find his sync, but there is upside when everything comes together.  Strong frame but still room for maturation.

Lucas Whitcomb SS / 2B / Hickory Ridge, NC / 2023

Maturing frame that stands 5-foot-8, 142 pounds.  Right handed hitter works from an open base, diving back toward the plate with an aggressive stride.  Hands are set off the shoulder, loading in slightly.  Flat through the zone with good barrel feel.  Average bat speed should increase with added strength.  Exit velocity of 74 mph off the barrel.  Active feet and loose, bendy hips on the infield.  Works to catch the ball off the inside left hip, funneling to the midsection with soft hands.  Athletic presence on the infield.  Long arm swing to a high-3/4 slot with good accuracy while on platform or off platform.   Average carry at 71 mph across the diamond.  Ran a 7.41 sixty.  Solid foundation that should continue to propel his attributes forward with added strength.

Michael Forret RHP / Metrolina Christian, NC / 2022

East Carolina commit.  Lanky athletic frame at 6-foot-3, 163 pounds.  Long limbs.  Explosive fastball with heavy, boring action to the arm side.  Breaking ball has power tendencies and could be a big weapon with maturity.  The change-up has arm speed, deception and sink.  Fastball sat 85-88 with feel for the down zone.  The breaking ball works with late, hard 11/5 tilt at 73.  Change-up at 77-79 has a chance to produce uncomfortable swings.  Slight side saddle on the rubber with a small rocker to a loose kick to the mid-chest.  Closed at balance, lands slightly across his line with a square foot-strike.  Long, loose, athletic arm swing to a high-3/4 slot with easy, electric hand speed.  Good extension, finishing with athleticism.  Around the zone with all three pitches, tended to dial in location as the bullpen progressed.

Maxwell White LHP / 1B / Hough, NC / 2023

Length present in a 6-foot-1, 160 pound frame.  Choppy rhythm to the delivery that found decent rhythm as the bullpen progressed.  Kick to the mid-chest, lacking head stability.  Front side closes slightly.  Lands just across his line with a square foot-strike.  Long arm swing with average arm speed works to a high-3/4 slot.  Fastball ranged 74-79 throughout, peaking at 81 on the last few pitches.  Tends to spin through his extension, cutting off some of the release.  Breaking ball flashes maturity at 59-60 with early 1/7 tilt, occasionally sweeping out of the hand.  Solid feel and arm speed on the change-up at 61-65
Right handed hitter works from an athletic base with a slight crouch.  Smooth load back, using a leg kick.  Bat waggle through the load.  Medium stride, occasionally rushed to get down.  Level through the zone with some feel for the barrel.  Exit velocity of 75 mph off the barrel.  At 1B, fights for rhythm between the feet and hands.  High hips, catching the ball off his left hip at times.  Exchanges from the point of the catch to a medium arm swing and high-3/4 slot.  Shows accuracy on positional throws with some carry at 69 mph out of the hand.  Quickness is present in the lanky frame, running a 7.02 sixty.

Cole Irby C / 2B / Kings Mountain , NC / 2023

Average frame with strength present at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds.  Right handed hitter works from an athletic base with a crouch.  Loads back.  Short stride.  Above average bat speed with hand strength present.  Short, working level, and wanting extension through contact, producing gap-to-gap line drives with barrel feel.  Loose throughout with good rhythm.  Exit velocity of 83 mph off the barrel.  Behind the dish, has good bend with a low setup.  Hands are stiff through the receive, transitioning across his chest to a short arm swing and high-3/4 slot.  Positional velocity of 71 mph out of the crouch.  Lacked true backspin out of the hand and that should improve, but did show feel for the bag with pop times ranging 2.34 – 2.51.  Quickness is present in the body, running a 7.29 sixty.