Prep Baseball Report

Quick Hitters: East Coast Dodgers Position Players


Matt Payne
Director of Scouting, PBR of NC

On Saturday February 19th PBR of North Carolina was on hand at Next Level Training Center in Greenville, NC for a Scout Day with the East Coast Dodgers Organization. The scout day featured players from up and down the east coast in the 2022-2026 grad classes. 

The day began with catchers going through a defensive evaluation followed by pitchers throwing a controlled bullpen with Trackman gathering ball flight analytics. After the pitchers and catchers the position players ran a laser timed 30 followed by live BP with Trackman collecting ball flight data, the open atmosphere of Next Level allowed for coaches to see ball flight off the bat. After batting practice infielders and outfielders went through a defensive evaluation. 

Below we begin our breakdown of the players in attendance by looking at some of the players who stood out during the workout.

Click Here to see the full roster and stats. 

Quick Hitters

Hyden Ayala, SS/2B, 2023

5-foot-8, 130-pound build. Balanced in the box with a line drive approach working through the middle and to right center. Hands can manipulate the barrel. Above average actions on the infield. 

Julian Carter, SS/2B, 2025

6-foot, 155-pound frame with room for maturation ahead in the coming years. Quickness present running a 3.91 laser timed 30. Fluid swing with quick hands. Worked through the middle and to right center in BP. Top exit velocity recorded at 89.9 mph. 

Felix Gonzalez, C, 2023

5-foot-11, 174-pound build with room to add strength. Worked gap to gap in BP with ball off his barrel peaking at 91.6 mph. Fluid swing with his barrel staying through the zone. Above average hands receiving. Has mobility in his hips with the ability to slide and block balls in the dirt. 

Hunter Graham, C/OF, 2025

Thin frame at 5-foot-9, 125-pounds with room for maturation ahead in the coming years. Uses a line drive approach working through the middle and to the opposite field. Simple swing with feel for his barrel. Arm reached 81 mph from the outfield. 

Brady Groves, OF, 2024

Strong build at 6-foot-1, 190-pounds. Hands have strength with a mostly flat barrel path. Exit velocity topped at 94.1 mph. Better than average bat speed, will use the whole field. Ran a 3.99 laser timed 60. 

Graeson Matheson, OF, 2023

Strength present in a 5-foot-9, 175-pound frame. Line drive approach working through the middle of the field. Hit several balls of the barrel with his peak exit velocity at 91.2 mph. Hands load back with a quiet barrel, balanced with his barrel getting length out front. 

Kyle Brazeau, 3B/2B, 2024

6-foot-1, 180-pound build with strength. Simple swing with a line drive approach. Worked to center and right center in BP. Ball off his barrel reached 86.5 mph. 

Emilio Liriano, SS/2B, 2025

5-foot-8, 148-pound build. Barrel stays inside the ball with a gap to gap approach. Some quickness to his hands with his barrel getting extension out front. Solid actions on the infield. 

Partick Maloney, OF, 2024

Strong build at 6-foot, 180-pounds. Hands are quick with lift to the barrel path. Worked through the middle in BP with his top exit velocity recorded at 87.1 mph. Throws from the outfield reached 87 mph. 

Kieran Mederos, C, 2024

Frame has length at 6-foot-1, 185-pounds. Hit several balls off the barrel working gap to gap. Hands are quick with his barrel staying through the zone. Ball off his barrel peaked at 87.9 mph. Arm reached 77 mph from behind the plate. 

Mark Ryan Melton, C/3B, 2025

Athletic frame at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds with room to fill out in the coming years. Consistently hit balls off the barrel working through the middle. Hands are quick with his barrel getting length out front. Top exit velocity recorded at 84.1mph. Arm reached 75 mph to second base. 

Troy Ford, OF/SS, 2025

Georgia commit. Athletic frame with room to fill out in the coming years at 5-foot-10, 140-pounds. Switch hitter. Loose and fluid from both sides of the plate. Barrel is long through the zone with above average bat speed. Top exit velocity at 91.1 mph. Athletic defender with fluid actions. 

Caden French, OF, 2024

5-foot-10, 145-pound frame with room to add strength. Simple, balanced swing hitting balls of the barrel working through the middle of the field. Hands are quick with a direct path to the ball. Ball off his bat reached 92.2 mph. 

Noah Whitehead, SS, 2023

5-foot-9, 145-pound frame with room to add strength. Switch hitter. Takes a short path with his barrel staying through the ball. Lined balls to both gaps. Hands have quickness with feel for his barrel. 

Luis Saldivia, SS/2B, 2022

Athletic build at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds. Fluid swing with an uphill barrel path through the zone. Worked to center and left center in BP. Hands have quickness with ball off his bat reaching 90.6 mph. Above average hands on the infield. Ran a 3.93 laser timed 30. 

Sam Schaeffer, 1B/3B, 2023

Frame has length at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds. Top exit velocity at 95.7 mph. Balanced swing with his barrel getting extension out front working to center and left center. Hands have strength and quickness. 

David Ziolkowski, OF, 2023

6-foot-3, 190-pounds. Posted the top exit velocity of the event at 99.9 mph. Balanced swing with his barrel getting length through the middle of the field. Hands have quickness. Arm reached 85 mph from the outfield. 

Stephen Crater, 3B, 2026

Athletic frame with projection ahead at 6-foot-1, 165-pounds. Left hand hitter. Squared up several balls during his BP rounds. Fluid swing with a compact turn through the ball. Barrel stays through the zone with better than average bat speed. Top exit velocity at 93.6 mph. Arm reached 82 mph across the diamond.

Kairos Quintana, OF, 2023

5-foot-6, 156-pound build. Left hand hitter with quickness to his hands. Lined balls to both gaps during his BP rounds. Short swing with his barrel staying through the ball. Peak exit velocity at 91.9 mph. 

Preston Kennedy, 2B, 2023

6-foot, 170-pound frame with quickness present. Ran a 3.87 laser timed 30. Uses a line drive approach working through the middle and to the opposite field. Peak exit velocity at 87.8 mph. 

Julian Rondon, OF, 2023

5-foot-11, 180-pound build. Left hand hitter with a flat barrel path through the zone. Fluid swing staying through the middle of the field. Ball off his bat reached 90.8 mph. 

Luke Taibi, OF, 2024

Lanky frame with room to add strength at 6-foot, 150-pounds. The left hand hitter worked gap to gap during his BP rounds. Fluid load with a quiet barrel, hands have quickness through the zone. Top exit velocity at 89.1 mph. Arm reached 83 mph from the outfield.