Prep Baseball Report

2020 Draft Follows


Nathan Rode and PBR Staff

The 2019 MLB Draft is so last year. We’ve turned the page to 2020 and some of our state directors have turned in their top prospects to follow. You’ll be hearing plenty about these names for the next 12 months.

Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS, OR
Abel’s success and explosion onto the national scene has been well documented this spring. His fastball has been up to 95-96 at times and he has consistently operated in the 89-94 range with easy, repeatable effort. The slider has premium velocity at 82-86 and grades as plus at its best. He'll show a changeup during warm-ups and between innings, which shows flashes of late arm-side fade, but he rarely needs it right now at the high school level. The frame still leaves considerable room for projection. His build, coupled with his clean arm action should allow Abel to gain a few more ticks in velocity as he develops physically. He is committed to Oregon State.

Werner Blakely, SS, Detroit Edison HS, MI
Blakely stands at 6-foot-3, 170 pounds and is a smooth defender with plus speed. He runs a 6.55-second 60-yard dash and has lateral quickness. He takes a smooth stroke from the left side with some pull pop. He is committed to Auburn.

Jack Bulger, C, DeMatha Catholic HS, VA
Bulger is one of the most dynamic bats on the East Coast with his offensive ability and power from the right side. Bulger had an impressive junior campaign this spring hitting .545 on the season. There is still some question as to whether Bulger will stay behind the plate at the next level, but his offensive upside is sure to catch the attention of scouts.

C.J. Cepicky, OF, Vianney HS, MO
Cepicky has an athletic frame with room to add more strength at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds. He runs a 6.67 60 and has the athleticism to stick in center field. He has quick hands at the plate that allude to power potential from the right side. He is committed to Missouri.

Dylan Crews, OF, Lake Mary HS, FL
A Louisiana State recruit, Crews has an advanced approach from the right side, driving balls from gap to gap with power. His swing is balanced and simple, as he uses an efficient lower half. He has improved his speed and is an average runner. He moves well in the outfield and may be able to stick in center.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Harvard-Westlake HS, CA
Committed to Vanderbilt since his freshman season, Crow-Armstrong continued to show during the spring season why he's considered a slam dunk first-round pick. Crow-Armstrong slashed .427/.509/1.071 on the season in helping lead Harvard Westlake to the CIF-SS Division I Championship Game. Crow-Armstrong may be the best defensive outfielder in his class, where he demonstrates elite level athleticism, instincts, speed, and arm strength. He has a sweet left-handed swing with the ability to hit to all fields and developing power.

Chase Davis, OF, Franklin HS, CA
Davis is a toolsy outfielder with a strong frame at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds. He has a presence at the plate, gets a lot of extension in his swing and shows easy power to the gaps. He projects to have plus power, though his tendency to chase pitches up will call his pure hitting ability into question. He has a plus arm in the outfield and above average range. He is committed to Arizona.

Dax Fulton, LHP/1B, Mustang HS, OK
The 6-foot-6, 215-pound Vanderbilt recruit has seen his fastball velocity jump back into the low 90s, touching as high as 93. Always one of the elite breaking balls in the 2020 class, it has made another jump forward with tighter spin and more velo at 76-80 mph. Fulton has also added an above average changeup to his arsenal.

Parks Harber, 3B/RHP, Westminster Schools, GA
Harber is physically mature at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. He missed most of the spring with a hand injury, but was the impact bat Westminster needed upon his return. He has a presence in the middle of a lineup and consistently makes hard contact with the ability to drive the ball out of the park with authority. Defensively, the Georgia recruit has plenty of arm strength for the hot corner, but will need to improve his footwork to stick there long term. He is committed to Georgia.

Kyle Harrison, LHP, De La Salle HS, CA
If his senior season is anything like his sophomore and junior years, the 6-foot-2 205-pound Harrison will attract a crowd in just about every single spring start next spring. He was up to 93 late in the season and there is a good chance that he bumps a little higher at some point this summer. With a full repertoire that includes an above average slider, he also shows pitchability, athleticism and plus makeup. He is committed to UCLA.

Austin Hendrick, OF, West Allegheny HS, PA
Hendrick stands at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds and has repeatedly shown some of the top raw power in this class. He has a bit of an unorthodox lower half, but makes up for it with extremely quick hands that allow him to create premium barrel whip. The Mississippi State recruit has shown the arm strength and defensive instincts to play all three outfield positions at the next level.

Ben Hernandez, RHP, De La Salle HS, IL
Hernandez, who stands at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with wide shoulders, has seen his stock rise ever since he sat 93-94 mph at the Preseason All-State this past winter. Hernandez carried his strong performance into the spring where he led De La Salle to within one game of the final four. Hernandez has toned up his frame over the past year and fills up the strike zone with a low-90s fastball that comes out of his hand clean and easy. He complements his heavy fastball with a power, swing-and-miss changeup that has consistently shown plus action with late arm-side sink. He’s also begun to tighten up his curveball as well. He is committed to Illinois-Chicago.

Ed Howard, SS, Mount Carmel HS, IL
An Oklahoma recruit, Howard continues to add quality strength to his frame, has consistently improved offensively and is one of the most deft defenders in the entire country. He plays a confident and natural shortstop with the hands, footwork and arm to excel at the position, and has a knack to make difficult plays look routine.

Jared Jones, RHP, La Mirada HS, CA
Jones seemingly shows us something different every time he takes the mound and he recently busted out a wicked changeup at 89-90. Add that to his mid-90s fastball that touched 99 this spring and sharp slider and the Southern California recruit is one of the top arms in the country. If not for his upside on the mound, Jones would get attention as a hitter thanks to his athleticism and right-handed power.

Jared Kelley, RHP, Refugio HS, TX
A Texas recruit, Kelley has a physical frame at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds. He generates some of the easiest velocity in the country, effortlessly tossing fastballs in the 93-97 range. The ball comes out clean from a high-¾ slot with a low-effort delivery and he flashes a sharp slider at 78-83.

Brad Lombardi, RHP, Bishop Hendricken HS, RI
Lombardi stands at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, getting downhill plane on a fastball up to 88. He pitches with a high-3/4 slot and clean arm path. The curveball has room for improvement, as he needs to throw it with more hand speed. It currently sits 70-72. He also has an 82 mph changeup. He is committed to Boston College.

Theo Millas, RHP, Alpha SS, BC
Millas has big stuff and profiles as a workhorse with his 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame. The delivery and arm are controlled with minimal effort and the fastball works in the 87-89 range, touching 91. The slider is his best secondary offering, as he has shown it at 76-78 with tight rotation and late bite. He works down in the zone and is highly competitive. He had the big start for the Canadian Junior National Team against the Toronto Blue Jays in spring training in March, and has held his own against professionals over the last two years. He is committed to Louisiana State.

Carson Montgomery, RHP, Windermere HS, FL
A Florida State recruit, Montgomery has a strong, athletic frame at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds. The arm action is short and quick, producing a low-90s fastball and plus slider in the mid 80s with tight spin. He also mixes in a hard changeup.

Robert Moore, SS, Shawnee Mission East HS, KS
Moore is a switch-hitter with a smaller, but athletic frame at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds. The son of Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore, the Arkansas recruit has extensive Team USA experience and plays with a high motor and quick-twitch actions. He is a switch-hitter with developing power and plays at a high level on defense.

Liam Norris, LHP, Green Hope HS, NC
A known commodity in the scouting community, Norris fared well as a sophomore in the 2018 National High School Invitational and got plenty of looks as the teammate of OF Jordyn Adams, a first-round pick that year. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Norris looks the part and has the stuff to match. His fastball has been up to 93, though he is erratic at times. He also has a solid slider at 82 and a changeup at 77. He is committed to North Carolina.

Connor O'Halloran, LHP, St. Martin HS, ON
O'Halloran is currently the top rated arm in Ontario, as the Michigan recruit works with three pitches that he can control. The fastball works in the 85-87 range with arm-side run while the curveball gets good downward action at 73-76 mph. He is confident enough to throw his changeup with conviction at any time.

Dylan Ray, UT/RHP, Bob Jones HS, AL
Ray is uber athletic and can do a multitude of different things on the diamond. The Alabama recruit has a fastball that sits in the low 90s but his athleticism and bat are just too good to ignore. He has a very patient approach at the plate and very rarely chases out of the zone. The power plays to all fields and the 6-foot-3 205-pounder has speed to complement the power.

Drew Romo, C, The Woodlands HS, TX
A switch-hitting catcher, Romo possesses equal, impressive ability to swing the bat from both sides of the plate. Balanced with a compact stroke, he easily drives the ball to both gaps with some present power that will likely progress quickly over time. Behind the plate, his soft hands and strong arm allow him to receive at a high-level, handling the top pitching in the country, while limiting the running game with accurate throws and pop times that hover between 1.9-2.0. His skills play up even higher in game, and he has demonstrated a propensity for getting big hits in big situations. He is committed to Louisiana State.

Nate Savino, LHP, Potomac Falls HS, VA
Savino is one of the top left-handed pitchers in the country, currently ranked No. 6 in the 2020 Overall Rankings. The 6-foot-3 lefty possesses a low-to mid-90s fastball with natural run and sink while throwing with little effort. His slider might also be one of the best in the country, consistently sitting around 78 with late action. Savino is committed to Virginia.

Blake Shapen, SS, Evangel HS, LA
Shapen, currently uncommitted, has an athletic frame at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds. Also a standout quarterback, he has a quiet and simple approach at the plate with easy bat speed. He’s an athletic defender with a quick first step, quality actions and a strong arm that produces throws with easy carry. He’s an average runner, better underway, with instincts on the bases.

Kyle Teel, C, Mahwah HS, NJ
Teel's pure athleticism put him in the middle infield for most of the spring this year, but he is one of the top catchers in the country. A left-handed hitter, Teel uses a leg kick and stride to start swing as hands move down and back with rhythm and smoothness. He has short, quick and explosive hips and hands with lag in the barrel path that produce gap-to-gap power. He is committed to Virginia.

Carson Tucker, SS, Mountain Pointe HS, AZ
Tucker, the younger brother of major leaguer Cole Tucker, is a Texas recruit with a wiry frame at 6-foot-1, 165 pounds. He has bat speed through the zone and uses his lower half well to adjust to offspeed stuff. The ball is starting to jump off his bat as he develops strength. In the field, he moves well laterally with a good internal clock. His arm strength and speed are both improving and he has recently run 60s in the 6.7 range.

Alex Urban, OF, River Bluff HS, SC
Urban has a lean, athletic frame with present strength and room for more. He hits from the left side with a lofted bat path, producing power to all fields. He’s not a burner, but he runs well underway. His actions in the outfield are easy and tracks the ball well, getting good jumps off the bat. He is committed to Clemson.

A.J. Vukovich, 3B, East Troy HS, WI
Vukovich, a Louisville recruit, emerged as one of the top prospects in the 2020 class after his freshman year, when he barreled balls against players a year older than him and continued to do that last summer. Long-limbed at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Vukovich shows excellent control of his body, especially his quick hands, which work directly to the ball.

Mackenzie Wainwright, OF, Lakewood St. Edward HS, OH
Wainwright is put together with room for physical maturation at 6-foot-1, 187 pounds. He has fluid actions and athleticism that give him a skill set to play center field. He has a line-drive stroke that plays to both gaps. He runs a 6.93-second 60 and is also a Division I recruit as a wide receiver.

Cayden Wallace, 3B, Greenbrier HS, AR
Wallace is a physical corner bat, standing at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. He has big power to all fields thanks to a short, compact stroke. He runs well for his size, turning in a 6.8 60. He also has a strong arm that plays at third base or right field.

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