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Tournaments  | Story | 9/4/2018

Labor Day at LP Scout Notes

Vincent Cervino
Greg Gerard
Photo: Myles Austin (Perfect Game)

Likely the top arm on display over the course of the weekend’s event was from the son of former Major Leaguer by the same name, Marquis Grissom Jr. (2020, Atlanta, Ga.). The righthander, standing at a projectable 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, really impressed recently in San Diego at the PG Underclass All-American Games and his quick relief stint on Saturday was no different. Going for a quick 1 1/3 inning save, Grissom worked from 88-91 mph with his fastball creating a steep angle to the plate when down in the strike zone. His arm works loose through the back and his lower half has drop and drive actions to the plate that really generate good use of his back leg down the mound. The uncommitted righthander attacks with the fastball and is able to get ahead early to use a firm changeup for soft contact and a developing curveball, that he may not have landed in this relief appearance but the pitch shows some potential. Grissom struck out two in his appearance and was really sharp on the mound with possible more velocity to come with time.

Christian Moore (2021, Brooklyn, N.Y.) is one of the more physical 2021 graduates that one may find. The primary shortstop made a big-time impression throughout the weekend with the bat for eXposure’s underclass squad including the ability to sit back on breaking pitches and drive them up the middle as well as take a pitch deep on Sunday during playoff action that left his bat at 101.8 mph and traveled 345.7 feet per Trackman. Moore has the ability to impact the baseball with tons of strength at the point of contact and he did so frequently. The Tennessee commitment was a member of the 14u PG Select Festival a year ago and is a legitimate two-way talent both at the plate as mentioned and on the mound where he can run his fastball up to 91 mph.

Moore’s teammate and fellow Tennessee commit Colin Ahearn (2020, Lakeville, Mass.) was the starter on the mound for eXposure as they started their playoff action on Sunday afternoon. Ahearn topped out at 87 mph earlier in the event in a one inning stint, but on this day sat 81-86 mph creating plane and occasional armside life to his fastball. His arm works really quickly from take back with lots of arm speed and a projectable frame making reason to believe that a velocity jump is coming in due time. Early in the game, Ahearn struggled some to locate early in the contest, but made proper adjustments and was nearly untouchable for the duration of his time on the bump. Working primarily with the fastball getting a lot of swings and misses with the pitch and not really needing the use of an off-speed pitch, Ahearn did flash a short curveball with 1-to-7 shape and developing spin in the run-rule victory.

Evan Boyle (2019, McDonough, Ga.) made the start on the mound for Bullpen Redstitch on Saturday afternoon and although the stat line is not overly dominating, he still showed solid overall ability on the mound. The lefthander pitches from a low three-quarters arm slot generating lots of life to the arm side on his 84-87 mph fastball. Boyle attacks the zone with the heater and pitches primarily to the arm side of the plate. Over the course of his start, he varied his windup speeds to mess with the timing of the hitters in the batter’s box. He has the athleticism to do so while still locating his fastball, slider combination fairly well. The slider is short-breaking which induced enough swings in misses in the outing. Boyle stands at a highly projectable 6-foot-5, 180-pounds and will continue to look the part of a big-time lefthanded pitcher with added strength to his build.

Really putting on an impressive showing a week ago at the PG Southeast Prospect Showcase, uncommitted middle infielder Brandon Prince (2019, Bremen, Ga.) swung the bat well and played with high energy at second base for the Upstate Mavericks. Prince had a really big day at the plate on Saturday ripping a single into center field and following that up with a double to right field off of an 85 mph fastball. The swing is pretty compact with a feel for the barrel. His actions in the infield are sound with present quick-twitch athleticism and the ability to make all plays.

Assisting Prince up the middle for the Upstate Mavericks is Kennesaw State commit Marcerio Allen (2019, Dacula, Ga.). Allen is a very quick player who posted a 3.91 second home-to-first time on an infield bunt in Saturday’s contest. Allen gets down the line quickly and that foot speed shows up not only on the base paths but in the infield as well. The 6-foot shortstop has plenty of range up the middle and the ability to make high level plays to both directions laterally. On a play towards the 5-6 hole ranging to his right in particular, Allen was able to show off his arm strength as well as his ability to throw on the run making an impressive play to not only get to the ball but get enough arm strength on the baseball and carry it to the first base bag. One likely overlooked aspect of a middle infielder’s ability with the glove is how quickly one can stab a tag on a runner and Allen has that skillset on lock as he was able to showcase that outstanding quick and soft hand ability on multiple occurrences in the contest.

Hayden Gilliland (2020, Maryville, Tenn.) is a physical lefthanded hitting catcher for eXposure and takes an aggressive approach at the plate that fans of hitting love to see. Gilliland swings with intent and is able to generate plenty of bat speed combined with strength in his swing early in counts. He swings hard when ahead in the count and then shows the proper wherewithal to be able to cut down the swing and hit with a more contact-oriented approach with two strikes. Gilliland had a big day at the plate on Saturday during playoff action where he squared up a pair of triples including one to the opposite field gap giving a glimpse of his gap-to-gap power.

Jack Reynolds (2022, Columbia, S.C.) played up in the Underclass event while being eligible for the Freshman tournament. Batting leadoff and playing shortstop for the Upstate Mavericks Reynolds has an advanced skill-set for his age that shows up both in the middle infield as well as at the plate. Reynolds has lots of athleticism to his 5-foot-10 and projectable frame and moves really well at shortstop. On a play up the middle Reynolds ranged to his left, fielded the ball cleanly and made a big-time spinning play with an accurate throw to first base. He also showed an advanced hit tool to his overall game that went for a line drive single to center field and a hustle double to center field as well in the contest. Reynolds has quick hands that are direct to the baseball while the strength through impact will continue to come as he gets stronger.

The most dominant pitcher in the Freshman event as well as the pitcher with the best fastball was Eduardo Rivera (2022, Puerto Rico) of 5 Star National PR Yellow. The lefthander was outstanding in both of his outings on the mound running his fastball up to 88 mph with overpowering stuff. The big lefty stands at 6-foot-5 and pitches primarily with his fastball that he throws early and often. Getting some plane on the pitch, Rivera is able to locate the pitch well enough to either side of the plate although the pitch is mostly straight. For his age, Rivera has a highly advanced skill-set especially given the fact that he is 6-foot-5 and lefthanded. The arm is full and he is able to repeat his mechanics exceptionally well for his young age. Going 5 innings of one hit baseball in the championship game, it is easy to see why Rivera was awarded the MV-Pitcher of the tournament.

– Gregory Gerard





It was a dominant weekend for Michael Harris II (2019, Ellenwood, Ga.), the eventual MV-Pitcher of the tournament for the eventual champion MGBA, who showed off his tools on both sides of the ball that make him one of the top uncommitted talents in the 2019 class. Harris has excellent athleticism which aids in his ability to play on both sides of the ball, as evidenced by his run times routinely being in the 4.2s and his athletic delivery on the hill. On the mound, Harris has a lightning quick arm which allowed his fastball to work up to 93 mph with good life and plane to both sides. He sat in the 88-92 mph range during both his one inning stint on Friday and his playoff start on Sunday. The projection and arm speed obviously play now, however his feel to spin is also very impressive. The curveball has a lot of power, shape, and spin, in the 2400-2500 rpm range per TrackMan, and projects as an impact pitch moving forward. Offensively the tools are very loud, with a fast, compact stroke and his hands guide him well throughout the swing. He impacts the ball hard out in front, routinely over 90-plus mph with a best recorded exit velocity of 101 mph, with a bevy of extra base hits including a loud ground rule double in the championship game. The arm strength is easily plus and was a weapon for Harris all weekend, highlighted by when he hosed a runner at the plate from center field in the championship game. Harris’ skill-set is certainly that of both a Division I prospect and a true MLB Draft prospect and it seems he continues to improve with each event we see him at.




After impressing in San Diego during the PG All-American Classic, Myles Austin (2019, Smyrna, Ga.) got his fall started on the right note showing exceptional athleticism, he had a best recorded run time of 4.15 seconds which grades out as plus, and smoothness to his actions over at shortstop, but the big improvement he’s made over the past calendar year has been offensively. The tools and skill-set have always been there for Austin, hinging on his athleticism and the projection, and he’s beginning to scratch the surface of that high potential. The Alabama commit’s offensive game has been loud all summer, finding a number of barrels to both fields and squaring up the ball with authority consistently. Austin delivered numerous 90-plus mph exit velocities to both fields and showed the ability to stay on breaking balls as well and drive those too. The plus arm strength from shortstop has always been apparent as he generates easy carry out of the hand and he made numerous plays throughout the weekend working to his backhand while still being able to get enough on throws to throw out runners easily. The size of his 6-foot-3, 177-pound frame might eventually push him off to third base at the professional level, but it’s rare to see this kind of athleticism, arm strength, and raw power out of a high school prospect and if he continues to barrel balls at a consistent rate, then look out.

Rawlings Southeast had a solid weekend, making it to the championship final of the Upperclass division, Tarver Hayslip (2019, Lebanon, Tenn.) had a solid weekend and showed off some thunder in his righthanded swing. Hayslip, a Trevecca Nazarene University recruit, is very physical and strong in the righthanded batter’s box with a listed height and weight of 5-foot-11, 200-pounds, with surprisingly good athleticism too as he moves around the base paths. The set up is quiet, with little wasted movements throughout the naturally leveraged swing, with the impact strength and ability to drive the ball in the air being the key selling points for the profile. Hayslip had a couple of impressive hits deep in the playoffs including a bases clearing, 91 mph double in the semifinals and another run-scoring, 92 mph double in the championship game. Hayslip’s ability to perform at the next level will come down to his ability to hit and the impact strength and potential power are both strong assets going forward.




On the weekend of the PG Select Festival, last year’s participant Ethan Wood (2021, Lebanon, Ky.) turned in a fairly strong outing on the mound. Wood tossed four hitless innings without allowing a run and showed the development of his offspeed and pitchability nicely.

Wood stands at a tall and projectable 6-foot-5, 212-pounds with long limbs, a high waist, and is the picture of physical projection for a young arm. He worked his standard fastball in the 88-91 mph range for the majority of the performance but he threw so many different slots, looks, and pitches at hitters that he was almost impossible to pick up on. He would drop his slot severely to throw sidearm and create lots of boring, running life and the fastball worked mostly 85-88 mph from that angle. The Louisville commit would also throw his breaking ball from that sidearm slot to land his curveball for strikes. The over the top curveball was always Wood’s go-to secondary pitch and while he still has that it’s a solider that showed a lot of promise. He does drops his slot slightly, however the pitch has nice shape with some late bite as well and functions nicely as a primary swing-and-miss offering.

The game of the day on Friday night was a tightly contested, one-run contest between the ultimately victorious Upstate Mavericks and Triton Rays. The Mavericks combined for a strikeout thanks to the efforts of both Kirby Connell (2019, Blacksburg, S.C.) and Connor Housley (2019, Tyrone, Ga.).

Connell was unreal as he dissected a tough lineup with five perfect innings which included ten strikeouts. The Tennessee commit diced to either side of the plate with his fastball that worked in the low- to mid 80s primarily but the command and execution of the pitch made it difficult to square up with where he was placing the ball. The curveball was a very solid pitch and he tied up some righthanded hitters when he landed the pitch in on the backfoot. The pitch had tight spin, 1-to-7 shape with depth, and above average spin working in the 2400-2500 rpm range per TrackMan. Connell has incredible polish for a high school pitcher and delivered a dazzling performance.

Housley, and uncommitted senior, has all the ingredients that you look for out of a Division I righthanded pitching prospect. Standing at a lean and projectable 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame, Housley has a fast and loose arm that generates some whip upon release. He gets solid extension toward the plate and topped out at 90 mph while living mostly in the 86-88 mph range. There are some timing concerns, he walked two batters over two innings, but the fastball has some late life to it and Housley has a solid feel to spin. The breaking ball was more of a slurve with some sweeping action and lots of depth to it. Housley looks to be one of the more intriguing uncommitted prospects as it won’t be hard to imagine him throwing much harder as he continues to develop.




If scouts were to craft a prep pitching prospect in a lab, the result would look something like rightnader Ryan Hagenow (2020, Knoxville, Tenn.) who checks a lot of boxes when looking at the ingredients of a top-flight arm. Hagenow stands at a very lean and physically projectable 6-foot-5, 192-pounds with a wiry present build and lots of room to gain strength. The delivery is simple, balanced, and he gets good online direction toward the plate upon release. The arm stroke is simple, simple is going to be a recurring theme regarding Hagenow’s mechanics, and his lower three-quarters arm slot creates some run and dive on the fastball. The heater worked in the 85-88 mph range and he had very good command of the pitch to either side of the plate. The breaking ball still needs some refinement, the lower arm slot makes it tough to spin a curveball consistently, but the arm speed, body control, and ceiling are all positive attributes moving forward for the Kentucky commit as he delivered a very good performance by striking out eight and allowing only two hits over four scoreless frames.

Another uncommitted Georgia arm who impressed was MBA righthander Chase Dollander (2020, Evans, Ga.) as he turned in what might have been the performance of the event with an absurd line of six shutout innings, only two hits allowed and 16 strikeouts. Dollander had it going from the first pitch as he worked in constant attack mode and the stuff was just as good as the performance. The arm stroke is very short, almost catcher-like at times, but with plenty of arm speed as he whips through release to create lots of velocity on the fastball. The pitch worked up to 90 mph and sat 85-88 mph, hitting that 88 mph mark a number of times late in the game, with the heater. The breaking ball was a softer offering that he showed good feel for as he could land the pitch for strikes. He walked three batters during the performance and showed some inconsistencies with the arm stroke, however the arm talent and speed are real and makes him a highly intriguing uncommitted arm.

West Virginia commit Ben Abernathy (2020, Warrior, Ala.) had himself a solid weekend and showed off the profile of a fast-twitched middle infielder with some offensive upside as well. There are a lot of tools that make Abernathy a solid prospect, including the run which was graded out as plus at best with a top recorded home to first time of 4.15 seconds. With addition to the speed and athleticism, Abernathy has solid glove work up the middle with very good arm strength, as evidenced by his two scoreless frames where he sat 85-87 mph on the bump. Abernathy’s swing is loose and fast with present fluidity throughout and consistent barrel skills. Abernathy batted well north of .300 for the weekend including showing some extra base pop and has a lot of positive attributes to the profile.

Freshman righty Zane Brockman (2022, Bessemer City, N.C.) showed a lot of interesting tools on the mound and delivered a very strong performance in the semifinals when he went five scoreless while also running the fastball up to 82 mph in the early portion of the game. Brockman has a lean, lengthy build at a listed 6-foot, 150-pounds and though the arm stroke is a bit longer, he whips it through the circle effectively. He does a good job at repeating the arm stroke and has a good feel for three pitches. The breaking ball is a slower offering in the low-60s with big shape and depth that he could land for strikes; the changeup was thrown slower with some life to the arm side. Brockman lived in the upper-70s for the most part but still showed that he could ramp up the velocity to 80 mph when he needed it toward the end of the game. Brockman turned in a very strong performance and is a prospect to keep an eye on moving forward.

– Vinnie Cervino
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