CARY, N.C. -- The eighth National High School Invitational is in the books and Orange Lutheran has walked away with its third straight championship. Fans of the program were thrilled and the players from all 16 teams got to face top-notch competition over four days of action at USA Baseball’s National Training Complex.
It has become a fantastic setting for scouts from all 30 teams to come in and evaluate the top prospects, in a team setting, against that high level of competition. As always, there were a number of high-profile prospects for this year’s Draft who lived up to expectations, some who put themselves more on the map and some from next year’s crop who really stood out. The following is a list compiled and based on a combination of performance and prospect status after watching action all weekend and talking to scouts who were really honing in on the talent in Cary this year.
1. Brennan Malone, RHP, IMG Acadamy (Fla.): The unanimous choice for the top prospect in the tournament, Malone had shown glimpses of plus stuff over the summer, but was often inconsistent with his command and the quality of that stuff. That wasn’t the case in his start here as he was touching the mid-90s throughout his complete-game (seven innings) three-hit shutout, touching 96 mph repeatedly. He missed bats with his breaking ball en route to striking out eight.
2. Anthony Volpe, SS, Delbarton Prep (N.J.): In addition to hitting one of three home runs in the tournament, he made consistent hard contact, going 8-for-12 with four RBIs and seven runs scored, the one home run and a double. He didn’t strike out once during the course of the NHSI and showed smooth actions at shortstop to boot.
3. Max Rajcic, RHP, Orange Lutheran (Calif.): The 2020 prospect was extremely effective against South Forsyth and Landon Sims, striking out 10 over six innings of work while walking just one. There were a lot of 92s and 93s on the radar gun throughout his outing, a fastball thrown with plenty of sink, and found feel for his excellent slider as his outing went on. He also showed his athleticism hitting in the middle of Orange Lutheran’s lineup.
4. Riley Greene, OF, Hagerty HS (Fla.): Greene didn’t have a particularly productive NHSI, going 3-for-15. But he continues to have quality at-bats, drove in three runs and stole four bases as well. That last stat is a result of more athleticism scouts noticed throughout the tournament, both on the basepaths and in the outfield.
5. Jack Leiter, RHP, Delbarton Prep (N.J.): Delbarton cruised to a lopsided victory in Leiter’s start, so he was able to put on the cruise control a little bit. He actually commanded his curveball better than his fastball for much of his start, leading to many of his eight strikeouts over his six innings of work. He only walked one and allowed one hit, while getting up to 92-93 mph consistently with his fastball.
6. CJ Abrams, SS, Blessed Trinity (Ga.): Abrams didn’t set the world on fire, though he did single against Kendall Williams against IMG and picked up two hits, including a double, in his final game here. But he did show off his plus speed, with three steals, and showed very smooth actions at shortstop.
7. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.): The 2020 prospect is no stranger to USA Baseball, having played on the 18 and under national team last summer, and he served as a catalyst for Harvard-Westlake’s run. The center fielder covered a lot of ground in the outfield as usual, went 4-for-11 and really showed off his speed with a triple in the semifinal.
8. Kendall Williams, RHP, IMG Academy (Fla.): IMG was undoubtedly disappointed with losing in the quarterfinal to Blessed Trinity, but Williams did all he could in his start against the Georgia school. In six innings, he allowed just one earned run (two total), while walking one and striking out 10. He ran his fastball consistently up to 92-93 mph and mixed in his breaking ball and changeup very effectively.
9. Jared Jones, RHP, La Mirada HS (Calif.): The junior right-hander was a tough-luck loser against Malone and IMG, as he gave up just one run over six innings. He did walk four while striking out six. He was up to 95 mph on his fastball and sat around 93 mph throughout his start and while his slider flashed plus, he had trouble commanding the pitch.
10. Aaron Roberts, RHP, Desert Oasis HS (Ariz.): Desert Oasis lost Roberts’ start against Huntington Beach, but the right-hander was very solid over six innings, allowing just one earned run (two total) on three hits and three walks, striking out five. He was up to 92-93 mph and utilized a solid curve to keep the Huntington Beach lineup off balance.
11. Sam Hliboki, RHP, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.): Following up a strong start in last week’s Boras Classic, Hliboki didn’t wow with plus stuff, but continues to impress with his feel for pitching. The long and lean right-hander tossed a three-hit shutout, walking just one and striking out eight in the opening round. He was mostly in the upper-80s, but he missed in his secondary offerings very well and there could be more in the tank.
12. Christian Rodriguez, RHP, Orange Lutheran (Calif.): Orange Lutheran is set up for next year with Rajcic and Rodriguez coming back to lead the pitching staff. This junior right-hander tossed a complete game in the quarterfinals, scattering eight hits and striking out seven. Projectable at 6-foot-6, he ran his fastball up to 92 mph while showing a solid curve and feel for a changeup.
13. Darius Perry, C, La Mirada HS (Calif.): La Mirada’s strong, physical catcher didn’t have much to show for his efforts in the box score, with just one hit for the tournament, but he impressed scouts behind the plate throughout the tournament, but particularly with his work in catching Jared Jones.