Weather did nothing to deter the high school prospects on hand at the Grizzly Baseball Complex for the Prospect Development Pipeline Premier event in Gwinnett, Ga., on Monday.
:: Complete 2018 Prospect Development Pipeline coverage ::
Run in partnership with East Coast Pro, the day-long event featured players who had been invited by full-time MLB scouts. Previous rain left things a bit slippery, and impending storms sped things up, so there was no game played, as is customary at PDP events. But that doesn't mean scouts on hand couldn't glean information from the workout that did take place.
The bats are what shined the most at this particular event. Talking to a scout in attendance, a total of eight hitters jumped out, grouped into three categories:
Catchers
Ryan Dyal, East Coweta HS (Sharpspurg, Ga.)
Primarily a catcher now, Dyal could move to third in the future, a spot he lists as his secondary position. He's more hit over power right now, but he was one of the better bats in attendance. He made a lot of hard line-drive contact and showed some ability to backspin the ball. Dyal is committed to Auburn.
Garrett Greene, Lawton Chiles HS (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Greene's father, Charlie, is the Minor League field coordinator for the Brewers. While the younger Greene's pure arm strength was a bit short, he made up for it with a quick exchange. His other defensive skills, however, were impressive, as he received and blocked well. He has a good swing with a strong build and power to come. The scout felt he was the best player in attendance, even though he's a 2020 graduate.
Nathan Hickey, Providence HS (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Left-handed-hitting backstops are always in high demand, so Hickey could draw interest. He looked very good at the plate, with a nice easy swing, showing both a solid approach and power, hitting some balls out and some the other way to the left-center-field gap. Whether he stays behind the plate remains to be seen. His hands worked OK behind the plate, but the rest of his defense needs work. Perhaps he could move to third, with first a more likely scenario. Wherever he goes, though, his bat has the chance to play. He's committed to the University of Florida.
Infielders
Kam Guidry, SS, Brookwood HS (Snellville, Ga.)
A teammate of 2018 draftee Will Banfield, Guidry showed some pretty good actions in the field. He's a little undersized, and might eventually be more of a second baseman, but he has all of the tools to stay up the middle defensively. At the plate, he showed a solid line-drive approach, shooting the ball well gap-to-gap. He could be a very solid addition to the University of South Carolina infield.
Brennan Milone, SS, Woodstock (Ga.) HS
Milone plays shortstop for Woodstock, and he has enough arm to stay there. But he was a bit erratic, with some thought that the hot corner might be better for him at the next level. He has some strength, with a leveraged swing and more power over hit right now. But there's some offensive potential to like. He's also committed to South Carolina.
Outfielders
Tres Gonzalez, Mount Vernon Presbyterian School (Atlanta)
With wet conditions, Gonzalez couldn't show off his plus speed, though his ability to run was evident. He also has the chance to hit, with a short, compact swing. He comes through the ball well and uses the whole field. He has the chance to stay in center defensively, though his arm is fringy, and that, along with his offensive upside, makes him interesting.
Andre Tarver, Ringgold (Ga.) HS
Tarver is also a standout wide receiver on Ringgold's football team, one who was getting Division I looks. But he initially committed to Mississippi State for baseball and he showed why on Monday. Using a wood bat, he showed the most power of anyone at the event. He's a pull hitter, but he has average to slightly above-average raw power right now to go along with his outstanding athleticism.
Tyler Williams, Brookwood HS (Snellville, Ga.)
With tons of scouts around Brookwood's games because of Will Banfield, Williams stepped up his game and made a name for himself as an interesting 2019 follow. He's been clocked running a 6.75-60 at other events where rain wasn't an issue. He's a little raw, but there's some upside here, with the chance to hit and grow into some power.
There are two PDP events, in Cary, N.C., and Cincinnati on Tuesday, with events in Lowell, Mass., and Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday.