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Tournaments  | Story  | 9/19/2023

Fall World Series Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Cameron McElwaney      Craig Cozart      Jason Phillips      Michael Albee     
Photo: Chase Fuller (Perfect Game)

Getting another look at Walt Jones (2025, AR) only confirmed what we saw this summer when he just seemed to collect hit after hit. The 5-10/165 middle infielder for the Sticks Baseball Brewster/White Sox Scout Team is just a ball player. He plays the game fast, with pure aggression and does anything it takes to help his club win. He is a solid and rangy defender that can play most anywhere you put him. The glove is advanced and has a nose for the ball. Offensively, the Arkansas commit just stays on the barrel with impressive consistency. His loose hands deliver the bat head with plenty of juice, especially for his current size and the ball jump. Jones is fun to watch and has the type of motor that sets the tone for any club.
 

Putting DS3 Spects National out front in the first inning with his towering home run to right field, Tyne Weeden (2024, IA) and crew never looked back. The 6-2/215 lefty is a presence in the box and in the field with a mature, well-developed frame and strength to his actions. While he is an average runner, he moves well for his size and covers ample ground making him a solid defender in either corner outfield spot. Offensively, the way he sets up in the box you just know he can do damage with the stick, and he delivers more times than not. There aren’t very many moving parts to his operation and his strength delivers the barrel with violence making the ball get off his bat in a blur. Weeden is a Kirkwood CC commit and went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs including his impressive home run.

While DS3 Spects National may have tried to hide Logan Winkleman (2024, MO) in the bottom of the order, it didn’t take long for everyone to realize the damage he could do. At 5-11/180 he has a sturdy frame and the physicality you look for in a primary position catcher. We got to see him catch in spurts during the event and he is fundamentally sound with no frills, just secures the ball and works hard for his pitching staff but has the full complement of tools. He had a massive game with the stick in our look here, going 3 for 3 while scoring 2 runs and collecting an insane 6 RBIs. His path to the ball is short and he has special whip in his wrists creating backspin off the barrel. Winkleman is committed to Lake Land College and looks like he will be an everyday player and impact bat at the next level.
 

Adrian Jimenez (2024, GA) had a great weekend for the Ninth Inning Royals, putting his well-rounded skill set to work on both sides of the ball. The VCU commit is strong, with a compact frame and the kind of hop in his step that serves him well as a middle infielder. His defensive actions are smooth with clean glove work and gets into his angles quickly before getting to his solid, accurate arm. His loudest tool may well be his bat as he collected multiple hits and hard barrels throughout the event. His setup is simple, his strong lower half drives the swing, and he gets to the ball in an efficient manner with projectable power. Jimenez launched a double deep to left-center field with the type of loft that allows you to dream on the power to come. He is also a slightly above average runner, so his transition to the next level will allow him to be an impact very quickly.
 

Hudson Lance (2024, NC) came on in relief for the South Charlotte Panthers in a difficult bases loaded situation with his team down 2-1. Showing the ability to make high leverage pitches and eliminate contact when necessary, the 5-11/175 righty registered a punch out and ground ball to get out of the inning. Lance employs a simple, compact, and repeatable delivery with a full arm path in back before accelerating through a ¾ arm angle. He is strong in his base and generates excellent torque from his core causing the ball to jump out of his hand and get on hitters quickly. While is fastball peaked at 87 mph this outing, we have seen the Coastal Carolina commit up to 91 and he can land his mid-to-upper 70s slider at will. Lance gave his club a chance to get back in the game as he went 2.2 IP, allowing no hits, runs or walks while collecting 4 strike outs.



-Craig Cozart


Chase Fuller (2027, Tallahassee, Fla.), the nation’s top ranked player in the 2027 class, put together quite the weekend at the plate. The Florida State commit finished up hitting .563 with two home runs, a triple, two doubles and 13 RBI while also closing out the semifinal game on the mound. He’s as athletic of a player as you’ll come across in the class and he certainly looks the part at 6-foot-1, 165-pounds. The tools really jump off the page, he’s got advanced bat speed and power to both sides, can really run and plays great defense at shortstop. Dominant performance at the plate over the weekend for Fuller as he continues to show why so many are so high on him.
 

Lawson McLeod (2026, Richmond, Va.) got the ball out of the bullpen for Canes National in their last pool play game of the weekend. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound right-hander went one inning, striking out two and showing really big stuff. The fastball sat comfortably in the upper-80s with a bunch more coming in the near future. He flashed a short breaking ball in the upper-70s later on in the outing to register his second strikeout. It’s easy to project more velocity here and this was our first time seeing him. He jumped onto the radar in a big way and should be a name to know in the 2026 class.
 

Caleb Barnett (2025, Mountain Brook, Ala.) had a really good weekend at the plate for USA Prime 17u Red, hitting .357 with a long home run into the trees in dead center field. He’s got some of the biggest pop in the entire class and leverages the barrel well. The ball comes off the barrel easy and he continues to show that he can leave the park to any part of the field. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound primary third baseman plays solid defense and has a really good arm across the diamond. He’s shown a bunch to like on the mound in previous looks as well. This is a top-100 player in the class that continues to show so much to like in all aspects.
 

Carter Geffre (2024, Ames, Iowa) had a monster weekend at the plate for the DS3 Spects National 2024. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound primary catcher hit .462 with two home runs, two doubles and ten RBI. There’s obvious physicality/strength to the build, he controls the barrel well and impacts the baseball to all fields. He showed over the weekend that he has the power to leave the yard to both sides, hitting a pull-side bomb early on in the tournament and then hitting a back-side bomb in the championship. The Iowa commit will be a fun one to follow in a few weeks in Jupiter.

Michael Teasley (2026, Oak Ridge, Tenn.) showed a bunch of things to like throughout the event both on the mound and at the plate. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound primary right-handed pitcher got the start in the quarterfinals for USA Prime 15u Red and turned in a dominant effort. The fastball sat in the upper-80s and mixed in a tight breaking ball, striking out seven over three innings. He followed that up on championship day, going deep to the pull-side in the championship game. It’s a serious two way talent that we’ll be following closely in the upcoming years.

Lash Henderson (2027, Frisco, Tx.) was another name on the USA Prime 15u Red team that turned in an impressive performance at the plate. He’s a big and physical 6-foot-4, 197-pound primary outfielder that finished up the weekend hitting .400 with two triples and a double to his name. The athleticism really stands out and he moves around extremely well for his size. The tools are top of the class type tools, he runs extremely well and plays great defense in center field. There’s just so many things to like about this profile and will continue to be a highly followed player in the coming years.

John Stowers (2026, Mobile, Ala.) was extremely impressive at the plate throughout the weekend for USA Prime 15u Red. The two-time Select Festival member hit .500 over five games with a homer and a triple to his name. The left-handed swing is as pure as you’ll come across in the class, he has advanced barrel skills and showed ability to spray the ball all over the diamond. He just seemed to be all over the barrel throughout the weekend. He’s shown good things behind the plate in previous looks as well which makes this profile that much more intriguing.

Win Gurney (2025, Manhattan Beach, Calif.) was all over the barrel on Monday, hitting two doubles in the semifinals to go along with three RBI. The 6-foot, 205-pound primary outfielder showed easy power to the pull-side as he lined a double off the middle of the wall that got there in a hurry. There’s obvious strength to pull but he has also shown the ability to hit the ball hard into the middle of the diamond as well. He’s shown good things in the outfield with a solid arm and range. Gurney has continued to show good things every time out is one of the top uncommitted names in California.

Virginia commit Nicky Becker (2025, Thiells, N.Y.) strung together one of the more impressive performances at the plate this weekend for Artillery Baseball 2025 Scout. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound primary shortstop hit .462 with a home run and a triple to go along with five RBI. He’s a tall and lean player with big physical projection and a bunch of strength coming soon. He uses leverage nicely in the right-handed swing, turns the barrel over hard and is already showing the ability to leave the yard to the pull-side. He’s a good athlete as well. It’s a really intriguing profile that will be fun to follow for the next few years.
 

Kennesaw State commit Nolan McKinstry (2025, Hiram, Ga.) got the ball for the East Cobb Astros 17u in the semifinals and showed a bunch of things to like. The 6-foot-1, 155-pound right-hander threw 3 2/3 innings, striking out five and giving up four hits. The fastball was exploding out of the hand early on, sitting in the 90-92 mph range with great quality. He generates big ride up in the zone and mixed in a downer shaped breaking ball that matched plane nicely. He lost the zone at times but it’s impossible to not like the arm talent on display in this one.

Reid Worley (2025, Canton, Ga.) was opposite McKinstry, throwing for USA Prime 16u Red and went 3 1/3 innings, striking out four and allowing two hits. The Kennesaw State commit worked comfortably in the upper-80s with feel to spin two different breaking balls and also threw a changeup to left-handed hitters. He’s confident pitching backwards and it’s easy to project more velocity with the 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame. He’s one of my favorite arms in the state and will be fun to continue following.

-Cam McElwaney


Alexander Sobol (’24 Waxhaw, N.C.)- the 6-foot-5, 220-pound left-handed pitcher finished the 2023 PG 2024 Grads or 18U Fall World Series with eight strikeouts over two appearances for SBA Bolts National 2024. The UC Santa Barbara commit ran the fastball up to 88 mph and sat in the mid-80s over his two relief appearances and 5 1/3 innings pitched for SBA Bolts National 2024. He featured a three-pitch package with a big curveball with depth in the 70-75 mph range and a fading changeup in the mid-70s. The Marvin Ridge High School prep has recorded 19 strikeouts over 13 1/3 innings pitched over the PG calendar year.

Michael Rogers (’25, Tega Cay, S.C.)- the 5-foot-10, 165-pound right-handed hitter displayed quick hands and a solid approach in the box out of the leadoff spot for the On Deck O’s 2025 Black team. A twitchy outfielder for Fort Mill High School outside of Charlotte, he displayed athleticism on both sides of the ball with strength through the zone and the ability to play all three outfield spots in the field. Although his numbers over the weekend don’t reflect his overall abilities in the box, he still finished with three extra-base hits and should have had four with a ball off the leftfield wall that was ruled a catch that cost him his third double. Rogers can hit with an idea in the box and speed on the basepaths and should be highly coveted as an uncommitted outfielder.

John Paone (’25, Lexington, Mass.)- the 6-foot-3, 210-pound right-handed pitcher tossed three scoreless innings and did not allow a hit in a start for Dirtbags National 2025. The Duke University commit finished with four strikeouts running the fastball up to 93 mph while maintaining his 90-mph velocity throughout the 51-pitch outing. Paone works from a lower ¾ slinger arm slot with arm side run on the fastball and a hard sweeping breaking ball with depth in the 76-80 mph range making it a tough at-bat for righties. The Lawrence Academy High School prep has steadily increased his velocity from 88 mph in 2022 to 93 mph over the weekend and with his projectable frame to add even more is primed for another jump as the No. 2 ranked right-handed pitcher in the state class heading into his junior season.

Joey McGovern (’25, Seneca, S.C.)- the 6-foot, 180-pound right-handed hitter hit .750 over the weekend for SBA Bolts National 2025. The uncommitted primary outfielder drove in eight runs over eight plate appearances with four walks, a single, a double and a homerun. A monster weekend for McGovern finishing with a 2.528 on-base plus slugging percentage in only three games while also recording three runs scored and a stolen base. He carries a .488 batting average over 54 plate appearances during the 2023 PG season with 17 runs batted in and 14 runs scored in just 19 games played.


Dylan England (’25, Boone, Iowa)- the 6-foot, 180-pound right-handed hitter for Spects National led the 2023 PG 2025 Grads or 17U Fall World Series with nine runs batted in. The primary shortstop was named the Most Valuable Player with a .538 batting average and 1.281 on-base plus slugging percentage with seven hits in 13 at-bats and two walks. He utilized his strong base and short trigger stride to stay through the middle and drive the ball from gap-to-gap. He showed a simple and direct swing to the zone with length out front to consistently make hard contact and drive runners in while also scoring five runs for Champion Spects National.

-Jason Phillips


Maclelland Stiffler (2024, Hagerstown, MD) showed off a really enticing overall package Sunday afternoon with USA Prime 18U Red, going five innings with eight strikeouts and just one earned run allowed. Massive projection on the 6’7/210 body, massive length to the lean levers than can/will hold more over the course of time. The body coordination and movement patterns down the slope for someone of this size are extremely impressive as the entire operation flows with relative ease. Pair all of this with a very quick arm and solid movement profiles to the entire arsenal and you end up with a very intriguing prospect long term. Stiffler grabbed 93 x2 in the start during his last frame of work and comfortably sat 88+ for the entire duration of the start. There is some occasional nasty late sink and darting life to the heater that evaded barrels late and forced weak contact. Feel to spin a tight slider in the mid 70’s range was flashed as well with solid feel to land it for strikes and freeze bats during 2K counts, backdooring it on numerous occasions. Stiffler didn’t shy away from the change piece either to left-handed bats, dropping that in the around the low 80’s band with some later sink, killing vert. Jot this name down long term as Stiffler continues to make strides with control/command.  


Jason Amalbert (2026, East Hanover, NJ) was impressive in all facets over the course of the entire weekend for Artillery Baseball 2026 Scout, helping propel his squad to a 2nd place finish in the event. He would hit .308 with eight walks (!) on the weekend, scoring six times and driving in three of his own. The plate discipline and swing decisions really stand out here with Amalbert who consistently spit on competitive breaking offers and borderline fastballs on either edge, forcing opposing arms to get in the zone with their best stuff. With a lean 6’0/160 build, it’s not hard to project on the body long term either that should stick at short with no issue. The reads, feel for lateral range and ability to drop slots all shone over in the 6 hole where he consistently made impressive plays that helped keep his team in games. Currently committed to Indiana, it will be fun to keep an eye on the trajectory of Amalbert as he continues to grow and add strength to his frame. Very impressive weekend for the #207 nationally ranked player in the country.  


Wessley Roberson (2026, Brunswick, GA) is going to be a name coaches will need to know as it comes time to reach out and contact him. The 6’0/165 switch hitting outfielder for the 16U East Cobb Astros consistently leaves a good impression after every game he plays. The overall approach and process in the box exudes confidence and control, featuring an advanced feel for the strike zone and very high-level bat to ball skills. Sporting a 29:3 BB/K ratio in the box this year paired with an absurd .644 OBP/23 SB’s, it’s easy to see the tablesetter qualities by just checking the box scores. It’s not hard to see it in person though, as Roberson just has a knack for performing. He possesses a loose swing with good bat speed and will use all fields to his advantage with ease. Just 15 & 6, the uncommitted ’26 grad is a name to know.  

Tyler Komorner (2026, Apex, NC) was sharp for the Dirtbags National 2026, striking out five over three and two thirds with just one hit allowed. It’s a real lean 6’1/170-pound frame that is going to hold more muscle in both halves down the line with ease. He worked both sides of the plate comfortably with his four-seam sitting mid 80’s (T87) and attacked the zone east/west with both a cutter and slider. The cutter was in the upper 70’s band and featured much tighter, subtle break patterns but differed enough from the slider which featured less velo and much more depth to it. Komorner was comfortable sequencing the three offerings in any order and knew how to get bats fishing in 2K counts, consistently creating uncomfortable matchups with his arsenal. Really good long term follow here with easy projection remaining.  

Mickey Gilligan (2026, Ringwood, NJ) was on fire from the get go here, winning MVPlayer after going 8-18 in the event with two doubles, seven RBI and five runs scored. Getting on base at a .500 clip, Gilligan was a big cog in the lineup for Artillery offering some pop in the middle in the order. A strong/physical 5’11/180, Gilligan showed good plate coverage with the stick and ability to manipulate the barrel head while lifting the baseball with ease due to his swing plane. It was a really good showing here in his first ever Perfect Game event. Currently committed to Rutgers.  

-Michael Albee
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