This is a collaboration from Tyler Jennings and James Weisser, who attended the Area Code Games in early August. It’s an event for prep players who are looking to improve their draft stock by competing against other top draftees.
This year’s Area Code Games was different than in years past as it moved from being on the west coast at Long Beach State University’s Blair Field in California to LakePoint Sports Complex in Cartersville, Georgia due to COVID-19. All spectators were wearing masks and in fact even one player wore a mask while playing in the heat the whole time. The biggest thing of note however was that many of the top amateurs in the country still showed up and the players there demonstrated their love for the game as well as their love for playing against the best competition. There were many deserving names and so we tried narrowing it down to the players that seemed to shine the brightest, while also listing some of the names we felt deserved honorable mentions.
Mason Albright, LHP, Catoctin HS- Thurmont, MD
Albright is one of many players who has risen up draft boards and rankings throughout the summer. After a stellar outing at PG National in June, the southpaw came to Area Code Games ready to go. His fastball which sits about 88-91 with some armside life plays up thanks to his deception and he does an excellent job of getting ahead in counts. He pairs his heater well with a change-up that sits 78-80 mph with some sink and a downer curveball that has some bite to it.
He also does an excellent job of locating all three of his pitches, which could become above-average offerings in time. His stand out moment came when he struck out three straight batters looking. As he develops more velocity he should be even tougher to hit as many of the hitters he faced were late on his fastball.
Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter School- Boston, MA
Baez might be the best two-way high school player we've ever seen. At the plate, Baez is one of the more pronounced power hitters on the circuit. He has incredible bat speed and displayed his power to all fields at the Area Code Games with a 414-foot home run to the opposite field.
On the mound Baez previously touched 97 mph with his fastball at the Perfect Game National Showcase. This time his fastball sat 92-95 MPH and he mixed in a curveball at 81-82 mph and a change-up at 85-87 mph. He profiles better at the plate than on the mound but there's a lot to like with his game.
Braylon Bishop, OF, Arkansas- Ashdown, AR
After a somewhat disappointing start to his summer in Hoover, Bishop has steadily turned it around at the plate. Highly regarded as one of the premier bats in the 2021 class, Bishop has begun to use his lower body more in his swing, which is helping him generate more power. He put together some good at-bats throughout the event, including lacing a triple to the opposite field gap that was 94 mph off the bat. He has plus speed and is an extremely athletic individual who will captivate teams as we get closer to the draft.
Irving Carter, RHP, Calvary Christian- Boynton Beach, FL
Carter’s delivery has funk to it, as he seems to vary his delivery a bit on almost every pitch including using hesitation in his windup as well. When watching all the different ways in which he operates it's impressive how well balanced he is. He has a nice strong frame and did a good job of holding his velocity throughout his three-inning start against the White Sox Area Code team.
His fastball sat 91-94 mph and it can get on hitters quickly thanks to his deceptive delivery. His slider also has the potential to be a very solid offering, as it has some good bite to it sitting 81-84 mph and he tunnels it well off his fastball. The change-up is still developing but he has some late fade with the pitch. He is definitely a fun pitcher to watch.
Ryan Johnson, RHP, Home School- Red Oak, TX
Ryan Johnson was another fun arm to watch. He has a very deceptive and unorthodox delivery on the mound, it's as if he's not completely set when he begins to break for the plate so the fastball jumps on hitters a lot quicker and he is able to sit 93-96 mph despite the awkward delivery. He pairs the fastball with a slurvy breaking ball in the mid-80s and a solid change-up with good late fade and sink. There were some issues with control and command during his outing, but he was able to keep hitters off-balance and looked dominant.
Termarr Johnson, 2B/SS, Mays HS- Atlanta, GA
The lone 2022 entry on our list, Termarr Johnson can flat out hit. Despite being the youngest hitter at Area Codes he looked unfazed by the advanced pitching, getting strong contact in several at-bats, including a loud line-out off a triple-digit heater from Chase Petty to start the event. His hands are extremely quick, generating a lot of bat speed through the zone. He has a great feel for the barrel and showcased some decent pop to all fields.
Defensively, he looked solid in the infield, and has a strong arm and moves well at both second base and shortstop. His standout moment came in Game 4 as he showed off his above average defensive ability in turning in an unassisted double play while also collecting a few base hits that day.
Malakhi Knight, OF, Marysville-Getchell HS- Marysville, WA
Malakhi Knight showed flashes of potential stardom when we saw him at the Perfect Game National Showcase but he was able to really put it all together at the Area Code Games. His standout moment came in Game 3 when he launched a home run off that was 101 mph off the bat and left the ballpark in a hurry. He had a couple more hits to accompany the bomb and showed that he has a good feel for the barrel. The power in his bat is starting to show up. He has plus speed and projects to stay in centerfield, where he is able to cover a ton of ground and looked great defensively. He has a chance to be a five-tool talent with a game somewhat reminiscent of Lorenzo Cain.
Miles Langhorne, RHP, Greenwich HS- Greenwich, CT
Langhorne impressed at the Perfect Game National Showcase, but it was his pitching performance against a loaded Nationals lineup that featured names like Termarr Johnson, Brady House, Tommy White, and James Wood that made him standout. He went three strong innings in which he struck out 7 batters all via the curveball, while only allowing two baserunners (2 H, 0 BB).
The Vanderbilt commit showed he knows how to pitch and his fastball had some late life to it while sitting 90-93 mph and tunneled it nicely with a big breaking curveball which sat 78-81 mph. His change-up had solid sink to it and looked nasty at times and his slider showed good bite to it as well. He has a chance to develop four above average or better pitches.
Daylen Lile, OF, Trinity HS- Louisville, KY
Lile was an absolute force atop the White Sox Area Codes lineup and showed he can hit to all fields with developing power and above-average speed. He has a fluid swing from the left side of the plate with quick hands and great barrel-to-ball skills, which helps give him one of the best hit tools in this class. The speed will certainly help him stay in centerfield, as he also has a good arm with accurate throws. His defining moment came in the final game when he hit a walkoff single to help the White Sox win the final game at Area Codes for his fifth hit of the day.
Ian Moller, C, Wahlert HS- Dubuque, IA
Moller impressed at PG National, and continued it at LakePoint. Power is his game, as both of his hits were 99 mph off the bat and he had some good at-bats throughout the event. His signature moment was the monster home run he hit in the final game, showcasing how good his timing is within his operation at the plate. Behind the plate, he has solid receiving skills and his arm is solid, but not as accurate as he was in Hoover. A prep catcher is usually a tough demographic, but Moller has the tools to be an overall excellent player at the next level and he might have the best combination of power and hit among all prep hitters.
Benny Montgomery, OF, Red Land HS- Lewisberry, PA
Another PG National bat that impressed at the Area Code Games, Montgomery looked rock solid at the plate. He had good exit velocities throughout, including 98 mph and 100 mph in the first game against the Nationals and was able to showcase his speed which is the best among all the players that were there. His operation at the plate is a bit unorthodox, but he gets the barrel through the zone well with great bat speed and excellent bat-to-ball skills. He also has a very strong arm from the outfield and is a legitimate five-tool player. He might have the best combination of hit, speed, and power among not only prep players but all the players in the 2021 class and could be an early day 1 pick next June.
Chase Petty, RHP, Mainland HS- Somers, NJ
Here is how Chase Petty began his outing at Area Code: 99 FB, 89 CH, 100 FB, 100 FB. Petty was on another planet during his start in the opening game of the event as he showcased three potentially above-average or better offerings. The heater topped out at 100 mph and sat 95-98 mph throughout the outing with insane arm speed. He paired the fastball with a sharp slider in the mid-80s and a change-up with serious fade and sink to it in the high-80s. While he was a bit wild on the mound, he settled in very nicely and was hands down the best pitcher at the event as he worked 3 innings without allowing a hit or a walk while recording 6 strikeouts.
Honorable Mention
Drew Gray, LHP/OF, Belleville East HS- Swansea, IL
Josh Hartle, LHP, Reagan HS- King, NC
Carter Jensen, C, Park Hill HS- Kansas City, MO
Wes Kath, 3B, Desert Mountain HS- Scottsdale, AZ
Roman Kimball, RHP, P27 Academy- New Hartford, NY
Ben Kudrna, RHP, Blue Valley Southwest HS- Overland Park, KS
Cale Lansville, RHP, Thunderridge HS- Centennial, CO
Jordan Lawlar, SS, Dallas Jesuit HS- Irving, TX
Christian Little, RHP, Christian Brothers HS- St. Louis, MO
Joe Mack, C, Williamsville East HS- Amherst, NY
Mason Molina, LHP, Trabuco Hills HS- Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Colson Montgomery, SS, Southridge HS- Holland, IN
Max Muncy, 3B, Thousand Oaks HS- Camarillo, CA
Shane Panzini, RHP, Red Bank Catholic HS- Spring Lake, NJ
Kurtis Reid, SS/OF, Hamilton HS- Hamilton, OH
Ian “JR” Ritchie, RHP, Bainbridge HS- Bainbridge Island, WA (2022)
Kyle Robinson, RHP, Marshall HS- Vienna, VA
Will Rogers, C, Mounds View HS- Shoreviee, MN
Anthony Solometo, LHP, Bishop Eustace HS- Sicklerville, NJ
Lonnie White, OF, Malvern Preparatory HS- Coatesville, PA
Creed Willems, C, Aledo HS- Aledo, TX
Vincent Trapini, RHP, Memorial HS - Eau Claire, WI
Philip Abner, LHP, Charlotte Christian HS - Charlotte, NC