Part one here!

At the end of 2022, I made a primary goal for the 2023 season—create a preseason follow list and use it to develop an area report. In this case, the report would be about the state of Georgia. After a lot of miles and even more work, I was able to meet my goal. This is something a bit different and admittedly niche, but I hope that it offers something new to the draft prospect discourse and resembles what an area scout might produce for a cross-checker at the end of the spring. As always, enjoy!

35 FV
RHP Mac Heuer, TG DBacks Academy Team/Homeschool

CF Jake DeLeo, Georgia Tech

35+ FV

SS Dylan Cupp, Cedartown HS, Cedartown GA

LHP Jaden Woods, University of Georgia

LHP Jansen Kenty, East Coweta HS, Sharpsburg GA

40 FV

SS Antonio Anderson, North Atlanta HS, Atlanta GA

CF Drew Burress, Houston County HS, Perry GA

RHP Luke McNeillie, Milton HS, Milton GA

SS Tai Peete, Trinity Christian School, Sharpsburg GA

RHP Mikhai Grant, Georgia Premier Academy, Statesboro GA

50 FV

SS Colin Houck, Parkview HS, Lilburn GA

Player

CF Jake DeLeo

School

Georgia Tech

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
5/30/2001	N/A	6-2	205	R	R	2023	10	40	35	High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Added a good 10-15 pounds of muscle, looks more like Mike Trout now.	50
Athleticism	High level athlete that has maintained twitch and foot speed with extra weight.	60
Swing	Hands are short to the ball, vertical bat position does make it tricky for him to get the barrel to the ball quickly.	50

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	Above average fastball hitter that struggles with recognizing breaking ball spin. Capable of hitting mistakes and doesn’t struggle more with advanced stuff--changing bat position to more of a wrap could help. Has worked to cull aggressive tendencies and work counts.	45	4
Power	Mostly sells out to pullside, but does not get cheated when he connects. Capable of hitting balls off the top of the fieldhouse in left field in game. Easy plus raw power.	55	4
Defense	Fly ball reads are below average and limit his defensive value in center field. Move to right field suits him best long term.	45	3
Throw	Above average arm strength, needs work on setting his feet and getting into better throwing positions.	50	3
Run	Plus to double plus run times out of the box and/or on the turn.	60	4

Strengths	Strong fastball hitter with plus raw power that gets into games with regularity, has added good muscle and retained explosiveness. Above average to plus physical tools.
Weaknesses	Has repeatedly struggled with seeing breaking balls, still some over-aggression at the plate. Reads on flyballs have been an issue and probably limit him to a corner.
Summary	Hurt during a good chunk of 2022 and essentially ruling him out as a draft consideration, DeLeo hit the ground running at the plate and hasn’t let up in a big junior campaign at GT. Streaky average offensive performance with average to above average defense in a corner, 2nd division starter type. Late Day 2 type.

Player

RHP Mac Heuer

School

Homeschool, Greensboro GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	IP	FV	Risk
7/7/2004	Texas Tech	6-3	250	R	R	2023	3	10	35	Extreme

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Stout body that looks soft, potential velo gains if he’s able to rework his body to lose fat and add muscle--but not much projection otherwise.	35
Athleticism	Stiff actions throughout delivery, but moves better than expected given his burly physique.	40
Mechanics	Short arm, some head whack. Effort can be heard more than it is seen.	50

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Fastball	90-95 T96. Above average carry life that flashes plus, high spin offering. Lost a tick or two in longer outings at the end of the year.	55	3
Curveball	78-82, two plane in slower band and sweepy in higher band. Has sharpness in either variation, low 80s blends with his slider.	55	3
Slider	84-87, harder and shorter shape than the low 80s curve but has above average vertical break that flashes plus.	55	3
Changeup	83-87, firm with flashes of above average depth. Lacks consistent feel for it, forces into games to show to scouts.	40	2
Command	Lower effort arm, but some of the stiffness in his arm path and lower half can lead to periods where he just can’t find the zone. Really hasn’t had to be precise given the incredibly weak competition of the ECB League.	45	2

Strengths	Some of the best combination of fastball and breaking ball shape in the state, three pitch mix would play right away in rookie ball.
Weaknesses	Some concerns about arm path and serious concerns about body limit his upside as a pitcher--likely will settle into a relief role as he develops.
Summary	For teams that prioritize fastball carry and snappy breaking balls, Mac Heuer fits the bill. However, his body and performances in longer outings cast serious doubt on already shaky prospects to be a starter. Projects as 5th-6th round value, or overslot Day 3 pick.

Player

LHP Jansen Kenty

School

East Coweta HS, Newnan GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	IP	FV	Risk
8/4/2005	Alabama	5-11	185	L	L	2023	2	10	35+	Extreme

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Medium frame, well put together w/ sloped shoulders. Thick lower half, size in arms.	40
Athleticism	Repeats a long operation with remarkable consistency, gets off the mound quickly to field his position.	60
Mechanics	Controls body, will fall off more later in outing when he tries to get to his 1st inning stuff. Moves directly downmound, tight spiral on quick arm that is on time. Lead leg block is strong, can slow down his operation on curveball.	50

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Fastball	89-92 T93-94, tight shape with AA carry and ASR, not missing barrels in middle of zone.	50	3
Curveball	72-76, long vertical shape that goes eye to ankle with avg feel for spin. Can get soft, more of a feel pitch off the FB than an out pitch.	45	3
Changeup	79-82, sharp fade and depth late, wipeout potential.	60	3
Command	Can too much of the zone trying to be too fine early, settled in and held velocity throughout. Some effort and violence, but mechanics suggest he'll throw good strikes	50	3

Strengths	Throws strikes, athletic ability helps to project some velocity on a body that doesn’t look projectable. Plus CH, fastball shape is very good and gets whiffs up in the zone.
Weaknesses	Undersized prep pitcher with a fairly thick build already. FB velocity and feel for breaking ball spin are fringey. Probably needs to find a hard slider in pro ball.
Summary	At first glance, Kenty seems like a shoe-in to go to school. The body is small and fairly thick already, there’s not much in terms of a breaking ball and the fastball velocity isn’t quite there. However, the athleticism, changeup quality, and fastball shape stand out to make him a 4th-5th round candidate.

Player

LHP Jaden Woods

School

University of Georgia

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	IP	FV	Risk
2/1/2002	6-2	198	L	L	2023	2	12	35+	Very High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Abundance of lean muscle, projection remaining while having the physicality needed to tackle pro ball right away.	55
Athleticism	Very strong athlete, evident in how smooth his delivery components are. Gets downmound well.	60
Mechanics	Loose, long arm. Can run into periods where his arm gets too long for his lower half and he misses armside. Crossfire in his landing.	50

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Fastball	88-92 T93, above average carrying life and misses a lot of bats at the college level. Velocity down in starting role, was up to 95-96 in shorter fall outings.	50	3
Slider	78-80, heavy gyro slider shape with above avg. vertical break that flashes plus.	55	3
Splitter	83-85, sparsely used. Firm with flashes of avg depth.	40	3
Command	Has had trouble commanding his fastball, misses armside and up. Capable of just throwing in the zone vs. college hitters, much work is left to be done with refining arm action and improving timing of delivery components.	45	3

Strengths	Very strong vertical mix with the fastball and slider, can get through P5 lineups two times with just those two pitches. High level athlete with a good body, projection upside still remains.
Weaknesses	Mechanics still need a lot of work, particularly in shortening his arm and getting it on time with the rest of his body. Lacks feel for offspeed that could fill that third pitch hole, will likely need to develop a cutter in pro ball. Heavy reliever risk.
Summary	Woods is a two pitch guy that lacks feel for offspeed, which combined with his fastball command issues and declining velocity in starts has him trending towards relief. Arm soreness has also sidelined him since mid April, was able to show two innings of work in SEC Tournament. 4th-5th round guy.

Player

SS Dylan Cupp

School

Cedartown HS, Cedartown GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
9/2/2004	Miss. St	6-2	190	R	R	2023	2	8	35+	Very High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Pro body, strong lower half. Sloped shoulders, room on upper body to add good weight.	60
Athleticism	Nothing in his profile stands out, footspeed and quick twitch are lacking.	45
Swing	Moderate leg kick and backswing are good timing mechanisms, can sometimes come around the ball instead of going through it.	50

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	High level of contact on a variety of pitches, but lack of barrel feel was exposed in the summer and hasn’t improved in the spring. Good eye and approach at the plate is very sound.	55	3
Power	Takes a more gap to gap approach in BP, some pullside home run power. In game, hitch in swing makes it very hard for him to get out in front of fastballs--hard contact is to the opposite field.	40	3
Defense	Highly instinctual, capable of making plays in all directions. Has always been steady eddy with the glove at SS, no error concerns.	55	3
Throw	Above average arm strength, ball gets to the bag on line and on time.	55	3
Run	Below average run times, doesn’t hurt him in the field but he won’t be impacting the run game as his body matures.	40	3

Strengths	High level makeup kid that’s got a change to be a plus defender at SS, very good contact skills and puts together strong at bats.
Weaknesses	Swing just isn’t geared for power, and he can’t turn on pitches that his peers can. Not a particularly fast runner, tools are a bit underwhelming.
Summary	Cupp is one of the better defensive shortstops in this class, which helps provide a Top 5 round floor in conjunction with his ability to put the ball in play. However, there’s just not much offensive upside due to an angular backswing that can’t get to even high school fastballs right now.

Player

RHP Mikhai Grant

School

Ga. Premier Academy, Statesboro GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	IP	FV	Risk
8/21/2004	Miss. St.	6-3	210	R	R	2023	1	4	40	Extreme

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Large muscular body, could put him out on a big league diamond tomorrow and he’d pass the eye test.	60
Athleticism	Moves downmound well, has gotten looser in lower half and looks more explosive than the summer. Stamina has increased in the Spring.	60
Mechanics	Short arm action, violent elbow action and a head whack. Arm is late, lots of indicators of a blowout if mechanical changes aren’t made.	40

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Fastball	91-95 MPH, mostly average four seam shape but will flash above average carry life.	55	3
Curveball	78 MPH, longer variant of his slider, change of pace pitch	45	2
Slider	81-85 MPH, snappy with lots of 6s. Flashes plus vertical break, thrown with conviction to RHH and LHH. Signature pitch.	60	3
Changeup	83-86 MPH, above average depth with much improved feel. Potential to be a plus offering, big strides made.	55	2
Command	Arm irregularities manifest in below average FB command. Scatter shot, best chance is to live in the middle and let his life take over.	40	3

Strengths	Starter’s mix with plus slider and rapidly improving changeup. Very well built to handle the rigors of starting pitching.
Weaknesses	Mechanics portend a major arm injury unless changes are made to get his arm on time and utilize more of an arm swing than his violent present short arm action.
Summary	Grant’s reputation over the summer was that of a tease--he’d show premium velocity and flash above average secondaries in showcase environments, but the stuff would be very pedestrian in tournament settings. Fast forward to the spring, and Grant’s stuff and stamina could make him a dark horse Day 1 draftee. However, mechanics and command issues will push him into the early portions of Day 2.

Player

SS Tai Peete

School

Trinity Christian HS, Sharpsburg GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
8/11/2005	Ga. Tech	6-2	190	L	R	2023	2	8	40	Extreme

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Great body, what the pro shortstops looked like at this age. Druw Jones comp.	70
Athleticism	Quick twitch, plays in the field. Plus physical tools, dynamic on both sides when healthy.	60
Swing	Length to swing causes issues getting the barrel on time on inner half pitches, particularly fastballs.	40

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	Likes to take big swings, barrel path is long and limits his ability to put balls in play. Struggles with secondaries, can hit mistakes.	40	3
Power	Plus raw power with big bat speed, capable of driving the ball to all fields. Approach and feel for hit limits how much gets into game.	55	3
Defense	Very athletic and covers ground to his left and right. Quick feet and hands give him those crucial extra beats to make plays.	55	3
Throw	Huge question mark with mysterious elbow issue. Capable of making the routine throws at the position, but throws lack the carry and zip that you would expect from such an arm talent.	50	2
Run	Can impact the game on the basepaths, plus H to 1B run times	60	4

Strengths	Incredible physical specimen with first round athletic ability, has all the tools of a future MLB shortstop if the arm is healthy.
Weaknesses	Lots of questions about the quality of the hit tool, hasn’t shown anything with the bat against high level competition. Don’t know how healthy the right arm is.
Summary	Peete looks the part and has all the trimmings of a demographic that has made a lot of money in the draft--up the middle prep bats from Georgia. However, there’s significant questions about how much he will hit and if his arm is 100%. Like him more in the 3rd-4th round, but has the raw talent to justify a Day 1 commitment--which is necessary to land him.

Player

RHP Luke McNeillie

School

Milton HS, Milton GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	IP	FV	Risk
3/17/2005	Florida	6-1	165	R	R	2023	3	13	40	Very High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Medium large frame, quite lean with sloped shoulders. Could support upwards of 15 lbs. of additional muscle as he matures.	55
Athleticism	Low maintenance delivery can obscure his athleticism. Tall and fall guy with normal extension, but has the requisite athleticism to repeat.	50
Mechanics	Shorter arm, real quick with effortless velocity. Front foot lands closed.	60

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Fastball	FB: 88-91 MPH, holds his velocity throughout outings. Above average carry at top of the zone, gets whiffs. Shows an aptitude to set up right handed hitters with fastballs early to get to the SL in two strike counts. Velo has been down from 89-93 since he got the flu.	50	3
Slider	SL: 79-83. Flashed plus wipeout break down and away, which is where he gets whiffs. Putaway pitch when he’s on.	55	3
Changeup	CH: 83-85, above average depth and fade that flashes plus. Might be his best pitch, just doesn’t need it if he’s facing RHH heavy lineups.	55	3
Command	Arm occasionally late on FB and SL, will lead to strike throwing issues but that’s natural with a young athlete. When he’s on, he can hit spots with all three pitches, showing plus command potential. Basic FB+SL approach to RHH, FB+CH to LHH.	55	3

Strengths	Above average secondaries, has that Mike Soroka style calmness and killer instinct to him. Will be a big league starter if he stays healthy, and with his mechanics he’s a real good bet to avoid elbow/shoulder problems.
Weaknesses	Doesn’t quite have that plus pitch that makes you a first round talent, questions about if the stuff will ever tick up with his current polish and controlled mechanics.
Summary	Mechanics and command are very good, has a chance to develop three plus pitch arsenal if he can make projected gains in strength. Velocity drop in March/April all but ensures he makes it to Florida.

Player

CF Drew Burress

School

Houston County HS, Perry GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
12/5/2004	Ga. Tech	5-7	175	R	R	2023	3	10	40	Very High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	About maxed out, hard to see any additional muscle being beneficial to his overall game. Physically capable of handling pro ball, but limited projection.	40
Athleticism	Might be one of the most tooled up preps in the country. Very quick twitch, pound for pound is one of the strongest players available in this draft.	70
Swing	Incredible bat speed created by clearing his front hip early, but drift and load creates a lot of holes for pitchers that mix well.	50

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	Very streaky, will have periods where he’s on time and driving the ball to all fields. Other times his balance gets messed up and it’s whiffs and pop-up contact. Vulnerable at times to pitchers that work up and down effectively.	50	3
Power	Really able to impact ball out in front, will wear out the left field bleachers in pro ball. Not quite an all fields threat right now, but capable of going yard anywhere when he really catches one.	55	3
Defense	Above average instincts and jumps in center field, will be an asset even if he slows down a tick as he matures	55	3
Throw	Really strong arm, a threat to runners at all bases.	60	4
Run	Plus runner right now, will probably lose a step as he matures.	55	3

Strengths	Plus physical tools right now, reputation for summer performance that dates back for many years. High makeup kid that can impact the game in all facets.
Weaknesses	Swing is very involved with bat wrap and drift that leaves him vulnerable to well executed secondaries. Very small frame that offers little to no further projection.
Summary	Burress is a hard nut to crack. The right now tools and track record are competitive with almost any of his 1st round peers. But his swing mechanics and diminutive body limit his upside. Third round type, will be a hard sign in that range.

Player

SS Antonio Anderson

School

North Atlanta HS, Atlanta GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
6/28/2005	Ga. Tech	6-1	194	B	R	2023	7	30	40	Very High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	A really good “right now” body, physical and full of lean muscle. Concern is that bad weight will come as he matures (dad is a really big guy)	55
Athleticism	Not the twitchiest athlete, but hands work quick in the box and in the field	50
Swing	Funky arm bar in swing, otherwise smooth stroke from both sides and gets to the ball quickly.	55

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	Can beat him by mixing early, but he adjusts well and is hard to beat three or even two times in a row. Above avg. feel for hit and plate discipline from both left and right side.	55	4
Power	Plus bat speed from both sides, more loft and impact from his left handed swing. Right handed swing is more line drive and gap to gap.	55 (L) 45 (R)	3
Defense	Average range, actions are smooth. Transitions are a bit rough on tough in between balls, expect a move to 3B with his body filling out more--he should be an average to above average defender there.	45	2
Throw	Above average arm strength,no hitches in action. Footwork is improved and accuracy has improved in turn.	55	3
Run	Slow getting out of the box, below average times to 1B but moves well when he gets going around the basepaths.	45	3

Strengths	Track record of making good contact vs. high level pitching, polished hitter that will stick on the left side of the infield.
Weaknesses	Some swing quirks that can get exploited at times with effective vertical pitching, body and explosivity is a concern, not a shortstop at the next level.
Summary	A long famous prep hitter in the state of Georgia, Antonio Anderson is still one of the better pure hitters available in the area. Nothing jumps out as plus in the toolbelt, but it’s a well rounded profile that could be a first division third baseman for 10+ years. Third round type, but hard to sign in that range.

Player

SS Colin Houck

School

Parkview HS, Lilburn GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
9/30/2004	Miss. St.	6-2	193	R	R	2023	9	36	50	Very High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Pro body, requisite size and strength to handle pro ball. On a Parkview team with many D-1 commits, he still stands out from the pack.	60
Athleticism	High level athlete, plenty of twitch and explosivity that plays in the box, as well as in the field.	60
Swing	Short to the ball with plus bat speed, keeps hands in and rotates well to generate power.	60

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	Has struggled with elite velocity in the Spring, but handled good stuff throughout the summer and has mashed GA high school pitching. On time with regularity, capable of driving the ball to all fields.	60	4
Power	Pullside HR power and opposite field doubles right now--which should turn into homers as he gets more muscular. Strong enough to muscle end-of-the-bat contact into the outfield, AA barrel feel.	55	3
Defense	Above average range, has improved his reads on various kinds of grounders and short line drives--though he still has work to do. Not a gold glover, but will be a reliable defensive presence at SS.	50	3
Throw	Zip on throws is back after battling through pec injury. Can make plays in and to his right thanks to arm strength and utility	55	4
Run	In between 4.5 and 4.6 on turns, plus runner now that will lose a step as his body continues to fill out.	55	4

Strengths	Five tool player that loves to be on the field with his team, great combo of hit and power, constantly making strides with his defense at shortstop.
Weaknesses	Chance that his physical development pushes him to third, some questions about how well he can handle plus stuff if we’re nitpicking.
Summary	After taking off at ECP last August, Colin Houck has done nothing but hit in the Spring while making big strides on defense--even as he battled a pec injury. One of the best SS available in the class, shouldn’t get past pick #18.