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!

30 FV

3B Parks Harber, University of Georgia

C Fernando Gonzalez, University of Georgia

LHP Liam Sullivan, University of Georgia

1B/DH Corey Collins, University of Georgia

30+ FV

RHP Andrew Dunford, Houston County HS, Perry GA

RHP Jackson Finley, Georgia Tech

35 FV

2B Kristian Campbell, Georgia Tech

RHP Francesco Capocci, Denmark HS, Alpharetta GS

1B Landon Stripling, Parkview HS, Lilburn GA

RHP Terry Busse, Georgia Tech

LF Treyson Hughes, Mercer (Video Report)

Player

C/DH Corey Collins

School

Georgia

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
10/10/2001	N/A	6-2	220	L	R	2023	3	11	30	High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Built like a fullback, thick lower half and filled out in the upper body.	40
Athleticism	Slow twitch, positionless at present.	35
Swing	Short load, some steepness to the swing that could spell trouble later.	45

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	Dead red fastball hitter that doesn’t chase much, vulnerable to breaking balls and is late to advanced stuff in the zone due to a loopy bat path and slow reactions.	40	3
Power	Plus bat speed, has mishit home run power. Will get to a good share of it on mistake secondaries and fastballs	55	3
Defense	Below average routes and slow footed in the outfield, not a skilled blocker or receiver at present but could be passable with development.	40	3
Throw	Average catch and throw skill, flashes above average arm strength.	50	3
Run	Below average run times, projects to get slower if developed at C.	30	3

Strengths	You can never have enough left handed power, and this is a good source of that. Some catching upside due to limited opportunities at UGA.
Weaknesses	Well below average athlete, swing has trouble getting to the ball in the zone. Might be a DH only if he continues to add weight.
Summary	Collins is a good source of left handed power, and will come by it honestly as there’s plus raw power and a swing tailored to lift the ball. Conversely, that same steep swing has caused issues with adjusting to vertical pitching and will only get worse as he sees better stuff. Defensively, it’s a slow twitch athlete with the footspeed to be limited to 1B/C duty, and there’s a lot of work to be done with his hands and blocking skills to be playable in the field.

Player

LHP Liam Sullivan

School

University of Georgia

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	IP	FV	Risk
5/16/2002	6-6	255	L	L	2023	1	5	30	Very High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Big, physical build that is completely filled out.	40
Athleticism	Below average mover on the mound, doesn’t field his position well and doesn’t project to maintain current level of athleticism.	35
Mechanics	Not much in terms of extension or explosiveness, easy effort and not much violence with a high arm slot. Good arm speed.	45

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Fastball	89-92 with good carry, will get whiffs but also catch barrels 2nd time through the order.	45	3
Curveball	76-79, below average shape but plays up due to steep downhill angle.	45	2
Changeup	81-83, fluttery life but will flash sharp armside run and depth.	50	2
Command	Pitches to his spots by and large, but lack of stuff sometimes requires him to be overly fine and that’s when he gets hit hard.	50	3

Strengths	Big bodied lefty that pitches with conviction, flashes an out pitch with his changeup and could possibly benefit from a switch to a two seamer with his high release point.
Weaknesses	Not much feel for breaking ball spin and below average four seam shape despite generating good carry, doesn’t project to unlock additional velocity or stuff.
Summary	Sullivan has been a nice horse in the Georgia weekend rotation when healthy, but lacks the stuff to get past batters consistently once the lineup turns over. He’s probably an up and down middle relief prospect at the next level.

Player

C Fernando Gonzalez

School

Georgia

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
9/25/2001	N/A	5-10	199	R	R	2023	7	28	30	Medium

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Smaller frame with good weight on body. Fire hydrant type that should be able handle the physical requirements of catching.	50
Athleticism	Not much footspeed, but has the requisite twitch and hand speed to play the catcher position well.	50
Swing	Wristy swing, capable of average bat speed but throws the bat head at the ball quite often. Decelerates through the zone, not much impact.	45

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	Plus feel for getting the bat to the ball, but with minimal impact due to his wristy swing. Good swing decisions, but is vulnerable to called strikes when he gets overly passive.	55	4
Power	Gap to gap power, below average raw. Capable of taking a mistake secondary or center cut fastball out pullside. Swing makes it difficult to get to it in game.	30	3
Defense	Above average at blocking and receiving. Quick and smooth action, moves with the ball into the zone.	55	3
Throw	Above avg. pop times, quick hips and a strong arm behind the plate.	55	3
Run	Well below average runner, 4.5 H to 1B. Standard catcher speed.	30	4

Strengths	Very good bat to ball skills with mistake pop, a bevy of above average skills behind the plate.
Weaknesses	Not much impact to the swing in current incarnation, peak outcome is likely a backup catcher.
Summary	Gonzalez has been a staple of the Georgia lineup over the last two years, providing strong defense behind the plate and consistent contact in the lower half of the lineup. He lacks the impact to project anything past a part-time player at the highest level.

Player

1B Parks Harber

School

Georgia

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
9/25/2001	N/A	6-3	225	R	R	2023	7	30	30	Medium

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Large body that’s filled out and physical. Good shape, but ltd. projection.	50
Athleticism	Slightly below average athlete for his size, can be nimble occasionally but mostly a stiff mover at the plate and in the field.	45
Swing	Bat strength over bat speed. Some length to his stroke and hand load, will get off balance as his torso follows the ball instead of staying back.	40

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	Struggles with velocity, but can do damage on secondary offerings. Sometimes capable of working to get his pitch, other times overwhelmed by stuff and caught leaning. Very aggressive approach at the plate, will chase in bad counts.	40	4
Power	Strong kid that is a threat to leave the yard with each pitch. Generates loft with swing path, gets to plus raw power in game.	55	4
Defense	Limited range at 3B, lateral movements are labored. Capable of making plays with his arm, but will most likely move off to 1B.	40	4
Throw	Above average arm strength that flashes plus, can make all the throws at 3B. Arm action is a little stiff and can affect accuracy.	55	3
Run	Below average runner that will likely lose a step as he matures.	35	4

Strengths	Gets plus raw power into games, will punish mistakes and shows flashes of average defense at 3B thanks to his arm strength.
Weaknesses	Aggressive approach and difficulties handling stuff severely limits offensive value. Often shows poor range at 3B, likely a 1B long term.
Summary	Harber brings strength to the table, both with his arm and bat. He’s likely a right handed power bench bat that lacks the hit or defense to get into the lineup regularly, which are plentiful on Day 3 of the draft.

Player

RHP Jackson Finley

School

Georgia Tech

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	IP	FV	Risk
9/15/2000	N/A	6-4	222	R	R	2023	6	33	30+	High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	XL frame with broader shoulders and a good, physical build. Some room to add muscle, but not much.	50
Athleticism	Definitely has some athletic ability as a two way, but doesn’t translate very well to his mechanics or movement on the mound.	45
Mechanics	Stiff arm action from 3Q armslot, arm is quick and on time with his lower half.	45

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Fastball	91-94 T95-96, flashes above average armside run but mostly has that barrel seeking movement. Needs more velocity to be useful.	45	4
Curveball	77-80, flashes of average traditional curveball shape but mostly gets too soft and isn’t an out pitch.	45	4
Slider	84-86, gyro slider that can finish under the barrels of LHH and RHH when he’s landing it down.	50	4
Changeup	83-84, flashes plus depth and is an out pitch vs LHH. Has potential to stymie RHH bats too with how much vertical break it has.	55	4
Command	Fills the zone but isn’t able to work to spots consistently. Leaves offerings over the middle often and can get crushed.	45	3

Strengths	Above avg. feel for a changeup and slider, w/ the former flashing plus. Could develop into a middle relief option by cutting fastball loose and increasing secondary usage.
Weaknesses	Below average fastball shape caused major issues in conference play, stiff mechanics hinders ability to locate, lacks plus pitch, 3 hit tool stifles his position playing prospects.
Summary	Jackson Finley was the lone constant in a revolving door of weekend starters for Tech. However, his fastball couldn’t miss ACC barrels and he never had the conviction in his secondaries needed to get outs consistently. Day 3 guy, should be put in the pen with his injury history and can rely on his changeup and slider more.

Player

RHP Andrew Dunford

School

Houston County HS (Perry, GA)

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	IP	FV	Risk
1/5/2005	Mercer	6-6	235	R	R	2023	2	5	30+	Extreme

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	XXL frame with sloped shoulders, well built kid that can probably add at least 10 more lbs.	60
Athleticism	Moves well downmound, nothing jumps off the page but to even repeat his delivery some at 6-7 indicates a fair level of athletic ability.	50
Mechanics	3Q slot, some stiffness in long arm path and has a head whack. Drop and drive mechanics, creates low vertical release point in conjunction with his slot.	40

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Fastball	90-95 T96 early, 88-92 T93 in 3rd inning onwards. Good sink and bores in on RHH, low spin offering.	60	3
Slider	79-80. Soft with below average shape. Can flash some fringey breakers, but will probably need to be taught a firmer breaking ball.	40	3
Curveball	73. Lollipop that he shows late as a change of pace. Seen it just once, but hard to think it will be useful.	35	1
Changeup	Haven’t seen one in game this Spring, was 86 at ECP with good feel for killing spin but lacked feel for shape.	40	1
Command	Repeating has been a challenge since the summer. Arm is all over the map, 30 command right now but projects to improve with athleticism and delivery tweaks to create balance and steeper angles.	40	3

Strengths	Physicality, body and fastball are ready for pro ball. Arm talent with 70 fastball upside.
Weaknesses	Nothing really usable in regards to secondaries, has athletic ability to work with but will require a lot of work to improve mechanics.
Summary	Dunford has potential to step into an organization right now for development as a fastball heavy reliever, but those guys usually are better served by going to college. He is no exception, and could turn into a Ben Joyce fireballer type at Mercer.

Player

CF Treyson Hughes

School

Mercer

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
5/28/2023	Ole Miss (Transfer)	6-3	170	L	R	2023	N/A	N/A	35	High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Big, lean frame. High waisted with sloped shoulders, projection remaining.	55
Athleticism	Above avg. athleticism at the plate, fringe avg. burst and straight line speed.	50
Swing	Big load in swing with hands, looks like he watches a lot of Barry Bonds videos on YouTube. Hands are quick to the ball and there’s above average bat speed.	50

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	Vulnerable to breaking balls down and in, has struggled with advanced stuff and velocity because of how long his swing path is. Above avg. approach at the plate.	45	3
Power	Has above average bat speed and even more strength, plus raw power potential as he continues to add good muscle. Flat swing plane gets a lot of it into game settings, plus feel for the barrel.	55	3
Defense	Below average jumps and routes in CF, doesn’t have the footspeed to make up. Will be in a corner at the next level	40	3
Throw	Avg arm strength, really has to cut it loose to make plays. Better fit in LF long term.	50	2
Run	4.2 home to first, will likely lose a step as he adds good weight.	45	3

Strengths	Long and lean outfielder with above avg. raw power, high level performer in the SoCon, sound approach and is hard to beat out of the zone.
Weaknesses	Big hitch in swing that creates pop causes concerns about how well he can hit stuff, athleticism doesn’t translate to the field and will probably play LF long term.
Summary	Treyson Hughes really upped his level of play down the stretch, and parlayed that performance into an invite to the Cape Cod League. He stands the chance to make a nice chunk of change if he shows impact with a wood bat, but is likely a 4th outfielder w/ 2nd division starter upside. Round 7-10 type.

Player

RHP Terry Busse

School

Georgia Tech

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	IP	FV	Risk
11/7/2001	6-3	200	R	R	2023	3	5	35	Very High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Well put together kid, possesses MLB size and might have some extra gas in the tank if he gets put on a good weight program and puts the work in.	50
Athleticism	Stiff mover, if he’s an athlete none of it shows up in the delivery.	40
Mechanics	Abrupt leg kick and stretch, arm action is short and stiff.	40

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Fastball	92-95 at peak, ball shoots out of his hand with above average armside run and is a ground ball machine. Needs to operate at this velocity to have any success, when he was down to 90-92 this got hit and hit hard.	55	3
Slider	81-84, very tight spin with plus sweeping shape. Flashed 70 early in the year, but lost some of its sharpness as he tired out from overuse.	60	3
Command	Stiff and awkward arm action can lead to stretches where he can’t land his slider or fastball and becomes a one pitch pitcher. When on, it’s more of control over command and reliant on movement to miss bats in the zone.	40	3

Strengths	Deadly slider that’s capable of getting under LHH and RHH bats, heavy two seam fastball that’s a useful weak contact weapon when he’s feeling his best.
Weaknesses	Got worn out after heavy use in the first month of the season and ran into issues operating at 90-92 with a softer variant of his slider. Does not have the mechanics or athleticism to be anything other than a one inning reliever.
Summary	During the first month of the Spring, Busse was getting six outs an appearance with a diabolical sweeping slider and heavy fastball. However, from April on the stuff just wasn’t there and the Georgia Tech closer fell off hard. In a traditional 7th or even 8th inning role, Busse could make it to the major leagues--but he lacks the fastball shape and stamina to add any higher leverage or innings total on his plate. Late Day 2 type.

Player

1B Landon Stripling

School

Parkview HS, Lilburn GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
7/27/2004	Texas Tech	5-10	195	L	R	2023	8	35	35	Very High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Smaller frame that’s well put together at present, but will add some more weight as he matures.	40
Athleticism	Slow footed and lacks twitch on the infield--but not in the batter’s box.	35
Swing	Short to the ball with plus bat speed and a capacity to barrel up pitches in any quadrant of the zone.	60

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	Very good feel for hitting, track record of hitting stuff in the summer and everything in the Spring. Consistently on time with fastballs and secondaries, really hard guy to get out.	60	3
Power	Ability to grow into pull side power, more of a line drive hitter right now to RF and a flyball hitter to CF and RF. Will get the power he has into games, but the projection is very limited.	50	3
Defense	Decent hands but lacks range, doesn’t give you a great target with his small stature as a 1B and fits better as a 2B long term.	45	3
Throw	Mid to high 80s on the mound, has shown some fringe average catch and throw behind the plate.	50	4
Run	Below average runner, with body projecting to get thicker.	30	4

Strengths	Advanced hitter that has the bat speed and vision to be a middle of the order threat at the next level, with a puncher’s chance at converting to catcher if he puts the work in.
Weaknesses	Below average athlete that lacks defensive versatility, hard to project on his offensive skillset at 5-10, 195 lbs. Will be 18.9 on draft day.
Summary	Stripling might be a better pure hitter than Parkview teammate Colin Houck at this stage of their development, which speaks much more to Stripling’s polish in the box than any demerit of Houck. However, Stripling’s defensive limitations, age, and below average size limit his offer as a prep. Could gain overslot Day 3 interest, but will almost certainly make it to Texas Tech.

Player

RHP Francesco Capocci

School

Denmark HS, Alpharetta GA

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	IP	FV	Risk
3/10/2004	UNC	6-4	210	R	R	2023	2	8	35	Extreme

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Long frame, lean musculature, sloped shoulders, very low body fat. The type of body you would sketch up in a lab for a prototypical big league pitcher.	70
Athleticism	Really good athlete w/ loud physical tools, but doesn’t get as much of it into his delivery. Lower half moves well, but everything above the waist is abrupt.	55
Mechanics	Moves well, arm action is still a little stiff. Landing in a bit of a crossfire position, doesn’t really load his arm up that well--though it is on time.	45

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Fastball	89-92 T93. improved 4S shape with more carry and armside life--less cut. Manipulating shape for more run vs. LHH.	55	3
Slider	Has shown a mid 80s gyro slider that flashes plus depth, none thrown in the Spring.	55	1
Curveball	75-78, above average two plane shape. Pitching backwards off of it when fastball command is spotty, not getting chases but effective as a freezer.	55	3
Changeup	83, firm with little movement separation off fastball.	40	2
Command	Struggled to find consistent RP on fastball (stiff arm may be attributable), control over command without bat missing stuff over the middle.	45	3

Strengths	Incredible body, velocity could take off in the right situation. Good vertical shape on his fastball and curveball, building blocks for an impact pitcher in a few years.
Weaknesses	Stiff arm mechanics and inability to pinch his shoulders suggest that command and stuff are a hard sell with UNC on the other line, age and lack of a third pitch seal it.
Summary & Signability	Incredible body and an above average athlete, but there’s mechanical issues with his upper body that need work. FB and CB are good, but not plus. Third pitch could be there with the gyro slider, but the CH he’s shown isn’t it. Could gain overslot Day 3 interest, but will almost certainly make it to North Carolina.

Player

2B Kristian Campbell

School

Georgia Tech

Evaluator

Will Hoefer

DOB	Commit	Ht.	Wt.	H	T	Class	Games	PAs	FV	Risk
6/28/2002	N/A	6-3	210	R	R	2023	8	35	35	High

Physical	Notes	Grade
Body	Large frame with good muscle, looks like a big leaguer.	55
Athleticism	Hard to tell given that he suffered a lower half injury in the first game of the season, but he’s been slow everywhere beside his twitch at the plate.	40
Swing	Fires hands at the ball, really sacrifices impact for the ability to make as much contact as possible. Stiff loading phase, barrel is often behind the ball.	50

Tool	Notes	Grade	CI
Hit	High level contact skills, capable of putting any pitch into the field of play. Quick hands give him time to see the ball as long as necessary, not a lot of chase.	60	3
Power	Swing is only capable of opposite field contact when facing advanced stuff, can put a charge into hanging breaking balls. Wears out the grass just beyond the lip of the infield dirt in RF.	35	3
Defense	Slow feet on the infield, good hands but lacks range to make plays. Lots of work needed to develop and/or hide him in the field.	40	3
Throw	Below average arm strength, limited to 2B and LF defensively.	40	3
Run	Below average run times, might be 45/50 runner when fully healthy.	40	3

Strengths	High level contact skills that has some raw power to work with. Could be an on base machine if someone can fix his swing to get more impact.
Weaknesses	At present appears like he will get the bat knocked out of hands at AA/AAA, lacks defensive or baserunning value.
Summary	With top end contact rates and some surprising raw power, Kristian Campbell has reached base at will in the Spring. However, his swing and approach could struggle mightily with a wood bat. Bench bat that could hit his way into lineups if player development can fix his swing. Late Day 2 type.

Honorable Mentions

HS Pitchers

RHP Tate McKee, Mt. Paran Christian HS, Kennesaw GA
LHP Luke Dotson, Mt. Paran Christian HS, Kennesaw GA
RHP Garrett Lambert, Parkview HS, Lilburn GA
RHP Porter Buursema, Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell GA
RHP Ethan Sutton, Allatoona HS, Allatoona GA
LHP Bryson Thacker, Rome HS, Rome GA
RHP Connor Crisp, Locust Grove HS, Locust Grove GA
RHP James Hays, The Westfield School, Perry GA
RHP Dylan Alonso, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, Rabun Gap GA
LHP Jevarra Martin, Georgia Premier Academy, Statesboro GA

HS Hitters

CF Kyle Henley, Denmark HS, Alpharetta GA
CF Isaiah Drake, North Atlanta HS, Atlanta GA
CF Kaleb Cost, Sandy Creek HS, Tyrone GA
1B Sam Parker, Kennesaw Mountain HS, Kennesaw GA
2B/SS/CF Jason Walk, Harrison HS, Kennesaw GA
SS Armani Guzman, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, Rabun Gap GA
3B Tre Phelps, Georgia Premier Academy, Statesboro GA
OF Raudi Rodriguez, Georgia Premier Academy, Statesboro GA

College Pitchers

LHP Charlie Goldstein, Georgia
RHP Dawson Brown, Georgia Tech
RHP Ben King, Georgia Tech
LHP Joseph Mannelly, Georgia Tech
RHP Blake Wehunt, Kennesaw State

College Hitters

3B Drew Compton, Georgia Tech
RF Stephen Reid, Georgia Tech
SS Jadyn Jackson, Georgia Tech
LF/1B Angelo DiSpigna, Georgia Tech
1B John Giesler, Georgia Tech
C Jack Rubenstein, Georgia Tech
CF Ben Anderson, Georgia
LF Connor Tate, Georgia
SS Sebastian Murillo, Georgia