CA: Tyler Austin, Heritage HS (Ga.)
1B: Austin Southall, University HS (La.)
2B: Zah Alvord, South Forsyth HS (Ga.)
3B: Nick Castellanos, Archbishop McCarthy HS (Fla.)
SS: Yordy Cabrera, Lakeland HS (Fla.)
OF: Chevez Clarke, Marietta HS (Ga.)
OF: Ty Linton, Charlotte Christian HS (N.C.)
OF: Reggie Golden, Wetumpka HS (Ala.)
DH: Kevin Jordan, Northside HS (Ga.)
UT: Kaleb Cowart, Cook County HS (Ga.)

SP: AJ Cole, Oviedo HS (Fla.)
SP: Karsten Whitson, Chipley HS (Fla.)
SP: DeAndre Smelter, Tatnall Square HS (Ga.)
SP: Cameron Bedrosian, East Coweta HS (Ga.)
SP: Drew Cisco, Wando HS (S.C.)
UT: Kaleb Cowart, Cook County HS (Ga.)

Storylines

Elite Arms

Though the top high school arm in the draft class resides in the Lone Star State, the Southeast Region is easily the most impressive up top, with two arms ranking in the Top 5 of PnR's Preseason Top 300, and another just inside the top 15. AJ Cole (pictured), Karsten Whitson and DeAndre Smelter all boast potential for consistent first-term Clinton fastballs (93-96) and have been regularly in the 90-94 mph range already. Cole and Whitson are the more advanced of the three, with each showing feel for a power fastball and a quality breaking ball (curve and slider, respectively). Smelter’s best secondary offering is a hard split-change that sits in the low-80s and flashes plus tumble. His arm speed is excellent, making the double-digit differential between his split-change and his fastball difficult for hitters to handle. Smelter will also mix-in a rudimentary slider with above-average potential, already in the mid-80s with some hard bite. Some are already predicting a shift to the pen for Smelter, but his sturdy frame and build (6-4/205) and easy arm action could play well in the mold of a workhorse starter.

Cole and Whitson likely sit comfortably in the Top 10 on most draft boards, each with the potential to be the first high school arm called on draft day. Smelter is likely closer to the mid- to supplemental-1st Round range after inconsistent showings this October in Jupiter. But the arm is special, and it will not take long this spring for scouts to flush his first Jupiter start out of their minds if he is pounding the strikezone with a lethal fastball/split combo. If he shows improvement with the slider, he could vault up the rankings quickly. It is conceivable that come June the High School Southeast Region could see three pitchers all off the board in the first ten selections – an impressive trio, to be sure.

Premium Power

Looking at the PnR All-Regional selections for the Southeast, no other region comes close to the potential power output of these five infield representatives. Tyler Austin, Austin Southall, Yordy Cabrera and Nick Castellanos each have the potential to develop true plus-plus power, with Zach Alvord a slight step behind but still well-above average for a middle-infielder. Both the Aflac All-American and the Under Armor All-America homerun derby winners are represented in this group (Cabrera and Castellanos, respectively) and formed an intimidating left side of the infield at the WWBA World Championship on the All-American Prospects squad. Castellanos and Cabrera have hit and hit hard throughout the last nine months, positioning themselves as two of best overall prep bats in the draft. The big question surrounding these two is on the defensive side – whether they will be able to stick at their current positions, or if they’ll shift a notch down the infield spectrum to third base and first base. Either way, they will be favorites to go in the 1st Round, and safe bets to be off the board in the first fifty picks.

Alvord doesn’t have the raw power of Castellanos or Cabrera, but he is solid up the middle and has the arm to shift to third if needed. Most likely, he slots in well as a hard-hitting second baseman with good hands and range for the position and well above-average arm strength. Austin is one of the premier power bats in the class and has all of the necessary tools to not only stick behind home but to develop into an above-average defensive player. Southall may end-up in the outfield where his arm would be better utilized, but his footspeed could just as likely tie him to the 3-spot. Either way, his bat will be his calling card, and with a solid spring could show enough promise to warrant a Day 1 selection in June – perhaps early on Day 1.

Positional vs. Pitching

One of the most intriguing names to watch this spring will be Cook County two-way star, Kaleb Cowart (pictured). An incredible collection of tools, Cowart projects very well both off the mound and as a slick fielding, plus-armed power bat at third. Supporters of Cowart the pitcher point to his mid-90s velocity, solid build and a 2-plane breaking ball (caught between a slider and a curve, but with good potential to come out as “plus”, regardless). With some mechanical tweaks, such as extending his stride some, there might be even more velocity on the fastball down the line.

Those in favor of developing Cowart as a position player see a future middle-of-the-order bat capable of plus-plus defense at third with an accurate plus-plus arm. His approach at the plate is still unrefined, as he punishes fastballs and mistakes while still feeling some for good off-speed and breaking balls rather than identifying and driving them. Regardless of which Cowart is focused upon at the pro ranks, his athleticism and overall feel for the game are good indicators he will be able to make all the necessary adjustments to become a Major League contributor, and perhaps a good deal more. 

Quantity and Quality

The State of Georgia placed sixteen prep players in the PnR Top 300, with over ten others strongly considered for inclusion. In addition to staggering depth, this group of prepsters contains elite talent at the top, including eight players in the Top 100 and four in the Top 50. Add to that the high schoolers from the Peach State’s southern neighbor and the numbers become silly – nine in the Top 50, fourteen in the Top 100 and a whopping thirty-four in the Top 300. While typical shifts in rankings between now and June, as well as injury attrition and signability issues, could see these number dwindle, the collection of the high school talent in these two states is truly special. With the rest of the High School region included, not to mention the collegiate ranks, the Southeast looks at this point to be strongest of the draft class, both in quantity and in quality.