Next year's draft class is considerably deeper (on paper) than the 2016 iteration -- Keith Law and I will have a top 30 previewing the group next month -- and that was certainly on display at the 2016 Area Code Games this week in Long Beach, California. There were certainly some sloppy elements as there are at all prep events, but overall there were more positives than negatives over the five days.
Here's a look at some standouts from this year's Area Code Games.
Hunter Greene (Notre Dame HS, Stevenson Ranch, California) was not only the standout of the Brewers club, but also the best player on display over the week. He sat at 94-96 mph with his fastball with considerable movement and touched 98. His slider was inconsistent at best during the Under Armour All-American Game the previous month, but it flashed plus here, and he was able to locate the pitch for strikes for the most part. He also showed a change in the mid-80s that he buried down with good arm speed, and although he didn't have great feel for it, you can see the makings of a quality third offering.
Greene also plays in the middle infield, and he showed a solid glove with a (obvious) strong throwing arm, and there's some power potential here as well. With how good he is on the mound, however, it'd be a surprise if we ever see him playing in the field. He's a legit top-five candidate.
If Greene was the best player on display this week, Jo Adell (Ballard HS, Louisville, Kentucky) was a not-so-distant second. Adell has a big-league build right now, and his impressive bat speed along with a natural loft give him present power that was seen in one of the more impressive homers on Monday. He's a quality athlete with a plus-plus throwing arm -- he also pitched this week and touched 92 with a decent slider -- so he could be an asset both in center or right. The one concern is the hit tool. There are some moving parts in the swing, and pitch recognition doesn't appear to be a strength at this point. Still, with a chance for four other plus tools, Adell is one of -- if not the -- best prep bats in the country.
New Mexico has produced some quality players through the years -- Alex Bregman, Blake Swihart, etc. -- and they may have their next high draft pick in left-hander Trevor Rogers (Carlsbad HS). Rogers is still mostly projection, but he touched 95 this weekend, and sat comfortably in the low 90s in his two outings with downhill plane. He also showed an above-average slider -- a mid 70s offering with good depth and hard tilt. I didn't see a competent third pitch, but scouts tell me he's shown an okay change, and if that pitch can be even average, he has a chance to be a quality starter.
If there was a better swing on display than Cole Turney’s (William Travis HS, Richmond, Texas), I didn’t see it. Turney stays in the zone from the left side with above-average bat speed with smooth actions and excellent hands, and he showed the ability to make hard contact to every part of the field. There's also plus-power potential here, making him one of the few players with a chance to hit for average and power at the next level. Add in an above-average throwing arm, and you have one of the best corner outfield prospects in the country -- prep or college.
Like Rogers, right-hander Sam Carlson (Burnsville HS, Savage, Minesota.) is more projection than finished product, but he showed a rare combination of advanced stuff combined with the projection. He sat at 89-91, with more coming, and he showed an above-average breaking-ball and solid-average change. There's very little effort in his delivery, and he threw everything for strikes. He lacks the upside of some of the other arms who were on display, but anytime you get a high-floor, medium-high ceiling, it's something you have to keep an eye on.
Royce Lewis (J Serra HS, Aliso Viejo, California) will be controversial with scouts until draft day, and probably after that as well. There's no doubting his athleticism -- he’s a plus runner who made one of the best diving catches of the tournament, and he also shows big raw power from plus bat speed with leverage in his lower half. He also had one of the noisiest swings in the class, and he made some serious mental gaffes on the bases. A team that believes he can stay in center field and that the swing can be ironed out will take him high, but there's just as much risk as there is reward here.
Despite having a name that suggests he's a villain in a 1980's action movie, Hans Crouse (Dana Hills HS, Dana Point, California) showed some of the most electric stuff of any right-hander not named Hunter Greene over the five days. There's a lot of effort to his delivery, but he touched 95 mph with his fastball with a projectable frame that suggests more is coming. He also showed a plus curveball with excellent spin, and did a decent job of locating both pitches. He'll have to continue to tone down the delivery to start, but there's no denying that there's swing-and-miss stuff in his right arm.
Others: Mitchell Stone (Deer Creek HS, Oklahoma City) is a massive left-hander who can touch 92 mph with plane, but the secondary pitches need significant work, and the delivery got wonky in his second inning of work ... Center fielder Quintin Holmes (Monsignor McClancy HS, East Elmhurst, New York) was one of the best athletes on display and can certainly play center field, but the swing is mechanical, and it's unlikely he hits for power ... Connor Uselton (Southmoore HS, Oklahoma City) has a chance to hit for power and showed a strong throwing arm, and with some hand adjustments the hit tool could get to average as well ... Kyle Hurt (Torrey Pines HS, Rancho Santa Fe, California) was one of the most pleasant surprises of the week; a right-hander who touched 92 with his fastball from a projectable frame and threw both his change and curveball for strikes.