Georgia Class of 2026 Rankings: Initial Release

Keon Johnson SS / First Presbyterian Day, GA / 2026

Few players in the country have hands this thunderous, and the extra base hits come in numbers. With a large, long levered frame and powerful build, he’d fit right in on a backfield at an MLB Spring Training Complex. The bat speed, swing mechanics, and pitch recognition are also years ahead of his time. It all starts with a slow flow with the hands in one compact spot promoting loose, quick muscles and creating effortless momentum to start the swing. His lower half is already extremely simplified and he wastes very little time going back with the hips, a growing method of hitting used by the likes of Xander Bogaerts and Justin Turner that makes timing a pitcher’s delivery easier. The forward move is medium paced and he can accelerate/decelerate it based off a pitcher’s delivery/pitch type, which shows advanced aptitude for his age. His 2 quick waggles to trigger the swing are very repeatable, creating effortless momentum and torque that quickly accelerates to violence with controlled intent. With both elbows tucked on his ribs, his hands are able to work loosely close to the body from start to finish, which is where the hands are strongest. The body and bat control he shows with such violent bat speed speaks volumes to his current raw strength. Keon also has quite the backup plan brewing on the mound, where he’s already reaching into the upper 80’s with a loose, deep one piece arm swing from an H3/4 slot. His 11-5 CB shows consistent shape and he has impressive feel for a CH. At SS, he moves very well for his size, and with good instincts that expand his range. He’s able to redirect momentum well on backhands/forehands and can make plays in uncomfortable positions in front of him. Johnson shows a shorter, more efficient arm action for the position and there’s currently no reason to play him elsewhere.

Deion Cole CF / Etowah, GA / 2026

You’ll be hard pressed to find a more consistent bat from coast to coast at this age. Cole is as sure of a bet as it gets to develop an average or better hit tool on the pro scouting scale down the line. This is a player who has proven that he can regularly barrel arms 2-3 years older than him, as he regularly found success in HS tournaments as a middle schooler, and in 16 & 17U tournaments in 2022. He’s blessed with all of the tangible skills needed to be a pure hitter, as well as the intangibles. What immediately stands out before he ever steps up to the plate is his strong build and different level of preparation. Deion is built like a future college RB, a ball of muscle with strong wrists and forearms. He’s extremely focused on timing up the pitcher’s delivery in the on deck circle, as his eyes never stop tracking them for tendencies. The Etowah Eagle finds his rhythm, lower half pace, separation timing, and gets a feel for pitch trajectory. Cole treats each game like it's his job, like a professional. He has a patient, all fields approach, and easily understands what opposing arms are trying to do to him. With advanced pitch recognition, plate discipline, and reaction time he rarely chases pitches out of the zone and is just as confident facing good breaking balls as FB’s. With elite swing mechanics for his age and a smooth, effortless forward move, the swing flows like water. We’ve yet to see him off balance at the plate, and he’s able to manipulate the bat path & barrel angle with ease to all pitch locations. Cole’s ability to make in swing/pitch by pitch adjustments separate him greatly from most his age, but so does the bat speed and strength through contact vs quality stuff. Defensively, his tools and intangibles carry over easily where his speed, instincts, and fluid routes make CF an instant no fly zone. He reads hitters well and knows where to position himself based off their tendencies. This will surely be an above average runner in the future and his speed plays up on both sides of the ball due to a quick first step and instincts. The arm is not only strong but accurate. This is a true baseball player with legit 5 tool potential.

Bubba Coleman SS / Buford, GA / 2026

One of the first prospects in the entire country to make a commitment, it has been almost a year since Coleman made his pledge to LSU. A well built 6-foot, 175-pounds, he has advanced strength and athleticism throughout. All of this lends itself to his offensive prowess. An athlete in the box, he has a big presence. The hand and bat speed immediately standout. But, even more impressive is the ability to barrel and use the entire field. His instinctive hands consistently get on plane, allowing him to drive the ball with some of the top raw power in the state. And he has been doing this against competition several years older over the past six months. Defensively, Coleman has shown all the actions to have a long term home at shortstop

What drove 2026 @bubbacoleman6 to commit to @LSUbaseball so early?

The @SmarTenseBsbl infielder takes @coryjmccartney inside his decision, and the advice that helps him cope with failure on the field.@prepbaseball | @PBRGeorgia pic.twitter.com/zGFIEWgz0a

— LakePoint Sports (@LakePointSports) April 27, 2022

Connor Langdon LHP / Westfield School, GA / 2026

A member of Team Georgia at the 2022 Junior Future Games, Langdon used the event as a jumping block to the top of the class, and his eventual commitment to Mississippi State. The southpaw has one of the most deceptive deliveries and some of the top pitch-ability in the class, a lethal combination. Working athletically across the mound, the ball appears out of nowhere at release from a high ¾ slot. He creates a difficult angle of attack on his fastball that can play into the upper-80s, and sits in the mid-80s. His changeup has a similar metric profile as the fastball and he is able to tunnel the two effectively. The slider is a sharp, slurve-like offering in the low-70s. All-in-all, he can command the zone with three pitches that have all shown swing and miss qualities. With further progression and jumps in store for him, Langdon could be in a class of his own when it is all said and done.

Cameron Jackson SS / Georgia Premier Academy, GA / 2026

A South Carolina commit, this 2022 JFGer is plain and simple one of the highest ceiling athletes in the country, and a guarantee to stick at SS long term. He’s built like a power 5 wide receiver recruit. We’re very thankful he’s chosen to make baseball his main focus, and there’s zero question about his work ethic. Cam is a regular at LakePoint both as a player and student of the game. Not only does he play in tournaments, but he comes to watch older players to learn from the older age groups by example and constantly refine his swing in the cages. His dad, Paul is the hitting instructor for all age groups at the prestigious Georgia Premier and GBSA Rays organizations, so Jackson has had high level development from the first time he picked up a baseball. This is a legit switch hitter who repeats a similar swing from both sides of the plate. Cam shows extremely smooth, advanced swing mechanics coupled with a patient approach and possesses lots of twitch for his current strength. He has a consistent inside out swing as a LHH and can just as easily turn the barrel in tight space with an effortless front arm shrink for backspin RC gap doubles. Being a switch hitter benefits his power potential greatly, as he’s constantly developing his hitting muscles evenly. The hands work as one with the core & chest and they load the hands for him. His shoulders gradually work south in stride to rotate north on a diagonal plane for big time loft. This is a big reason he matches pitch plane so well and everything he hits carries with backspin. He creates good linear connection as the hands are thrown (hands, back elbow+hip+knee in vertical line) which creates effortless operation. From the right side he’s contact oriented with an all fields approach that takes what’s given to him. Overall it's a classic inside-out approach that takes away the outer half & baits opposing arms to pitch inside. He produces good lower half momentum w/ hips in stride, repeats launch, gaining ground allows him to make contact in front of plate. Rotates extremely well, long before his eventual physical ceiling. The bat isn’t even his most exciting tool, he’s going to be a SPECIAL defender. Cam’s footwork is impeccable for his age, with explosive bounds giving him shocking range that you’d only see in a handful of D1 upperclassmen. He breaks down extremely quickly and can redirect momentum or stop on a dime, allowing him to attack the baseball at full speed while maintaining body control. He has the best backhand I’ve seen at this age since Marlins 2nd rounder Nasim Nunez, able to maintain aggressiveness and forward momentum thru the ball and showing off advanced arm strength. There’s no ball he can't get to, and no ball his slick hands can’t field. He throws easily from all angles and looks to have plus or better defensive tools across the board in the future.

Matthew Sharman RHP/SS / Etowah, GA / 2026

One of the top two-way prospects in the class, Sharman has big stuff on the mound and a loud bat at the plate. Checking in at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds he is as long as he is broad, and still has quite a ways to go before being a finished physical product. From a pure arm strength perspective, he is at the top of the class, running his fastball into the upper-80s this fall. He utilizes a tight 11/5 curveball that he has shown good feel for and has swing and miss tendencies to it. Furthermore, he has an impressive late fading changeup that is as advanced as we have seen in the class. The delivery is explosive and up-tempo. He wastes little time building momentum, reaching a high leg kick balance point quickly. On stride plant, the lower half explodes down the mound with real drive. The arm action is long, loose and athletic out of a ¾ slot. Don’t sleep on Sharman in the field either. As we mentioned earlier, he has plenty of arm strength to stick on the left-side, and with his length and athleticism, he shouldn’t have a problem. Offensively, there is big raw power that he can tap into, and the potential for a whole lot more.

Ty Tillery RHP / Morgan County , GA / 2026

A Georgia commit, this Morgan County native is a different breed of athlete and arm speed. With broad shoulders, long levers w/ quick twitch fibers, this is already a prototype RHS frame that could easily hit another growth spurt. It’s hard to believe a 14 year old can have such an electrifying, polished 2 pitch (FB, SL) mix and high ceiling CH. When watching him pitch, it’s quite obvious a few more jumps in velocity will come over his HS career. Tillery has a ridiculously clean and explosive medium paced delivery that builds up gradual momentum in perfect sequence. This creates a very connected motion where the core and largest muscles on the back side fire simultaneously with the arm, protecting it as well as adding even more fire to the flames. While the arm action is big, he repeats it extremely well with minimal depth and it all flows in one piece (L3/4). The minimal depth allows him to stay behind his FB, and on top of his SL, giving both pitches consistent shape and life. There are only a handful of arms in the country with this type of ceiling on the velocity, and there are multiple reasons why we feel this way. Firstly, Ty’s hip/shoulder separation is extremely rare and creates more torque than some of the best prospects in the classes above him. The timing of said separation makes him stretch like a slingshot, with his furthest distance between the ball and front foot developing just before he lands. His lengthy and explosive stride only intensifies the stretch and puts him closer to the plate, each pitch he throws jumps out of the hand with advanced extension. Ty’s ability to spin a SL hard at a young age projects on his future FB velocity, as most good arms his age are throwing much slower breaking balls. The FB is shocking to evaluate, as it sits in the 84-86 range T88. The pitch has violent, bat breaking bore (up in zone) as soon as it comes out of the hand and he pronates extremely well due to his hand staying efficient and well within the frame at release. The profile changes slightly down in the zone, with heavy sink at times to go with the unreal HZB. His SL works in the 73-75 range and is sharp with gradual sweep and late depth. With the tight shape of the pitch, it's very difficult for hitters to notice early. The CH has a similar life to the FB and he maintains intent well.

Trevor Condon OF / Etowah, GA / 2026

The most competitive prospect in the class. Condon, a Miami (FL) commit, plays the game with a true chip on his shoulder, like every player on the diamond has disrespected him. It is an all gas, no brakes style of play that is only accentuated by some freakish tools. A finely tuned 5-foot-8, 157-pounds, he has a lean build filled out with quick twitch muscle that is explosive in every sense of the word. The run tool is already at an elite level, posting a 6.83 laser-timed 60 and a max run speed of 20.5 mph last June. Condon aggressively utilizes his speed every chance he gets. Whether it is a hard 90, stealing a base, or tracking in the outfield, he can take it to another gear that very few can. At the plate, he has a violent left-handed swing. Starting open, he uses a leg kick to load up on the back-side. On foot plant, the hips explode and he whips the barrel through the zone with present hand and bat speed. The result is loud contact middle/pull. Already capable of putting up power numbers, the future is exciting as he continues to add to his frame. On top of that, there is zero doubt that Condon has a long term home in center field.

Jordan Johnson RHP / Loganville , GA / 2026

This is an exciting arm who possesses a prototype RHS frame with the most compact delivery in the state that allows his incredible arm speed to work more efficiently. Jordan’s arsenal is just as advanced as the delivery, being able to throw 3 pitches for strikes with consistent movement. He has advanced lower half mechanics that put him in a good position to throw and allow him to work downhill, steepening the trajectory of his pitch plane. Johnson has a quick, short circle arm action that moves with extreme fluidity and efficiency and is very tough to pick up for hitters. His L3/4 slot from a lower release height allows his mid to upper 80’s FB (T90) to play well up in the zone despite not being high spin. He has a very good feel for locating it arm side and it jumps out of the hand with run+sink. The pitch gets even more swing and miss due to deceptiveness and the threat of his nasty downer CH constantly looming over hitters. It works in the upper 70’s with late fade & depth. The CB in the 72-75 range is relatively consistent in shape and sweep, and flashes two plane depth at times. He’s able to throw it for strikes, it provides a different look to the rest of his repertoire, and should continue to improve in the years to come due to his athleticism. This is an arm with a good blend of current stuff and projection who we are excited to get some good looks on in 2023.

RJ Cope LHP / Georgia Premier Academy, GA / 2026

There may not be another prospect in the entire country with the size and abilities of Cope. Standing all of 6-foot-6, 210-pounds, the left-handed pitcher is long and lanky, oozing projection. When he takes the mound there is an undeniable presence. Cope has a low effort delivery with easy operation. It looks like he is just laying catch at-times while sitting mid-80s. He moves better than one would expect someone his size and age to, and it shows in his delivery. He has nimble feet leading to good direction and great balance. Creating rhythm with his hands at balance point, he is able to gain arm speed for his long cross-fire arm action. While the slot is ¾, Cope is still able to take advantage of his length with a 6-foot-4 release height. The ability to command his mid-80s fastball has stood out in our viewings, and he is far from finished with the pitch.  He compliments it with a slider that has shown a gyro profile with late drop and cut to it. It already garners swing and miss regularly, and has a chance to be dominant. He also has an upper-70s changeup that he does a good job of masking.