Tales of the Quad: 15U National Championship

With the National Program Invitational in the rear view mirror, the summer is in full swing with the beginning of the National Championships here at Lakepoint, and that feels like the perfect time to roll out this brand new series.

Tales of the Quad is an inside look at the tournament from Ian Smith and Avery Fouts featuring different categories that highlight some of the best talent from throughout the week as well as a hot list of different standouts.

This summer is our most extensive coverage with scouts across the complex at all times, so make sure to check out the weekly scout blog that will feature 50+ names at any given time.

15U National Championship Scout Blog: 15u National Championship: Scout Blog

Cream of the Crop

Maddox Bryant, SS, 2029, Kingwood (TX)
Performance National 15U
It’s been nothing short of a breakout start to the summer for Bryant who recently jumped into the Top 10 overall in 2029 National rankings as well as a stellar showing against elite competition at NPI a few weeks ago. The incoming sophomore shows one of the most advanced left-handed swings that I've seen this summer with ability to stay extremely compact while showing tremendous zone coverage and present above-average bat speed. Bryant keeps balance through the quick-twitch load and has shown consistent ability to do damage across full pitch mixes. The hit/power ceiling for the infielder has a chance to be significant and we're already seeing impressive shades of it. Defensively, Bryant has shown actions and range that can play across the dirt with flashes of plus hands that could keep him up the middle long-term. There’s already lofty comps floating around in my head for Bryant and with the way this summer has started, it's hard not to be bullish.

Oliver Olson, RHP, 2029, Pennridge (PA)
Ascent Athlete Scout 2029
The #1 in Pennsylvania's 2029 class walked into Lakepoint to make a statement, and that’s exactly what the RHP did with 10 strikeouts across 5.2 shutout IP. With a high waist and long levers at 6-foot-4, 195-pounds, Olson shows immense projection in the frame backed by present body control that really stood out in the outing. Olson attacked the zone with the fastball throughout, living 88-91 while touching 92.3 and showing the ability to mix shapes throughout from a deceptive higher three-quarters slot. The path to Olson becoming a 95+ arm feels beyond likely. Tighter slider flashed at 74-76 with some feel to spin and ability to land in-zone. Late bite allows for the ability to miss barrels for both soft contact and whiffs. Changeup looks like a future weapon against LHH at 78-80 with some arm-side fade and depth. The feel to land for strikes is growing at a rapid rate. There’s already an advanced feel to sequence with more to come across the full mix. The profile for Olson can emerge to be one of the best RHP in the 2029 class overall.

Beckett Johnson, LHP/OF, 2029, South Jones (MS)
East Coast Sox 2029 Marucci
One of the top LHP in Mississippi’s 2029 class would make a statement early and often throughout the impressive week and showed this may be an immense two-way profile long-term. Johnson would make multiple appearances out of the bullpen throughout the championship run to the tune of a 1 H, 1 BB and 9 K across 7.1 innings. Methodical delivery that shows excellent repeatability with a higher leg kick and clean arm action that operates out of a three-quarters slot. Fastball gets on top of hitters quickly with cut/ride action at 86-89 and plus arm speed that only makes the effective velocity even greater. Shows present ability to generate swing-and-miss both in and out of the zone. Curveball works in the low-to-mid 70s with late, gradual break that can freeze both sides of the plate when landed in the lower half and will only take more strides as the feel grows. The changeup for Johnson could be the most advanced pitch in the mix, working at 72-75 with late arm-side fade that created whiffs to both sides of the plate whenever he needed while tunneling off the fastball extremely well. This is a future power LHP that is only scratching the surface of his potential on the mound. Johnson only further impressed at the plate as the OF with ability to find the barrel often and generate some of the loudest contact of the week. Syncs up well with ability to stay coiled before unleashing loose hands in a well-leveraged path that keeps the barrel on-plane forever. Came through with one of the biggest swings of the week as he unloaded on a pull-side HR at 105.4 EV/371ft. through 20 MPH winds late in bracket play that would jump start a comeback victory. Johnson would come through multiple 100+ EVs throughout the week overall and all signs point to the incoming sophomore developing a significant power profile. High-octane profile.

Carter Radics, C/OF/RHP, 2029, Wesleyan
ATL Lightning 15U Gold
Yet another setting where Radics made a statement. Simply performed in the box all week for multiple different staff amongst strong competition. Tools on tools for the #2 ranked player in GA with strength and twitch throughout the lean 5-foot-10, 157-pound frame. Barrels in every look with feel to use the whole field with ease and capped off a stellar showing in the box with a 101 EV pull-side HR in bracket play. Fluid mover through impact with excellent body control and zero wasted effort in the cut while showing controlled violence. Well-connected through the load with ability to stay balanced in a positive move forward. Innate barrel accuracy shows often with advanced hand/bat speed and length in-zone from an on-plane path. Defensive versatility stands out with athleticism while showing both a plus run tool and arm strength that will carry long-term from Radics. The recent state champion is quickly becoming a model of consistency as continued outstanding looks are stacking in a hurry.

JonLuke Harper, SS/3B, 2029, Northern (NC)
Orioles Scout Team 2029
Harper, the 5th ranked player in North Carolina’s ‘29 class, made his presence felt on the opening day of the tournament. Went 2-for-2 in the box with a pair of RBI and 2 runs scored. Collected a no-doubt solo home-run to left-center field that went off the top of the scoreboard ( 95 EV/388ft.) and added an RBI double to the backside later in the game. Twitch and athleticism stand out in the compact, muscled-up 5-foot-10,180-pound frame and 6.7 runner. Stays grounded and coils into his back hip for subtle weight transfer with controlled violence throughout the zone. Phone-booth type of turn in an extremely direct stroke with effortless hand and bat speed. Loose, strong hands are active pre-pitch that yield loud results and feel to adjust the barrel plane in-zone. Still so much more to project in the profile and a potential future games bid could very well be on the horizon come next summer.

Ross Christy, OF, 2029, Fultondale (AL)
East Coast Sox 2029 Marucci
Tooled up is what immediately comes to mind when watching Christy on the diamond. Consistently performed all week long both offensively and defensively en route to a championship victory. Abundance of strength and athleticism in the compact, broad-shouldered 5-foot-10, 181-pound frame. Caught barrels at will amongst staff in each look and against various pitch mixes with multiple 100 + exits across the tournament. Utilizes an early stride as he gets into his lower half well in a quick, balanced trigger while exploding through the zone with minimal wasted effort in the cut. Ball simply jumps off the bat in a direct path to contact while displaying present plus bat speed with advanced barrel feel and accuracy alike. Strength shows often and feel to work both gaps extremely well with excellent plate coverage to match. Impact glove in the grass with shades of a plus caliber defender down the line to profile in centerfield long-term. Came through in one of the biggest moments as he tracked a ball deep in the right-centerfield gap with effortless range showing, and ended a run-producing threat in the championship game. Advanced first step and instincts alike stand out backed by present foot speed (6.5 runner). Christy epitomizes the term “tool-shed” with plenty more to tap into and the high-level looks of production only continue to stack.

Future Games Dreamin’

Paulie Hobbs, OF, 2029, Hanover Central (IN)
Top Tier American 2029
The #5 in Indiana’s 2029 class was living on the barrel throughout the 15U National Championship and shows the making of a long-term hit tool that only gets better with each look. Quiet, blanched setup from the right-side with strength in the hands/wrists and direct path to contact that boasts advanced accuracy in the barrel. Showed the ability to carry balls deep in a gap-to-gap approach as picked up multiple extra-base hits on the week behind hard-hit contact. The strength in the physical 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame is present already but isn’t anywhere near the potential he holds down the line. Good actions in the grass with some flexibility in the hips and present above-average arm strength that points to a high-level ceiling as a power hitting corner outfielder.

Mason Leiterman, MIF, 2029, Bartlett (IL)
Windy City Hit Dogs 15u
Leiterman set the tone for a stout Hit Dogs lineup out of the lead-off spot as he showed really well in my look. Athletic 5-foot-11,158-pounds with a well-rounded profile and present feel to hit. Added a pair of all-field knocks as he showed an aptitude to work line-to-line with ease. Advanced approach at the dish with quality pitch recognition and zone awareness alike while showing mature swing decisions, with zero chase and minimal swing-and-miss. Works short-to-long with fluidity throughout and innate bat-to-ball skills to match. Utilizes his lower half well in a controlled load and stays balanced through impact with minimal wasted effort throughout the cut. Glovework stood out with tons of flexibility in the dirt and soft hands. Range in all directions is present backed by an excellent first step and instincts alike. Will continue to grow into the overall profile and chance to stick up the middle in the dirt long-term. It's the type of profile to buy stock in now with tools to project upon and can impact the game in a multitude of ways.

Ryder Yoder, SS, 2029, Malvern Prep (PA)
KBC Phillies Mid Atlantic Scout
Really good showing from Yoder in my only look as he put together a multi-hit game out of the lead-off spot with a pair of backside and pull-side barrels. Balanced approach with plenty of strength to project in the physical, athletic 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame and an abundance of tools litters the profile. Consistently on-time and utilizes a leg-lift load while staying balanced through impact. Creates tremendous barrel length with present hand speed and barrel feel alike while showing adjustability in-zone. Feel to work line-to-line and always stays within himself with the ability to reach base at a high-clip. Looked the part defensively with a chance to stick in the dirt long-term. 6.5 runner and boasts tons of athleticism with range and soft hands. Arm strength could carry long-term with clean footwork and strong glove-to-hand with accurate throws from multiple spots in the dirt. It’s a tooled-up profile with more to come as Future Games appears to be on the horizon with this type of continued production.

Whitton Butler, 1B, 2029, High Point Christian Academy (NC)
Orioles Scout Team 2029
In a week where the power was showing across the quads at a high-level, Butler put together one of the loudest weeks for Orioles Scout Team. Hulking, XL 6-foot-4, 205-pounds shows a tremendous blend of present strength backed by loads of projection and already showing strong body control of the long levers. The first baseman would hit .529 on the week with 14 RBI including two moonshot HR to CF with the longest distance of the week with a 102 EV/402ft. shot that would clear the batter’s eye by a wide margin. Butler does an excellent job getting his hands extended in-zone where he let the barrel and natural strength thrive in the uphill path and pairs it with a strong feel for the barrel that can point to a substantial power profile in the class. There’s some sneaky athleticism in the frame that plays both on the base paths and at 1B where there’s a chance for a high-level glove long-term.

Land Sharpless, SS/OF, 2029, Trinity Presbyterian (AL)
East Coast Sox Marcucci 2029
There might have been a more impactful week at the plate than what Sharpless put together in the midst of winning the 15U National Championship. The outfielder would lead the event with an outlandish 5 HR on the week with multiple coming in the biggest of moments and overall would hit .579 with 9 XBH and finish with a ridiculous 7 RBI in the championship game. Tall, balanced setup from the right-side, Sharpless leverages the barrel in the uphill path well with ability to generate easy pull-side loft at contact as well as finding hard-hit contact against both spin and velocity. Athleticism and arm strength allows for Sharpless to offer some positional versatility in both the dirt and in the outfield. There’s no denying that Sharpless was the catalyst this week and could be the breakout needed for a massive summer campaign.

Sleeper Standouts

Grant Spackey, OF, 2029, Nazareth Academy (IL)
Windy City Hit Dogs 15u
The “Hit Dogs” talent ran deep as Spackey was another impact bat that stood out from the jump. Showed extremely well in my lone look during pool play as he came through with quality plate appearances in each at-bat and produced a pair of base-hits and 2 RBIs out of the 3-hole against a talented opposing southpaw. Lean, athletic 6-foot-1,169-pounds with present barrel feel and well-connected RH cut. Syncs up well with excellent body control in the longer load and maintains balance in a controlled move forward. Ability to adjust in-zone is advanced for the age and simply put may have been some of the best across the entire week. Impressive hands show often with strong pitch recognition and innate feel to change barrel plane in-zone while adjusting to velo or spin. Always stays within himself and looks to do damage early or spoil to work deep counts in a middle of the field oriented approach. The wiry frame could hold much more to project across the board and feel to hit is already evident.

Conor Gee, SS, 2030, Malvern Prep (PA)
Ascent Athlete Scout 2029
In a week with multiple 2030s had standout performances while playing up but none shined brighter than the Pennsylvania shortstop. Led off all week long for a talented lineup and proceeded to find contact loud contact nearly every time he stepped into the box. Utilizing a balanced setup at the plate with a quick-twitch trigger that keeps him on-time consistently and advanced ability to keep a level-plane through the zone. Barrel accuracy for the age really stood out, and showed ability to tap into the raw pop as well with a no-doubt 368ft. shot to the pull-side in pool play. There’s a ton to project in the profile offensively with the ability to stick in the dirt long-term. Present flexibility and lateral actions are fluid through the middle while showing accurate arm strength to make any throw necessary. There’s tools throughout this profile that could put Gee among the best 2030s in the Northeast when our initial rankings come out this upcoming winter.

Ryan Winters, RHP, 2029, Lafayette (MS)
Beast National 15u - Fly
Pitchability shined for Winters out of the pen in a high-leverage look as he tossed 4.0 shut-out innings-pitched with 4 strikeouts. Wiry, high-waisted 6-foot-1, 150-pounds with long-levers and projection. Athletic and moves really well down the mound with quality extension followed by a loose arm stroke. Whippy arm speed stands out with ability to repeat well from a three-quarters slot. Excellent feel for a two-pitch mix and consistently kept hitters off-balance. Varied shapes on the fastball at 83-85 with command throughout the zone. Curveball has a chance to be a future advanced offering with late depth out of the same tunnel at 71-72. Showed the ability to flip it over for strikes or bury it in the dirt for swing-and-miss. It was clear to see that Winters thrives in the spotlight with plenty more to tap into as a breakout summer campaign is well under way.

Patch Hannon, C/OF, 2029, Malvern Prep (PA)
KBC Phillies Mid Atlantic Scout
Physical, barrel chested 6-foot-0, 185-pounds with plenty of projection remaining and has added significant strength and size from this time last summer. Took quality at-bats throughout my look and came through with a hard-hit pull-side single that left the bat at 95 EV. Stays simple in the box with quiet actions and exudes body control while showing ability to rotate well. Slight striding load forward and keeps his weight back as he utilizes a stout lower half for excellent weight transfer through the zone while creating good separation. Delivers a heavy barrel in a direct stroke from an on-plane path while displaying present bat speed and strong hands with minimal wasted effort in a potent RH cut. Hannon could very easily become a name to know nationally in the class in due time as the stock has a chance to really skyrocket.

Nate Long, RHP, 2029, Second Baptist School (TX)
Wildcatters National 2029
Hard-throwing RHP from the Lone Star state essentially seem to grow on trees on a yearly basis, and Long looks to fit the mold with a loud performance this week. Stout frame at 6-foot-0, 200-pounds with a loose arm action that's backed by present above-average arm speed. Fastball comes out of the hand extremely well with consistent arm-side life at 85-89, running it up to 89 on multiple occasions and showing ability to create in-zone misses. There’s a chance for Long to be a 92+ arm much sooner than later as the strength is only going to continue to grow. Slider has the makings of a future above-average to plus offering at 75-78, showing teeth with late horizontal break and present feel to spin (Max RPM 2774). Changeup was shown sparingly in warm-ups and further development can make it a solid third offering for Long in the future. The FB/SL is going to be the bread-and-butter for the RHP long-term and the ceiling for that combo has a chance to be significant.

Brock Downing, OF, 2029, Emsley A Laney (NC)
Orioles Scout Team 2029
The athletic 5-foot-11, 175-pound outfielder that spark-plug that paced the Orioles lineup throughout the week, showing shades of legit hit tool in the future alongside some sneaky pull-side raw power. Downing shows an extremely compact RH cut with an optimized path that allows to find the barrel often without selling out. Came through with a pair of pull-side HR on the week as well as hitting .588 with 6 walks to 0 strikeouts. Present above-average runner who covers ground extremely well in the grass backed by great first-step and advanced routes that could allow Downing to have long-term value in center field. The overall 2029 class in North Carolina showed well throughout the week and could hold significant depth as continue to develop.

The 15U National 26

1. Reese Parker, 3B, 2029, West Harrison (MS)
East Coast Sox Marucci 2029

2. Cannon Fralick, C, 2029, Starr’s Mill
SBA Tucci 2029

3. Hudson Pursell, RHP/OF, 2029, Wesleyan
Georgia Jackets 15U

4. Nick Vlastaris, 1B, 2029, Shawnee (NJ)
Dirtbags 15U National

5. James Van Der Post, OF, 2029, Woodgrove (VA)
Performance National 15U

6. Parker Bradshaw, LHP, 2029, Frisco (TX)
Dallas Tigers Hernandez 2029

7. Landon Lowery, LHP, 2029, Homeschool (NC)
SBA Tucci 2029

8. Nolan Gratton, C, 2029, Malvern Prep (PA)
Ascent Athlete Scout 2029

9. Eli Rice, SS, 2029, North Oconee
USA Scout 15U Purple

10. Leo Kelly, 3B, 2029, Loyola Academy (IL)
Top Tier American 2029

11. Caleb Mastin, LHP, 2029, PDG Academy (VA)
SBA Tucci 2029

12. Jack Klewein, SS, 2029, North Paulding
Blaze Baseball - Art Evans

13. Coston Mahan, 1B/RHP, 2029, Florence (AL)
East Coast Sox 2029 Marucci

14. Ryan Blatt, OF, 2029, Riverwood
ATL Lightning Gold 15U

15. Christian Mumford. SS, 2029, Germantown (MS)
SBG Sox Prime 2029

16. Elias Chunn, SS, 2029, Battle Creek (TN)
Atlanta Braves Scout Team 15u

17. Landon Zook, OF, 2029, Riverside (VA)
Dig In Baseball (National)

18. Brandon Gawlik, C/3B, 2029, Parkview Baptist (LA)
Performance National 15U

19. Ryan Smith, 1B, 2029, Bartlett (IL)
Windy City Hit Dogs 15u

20. Graysen Radics, OF, 2029, Wesleyan
ATL Lightning Gold 15U

21. Jose Lozada, RHP, 2029, Cypress Ranch (TX)
Banditos Black 2029

22. Townes Cinninger, LHP, 2029, St. Joseph (IN)
Top Tier Americans 2029

23. Colton Dabkowski, OF, 2029, Woodgrove (VA)
Team Elite Scout 15U

24. Bates Harrison, OF, 2029, Metter
Georgia Jackets 15U

25. Alejandro Cartagena, LHP/OF, 2029, William Allen (PA)
Baseball U 15U National

26. Dan Lang, SS, 2029, St. John Vianney (MO)
East Coast Sox 2029 Marucci

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