MD Scout Blog: Early Spring Standouts
March 31, 2026
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It has been a busy spring so far for our staff, as we have covered over 50 games already in 2026. The talent is legit and the baseball across MD and DE is in a really good spot. Below, MD Scouting Director Jamie Naill highlights close to 20 players who have stood out throughout the first three weeks of the high school season. Click on each player's profile to see full metrics and video.
*Summer Showcase Schedule*
Uncommitted Players (Alphabetical)
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Paul Burgee SS / RHP / Westminster High, MD / 2027An arm that I was extremely impressed with this preseason, Burgee showcased immense athleticism in an early county-rival game against Century. The fastball ran up to 86 and lived in the mid-80s throughout the outing, showcasing some run to the arm side with the ability to consistently induce weak contact. The curveball is continuing to add sharpness and feel, and couples it off of a devastating downer changeup to both RHH’s and LHH’s. More to come as the feel increases. 
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Diarmuid Gardiner RHP / SS / Walt Whitman High, MD / 2028Gardiner has been at the top of our staff’s conversations every time we speak on this loaded 2028 class across Maryland, and an early look at the arm this spring hammered down just how special “Puck” can be. The fastball runs into the upper 80s consistently and showed added feel for the breaker in at the knees. If the fastball and curveball can continue to work off of each other consistently, it only adds to the effectiveness of the killed-spin changeup that continues to add sharpness. This is a can't-miss arm to watch throughout the rest of this spring and summer, and look for the stock to only rise in the near future. 
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Ayden Jenkins C / 2B / Sherwood High, MD / 2029A player that has impressed our staff in each look of his still young baseball career, Jenkins looks to make a huge impact for the defending 3A State Champions. Present power and barrel feel has always been evident to me, and that was nailed down early this spring with a look in early March. Plenty of barrel speed/whip adds to the consistency in the hit tool and the line drive approach to all fields is certainly impressive at such a young age. The athleticism continues to tick up, and look for the stock to continue to rise as the body fills out and adds some physicality. 
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William Lepre 3B / RHP / The Heights, MD / 2027A look at The Heights school, it was my first in-depth look at Lepre and it was certainly an eye-opener. Rhythm in the hands with plenty of power to the pull side gap, the uncommitted infielder showcased consistent barrel feel with some quick twitch in the hands. Strength in the 6-foot-3 frame, look for power numbers to continue to sky-rocket as the physical maturity sets in. 
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Brady McNatt SS / 2B / Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, MD / 2028Yet another standout from our preseason showcases, McNatt has carried his rising stock over to the spring with Good Counsel. It’s a wiry, highly athletic makeup with high contact ability at the dish and the ability to consistently spray line drive to all fields. The power is the pull side, but the ability to stay consistent and sound with the approach is something that continues to garner my attention. Look for the frame to continue to fill out and this hit tool to really take off throughout this spring and summer. 
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Jake Miles RHP / 1B / Glenelg High, MD / 2027One of the more eye-opening arms that I really liked early this spring, the uncommitted junior flashed a three-pitch mix that was devastating in every facet. The fastball ran up to 87 and lived in the mid 80s, working it to both sides of the plate with the ability to induce weak contact. The curveball was thrown with confidence, showcasing shorter shape with depth down, while coupling it with a downer changeup that showed effectiveness to LHH’s. Plenty of velo left in the tank, look for this to be one of the more notable uncommitted arms as we continue through the spring and into the summer months. 
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Jesse Orford C / OF / Bethesda-Chevy Chase High, MD / 2028A huge standout from our preseason showcases, the switch-hitting backstop rolled that standout performance into a strong one early on in the spring. The barrel feel is fairly consistent and the raw power is on the cusp of breaking out, as he has shown present power to both gaps with more to come in the near future. Quick hands with some barrel speed, look for this name to pop throughout this spring. 
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Sam Reed RHP / 3B / The Heights School, MD / 2027Another 2025 Future Gamer that I was able to get an early look at, the big 6-foot-6 right-hander showcases plenty of flashes and intrigue that college coaches should be excited about. The fastball runs into the upper 80s with the ability to induce whiffs at the top, showcasing the ability to manipulate shape on the mid 70s breaking ball. The strike percentage needs to cleanup a touch, however, there’s no question that the raw stuff on the bump is something to be excited about for future success at the next level. 
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Maddox Stonesifer 2B / OF / Westminster Senior High School, MD / 2027The uncommitted junior was a big standout to me in past showcases, and it continued in an early look this spring. The hands are fluid and the barrel feel was evident, showcasing the ability to showcase the present strength to the pull side. I liked the rhythm and the ability to flash barrel speed, and look for this to only add to the value of this hit tool. 
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Ryan VanHuysen 3B / SS / Walt Whitman High, MD / 2026Coming off an injury to the lower half, VanHuysen has been a “under-the-radar” impact player thus far for Whitman, and an early March look at the right-handed hitter had me coming away impressed. Plenty of strength in the body/swing allows for the approach to stay consistent, showcasing the ability to backspin not only to the pull-side, but the opposite field gap as well. Creates plenty of barrel length through the zone. 
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Committed Players (Alphabetical)
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Brice Boling RHP / 2B / Northern, MD / 2026My first real in-depth look at the Clarion commit, Boling gets just about everything out of his long 6-foot-3 frame, running the fastball up to 88 in early march with the ability to induce whiffs in and out of the zone. The splitter was the difference-maker for me, as the killed-spin pitch (1100 rpm) worked to the arm side with dive action down and in the RHH’s and should be a real “out” pitch at the next level. Still room to fill out the lean frame, look for plenty more velo to be in the tank in the near future. 
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Jackson Branch OF / 2B / Col. Zadok Magruder High, MD / 2026Certainly a fan of this hit tool, as this was my first real in-depth look at the Wilson commit. The hands work quick with barrel speed through, showcasing a strong line drive approach to the middle. The swing decisions are consistent and the the high contact ability at the top of the lineup should carry over to the next level. Physicality in the body should only add on as maturity sets in. 
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Luke Crawford C / OF / Georgetown Preparatory School, MD / 2027One of my favorite hit tools in the state, the 2025 Future Games alum has continued to stack standout performance after standout performance, and continues that into an early look this spring. The approach is consistent and powerful, showcasing the ability to backspin to both gaps with some added power to the pull side that should only continue to evolve. Rhythm and balance is at the forefront of this hit tool, and it certainly looks strong for the Harvard commit thus far this spring. 
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Parker Dix RHP / 1B / Oakdale High, MD / 2027It was an early look on the Old Dominion commit this spring, and the fastball was certainly impressive, running the heater up to 88 with plenty of ride through the zone. The breaker continues to add shape/depth, and look for the spin to continue to add sharpness as the spring months roll on. The physicality in the body bodes well for more velo to come, and if Dix can continue to ramp up the strike percentage, look for his name to be added as one of the top right-handed arms that this state has to offer. 
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Owen Hauser RHP / 1B / Montgomery Blair, MD / 2026Plenty of talk coming into the spring, the Bucknell commit was at the top of my list of arms to go out and see this spring. It certainly lived up to the hype, as the 6-foot-5,, 215-pound right-handed pitcher showcased a strong two-pitch mix with the ability to get weak contact/whiffs in and out of the zone. The fastball worked up to 90, setting in the upper 80s with arm-side run that played effectively against RHH’s. The slider is tight and worked mostly down in the zone and should add sharpness as the spring months roll on. 
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Jaidon Maxwell 1B / RHP / Linganore High, MD / 2027This has been the most powerful and eye-opening offensive performer that I have seen this spring, and the strength in the body/swing continues to evolve as one of the best in the state. The power to the gaps is not only consistent, as the Wake Forest commit seems to notch an extra-base hit in every game thus far, but also loud with legit homerun power with every swing he takes. This is a high-power, yet consistent hit tool that continues to trend up as the months go on. 
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Pierce Quinn RHP / OF / John Carroll, MD / 2026It was an early look at the 2024 Future Gamer and 2026 Super 60 participant, as Quinn showcased why he is regarded as the top arm in this class across Maryland. The fastball ran into the low 90s, up to 2600 rpm with run/ride that diced up RHH’s all day. The curveball, per usual, was the difference-maker, spinning it up to 3000 rpm with late bite down. Throughout the spring, you will see the velo tick up, most likely into the mid 90s, and if the curveball is anything like it was in early March, the Virginia commit has all the makings of making a run at Prep Baseball MD Pitcher of the Year. 
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Carter Shanks 3B / RHP / Liberty High, MD / 2026It’s easy for me to show some love to my Carroll County roots, and the La Salle commit makes it very easy to evaluate. Added power to the pull side early on this spring, Shanks continues to showcase present barrel feel with high contact/high average ability, showcasing a strong gap-to-gap approach. Strong wrists add to the present barrel speed and the ability to manipulate the barrel only adds to how special this hit tool is. 
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