The Five is a weekly feature highlighting players from across North Carolina.  PBR North Carolina associate scout Matt Payne zeroes in on prospects fitting the category of the week, noting performances, stats, and video.

This week The Five  looks ahead to 2019 MLB Draft.  While it is still very early and a lot can happen between now and next June we want to take a look at five players who will be followed into the spring season. This week we will focus on the arms from across North Carolina.  Each of the five arms is ranked in the Top 20 in the state with the ability to continue to improve in the coming year.  While professional baseball may not be right for all high school players, we are seeing MLB teams accelerate talents to the big leagues when they are ready.  It was only a couple of years ago that Braves prospect Bryse Wilson toed the rubber as a member of Orange HS in Durham.

The Five

 

 

Chris Villaman LHP / OF / Ledford, NC / 2019 Rankings  StateRank: 1 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 24 / POS: 4 NC State commit.  The left hander has been impressive over the last year, ranking as the 4th best lefthander in the country.  His fastball has been as high as 93 mph and regularly pitches around 90 mph.  His secondary pitches are still developing but his slider has potential to be a swing a miss pitch.  His athletic ability and clean arm action give him plenty of projection.  It will be interesting to see what kind of jump he makes by next spring.  If he continues to progress and his secondary pitches keep developing he could be high on draft boards next June.