Best of 2025: Top Positional Velocities

January 9, 2026
Brandon Hall
NC / Mid-ATL Director of Scouting

Best of 2025: North Carolina Leaders

The Best of 2025 series serves as a comprehensive look back at the top performers across the Prep Baseball landscape in North Carolina throughout the 2025 calendar year. This collection pulls from every Prep Baseball event held in the state, along with national and regional events that featured Team North Carolina, creating a data-driven snapshot of the players who consistently stood out across the year.

2025 was a banner year for the state on the national stage. Team NC delivered strong performances at the Future Games, Jr. Future Games, Sr. Future Games, and the Super Sophomore Games, continuing to establish North Carolina as a reliable producer of high-end talent. The state was also represented by four players at the Super60, while two North Carolina prospects earned selections to the Prep Baseball All-American Game, highlighted by 2027 LHP Connor Salerno, who took home Most Valuable Pitcher honors.

That momentum carried over to the professional level, as North Carolina was well represented in the 2025 MLB Draft. With recent updates to the state rankings for the 2026 through 2029 classes, it’s clear that MLB scouts and college recruiters alike will continue to track the state closely in the years ahead.

The Best of 2025 leaderboards are built from the event analytics that power the Prep Baseball platform. Each event provides players with verified data, updated video, and measurable benchmarks that allow for direct comparison by position, class, and within the state. With over 1,000 college coaches and professional scouts subscribed, the platform serves as a vital tool for player evaluation, development tracking, and exposure—connecting North Carolina’s top performers with opportunities at the next level.

Top Defensive Arm Velocity | Best of 2025

The Top Defensive Arm Velocity leaderboards showcase the strongest arms from 2025 Prep Baseball events, featuring verified throws from infielders, outfielders, and catchers across North Carolina.

Infield and outfield velocities were captured while players simulated routine game actions—with infielders making throws from shortstop or third base and outfielders throwing to a base. Catchers were evaluated on throws to second base, replicating a stolen-base attempt, with arm velocity recorded from the crouch while scouts also tracked pop times.

This breakdown highlights both overall leaders and class-by-class standouts, offering context for positional arm strength, defensive impact, and long-term projection. Each name represents a defender who separated themselves with game-applicable arm strength during the 2025 event cycle.

DEFENSIVE METRICS

INFIELDER ARM VELOCITY

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	INF Velo
1	Landon Church	NC	West Forsyth	2026	SS	92
2	Caden Tarr	NC	Carmel Christian	2026	SS	91
3	Matt McKnight	NC	Charlotte Catholic	2025	SS	90
^	Evan Burroughs	NC	Watauga	2026	SS	90
^	Thomas Piscorik	NC	Wakefield	2028	SS	90
^	Jackson Stepp	NC	West Henderson High	2027	SS	90
4	Brady Holmes	NC	Person	2027	SS	89
^	Mac Corney	NC	Freedom Christian Academy	2027	SS	89
^	Mikey Papciak	NC	Wesleyan Christian Academy	2028	SS	89
^	Graysen Stafford	NC	Fayetteville Tech CC	2025	1B	89
^	RJ Browning	NC	Topsail	2027	SS	89
5	Sebastian Rodriguez	NC	Grimsley	2025	SS	88
^	Benjamin Bernard	NC	Green Level	2027	2B	88
^	Harrison Mears	NC	South Brunswick	2027	C	88
^	Adrian Gonzalez	NC	Apex	2025	3B	88
^	Owen Shirey	NC	Providence Day School	2027	SS	88
6	Meridian Leffew	NC	Gaston Christian	2025	SS	87
^	Dylan Stacks	NC	North Brunswick	2026	RHP	87
^	Jerry Sims	NC	Southeast Alamance	2026	SS	87
^	Graham Virag	NC	Cardinal Gibbons	2028	SS	87
^	Grant Helms	NC	Hickory Ridge	2027	1B	87
^	Gibson Todd	NC	Topsail	2026	SS	87
^	Brandon Bush	NC	Hoggard	2027	OF	87
7	Brody Brannan	NC	South Central	2027	OF	86
^	Drew Bonhag	NC	Cox Mill	2025	2B	86
^	Aaron Frink	NC	Overhills High	2028	3B	86
^	Evan Howard	NC	Myers Park	2027	SS	86
^	Evan Hogg	NC	Southlake Christian Academy	2026	SS	86
^	Cooper Wilson	NC	West Brunswick high school	2026	RHP	86
^	Jarrin Swead	NC	North Lincoln	2026	2B	86
^	Morgan Jones	NC	Weddington	2026	OF	86
^	Kaiwi Sharp	NC	First Flight High School	2029	SS	86
8	Calvin Tourville	NC	Wake County Warriors	2027	SS	85
^	Carter Huff	NC	Reagan	2027	SS	85
^	Trent Baker	NC	North Raleigh Christian Academy	2027	SS	85
^	Brady Marshall	NC	Reagan	2026	3B	85
^	Jackson Semanisin	NC	Fuquay-Varina High	2026	SS	85
^	Brax Thompson	NC	Providence	2028	SS	85
^	Dylan Rodkin	NC	Stuart W. Cramer	2027	RHP	85
^	Jackson Mocny	NC	pro5 baseball academy	2028	C	85
^	Grant McGuffey	NC	Cedar Ridge High	2026	2B	85
^	Cooper Marks	NC	Walter M Williams	2027	SS	85
^	Ruito Kobayashi	NC	Pro5 Academy	2026	2B	85
^	Braxton Faulkner	NC	Reagan	2029	RHP	85
9	Tae Trantham	NC	Asheville	2026	SS	84
^	Jacob Watson	NC	Falls Lake Academy	2026	3B	84
^	Gabriel Diaz	NC	Carmel Christian	2027	3B	84
^	Caden Nolan	NC	Richmond Senior	2026	3B	84
^	Carter Beck	NC	North Davidson High	2027	2B	84
^	Mason Hawkins	NC	Needham Broughton	2027	3B	84
^	JohnPaul Rodio	NC	Northern High	2027	SS	84
^	Matthew Wright	NC	West Forsyth High	2028	SS	84
^	Kayden Bradsher	NC	Orange	2027	SS	84
^	Brayden Mottola	NC	Pro5 Academy	2026	RHP	84
^	Austin Baxter	NC	Hopewell	2028	2B	84
^	Zeke Adwaters III	NC	Roberson	2026	SS	84
^	Alex Hampton	NC	Marvin Ridge	2028	1B	84
^	Dylan Hancock	NC	Cuthbertson	2028	SS	84
^	Andrew Mohler	NC	Cary	2026	3B	84
^	Joseph Fiore	NC	Weddington	2026	OF	84
^	Matthew Winser	NC	Homeschool (NC)	2027	2B	84
10	Giovanni Buccino	NC	West Forsyth	2027	1B	83
^	Cole Bowman	NC	Wesleyan Christian Academy	2027	C	83
^	Henry Geiser	NC	Green Level	2026	3B	83
^	Kellen Rogers	NC	Wake Forest	2027	SS	83
^	Eli Cash	NC	Corinth Holders	2027	RHP	83
^	Parker Filipek	NC	TC Roberson	2027	C	83
^	Preston Smith	NC	Hoggard	2026	3B	83
^	Justin Iannetto	NC	Sun Valley	2026	2B	83
^	Caleb Neal	NC	Wake Forest	2027	2B	83
^	Cameron (Cam) Small	NC	Heritage	2028	RHP	83
^	Jacob Raisig	NC	Reagan	2026	RHP	83
^	Nicholas Trogdon	NC	Northwest Guilford	2027	RHP	83
^	Elijah Martin	NC	Green Hope	2027	3B	83
^	Gunnar Johnson	NC	Alexander Central	2028	SS	83
^	Jacob Cesarz	NC	Pro 5 Baseball academy	2026	SS	83
^	Gavin Jackson	NC	American Leadership Academy - Johnston	2026	1B	83
^	Tyler Wright	NC	Hickory Grove Christian	2027	RHP	83
^	Camden Walton	NC	Garner	2026	SS	83
^	Devan Welch	NC	Heritage	2028	2B	83
^	Ryder Anderson	NC	DH Conley	2028	3B	83
^	Mason Ridings	NC	West Forsyth	2026	2B	83
^	Aiden Harrist	NC	Metrolina Academy	2028	RHP	83
^	Tucker Wingard	NC	Parkwood	2028	SS	83
^	James Price	NC	Mount Tabor	2027	3B	83
^	Chase Collins	NC	Providence Grove	2028	C	83
^	Weston Sykes	NC	Page	2027	SS	83
^	Jacob Barlett	NC	Wakefield	2027	SS	83
^	Parker Wallace	NC	Cape Fear High	2027	3B	83
^	Fisher Taylor	NC	Topsail	2028	SS	83
^	Chase Leonard	NC	New Hanover	2027	3B	83
^	Jack May	NC	Western Alamance	2028	C	83

2026 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	INF Velo
1	Landon Church	NC	West Forsyth	2026	SS	92
2	Caden Tarr	NC	Carmel Christian	2026	SS	91
3	Evan Burroughs	NC	Watauga	2026	SS	90
4	Dylan Stacks	NC	North Brunswick	2026	RHP	87
^	Jerry Sims	NC	Southeast Alamance	2026	SS	87
^	Gibson Todd	NC	Topsail	2026	SS	87
5	Evan Hogg	NC	Southlake Christian Academy	2026	SS	86
^	Cooper Wilson	NC	West Brunswick high school	2026	RHP	86
^	Jarrin Swead	NC	North Lincoln	2026	2B	86
^	Morgan Jones	NC	Weddington	2026	OF	86

2027 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	INF Velo
1	Jackson Stepp	NC	West Henderson High	2027	SS	90
2	Brady Holmes	NC	Person	2027	SS	89
^	Mac Corney	NC	Freedom Christian Academy	2027	SS	89
^	RJ Browning	NC	Topsail	2027	SS	89
3	Benjamin Bernard	NC	Green Level	2027	2B	88
^	Harrison Mears	NC	South Brunswick	2027	C	88
^	Owen Shirey	NC	Providence Day School	2027	SS	88
4	Grant Helms	NC	Hickory Ridge	2027	1B	87
^	Brandon Bush	NC	Hoggard	2027	OF	87
5	Brody Brannan	NC	South Central	2027	OF	86
^	Evan Howard	NC	Myers Park	2027	SS	86

2028 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	INF Velo
1	Thomas Piscorik	NC	Wakefield	2028	SS	90
2	Mikey Papciak	NC	Wesleyan Christian Academy	2028	SS	89
3	Graham Virag	NC	Cardinal Gibbons	2028	SS	87
4	Aaron Frink	NC	Overhills High	2028	3B	86
5	Brax Thompson	NC	Providence	2028	SS	85
^	Jackson Mocny	NC	pro5 baseball academy	2028	C	85

2029 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	INF Velo
1	Kaiwi Sharp	NC	First Flight High School	2029	SS	86
2	Braxton Faulkner	NC	Reagan	2029	RHP	85
3	Aiden Kirkland	NC	High Point Christian Academy	2029	SS	82
4	Sam Piscorik	NC	Wakefield	2029	3B	81
^	Ryder Sheffield	NC	North Stanly	2029	SS	81
5	Austin Tack	NC	Apex	2029	3B	80
^	Karsen Dodd	NC	Providence	2029	SS	80

OUTFIELDER ARM VELOCITY

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	OF Velo
1	Jaxon Matthews	NC	William Amos Hough	2026	OF	97
2	Logan D'Amico	NC	Marvin Ridge	2026	RHP	96
3	Riley Cuddy	NC	GRACE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL	2026	OF	94
4	Zeb Engstrom	NC	Covenant Day	2027	OF	93
^	Jacori Covington	NC	Garner high School	2026	OF	93
^	Landon Church	NC	West Forsyth	2026	SS	93
^	Corbin Kendrick	NC	Junius H Rose	2028	RHP	93
^	Jalen Boyd	NC	Covenant Day	2026	OF	93
^	Brandon Bush	NC	Hoggard	2027	OF	93
5	Kenan Helton	NC	Stuart W. Cramer	2026	OF	92
^	Roddy Woodard	NC	Wesleyan Christian Academy	2027	RHP	92
^	Grant Helms	NC	Hickory Ridge	2027	1B	92
6	Simon Brutskiy	NC	Apex	2027	RHP	91
^	Alfred Seaman	NC	Pdg	2027	OF	91
^	Ethan Wisler	NC	Wakefield	2027	RHP	91
^	Luke Douglas	NC	Marvin Ridge	2028	OF	91
^	Chace Blackmon	NC	Myers Park	2027	OF	91
7	Tanner Williams	NC	Midway High	2027	OF	90
^	Cooper Holland	NC	Charlotte Latin	2027	LHP	90
^	Cole Blevins	NC	West Rowan	2026	OF	90
^	Leo Lupienski	NC	Middle Creek High	2027	OF	90
^	Isaac Devine	NC	Overhills	2025	OF	90
^	Jerry Sims	NC	Southeast Alamance	2026	SS	90
8	Luke Talley	NC	Green Level	2027	1B	89
^	Michael Scaletta	NC	Covenant Day	2027	LHP	89
^	Jaxon Haynes	NC	Providence	2027	OF	89
^	Leyton Guhl	NC	Metrolina Christian Academy	2027	C	89
^	Ian McGuffey	NC	Cedar Ridge High	2026	3B	89
^	Ellis White	NC	Cox Mill High School	2028	OF	89
9	Calvin Tourville	NC	Wake County Warriors	2027	SS	88
^	Holt Gaston	NC	Roberson	2027	RHP	88
^	Jacob Barlett	NC	Wakefield	2027	SS	88
^	William Jordak	NC	Myers Park	2026	OF	88
^	Henry Tutera	NC	Christ School	2028	C	88
^	Ruito Kobayashi	NC	Pro5 Academy	2026	2B	88
^	Jaylen Witherspoon	NC	West Forsyth	2027	OF	88
^	Finn Sullivan	NC	Northwood	2027	RHP	88
^	Dylan Palmer	NC	East Wake Academy	2026	OF	88
^	Jakub Mudd	NC	Cardinal Gibbons	2026	OF	88
10	Judah Cannon	NC	Trinity of Durham and Chapel Hill	2026	OF	87
^	Morgan Jones	NC	Weddington	2026	OF	87
^	Koa Mikeal	NC	Alexander Central	2026	OF	87
^	Evan Burroughs	NC	Watauga	2026	SS	87
^	Carter Reddick	NC	Southeast Guilford High	2029	RHP	87
^	Tristen Sumner	NC	East Henderson High	2026	RHP	87
^	Luke Tyndall	NC	Junius H Rose	2027	OF	87
^	AJ McClain	NC	Ashbrook High	2027	OF	87

2026 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	OF Velo
1	Jaxon Matthews	NC	William Amos Hough	2026	OF	97
2	Logan D'Amico	NC	Marvin Ridge	2026	RHP	96
3	Riley Cuddy	NC	GRACE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL	2026	OF	94
4	Jacori Covington	NC	Garner high School	2026	OF	93
^	Landon Church	NC	West Forsyth	2026	SS	93
^	Jalen Boyd	NC	Covenant Day	2026	OF	93
5	Kenan Helton	NC	Stuart W. Cramer	2026	OF	92

2027 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	OF Velo
1	Zeb Engstrom	NC	Covenant Day	2027	OF	93
^	Brandon Bush	NC	Hoggard	2027	OF	93
2	Roddy Woodard	NC	Wesleyan Christian Academy	2027	RHP	92
^	Grant Helms	NC	Hickory Ridge	2027	1B	92
3	Simon Brutskiy	NC	Apex	2027	RHP	91
^	Alfred Seaman	NC	Pdg	2027	OF	91
^	Ethan Wisler	NC	Wakefield	2027	RHP	91
^	Chace Blackmon	NC	Myers Park	2027	OF	91
4	Tanner Williams	NC	Midway High	2027	OF	90
^	Cooper Holland	NC	Charlotte Latin	2027	LHP	90
^	Leo Lupienski	NC	Middle Creek High	2027	OF	90
5	Luke Talley	NC	Green Level	2027	1B	89
^	Michael Scaletta	NC	Covenant Day	2027	LHP	89
^	Jaxon Haynes	NC	Providence	2027	OF	89
^	Leyton Guhl	NC	Metrolina Christian Academy	2027	C	89

2028 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	OF Velo
1	Corbin Kendrick	NC	Junius H Rose	2028	RHP	93
2	Luke Douglas	NC	Marvin Ridge	2028	OF	91
3	Ellis White	NC	Cox Mill High School	2028	OF	89
4	Henry Tutera	NC	Christ School	2028	C	88
5	Ryan Grande	NC	Calvary Day	2028	OF	86
^	Lincoln Lawson	NC	Randleman	2028	C	86
^	Jack Cunningham	NC	Eastern Carolina Academy	2028	OF	86

2029 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	OF Velo
1	Carter Reddick	NC	Southeast Guilford High	2029	RHP	87
2	Kiptyn Middleton	NC	South Stokes High School	2029	RHP	83
3	Whitton Butler	NC	High Point Christian Academy	2029	1B	82
^	TJ Coleman	NC	Wilson Preparatory Academy	2029	LHP	82
4	Brock Downing	NC		2029	OF	80
^	CJ Nixon	NC	Grace Christian School	2029	LHP	80
5	Nicholas Parmelee	NC	North Brunswick	2029	RHP	78

CATCHER ARM VELOCITY - FROM THE CROUCH

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	C Velo
1	Matthew Ulicny	NC	Phillips Academy	2026	C	85
^	Wyatt Lytle	NC	Pro5 Academy	2026	C	85
2	Tyce Thompson	NC	South Central	2027	C	83
3	Jack McKellar	NC	Rocky Mount	2026	C	82
^	Giovanni Luisa	NC	Weddington	2027	C	82
^	Henry Tutera	NC	Christ School	2028	C	82
^	Leyton Guhl	NC	Metrolina Christian Academy	2027	C	82
4	Ben Cannaday	NC	Willow Spring	2026	C	81
^	Cameron Massey	NC	Heritage	2028	C	81
^	Ryker Butcher	NC	DH Conley	2025	C	81
^	Brady Maxwell	NC	Pro 5	2027	C	81
5	Banks Woody	NC	Pro5 Academy	2027	C	80
^	Lincoln Lawson	NC	Randleman	2028	C	80
^	Hudson Tuttle	NC	Reagan	2027	C	80
^	Lawson Tyndall	NC	Eastern Carolina Academy	2029	C	80

2026 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	C Velo
1	Matthew Ulicny	NC	Phillips Academy	2026	C	85
^	Wyatt Lytle	NC	Pro5 Academy	2026	C	85
2	Jack McKellar	NC	Rocky Mount	2026	C	82
3	Ben Cannaday	NC	Willow Spring	2026	C	81
4	Paul Greeley	NC	Charlotte Catholic	2026	C	78
^	Darrow Holder	NC	Hickory	2026	C	78
^	Will Holden	NC	West Forsyth	2026	C	78
^	Jonathan Piner	NC	East Carteret	2026	C	78
^	Evan Hodges	NC	Richmond Senior	2026	C	78
5	Spencer Sciotto	NC	South Mecklenburg	2026	C	77
^	Hodge Williams	NC	Holly Springs	2026	C	77
^	Nate Mizelle	NC	Garner	2026	C	77
^	Gavin Mathis	NC	Cary	2026	C	77
^	Tommy Shaw	NC	Charlotte Stampede	2026	C	77

2027 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	C Velo
1	Tyce Thompson	NC	South Central	2027	C	83
2	Giovanni Luisa	NC	Weddington	2027	C	82
^	Leyton Guhl	NC	Metrolina Christian Academy	2027	C	82
3	Brady Maxwell	NC	Pro 5	2027	C	81
4	Banks Woody	NC	Pro5 Academy	2027	C	80
^	Hudson Tuttle	NC	Reagan	2027	C	80
5	Harrison Mears	NC	South Brunswick	2027	C	79
^	Maddox Deans	NC	Southern Nash	2027	C	79
^	Hayden Willoughby	NC	DH Conley	2027	C	79

2028 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	C Velo
1	Henry Tutera	NC	Christ School	2028	C	82
2	Cameron Massey	NC	Heritage	2028	C	81
3	Lincoln Lawson	NC	Randleman	2028	C	80
4	Jack Catron	NC	Homeschool (NC)	2028	C	79
^	Ellis Reed	NC	Gray's Creek	2028	C	79
5	Tyson Cameron	NC	Pro5 Academy	2028	C	78

2029 GRADS

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	C Velo
1	Lawson Tyndall	NC	Eastern Carolina Academy	2029	C	80
2	Grayson Durrant	NC	Pro5 Academy	2029	C	75
^	Clark Johnson	NC	Eastern Carolina Academy	2029	C	75
3	Chase Kafes	NC	Heritage	2029	C	74
4	Avery Cooney	NC	Carrboro	2029	C	73
5	Teagan Nickerson	NC	Eastern Carolina Academy	2029	C	72
^	Cole Cavanaugh	NC	Wesleyan Christian Academy	2029	C	72