For years, the Prep Baseball National Program Invitational has served as the unofficial starting line of the summer circuit and the first major proving ground for the next year's MLB Draft class. As the calendar flips from spring to summer, the nation's top prospects converge with one goal in mind: to separate themselves from an already talented field and begin building momentum toward draft day.

The event has become more than just another stop on the showcase schedule, now it's more like a launchpad. Players have used strong performances at NPI as the foundation for summer-long ascents that transformed them from intriguing follows into household names among scouting departments. The combination of elite competition, concentrated scouting coverage, and meaningful games creates an environment where helium is born. 

Every summer brings a new wave of talent, and every draft cycle seems to trace back to a handful of players who first announced themselves on this stage. Whether it's a power arm taking a leap, a toolsy position player putting everything together, or an under-the-radar prospect forcing his way into the conversation, the NPI has repeatedly proven to be fertile ground for breakout performances.

As the professional scouting community enters the crossover period between the 2026 and 2027 draft classes, the NPI provides an early look at the nation's top prospects while they're still fresh and performing at their best. Before the grind of the summer circuit takes its toll, scouts get some of the clearest evaluations they'll see all year, offering a valuable glimpse into who could emerge as the next wave of draft risers over the next 12-plus months.

'27 DRAFT STOCK WATCH 📈

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MORE QUICK HITS

+ OF Ka’alekahi Kahaulua (HI, uncommitted)
Physically impressive at an athletic 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with lean strength throughout. Should add more strength in a hurry. Simple setup with more direct path from the left side with minimal effort. Barrel presents some heaviness with power upside.Feels like he has a chance to make a jump with a hit/power profile and fluid athleticism.

Ka’alekahi Kahaulua (6/5/26)

+ 3B Connor Greb (AL, Auburn recruit)
Built with some compact strength on a 6-foot, 185-pound frame. Open setup from the left side with hands rocking to a power position with a leg kick that loads up the back side. Strong through impact with a tight path that presents length in the zone. Hitterish in the back with the ability to cover the plate with firm contacts to all fields. Played hard at all times in this look. Looks to be a versatile defender whose stick will push into lineups at future levels. Chance for more power to come.

+ OF John Hucko (NC, NC State recruit)
Impressively athletic frame at 6-foot, 190-pounds with lean, defined strength. High-waisted with burst out of the box. The left-handed hitter did not enjoy loud success in this look, but the ingredients of a high-level prospect were there including a quick first step in center field with a chance to stick long-term. Hunched slightly with a squared setup, the hands separate slightly with a bigger leg kick that loads the back side. Gets to a quality launch position, but a considerable drift, in this look, disrupted timing. Bat-to-ball was still present, and posted 4.1 run time on a full swing. Dynamic-type athlete with big bat speed. Likely to have some loud, takeover moments on the summer circuit.

+ OF Landon Swinney (MS, Missouri recruit)
It was a quick look at Swinney, whose Easley Baseball club warrants incessant follows 1-9 in the order, but a good one that showcased tools. Compact at 5-foot-10, 195-pounds with a barrel chest and strong lower-half, the center fielder displayed burst out of the box after exhibiting advanced bat speed from the right side with some sneaky power potential. Quality takes and aggressive swings were prevalent throughout, and more speed times down the line are needed in the future although he took quality routes defensively.

Landon Swinney (6/5/26)

+ OF Crews Albritton (MS, uncommitted)
The setup at the plate from the 6-foot-2, 200-pound, left-handed hitting outfielder, appeared comfortable throughout the NPI, and the incessant lag of the barrel seemed to hint at a potential advanced hit-tool in the making. Relaxed through a free flowing load, the 6.60-runner displayed a flat path through the zone with a gap-to-gap approach that should quickly see an uptick in power production. Again, it was a very quick look, but one that warranted circling back for more throughout the summer.

+ RHP Matthew Hernandez (TX, uncommitted)
Featuring an all-stretch look, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander was not at his crispest form, but still presented an upside look of things to like. Controlled throughout a continuous arm stroke, he worked 90-93 (2,366 rpm) with a fastball that registered with more than 7-feet of extension. He countered with some feel for a slider at 78-81 (2,335) and changeup at 86 mph (1,517). The spring held more electric looks, and while this one was less so, the metrics and upside remain exciting.

+ 3B Tavis Honeycutt (FL, Florida recruit)
The most imposing player, physically, in the class, Honeycutt’s 6-foot-4, 275-pound frame is impossible to miss on the diamond. Carrying the weight with impressive athleticism, the right-handed slugger gets to big juice with relative ease from a more fluid load. After a big spring, Honeycutt kicked off the summer with a solid NPI that included plus-power outputs in batting practice during the workout day.

Tavis Honeycutt (6/3/26)

+ C Carson Kinnick (CA, Mississippi State recruit)
A 6-foot-1, 190-pound backstop, Kinnick displayed adequate defensive work including pop-times right around 2.00-2.05 between innings with some feel for the barrel at the late. Active hands in the pre-pitch look led to a rocking launch position below the back shoulder with a flat path and some opposite field angling. Some looseness to the wrists with ability to work gap-to-gap.

+ OF Jacob Seamon (NC, LSU recruit)
The No. 5-ranked player in the class, Seamon’s 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame has added some strength over the past year, and is trending in a much more physical direction. Long-limbed, he encompasses the box with a squared setup with the barrel parallel to the ground while rested on the shoulder prior to lifting into a power position with a normal stride. Featuring quality bat speed with length in the zone, Seamon exhibited some swing-and-miss in this particular two-game look, but the outputs when on the barrel were explosive, and the swing still presents itself as one of the sweetest in the class. Moving better defensively in center field, the tools set the draft profile exceptionally high, and there is no reason to doubt that he hits his stride in a hurry while embarking in a strong summer.

+ RHP Grafton Marshall-Inman (AZ, Arizona recruit)
Moving gracefully down the mound, Marshall-Inman worked 89-92+ with some arm side life and should see steady jumps throughout the summer (and beyond). Clean and athletic, the delivery is is both polished and dynamic and provided for effortless repeating. The slider flashed as an above average pitch at 77-80 mph and spinning at 2,700-plus rpm, and should make another jump in the near future. He also flashed an adequate changeup at 84 mph. While the results were not explosive, it is easy to envision fast future advancements, and he holds definite starter upside.

Grafton Marshall-Inman (6/4/26)

+ RHP Will Parrish (NC, NC State recruit)
Parrish’s velocity was a bit down at 87-90 mph, but that did nothing to dissuade the excitement of his upside as a loose, athletic right-handed arm with a quality changeup and tighter curveball (76-79). The arm works somewhat longer and loose in the back with usual effort and quickness out front while delivering out of a near ¾ slot. Likely making one of his first summer outings, the idea that the overall pitch package jumps a grade, even within the next four to six weeks, seems likely given the movement patterns, and Parrish looks the part of a North Carolina arm that will jump.

+ RHP Reed Dierschke (TX, uncommitted)
A smooth mover with advanced feel for spin, Dierschke delivered one of the best outings of the event. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-hander worked 89-92-plus (2,700 rpm) with a supinator look to the fastball that provided for future elite cutter, 86-88, and slider, 81-85, (3,065 rpm) secondary. The slider, in particular, was ripped off at will and should blossom into a true plus-pitch. He also flashed some feel for a changeup at 83 mph. While the fastball does not, yet, play as an elite offering, the shapes of the arsenal seem to hint at easy adjustments in the future.

Reed Dierschke (6/6/26)

+ RHP Kowen Rader (NE, Nebraska recruit)
Wiry-athletic with a significant amount of strength set to boost his 6-foot-3 frame, Rader worked 90-93 mph with a loose, whippy arm that delivered out of a ¾ slot. A dynamic mover down the mound, he countered with a fringe average slider, 80-82 mph, that still exhibited signs (some aptitude) of making a considerable jump. Featuring somewhat raw pitchability the bet is on the athlete, and there is reason to believe that he steadily rises throughout the summer.

+ C Caden Borcherding (GA, Clemson recruit)
Borcherding is a premier defender in the class thanks to soft hands, an athletic base, and a strong throwing arm. Impressively athletic at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds with lean, defined strength, there is still some room for adding more physicality which should assist in even greater power. The right-handed hitter belted an opposite field home run in his first at-bat of the tournament. The feet subtly move in the pre pitch pursuit, emphasizing lower-half force, before quicker hands provide some strength through the zone. There was some swing-and-miss at times, but as an elite defender, the trade off for more power is worth it.

Caden Borcherding (6/4/26)

+ RHP Paul Barnett (AL, Alabama recruit)
It was a (nearly) hidden and quick look at Barnett who touched 95 mph in his outing while flashing advanced feel for a potential plus-changeup (warmups) and quality slider at 79-81 (2,495 rpm). At 6-foot-3, 185-pounds with two-way potential, the athleticism and power arm stroke warrant close follow from the scouting community.

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Hatcher's Takes 🌴

Prep Baseball Florida scouting director and special assistant to the Vice President of Scouting, Cayden Hatcher, was in attendance at the NPI and provided a clear look at some names of prospects who provided an impact on his look at LakePoint during the NPI.

1. RHP Greyson Parker (Jason Kidd Select, Ole Miss recruit, #229)

Despite the damp conditions on Sunday evening, Parker’s operation remained polished and repeatable, showcasing the impeccable athleticism expected from his 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame. The righty features a clean, fluid arm path that works from a tall position at release, allowing for an easy delivery and impressive downhill plane. The fastball exhibited premium ride, frequently exploding on opposing hitters and validating the high level metrics (22 in. IVB; 7-foot-3 extension) that make the heater such a dangerous weapon. Unfazed by the elements, Parker attacked the zone with conviction at 93-96 mph (2,600-plus rpm), asserting himself as a high ceiling arm for the scouting community to monitor throughout his development.

Greyson Parker (6/7/26)

2. RHP Jordan Ayala (Jason Kidd Select, Uncommitted, #71)

Operating during a high-octane night window at NPI, Ayala provided a glimpse into a high-ceiling profile fueled by pure electricity. The California native commanded the mound with a fastball that sat in the 94-96 mph range, featuring late life that frequently overwhelmed opposing bats. He complemented the heater with a devastating, wipeout slider (86-87 mph) with elite rotation, consistently spinning north of 2,800 rpm. Featuring a high-intent delivery and an infectious competitive fire under the lights, Ayala attacked the zone with conviction, utilizing a slider that projected as a premium swing-and-miss weapon. Even as the event stretched into the late hours, Ayala’s stuff remained sharp and his demeanor unfazed, asserting himself as a premier uncommitted arm for the scouting community to monitor throughout the summer circuit.

Jordan Ayala (6/8/26)

3. RHP Camden Boehm (Top Tier Roos, Ole Miss recruit, #233)

Boehm authored one of the summer’s most overpowering performances at the NPI, dismantling opposing hitters over five innings of one-hit ball while racking up 13 punchouts. The Ole Miss recruit operated with a premium fastball that sat 91-94 mph, featuring late life and high-level ride that frequently overwhelmed bats in the upper quadrant. He complemented the heater with a sharp, high-spin 12/6 curveball that showed massive depth and acted as a primary swing-and-miss weapon. Advanced ease of operation and a focused competitive demeanor, Boehm’s blend of explosive stuff and strike throwing ability asserts him as a premier arm for the scouting community to track.

4. SS Moises Gudino (CBU, South Florida recruit, #237)

During the NPI title matchup, Gudino asserted himself as a premier force within the CBU lineup, providing a high level offensive production on the national stage. The South Florida recruit utilized a direct, repeatable path that comes from a smooth and timed up rhythmic load from the left side to deliver a solo blast to center along with a clutch opposite-field RBI knock. Throughout the week Gudino showed advanced barrel accuracy to all fields. At the dish, Gudino maintains a short, efficient stroke that still manages to generate sneaky impact, projecting a hit over power profile that should thrive at the next level. Mature all-fields approach, ability to stay at the premium position, and an unwavering competitive edge Gudino solidified his standing as a sneaky helium middle-infield prospect in the 2027 class.

Moises Gudino (6/9/26)

5. OF August Backman (Florida Burn, Florida recruit)

Following a stellar spring campaign posting a .485 average and earning Prep Baseball Florida First Team All-State honors, Backman brought a polished, highly repeatable look to the NPI. The 6-foot, 185-pound outfielder utilized a compact, athletic stroke that prioritized advanced barrel accuracy and elite zone coverage throughout the week. Staying inside the baseball with ease, the center fielder showed a direct path to contact while consistently driving firm barrels from the middle to the opposite field. With a mature approach and disciplined eyes at the plate, Backman showcased an advanced hit-tool that reinforces his status as a high-floor prospect worthy of continued evaluation.

6. RHP/OF RJ Shields (Florida Burn, Mississippi State recruit, #144)

Shields put together a solid stint over the weekend, putting a power arsenal on display that is backed by elite-level spin traits on the fastball. Working from an athletic and strong bodied frame, the right-hander commanded the bump with a rhythmic, repeatable operation, firing from a clean three-quarters slot that yields functional extension while finishing over a firm front side. Controlling the tempo throughout the three-inning outing, Shields allowed minimal traffic while racking up a pair of punchouts and surrendering just one hit. The fastball sat comfortably at 91-94 mph, featuring advanced life through the zone with a high-end spin rate that sat at 2,400-plus rpm. That velocity and shape produced consistent vertical ride, generating late life that frequently overwhelmed bats for swings-and-misses above the belt. He complemented the heater with a tight, late-breaking slider at 82-83 mph that registered around a 2,300 rpm average spin. The breaking ball showcased sharp bite and lateral depth, tunneling effectively out of the fastball window to miss barrels. With intriguing metrics and a polished ease of operation, Shields asserts himself as an arm to monitor in the 2027 class.

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