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NPI, Day Two: Shooter's Selects

June 7, 2025
By Shooter Hunt & Andy Sroka

The National Program Invitational (NPI) has a deep-rooted tradition of kickstarting MLB Draft summers for the nation’s top prep prospects. A slew of future first-rounders, impact prep follows for pro scouts and college recruiting coordinators, and future big leaguers have used the event as a springboard for breakout summers.

Here’s some go-to links to help keep track of this year’s event:

+ Full Schedule
+ Rosters
+ Shooter’s Standouts: Day One
+ Quick Hits: Day One

Below, we’re highlighting the best things we saw on the second day of action in Georgia.

SHOOTER’S SELECTS: DAY TWO

A hand injury robbed him of his spring baseball season, but Prep Baseball All-American and Vanderbilt commit OF Noah Wilson (McAllie HS, TN; No. 25 overall) has been making up for lost time while at LakePoint for the NPI in what is his first taste of live action this year. After going 1-for-3 on Day One for the San Diego Padres Scout Team, Wilson exploded for a 3-for-3 showing that included two triples and an inside-the-park home run that hit the top of the batter’s eye. Even with his high status in the class, the first two days have been astounding from a hitter who has seen minimal, if any, live pitching in 2025.

The 6-foot, 190-pounder is built with lean, defined strength that is most noticeable in the legs – and he gets to that strength impressively. Setting up in a sturdy base from the left side with the feet squared with an athletic crouch, a short stride separates the hands slightly away from the ear before the strength of the wrists and hands quickly generate bat speed in a tighter window. While the mechanics of the swing are short and crisp, the length of the barrel in the zone is endless, and the heaviness with which it strikes the ball is eye-opening.

The impact with which he hits the ball, combined with the burst of speed and acceleration out of the box (his first step is elite) stands out as top end tools with functioning athleticism. Each hit is almost guaranteed to be triple digits, including one of the triples at 104 mph that seemed to shock the outfielder as it bolted by. Without a change in demeanor, Wilson bolted multiple 4.1-turns, as peak performance seems to be the normal setting on what is a near machine-like look at a five-tool player.

MLB DRAFT HEAT 🔥

If the past two prep MLB Draft classes were considered “down years” in the state of Florida, then this year’s NPI is the platform that allows us to proclaim the Sunshine State is BACK. After Day Two, the number of Floridian arms to touch 95 mph or better at the event is quickly approaching double digits.

This day belonged to a 6-foot-8 right-hander from the Panhandle, who stamped himself as a must-follow arm with a path and profile for being the best in the class: RHP Denton Lord (South Walton HS, FL). The Florida recruit struck out five in three innings while yielding just a single hit. Working 93-96 mph with a fastball that featured ride and run through the bottom of the zone, he created a steep angle from a high ¾ slot with a quick, whippy arm getting quality extension out front. The big right-hander countered with a true 11/5 curveball with multi-tier break and tight spin, measured at over 2,700 rpm. The pitch exhibited swing-and-miss attributes and appears destined for plus status in the near future. He also flashed a fading changeup, 86-87 mph, as a solid third offering.

The polish and pitchability of Lord stood out loudly in this look as he confidently crafted pitches to each hitter faced. A dynamic and athletic mover who holds an electric arm and arsenal, the scariest part in watching his authoritative showing was the fact that it felt highly likely that the stuff would tick up even higher in the very near future.

And then there’s Lord’s teammate, 3B/RHP Coleman Borthwick (South Walton HS, FL; Auburn). The 6-foot-6, 255-pound two-way star has been making his presence known this week, piggybacking off Gio Rojas’ stellar start on Thursday by pitching the final 1.2 innings, sitting 92-94 mph, helping USA Prime/Aces National get out of a mini jam unscathed. Then, on Friday, Borthwick hulked a home run measured at 424 feet (103 mph EV), adding to his run production total on the week so far – up to 4-for-6 with four RBIs at the NPI now.

MORE ‘26 DRAFT NOTES

+ RHP Wilson Andersen (Jesuit HS, FL; Mississippi State): At 6-foot-3, 192 pounds, Andersen reaches elite velocity with relative ease, sitting 95-97 mph in the first frame of his outing on Friday. The fastball is a true back-spin four-seamer with ride, spinning at 2,400-plus rpm. The secondaries are a work in progress, but the breaking ball(s) flashes sharp, downer bite when it’s on.

+ OF James Tronstein (Harvard-Westlake HS, CA; Stanford): Tronstein is otherwise known as ‘Tronny Barrels’ and we got to see it again first-hand on Friday night. He worked a long at-bat in his first plate appearance that felt like another inevitable barrel, which is exactly what happened, as he laced a hard line-drive over the shortstop’s head for a base hit. Tronstein just recently appeared at ProCase-West (video below) where he ran a 6.61 with a near 30-inch vertical jump with a triple-digit max EV as well as a 91 mph arm from the outfield.

+ RHP AJ Rice (Pickens HS, GA; Auburn): Rice spins one of the best breaking balls in the Deep South, and it was on display Friday. From a live-bodied 6-foot, 170 pounds, the Auburn commit was 88-92 mph with the fastball, while the slider spins north of 2,700 rpm with huge, wipeout sweep in the low-80s. He also showed a firm cutter, 85-86 mph, with short, tight bite that can be another weapon of his.

FOR THE FUTURE

+ 1B/LHP Keelan Zumwalt (Summit Christian HS, MO, 2028): The top-ranked player in Missouri’s Class of 2028 is hard to miss at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds. Playing for Canes Southwest National, Zumwalt unleashed one of the best swings of the weekend when he clubbed a pitch beneath the zone that left the bat at 101 mph and traveled to the right field fence on a line. He’s one of the top-ranked players in the nation and maybe even equally interesting on the mound as a southpaw.

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