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NPI, Days Three & Four: Shooter's Selects

June 9, 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 | Day Two
+ Quick Hits: Day One

Below, we’re highlighting the best things we saw on the third and fourth days of action in Georgia.

SHOOTER’S SELECTS: DAYS THREE & FOUR

Another couple days at the NPI and we’ve got even more Florida ‘26s that shoved their way to top of the long list of highlights coming out of this elite 2025 tournament. OF Brady Harris (Trinity Christian Academy, FL; Florida commit) is one of the country’s top prospects, ranked No. 4 overall nationally, for wielding elite bat speed and athleticism inside a lean/strong 6-foot-2, 190-pound build.

Harris had been increasing his playing time over the course of the spring season, protecting a lower-half injury out of precaution, but he was back to full strength in time for Trinity Christian’s final stretch of its postseason run, patrolling center field in their best-of-three series against Bozeman HS. Harris recorded a hit in TCA’s final four games of the season, including in their loss in the state’s Class 2A title game, and three of his six hits in those four games went for extra bases. With Harris, what you’re getting is the rare combination of advanced athleticism, game power, and an in-game performer – which is exactly why he has a real chance to be the first high school outfielder taken off the board in the 2026 MLB Draft.

And speaking of in-game performers, RHP/3B/C Joey Lawson (Bishop Verot HS, FL; North Carolina) put up some ridiculous statistics this past season for his high school, leading the Vikings to a Class 3A runner-up finish. Back in April, we awarded Lawson the National Player of the Week after a stretch in which he slugged four home runs and punched out 16 batters in a seven-inning no-hitter. That was ultimately one of three no-hitters on the season for him, and he finished with seven homers in the spring total, with 23 RBIs.

We got to see both versions of Lawson at the NPI. Rain shortened his relief appearance on Friday, in which he mowed down some premium bats one after the other, freezing several with one of the best curveballs we saw all weekend. Lawson sat 91-92 mph on a high-spin, carry, swing-and-miss fastball that played perfectly next to a hammer curve, 75-76, that spun around 2,600 rpm with teeth. He struck out three of the five batters he faced.

Then, later on Saturday and Sunday, Prep Baseball Florida scouting director Cayden Hatcher witnessed Lawson use the barrel for the entire field, smashing a single up the middle, connecting for a hard back-side double, and just missing a pull-side homer at 95 mph EV.

We also had the pleasure of witnessing a strong outing from LHP Tyler Ellis (Trinity Christian Academy, FL; Florida), Harris’ high school teammate. On Saturday, Ellis got the start for MBA Scout and delivered, going three shutout innings, allowing just two hits, two walks, with five Ks. Ellis has crossfire deception that helps a late-running fastball, 87-90 mph, play up in concert with a sharp, biting breaking ball, 74-77, that he showed excellent feel over.

After that, two Tennessee prospects warrant some attention here, both Vols commits: SS Jack Dugan (Lipscomb Academy) and RHP/3B Mikee Teasley (Oak Ridge HS).

Dugan is one of the top-ranked shortstops in the country coming off a terrific spring for the Mustangs. He’s a strong, athletic left-handed hitter with an impact 6-foot-2, 190-pound build. Here’s a report from our recent “Almost Famous” article that previewed the summer’s breakout prospects, in which Dugan was featured: “... left-handed stick presents a true hit/power profile with exciting athleticism. A 6.65-runner at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, the ball screams off his barrel as he builds strength from the ground up in an almost ‘Bazzana-esque’ form. Should the defensive performance at shortstop match the bat profile, Dugan has a path to the No. 1 spot in the class, but he would also look the part of an elite athlete in center field.”

As for Teasley, he has innate strength that helps him generate big velocity, 91-94 mph on Saturday, that works in conjunction with an electric curveball, 77-79 mph, that was one of the best weapons of the week. At LakePoint, it was spinning at 3,200 rpm while getting ugly swings both in and out of the zone.

MORE ‘26 DRAFT NOTES

While the four players mentioned above stood out over the weekend, they were hardly the only ‘26 prospects to do so. Here are some more ‘26 Draft-type prospects that produced on Saturday and Sunday at the NPI:

+ SS/OF Ethan Bass (Glenbrook North HS, IL; Wake Forest): Bass slugged a high-flying, no-doubt home run on Sunday to his pull-side that left the bat at 99 mph. He’s one of the most interesting right-handed hitters in the Midwest, and he has the kind of athleticism that can help him profile on the left side of the infield or out in center field – he’s a versatile defender who’s hit a lot to this point in his high school career.

+ OF EJ Booth Jr. (Oak Grove HS, MS; Vanderbilt): Few players nationally have the kind of tools that Booth brings to the ballpark on a daily basis. The top-ranked player from Mississippi has elite foot speed and massive bat speed and strength from the left-handed batter’s box, as well as a brawny 6-foot, 210-pound frame. He showed bat-to-ball skills this week, including back on Thursday when he lined out to the right fielder on a ball he smashed at 107.1 mph.

+ C Shaun Cover (Conway HS, AR; Southern Miss): The top-ranked ‘26 from Arkansas fell short of depositing several baseballs over the fence earlier in the week, but finally on Sunday, Cover slugged a back-side home run at 98 mph EV. Cover has a natural feel to backspin baseballs from the right side, and he’s also a sound blocker from behind the dish with easy, advanced arm strength.

+ LHP Bradyn Cupit (West Monroe HS, LA; LSU): The Knights Knation left-hander was excellent for West Monroe High this spring, and our first look at him of the summer was an eye-opener, with added velo that generated whiffs inside the strike zone against East Cobb Astros. Cupit, an LSU commit, was up to 94 mph from the left side, and he K’d nine over five clean frames, with three walks and just two hits allowed.

+ LHP Bryce Krenek (Katy Taylor HS, TX; Texas): As one of the top-ranked southpaws in the country, Krenek looked dominant in a two-inning relief appearance on Saturday. The sturdy 6-foot-2, 220-pound Texas commit prevented a stacked lineup from scoring, pitching at 90-92 mph, showing next-level pitchability. The 78-81 mph slider has a tight shape aided by his feel to locate, and he flashed a splitter, 76-77, that’s more than a useful third pitch. His size, on-mound demeanor, and his pitch mix help him project as a dependable starter.

+ C/INF Myles Ledoux (Barbe HS, LA; Louisiana-Lafayette): Ledoux was all over the barrel this week for Knights Knation Scout. The left-handed-hitting backstop is the top-ranked catcher in Louisiana’s incoming senior class, and he’s equipped with bat-to-ball skills that helps him spray line-drives to all fields – and he slugged a home run to his pull-side this week.

+ RHP Evan Malone (Northridge HS, AL; Alabama): Malone has pitched at LakePoint in back-to-back weekends now, and he’s more than just delivered in both outings. Combined, Malone has pitched 10.2 innings these past couple weekends in Emerson and he’s allowed just two runs while he’s struck out 19 batters. He was up to 93 mph on a rise/run fastball that leaves a lower than average release height, and he also shows two different breaking balls, as well as a change.

+ RHP/OF Ty Tillery (Morgan County HS, GA; Georgia): Standing at an athletic 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, Tillery has a heavy, sinking 90-93 mph fastball (T94), though it’s his firm slider, 82-86, that separated him this past weekend. Tillery’s able to locate it and vary the shape, generating awkward whiffs on the regular.

+ 3B Jake Winger (McCutcheon HS, IN; Indiana): Winger’s right-handed swing benefits from his 6-foot-5, 205-pound build, as it’s a simple, smooth cut that he’s able to naturally generate game power with at his size. The long levers and increasing strength make him an interesting Midwest bat to monitor over the next year as an MLB Draft prospect.

IMPACT 2027 PROSPECTS

Rocco Maniscalco SS / Oxford, AL / 2027

The No. 1-ranked ‘27 in Alabama has all of the ingredients to become one of the top players nationally from this class. At an athletic and lean 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Maniscalco certainly looks like one of the best players on any given baseball diamond, and that’s even before you see him in the batter’s box. Maniscalco’s a true switch-hitter and he has the characteristics to become a hit/power type, with effortless strength off the barrel, and he showed an advanced approach this past weekend. He takes his prospect stock to the next level with his defense, which looks like an asset at shortstop.

Lubin Rincon SS / Shadow Creek, TX / 2027

The nation’s No. 3-ranked player in its Class of 2027, Rincon swings an explosive left-handed bat that works off a direct path into the zone. He peppers the middle of the field for hard-hit contact, but he’s more than capable of turning on the ball and clubbing home runs, which he’s shown both in BP and in-game.

+ RHP Quinn Fitzpatrick (Stratford HS, TX): This 6-foot-2 athlete has a silky smooth delivery that he used to get to mid-90s velocity (T95 mph) with relative ease. He also utilizes two different breaking balls too, and both look advanced – a slider, 82-83 mph (2,500 rpm), and a curve, 77-78, with more depth.

+ C Ty Holt (Greenwood HS, AR): Holt is the top-ranked ‘27 in Arkansas and he has shown game power across several looks, including at the NPI. The backstop has compact strength and a right-handed swing looking to do damage, and he lands the barrel often enough to produce regularly, enough so that he was an all-state catcher as a sophomore this past spring.

+ SS Graham Houston (Venice HS, FL): Houston was hot on both Saturday and Sunday, impacting the game from both batter’s boxes for Canes National 16U. Both swings play, but the left-handed swing is one of the sweetest looking cuts in the class, and he looks like a prospect you can continue to project as a shortstop at the next level and beyond, which is what’s helped him become the No. 11-ranked player in the nation.

+ RHP/SS Hayes Maginnis (Newnan HS, GA): One of the top two-ways in Georgia, Maginnis was excellent on the mound Sunday, going 6.1 innings while allowing just one hit with 10 Ks. He was 87-90 mph (T91) on a riding heater but the changeup, 80-82, was the pitch that really looked like the separator from his peers – it’s a tumbling, deceptive offering that he showed true feel for. Maginnis can mix in a curveball as well, 71-75, and he also has a fast, simple right-handed swing with innate strength that helps him continue to look like a two-way player.

+ SS Dylan Seward (Noroc HS, CA): We highlighted Seward in our recap of the NPI’s first day of action, but he warrants another shout-out here after the weekend as well. The Norco product epitomizes the phrase “explosive tools” with his 6.18 speed, but he’s armed with big bat speed and strength that plays off the left-handed barrel naturally. On Sunday, he unloaded on a home run from an impressive swing that was compact, fast, and heavy through the zone.

FOR THE FUTURE

+ RHP Kingston Monette (Sierra Canyon HS, CA, 2028):

+ OF DJ Ford (Plant HS, FL, 2028):

+ RHP/3B Cullen Scott (Melissa HS, TX, 2028):

+ LHP Lito Diaz (TNXL Academy, FL, 2028):

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