Top 50 Class Of 2026, 2027 Standouts From The Area Code Games
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Image credit: Savion Sims (Photo by Bill Mitchell)
The Area Code Games underclass event offers major league scouts and college coaches a look at some of the top high school players in the 2026 and 2027 classes.
The eight teams are picked by major league scouts and split up by region. Each played four games from August 6-9: the first three days at Long Beach State and the third at the MLB Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. The event was filled with players ranked in the top 100 for the 2026 class, others who will be moving on to that list in our next update and players who were more under the radar but made bigger names for themselves for big league scouts and college coaches on hand.
Below are 50 of the top players from the event. We’ll start with the five players who stood out the most, both in terms of their prospect status and performance at the event. Then we break down the position players and the pitchers from the 2026 class who stood out, followed by 2027 names to know and before wrapping things up with a look at some sleepers with helium potential.
2026 Top High School Draft Prospects
Where did the standouts from the Area Code Games make our Class of 2026 high school prospect rankings?
Biggest Winners
Savion Sims, RHP, Oklahoma
Sims was the most electric player at Area Codes.
The first 10 fastballs out of his hand?
96, 96, 97, 96, 97, 96, 95, 96, 96 and 94 mph.
That’s from a 6-foot-7, 200-pound righthander with outstanding arm speed on a long, still-lanky frame who delivers the ball with steep downhill plane from a delivery without much effort. Sims already has an incredible fastball for a pitcher who just turned 17. With how much room he still has on his frame to add weight, the projection arrows point toward a pitcher who should not only end up with 80-grade velocity, but someone who could become the hardest thrower in baseball one day. Teenage pitchers with long limbs like Sims typically struggle repeating their mechanics to throw strikes, but Sims threw 28 of his 39 pitches for strikes (a 72% clip), with a lot of his misses coming below the strike zone. An Oklahoma commit, Sims threw a solid slider, as well, at 82-85 mph. At its best, it had two-plane depth from his high slot, spinning at 2,300-2,600 rpm. He used that slider to get a pair of swinging strikeouts, the best of which came on a 2-2 pitch to a lefty that broke down and in underneath his barrel.
Rookie Shepard, SS, Nevada
Shepard is already the No. 8 player in the 2026 class, and he finished Area Codes with one of the strongest offensive performances of the event. The Miami commit is a polished lefthanded hitter for his age with excellent bat control from a short swing and the ability to hit hard line drives to all parts of the field. One of the biggest differences with Shepard between now and a year ago is the muscle he has added to his 6-foot, 185-pound frame, which has helped him drive the ball with more extra-base impact. At a field where home runs were rare, Shepard got a 1-0 fastball up on the inner third of the plate, kept his head locked in and snapped the barrel through the zone to catch it out front and drive it over the right field fence for a home run with a 106 mph exit velocity. Shepard’s approach is typically more line-drive oriented, but he showed the power is in there when he wants to let it loose. He also hit a fastball for a low line drive that traveled into the left-center field gap for a triple while showing the adjustability of his swing when he went down to hit a 3-2 fastball that was probably below the strike zone for a double to left-center. Shepard has the hands, footwork and instincts to play somewhere in the middle infield, whether it’s at shortstop or second base, but it’s his offensive game that has stood out the most.
Gary Morse, RHP, California
Morse delivered the most dominant pitching performance of anyone at Area Codes. He pitched three flawless innings, striking out seven of the nine batters he faced without allowing a hit or a walk. At 6-foot-8, 190 pounds, Morse is an extra long, lanky pitcher who was able to miss bats with three pitches. The No. 77 player in the 2026 class, Morse pitched at 88-92 mph, mostly attacking up with his riding fastball from his high three-quarters slot. Morse’s curveball isn’t a high-spin pitch—it was mostly in the 2,000 to 2,200 rpm range here—but it was hard, sharp and had good depth at 78-81 mph, with hitters waving through his curve all five times they swung at the pitch. Morse only faced one lefty, but he still made effective use of his 84-85 mph changeup. He got three swinging strikes on the seven changeups he threw, showing plenty of fade to run away from barrels with the potential for the offering to be his biggest swing-and-miss pitch long term. Morse is uncommitted for college.
Trey Rangel, RHP, Texas
Rangel is the top ranked pitcher in the 2026 class (No. 9 overall) and looked as advertised, striking out five of the 12 batters he faced in three scoreless innings. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Rangel is an athletic righthander with a low-effort delivery and a fastball that was up to 94 mph and got a lot of swing-and-miss when he pitched with it up in the zone. Given Rangel’s arm speed and room to add strength to a still wiry frame, there should be more velocity in the tank. Rangel already has a big fastball for his age, but the separator for him as long been his innate feel to snap off a curveball with elite spin. Rangel regularly spun his 76-80 mph curve above 3,000 rpm up to 3,133 rpm, using it once for a particularly nasty swinging strikeout to a lefty, with two more that he used to get third strikes looking. He threw a few changeups at 84-86 mph that he holds with a spike grip and has good depth at times—one of them was a spin-killer at 984 rpm—but it was primarily the fastball/curveball mix that Rangel used to quiet hitters. Everything continues to track for Rangel being one of the top high school pitchers for the 2026 draft.
Anthony Del Angel, OF/3B, New Mexico
There are a few things that jump out about Del Angel immediately. One is his size, which at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, gives him a strong, well-proportioned frame with room to pack on more good weight. The second is his swing. It may be unorthodox, but Del Angel seems to hit everywhere he goes and has the bat speed to drive the ball with impact. In batting practice, he produced as much hard, consistent contact on the barrel as anyone, getting regular 95+ mph exit velocities with several eclipsing 100 mph and registering up to 103. Del Angel has a strong offensive track record in games, and he padded that resume at Area Codes with five hits, one of which being a double that he pulled off a 96 mph fastball from Savion Sims. His best hit came on on 0-2 curveball that he lifted over the left fielder’s head to the warning track at 358 feet. It was a ball that’s gone at most parks on the showcase circuit, with Del Angel hustling around the bases for a triple. He singled three more times on fastballs ranging from 88 to 91 mph, all on hard line drives in the air. An Oklahoma commit, Del Angel is the No. 69 player in the 2026 class and made a strong case to move up the list in the next update.
Hitting Standouts
Keon Johnson, SS, Georgia
The No. 7 player in the 2026 class, Johnson is a quick-twitch athlete with a projectable frame (6-foot-2, 190 pounds). He has a good balance of skills on both sides of the ball that was on display here. Johnson loads his righthanded swing with a leg kick and unleashes big bat speed, producing consistent hard contact in batting practice and carrying that over into the games. Typically a pull-oriented hitter, Johnson lined a single to right-center field and smoked a fastball for a double in the air into the right field corner. Johnson, who is uncommitted, also stood out defensively on multiple plays. At third base on a sharp ground ball, he made a diving play to his left to field the ball, got up quickly and threw to first base for the out. He made another nice play at third base on a foul ball hit behind him where Johnson made a running catch over his head near the wall while also making a quick, clean double play turn at second base on a 4-6-3 double play.
Archer Horn, SS/RHP, California
Horn is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and showed an accurate barrel from the left side, staying within the strike zone throughout the event and hitting a fastball for a double down the right field line. A Stanford commit ranked No. 82 in the 2026 class, Horn also showed some of the best raw power at the event during BP, when he hit balls up to 104 mph off the bat. On the mound, Horn pitched heavily off a fastball that was up to 92 mph and thrown for strikes at a high clip. He sprinkled in both a slider and a curveball, with his 76-77 mph changeup his most effective secondary pitch, featuring heavy sink at its best.
Landon Thome, SS, Illinois
Thome, the son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome, was named the player of the week for the underclass event after he went 5-for-8, showing significant steps forward with his all-around skill set from where he was last year when he played in the same event. While Jim was a 6-foot-4, slugging first baseman, Landon is a 5-foot-11, 170-pound middle infielder with a sound, compact lefthanded stroke with good balance. He showed that on his best swing of the games when he got a 3-2 fastball on the inner third and pulled his hands inside the pitch to pull it over the right fielder’s head for a triple. Thome also chipped in a defensive highlight at shortstop on a ground ball in the hole toward third base where he read the ball well off the bat, fielded it cleanly on a backhand and made a deep throw from the back of the dirt to get the out at first base. Thome, who is uncommitted, also made a smooth, quick turn on the back end of a 4-6-3 double play at shortstop.
Jorvorskie Lane Jr., OF/C, Texas
Blair Field is a spacious park where home runs aren’t common, especially for high school underclassmen, whether it’s in-game or in BP. Lane—who is one of the youngest players in the 2026 class, having just turned 16 last month—still managed to hit a ball into the trees in left field, showing an outstanding ability to fire his hips and rotate powerfully to generate explosive bat speed. At 6 feet, 195 pounds, Lane is not as big as some of the other top high school power threats, but he can whip the barrel through the zone with ferocity from the right side to get exit velocities up to 103 mph in BP. The No. 10 player in the 2026 class and a Texas A&M commit, Lane did show some swing-and-miss tendencies here, but he lined a 3-2 fastball for a hit to the opposite field, walked three times and smashed a fastball 348 feet to right field at 98 mph off the bat for a deep fly out. Lane has experience behind the plate and the outfield. Where he ends up defensively is up in the air, but he turned in a highlight catch in center field. With nobody out and a runner on first stealing on the pitch, Lane broke back and toward left-center field on a deep fly ball over his head. The runner paused right before second base, but the ball was hit so deep that he rounded the bag. Lane was able to take a clean route and reach up to make a backhand catch over his head just in front of the warning track. He then alertly turned around, hit the cutoff man and got the double play at first base.
Dylan Minnatee, 1B, California
Minnatee has a knack for finding the barrel, which was something he did consistently all week, whether it was picking up three hits or driving the ball for hard contact outs to the outfield. He’s a 6-foot, 190-pound lefty who sets up with an open stance then strides closed and has impressive bat control, swinging and missing only once during the event. While the offensive bar is high for a team to draft a high school first baseman, Minnatee is uncommitted for college and could develop into a middle-of-the-order hitter for whatever school ultimately lands him.
James Tronstein, OF/SS, California
Tronstein was still working his way back from a hamstring injury, so he didn’t get as much playing time and wasn’t at full strength here. But even at less than 100 percent, Tronstein showed why he’s the No. 30 player in the 2026 class. He’s a 5-foot-11, 170-pound righthanded hitter with strong hands, fast bat speed and some of the best barrel accuracy in the country. He demonstrated that bat speed when he smoked a fastball for a line-drive single to center field with a 103 mph exit velocity. A Stanford commit, Tronstein didn’t get a chance to show it here, but he’s also a plus runner and a good athlete who defends his position well in center field.
J.C. Pacheco, SS, New Jersey
Pacheco is one of the top hitters in the northeast. He’s 5-foot-10, 175 pounds and takes a tight turn of the barrel with his short, quick lefthanded swing. It’s an operation with minimal wasted movement and it comes through the hitting zone with good bat path. He showed his hitting ability when he singled on fastball for a line drive to left field and again on a first-pitch fastball that he pulled for a line-drive single to right field. The bat is Pacheco’s calling card, but he made a pair of nice defensive plays at third base, once charging in on a slow roller and making a jump throw to first base for the out and another running back on a pop up in foul territory to make an over-the-shoulder catch. He’s uncommitted.
Dillon Moss, C, California
A California native at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Moss is the No. 3 catcher in the 2026 class and a Stanford commit. There’s an impressive track record of hitting with Moss, who added another strong event to his history here. A 6-foot-1, 170-pound righthanded hitter, Moss chipped in a few hits at Area Codes, using a short, efficient swing for hits against both fastballs and breaking stuff. Arguably his best hit came on a 1-1, 91 mph fastball that he smacked in the air to center field with a 94 mph exit velocity. Moss has a strong arm, too, and has the attributes to be able to stick behind the plate.
Brody Schumaker, SS, California
Schumaker is the son of Skip Schumaker, an 11-year big leaguer and current manager of the Marlins. Brody plays just like what you you would expect as the son of a former major leaguer and manager. He’s 5-foot-10, 165 pounds and an instinctive player with a mature plan at the plate. He gets on base at a high clip with a high-contact bat, spreading line drives all around the field with a hit-over-power game from a simple, level stroke. A TCU commit, Schumaker ran well, too, beating out a groundball for an infield single going home to first in 4.10 seconds, which is a plus time for a lefthanded hitter.
Spencer Browning, SS, Texas
Ranked No. 85 in the 2026 class, Browning has a strong build (6-foot-1, 200 pounds), good wheels and showed the ability to drive the ball for extra-base damage on multiple occasions at Area Codes. On one occasion, he slammed a double over the left fielder’s head on a 91 mph fastball. In another at-bat, Browning took a short swing on a 90 mph fastball up and in on his hands, turning it around for a double to left field. An Arkansas commit, Browning is a good athlete with an aggressive approach with what will likely be a power-over-hit offensive game.
Anthony Murphy, OF, California
The No. 48 player for 2026, Murphy has a mix of power and defensive tools that he showed here. The uncommitted center fielder doubled off a 92 mph fastball, driving the ball to deep center field with a 98 mph exit velocity. Murphy also unleashed an above-average arm on a throw home with a runner on second trying to score on a groundball single to center field. Murphy’s throw beat him to the plate, though the catcher couldn’t get the tag on him fast enough and he slid underneath for the run.
Jeffrey-Todd Darden, OF, Texas
Darden, who is uncommitted, is one of the most exciting athletes in the 2026 class. The athleticism and tool set stood out more than his performance at Area Codes, with Darden showing some rawness at the plate but plenty of tools to dream on. He’s 6 feet, 175 pounds with plus-plus speed and the quick-burst athleticism needed to handle center field. He also showed his power potential by hitting a 91 mph fastball 324 feet to right field for a hard out with a 101 mph exit velocity and another hard contact out with a 98 mph EV.
Jacob Lombard, SS, Florida
In terms of performance, this wasn’t the best showing for Lombard, who flew across the country in the middle of the event after being one of the few underclassmen also in East Coast Pro, which overlapped with the Area Code underclass games. Yet, it’s hard for Lombard not to stand out with his athleticism, tools and smooth, efficient actions both at the plate and in the field. The No. 2 player in the 2026 class, Lombard is an instinctive defender at shortstop, where he has clean footwork, soft hands and reads hops well. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Lombard is a righthanded hitter with a compact, efficient swing that has good balance, sequence and path through the zone.
Alain Gomez, C, Arizona
Gomez was the high school catcher in the spring for lefthander Cam Caminiti, the Braves first-round pick this year, so scouts have already had several looks at him. Originally from Venezuela, Gomez is an uncommitted switch-hitter who collected multiple hits at Area Codes. What stood out the most here was his defense. He’s 5-foot-11, 201 pounds with an above-average arm and a quick exchange, both of which were on display when he ended an inning throwing out a would-be base stealer on a 1.88-second pop time. He showed that arm strength, quickness and alertness again when he back picked a runner off first base, throwing from his knees behind the lefthanded hitter for the out.
Devin Diaz, C, New York
Like Gomez, Diaz is another catcher who stands out for his defensive skills, particularly with arm strength that helps him control the running game. At 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, Diaz is an athletic mover behind the plate, blocked well and showed an above-average arm. A Miami commit, Diaz also flashed promising signs at the plate. The best at-bat for the righthanded-hitting Diaz came when he condensed his swing, went with no stride and hit a changeup into the left field corner for a triple. Another hit came off a curveball that he drilled in the air to center field for a single.
Will Adams, 1B, Alabama
Adams consistently strung together quality at-bats. He’s a lefty who gets on plane well, helping him drive the ball to all fields from his 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame. There was a mix of hitting ability and power with Adams, with his best swing coming on a fastball that he hit for a double to right-center field at 104 mph off the bat. Adams hit another double with a 96 mph exit velocity that traveled 341 feet to the right field warning track, with several other well-struck balls that resulted in hard contact outs for the Alabama commit.
Erik Zdunek, OF, California
Zdunek just turned 16 in June, so the TCU commit is one of the younger players in the 2026 class. He’s 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and showed a knack for putting the bat to the ball, often with hard contact from the right side of the plate. He showed that when he got a fastball up on the outer third and barreled it for a triple to right field. Zdunek, who projects as a corner outfielder at the next level, was able to turn on an inner-third fastball as well, pulling it for a line-drive single to left field with a 99 mph exit velocity. He also drove in a pair of runs with a groundball single to center field off a fastball.
Troy Southisene, SS/OF, Las Vegas
The Cubs drafted shortstop Ty Southisene out of Basic HS in Nevada this year with their fourth-round pick while Tate Southisene is an infielder and outfielder who ranks as the No. 21 player in the 2025 class. Their younger brother, Troy, is another prospect to watch in the 2026 class. He’s 5-foot-10, 160 pounds with good hand-eye coordination and instincts for the game. Southisene split time between the infield and outfield and stood out defensively at both spots. He showed crisp actions, quick feet and good body control at shortstop, where he made a nice play charging in on a slow roller. In center field, on a drive in the right-center field gap, Southisene read the ball well off the bat and took an efficient route to make a difficult play look routine. Southisene, who is uncommitted, is a righthanded hitter with a line-drive approach and gap power.
Alex Harrington, SS, California
On offensive performance alone, there wasn’t one big moment here for Harrington, but he always sticks out because of his quick-twitch athleticism and the strength projection in his still-wiry 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. Harrington showed his quickness and body control during infield at shortstop, with his range and reactions evident during the game. Playing third base, Harrington covered a lot of ground to his left on a ground ball in the hole where he had to spin, turn and make an accurate throw to get the out with a plus runner at the plate. He’s a Stanford commit.
Andruw Giles, OF, Nevada
Giles made multiple highlight catches in the outfield, including one in left field where he charged into foul territory to make a sliding grab. At 6 feet, 180 pounds, Giles isn’t a burner runner, but his defensive instincts are strong and he’s shown good bat-to-ball skills from the left side of the plate throughout the summer. Giles’ offensive production has generally been hit-over-power, but when he let it loose in BP, he showed the ability to drive the ball well with exit velocities up to 103 mph. He’s uncommitted.
Pitching Standouts
Landon Schutte, RHP, California
Schutte was one of the most impressive pitchers at the event, both in terms of performance and projecting him as a prospect. The No. 29 player in the 2026 class is 6-foot-5, 220 pounds with a strong lower half, and he threw strikes at a 71% clip with his fastball, which touched 93 mph from his three-quarters slot. There should be mid-90s velocity coming soon for Schutte, but the most exciting pitch for him here was his curveball. It’s a 76-80 mph curve with tight rotation—spinning mostly in the 2,700-,2900 rpm range—and sharp bite that should help him rack up a lot of swing-and-miss at the next level. He didn’t use his changeup much here but he didn’t need to either as he struck out three with no walks over three scoreless innings.
Hudson Alpert, RHP, Colorado
Alpert has an up arrow next to his name after what he showed at Area Codes. He’s 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with a sound, efficient delivery and good arm action into a three-quarters slot, attacking hitters up in the zone with a fastball that ticked up in this outing to reach 93 mph. It’s a good fastball for his age, but the most impressive pitch here was his upper-70s to low-80s slider. Alpert threw an incredible 18 of 19 sliders for strikes, including five whiffs. Some of those strikes came on chases, with Alpert consistently executing his sharp slider down and to his glove side against both righties and lefties, spinning mostly in the 2,400-2,700 rpm range with tight break and two-plane depth. Alpert threw a handful of low-80s changeups, as well, but it was mostly his fastball/slider combination that allowed him to strike out three with no walks across three scoreless innings.
Bryce Hill, RHP, Connecticut
Through his first three innings, Hill struck out five of the 12 batters he faced with one walk. With his team short on pitchers, Hill went out for a fourth inning and wasn’t as sharp, but the way Hall pitched his first few innings showed why the Stanford commit is the No. 59 player in the 2026 class. He has a tall, strong frame (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) and touched 95 mph multiple times from his three-quarters slot with the look of a pitcher who should still have a couple extra ticks of velocity to come. Hill pitched heavily off his fastball, mixing in a short slider at 78-84 mph with spin in the 2,000-2,300 rpm range and a 73-78 mph changeup that flashed heavy life at times.
Jack Smejkal, RHP, Texas
The No. 83 player in the 2026 class, Smejkal is 6-foot-1, 175 pounds with a fast arm. His fastball ranged from 90-94 mph from a long arm action and an open stride. The uncommitted righthander consistently threw his fastball for strikes to both sides of the plate, striking out three with one hit, one walk and a hit batsman against the 12 batters he faced. Smejkal’s changeup has been a bigger weapon in other looks, and while he rarely threw it here, it flashed good fade. More often, he went to an 82-86 mph slider, which he had trouble landing for strikes but showed feel to spin in the 2,400-2,600 rpm range.
Easton Webb, RHP, Oklahoma
An Oklahoma State commit, Webb is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and an athletic pitcher who is also the quarterback for his high school football team. He pitched up in the zone with a fastball that touched 92 mph from his three-quarters slot. Webb went with a near 50/50 mix of fastballs and offspeed stuff, using a 75-79 mph curveball that he showed feel to spin in the 2,400-2,700 rpm range to get four swings and misses. His low-80s changeup didn’t miss any bats, but he kept it down and used it to get a pair of groundouts.
Shawn Sullivan, RHP, Ohio
Sullivan made a loud entrance at Area Codes. The 6-foot, 185-pound righthander stepped into the game with one out in the sixth inning and needed just eight pitches (six strikes) to strike out the only two batters he faced. Most of his fastballs were 95-96 mph, and he touched 97 once while throwing one big-breaking curveball at 78 mph (2,253 rpm) for a called strikeout. He throws from an extremely aggressive, high-effort delivery, and when he came back for another outing, Sullivan showed the risk that comes with his upside, as he had more trouble throwing strikes. Some scouts see Sullivan, who’s committed to Alabama, as a potential power reliever, but he has the chance to move up 2026 draft boards if he can show more touch and feel to go with his high-octane fastball.
Lawson McLeod, RHP, Virginia
McLeod, who is uncommitted, had his best outing of the summer at Area Codes, where he needed just 19 pitches to retire all six batters he faced with three strikeouts. McLeod is 6-foot-6, 215 pounds and drove his fastball down in the strike zone at 90-93 mph. He threw 11 of his 13 fastballs for strikes and mixed in an effective 79-82 mph breaking ball for all three strikeouts (one swinging) with spin into the 2600s. It was a significantly improved breaking ball from what McLeod had shown in previous outings, which is an encouraging sign for a pitcher who already stands out for his size and fastball.
Jenker Romero, RHP, Georgia
Romero has high-end stuff, though he’s still figuring out how to corral it for strikes. He has a great, projectable pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, good arm action and ran his fastball up to 94 mph with room to fill out and add more velocity to what’s already a big fastball for his age. Romero showed feel to spin a pair of sharp breaking balls, an upper-70s slider and a curveball with more depth, both in the 2,500-2,800 rpm range. He missed bats with all three pitches and struck out three of the 10 batters he faced. He also walked three hitters and threw just 46% strikes, with too many fastballs sailing on him, so he will have to figure out how to repeat his release point more consistently to improve his control. Still, the stuff and physical projection stacked up favorably with some of the better pitchers here. He’s uncommitted for college.
Dax Hardcastle, RHP/1B, California
An uncommitted righthander/first baseman, Hardcastle breezed through two clean innings, striking out three of the six batters he faced without issuing a walk or a hit. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he’s a physically mature pitcher for his age with a fastball that touched 92 mph and consistently got swing-and-miss up in the zone, with hitters whiffing through it on seven of their 11 swings. The No. 60 player in the 2026 class, Hardcastle flashed feel to spin an upper-70s curveball, though he wasn’t able to throw it for strikes here. His low-80s changeup had deception and induced a swing-and-miss underneath a barrel on one of the three of them that he threw. Hardcastle’s future in pro ball leans more toward the mound, but during batting practice he also showed some of the best raw power of any hitter at the event.
Brock MacDonald, RHP, Arizona
At 6 feet, 190 pounds, MacDonald doesn’t have the long, lean frame of the more prominent pitching prospects at the top of the 2026 class, but the uncommitted righthander emerged as an intriguing sleeper at Area Codes. MacDonald struck out three with one walk and one hit allowed over his two innings, pitching to both sides of the plate with a fastball that touched 92 mph (though his velocity did dip in his second inning). MacDonald had some of the better breaking stuff at the event, too, getting four swings and misses on a 76-81 mph slider that spun above 2,700 rpm at times.
Alex Hoffman, RHP, North Carolina
Hoffman is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds with a good fastball/slider mix that he showed at Area Codes. The Virginia Tech commit threw his high-spin fastball (2,500-2,700 rpm) up to 93 mph and used it to get swing-and-miss in the zone. He showed feel to to spin a slider in the 2,400-2,700 range that froze hitters for a two of four strikeouts in his two-inning outing, with an occasional mid-70s curveball sprinkled in, as well.
David Hinojosa, RHP, New York
An uncommitted righthander, Hinojosa hasn’t done a ton of national events, but he made a bigger name for himself at this one. He has a starter look with a lean 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame, a loose arm and good flexibility on the mound. He threw strikes with a fastball that was up to 91 mph and has the arm speed for more velocity to come. Hinojosa showed feel for two secondary pitches, as well, including a mid-to-upper 70s curveball that he spun between 2,300-2,600 rpm and a mid-80s changeup.
Cooper Sides, RHP, California
At 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, Sides is a tall, lean pitcher with long arms that suggest mid-90s velocity coming in the near future. The uncommitted righthander touched 92 mph here, pitching heavily off his fastball with a slider above 2,500 rpm on his best ones. The No. 39 player in the 2026 class, Sides had little trouble through his outing, throwing three shutout innings with two strikeouts.
Tyler Putnam, RHP, Missouri
Putnam didn’t allow a hit over his three innings, striking out five of the 10 batters he faced with one walk. He pitched off a fastball that touched 92 mph and should be throwing in the mid-90s or better once he packs more weight onto his 6-foot-5, 175-pound build. Putnam’s fastball was his best pitch, and it already generates a lot of empty swings, especially when he elevates. He also showed a lower spin slider at 74-77 mph that he leaned on more than his low-80s changeup.
Julian Garcia, RHP, California
Garcia flashed promising traits to be able to mold over the next couple of years leading into the 2026 draft. He has a lean, projectable pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds with long arms and a fastball that touched 92 mph in the first inning and was still touching 90 mph in his second inning, though his velocity did drop more in his third inning. He throws a slow curveball in the low-70s that was effective here to get swing-and-miss and could be a bigger weapon for him once he’s able to throw it with more power, as it already can spin above 2,800 rpm. The uncommitted righthander finished with four strikeouts and two walks.
Dylan Blomker, RHP, New Mexico
Blomker showed good size (6-foot-4, 195 pounds) and stuff during his outing. He pitched in the low-90s, touched 93 mph and got several swings and misses with his lively fastball. The uncommitted righthander also showed feel to spin a low-80s slider that had sharp turns and the potential to develop into a bigger swing-and-miss pitch for him with more reps.
McCoy Silicz, RHP, California
Silicz has a classic projectable frame for a young righthander at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds. He touched 92 mph in this look, where he struck out three and didn’t allow a run over three innings. There’s a good chance he’s reaching the mid-90s before the 2026 draft. Silicz also flashed feel to spin a curveball (2,200-2,500 rpm) that has sharp bite and good depth when it was at its best and played well off his fastball from his high slot. He’s uncommitted.
Spencer Krasner, LHP, Florida
Krasner breezed through his first inning before running into a little more trouble in the second, but overall, he showed starter traits with a good mix of pitchability, projection and feel to manipulate his offspeed stuff. He can scrape 90 mph, pitching more in the upper-80s, with a 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame that should lend itself to adding more velocity once he gets stronger. Krasner had one of the better lefthanded breaking balls at Area Codes, using it to freeze hitters for strikeouts and to get swings and misses. Previously a Virginia commit, Kranser is now one of the top uncommitted lefties in the 2026 class.
2027 Names To Know
Drake Hawpe, OF, Texas
Few players—2026 or 2027—had a better week than Hawpe. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Hawpe has a lot of strength projection left in his frame and rarely swung and missed, delivering five hits with two doubles with an exit velocity up to 100 mph in batting practice. Against a 94 mph fastball up on the inner third, he kept his hands inside the ball and shot it the other way for a single. He pulled a 2-2 fastball into right-center field for a double and hit another first-pitch fastball for a double the other way. As a corner outfielder, Hawpe’s offensive game is what drives most of his value, but he delivered a pair of diving catches, as well: one running in on a shallow fly ball in left field, the other robbing a hit in right-center.
Carter Hadnot, SS, California
Hadnot looked like one of the premier players in the 2027 class. A 6-foot-2, 165-pound switch-hitter, Hadnot is a lean, athletic shortstop with a lot of space to fill out and impressive ability to maneuver the barrel. His swing takes a tight turn and he was consistently on the sweet spot, pulling a first-pitch fastball for a double down the right field line, then lining a double into the right field corner (though he was out trying to stretch it into a triple). Hadnot also showcased his quick-twitch athleticism at shortstop. He made an excellent defensive attempt by diving to field a ground ball up the middle, getting up quickly and firing to first base, though with a speedy runner at the plate he was safe by half a step.
Max Hemenway, SS, Washington
Hemenway is one of the elite 2027 players in the country. He has a mature, polished look in the batter’s box for his age, taking a clean, compact cut from the left side. He keeps his head locked in, recognizes pitches and has the feel to maneuver the barrel to find the sweet spot on pitches throughout the strike zone. Hemenway consistently drove the ball well to the middle of the field—though often right at an outfielder with nothing to show for it in the box score—but he did hang in against a left-on-left curveball in a 1-2 count that he hammered to center field for a single. At 6 feet, 165 pounds, Hemenway has a hit-over-power profile and should start to drive the ball with more impact once he fills out his wiry frame. At shortstop, the Tennessee commit is an athletic mover with crisp, quick actions. He showed good instincts and range diving up the middle to field a groundball, getting to his feet and making an accurate throw to first, though not in time to get the out on a plus runner. He checks a lot of boxes between his hitting and ability to play shortstop that will push him high up boards as the 2027 draft gets closer.
Lash Henderson, OF, Texas
Even as a 2027 at an event of mostly 2026 players, no player showed more raw power than Henderson, who is a righthanded hitter who drove the ball up to 105 mph in BP. At 6-foot-4, 202 pounds, Henderson physically sticks out like a man among boys. He has a strong but lean athletic frame with room to fill out and grow into plus-plus raw power in the future. In games, Henderson showed some rawness that’s still there, but the mix of athleticism, power potential and plus speed makes for a high-end prospect with exciting upside to follow.
Leo Nockley, SS, Pennsylvania
At 5-foot-7, 150 pounds, Nockley was one of the smallest players on the field, but he still stood out for his ability to hit from the left side. He took a tight turn of the barrel on an elevated fastball and drove it for a double to left field, part of a two-hit game in which he smacked a single the opposite way, as well. Nockley’s best at-bat of Area Codes came when he smoked a fastball at 95 mph off the bat to deep center field that traveled 353 feet only for Jorvorskie Lane to run it down with an excellent catch just in front of the warning track. He has the actions that should allow him to stick in the infield, whether it’s at shortstop or second base.
Sleeper Watch
Shawn Mack, RHP, Nevada
Looking for a sleeper pick from Area Codes? Mack is one to watch. He pitched in the mid-to-upper 80s, topping at 88 mph. So, while the velocity right now isn’t as high as the top pitchers in the 2026 class, there are good projection indicators in place. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, he has a frame with room to fill out, hold more weight and help him grow his fastball with strength gains. The uncommitted righthander also snapped off a low-to-mid 70s breaking ball that had extremely sharp bite at times, eclipsing 3,000 rpm. He’s going to be a pitcher for area scouts to follow and could make himself a bigger name nationally if his fastball ticks up as the 2026 draft nears.
Ryan Walls, RHP, Florida
Like Mack, there wasn’t big velocity from Walls, but he showed traits to project on between his size and ability to manipulate his secondary stuff. He’s 6-foot-3, 185 pounds with a frame with room to add strength that should lead him to more velocity from the mid-80s fastball he featured here. What mostly stood out with Walls was his off-speed stuff, the best of which was an extremely sharp curveball in the mid-to-upper 70s with top-of-the-scale spin at 2,900-3,300 rpm. Walls flashed a quality changeup in the upper-70s, as well, so if he’s pitching more in the low-90s by the time the 2026 draft nears, he could climb up the rankings.