As an amateur scout, you dream of the opportunity to get a taste of a future superstar years before anyone knows his name. Guys that saw Carlos Correa in 2009 knew what was to come. Folks that saw Fernando Tatis Jr. several years ago had their suspicions. IMG Academy’s Elijah Green is that caliber player.
In any normal year, the upperclassmen at a sizable showcase event would be the crème de la crème, the main attraction, what you proverbially pay for. Not this year. Not in 2020. For me, the prize of Area Code Games 2020 was Green, an outfielder out of Windermere, FL. Elijah Green is the truth.
3️⃣-4️⃣ Elijah Green’s hits left the yard at #ACGames20 😳
— Area Code Baseball (@ACBaseballGames) August 25, 2020
...and he’s still only 16!
Excited to see what the 6-3, 215 @elijahgreen1204 does for an encore at #ACGames21 🤯 pic.twitter.com/l61gUqSfWi
Hello, World!
There were a ton of standouts at ACG this year so this isn’t to take away from some of the premier guys that strut their stuff. For me, for these eyes, Green was on a different level.
Just 16 years old and not draft-eligible until 2022, it didn’t take long for Green to pull eyes from the older generation to his field. His game one performance was loud, slamming two home runs with what seemed effortless power. The first was a blast over the batter's eye in centerfield followed up by a long opposite field home run to right. He’d go on to hit another home run at the event, pacing the entire event’s roster of talented sluggers.
This was nothing new to Green who, while humble, has a pretty good feel for the type of athlete he is on the diamond.
“I take lots of pride in my hitting,” Green said. “I feel like I hit the ball really well and can consistently hit for power.”
Green first caught my attention at the Perfect Game Jr. National Showcase just a month prior. He was by and large the loudest hitter at LakePoint that weekend. It wasn’t a total shock. After all, Green’s name has been floating around scout and draft circles for some time now. But quite frankly, I left a firm believer in his overall game as Green showed glimpses of a player that has a chance to be a phenom -- a name you'll absolutely need to know.
He already has some of the best in game-power in the country. None of his bombs are cheap. Green is simply too advanced for his class. At LakePoint, he homered in 3 of the 4 games against 16-year-olds topping out in the mid-to-upper 80s. He was simply the best player on the field by a wide margin. Better still, the guy clocked a 6.20 second 60-yard dash and threw a ball 93 mph from the outfield. The former is elite on the grading scale, the latter plus-plus. He’s a center fielder now, but the body may force him into a corner if he keeps growing. We’re talking about a guy with 70-grade raw power, elite speed, and a howitzer in the grass. The only box left to check is the hit tool, an adjudication that will come in time.
“I truly believe the sky's the limit on what I can do,” Green said. “I'm blessed with the ability to leave an impact on baseball and that's what inspires me. That, and my love for playing the game.”
Green comes from some pretty impressive athletic roots. His father Eric was a Pro Bowl Tight End for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s enamored by his son’s abilities on the field, but it’s hardly the narrative he’s taken from watching his son grow up.
"The hard work I see from him on a daily basis impresses me more than what I see him do in games,” Green said. “The in-game success is relatively an effect of how hard he works in practice.”
High praise from a man who’s already played at the highest level.
Some scouts believe Green will be the most decked out athlete available in a draft since Jo Adell in 2017. The tantalizing combination of size, speed and power will be a tough package for anyone at the top of the draft to turn down. There’s still questions to be answered, but those answers will come. Green already checks most of the boxes NOW, it’s simply just a matter of polishing the rough around the edges as he continues to work on someday becoming an elite player at the highest level.
Committed to the University of Miami, Green has about 22 months to prepare and hone his craft for the 2022 MLB Draft. The family said there’s not intention at this time to reclassify into 2021, so those dreaming of a talent surge at the top of the first round can stand down. Green will be a fixture at every prep showcase for the foreseeable future. Better buy stock in him now before it’s too late.