It’s been a minute since our last update from the state of Georgia, but I was having trouble coming up with a catchy title for this live looks piece. It’s still not that catchy, but better late than never I suppose. A smorgasbord of talent awaits below, with an appearance from an out-of-area bat that is a likely first round talent. Enjoy!
LHP Jansen Kenty, East Coweta HS (GA), 2023
Dates Seen: 2/27
Jansen Kenty pitched five innings against Whitewater, allowing four runs in his last inning of work that sullied what was otherwise a dominant outing. Kenty is around six foot tall with sloped shoulders and thickness is present in the lower half and arms. He works off a fastball in the 89-92 MPH range, with above average carrying life. Off the heat is a 79-82 MPH changeup, with sharp fade and late depth. It’s Kenty’s most trusted secondary and has plus pitch potential. Rounding out the arsenal is a curveball in the 72-76 MPH range, with average feel for spin and good vertical depth. In terms of command, the East Coweta ace’s mechanics suggest he'll throw good strikes. There’s not a lot of stiffness in the delivery, he moves well, and his arm is on time. In terms of the draft, teams will have to balance Kenty’s relative lack of projection with his strong stuff and come up with an offer that doesn’t push him to Tuscaloosa.
RHP Porter Buursema, Blessed Trinity HS (GA), 2023
Dates Seen: 3/1
Porter Buursema put together five innings of perfect work against Alpharetta on March 1st, dominating with his fastball/slider combination. His fastball sat in the low 90s with above average cut ride shape that missed bats often. The low 80s slider was present early and often, getting its fair share of whiffs in addition to freezers. Buursema also mixed in a 82-86 MPH changeup that flashed above average fading life, as well as a low 70s change of pace curveball that caught hitters completely off guard with its big 12-6 shape. There is a noticeable head whack and effort present, but Buursema’s arm was consistently on time and he either got ahead early with his fastball or got back into counts with his stuff over the middle. Like Kenty, Buursema is also an undersized prep pitcher with a pretty physical physique, but his ability to spin effective fastballs and breaking balls makes him an intriguing Day 2 target.
LHP Jaden Woods, Georgia, 2023
Dates Seen: 3/3
Jaden Woods worked around trouble in the first two innings, then settled in to pitch six scoreless inning of shutout ball for the Bulldogs in their win vs. Georgia Tech on Friday night. Woods’ fastball sat in the 89-92 MPH range with above average carrying life and missed a lot of bats throughout the game. Complimenting it was a high 70s slider with traditional above average biting shape that flashed plus. Mixed in later was a firm 83-85 MPH split change with flashes of average depth. Woods has a long and loose arm, and can get into stretches where it isn’t on time with his lower half--this results in repeated armside misses and got him into a lot of 2-0 counts vs Tech hitters. However, the high level of athleticism that the Georgia ace possesses helps him work through these mechanical funks and get back into counts with his strong stuff. The development of a third pitch will be crucial for Woods, as he tracks as more of a relief profile with just the fastball/slider combo and intermittent command. Even without those developments, Woods still has the dynamic stuff and velocity in the tank to be a top 100 overall pick in this upcoming draft.
RF Travis Honeyman, Boston College, 2023
Dates Seen: 3/4 (DH)
Travis Honeyman showed off some of the best barrel feel in the country during a doubleheader vs. Kennesaw State on March 4th. Of his 10 plate appearances, nine balls were put into play and none of them were hit weakly. The Eagles’ right fielder demonstrated an ability to drive both fastballs and breaking balls, and find the barrel in each vertical partition of the strike zone. Honeyman possesses plus bat speed and certainly has an aggressive approach at the plate--he averaged around three pitches seen per plate appearance--but there wasn’t much chase in his game and with his advanced feel for hitting you can understand the desire to “see ball, hit ball.” Defensively there was not much challenge for Honeyman in an outfield corner, but with plus speed out of the box and on the basepaths there is certainly a debate to have about his potential in center field. If there’s belief that such a move is feasible, Honeyman might not make it past pick #15 in this year’s draft.
RHP Blake Wehunt, Kennesaw State, 2023
Dates Seen: 3/4
Wehunt is a highly physical presence at 6’7”, 240 lbs., and has a drop and drive delivery that creates some violence but also gives his four seam fastball a very flat plane. On this afternoon, the fastball sat 90-94 MPH, touching 95 with good armside and carrying life. Off the fastball Wehunt features a mid 80s change that he has feel for and flashes above average late fade, a low to mid 80s sharp slider with good vertical break, and a lengthier variation of that pitch in the high 70s that can be described as his curveball. The burly right hander got hit around a bit in the 2nd and 3rd innings vs. a Boston College lineup that wasn’t missing his mistakes, but battled without his best command and kept Kennesaw State in the game. Wehunt doesn’t possess anything plus outside of his fastball shape, but does have a bevy of average to above average secondaries and has thrown good strikes so far in the Spring. As a second year eligible 22 year old, he profiles as a Day 2 or Day 3 money saver with a swingman/middle relief profile.
CF Isaiah Drake, North Atlanta HS (GA), 2023
Dates Seen: 2/15, 2/20, 3/6
Isaiah Drake put together one of his better overall performances of the Spring in a road game vs. Campbell, hitting two doubles and showing an ability to lift the ball with authority to both his pullside and the opposite field. Drake has fairly simple swing mechanisms, but can get too long at times and run into stretches of whiffs and weak contact. The fireplug #2 hitter for North Atlanta also showed off his range in the outfield, chasing down a well hit ball in the RCF gap for a plus range play. While lacking the projection of his peers, Drake possesses some of the most explosive physical tools in the state and could rise up boards if he gets into a groove at the plate.
RHP Terry Busse, Georgia Tech, 2023
Dates Seen: 3/10
Terry Busse has been lights out in the closer role for Georgia Tech this season, and his two innings of work on Friday were no exception. The John A. Logan transfer pounded the zone with a 92-95 MPH fastball from a low 3Q slot with heavy armside run and sink, eliciting more than a handful of whiffs from Notre Dame hitters. Irish hitters were laying off his low 80s slider that has 70 grade sweeping bite, but Busse adjusted and was able to freeze hitter in two strike counts to best utilize his putaway pitch. As of publication the Yellow Jackets’ closer still hasn’t allowed a single run in 12 innings of work, with a 23:1 strikeout to walk ratio showcasing how well he sequences his powerful sinker/slider combination. All signs point towards Busse being right at the top of the college reliever crop in the 2023 draft.