Alabama Baseball Signs Fifteen Players

Coach Brad Bohannon and staff continue to stay hot on the recruiting trail, and signed 15 new players for next season. Included are nine pitchers- with two also listed as infielders, one outfielder, three infielders- plus the two P/INF, and two catchers. There are seven right handed pitchers and two lefties. Nationally ranked at #24, Walter Ford is the linchpin of the class.

The signees sent in their LOI’s on Tuesday. Bohannon and staff seemed to target big, hard throwing, pitchers for this class. The players and a thumbnail sketch of each follows:

1. Walter Ford, 6’3” 195 pounds, RHP/3B. Pace, Florida. Ford is ranked the number one pitcher and number nine prospect in Florida by Prep Baseball Report, as the #2 third baseman and fifth overall by Perfect Game USA, seventh in Florida overall by Baseball America and the 24th ranked prospect in the country by Perfect Game. Ford has played on the USA U 18 Team, and reclassified from the 2023 class to sign this year. With his potential there is a very good chance he will be a high draft pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
2. Max Wilson, 6’2” 200 pounds. The only outfielder to sign is the 83rd ranked player in the country. The Fleming, Florida native is the #5 outfielder and #15 overall prospect in Florida according to Perfect Game and the #21 outfielder nationally. Prep Baseball Report has Wilson as #6 outfielder and #39 in Florida. Wilson will be another one to watch when draft time comes.
3. Mason Swinney, 6’2” 185 pounds. Shortstop from Hodges, AL and Phil Campbell High School. Swinney is listed is the #1 shortstop and #13 overall player in Alabama by Prep Baseball Report. Perfect Game has him is the states #2 shortstop and third ranked overall player. As a junior in 2021 Swinney was the 3A Alabama Player of the year and First Team All State. The versatile athlete also stars in football and basketball for Phil Campbell.
4. Riley Quick is a 6’6” 255 pound right handed pitcher from Trussville and Hewitt-Trussville High School. Quick is also is a highly recruited offensive lineman and the brother of Alabama offensive lineman, Pierce Quick. Riley is the #1 RHP and #6 overall prospect in the state by Perfect Game USA. Prep baseball has the fireballer as #2 overall in Alabama. As a junior Quick was the 7A pitcher of the year in the state.
5. Alton Davis, 6’5” 185 pounds, left handed pitcher, Hueytown, AL. Perfect Game has Davis as the #1 LHP and #2 overall prospect in Alabama, and #24 LHP nationally. Prep Baseball Report has the lanky lefty as #2 LHP and #6 overall in the state. Alton will have family on campus as his sister, Kayla, is a member of Patrick Murphy’s Crimson Tide softball team.
6. Evan Chaffee 6’2” 180 pounds, left handed pitcher, Hamburg, NY. Chaffee is the #2 prospect in the state of New York by Prep Baseball Report, and the #31 LHP nationally. Perfect Game has Chaffee as the #7 LHP and #24 overall prospect in the Empire State. Evan is also on the basketball team at Hamburg High School.
7. Sammy Leis, 6’2” 175 pounds, catcher from Cummings, Georgia. Leis attends Denmark High School in Alpharetta, GA and is the #3 catcher and #34 overall player in the state by Prep Baseball Report, and #3 catcher and #48 overall in Georgia by Perfect Game USA.
8. Austin Morris, 6’4” 195 pounds, right hander pitcher, Warrior, AL. Morris attends Mortimer Jordan High School and is the #8 RHP and #19 overall prospect in Alabama by Perfect Game USA and #12 RHP and #27 overall by Prep Baseball Report. Morris also plays basketball and football at MJHS.
9. Carter Stanford, 6’4” 215 pound, right hander pitcher, Spanish Fort, AL. Stanford is ranked as the #6 right handed pitcher and #14 overall prospect in the state by Prep Baseball Report and #6 RHP and #15 overall by Perfect Game USA. Stanford is also a member of his high school football team.
10. Skyler Hutto, 6’3” 205 pound RHP/INF, Trinty, AL. Hutto is the #3 shortstop and #22 prospect in AL by Perfect Game USA and #3 shortstop and #30 overall by Prep Baseball Report. Hutto also is on the basketball team.
11. Jake Madden, 6’5” 175 pound RHP, Enola, PA by way of NorthWest Florida State College in Niceville, FL. Out of high school Madden was committed to South Carolina before deciding to head to Junior College. Madden was the #3 RHP and #9 overall prospect in PA out of high school and #8 RHP and #19 overall by Perfect Game USA. Madden was also a basketball player in his prep days.
12. Brock Blatter, 6’6” 210 pound right handed pitcher, Billings, MT. Blatter is the #1 player in Montana by Perfect Game USA and is (seemingly) underrated at number 493 nationally. High schools in Montana don't get to play many games in the spring, leading to the lower ranking than Blatter might deserve. Blatter is also a star on the school basketball team.
13. Nate Ochoa 6’4” 205 pound shortstop, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Ochoa is the #1 ranked shortstop and #2 overall player in Ontario by Prep Baseball Report. Perfect Game has him as the #2 shortstop and #16 overall player in Ontario. The big bodied shortstop has been shooting up the boards and was a member of the 2021 Canadian Junior National Team. Like Blatter his high school season is limited, and likely would be much higher rated (in the US) than he is. Ochoa is also one to watch come draft time.
14. Coby Shelton 6’0” 185 pounds, shortstop, Litha, FL. Shelton goes to Blooming Dale High School in Valrico, FL. Shelton is the #2 shortstop and #13 overall player in Florida by Prep Baseball Report, and is a top 200 player in the country.
15. Jaxson West 6’0” 200 pounds, catcher, Tallahassee, FL. West goes to Lawton Chiles High School in Leon County, FL. Prep Baseball Report has West as the #3 catcher and #35 overall player in Florida while Perfect Game USA has him as the #4 catcher and #34 overall player in the state. Both PBR and PGUSA have West ranked as the #11 catcher nationally.

Bohannon and his staff continue to scour the country, and Canada, for players and look to have signed another top class. Unfortunately the MLB Draft often raids great classes, making them merely good classes. This group is full of big bodied, hard throwing, pitchers, with some physical position players thrown in. The players signed include two players that are 6”6”, two that are 6’5”, three that are 6’4”, two that are 6’3”, four that measure at 6’2”, and two that are “just” 6’0”.

Exciting is building at Sewell Thomas Stadium with the baseball team coming off an appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season and a top 10 class of newcomers joining this years squad.

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