Our Charlotte Regional Qualifier is in the books, and it was a smaller, but talented group that showed out at Arena Lake Norman on Sunday morning.
The New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series rolls on — and will likely roll on with some of the players you see below — as we move towards our summer selection combines and signature events in our tenth anniversary season.
Below, find a few players who popped for me at the event, with a note that this is solely some thoughts from myself and isn’t indicative of anything from our staff, scouting department and so forth.
JOSEPH RUTLEDGE II, 2027 CF
This is Rutledge’s fifth time with us, and I’ve been there for all five appearances. There’s something here. A lot of something here, honestly. Athleticism pops off the charts — he ran a 4.53 40 in Mooresville on Sunday — and has been a consistent performer at everything he’s been at, which includes invites to high-level stuff like the Underclass Elite and Caribbean Classic, where he more than held his own against some older arms with some velo.
Rutledge produced 95 MPH+ exit velo on Sunday and, per our scouts, “profiles as starting OF in College with a chance to play professionally as his bat keeps developing and coming around.”
NOAH LAYTON, 2027 OF
Another easy one. Wish they were all this obvious. This kid does some jawdropping stuff, and may even be more athletic than his older brother, DJ, who came through the FSS and went to the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round in 2024. It was a 4.50 40, good for best among the group on Sunday, to go along with a 32′ 9″ triple jump number that also paced the roster. Coachable, eager to keep learning and has some swagger to him. You’re betting on the athlete here, but there’s a real chance for some significant impact at the top of someone’s order to be an on-base machine and be a terror on the basepaths.
CHACE BLACKMON, 2027 RF/3B
Another extremely athletic standout from Sunday, Blackmon is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and has a wide-receiver/cornerback-type build with some strength behind it. On USA Baseball’s radar with some NTIS appearances to his name, Blackmon put down a fairly effortless 4.89 40 time and his 31′ triple jump was second only to Layton. Pretty smooth stroke from the right side, albeit with perhaps a bit too much loft in it right now, with some easy actions in the field.
HUNTER KISSE, 2027 OF
Kisse showed himself to be coachable in a moment with CEO and FSS founder Jeremy Booth in the batting cage in Mooresville, but popped all day. With a chiseled 6-foot-1 and 160-pound frame, he’s also got a lot of room for projection in the build here, and has a chance for some real gap power to go with some feel for the barrel that he showed on Sunday.
RICHIE EVANS, 2030 INF/OF/P
Evans was the subject of much discussion before we even got going on Sunday as a 2030 with his vitals; 6-foot-3, 195 pounds and he was every bit of it when he showed up, too. His exit velos were 94 MPH+ in Mooresville, and there was some “swing with intent” during his BP rounds…he’s looking to do damage up there. He ran a 5.19 40, which plays for his size, and also got on the mound and showed some feel to pitch through about a 20-pitch session. He’s an interesting name to watch for us moving forward without question.
JAKE BUCKLIN, 2027 C/1B
I didn’t know anything about this kid coming into the event and walked away wanting to see him again. He impressed behind the plate with a strong, accurate arm, and accounted well for himself in catching some of the bullpen sessions on the day. I’ll take a 4.69 40 for a catcher any time, and there’s enough bat here where it’s far from a defense-only profile. I’d like a longer look here.
TRAE DUNFORD, 2033 INF
This was, per his Instagram, Dunford’s first high-school event, and I suspect it won’t be his last. While we typically don’t see players this young, Dunford genuinely, truly didn’t look out of place at any point on Sunday, and I have no problem putting my name on that. Advanced for his age, there’s still obviously a ton of development to do here and it’s as far from a finished product as you’d expect it to be this far out. But the approach is there on both sides of the ball, and FSS will be *great* for him to really work on some fundamental aspects of his game over just showcasing elsewhere.
About New Balance Future Stars Series
The New Balance Future Stars Series presented by Program 15 is a global platform for amateur baseball development and scouting, powered by a commitment to impact, integrity, and player-focused innovation. Its alumni can be found throughout professional baseball, and its events and partnerships have reshaped how talent is identified, nurtured, and celebrated.
Connect with New Balance Future Stars Series by visiting our website, www.futurestarsseries.com, by visiting our YouTube page, and by checking out the social media channels below.
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Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked eight Super Bowls, 12 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,300 games covered in his career.
An avid trading card enthusiast, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son, future No. 1 overall draft pick in 2042, William, their beloved dog, Bailey, and occasionally well-behaved cat, Smokey.
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