Live Looks Report: Augusta Greenjackets vs. Charleston Riverdogs

Last week brought me a variety of looks as I went to several different parks to see several different arms and talented bats. Let’s first start with Augusta and Charleston, where I went to a solid pitching matchup between Luke Sinnard and Trevor Harrison.

We will bring you live look reports all season as I cover the South Atlantic and Carolina Leagues, plus make a few trips here and there throughout the year. We will also have some new faces on the site, out scouting around the country, which is awesome, as you will get live look reports from places I don’t go.

Let’s break down what the eyes saw last week in Augusta!

Augusta Greenjackets and Charleston Riverdogs Live Looks

Luke Sinnard, RHP, Atlanta Braves, 22, A

Blowing out his elbow in the 2023 postseason at Indiana, Sinnard did not pitch in 2024 due to having Tommy John Surgery, but his sophomore year at Indiana showed the Braves enough to snag him in the third round of the 2024 draft. A 6’8” righty, Sinnard creates a tough look for hitters from a very high release point.

It was another day of dominance from Sinnard on Wednesday as he outdueled Rays’ Trevor Harrison, tossing 5.1 scoreless innings with three hits and one walk. He struck out five batters but generated an impressive 16 whiffs. The performance was so good over the last few weeks that Sinnard earned a promotion to High-A.

His fastball is actually up from where it was pre-Tommy John, working 93-94 mph and topping out at 96. From a secondary standpoint, Sinnard relies heavily on his slider, which works in the upper-80s and touched 90 several times. Sinnard throws a curveball and a split-changeup as well.. The curveball works 80-83 mph with an 11-5 shape and a ton of vertical drop. The slider is vastly improved from previous years, and the split-changeup was a really tough look for left-handed hitters.

The Braves develop pitchers, and Sinnard has the stuff to be the next one.

Trevor Harrison, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays, 19, A

On the surface, things look pretty good for Harrison this year as he has posted a 3.65 ERA across 37 innings with a FIP of 3.29. The strikeout rate has fallen this year down to 21.9 percent and the walk rate up to 11.6 percent.

The start on Wednesday saw Harrison put up a solid line, throwing 5.1 innings of two-run ball with one walk and three strikeouts. He allowed just five hits on the start. Still, strike-throwing was an issue, and on the season, Harrison has landed 61 percent of his pitches for strikes.

I've seen Harrison three times this point. I saw him last year in Charleston. I saw him in the spring breakout game. I saw him again last week. Every start, Harrison seems to have trouble with spraying his fastball and not locating it well. The velocity is there though as he worked 95 to 97 mph and I've seen him top at 99 mph before. Harrison relies heavily on it, so the location will need to improve.

The changeup plays well off the pitch, sitting 86-88 mph with good fade, but he did not throw it often, and it was exclusively to lefties. Harrison’s slider sits in the upper-80s in a near-bullet shape.

Harrison will only be 20 years old later this year, so there is still plenty of time ahead of him in his development. I would like to see his locations improve, but right now, I have to drop him in the rankings despite the surface numbers looking decent.

Theo Gillen, OF, Tampa Bay Rays, 19, A

Gillen was a buzzy prep name last summer and wound up being selected 18th overall by the Rays. Labrum surgery limited Gillen during his final few seasons of high school ball, and a calf injury kept him out for most of April. Gillen looks healthy now and is swinging the bat exceptionally well.

Having filled out his frame, Gillen has a strong lower half in his 6’2” frame and still has a little projection left. Gillen has good balance at the plate, strong barrel control, and a good point of impact. He sprays the ball to all fields well and is showing improved contact as the season has worn on.

Gillen knows the strike zone well. His 31 percent swing is one of the lowest in baseball and was on full display last week. He legit averaged one swing per plate appearance when I saw him. Getting into deep pitchers counts is not always great, but I genuinely felt like Gillen knew the strike zone better than the umpires.

Owen Carey, OF, Atlanta Braves, 18, A

Carey can swing it, that is for sure. Having a sweet swing from the left-side, Carey has shown solid contact skills and the ability to pull the ball. Carey had several doubles in my looks last week and is up to 14 on the year to pair with a couple of homers. Carey smoked the ball around the yard and eventually walked it off in the bottom of the ninth inning in one of the games against Charleston.

He does hit the ball on the ground a bit too much, but as one of the younger players in full-season ball, who is a cold-weather bat from New Hampshire, Carey has done some impressive things. He controls the barrel well and adjusts to breaking balls in the box. He turned around a 96 mph Trevor Harrison fastball for one of his doubles.

Carey is running impressive contact rates right now and has shown a good feel for the strike zone. He will need to lift the ball a little more, to get to his power, but Carey is a fun prospect to keep an eye on.

Brailer Guerrero, OF, Tampa Bay Rays, 18, A

Guerrero signed the fifth-highest bonus of any international player in 2023, landing $3.7 million from the Rays as a 16-year-old. Already standing at 6’1” and well-filled out for his age, Guerrero has high-end bat speed and massive raw power in all fields. The body is questionable for his age, and you have to wonder how it progresses as he ages.

The lefty posted exit velocities as high as 111 mph as a 16-year-old and peaked at 112 mph at the complex last summer. He has continued to show an impressive power stroke this year and has four home runs in 104 plate appearances.

There are several limiting factors in the profile, which include contact and swing plane. Guerrero is prone to swinging and missing, and when he does connect, he puts the ball on the ground far too often. He is prone to rolling over balls to the pull side. Still, Guerrero has big time power when he does get the ball in the air.

There is plenty of upside to dream on for Guerrero, but the profile does not come without concerns. If you can tolerate the risk, he is worth investing in for the upside alone.

Eric Hartman, OF, Atlanta Braves, 18, A

The Braves snagged Hartman with their 20th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, giving him an over-slot to keep him from his college commitment at Michigan. It seems to be paying off as I saw Hartman put up a couple of impressive at-bats in Spring Breakout, and what he has shown in my looks at Augusta.

At 6’1”/185, Hartman looks to have some projection left on his frame and already has juice in his bat for an 18-year-old. While the surface numbers have not been great, there is plenty to like with Hartman. The contact numbers are good, and Hartman showed the ability to use the whole fit and hit the ball where it was pitched. The pull rate is good, and when Hartman has been able to get the ball in the air to the pull side, good things are happening.

He currently has a sub-70 percent contact rate, but to me, it largely feels like it is because of a good approach and working deeper into counts. Having split time between outfield and second base, Hartman has an intriguing profile.

John Gil, SS, Atlanta Braves, 19, A

Gil turned 19 just two weeks ago, but already has over 300 plate appearances in Single-A. While he has not lit up the stat sheet, he has some traits that make him an interesting prospect.

He is definitely bigger and stronger than he was last year, but still moves extremely well. The speed is easily plus or better, and it shows in all aspects of the game. Gil is smooth at shortstop and can make plays deep in the hole with ease. Last season, Gil stole 40 bases, and this season he is already up to 26 in 31 attempts.

His exit velocities have been pretty strong for his age, with a 90th percentile around 102 mph in 2024. They are down a touch this year, but still hovering around a 101 mph 90th, which is solid for a player who just turned 19.

Gil’s contact and approach numbers are both solid, but the biggest issues have revolved around a 53 percent ground ball rate, which is up from 44 percent last year. Still, a young player like this is sure to figure it out with tweaks over time. Gil is a fun player to invest in for deeper leagues.