THE TRUTH

Rising high school senior Brady House draws lofty comparisons thanks to his hitting ability, impact power and single-minded determination

- CARLOS COLLAZO

Brian Smith is no stranger to talent. As the head coach of WinderBarrow High in Winder, Ga., he’s seen his fair share of talented players and teams.

At USA Baseball’s National High School Invitational in 2017, Smith’s club beat the defending champions of the event—a prospect-laden Huntington Beach (Calif.) High team—and later blanked Florida powerhouse American Heritage High to make the semifinals at the prestigious tournament.

Smith has coached plenty of great players. From catcher Beau Hanna—a 12th-round pick of the Red Sox in 2017—to current Yankees prospect Pat Demarco to past first-round picks Travis Demeritte and Max Pentecost, the latter after three years at Kennesaw State.

Smith knows how to spot talent. He’s been around enough professional ballplayers to know what they look like. And he knows he has something just a little bit different than the average high school player with shortstop Brady House, his current star.

“It was just in crossing,” Smith said, thinking back to when he first put eyes on House as a 12-year-old. “I think there was an old camp. He was at a baseball camp that we hosted. You never can tell at that age what the growth is going to be like and the strength and the maturity, but you can see the skill set is there.

“You could tell something was there, but where things really got to be special is with how big and strong he took off.”