Prep Baseball Report

2023 Top Prospect Games: MINF Analysis


Brett Thorney
State Scouting Director

On Tuesday, June 16th, PBR Arizona had the chance to run its first event of the summer circuit where we got a good glimpse into some young future prospects. The Class of 2023- Top Prospect Games is an invite only event that took place at Shadow Ridge High School in Surprise, AZ that featured some of the top players in the 2023 grad class. There were many players in attendance that have started to establish themselves as must follow prospects into the near future. This event featured over 60 players from from all across the state of Arizona that took part in a pro style workout followed by live game action. This annual sold out event has become a must attend event for future college prospects looking to play at the next level. 

We began our post-event analysis with our Statistical Analysis, taking a look at the top statistical performers in each category. We also posted a Quick Hits article of our first impressions from the event. This event gave us some good knowledge into some players that we haven't seen before. We also had the chance to see players we haven't seen in a while due to seasons being shut down. 

Today, we continue our post event coverage by continuing our positional analysis with the middle infielders that competed at this event. Shortstop is looking like a position with some strong depth in the 2023 grad class. Be sure to stay tuned over the next couple weeks for more post-event coverage. 

CLICK HERE to view all event statistics. 

Middle Infielders

 

Tyler Acton SS / C / Verrado, AZ / 2023

5-foot-11 140-pounds, medium build, balanced frame, still maturing, some projectability. Switch-hitter that can play multiple positions. Similar setup at the plate from both sides with relaxed upright base, using a small leg lift. More bat speed and higher positive attack angles from left side. Gets barrel onto the swing plane faster from the right side. Handsy swing that has feel for the barrel. LD gap to gap approach, hit some ball in the mid 80’s in BP. More quick than fast in the INF, running a 7.35 60-yard dash. Soft, quick hands with athletic footwork. Arm should improve as he gets stronger. Can also catch, with soft hands. Above average athlete behind the plate with ability to get below the baseball. Strong follow.

 

Carter Bailey SS / 2B / Corona Del Sol, AZ / 2023

5-foot-11 160-pounds, young frame, quick twitch player, above average athleticism. Tools & all-around play stood out at the event. Ran a 7.05 60-yard dash which was one of the top times of the day. Hits from a slightly upright stance using a leg lift knee turn before landing in a solid launch position at front foot strike. Approach has some rawness & can be handsy but shows good bat speed to go along with some pop, 94mph exit velocity on the day. Hit a double in LCF gap in live game action. Defensively, shows good pre-pitch movement and first step, quick athletic footwork. Fields ball out front, playing through ball. Above average arm for age. Should improve across the board with more maturity. Bailey’s tools make him a player to follow in the 2023 class.

 

Carson Bittner SS / RHP / Campo Verde, AZ / 2023

6-foot-2 160-pounds, thin body, long limbs, high waisted, some athleticism, good projectability. Hits from open stance, using a raw leg kick, landing mostly square. Good stretch going into front foot strike. Fast hands for age. Gets barrel on swing plane a bit late, creating opposite field approach. Hard LD contact at 84mph. Long easy methodical footwork. Ran a 7.20 60-yard dash. Soft hands, long arms give him some extra range. Short arm action, 75mph arm strength across the diamond with some more present.

 

Tommy Chiappetti SS / OF / Verrado, AZ / 2023

5-foot-9 140-pounds, average balanced frame, has started to mature a bit, noticeably bigger than back in February. Hits from a squared base, using small knee turn left lift. Simple repeatable swing, showing some rhythm. Hands work down and back, creating a barrel tilt at times. Long swing with  lower rotational acceleration, finishing low. Varying contact at 84mph exit velocity. Average footwork with ok glove, flipping glove before fielding. Quick loose arm action with 77mph arm strength.

 

Jaylen Choi 2B / 1B / Hamilton, AZ / 2023

5-foot-9 170-pounds, smaller build with some strength & durability, average athleticism. Showed some ability with the bat on the day. Hits from solid base, using a knee turn leg kick. Good body control and rhythm, being able to repeat swing. Good on plane efficiency. Middle LD approach, 83mph exit velocity. Got two LD hits through the INF to both sides of the field in our live game action. Defensively, shows heavy footwork, creating little momentum. Ran a 8.04 60-yard dash. Choi is recovering from an arm injury so his arm is currently below average.

 

Easton Cline SS / OF / Red Mountain, AZ / 2023

5-foot-10 155-pounds, long legs, high waisted, lean body with some strength. Hits from an open stance, using a leg lift to land square. Loads hands straight back, short to the baseball. Downhill swing plane with GB contact at 84mph exit velocity. Defensively, had a good showing working out in the MINF. Showed some quick actions and some feel for the position. Quick twitchy hands & transfers, short release. Slightly above average arm. 

 

Andrew Grenert SS / OF / Northwest Christian , AZ / 2023

6-foot-1 160-pounds, large projectable body with some strength & athleticism, looks the part of a future shortstop with continued progression. Shows some advanced actions with some tools that should improve a lot as he starts physically maturing and adding strength. Left-handed hitter with an advanced approach at the plate with some controlled aggressiveness. Hits from a relaxed slightly open stance, using a gathered leg lift to transfer energy to back hip. Gap to gap hitter, 88mph exit velocity off a tee. Solid round of BP hitting some balls in the low 90’s to pull side. Backed it up by hitting one of the hardest hit balls of the day into the opposite field gap in our live game action. Athletic actions in the INF with good footwork with soft hands. Ran a 7.38 60-yard dash. Left-handed hitting SS that should be followed closely.

 

Grant Haas SS / 3B / Desert Vista, AZ / 2023

5-foot-11 150-pounds, thin body, long frame, some athleticism & projectability. Younger brother of Arizona State commit, Hunter Haas. Raw pre-pitch movement, putting himself in position to get connected early. Good on plane efficiency. Fast hands with bad speed that should improve with added strength. Middle LD approach, 83mph exit velocity. Still developing some more feel for the SS position. Average footwork & quickness, fielding some balls flat footed. Ran a 7.52 60-yard dash. Soft hands, working from the ground up. Arm should improve with strength & athleticism. Development should be followed.

 

Brady Lord SS / 3B / Basha , AZ / 2023

6-foot 175-pounds, broad shoulders, strength to frame, some durability to build off, big legs. Hits from a slightly spread out stance, using leg lift with some forward movement. Loads hands into barrel tilt, vertical entry onto swing plane. Average on plane efficiency. Quick time to contact. Power potential with gap to gap approach, 89mph exit velocity off a tee. Hit a ball 95mph in live BP. Average quickness at shortstop, ran a 7.56 60-yard dash. Sure hands, fielding out front, bringing to belt buckle. Short arm action across the diamond with 80mph arm strength.

 

Cooper Neville SS / C / Mountain Ridge, AZ / 2023

5-foot-11 165-pounds, large athletic frame, lean proportional body with some strength in lower half, room to get stronger. Looks like a ball player with solid all around actions and feel for the game. Left-handed swing and make-up stood out. Hits from a tall upright base, slightly open. Uses a knee turn leg lift, reaching at times. Lands balanced, slightly closed. Good bat & hand speed. Short to the baseball. Oppo gap approach with LD swing.  Also hit a hard line drive deep to LCF in game action. Plays the game hard up the middle with a high baseball IQ, dove for a couple balls to try to keep it in the infield. Soft hands, fielding ball out in front, bringing glove to belt before separating, solid arm that will improve with continued progression. Strong follow into the future. 

 

Xander Ras SS / 2B / Desert Vista , AZ / 2023

6-foot 155-pounds, thin body, long legs, immature physically, limited strength. Starts in a tall upright position, falling into front foot strike. Hands start behind back shoulder, working slightly back. Used the whole field, getting on plane late at times. Flyball contact at 81mph exit velocity. Showed some feel and upside for shortstop position. Quick actions, ran a 7.35 60-yard dash. Good pre-pitch movement. Advanced footwork & glove skills. Plays through baseball. Should be a MINF to followed with offensive improvement.

 

Bryce Stanton SS / C / Shadow Ridge, AZ / 2023

5-foot-11 170-pounds, high waisted, strong legs, long arms, some overall strength. Starts in a balanced setup, lowering his posture as he rocks into the back leg with a leg lift. Some extra moving parts. Gets into the hitting zone quickly, with flat barrel entry. Mid/oppo approach with uphill swing path, hitting some balls in the mid 80’s in live BP with slower hands. Behind the plate, he has a staggered secondary stance, receiving the ball with two hands on throw downs. Makes transfers in the center of the body. Turns his shoulders late. Falls off to 3B side on finish, missing high to right side of bag. 74mph arm strength, recording 2.17-2.26 pop times. Worked out in the INF, showing average quickness, fielding balls cleanly, ran a 7.96 60-yard dash.

 

Joshua Tiedemann SS / RHP / Hamilton, AZ / 2023

6-foot-1 170-pounds, large lean frame, broad shoulders, definition to body with above average strength & athleticism. Some advanced overall actions and tools. Shows the ability to slow down the game with an easy relaxed approach. Hits from a slightly spread out base loading into back leg with knee turn leg lift, minimal forward movement. Above average bat speed for a high schooler. Power potential in his swing that will come more often in the future. Mid/ pull approach with 93mph exit velocity. Low effort fielder with a good arm across the diamond at 87mph. Sure hands, still developing more feel for SS position. Also, worked out in the OF with easy footwork & accuracy to the bag, throwing 86mph. Should be a strong follow in 2023 class.

 

Owen Wade SS / RHP / Pinnacle, AZ / 2023

6-foot 165-pounds, lean build, balanced frame, getting stronger, showing some definition. Hit from a relaxed open stance with easy leg lift, landing in line. Loads hands slightly back. Approach was more to the pull side at this event, showing some more pop and better timing. Hit a ball 93mph off of the tee. Lighter footwork with some added quickness in the infield. Improved his 60-yard dash to 7.23. Fields ball deep at times. 75mph arm strength. Also threw to hitters in live game action. Pitches from the stretch. Simple delivery with some body control, staying connected to ground a front foot strike. Creates direction to the plate, gets tall on finish at times. Throws from a  ¾ arm slot. FB sat 78-80mp with some arm side run. Breaking ball was more SL this time out with gradual movement at 66-68mph. Also mixed in a low spin CH at around 1300rpm.

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