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Arizona Scout Blog: Universal Classic

October 30, 2019
Brett Thorney
Area Scout

The Arizona Fall Classic ran the Universal Classic on October 24-27 at the Peoria Sports Complex. The wood bat tournament featured prospects from the 2020-2023 classes. 

Here are notes and videos on prospects that caught our attention. 

2020 PROSPECTS

2020 RHP Mitchell Schooler (Liberty, AZ)
Committed to Arizona Christian the day after his outing on the mound for Liberty HS. Tall, high waisted frame working 84 mph with his FB. Mixed in a 12/6 CB at 65mph. Projectable frame and baseline skill & mechanical set to work with.

2020 RHP/SS Javier Aguirre (Horizon, AZ)
Uncommitted two-way senior prospect for Team Dinger. Told he hasn't pitched that much but could be a sneaky pickup on the mound going forward. Displayed a live arm and repeatable delivery. Showed athletic movements as he also plays SS. FB sat 83-85 T86 MPH. CB was a bit inconsistent but flashed to be a tight 12/6 at times.

2020 3B/ RHP Joseph Silverio (ASU Prep, AZ)
One of the more intriguing uncommitted 2020 prospects remaining. Won't see many  HS aged players as physical and mature as Silveri. Aggressive pull approach with pop to LF. 3B with good arm across the diamond. Didn't get the chance to see him throw this weekend but have seen him sit in the mid 80s and running it into the upper 80s with decent offspeed mixed in. Could give a college program some depth going forward

2021 PROSPECTS

2021 RHP Kaden Schiefelbein (Liberty, AZ)
One of the top uncommitted arms in the 2021 class in the state of AZ. Tall, lean build with broad shoulders and good athleticism to work with. Over top arm action- works downhill. In one inning of work for Liberty, showed a firm FB 85-87 T88 mph. Mixed in a good hard & tight 12/6 CB with late break. Throws fading CH for strikes. Good pitch ability. 

2021 RHP Patrick Steitz (Liberty, AZ)
Another arm that ranks in the top uncommitted arms in the 2021 class in the state of AZ. Has really progressed as of late. Ultra projectable body with a tall, long limbed frame. In one inning of work for Liberty, FB sat consistently 87-88 mph with long whipy arm action. Offspeed is still developing and was limited in the inning. Showed an CB with 11/5 shape at 67mph. 

2021 RHP Cayden Collins (Mountain Ridge, AZ)
2018 Future Games participant. Ranked as one of the top uncommitted arms in his class (recently decommitted from Utah a couple months back). Sat 84-86mph on the day with some easy arm side run to his FB. Ability to command both sides of the plate with a low effort delivery. Also controled his off speed well. CH shows to be a go to pitch with some fading action. More velocity in the tank with added leg use. High ceiling arm with a lean projectable body and present athleticism. Should continue to be a strong pitching prospect in 2021 class

2021 C/INF Tanner Smith (Basha, AZ)
Oregon State committ- playing for GBG Vegas this past weekend. Wid, athletic setup at the plate with minimal stride and forward move. Gets into his back leg well and lets his body work. Aggressive approach that looks to drive the baseball on a slightly upward swing plane. He has a very strong lower half. Tanner was 4 for 4 with 2 doubles and 5 RBIs in the game. Didn't get a chance to see him catch this weekend but seen playing some 2B where he showed some versatility & athleticism

2021 LHP Gray Bailey (Mountain Ridge)
2019 Future Games Participant. LHP with 6' 160lbs frame. Projectable body with plenty of room to get stronger. Worked 80-82 mph with his FB that had some life to it. Easy repeatable delivery, hides ball well. Mixed in a tight CB with 12/6 shape. Interesting LHP prospect to follow with added strength program

2021 SS Alan Rosas (Yuma Catholic, AZ)
Had a quiet night Thursday but stood out with some above average feel and athleticism for the Dbacks Academy. Showed easy, athletic actions up the middle with a solid glove and footwork. At the plate, he hit from medium stance with a pull approach. Loose hands. Got around the ball at times. Showed some good speed on the bases. 

2022 PROSPECTS

2022 RHP Issac Araiza (Cibola, AZ)
Started on the hill for Aggies baseball. Large frame with present strength & durability. More athleticism & twitch then the body type shows. FB sat 87-88 T89mph with long loose 3/4 arm action. Delivery was explosive but a bit inconsistent at times. Showed glimpses of pounding the strike zone throughout game when he got extended. Mixed in an above average hard breaking ball at 75-76mph. Should be a strong pitching prospect to follow in 2022 class.

2022 C Henry Chabot (Brophy Prep, AZ)
Was really impressive behind the plate for Team Dinger 2022. From a Large, stocky build, Chabot showed overall good & easy actions. Above average flexibility & mobility for the position. Receiving skills are advanced for age. With minimal extra movement, he worked underneath the ball to get extra strikes. Showed a few different stances including a hybrid stance with nobody on base. Strong catch & throw with knowledge of position.  Wide, hunched over base with a simple approach. Small knee turn trigger and short to the ball. With some offensive development, should be a follow behind the plate

2022 3B Christian Perez (Sunnyslope, AZ)
Showed one of the more advanced levels of hitting in the entire event playing up for Aggies Baseball 2021 team. Strong frame at 6'1" 200lbs hitting from the left side of the plate. Advanced approach, quiet setup with minimal extra movement. Body control throughout swing. Aggressive but stays inside the ball. Gap to Gap hitter with a slightly uphill swing plane. More than capable of playing 3B right now. Fields ball out front and has a good arm & carry across the diamond. High follow as a LHH 3B. 

2022 RHP Luke Moeller (Desert Mountain, AZ)
Started the game for Team Dinger 2021s on Saturday. Moeller is a 6'3" 195lb framed RHP with good strength & athleticism from frame. Showed a power arm with minimal leg use from a low effort delivery. FB sat 82-84mph, topping out at 86mph. CB had 11/5 shape and showed glimpses of being a plus pitch. The arm really works and should be a high ceiling RHP.

2022 LHP/ OF Brandon Compton (Buckeye, AZ)
At 5'9" 160lbs, Compton is showing signs of maturing physically. Above average feel on the mound & at the plate. Very mechanically sound player and you can tell has knowledge of the game. Threw a no hitter through 6 innings for the AZ Athletics while striking out 10 batters. FB sat in the mid 70's with a 12/6 CB. Easy repeatable delivery. Really knows how to pitch & keep hitters off balance. At the plate as a LHH, he has an advanced approach. Doesn't try to do too much and consistently barrels up baseballs. Two way prospect to follow over the next couple years as he physically develops. 

2022 SS Nico Franz (Brophy Prep, AZ)
Showed all around solid baseball actions and feel for 2022 SW Nationals. Played SS and hit in the middle of the order. Good glove with solid pre pitch routine. Carry across the diamond on throws. Offensively, hits from a semi narrow open stance with a medium leg kick trigger. Looks to drive baseball with a pull approach.  

 

2023 PROSPECTS

2023 SS/C Tyler Acton (Verrado, AZ)
Standout for the AZ Athletics on Sunday. Large athletic switch hitting SS/C with  room to mature and fill out physically. Showed an all around smooth approach & knowledge of the game. Simple compact and short approach to hitting from left side. Hit an inside the park HR to RC field where he showed above average speed. Simple actions with athleticism at SS. Showed carry across the diamond. Should be a strong follow in 2023 class.

2023 C Carson McEntire (Mountain Ridge, AZ)
Standout at PBR Fall Championships, continued to swing the bat throughout the weekend for AZBC. Helped lead his team to the Universal Classic championship hitting a deep HR to Left field. Hits from an athletic, slightly open base with minimal stride. Good rhythm and loose hands throughout swing. Consistent barrel contact. Strong hitting and catching prospect with athletic frame to work with.

2023 INF Isaac Macias (Sunrise Mountain, AZ)
Stood out for AZ Athletics this past weekend. Medium build with athleticism. Plenty of room for physical development. High energy MINF with quick twitch actions. Consistent LD barrel contact with ability to drive ball on multiple occasions as well. Multiple extra base hits on the weekend. Should be an athlete to follow over the next couple years

2023 1B/LHP Landon Penney (Saguaro, AZ)
Standout at the AZ Fall Championships. Continues to swing the bat well for the Scottsdale Dirtbags. LHH with above average physicality and athleticism for his age. Aggressive pull approach that doesn't get fooled by much offspeed. Can use the whole field but has above average pop to RF. Currently hits from a semi wide base with a closed off upper body. On the mound, the delivery looked more fluid than last time out with short arm action. Strong LHH hitting prospect to follow in class. Interesting LHP to keep an eye on.

2023 C Gio Melchione (Casteel, AZ)
Standout at the JR Future Games in Georgia. Hit a 2B down the LF line this past weekend for AZBC. Simple, relaxed approach at the plate with some pop. Actions & mobility are improving behind the plate to go with a solid arm. Should be a catching prospect to follow down the road as his athleticism continues to delevop.

2023 RHP Joshua Butler (Mountain Ridge, AZ)
Butler had good presence on the mound for AZBC with a tall 6'5" 200lbs frame. Sat 77-79 mph with his FB, touching 80mph. With some refinement in his delivery and continued development, could be a guy we are talking about a lot in the future. He's just at the beginning stages of learning to use that big body of his. Solid follow.

2023 LHP Cayne Killion (Red Mountain, AZ)
Started on the mound for the AZ Athletics Thursday night. FB sat 73-75mph with pitch ability. Large frame wit strength & durability. Look for Killion to make a big jump over the next few years with added athleticism and physical development.