Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Class of 2023- Rankings Updated

April 30, 2021
Brett Thorney
State Scouting Director

As of today, The PBR Arizona- Class of 2023 Player Rankings have been updated. Our staff has been out at games consistently this spring and will continue to cover games through the conclusion of the season. We are looking forward to seeing many more players compete. This list includes players from all over the state of Arizona that play across the different classifications of high school baseball. These rankings have been organized through an extensive evaluation process that includes our live game coverage as well as our own PBR events. We have also used valued scouts & local coaches for player recommendations to add to our watch list for further evaluation. Not on the list and feel you got overlooked? Feel free to tag us in any social media posts. We're definitely paying attention to them. We will also be holding some events this summer in addition to our live coverage. As always, our opinions are constantly changing with each view and there will surly be updates to this list as the 2021 spring season wraps up and we move into our summer coverage.

Derek Schaefer Takes over the No. 1 Spot

2023 RHP Derek Schaefer (Cactus Shadows)- Washington commit, long athletic frame, projectable body at 6-2/ 160-pounds. Schaefer is young for his class and has the athleticism to keep making positive adjustments with plenty of room to get stronger. We were gable to see Schaefer start on the mound early this spring. Although he's hitting over .450 at the plate his overall stuff on the mound is ahead of his age. From an athletic delivery with long-levered body, Schaefer shows significant ride through the zone with his FB that has topped at 91mph throughout the spring, around 2500rpm. His velocity floor has climbed to 87-89mph consistently which is ahead of most pitchers in the class. He also has two quality secondary pitches that have shown above average potential especially as he throws them with more intent. His CV at 72-74mph is a little ahead with some swing & miss potential at 2600rpm. Schaefer has thrown 31 innings this spring, allowing 8 earned runs on 22 hits & 14 walks while striking out 57 batters. His ERA sits around 1.79. 

 

McKnight jumps up the board

2023 RHP Bryce McKnight (Desert Vista)- McKnight’s performance at our Preseason ID back in February helped him earn a spot in this year’s PBR Future Games as a member of Team Arizona. He has made big strides over the last year, adding strength to a lean athletic frame, which has translated to the mound. He throws from an athletic delivery that got stronger over the course of the session. He uses a solid three-pitch mix with solid separation of pitches while pounding the zone for strikes. His fastball sat 84-86, topping out at 88 with ride through the zone. The slider showed sweeping action with 8:15 tilt and 18 inches of horizontal movement. The changeup showed as a plus potential pitch with side spin creating sink at 75-76. McKnight has played a key role on the mound for Desert Vista with logging plenty of time on the hill this spring.

 

Douglas having a breakout spring

2023 SS Drew Douglas (Basha)- Douglas is one of the more consistent hitters in the class while playing one of the toughest schedules in the state. He's currently hitting .359 on the season with a .583 on base percentage. Douglas stands at 6-foot, 165-pounds,  projectable frame with wiry athletic body, plenty of room to gain more strength. The left-handed hitter has an advanced approach with clean repeatable swing. He uses a middle of the field approach with pop that continues to improve with added strength & ability to transfer his energy in his swing. He has shown some increased power with 3 HRs on the year. Defensively, Douglas is a versatile defender who has started at SS for Basha all spring. He has the ability to play all the infield spots and shows athleticism in the OF where he played to begin last season. Douglas' consistent LH bat with some feel to hit & versatility should make him a follow going into the summer.

 

Carlon catching our eye

2023 LHP/1B Cole Carlon (Corona Del Sol)- Carlon has played a big role on both sides of the ball for Corona Del Sol this spring and hes definitely caught our attention. At 6-4/190 pounds in a tall long-levered body there still seems to be some youth in his frame with some room to add even more physicality. The left-handed hitter has been one of top hitters for the Aztecs, hitting over .400 on the year with several extra base hits. On the mound, the upside is high as a left-handed pitcher as he learns to use his big body with some more coordination. Currently, Carlon works in the low to mid 80's with more in the tank with two solid secondary pitches to build off. His CH is above average and has plus potential with arm side movement. The breaking ball can be a bit slurvy in the present but should improve great with added intent. Carlon's development should be followed closely.  

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE CLASS OF 2023 PLAYER RANKINGS

RANK   NAME STATE SCHOOL CLASS POS COMMITMENT
1 Derek Schaefer AZ Cactus Shadows 2023 RHP Washington
2 Roch Cholowsky AZ Hamilton 2023 SS UCLA
3 Grant Smith AZ Pinnacle 2023 RHP  
4 Carson McEntire AZ Mountain Ridge 2023 OF Oregon State
5 James DeCremer III AZ Brophy College Prep 2023 RHP Oregon State
6 Joshua Tiedemann AZ Hamilton 2023 SS Texas Christian
7 Justin Chambers AZ Higley 2023 LHP Washington State
8 Zachary Wadas AZ Brophy College Prep 2023 1B Texas Christian
9 Connor Mattison AZ Canyon View 2023 RHP Long Beach State
10 Ryan Kucherak AZ Hamilton 2023 SS