Prep Baseball Report

Commitment Spotlight: Kaden Schiefelbein


Brett Thorney
State Scouting Director

Today, we caught up with 2021 RHP Kaden Schiefelbein from Liberty HS. Schiefelbein recently committed to Washington State University. He took some time to answer some questions for us about his college recruiting experience.

Schiefelbein is currently the No. 8 ranked player in the class of 2021 in the state of Arizona; he's the No. 2 ranked right-handed pitcher. Schiefelbein has been on the rise since last summer with a big offseason. Its shows on the mound, raising his FB from 82-84mph to 86-90mph with good pitch ability.

Take a look at our Q & A with Kaden Schiefelbein below:

Kaden Schiefelbein

Class of 2021 / RHP

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2021
  • Primary Position: RHP
    Secondary Position: 3B
  • High School: Liberty
    State: AZ
  • Summer Team: GBG Arizona 2021
  • Height: 6-2
    Weight: 170lbs
  • Bat/Throw: R/R

Statistics

Pitching
90
Max FB
(01/26/20)
85 - 87
FB
(10/24/19)
74 - 76
CB
(01/26/20)
74 - 77
CH
(01/26/20)
76 - 77
SL
(10/14/18)
Pitching
Max FB
90
FB
84 - 87
CB
74 - 76
CH
74 - 77
Pitching
Max FB
82
FB
78 - 81
CH
73 - 76
SL
76 - 77
Pitching
Max FB
83
FB
79 - 82
CH
73 - 74
SL
73 - 76
Position
6.89
60-yard
(01/26/20)
84
INF Velo
(01/26/20)
86
Exit Velo
(01/26/20)
Position
60-yard
6.89
INF Velo
84
Exit Velo
86
Position
60-yard
6.95
INF Velo
80
Exit Velo
84

Scouting Report

1/26/20

 

6-foot-2 170-pounds, lean, athletic frame with long limbs and projection. Ran a 6.89 60-yard dash. Two-way player. Hits from an average balance base, using small forward move. Level swing with line-drive contact, 86mph exit velocity. Gap to gap approach. Athleticism plays in the infield with low effort actions and strong arm across the diamond at 84mph. More than capable HS third basemen & hitter. Showed solid tools as a position player, but his future lies on the mound. He pitches with a controlled, repeatable delivery and quick arm from a higher slot. He gets downhill with a high-spin fastball that sat 83-87 and touched 90 with riding life through the zone. He mixes in a short curveball in the upper 70s that shows more downer break and has shown glimpses of being a swing-and-miss pitch in the past. Current tools & athleticism should make him a high follow as a pitching prospect.

 

6/12/19

 

6-foot-2 155 pound frame with broad shoulders and long levers. Fastball up to 84 from a ¾ slot. Fastball plays up with easy arm action. Downhill plane with arm side run to both sides of the plate. Glove side fastball is his best pitch, letting it run back over the plate. Breaking ball at 70-72 has depth and shows glimpses of being a quality pitch but lacks consistency. Change up is thrown with good arm speed and fade. Fast arm that as he gets stronger, velo will match arm quickness.

 

 

10/14/18 - 6-foot-1, 145 pound, projectable frame. The combination of arm strength and athleticism has always intrigued and now that he’s begun to add some broadness in his shoulders the likelihood that he becomes a high-end arm only increases. At the plate, starts from a wide set-up with some present bat speed. Consistent line drive approach, 84 mph exit velocity. On the mound showed a repeatable delivery with a FB sitting 79-82, T83 mph. Low-effort delivery with clean, quick arm circle. Easy to project velocity. Tended to pull secondary offerings to the glove side on the look, but has previously shown feel for both in game action. Breaking ball sat 68-71 mph, flashing tight spin and changeup was thrown at 73-76 mph.

 

 

6/6/18 - 6-foot, 130-pound frame. High waist, very long legs. Schiefelbein has always shown an interesting combination of athleticism and projection and it appears that’s starting to come to fruition. With his ceiling likely highest on the mound, Schiefelbein ran his fastball up to 82 mph with a short, clean arm action from a high ¾ arm slot. Dynamic lower half, long stride, separates well. Very linear to the plate, cuts off rotation/deceleration path some. Changed up was thrown at 68-69 mph flashing sinking action. Curveball ranged from 62-65 mph with some depth. At the plate, hit from a wide base with minimal weight transfer and stride. Barrel works down and away from body some, gets on plane early. Looking to get extended at contact; 78 mph exit velocity. Showed solid actions on the infield. Looked comfortable ranging to balls to both sides of his body; 78 mph infield velocity. Schiefelbein also turned in an impressive 6.99 60-yard dash which makes ceiling on mound potentially very high.

 

 

1/28/18 - Thin, immature 5-foot-11, 130-pound frame. Has the type of body that might develop into an ideal pitcher's frame down the road. He shows a workable arm action, getting on top of the ball quickly on the back side and the ability to fill up the strike zone. Ran his fastball up to 79 at 130 pounds and projects for lots more velo in the future. Shows advanced feel for 73-74 mph sinking changeup with good hand speed. Shows some feel to hit with a wide solid base and line drive swing plane ; 77 mph exit velocity. 3B profile on defense. Posted 7.25 60-yard dash, showing solid athleticism which adds to his projectability.

 

 

1/7/18 - Currently a long ways off physically, but shows feel and a clean arm action on the mound to go along with some hitting ability. His present 5-foot-11, 130-pound frame will certainly undergo significant change in the coming years, and significant projection remains. Ceiling appears to be higher on the mound where he threw his fastball downhill through the bottom of the strike zone at 75-77 mph. Almost 3-piece arm action, but maintains fluidity and gets on top of the baseball quickly on the back side. Flashed short tight breaking ball in the upper 60’s that could become put away pitch as it becomes more consistent in terms of rotation and shape. 70-71 mph changeup was in the strike zone and flashed fading action. Offensively, hits from balanced setup, creating a wide base with his stride. Slight uphill path to high finish; some explosiveness in lower half. 77 mph exit velocity. Does a solid job playing underneath and through the baseball on the infield. Third base actions. Higher arm slot makes it difficult to throw on the run; 76 mph infield velo. Solid 7.29 60-yard dash for present body type.

 


Videos

(1/26/20)

PBR: Why did you choose the school you did?

Schiefelbein: I chose Washington State because I am excited about the culture and vibe surrounding the city of Pullman and believe they are trending in a positive direction. The new facility also drew my interest as well as the Pac-12 conference and the cool climate.

 

PBR: What other schools were you considering?

Schiefelbein: Other schools I was considering included Cal St Fullerton and Cal Poly. I had good conversations with several other schools that were planning on seeing me this spring/summer.

 

PBR: Where did the coaching staff first see you? How did your relationship develop with him?

Schiefelbein: Coach Davis saw me this past summer at an event here in Arizona, as well as the Fall Classic. I spoke on the phone with him frequently before making my decision to verbally commit.

 

PBR: Do you feel relieved now that the process is over and you can just focus on baseball and not deal with everything that goes into picking a school?

Schiefelbein: The recruiting process was a good learning experience for me. I was able to speak with a lot of college coaches and learn more about their programs and philosophies. The process was a bit overwhelming at times and it is nice to be able to focus on my training and continuing to improve.

 

 PBR: Was there one deciding factor that put your choice over the top?

Schiefelbein: It's tough to narrow it down to one thing, as there are so many factors that go into selecting the right school and fit. The rapport I built with the coaching staff at Washington State played a big part. We had a lot of good conversations and I appreciated how they viewed me as a player and person. Many players attending and committed to attend WSU had nothing but positive things to say about the program.

 PBR: Who has helped you the most to get to where you are today?

Schiefelbein: My dad has been my rock when it comes to me developing in this game, as well as a person. He has taught me the importance of internal motivation and always pushes me to get out of my comfort zone in order to reach my potential. He lets me learn from others and has taught me to take what works for me and leave behind what doesn't.

 

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it easy/difficult?

Schiefelbein: The overall recruiting process went about like I expected. There were many conversations to build camaraderie amongst the coaching staffs that made for a long and sometimes tiring process, but it is definitely important and enjoyable to build numerous relationships. My decision process came easier than I expected, likely due to the fact that it was a good fit on both ends in terms of visions and values.

 

PBR: What plans does the coaching staff have in store for you in your freshman season?

Schiefelbein: My freshman season is a couple years away and I plan on getting bigger and stronger during that time. The coaching staff indicated that I would get an opportunity to compete for innings my freshman season and that's my plan.

 

PBR: What is your most memorable baseball moment to date?

Schiefelbein: I have really enjoyed competing in some big national tournaments in Florida, Georgia, and California. Being on the roster for our high school state championship team was very memorable as well.

 

 PBR: Who is the best player that you have competed against?

Schiefelbein: I have faced a lot of good hitters and pitchers. One that sticks out is Johnathan Vaughns from Team California, as he took me deep last summer and also touched 93 on the mound that weekend.

 

Related Content