PBR’s inaugural event in Arizona took place on October 29 at the Kansas City Royals Complex in Surprise. We wrap up our analysis from the event with our Top Overall Prospect List, which is broken down into upperclass and underclass prospects.

2020 RHP Kyle Ponzo takes home the top spot on the underclass list after touching 85 with a clean arm action and projectable frame. 

Here’s a look at our top prospects: 

 

 

Kyle Ponzo RHP / 1B / Hamilton, AZ / 2020 Rankings  StateRank: 6 / POS: 2 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame with very long limbs and plenty of room to fill out. Established himself as one of the top prospects in Arizona’s 2020 class and is certainly one to watch moving forward. Working exclusively from the stretch, Ponzo uses some shoulder tilt, a high front side and high ¾ arm slot to work downhill through the bottom of the zone.  Heavy fastball sat 82-84 mph, topping out at 85 with plenty more to come. 68-70 mph curveball showed 11-5 shape and will improve as he throws it harder and shortens the break. Showed advanced feel and good arm speed on straight 77-78 mph changeup.

 

 

Augie Walters RHP / OF / Brophy College Prep, AZ / 2021 High-waisted 6-foot-3, 155-pound frame with very long limbs; tons of projection in body. Very good athlete for current strength level, running a 7.25 60-yard dash. Established himself as one of the elite prospects in Arizona’s 2021 class. Big-time follow as he grows into his frame. Ceiling is highest on the mound where he worked exclusively from the stretch with a short stride and some explosiveness in his lower half. Threw 79-81 mph fastballs downhill with some sink, topping at 82. Long, loose arm action with very little effort. Flashed a solid changeup at 69-72 with good arm speed and also showed a developing breaking pitch at 67-78. Offensively, showed some hitting ability that will continue to improve with strength. Gets foot down early without a ton of rhythm in his setup/swing. Made mostly solid line drive contact; 80 mph exit velocity. Shows easy outfield actions with good footwork and solid carry on throw from high ¾ slot. 78 mph outfield velocity.

 

 

Barrett Skaugrud SS / 2B / Sandra Day O'Connor, AZ / 2021 6-foot, 135-pound frame with tons of physical development still to come. Skaugrud’s performance this fall has established him as one of the top prospects in Arizona’s 2021 class. Hitting from a tall, loose setup with good rhythm, Skaugrud has an extremely advanced swing and feel to hit. The looseness in his wrists creates a very whippy swing and surprising pop (81 mph exit velo). Moves well and is a solid athlete when considering the lack of present strength; turning in a  7.36 60-yard dash. Defensively he shows efficient footwork and soft hands. His biggest area for improvement comes with his arm on the infield, as he often gets underneath and pushes the baseball from a low slot, which limits carry. With continued physical development and some refinement in his throwing mechanics, Skaugrud has a chance to become an elite-level prospect.

 

 

Ben Meyerson LHP / 1B / Scottsdale Christian Academy, AZ / 2020 Rankings  StateRank: 13 / POS: 2 Projectable 6-foot-1 160-pound frame with long limbs. Meyerson showed very well at the event and has a chance to be a high-end prospect with continued physical development. Repeats delivery well from ¾ arm slot with limited effort, good arm speed, and an athletic finish. Shows ability to pitch with rare combination of plane and angle on 78-81 T82 fastball that also flashed arm side run. Sweeping slider was consistently around the zone. 71-73 mph changeup showed good arm speed with fade and sink. This three-pitch 2020 lefty bears watching.

 

 

Noah Nithman OF / Sandra Day O'Connor, AZ / 2020 Rankings  StateRank: 14 / POS: 2 Compact 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame with quick twitch ability and good strength for a young prospect. Nithman was a standout at the event and put himself on the radar of everyone in attendance. Turned in the day’s top 60 time with a 6.97. Showed impressive bat speed in BP and is looking to lift the ball with authority. Hits from a tall, narrow setup with a long stride, generating good separation and extension in his swing. Raw defensive prospect with a very high arm slot has the necessary athleticism to become a solid outfielder. In PBR’s first look at Nithman, he made it very clear that he is one to watch in the sophomore class.

 

 

Wes Kath SS / 2B / Desert Mountain, AZ / 2021 Young 5-foot-11 155-pound frame with high hips, big hands and feet. Plenty of room left for physical growth and development. Hits from narrow base with slight leg lift trigger that doesn’t gain much ground.. Looking to pull in BP. Stays behind the baseball very well. Has a chance offensively with additional strength; 84 mph exit velocity. Defensively shows soft hands and is a fluid mover at shortstop. Closes himself off to throw with clean, whippy arm action; 75 mph infield velo. 7.60 60-yard dash.

 

 

Spencer Seigworth RHP / OF / Valley Christian, AZ / 2021 Physically immature 6-foot, 147-pound frame with long torso. Showed best on the mound where he uses a compact, low effort delivery with a slow tempo. Generates very little from lower half and has plenty more in tank. Worked 74-76, T77 with his fastball that showed slight cutting action at times from a high ¾ slot. 65-69 mph changeup is only secondary pitch, which is appropriate for his age and physical development. Has a chance to become high-level prospect on the mound as his body matures. Offensively hits from upright setup with toe tap trigger and somewhat steep bat path generating 75 mph exit velocity. Registered 76 mph outfield velo using short arm action and high ¾ slot. 7.43 60-yard dash.

 

 

David Utagawa RHP / 1B / Corona del Sol, AZ / 2020 Rankings  StateRank: 18 / POS: 4 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame with broad shoulders and a developed lower half. Two-way player showed best on the mound with an ideal pitcher’s body. Compact, on-line delivery with short, clean arm stroke. Gets on top of the baseball quickly in back with short action and just above ¾ slot. Fastball sat 80-82 mph, touching 83 and was mostly straight. Breaking ball pops up out of hand at 65-67. Changeup flashed fading action from 67-71. Offensively, hits from relaxed setup with low hands and easy rhythm. Uses lower half well with aggressive backside, turning in 88 mph exit velo. Arms works well at 1B with 75 mph velocity and short action. Tends to field the ball deep with some stiffness in hands. 7.76 60-yard dash.

 

 

Tanner Smith C / 3B / Basha, AZ / 2021 Stocky 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame shows some present strength. Hits from a balanced, relaxed setup, creating good separation. Easy rhythm with some feel to hit and a slight uphill path. Impressive 87 mph exit velocity for age. Shows good feet behind the plate and receives well. Consistently popped 2.14-2.15; improvement of arm strength with age and development will dictate what level prospect he becomes.

 

 

Kai Taylor RHP / C / Mesquite, AZ / 2020 Rankings  StateRank: 20 / POS: 5 6-foot, 150-pound frame. Two-way prospect showed best on the mound where his loose arm and clean delivery stand out. Fastball sat 80-81, touching 82 from ¾ slot with occasional late life. Changeup is best secondary pitch, thrown with good arm speed at 73-75. Developing 60-62 mph breaking ball has a bit of a hump in it, but shows consistent rotation. Offensively hits from crouched setup with flat barrel and no stride; 81 mph exit velocity. Turned in a best pop of 2.16 behind the plate with 70 mph arm strength and a quick release, gaining very little ground on his throws to 2B. 7.51 60-yard dash.