On January 8th, PBR Arizona begins the month of preseason showcases with the Tucson I.D. The Tucson Preseason I.D. is an event open to class of 2022-2025 athletes. With a large crop of talent already on tap for the event, we're going to begin breaking down the players who are attending and what to watch for through the spring season. 

At the Tucson Preseason I.D., participants will be evaluated by PBR Arizona staff, and receive verified stats and video recorded by our state-of-the-art technologies. 

Limited spots are available, CLICK HERE to sign up.

What to watch

Nathan Huie 1B / 3B / Sahuarita, AZ / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 15 / POS: 2 (Notes from 12/13) Nathan Huie is a notable prospect in this 2024 class. The recent Arkansas commit is a left handed bat that has made a large jump to the #15 spot in this rankings update. Huie is 6-foot-1 200 pounds and expected to keep adding strength and size. Strength and size plays a big part in his skillset as a corner guy with big power potential to all parts of the field. Coming off a great offensive fall, Huie has above average plate discipline and bat speed. He is still trying to find where he fits defensively, but with improving athleticism, there's a chance we see him at third base, a corner outfield spot, or first base where he currently gets most of his time. We're excited to continue following Nathan Huie and his development as he continues to grow.

 

Andres Castro RHP / 3B / Pusch Ridge Christian, AZ / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 37 / POS: 6 (Notes from 10/13) 6-foot-1 190 pounds, (Jr Future Games Participant) Andres Castro is a well put together player with athletic actions and tools. Ability on both sides of the ball. He's got bat speed, good with the glove, and has success on the mound. Castro had a relief appearance on Saturday, filling up the zone with majority FB attack. Very confident with the FB, sat 82-83 topping at 84 mph, and the SL sat 68-71 mph. Castro was striking hitters out and forcing weak contact, and his misses were down or off the plate. Castro has shown he's a player to follow in the 2024 class.

Jose Simon-Aguirre C / OF / Salpointe Catholic , AZ / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 51 / POS: 6 (Notes from 10/13) 5-foot-11 160 pounds, Jose Simon-Aguirre is a jack of all trades type player. Plug him in anywhere and he's going to be one of the best guys at that spot. His athletic ability is clear, and his play has caught our eye. The box presence is something that sticks out to us, Simon-Aguirre is comfortable in the box with some bat speed. Very versatile player that we will continue following as he develops.

 

Sal Valenzuela OF / LHP / Nogales, AZ / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 35 / POS: 7 (Notes from 10/13) 6-foot 175 pounds, we got to see Sal Valenzuela at the Tucson Summer Review, now seeing him perform in game action. What we saw back in September in a bullpen translated well to game action. Valenzuela is a left handed arm with a clean delivery and projectable body. His tempo and strike throwing ability was solid through a few innings of work. The FB sat 80-82 was some arm side run, and the SL sat 70-72 with some good bite to it. Valenzuela was locating the SL well down and away to LHH and backfoot to RHH. With added strength development, Valenzuela could be a long left handed arm in the upper 80s with a good slider. We're excited to follow Valenzuela as he continues to build strength.

 

Related Content

Upcoming Events

SHOWCASE	STATE	DATE	LOCATION
Tucson Preseason ID	AZ	01/08	Cienega High School - Vail, AZ
Phoenix Preseason ID	AZ	01/23	Grand Canyon University - Phoenix, AZ
Preseason All-State Games: Underclass (Invite-Only)	AZ	01/29	Apollo High School - Glendale, AZ
Preseason All-State Games: Upperclass (Invite-Only)	AZ	01/30	Apollo High School - Glendale, AZ
Super 60 Pro Showcase	NATIONAL	02/06	The MAX - McCook, Ill.