NorCal ProCase Spotlight: C Anson Aroz
August 21, 2020
Blaine Clemmens
Northern CA Director of Scouting
LINCOLN, CA. - Aroz, presently our 35th ranked 2021 in California (5th among catchers) got onto our radar at a tournament in Stockton sometime in the fall or summer of 2018 as I recall. There was a college coach sitting with me when we were watching him play both catcher and SS. As the game went on and we observed not only his talents, but also his passion to play, smile on his face, interaction with his teammates, it was pretty clear we were seeing a special young player. In fact, that coach leaned over to me and said, 'he's probably a PAC guy isn't he?' To which I replied, 'I sure think so.' He wasn't a Pac-12 coach so he made the decision to not fall any further in love with Anson Aroz.
That I was confident Aroz was going to be a Pac-12 player doesn't necessarily mean I was/am confident that he's going to get pro interest next spring season (hopefully there IS a next spring season!). He's got big hands, he's strong for his size, he's a switch-hitter, he's very athletic, he's polished behind the plate, but the raw arm and bat projection at the highest level have been areas that have given me some pause. Now, given three years of college, those concerns would very likely go away.
THE REPORT:
Body: 5-foot-10, 175-pounds. As stated previously, athletic player w/athletic proportions, built like a MIF, big hands, lean body w/agility
Hit: SH; RH - Has shown more consistent barrel control and contact abilities on the RH side, swing is more flat and line-drive oriented. LH - Willing to let it fly and doesn't lack bat speed, more pronounced attack angle on LH side, shown tendency to swing/miss more often on this side in effort to drive ball, tends to lose the barrel vs higher velocities though flashes ability to stay above the ball and shoot it the other way.
Power: Given future strength gains and his strength from his fingers through his forearms, there is some pop in his future, though on a 20-80 scale I'd put a future grade as below average. More doubles and gappers than balls over the wall.
Field: This is where Aroz excels. Above average and future plus grades on receiving, blocking and overall defense. Extremely agile and athletic, while also possessing outstanding intangible traits that lead to better team defense. Can pounce on bunts and swinging bunts, block/recover and throw, etc. He's also a very capable middle infielder and down the road could get some rest from catching and still man 3rd base at a high level.
Arm: His arm grades out as future above average, combining both projection of his present 79 mph we saw at the workout and his ability to get rid of the ball quickly and accurately. The low and consistent pop times are not uncommon in viewings of Aroz. His ability to control the running game is a tool in his belt.
Run: 7.01 - plenty acceptable for a catcher
Summary: About as well-rounded as we have among the 2021 Northern CA catching crew. His overall talents and skills, along with a switch-hit profile put him at the top of the list in the region heading into the spring season. There are others with more power and others with bigger arm strength, but none have his full skill set and usability of his abilities. Based on very strong showing at the Area Code Games he could get a few peaks from area guys in the spring, but is likely headed to Oregon and from there working toward the upper rounds of the 2024 draft.
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