THE FIVE: SoCal '20's to Follow This Fall
September 13, 2019
SOCAL - The calendar has officially turned on summer with all eyes on the fall and winter beyond that with ultimate prize being the spring season.
As players head back to school to prepare for their spring season many will be playing games both with their high school teams and with scout ball teams. For some of these guys the focus will be next June's MLB Draft where they may hear their names called, but for all it usually starts with a college commitment first.
And with the recruiting calendar providing college coaches a window of a month to see as many players as they can this fall, it's a good time to take a look at some uncommitted seniors to follow this fall.
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Petey Halpin OF / 3B / Mira Costa, CA / 2020The highest profile transfer in SoCal so far has been Halpin to Costa Mesa HS from NorCal. Halpin shone this summer on the elite circuit playing in the Area Code Games and for Team USA 18U. A former UCLA commit, Halpin shows an above average arm in the outfield where he may profile best in a corner. And while he's not an elite runner (6.95) he's more than adequate both running the bases and in the field where his natural instincts tend to take over showing the ability to track balls with ease and the makeup speed to spare when needed. |
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Aidan Booth C / 1B / Laguna Beach, CA / 2020Rankings StateRank: 110 / POS: 14
When you think of a catcher who is 6-1 195-pounds you probably aren't expecting to see a hyper-athletic, strong, and able catcher but that's what you get with Booth who has posted a 6.80 60 this year. He's also hammered balls to the tune of a low-90's exit velocity. A cerebral catcher (4.10 GPA) who shows an understanding of setting hitters up, Booth shows the athleticism and tools - looseness in hips, nimble footwork, ability to frame and block - that will give him a chance to play collegiately and potentially beyond. |
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Colby Canales 3B / SS / JSerra Catholic, CA / 2020Rankings StateRank: 148 / POS: 15
Canales has the look of a player whose best days are ahead of him. Canales shows athletic actions defensively to go with an arm that works from third base on a frame that has lots of room for growth/development. A rangy athlete, Canales could profile well in right field where his athleticism could really play up. He showed in flashes this past spring that he can drive balls into the gaps making it easy to dream on what that will look like when the body is fully developed. |
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Brandon Heidal C / Orange Lutheran, CA / 2020Rankings StateRank: 188 / POS: 24
Not many, if any, catchers in the 2020 class can boast the resume of arms they've caught like Heidal can. The uncomitted senior catcher has shown that his catch/throw skills are on par with anyone in the state and has since gone to work on his physicality and the bat with signs pointing up in both departments. Heidal is making gains both with the body and with the consistency of the bat/pitch recognition. Defensively watching him call a game is a treat the way he sets up pitchers for success is an asset not many catchers in high school have. |
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Isaiah Greene OF / Corona, CA / 2020Greene really took off during the Area Code Games this summer where his bat and speed were on display every time he stepped on the field. He couldn't miss at the plate and that's continued into the early goings of the fall making Greene one of the most highly sought after 2020's in the state. The consistency with the barrel is something that we've seen in flashes from Greene but have now seen since the middle part of the summer. Greene possesses plus speed and is showing that he might have enough tools to stay in center field at best, or at worst he's an above average corner outfielder moving forward. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| SoCal Top Prospect Games | CA | 09/14 | JSerra High School |
| Rising Stars Showcase | CA | 09/21 | Santiago High School |
| SoCal Uncommitted Senior Games | CA | 09/28 | Fullerton College |
| NorCal Uncommitted Senior Games | CA | 10/06 | College of Marin |
| NorCal Top Prospect Games | CA | 10/13 | College of Marin |