Hardy's Hits: Central Coast/North LA Winter Uncommitted Names To Know
February 2, 2024
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With the CIF High School baseball season coming up quickly there are several talented players across my area who are going to be looking to impress college coaches with their performances over the next few months. The talent in the Central Coast, Los Angeles and surrounding regions is very strong, but wanted to take a look back at my personal uncommitted names to know headed into the ‘24 season.
The list was built to select players: on the mound, behind the plate, across the infield, throughout the outfield, a two-way standout and finally one bat first profile player. To make this list I had to have an in person look at a player. Note a few players are placed not at their current primary position, but positions they could play in addition to their primary.
Read below for brief information on each player, video from my look at them and click link on their name to view their full Prep Baseball profile.
(Players click the link on your name below to claim your profile. Also, players search the PBR database for your profile. Don't see your profile? You can create a free PBR profile here)
Pitchers:
RH Starting Pitcher: Cameron Fausset ‘25 Newbury Park High School Fausset should not be on this list too much longer. With a physical frame that has solid present strength across his lower and upper body while showing good athletic ability. The delivery has good intent with a quick arm that peppers the strike zone with a 88-91 MPH FB, firm CHG at 80-81 with interesting action and spun a 70-71 MPH CB with power to the break. Throws enough strikes with feel for 3 pitches, athleticism, durability in the frame to project as a starter going forward at the next level.
LH Starting Pitcher: Parker Allman ‘26 Saugus High School Allman is a name I had heard quite a bit about before I had a chance to see him in person and the live look confirmed the potential for this LH arm out of the Santa Clarita area. Presently, it’s more of a raw arm talent with a FB at 85-87 MPH while touching 88 with riding life out the hand. CB is his best secondary at 72-74 MPH with power and swing/miss type action. Adds a CHG at 77-78 MPH presently but it’s a fringey pitch he needs to continue to develop. The frame is athletic and lean with plenty of room to dream on the strength gains he can make and what he will look like by the time he finishes high school. The overall package still needs polish, but the ceiling is high for Allman.
RH Relief Pitcher: Colten Rainer ‘26 Royal High School Rainer likely could have made this list as the starting pitching selection, but to ensure this super talented ‘26 was featured I put him in as the reliever based on more present feel for 2 pitches with a need to develop his 3rd. The frame is impressive at around 6’4 with long limbs and good body control. He backs it up with present stuff that shows big potential as it continues to improve. Worked his FB in the 82-85 MPH range and bumps 86 presently with a promising 72-74 MPH SLD which featured power in the break and induced several missed swings.
LH Relief Pitcher: Dylan Summers ‘24 Valencia High School Summers is a long lean LH arm out of the Santa Clarita area with an interesting profile. Saw him in a brief stint where he worked his FB up to 88 while sitting consistently at 84-86 with riding life up the zone. CB shows promise with depth in the low to mid 70’s range, but some inconsistency with the shape, but when executed it’s a potential swing/miss pitch. Adds a 77-78 MPH CHG with some deception to the action but needs polish. Overall, Summers is a highly interesting arm who could start, but the potential for his FB/CB combination to tick up in a relief role could make him a wipeout type reliever in a leverage role.
Position Players:
Catcher: Dezi Delgado ‘27 Sierra Canyon High School Delgado is an advanced, toolsy, athletic backstop who will be tested in the competitive Mission League. There is a present ability to catch at an above average level with feel to present pitches with smooth quiet actions, athleticism in the block and the arm plays in the low 2.0 range with accuracy to his throws. You can easily dream of Delgado becoming a potential plus defender behind the plate by the time he is done in high school. Add in the fact he is a dynamic LH hitter who shows bat speed with feel for the barrel and an advanced approach he should be a premium name to know in the ‘27 class by the time D1 programs can start recruiting him.
1B: Brady Werther ‘25 Hart High School Werther was another one who I moved roles to get on this list, but this was for my belief in his bat. The LH hitter has loose hands with a smooth easy swing which collects barrel after barrel at the plate. His approach is really strong with good swing decisions and consistently on time with the barrel. Currently, his approach is more geared towards high contact at the plate but flashes leverage to the middle of the field which projects as doubles power presently, but should grow into HR power from RCF to RF line as he matures. Primarily a catcher defensively his bat will play at 1B especially as he adds more power to his game.
2B: Greyson Gullage ‘26 Sierra Canyon High School Gullage is another very good LH bat who shows the athletic ability, actions and feel for the game to stick up the middle defensively with potential to even play SS. Where Gullage stands out the most is in the batter’s box where his quick swing with leverage and strength shows impact through the middle of the field with present HR power to pull side and could grow into RCF or straight away CF in the future. There is balance and a good feel for his approach that projects a high average hitter with OBP and SLG going forward. Bright future for him.
SS: Braden Oliver ‘26 Agoura High School Oliver shows already advanced defensive actions at a premium defensive spot. The feet are quick with really good rhythm and can play laterally/downhill with easy body control. His hands are smooth and confident with the ability to play 1 or 2 handed. Then you add the arm which is comfortable throwing from different arm slots and has at least average arm strength presently with more to come. He looks the part of a potential plus defender who should be at least above average. The swing works with bat speed and potential to flash power with the bat path, but can continue to polish his approach as he matures. Overall, Oliver is one coaches should be paying close attention over the course of spring/summer.
3B: Michael Hogen ‘25 Hart High School Hogen has been high on my list since I first saw him in fall ‘22 and every look since then has only built my confidence in his ability. He flashes the athleticism, actions with his feet/hands, arm strength and accuracy to be an above average defender at 3B with plus potential. Then add in his simple quick smooth RH swing with very good bat to ball skills and pull side juice it’s a really intriguing offensive profile. While his present approach looks more comfortable working the middle of the field with line drives with a tweak to use his lower half more aggressively and looking to pull the ball in the air he could show at least average if not fringe above average power potential. His combination of defensive ability with feel to hit should make him a good grab in the ‘25 class.
OF: Tyler Starling ‘26 Agoura High School Another good athlete with a middle of the diamond defensive profile. He shows a good first step in CF with good routes to the ball in the air (standout football player also) with a feel for the ball in the air. Showed good range going to LCF gap to run down a deep fly ball with ease. Arm is presently below average but should develop into at least average arm strength with time. A compact quick LH swing with a line drive plane and good use of his hands in the bat path. Approach looks suited to work the middle of the field, but still developing his polish for timing/rhythm. An above average runner who flashes plus potential.
OF: Isaiah Tillman ‘26 Royal High School I got a short look at Tillman but in the brief look his lean athletic frame with good actions left me intrigued about the potential for this young LH hitter. His swing is quick and compact with a line drive plane. He uses his hands well to deliver the barrel on time and profiles as a top of the order slasher with doubles power and the speed to stretch hits for extra bases and create chaos on the bases. Arm plays as potential above average with life out of the hand and the athletic ability to play CF/RF. Also, pitches with live FB and interesting CB. Was in consideration for the two-way spot.
OF: Noah Jaquez ‘25 Valencia High School Another one who garnered two-way consideration for his work on the mound which is really interesting, but there is something about Jaquez’s bat/RF potential that I still see him as a better candidate for a position player spot. The swing shows looseness with lift in the path and present bat speed which all project power in his profile. With a lean athletic 6’3ish frame and looseness to his actions including fast hands which cover the plate well Jaquez should not only hit at a high level, but could flash above average power that would play to the big part of the field and pull side. He moves well in the OF with good body control, the arm strength he shows on the mound plays above average in RF with good carry to his throws and accuracy.
2-way: Ethan Montes ‘25 3B/RHP Sierra Canyon High School Montes was the winner of the two-way battle amongst several very good candidates. I’ve seen Montes start on two separate occasions with his innate ability to spin the baseball with consistency, control and intent screams high leverage reliever with a pair of swing/miss breaking balls (CB w/depth, sweeping SLD) a forkball like CHG which dives off the table, a sharp CUTTER which induces soft contact oh and don’t forget he also features a FB at 84-86 MPH with riding life to the arm side. He attacks hitters with spin often and he can execute it within the zone or outside the zone for chase which gets hitters off balance and then he can run his FB through the zone for soft contact or swing/miss. The intrigue of what he could do as a reliever at the next level is very high, but there is real potential for him to make a solid starter because of his feel for his arsenal, control of the strike zone and athleticism to start. As good as Montes is on the mound his is legitimate INF prospect with a loose RH swing with bat speed, a good approach, leverage to the middle of the field which all combined with average to fringe above average defensive ability at 3B make him a true 2-way potential recruit.
DH: Tyler Field ‘24 Newbury Park High School This was a tough choice amongst several very good bats, but Fields took this category on the advanced approach he shows at the plate with bat to ball skills and realistic power profile. With physicality to his frame and good athletic ability he has experience catching, in the infield and the outfield. But, where Fields stands out is in the batter’s box with the ability to drive the ball for impact through the middle of the field and to the pull side. The swing path shows leverage with carry and if he added more loft into the path he could be a potential above average to plus power hitter. He looks the part of a middle of the order impact bat who will provide potentially batting average, OBP and SLG to a college line up.
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