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Ventura, Calif. -  

As the new year has settled in and we get closer to opening day for the 2024 CIF High School baseball season, the MLK Holiday weekend stands as a very busy weekend of High School winter baseball in Southern California. This year's slate of scrimmages and tournament/invitational events made for a packed weekend of baseball. 

My first day out on the weekend took me to Santiago High School in Corona with a 5 game slate as a host site for the JSerra MLK Invitational event. With 58 teams competing across numerous sites this destination provided me the opportunity to get eyes on a very talented Santiago Sharks program, second look at the defending Foothill League champion Valencia Vikings, first look at an interesting Alemany Warriors program from the Mission League, a perennial Marmonte League contender in the Agoura Chargers, a compilation team from Northern California and a pair of out of state programs; one from Yuma, Arizona and the other from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Amongst the very talented field of teams were players across the ‘24-’27 classes who stood out in my look at them. The standouts of the day featured a few committed players, but several intriguing uncommitted players.  

Below you can check out my breakdown of the standouts of the day with video highlights, access to their PBR profile and a scouting report on them.

(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)

Santiago Sharks:

Committed:

+ Chris Ramirez ‘24 SS Cal Baptist I came away very impressed with Ramirez in a brief look at the athletic SS who will head to Cal Baptist to play for Gary Adcock and the Lancer program. An athletic frame with some present strength to it with good actions both defensively and in the batter’s box. I saw him take 4 at bats over the portion of 2 games with 3 of them being quality at bats. The swing is compact and it’s geared to work the middle/oppo part of the field with line drive leverage to the path. He shows loose hands while letting them work to cover the zone with good bat to ball skills. He collected a single, a hard line drive out to RF, and a walk in his 3 quality appearances. The defensive actions and arm strength both flash SS potential at the next level and if he had to move to 2B he will be a potential plus defender there. A very good pickup for the Cal Baptist program with a bright future there.

+ Austin Gamell ‘24 INF Cal Baptist the LH hitting Gamelle has an athletic frame with good strength to it and explosive actions as a runner and hitter. In 4 at bats he strung together 3 quality plate appearances. He flashed an interesting set of offensive tools with bat speed and lift in his swing path, but also the feel for the barrel to consistently get to hard contact in game. He picked up an INF single in one plate appearance where he showed above average to potential plus speed down the line with burst out of the box. Later in the day he flashed the power potential he has to the pull side turning on a mistake over the plate and drilling a deep drive to RF which narrowly missed going out and resulted in a stand up triple. The combination of bat to ball with strength in the swing make Gamelle a potential impact offensive player at the next level. He showed solid defensive actions at 2B and should stick on the INF dirt at the next level with the athletic ability to move to an OF corner or potentially CF. Another really good land for the Cal Baptist program.

Uncommitted:

+ Seth Coria ‘25 LHP/OF this was my 2nd look at Coria on the mound (having seen him a week earlier at Preseason All State Upperclass). I got to see two innings of work from him before having to switch to the 2nd field being used at Santiago to catch another arm. He flashed a 3 pitch mix on the day with command of each and attacked the strike zone. The FB worked at 83-85 touching 86 a tick down from what he showed at PSAS, but also an extended appearance as a starter. Mixed in his CHG and spun the CB at 75-76 with good action. I came away from PSAS really like the offensive potential of Coria slightly more than pitching, but after this second look with the combination of athletic ability, body control, arm speed, control of 3 pitches, tempo and intent to what he was doing on the mound that left me reconsidering my original assessment of him. I think there is still real potential for him as a hitter/outfielder, but the current ability on the mound plus the projection to continue adding velocity plus polish to his arsenal with feel for pitching makes him an uber intriguing prospect as a LH arm who has real potential to start at the next level. He is absolutely an arm that college programs need to be bearing down on over the spring and into the summer to add to their program. Plus add in the LH offensive potential and you could be landing a 2 for 1 recruit who can impact a program at two spots.

+ Ben Lewis ‘27 RHP/INF while Lewis presents a smaller frame with at 5’10 145ish lbs. currenlty there is plenty to like about this young arm. The delivery is controlled with a quick arm action and the ball comes out of the hand really easy with life through the zone. Velocity on the FB is presently at 81-83 MPH and there is plenty more to come as he continues to add strength to his frame, develops increased arm strength and arm speed that should put him in the upper 8’s potentially low 9’s in the future. Adding in a sharp 72-73 MPH SLD which when thrown down in the zone had hard late break with swing and miss action. It was a brief 1 inning look so the stuff probably ticked up just a little bit from what it would look like in a starting role, but no doubt there is upside in this young arm. He is a long way away from being a recruitable athlete under the new NCAA D1 recruiting guidelines, but with the combination of current stuff, athletic ability, arm action, future projection and present feel for pitchability Lewis should be one D1 programs are keeping an eye on over the 20ish months to see what he looks like and if he would be a fit for their program come Aug. 1 2025 when they can officially start to recruit him. 

Valencia Vikings:

Uncommitted:

+ Justin Gaisford ‘26 LHP this was my 2nd look at Gaisford and he did nothing to lessen my intrigue in his ability as a LH arm with a bright future on the mound. His feel for pitching, control of his arsenal, quality delivery, strong frame with room to develop, clean arm action with quick arm speed all stand out as fringe above average and will only continue to get better as he matures and develops ahead of college baseball. The stuff presently is led by his feel for a plus CHG that works at 69-71 MPH with deception from his FB arm speed on it while showing fade through the zone it flashes swing/miss potential with plenty of soft contact results. Spins an interesting CB in the 63-64 MPH range with depth and minimal hump out of the hand. Gaisford can both throw the CB for strikes in zone or use it below the zone to get chase out of hitters. His FB doesn’t flash present velocity at 77-80 MPH, but he gets arm side run with it and some sink which tunnels well with the action on his CHG helping it to play up and miss barrels. The pitchability is more advanced than the stuff, but with 2 years to continue to develop and improve the life on his arsenal college programs should be tracking Gaisford as a high quality LH arm for their program.

+ Noah Jaquez ‘25 OF/RHP Jaquez is a tantalizing prospect for me. I’ve had two looks at him now and have loved each of the tools I’ve seen out of him. While I did not see him throw live on Saturday he had an impressive outing the following day against a very strong Etiwanda program. On this day he played RF where again he showed me the tools to be an impact RF defender at the next level. The arm strength plays which he got to show off on a 2B to the RCF gap where he played the ball of the wall and turned in one step to throw a laser to the cut off man holding the runner from 1B at third and limiting a potential triple to a double. He moves well in the OF, shows body control with instincts and a good foot work on his first step/routes. At the plate I had previously only seen 1 AB in which he drove a 2K single to RF, but was intrigued to see him let the swing loose and look to do damage. While he didn’t collect a hit on the day (2 BB’s and a HBP) he let loose on a few swings showing impressive bat speed, lift in the path which projects above average power potential as he continues to polish the approach to get to it consistently in game. The swing itself is loose with fast hands and good use of his lower ½ getting into the back leg to stay behind the baseball. He pulled a loud foul ball for a strike on inside FB that showed impressive hangtime (6.32 seconds in the air). I liked his ability to be aggressive and look to do damage on 0 or 1 strike counts while adjusting his approach with 2K’s to use his hands more, track the pitch and battle. Another one who potentially could be a 2 for 1 recruit as a position player with the ability to add impact on the mound.

+ Wyatt Murphy ‘24 SS a good athlete who flashes the defensive actions and arm strength to stick at SS going forward. His feet are quick with good rhythm while showing range laterally in game and can get downhill on the ball. His throws show carry without fade or sink, but does need to polish some of his accuracy to reach his full potential as a defender. An aggressive hitter with a quick bat who looks to work the middle of the field with potential leverage to the gaps for doubles plus the strength to show HR power to the pull side. His approach is geared to swing early and often which could hamper some of the offensive potential for him, but with projection to stick at a premium defensive position and play average to above average and potentially plus defense at SS make him an intriguing player still on the board. If he can refine his approach and show the feel to hit with some power there is impact in the bat, but at the very least he will be depth within a lineup while holding down an impact defensive position. Could be  good late grab for a college program, but one who if he elects to take the JUCO route and polishes his offensive ability while continuing to get stronger would be a really intriguing transfer prospect down the road.

+ Chad Stanchfield ‘24 RHP this was my first look at Stanchfield on the mound and I came away pleasantly surprised with the medium framed reliever for the Vikings. The delivery shows good intent with some effort, but a quick arm and good athleticism allowed him to consistently repeat while showing the feel for the strike zone in his one inning of work that shouts leverage reliever in the profile, but I see some potential to start should he add strength to the frame and develop a third pitch. Stanchfield attacks with a FB in the 83-86 MPH range and sat consistently at 84-85 with life through the zone while spinning in a CB at 68-71 MPH with some power to the break on it that flashes swing/miss action on it. It’s a really interesting profile for Stanchfield and he should have plenty of opportunities to throw significant and important innings for the Vikings over the spring. Another one who would be a good 4-year program grab late in the process for his ability to add depth to a college bullpen with upside. But, if he chose to go the JUCO route to develop his body, improve his arsenal and build more innings on his resume could be a future starter or high leverage reliever once he transferred on to the 4-year level. 

Agoura Chargers:

Uncommitted:

+ Braden Oliver ‘26 SS on what was a very good day of baseball and plenty of talented players Oliver may have been my personal favorite on the day. It started while waiting for the Chargers first game to start against Santiago watching his actions taking fungos from the Charges assistant coach. The smooth hands, quick feet, easy movements to his body, feel for reading hops and ability to play downhill with 1 hand caught my eye quickly. Then between innings it consistently showed up with each rep he takes continuing to practice high quality fielding habits. Oliver is not just a practice fielder, but the actions show up in game with several nice plays including a lightning quick start to a double play later in the day. Oliver looks the part of a future college SS who realistically projects to be at least an above average defender with plus potential at a premium defensive position. His swing shows bat speed with good use of the lower ½ and balance throughout while letting his hands work freely to show whip in the path that will flash leverage. His approach is still a little raw and the feel for hitting in game will need polish to maximize his potential as an offensive player but the tools/potential is there and it will be an interesting follow. For his defensive ability alone Oliver should be a strong follow for D1 programs ahead of the Aug. 1 2024 contact for the ‘26 class, but if he shows his potential as a hitter Oliver could be an in demand recruit for programs with impact defense and impact offensive tools. I’m very much looking forward to continuing to see more of Oliver.

+ Tyler Starling ‘26 CF Starling is an athletic LH hitting middle of the diamond profile player who shows the ability to stick in CF at the next level. He moves with burst around the OF covering both gaps for fly ball outs with a good first step and an easy route to each play. His arm is fringe average currently, but as he matures, adds strength to the frame and increases his arm speed it should play at least average with fringe above average potential. His LH swing is compact with a direct path geared for contact and flashes leverage in the path. He scuffled a bit at the plate with his timing and pitch selection on the day, but later in the day he showed off his top of the order potential when he caught a high FB with a clean barrel and drove it to RCF on a line. The ball split the outfielders and I got a good look at the dynamic running potential for Starling (also a standout football player) when he coasted to 3B for a stand up triple in 12 seconds with plenty more in the tank. Starling profiles the ceiling of an impact defensive CF who can hit at the top of an order while at least will be an impact CF who adds depth to the backside of a lineup. Another player who college programs should keep a close eye on for how he performs this spring/summer ahead of the Aug. 1 2024 contact date.

Alemany Warriors:

Uncommitted:

+ Jayden Lusk ‘25 RHP Lusk works with aggressive delivery featuring tempo and intent on each pitch. His arm is relatively quick and can flash fast arm speed when he syncs up the action with his lower half. The overall profile is still a little raw with a projection, but the stuff presently shows well and with the room to improve/develop he is a very intriguing arm who will be tested in the competitive Mission League this spring. His FB comes out of the hand with life working at 83-85 MPH touching 86 and there is more in the tank as he learns to use his lower ½ more effectively and add strength to what is a relatively lean frame. Really liked my look at his SLD which flashes power when he throws it down in the zone with swing/miss action at 73-74 MPH. He does need to develop a little more feel for each pitch while cleaning up some of the actions in his delivery, but with the polish to what is a pretty good overall profile Lusk will be an arm to keep an eye on.

+ Jacob Ortega ‘25 RHP/C Ortega started the game and went 3 innings with a very impressive performance. His demeanor on the mound is competitive and he works with good tempo on the mound projecting as a starter going forward in HS plus potentially into college. The frame has some present strength to it, but room to get stronger across both his upper and lower 1/2s that will help his stuff take the next step. Shows body control and a quick arm with a feel for repeating his delivery which helps him to consistently throw strikes with a quality arsenal. His FB works at 82-85 MPH currently with more in the tank while mixing a pair of quality breaking balls in his 66-67 MPH CB with depth and an interesting sweeper style SLD at 72-74 MPH with control. Ortega is a good athlete who also plays a position and can swing the bat pretty well, but I like the potential on the mound going forward. When or if he focuses specifically on pitching his presently good overall ability will take the next step into what should be a starters profile at the next level with a floor of being a leverage/swing man style reliever for a college program. A strong season in the Mission League will really help to continue to raise the profile on Ortega.

Danville Hoots (travel program):

Uncommitted:

+ Will Rau ‘27 RHP (San Ramon Valley HS) Rau is a young RH arm out of Northern California who showed a raw but interesting profile in my brief look at him. It’s a presently lean frame with projection to add strength across the upper/lower body with a loose arm which shows whippy quick arm speed. His stuff right now stands out more than his true feel for pitching, but for a freshman in high school that stuff is pretty loud. Working his FB from 80-83 MPH consistently hitting the 83 MPH mark (the Hoots coach stated he has been up to 85/86 in bullpens which looks very real). The ball jumps out of the hand with life, but he doesn’t presently control it better than below average. Mixed in a CB at 69-70 MPH with some power to the break and flashes good potential when executed. There is more potential than polish to what Rau currently has, but the profile looks very promising and he will be a fun one to see develop/improve over the coming years at San Ramon Valley High School.

+ Max Harris ‘27 LHP (Del Oro HS) Harris is an entirely different look than Rau. The young lefthander shows a polished feel for what he is doing on the mound. Working in the 77-79 MPH range on the FB while touching 80 on occasion with some arm side run to it Harris consistently attacked the strike zone with it. Adds in a CHG at 68-69 MPH which flashes an interesting potential, but he needs to polish his feel for throwing it with FB arm speed. His CB was intriguing and may have been his best pitch at 66-67 MPH with good action on it while showing the feel to throw it in the zone for strikes or below for potential swing/miss. It was Harris’ first time facing a varsity level lineup and while his results were nothing spectacular, his competitiveness to attack the strike zone really impressed me. He doesn’t fear contact, doesn’t nibble on the corners after getting hit, but rather continues to attack hitters with each pitch. The feel for pitching with projection to add more velocity/life to his arsenal as he matures physically and as a pitcher will be fun to see. A quality LH arm to keep an eye on out of Northern California.

Other Names to Know:

In a one day look not all highlights are caught or players won’t always have their best results. With that in mind there were several other players who showed interesting tools/potential or futures. The names below are ones to keep an eye on going into the spring and going forward.

Alemany:

+ Johnny Alvarez ‘27 OF Uncommitted

+ Ricky Luevano ‘27 INF Uncommitted

+ Charlie Larkin ‘26 INF Uncommitted

+ Adonis Jenkins ‘24 OF Uncommitted

+ James Quintero ‘24 INF Pomona-Pitzer Commit

Agoura:

+ Will Michelman ‘24 INF Lewis and Clark Commit

Santiago:

+ Warren Cancillier ‘24 C Uncommitted

Valencia:

+ Reid Farrell ‘24 INF Uncommitted (standout football player)
+ Aiden Voyles ‘24 C Uncommitted

Danville:

+ Ben Brown ‘24 UTL Uncommitted (Del Oro HS)

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