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Ventura, Calif. - The Uncommitted Spotlight Series continues as we have begun the 2024-2025 school year and the looming JR. High School baseball season for our '26 class. With than in mind Prep Baseball California will be highlighting some of the top uncommitted class of '26 athletes. The player featured today is one of the top players in the state of California and figures prominently in our Class of 2026 Rankings. All players featured within our Uncommitted Spotlight series are ones that college coaches and fans should be keeping their eyes on over the coming months.

We invite you to get to know them through the eyes of our Prep Baseball California staff of scouts both through our in person looks at players and/or the data-backed numbers collected at our events with our partnered companies. TrackMan, Blast Motion, and Swift Performance provide comparable data to project and evaluate players. All of these systems come together to give a clear picture at what colleges will get when a players steps onto their campus.

Today, we put the spotlight on the number 99 ranked player in the 2026 class in SoCal '26 OF Royce McKenzie from St. Bernard Catholic High School. With a compact athletic frame at 5'7 185 lbs. with present strength in his lower and upper halves.. His athleticism is solid and has run a 7.17 60 time with 19.8 MPH max run speed , burst off the line with a 1.73 second 10 yard split to go with his 26.1" vertical jump. McKenzie has consistently performed well at a variety of Prep Baseball California events including our recent CA State Games. He has displayed his defensive ability to play multiple spots in the OF that goes with a feel to hit at a high level in game with emerging power.

During the workout/gameplay portions of our Prep Baseball California events McKenzie has shown consistently strong actions around the OF that gives him potential to man CF at the next level, but flashes potential to handle either OF corner especially as his arm strength continues rising now up to 82 MPH on his OF throws. While his defensive versatility to move around the OF is intriguing what McKenzie has consistently displayed on the offensive side as RH hitter raises his stock and potential to play the game at the next level. His swing works well from a simple operation with a small front foot stride, quiet hand load, balance in his turn to keep his body behind the baseball at contact. Blast Motion metrics are good across the board with hand speed (22.6 MPH) bat speed (72.6 MPH) and torque from his turn (18.2 G's of Rotational Acceleration). His quality swing, good approach, feel for timing has consistently shown well during batting practice/gameplay by producing hard contact with a peak EV at 92.7 MPH with a 86.8 MPH average EV, and has shown a peak of 100% Sweet Spot rate out of his flatter swing that generally averages higher Line Drive rates or Ground Ball rates, but has flashed ability to drive the ball in the air to the pull side. As good as McKenzie's swing is during batting practice over his last 3 game play events he has barreled the baseball at a high rate during game play while picking up multiple hits over the course of that time frame.

As he prepares for his JR. campaign at St. Bernard Catholic where he figures to continue to have a prominent role within their lineup as well as defensively on Southern California high school baseball scene that will help to keep the up arrow signs for McKenzie in the future. 

College coaches and fans be sure to click on McKenzie's profile to see full video and information.

Upcoming Events

Showcase	State	Date	Location
Ventura County Uncommitted Games	CA	09/22	Ventura College
SoCal Underclass Top Prospect Game	CA	09/28	University of San Diego
2024 West Coast Games	CA	10/04	JSerra High School & Chapman University (Hart Park)
Northern California Uncommitted Games	CA	10/05	Del Oro High School
Northern California Underclass Games	CA	10/06	Del Oro High School
Orange County Uncommitted Games	CA	10/13	Cypress College
Ventura County Fall ID	CA	10/20	Ventura College

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