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The Uncommitted Spotlight Series continues as the summer circuit is getting underway Prep Baseball California is beginning to highlight some of the top uncommitted class of '26 athletes ahead of the August, 1st contact date for this class. The player featured today is one of the top players in the state of California and figures prominently in our Class of 2026 Rankings. The 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, Swift Performance, and Visual Edge 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 40 ranked player in the 2026 class in SoCal '26 SS/C Elijah Duarte from Ayala High School. With an intriguing frame that shows some present strength to it at 6'2 175lbs. with easy actions at both SS/C and upside to his offensive ability, Duarte has consistently performed across the board for the Prep Baseball California staff including being a part of the 2024 SoCal Preseason All State Underclass event and the Spring Invitational Tournament to kick off the '24 High School season. During the workout portion of the Preseason All State event Duarte impressed with his skill set across the board first with a 7.36 second 60 yard dash that includes a top run speed of 18.2 MPH. He moves around with athletic actions in the INF where he showed the ability to stick up the middle as either a SS/2B flashing and additionally looks like a solid catch/throw backstop with 2.03 current pop times with carry & accuracy to his throws. While Durate is a versatile defender with intriguing potential his tools are not solely limited to the defensive side of the game as there is also advanced tools on the offensive side of the game with strength in his RH bat. During the batting practice session Duarte consistently genereated hard contact from the middle to pull side of the field including a peak EV at 94.4 MPH with 89.6 MPH average EV with line drive leverage that currently plays as doubles power with HR potential as he continues to polish his approach & frame. With his abundance of tools on the offensive/defensive side, solid athleticism, and feel for the game Duarte was a key performer playing at a high level in game this spring for the CIF-SS D2 semifinalist Ayala Bulldogs program. Duarte posted an impressive .345 average to go with a .402 OBP/.452 SLG and 7 doubles, 1 triples, 15 RBIs, 14 runs scored while facing down strong competition both within the Spring Invitational and the rest of his CIF High School season. As he continues to mature and develop as a player to go with his already stellar performance Duarte has a chance to go to even higher levels of performance over the course of his final 2 years of high school/travel baseball. 

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

Upcoming Events

Showcase	State	Date	Location
Future Games (Class of 2026/27)	NATIONAL	07/24	LakePoint Sports
Junior Future Games (Class of 2028/29)	NATIONAL	07/24	LakePoint Sports
Senior Future Games (Class of 2025)	NATIONAL	07/24	LakePoint Sports
2024 California State Games (Invite-Only)	CA	08/09	Fullerton College

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