Prep Baseball Report

California Draft Preview


PBR California Staff

The 2019 MLB Draft will take place June 3-5. To get you ready, Prep Baseball Report is releasing state previews with notes on high school draft prospects in its comprehensive coverage area. For more information on the prospects included in the High School Draft 100, click on the links to the players’ profiles to view comments, news and videos.

HIGH SCHOOL DRAFT 100 PROSPECTS
Brooks Lee, SS, San Luis Obispo HS, CA (Cal Poly)
Keoni Cavaco, 3B, Eastlake HS, CA (San Diego State)
Kyren Paris, SS, Freedom HS, CA (California)
Spencer Jones, LHP/1B, La Costa Canyon HS, CA (Vanderbilt)
Glenallen Hill, OF, Santa Cruz HS, CA (Arizona State)
Andrew Dalquist, RHP, Redondo Union HS, CA (Arizona)
Derek Diamond, RHP, Ramona HS, CA (Mississippi)
Joshua Hahn, LHP/1B, Huntington Beach HS, CA (UCLA)
Dawson Netz, RHP, Maranatha HS, CA (Arizona)
Garrett Frechette, OF, Orange Lutheran HS, CA (San Diego State)
Joseph Naranjo, 1B, Ayala HS, CA (Cal State Fullerton)
Joey Estes, RHP, Paraclete HS, CA (Long Beach State)

OTHERS TO WATCH:1B Mahki Backstrom (Serra HS, CA) is physically imposing at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and he has easy power from the left side. RHP Sam Hliboki (Harvard-Westlake HS, CA) has advanced pitchability and can spin a curveball and slider. OF Colin Barber (Pleasant Valley HS, CA) offers bat speed and power from the left side, though he has swing-and-miss tendencies against higher caliber pitching. C/RHP Joseph King (Woodside HS, CA) has emerged as a pitching prospect with a fastball up to 94 and the makings of an above average slider. However, he’s projected as a two-way player at the college level and indications are that he intends to keep catching. RHP Seth Tomczak (Argonaut HS, CA) has a long, loose and whippy arm, with the chance for a mid-90s fastball and plus slider down the road. SS Jordan Brown (Gardena Serra HS, CA) is hyper-athletic at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds with twitchy actions and a strong arm. C Michael Carpentier (Yucaipa HS, CA) showed better durability and athleticism this season thanks to a reconditioned body. The bat can be loud while the defense and arm are becoming his carrying tools. C Darius Perry (La Mirada HS, CA) is agile behind the plate and has a strong, accurate arm. LHP Cutter Clawson (Laguna Beach HS, CA) has been up to 93 this spring while living comfortably in the 90-91 range. He shows a power slider at 78-79 that he uses as an out pitch. He also has lots of deception in his delivery. 1B Blake Klassen (JSerra HS, CA) has one of the purest swings in the state. There is power to it and the ability to hit gaps regularly. He profiles as a corner outfielder where he showed in the fall he can handle the position. OF/RHP Steven Zobac (Valley Christian HS, CA) is a two-way prospect with room to add strength to his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame. The power bat and above-average arm will profile in right field. On the mound, he showed his ability to work deep into games with a fastball that will touch 91, a biting slider and changeup that has continued to improve. RHP Tyson Heaton (Yucaipa HS, CA) is a workhorse who attacks hitters and pounds the zone with a lively fastball at 89-92, an 11/5 breaking ball in the low 70s and a straight changeup in the upper 70s. At 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, Heaton has the frame to add mass. OF Brock Jones (Buchanan HS, CA) is an elite athlete and a two-sport recruit to Stanford (defensive back), which will affect his signability, but the raw tools and athleticism have kept scouts checking in on him most of the spring. MIF Jashia Morrissey (Gardena Serra HS, CA) has elite, twitchy athleticism. A switch-hitter, he has above average raw power, is an average runner and shows soft, quick hands. He also has a plus arm and can throw 93 off the mound. OF Jasiah Dixon (Orange Lutheran HS, CA) has premium athleticism, a strong arm and speed. Injury history and the bat have been questions for him, but he stayed healthy this spring and showed improvements at the plate. RHP Ethan Hoopingarner (Aliso Niguel HS, CA) has an athletic frame with room to grow at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds. He throws a four-pitch mix for strikes and has a loose, live arm. The fastball is up to 93 and he has a 12/6 curveball as well as a sharp slider. MIF Cody Freeman (Etiwanda HS, CA) is strong and athletic with excellent body control with advanced feel for the game. C/OF Darrien Miller (Clovis HS, CA) is athletic and hits from the left side. He showed the ability to hit this spring, handling advanced pitching. OF Michael Dixon (Berkeley HS, CA) has the type of explosive right-handed raw power that isn’t found in abundance at the high school level. He also has above average speed. LHP Peter Hansen (Oak Ridge HS, CA) ran into some injuries this spring that derailed his season, but he has shown the ability to spin a curveball in the past and has a loose, easy arm action. LHP Cooper Hjerpe (Woodland HS, CA) had an incredible season, throwing four no-hitters, and pitches with a high-80s fastball and big, sweeping breaking ball. OF Miguel Ortiz (Buchanan HS, CA) was a steady power presence in the Buchanan lineup, with an explosive right-handed bat and the ability to hunt pitches. His bloodlines and tools have him squarely on the radar, especially as he performed well all season as scouts were coming in to see teammate Brock Jones. 1B Nathan Martorella (Salinas HS, CA) draws comparisons to Kyle Schwarber due to his left-handed power and overall hit tool, along with physical, thick body type. SS Tommy Gavello (Monte Vista HS, CA) really emerged all spring as not only a talented glove man and grinder type baseball player, but he showed left-handed power and the ability to hit. Josh White (Monte Vista HS, CA) had a good year and at his best was up at 90-91, along with one of the best curveballs in the state. LHP Trevor Fondtain (Buchanan HS, CA) kept getting better and better all season, with a slight velocity tick up to 89 mph. He has two quality secondary pitches, a prototypical frame and classic delivery. RHP Cade Pilchard (Jesuit HS, CA) steadily got better all season, topping out at 91 and holding his stuff deep into games. The curveball tightened up and his overall mound presence started to emerge as the season went along. At his best, RHP Alex Kendrick (Buhach Colony HS, CA) was pounding the zone with 90-91 and showed the ability to hold it deep into games. OF Kenny Williams (Elk Grove HS, CA) is toolsy, physically put together and he plays with hair-on-fire type of energy. 1B Xavier Carter (Capital Christian HS, CA) has a long body and easy swing with projectable power. He is smooth around first base with good feet and soft hands. OF Coleman Brigman (Valley Christian HS, CA) is the type of athlete you love having in center field with his plus range and great first step actions to track the ball down. Offensively, his right-handed swing has some gap pop with the ability to turn on mistakes. C Brock Rudy (Northgate HS, CA) is an energetic backstop and left-handed hitter. CF Nick Vogt (Davis HS, CA) has potential plus speed and defense, but also a chance to hit and provide average power. OF Kyle Ashworth (Foothill HS, Orange, CA) has a strong, muscular build and simple, compact swing from the left side. He projects to have above-average raw power thanks to his above-average bat speed and lift. OF Mac Bingham (Torrey Pines HS, San Diego, CA) has an athletic and compact build with above-average speed and good instincts. 1B Kyle Nevin (Poway HS, CA) has a projectable frame with significant room for added weight and muscle at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds. He has a high baseball IQ and major league bloodines. He has current gap power that should develop into more as he grows into his frame. IF J.J. Cruz (Gahr HS, CA) is one of the better pure hitters in the state with a left-handed swing that projects to hit for average and above-average power. SS Michael Currialle (JSerra HS, CA) has clean, athletic actions at short and a plus arm. C C.J. Rodriguez(Mater Dei HS, CA) is a quiet receiver with soft hands and average mobility. He is one of the top catch-and-throw guys in California. C Gabe Briones(Martin Luther King HS, CA) has legitimate power and a strong arm, recording pop times in the 1.93-2.07 range. C Isaac Ramirez (Sonora HS, CA) has an accurate arm and good power. RHP Evan Fitterer (Aliso Niguel HS, CA) consistently touched 95 while also flashing a natural cutter and nasty slider. OF Emanuel Dean (Servite HS, CA) is a physical specimen at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds. He has a high swing-and-miss rate, but possesses above-average raw power as well as an average arm and average speed.

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