Inland Empire Fall ID 2026: Quick Hits

Dylan Valdivia OF / RHP / Los Osos, CA / 2027

After seeing Valdivia at multiple events, it's clear he is a two-way talent who can make an impact at the next level. He has a strong 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame, backed by grip strength of 156.4 pounds in his right hand and 145.6 in his left. From the right side of the box, he works with a quiet swing that is quick and direct with a flat barrel path. A strong rotator, he generates a 74.4 mph max bat speed and 23.4 mph peak hand speed, and that translated into consistent hard contact. He posted a 98.4 mph max exit velocity, a 93 mph average exit velocity, a 372-foot max distance and an 80% hard-hit rate. Defensively, he is fundamentally sound in the outfield, with an 88 mph arm after reaching 97 mph a couple of months ago. On the mound, he had the top velocity of the day at 85.4 mph after sitting 86-89 mph in games this summer. His fastball is a lower-spin pitch from a two-seam slot that still shows ride, with a max IVB of 22 inches, and it gets on hitters with 6.3 feet of extension from a low release height. His slider spins well with a tighter, sweepier shape, reaching a max HM of -8.5 and a max IVB of -0.5, and he consistently landed it in the zone. The changeup flashes strong horizontal movement but is still inconsistent, though its 7-foot average extension shows projection, and it should improve with time and reps. With legitimate tools on both sides of the ball, Valdivia projects as a two-way at the next level and should make a real difference for Los Osos as we head into the winter and into the spring high school season. 

Thomas Bonikowski OF / RHP/ Huntington Beach HS, CA / 2029

Rankings StateRank: 93 / POS: 15

Bonikowski has a large, projectable 6-foot-2, 188-pound frame as a sophomore in high school. He opened the day with a 6.97 60-yard dash and a 1.57 10-yard split, then showed strong potential on defense with an 88 mph arm from the outfield, coming from a lower, whippy and somewhat unorthodox slot. He saved his best for batting practice, where the swing was loud. He showed elite bat speed for his age, with an 86.6 mph max and an 80.2 mph average, the kind of bat speed that will translate to the next level. That produced a 106.9 mph max exit velocity, a 97.4 mph average exit velocity, a 412-foot max distance and an 83.3% hard-hit rate. He does a great job catching the ball out front when the bat is moving its quickest and staying through the zone, while also showing he can let the ball travel deep. With an athletic frame and twitchy, loud tools, Bonikowski should make some noise this spring and contribute to a strong Huntington Beach team.

Rowan Selva OF / Santiago HS, CA / 2028

This was our California staff's first look at Selva, and the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder showed strong physical traits, with grip strength of 167 pounds in his right hand and 166 in his left. The athleticism matched the frame, as he opened the day with a 6.96 60-yard dash. In the outfield, he showed fluid mechanics, attacking the ball well and fielding off his inside leg, with an accurate 87 mph arm that stayed on a line with carry. At the plate, he showed premium power tools, and his Blast numbers popped off the chart: 24.9 Gs of max rotational acceleration, an 87.2 mph max bat speed and a 24.8 mph max hand speed. That bat speed produced an event-best 107.4 mph max exit velocity, a 406-foot max distance and a 44.4% hard-hit rate. His batted balls were evenly spread across BP, at 33% each for line drives, fly balls and ground balls. With a physical frame, legitimate athleticism and some of the loudest bat metrics of the event, Selva brings real impact to a Santiago team looking to put together a strong season as transition into the spring high school season. 

Emiliano Castaneda 3B/ 1B / Centennial HS, CA / 2029

Our staff got its first look at Castaneda on Sunday, and the physical 6-foot, 215-pounder made a strong first impression. He brings present strength to the frame, with grip strength of 125 pounds in his right hand and 129 in his left. He opened the day at third base, showing fundamental actions as he worked to get the good hop and a whippy, accurate arm clocked at 87 mph. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has a longer but fluid swing and does a good job catching the ball out front. A strong rotator, he generated 16.5 Gs of max rotational acceleration and a 76 mph max bat speed, and the tools flashed in the results. He posted a 101 mph max exit velocity, a 93.7 mph average exit velocity, a 368-foot max distance and an 87.5% hard-hit rate. With present strength, a strong arm, and impact already in the bat, Castaneda is set up to contribute for Centennial this spring and should draw some interest once the 2029 recruiting calendar opens next fall.

Gavin Cruz C / Norco HS, CA / 2030

A Junior Future Games alum, Gavin Cruz continued his strong showing at our Inland Empire Fall ID. He opened the day on our VALD testing with a 1.62 10-yard split, a 7.06 60-yard dash, an impressive 2.25 jump test and a 22-inch vertical jump. Behind the plate, he posted pop times of 1.93-2.01 with 77 mph arm strength, and during bullpens he showed firm hands working high to low while consistently blocking breaking balls in the dirt. The bat stood out as well, as he was one of the only hitters to go the other way off the machine. He stays on top of the ball and works on a line, posting a 90.1 mph max exit velocity and showing the bat-to-ball skills to use all fields. Beyond the tools, Cruz showed the kind of team-first makeup that will serve him well, putting himself on pigtail for the entirety of BP. As he continues to grow into his frame, the 2030 catcher has the athleticism and fundamentals to take another step forward this winter and into the high school season.

Caleb Dada OF / Linfield Christian HS, CA / 2028

This was our first look at Dada, and the 6-foot-2, 170-pound outfielder showed the tools and frame to make an impact on a college roster down the road. He ran a 7.23 60-yard dash and moved like a player still growing into his body. In the outfield, he showed mature fundamentals and poise, reading hops well and showing an 83 mph arm. At the plate, he works from a tall stance with a quiet swing that has few moving parts. His line-drive bat path showed up in the data with a 78% max on-plane efficiency, letting him catch the ball deep and drive it to all parts of the field. He consistently put balls on a line or in the air, posting a 94.2 mph max exit velocity, a 347-foot max distance and a 60% hard-hit rate. With a mature bat and a projectable frame he is still growing into, Dada should be a key piece for a Linfield Christian team with high expectations as we head into the high school season.

Ryder Wang 3B / RHP / Diamond Bar HS, CA / 2029

This was our second look at Wang after seeing him last fall, and he has clearly added size and strength, now checking in at a physical 6-foot, 200 pounds. The right-handed-hitting infielder showed clean footwork and accurate throws on the dirt. At the plate, he showed strong bat speed with a 74.7 mph max and a 21.8 mph peak hand speed, posting a 95 mph exit velocity, a 350-foot max distance and a 50% hard-hit rate. The 2029 already has, and is still developing, the tools to translate to the next level. On the mound, he showed solid pitch shapes and pitched like a true pitcher rather than a thrower. His fastball sat 77-80 mph and topped out at 80.2, spinning well with a 2,382 rpm max spin rate and showing real ride with a max IVB of 18.8. He has two breaking balls. The curveball is a slower, bigger get-me-over pitch with a slurvy shape that shows both sweep and late horizontal action. The slider is tighter, spinning well at 2,400 rpm and tunneling better off the fastball with -3 average HM and -3 average IVB. He rounded out the mix with a low-spin changeup at a 1,074 average rpm that sits 10 mph off the fastball, with an even blend of depth and fade. A projectable two-way in the 2029 class, Wang has a strong foundation to build on and plenty of room to make a name for himself through the winter events and into the spring.

Levi Mastin RHP / 1B / Corona HS, CA / 2027

This was our first look at Mastin, and the 2028 walked in at a physical 6-foot-1, 209 pounds, backed by grip strength of 142.5 pounds in his right hand and 135.9 in his left. As our only first baseman, he showed a 77 mph arm across the infield, along with the ability to pick the ball and stretch out with a long stride to help on close outs, paying attention to the little things that matter. At the plate, he works with an A-to-B swing and strong rotational measurements, posting a 72.8 mph max bat speed and a 22.1 mph peak hand speed. He looked to do damage on a line, with a 97.2 mph max exit velocity, a 50% hard-hit rate and a 40% line-drive rate. On the bump, he had the second-highest velocity of the day, sitting 83-84 mph and topping out at 83.8. The fastball is a low-spin pitch with high IVB and some arm-side run, and he gets good extension out front at 6.1 feet on average. He spins his curveball well at 68-71 mph with a 2,386 rpm max spin rate, and its sweepy, almost slurve-like shape shows -12.9 average HM and -3.8 average IVB. His slider has a similar profile but is tighter and harder at 74-75 mph, with similar spin, slightly later movement and a better tunnel off the fastball. He rounded out the mix with a 69-72 mph changeup that showed both fade and depth and tunneled well with the same 6.1-foot extension. Still growing into his bigger frame, Mastin is a projectable two-way for Corona High School with plenty to build on as we enter the winter events and the high school season.