Arizona is an interesting place. Thousands of professional baseball players have descended on the area, and there’s an innate understanding of the skills required to succeed at the highest level. With that thinking engrained, the repetition, intensity, and focused nature of professional sports is evident in each player and the region.

BOOTH: Scouting Alabama, Toronto

Arizona

Benton Hickman, RHP — Brophy College Prep (2025)
This kid reminds me of either Tim Hudson or Huston Street, and whichever you think he is depends on whether you believe in the long-term starter upside.

Either way, he’s comfortably up to 92 mph, with a breaking ball and actual command of three pitches, which means he’s tough to hit and has the markers for future success.

Mike Nicolini Jr., LHP/OF — Paradise High School (2025)
He’s a two-way guy in college with contributions ahead for both. He’s a performer and plays the game aggressively with confidence. The moment isn’t too big for him at any point.

At the plate, Nicolini is a line-drive bat with gap power and consistent contact, and on the mound, he’s a strike thrower with average fastball velocity that hitters don’t square up.

Jaxon Baptist, RHP — Coronado High School (2025)
Athlete, and driven. This kid is an upside play with plenty more to come. He’s driven to achieve with makeup and mound presence.

He’s right where he should be to limit stress on the arm and be able to post every time asked while controlling three pitches for strikes when all is said and done.

Jaxen Maxey, CF — Corona del Sol High School (2026)
It’s a projection frame, loose swing, athlete, runner, and a playable 60-grade arm. He has an all-fields approach and barrel control through the zone, which will improve with time and added strength.

Maxey is a potential two-way player in college with a fastball that plays up and is average now. The body suggests he can play every day as he matures, but the bat is real and he should have every chance to do that.

Tucker Klingshei, 1B — Paradise Honors (2025)
Klingshei is a corner profile with power projecting as plus; Down to flat approach working to match plane, and is beginning to show an ability to use the whole field.

He’s better around the bag than some may expect, and the type of player who’s appreciated the more you watch him. His feet are live and can help save runs, and he’s athletic enough to avoid being a liability on the bases.

Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas, and tools are the calling card: ‘Throw hard and hit them far’ is the mantra, but there are some good skill-type developers in the amateur space and Texas Edge has a long track record.

The question of plus tools in Texas is simple: they’re everywhere, and the skills serve as separators.

Ethan Jackson, LHP/OF — Colleyville Heritage High School (2027)
Jackson is a legitimate two-way prospect at this level but ultimately picks one the longer he plays. He has length to the frame with loose athletic actions, a future plus fastball with playable heavy arm side life, and his bag includes a feel for effective and complimentary off-speed stuff.

Jackson has a sound approach in the box with easy home-run pop in BP. He can run with long strides and projects for easy top-of-the-scale speed. He’s a future impact player in college and beyond.

Sebastian Castillo, IF — Byron Nelson High School  (2027)
Castillo can really throw from SS and it’s an above-average arm now. He’s athletic with footwork and can make the routine play. He can get long in approach but gets the barrel through the zone, to the ball on time with opposite-field present strength.

Jaxson Philpot, IF — Joshua High School (2027)
Philpot is very athletic with a quick bat and pop to pull side. The ball jumps off the bat when barreling, and projects for extra-base power. Defensively, it’s easy carry to the ball out of his hand with real-world average arm potential in his future.

Andrew Young, IF — San Angelo Lincoln (2029)
Young reminds me of former big leaguer Mike Kelly. He has the makings of actions at shortstop and a projected average arm. He can run and will get faster with age and natural time. The swing has length but the ability to square it up in BP, and is where he should be for time and growth without forcing it.

Easton Allred, SS — Clyde High School (2028)
Allred is going be able to hit. He has a present understanding of what he’s doing, and at this age it’s instinctual. He’s already built with a rhythmic load and balance, he squared the ball up all day and didn’t waste swings. Actions work in the infield and he can stay on the dirt. He’s athletic enough to hit at the top of the order and create havoc on the basepaths.

The post BOOTH: Scouting Texas, Arizona appeared first on Future Stars Series.

One of the best and worst parts about evaluating players is you don’t know what you’re getting. That’s exciting and deflating all at the same time. But the best part for me is being at the ballpark. I remember what it was like as one of the players wanting a shot, hungry to hear it was my turn, and refusing to be denied. Those are the traits that separate, and thankfully for us at Future Stars Series that’s what we ran into at each stop two weekends ago.

There’s a lot to unpack and no matter what I put on paper there’s much more to tell besides what lands here.

Alabama

Scouting Alabama typically is a dream on tools. Like most of the South and Gulf Coast, the athletes are abundant in supply. You have to be patient and dream on the skills and development track in most cases, but as long as the instincts are there it’s got a chance to be very exciting in the future. This trip took us to Coastal Sports Academy for a scout day, and the talent didn’t disappoint.

Tristan Jamison, RHP — Warren Central High (2027)
Jamison is an athlete with upside and instincts and a veteran of the Future Stars Series. He has improved his execution of all things,  learned how to work, and will have three pitches in the future. It’s a matter of when not if.

Jack Scruggs, OF — Gulf Shores High (2027)
Scruggs is a baseball player with standout barrel control in the box. The athleticism is there, but it’s a gap-to-gap approach with the barrel above the ball. This type of guy has a role in any lineup and helps you defensively.

Nataniel Perez, OF — Gulf Shores High (2025)
Reminds me of Marlon Byrd. Perez will drive the baseball and can go get it defensively. He also has the run tool in the bag, and his development track has picked up and is progressing.

Matthew Steele, LHP —  Orange Beach High (2025)
Steele has finally decided to leave the golf clubs behind, turning down scholarships from D1 schools. He has the ingredients of a starter, and it’s a long way from being complete, suggesting a lot of room for growth.

Steele’s development trajectory has picked up dramatically since starting the baseball-only process. It will be fun to watch him take the next steps.

Connor Riffe, RF — Crestview High (2025)
Riffe can hit. It’s a corner profile and he’s beginning to live into it, learning to elevate the baseball properly, and will see his extra-base totals climb again this summer.

Excellent makeup and hunger to be better, which is a coach’s dream.

Canada

Among the more underappreciated areas for players in the game of baseball. Yes, I said it. I understand the lens, and the weather is a factor, but they’re up there.

There are several excellent programs across the country, but one we’ve been fortunate to observe is something I like to call ‘wherever Sean Travers goes.’

The true architect of the Ontario Blue Jays and all the players that went through there to have major success, Travers transitioned over to the HPP Tigers in Mississauga about five years ago, and all they’ve done is dominate. As you evaluate Canadian players, Travers’ players are a measuring stick for all others.

In Canada, the tools can take a while to fully develop but the skills are evident. That’s what you’re scouting: projection of the progression of the tools and the present skill markers. If they don’t have indicators of them early, they likely won’t show up later.

Quinn Lightfoot, OF — Mayfield (2026)
The last time I saw this kid he looked like Alex Rios. Now he looks like Dave Winfield. The upside here is immense. He can throw, run, hit, hit for power, and defend. The body control is coming along as he grows into his frame, but it’s impressive.

Nathan Belle, OF — Mayfield (2025) 
Prototype frame with athleticism and tools to match blossoming skills. It’s just on the come and it’s coming fast. Impact upside here and the type of guy that gets better every time seen. Exciting to watch.

Zij Mina, 3B — Wasaga Beach (2026)
He’s a left-handed hitter with plate discipline, bat-to-ball skills, and defensive ability. It’s a large frame and he may move to first base in the future. When watching him play, just keep it simple and know he can hit. His makeup is much improved, and the scoring on NTangible says he can handle tough situations without flinching. His track record proves that, too.

Oscar Leah, OF/LHP — St. Marcellinus (2027)
An athlete with quick-twitch actions, easy plus arm in the future and it translates to the mound. He can go get it in center, too, and controls the strike zone at an advanced level in the box. He’s a true college two-way guy, but it’s middle of the diamond for me beyond that.

Joey Khananisho, SS — St. Jean de Brebeuf (2026)
A baseball player who continues to improve. It’s nothing flashy, but can make the routing play with ease and an on-time body clock for the position. Khananisho likely ends up playing all over the field in the end but the instincts fit for it without any hiccups.

He can hit, too, and it’s enough to find himself pushing around for at-bats anywhere you put him.

Nathaniel Chambers, RHP — Silverton Collegiate (2025)
Projection right-hander with present velocity, feel for secondary, and low mileage on the arm. It’s a matter of when it bursts and matures, not if, and there are a few velocity jumps left. He is control-over-command and working to harness his length, but that continues to evolve and it’s enough to believe as strength shows up he’ll be consistent in that area.

The post Booth: Scouting Alabama, Toronto appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Meet Luke Kaiser, a 16-year-old junior in high school. While there’s nothing uncommon about that, a significant part of Kaiser’s identity is baseball, and his approach to it makes him unique.

Baseball lifers are born. One either has it, or they don’t. In this context, ‘it’ is the deeply-seated attachment one has to something and its impact on the person in question. In other words, it’s ingrained in one’s DNA.

Kaiser, originally from San Francisco, is a right-handed pitcher and outfielder at Folsom (Calif.) High School. His abilities on the diamond may be exceeded only by his constant desire to improve.

At 6 feet and 190 pounds, Kaiser offers a mix of athleticism and strength. He’s up to 90 mph with a four-seam fastball and spins a slider he commands well. It all flies from a low three-quarter arm slot with what Kaiser calls “whippy action,” creating deception and accentuating horizontal movement.

Always working to get better, Kaiser keeps everything simple, even in words. When asked what he’s focused on improving, he said “commanding a third pitch,” referring to his changeup. “Right now it’s not polished enough where I know if I need an out I can use it, so I need to really focus on developing that.”

Kaiser, a class of 2025 prospect, verbally committed to nearby Sacramento State in August, but his story began long ago – at birth – and he didn’t arrive at this point alone, a fact he knows as much as anything. His family, including his parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles have been there at every step.

“Having them support me every single game, every big moment in my baseball career, and always having my back in times of adversity means everything, he said. “I credit them for keeping me focused and grinding because one day I want to give back after everything they did for me.

“Having my mom there to help me with not only school work when I was a kid, but helping me with nutrition and checking on me every day means a lot. She’s always been my biggest supporter since Day 1 and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

His dad, Joe, was his coach until high school, something Kaiser realizes was of great benefit, “he knew my game best out of anyone, and without his guidance those years I wouldn’t have made it to where I am today.”

Plus, when the going gets tough, the tough get “Arizona.”

Luke and Joe occasionally trek down to the desert weather for spring training and… “every game where I may be struggling or need something to give me some reassurance my dad will yell “Arizona!” which means to blow it by this batter. Because when you think Arizona you think heat.”

The father-son duo have spent hours upon hours working on Luke’s game and enjoying watching the majors from the stands or the couch in the family home.

“I watch players and sometimes I will see something they do I think might be good for me, but I know I can’t be them, they aren’t me. I have to find what works for me.”

Kaiser’s focus and diligence are particularly impressive. It’s not rare to find gym-rat types in college and pro baseball, but it’s atypical of teenagers to choose spellbound determination toward one thing, especially when that thing requires not just time, but energy… and a ton of it.

A dedication to the countless practices, games, cage work, throwing programs, and defensive drills, essentially year-round leaving considerably less time to socialize, and partake in other, more relaxing activities, such as video games, isn’t something found in most 16-year-old kids. This is where the ‘it’ factor strikes again.

When the spikes are laced and he steps on the mound once a week for his Folsom Bulldogs, Kaiser’s three-pitch mix is standard on paper. But there’s nothing at all ho-hum about an 87-90 mph four-seamer setting up a slider as filthy as Kaiser’s. Not at this age,  and not at this level, suggesting bigger and better are right around the corner.

Not everything is waffles and candied jalapenos on the baseball field, however. Folsom’s season has been a bit of a roller coaster in some ways, as has Kaiser’s to a minor extent. But, in a display of relentless desire and resolve on April 15, for example, the right-hander stepped on the mound facing one the league’s best teams, Whitney High School, a roster laced with D1 talents. His counterpart on the mound was Texas Longhorns commit Corden Pettey. Pettey was great that day.

But Kaiser was, too, going six strong innings, allowing just two runs on four hits and a walk. He struck out five, one each versus the No. 3 and 4 hitters for Whitney, including 2024 Oregon baseball commit Jax Gimenez.

Just another day at the ballpark.

Through the successes and adversity, Kaiser’s efforts to prepare are apparent. “Before games, I check every hitter’s spray chart to see what they are hitting and where,” he said.

Does Kaiser have down time? Sure, . What does he do to relax? It’s quite shocking.

“I watch a lot of college baseball and MLB,” he said. “More the college scene I’m more intrigued by because that’s my next step in baseball, and seeing what level these guys play at gives me perspective.”

What shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows Kaiser is his favorite college player is Florida two-way star and top 2024 MLB Draft prospect Jac Caglianone.

“I try to model my game after him.”

While there are never absolutes when it comes to one’s precise future, there’s no question Kaiser will carry baseball with him wherever he goes, for however long he chooses.

“Baseball is something I live and breathe every day. I love doing it, and it’s something I want to do as long as I live. No matter what happens I have fun and know the reason why I still love this game.”

Kaiser’s ache for baseball is extraordinary, but not exactly a mystery.

He was born with it.

The post Luke Kaiser was born a baseball lifer appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Zane Adams, Zion Rose, Colin Houck, Nazzan Zanetello, Cooper Pratt, Jake Brown, Landon Stripling and Antonio Jimenez all found themselves on the list, with all but Jimenez selected to the First Team.

Zanetello (Kansas City, 2021) and Houck (Atlanta, 2022 and Bombers Scout Day, 2022) were either regional combine or scout day attendees only, but others all have a rich history at FSS Signature Events.

A standout at both the 2022 National Combine and 2022 Main Event, Adams was largely dominant at both. The LHP out of Porter HS (Tx.) struck out six of the 11 batters he faced in Lake Charles, and followed up with four more K’s in a start at Fenway Park.

Rose caught Adams’ outing at Fenway, and while he’s certainly been lauded for his receiving skills and passion for the position, it’s his bat that often speaks the loudest. The IMG Academy standout racked up three hits at this year’s Main Event, and kept it going as one of the leaders of the “Goon Squad” that ran through some of the top amateur Dominican talent in the inaugural Caribbean Classic.

Pratt was, bar none, one of the breakout starts of the Main Event this year. His no-doubter of a homer in Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford made waves throughout the amateur world, and his stock continues to rise, as many project the Magnolia Heights HS (Miss.) star to go in the first round of the upcoming MLB Draft. He also had a big presence at the Caribbean Classic.

Brown has a lengthy history at FSS events, both in National Tournaments for Team Louisiana and at signature events, dating as far back to the inaugural Underclass Combine back in 2020. But, fresh off winning a gold medal with Team USA, the Sulphur HS two-way standout got one of the prestigious starts on the mound in the most recent Main Event at Fenway, and allowed just two hits in his three innings of work.

Stripling, a Parkview HS (Ga.) teammate of Houck’s, is another two-way star who has showed both sides of his game at recent signature events. Used primarily as a pitcher at the National Combine, Stripling was used only as a position player at Fenway, and racked up a hit in an impressive at-bat against Adams.

Lastly, Jimenez had a big summer with the Future Stars Series, racking up notable showings in the National Combine, Main Event and Caribbean Classic. After a two-hit showing in Louisiana, he backed it up with a memorable RBI single at Fenway.

The post FSS alums well represented in 2023 High School All-American Team appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Ayden Ellis, a catcher out of High Point Regional High School in Sussex, New Jersey, stands 5-foot-11 and 183 pounds and brings an intriguing blend of present ability and projection both at the plate and behind it.

In the batter’s box, the left-handed hitting Ellis projects gap power with good swing plane and balance.

Behind the dish, his lateral agility and arm (both accuracy and strength) were impressive.

• Future Stars Series alum crushing it in college
• Tiedmann, Veen highlight Future Stars Series pro update

Head to the Future Stars Series YouTube channel for more player video and to stream events LIVE!

New Balance Future Stars Series is the most comprehensive amateur baseball player identification and development experience available. Click here for upcoming events, and here to check out the staff behind the program.

The post VIDEO: Ayden Ellis, C (High Point Regional HS, 2025) appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Aidan Paradine from Bayonne High School, NJ is a catcher and outfielder in the class of 2024. He’s seen here in drills at the NBFSS Regional Combine in Augusta from March 4, 2023.

Paradine tested well in all areas, highlighted by potential impact abilities at the plate with raw power receiving plus future grades and a chance at extra-base pop in the future.

Defensively, Paradine showed good feet, and an accurate arm. Athletically, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound backstop put up more than adequate numbers with speed and agility considering his position.

• Future Stars Series alum crushing it in college
• Tiedmann, Veen highlight Future Stars Series pro update

Head to the Future Stars Series YouTube channel for more player video and to stream events LIVE!

New Balance Future Stars Series is the most comprehensive amateur baseball player identification and development experience available. Click here for upcoming events, and here to check out the staff behind the program.

The post VIDEO: Aidan Paradine, C/OF (Bayonne High School, NJ –2024) appeared first on Future Stars Series.

Jenkins (class of 2026), is an infielder and right-handed pitcher at Chester Academy in New York, seen here performing at the NBFSS Regional Combine in Augusta, New Jersey March 4, 2023. At 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, Jenkins, a right-handed batter, impressed Future Stars Series scouts with a line-drive stroke projecting average power and barrel control.

He also showed well in the field with accurate throws, a quick first step, and range from the shortstop position.

Jenkins also performed well in running and pro agility tests.

On the mound he threw strikes and displayed fluid actions, balance, and showcased a three-pitch mix including a slider and changeup.

• Future Stars Series alum crushing it in college
• Tiedmann, Veen highlight Future Stars Series pro update

Head to the Future Stars Series YouTube channel for more player video and to stream events LIVE!

New Balance Future Stars Series is the most comprehensive amateur baseball player identification and development experience available. Click here for upcoming events, and here to check out the staff behind the program.

The post VIDEO: Brandon Jenkins, IF/RHP (Chester Academy, NY — 2026) appeared first on Future Stars Series.