Future Games Tryout: Fullerton

Luke Bacon C / OF / Arlington High, CA / 2027

From 1/5/25: "Left-handed hitting catchers with a knack for the barrel and developing power are always intriguing, add one whose arm strength behind the dish catches your attention and you get a player you’ll monitor closely come spring time. Bacon is exactly that. With slightly above average bat speed (68.5 mph), Bacon has the present look of a high average hitter that will bang plenty of doubles to the gaps. The power may come, it may not, but the bat has the looks of one that can be a quality contribution to a lineup. Arm strength (74 mph) and accuracy (1.95-1.99 pops) add to the projectable profile."

Codey Brown C / 1B / Ayala , CA / 2027

From 2/3/25: “A member of the 2023 Jr. Future Games where he represented Team California, Brown followed that performance up with a standout freshman season at Ayala that saw him hit over .330 for the season. He has carried that momentum into a strong fall campaign with visions of an even bigger sophomore season ahead. In this event, Brown once again was amongst the top catchers in what was a very strong group of them. At 6’1” 166-pounds, Brown was amongst the leaders in catcher stats (77mph throws/2.03-2.11 pop times), cementing himself a spot on this and future lists. At the plate it was another barrel filled round that saw Brown pepper the right side of the field with line drives that would almost certainly be extra base hits in game situations.”

Ricardo Hurtado OF / SS / ORANGE LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL, CA / 2027

From 6/24/24: “Hurtado made a strong impression at the recent Prep Baseball NPI event at Lakepoint and returned to his Southern California base to travel about an hour and half north to Thousand Oaks High School and make another strong statement in front of the Prep Baseball California staff. A rising sophomore at the powerhouse Orange Lutheran program Hurtado has a blend of athleticism, baseball tools and upside that makes him one of the top '27 players in the state of California. Running a 6.84 60 and standing 5'11 170 lbs. with defensively versatility showing both potential to play CF and up the middle on the INF dirt Hurtado has a intriguing profile and adds a 87 MPH OF arm and 85 MPH INF arm with accuracy to his throws that could be a potential impact defender at premium spots in the long term. At the plate he started a little slow getting comfortable with his timing, but the loose bat speed he generates with easy quick hands (70.8 MPH bat speed and 22 MPH hand speed) plays to his middle/oppo line drive approach which peaked at 88.7 MPH while averaging 80.6 MPH with an impressive 92% sweet spot rate during batting practice. The overall package with upside for Hurtado is intriguing and playing for a program like OLU in the Trinity League with the showcase/tournament circuit to solidify his profile the ceiling for Hurtado is high.”

Zion Martinez SS / 2B / NORCO HIGH, CA / 2027

From 5/28/25: “Martinez was a member of the 2023 Team California Junior Future Games squad and the LH hitter earned a spot in the Norco lineup once he completed the transfer sit out period. The numbers he posted in his Soph. campaign backed up another outstanding look at the 2025 Inland Empire Preseason All State Event in front of Les Lukach and Matt Monk with an impressive offensive showing. For the 2025 spring season Martinez played in 19 games after the transfer sit out period with 73 plate appearances and a .429 average with a 1.113 OPS. including five doubles, one homer, 17 RBIs and scoring 21 runs. Martinez makes a big jump up the board inside the Top 25 now and his LH bat with up the middle defensive profile has the potential to make future moves farther up the board.”

Max Smaldino RHP / JSerra Catholic, CA / 2027

From 1/9/25: “Another JSerra Catholic Lion who came out to his home field to get the 2025 calendar year rolling Smaldino was the most impressive arm to take the mound amongst a solid group of pitchers. A wiry athletic present frame checking in at 6'4 190 lbs. with length to his limbs and room to fill out. Smaldino featured a FB which worked at 86-88 MPH presently with 2250 RPMs of spin on average with an easy delivery that projects future gains to his FB velocity. Mixing in a trio of offspeed offerings in a 72-75 MPH CB which showed upwards of 2400 RPMs of spin on average and two plane break, followed by a 68-70 MPH SLD a sweepy like movement pattern and finally dropping in a 79-81 MPH CHG that is presently firm but shows action to the arm side with 18.4" of horizontal fade on average. Still young and developing the present foundation Smaldino showed in the OC Preseason ID leaves you intrigued to his future potential.”

Michael Aleman RHP / 3B / Etiwanda High School, CA / 2027

From 7/30/24: “Aleman jumped on the Prep Baseball California radar with an impressive opening day start for Etiwanda against Orange Lutheran to open the 2024 Prep Baseball California Spring Invitational. At University of San Diego our staff had the chance to see his gains on the mound while also getting an interesting look at his tool set as a position player. Aleman clocked a 7.4 60 time while adding in good actions on the INF dirt during the workout portion of the day to give you a potential 2B/3B defensive profile. He flashed some sneaky RH impact peaking at 91.4 MPH on his max EV during batting practice with a max 330' batted ball distance giving some intrigue to his potential as a RH hitting infielder. Once the righthander took the mound in the 10th half inning of game play he showed quickly why he is ranked inside of the Top 100 players in the '27 class with potential to make a rise up this board in the coming years. Using a FB with heavy arm side run (16.6" of avg horizontal run while peaking at 20.5" of horizontal run) Aleman has seen his velocity tick up into the 84-86 MPH range while showing control/command of his FB. He backs the FB up with an intriguing SLD that he threw at 74-76 MPH with up to 15" of horizontal break giving him an east/west attack profile off these two pitches which when he adds in his 78-79 MPH CHG with nearly 18" of horizontal run he has a well rounded arsenal to attack both RH and LH hitters while projecting a starters profile.”

Bear Calvo SS / RHP / La Mirada , CA / 2027

From 7/23/24
Positional Profile: SS/RHP High potential RH hitting offensive player with impact upside who can play multiple INF spots.
Body: 6-0, 180-pounds. Strong present frame which shows muscular development in lower half with developing upper body. Physical.
Hit: RHH. Tall relaxed set up in stance with feet wider than shoulder width and slightly open. Rear elbow set just below back shoulder with hands slightly above the rear shoulder at same depth barrel is behind head close to it with tip pointed towards 3B dugout. Incorporates a small leg kick with a sink into his back hip during the load while his hands push back and stay back during the forward move into the launch position. Gets into his back leg during turn with full rotation of the shoulder in upper body to hit through contact. Uphill path with lift based approach to generate carry gets extension through the ball while staying in lower half efficiently to generate power.
Power: Strength in the frame with use of lower 1/2 to create torque and ability to sink into his legs combined with an uphill bat path projects power from the middle to pull side of the field. Nearly reaching 100 MPH on peak EVs gives him high upside HR power profile.
Arm: RH. INF-86 mph. Hand goes down before going back in throwing motion giving him some extra length which can effect release point on throws. Arm strength is present with carry on his throws. Show 3B arm strength.
Defense: Fundamentally sound with his footwork and displays good hands with a quality transfer. Has body control with his actions and can flash athleticism in movements. Profiles best as a 2B/3B defender presently.

Jordan Kurz SS / 2B / Orange Lutheran, CA / 2027

From 12/16/24:

Ranking: National No. 205

Build: Lean 6'0", 175 lbs, with room to add strength.

Kurz brings a well-rounded skill set to the field, showcasing advanced body control throughout his swing. With a tall setup and a smooth toe-tap load, he demonstrates impressive barrel skills and a consistent line-drive path at the plate. His athleticism is evident, as he gets out of the box quickly and plays the game with fluidity.

Defensively, Kurz has the instincts and polished actions necessary to remain at shortstop. He moves smoothly through the ball and displays the ability to make accurate throws on the run.