Uncommitted Spotlight: '26 RHP/OF Caden Atkinson
April 17, 2025
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VENTURA, CALIF. - The Uncommitted Spotlight Series continues on as we are in the thick of the 2025 CIF High School season. With than in mind Prep Baseball California is continuing to highlight some of the top uncommitted class of '26 athletes for college programs to be following throughout the remainder of the spring schedule and into the summer. The player featured today is one of the top players in the state of California and figures prominently in our Class of 2026 Rankings.
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, and VALD Performance 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 #220 ranked player in the 2026 class who is sure to rise after this spring season in SoCal '26 RHP/OF Caden Atkinson from Westlake High School in the Westlake Village, Calif.. The RH hitting OF has been solid at the plate so far this spring as a key piece of the Warriors lineup which has risen to the top of the Marmonte League again by posting a slash line of .292/.365/.338 while adding 8 BBs to 6 Ks with three doubles, nine runs scored and four RBIs so far in 2025. Where the two-way product separates himself from other two-way players is his legitimate starter profile on the mound with impressive numbers as a key arm for the Warriors. With eight appearances on the spring he has tossed 41 innings, struck out 35 hitters while walking just six and posting a WHIP barely over 1.00. Atkinson is sporting an impressive 2.06 ERA over all that work having won three games on the year.
Atkinson opened 2025 with an impressive appearance at the Central California Preseason All State event which backed up a good look over Thanksgiving weekend at a tournament. Atkinson spent the fall playing QB1 for the Warrior football team showcasing his impressive athletic ability, but even more so showing his upside as a player who still has development/polish left to a profile which has not focused solely on baseball to this point in his career.
Atkinson checked in at 5'11 with an athletic frame that flashes some wiry strength to its present 172.2 lbs. build. He shows present solid athletic ability in his profile with a 7.3 60 time while posting 1.86 10-yard / 4.14 30-yard splits at his best with a 19.1 MPH max run speed on a chilly morning in the High Desert of California during January. His athletic ability gives him solid position versatility around the OF to go with solid present arm strength that has room to develop more as he continues to mature and get stronger posting a 82 MPH OF arm velocity and he is a solid defender in each OF corner.
At the plate it's a compact/direct RH swing that has a simple operation in the box. On Blast Motion the RH hitting Atikinson posted a bat speed up to 72 MPH while showing strong present quickness in his hand speed at 23.3 MPH with a turn that generates up to 14 Gs of rotational acceleration. During his Preseason All State batting practice session Atkinson demonstrated the interesting RH hitting profile he possesses by posting a top end exit velocity at 95.6 MPH while averaging 88.4 MPH.
Atkinson is a solid present OF prospect, but as noted above his profile really ticks up with his ability on the mound showing present strike throwing ability, athleticism in the delivery, a quick arm with room to add life as he matures. At the Preseason All State event Atkinson lived at 84-86 MPH with quality spin on his FB that he can locate to each side of the plate while flashing riding life up in the zone (has been as high as 88-89 MPH with FB). The FB flashed spin rates up to 2250 RPM range while generating riding life up to 15.1" of IVB with running life to the arm side up to 20" during his outing. His primary secondary is a high quality CB which flashes downward life (averaged -8.2" of IVB) and strong spin traits living at 73-75 MPH with an average Spin Rate approaching 2500 RPMs and peaked near the 2600 RPM range. Atkinson compliments his two primary offerings with an interesting CHG which he throws at 75-77 MPH killing spin with an average in the 1440 RPM range and generates around 15" of horizontal fade to his arm side. With three quality pitches, present feel to control them within the strike zone, a clean delivery and a bulldog mentality Atkinson profiles to stick in a starting rotation at the next level with an interesting upside to his potential.
College coaches and fans be sure to click on Atkinson's profile to see full video and information.
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MORE PREP BASEBALL NEWS
- CA Uncommitted Spotlight: '25 INF Beau Blake 4/29/25
- CA California Pitcher of the Week: Zach Strickland 4/29/25
- CA California Hitter of the Week: Wyatt Prieto 4/29/25
- CA WEEK 11 GAMES 4/29/25
- CA CIF Daily Roundup: April 28th 4/29/25
- CA California Games of the Week: 4/28 - 5/3 4/28/25
- CA WEEK 10 GAMES 4/26/25
- CA CIF Daily Roundup: April 24th 4/25/25
- CA Uncommitted Spotlight: '27 C/OF Evan Rodriguez 4/24/25
- CA CIF Daily Roundup: April 23rd 4/24/25
Scouting Report
Caden Atkinson, Westlake High (CA), 2026
Positional Profile: RHP/OF Shows intriguing 2-way potential as solid RHH OF who has upside with easy actions to his position profile while adding high potential RHP with a starters profile.
Body: 5-11, 172-pounds. Athletic present frame with some strength and room to continue adding.
Delivery: Athletic operation. Body control and moves well down the mound. Hands set at the belly button and have minimal movement syncing with the front leg. Works down the mound with front leg and has good stride length while staying taller on his backside. Uses hips effectively and rotates around the front leg which shows feel for blocking consistently.
Arm Action: RH. Medium length arm patht that goes to hip height before working behind his body. Shows present arm speed with looseness and quickness throwing from a 3/4 slot with minimal recoil after release.
FB: T86, 84-85 mph. Solid present FB which has both ride and run at present in the shape with solid spin rates. Could benefit from developing either more run or more ride. T2251, 2081 average rpm.
CB: 73-75 mph. Spins it well with 2 plane break diving down vertially with depth and to the glove side with bite. Gets whiff on pitch. T2540, 2469 average rpm.
CH: 75-75 mph. Fades to the arm side with tumble and flashes potential. T1444, 1444 average rpm.
ATH: 7.30 runner in the 60. Drives low into a taller posture with short quick strides and body control.
Caden Atkinson, Westlake High (CA), 2026
Positional Profile: RHP/OF Shows intriguing 2-way potential as solid RHH OF who has upside with easy actions to his position profile while adding high potential RHP with a starters profile.
Body: 5-11, 172-pounds. Athletic present frame with some strength and room to continue adding.
Hit: RHH. Wide base with crouch to his knees and hinge at his hips. Low back elbow with hands set around shoulder height closer to his head. Bat waggle with his hands. Small stride from open position to even position with his feet while staying hinged/balanced in his lower 1/2. Hands push back with a barrel tip. Athletic operation in the turn with quickness to his hips while staying taller in legs and driving his rear hip through contact. Path is loose and quick with leverage through the zone. 69 mph bat speed with 7 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 96 max exit velocity, averaged 88.4 mph. 280' max distance. Flatter swing plane stayed to mainly GBs and LDs with strong present top end EV and avg EVs that show his impact potential. Will play as doubles from line to line, but has the potential for pull side HR impact.
Arm: RH. OF-82 mph. Medium length arm path out of glove with smooth path and quickness that shows accuracy that will profile at all 3 OF spots potentially.
Defense: Athletic mover who has body control with confidence in his actions that shows clean routes, angles, and actions to the ball. CF potential with ability to handle either corner.
ATH: 7.30 runner in the 60. Drives low into a taller posture with short quick strides and body control.
Atkinson came into the event as another highly regarded arm who is on the rise in Southern California, but don't discount what the Westlake Warriors two-sport athlete can do as a RH hitting OF on top of his work on the bump. Atkinson showed well during the position player workout posting a 7.3 60 with an 82 MPH OF arm with an easy operation to both showing plenty of potential for development. As well, he comes with an athletic quick RH swing that posted 72 MPH bat speed and EVs up to 95+ MPH from a line drive path. Working to 5 hitters he showed his easy clean delivery to control his FB within the strike zone at 84-86 MPH and collected multiple Ks. He didn't have his best feel for the CB, but when executed it shows promise with nearly 2500 RPMs of spin and late break it's easy to see why he is generating plenty of buzz as a talented RHP who has some rawness to present profile projecting an interesting ceiling for his potential.