Uncommitted Spotlight: '27 SS Banning Sheff
February 4, 2026
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VENTURA, CALIF. - The Uncommitted Spotlight Series continues after a jam-packed preseason of Prep Baseball California events, winter scrimmage high school baseball, and other opportunities to evaluate players. We will be recognizing some of the top remaining uncommitted players around the state. We will be looking at players from the 2026 and 2027 classes across the upcoming weeks/months as the spring high school season begins to ramp up.
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 of what colleges will get when a player steps onto their campus.
Today, we put the spotlight on an impressive 2027 player who is coming off a strong Sophomore high school season and shone on the Prep Baseball California event platform during the preseason. We are looking at SoCal '27 SS Banning Sheff from Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, Calif. He took over the SS spot at Saugus High School full-time during his sophomore season and was able to post strong numbers across the board in his first varsity season. His performance during the spring season and following earned him an invitation to the La Mirada Preseason All State event for his Prep Baseball California event debut.
During the 2025 spring season, Sheff played in all 31 games for the Centurions, taking 98 plate appearances with 81 official at-bats. For his sophomore season, Sheff slashed .309/.429/.346 with a high contact-on-base driven approach, setting the table for their run producers. The RH hitter was top five on the team in hits with 25, tops on the team in runs scored at 23, tops on the team with 16 BBs (walked more than he struck out), and also led the team with eight stolen bases. He added three doubles and drove in 12 runs on the year. Playing the premium position of SS, he posted sound defensive numbers on the year with a .948 fielding percentage across 116 total chances with 10 double plays turned, committing just six errors.
The solid season of performance made him an interesting name coming into the La Mirada Preseason All State event, and Sheff posted strong numbers across the board, evidencing the tools he possesses on top of his ability to perform. It's a compact but solidly athletic frame for Sheff, who measured in at 5'6, but with a solid 163 lbs. build that can still be polished with more strength as he matures. Athletically, he showed well on a chilly morning, running a 7.13 60-yard time, but has posted times in the 6.5-6.6 range on more optimal weather days to run. Having shown a sound, reliable defensive profile during the spring season, his defensive actions backed it up on the day with clean, rhythmic footwork and soft hands that translated into a consistent transfer and accurate throws across the diamond. Sheff doesn't post loud arm strength readings, but he can throw from different slots with quickness that gives him a chance to stick at SS long-term. Even if a move to 2B or 3B is needed in the future, he will be a strong defender at any spot on the INF dirt.
At the plate, the RH hitter uses an operation that features intent with natural barrel awareness and instincts for his timing/approach. Sheff generates impressive torque in his turn with 24.9 Gs of rotational acceleration, with a short/direct swing path that produces 67 mph of bat speed and quickness in his hand path at 22.3 mph. His swing metrics comfortably fit his high-contact-doubles style offensive profile at present, and the batted ball data he produced soundly reflects his natural offensive skill set. Sheff peaked at 92.7 mph on his exit velocity, but impressively averaged 89.8 mph throughout his round, showing the natural feel to hit the ball solidly at a high level. He has a sneaky impact potential at contact and carry when he drives a ball into the pull side gap, reaching 330' on his max distance, hinting at some potential pull side HR power in the future as he matures his frame/approach. With a flatter contact-oriented swing path, he didn't loft the ball, but rather drilled line drives at around a 50% clip on the day that will give him the opportunity collect hits at a high rate for a long time.
Sheff shows a high floor, well-rounded profile at present with room to keep ticking up in the future as he matures as a player. Having demonstrated his ability to perform against quality competition, the continued growth of this talented Santa Clarita-based will be one to keep close tabs on for college programs as a high-quality uncommitted 2027 product.
To see his full video and information on Sheff, dive into his profile here.
MORE PREP BASEBALL NEWS
- CA Uncommitted Spotlight: '27 SS Banning Sheff 2/04/26
- CA 2026 High School Team Previews: Notre Dame Knights 2/03/26
- CA Uncommitted Spotlight: '27 C Andrew Nicklaus 2/02/26
- CA 2026 NorCal Preseason All State: Quick Hits 2/01/26
- CA Northern California Preseason All-State: Pitcher Data Dive 1/30/26
- CA Northern California Preseason All-State: Positional Data Dive 1/30/26
- CA Super 60: California Preview 1/30/26
- CA 2026 High School Team Previews: Washington Huskies 1/30/26
- CA 2026 High School Team Previews: Kingsburg Vikings 1/29/26
- CA Inland Empire Preseason ID: Pitcher Data Dive 1/29/26
Scouting Report
Banning Sheff, Saugus High (CA), 2027
Positional Profile: SS Projectable INF with athletic traits, clean defensive actions, and an offensive profile that should continue trending upward with added strength.
Body: 5-6, 163 pounds. Athletic with some present strength in the compact frame.
Hit: RHH. Slightly open setup with weight preset into the back leg and hands starting higher behind the ear. Loads with a small toe-tap and noticeable coil into the rear hip, creating separation early. Hands work back with some depth before firing, producing a whippy barrel through the zone. Swing works on a flatter-to-slightly uphill path with the intent to drive the baseball 66.4 mph bat speed with 21 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 93 max exit velocity, averaged 89.8 mph. 330' max distance.
Arm: RH. INF-76 mph. Shows clean, compact action with a quick release. Throws come out with carry and accuracy from a high three-quarter slot. Arm strength profiles well for the left side of the infield.
Defense: Light feet and natural instincts on the dirt. Works low to the ball with soft hands and smooth exchanges. Maintains body control through the play and shows the ability to throw from multiple platforms.
ATH: 7.13 runner in the 60. 1.73 and 3.98 in the 10 and 30 yard splits. 21.10 max vertical.
Vizual Edge: 61.17 Edge Score
Sheff caught my eye on the opening day of the spring 2025 season with a solid look against Ventura HS. This trip out gave me an extended second look with more focus on the compact, wiry athletic shortstop. He is a bouncing mover on defense who shows the ability to play laterally/downhill with quickness and body control. His feet play with rhythm, and his hands are soft, smooth With a quick transfer in the ability to throw from multiple angles and on the run. Those actions translate into the game where he shows solid present instincts with his first step and ability to consistently field and accurately throw the baseball. His present arm strength is fringe for shortstop, but with plenty of time to add strength to a smaller present frame, he should make the necessary gains to stay at shortstop long-term. At the plate, it’s an aggressive load and forward move that could cause some concern, but the RH hitter has displayed over nearly ten at-bats now a consistent feel for his rhythm/timing. He gets to the launch position on time with a sound base and a strong feel for bat to ball. I’ve seen him face quality, velocity, and quality spin And he has handled both with intriguing comfort for a 2027 grad. Profile will long-term be hit over power, but with the polish too, as approach and swing/feel to hit, I like the potential for him as a long-term table setter profile.
Smaller-framed sophomore, he shows quickness in his actions on defense with clean footwork, smooth hands, and a solid arm at present from SS (showed ability to go into the 6-hole/backhand side and make the throw with solid carry to 1B & with accuracy). At the plate, it’s a handsy swing, but those hands work well with a consistent feel for bat to ball, seeing upper 80s velocity into the low 90s. He was able to control his at-bats and find solid contact. It’s an interesting profile that has solid present tools with upside as he continues to major physically while developing his already strong baseball profile. Collected a 2K single and a BB in his three at-bats.