As we look back on the 2025 summer tournament circuit here in Kansas City, we’ll be breaking down the top players by tool from each class — based on evaluations from our scouting team at Homefield and Creekside. Follow along as we take a deep dive into these players and highlight the summers they put together. Each week will feature our top five players based on each tool from the class, presented in no particular order.

Top Throw Tool Class of 2026 

Austin Baldwin SS / OF / Beatrice High School, NE / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 8 / POS: 2

Austin Baldwin is one of the most physical and athletic players we saw in the 2026 class. The lean 6-foot, 184-pound SS/OF produces exit velocities into the 100s and was also one of our top runners, posting a 6.56 60-yard dash. He shows impressive arm strength that we believe will continue to trend up.

At the 2025 Senior Future Games, Baldwin showed an easy 90 MPH arm from the outfield, consistently delivering accurate throws to his targets. He showed the same arm strength on the infield, topping out at 87 MPH. We also saw this in person when he was in Kansas City with Nebraska Prospects, where he moved seamlessly between shortstop and the outfield. That defensive versatility should serve him well at Nebraska–Omaha, where he will have the opportunity to compete for playing time at multiple spots across the diamond.

Follow along on X: @ljhatchpb and Instagram: @ljhatchprepbaseball as we continue breaking down the top tools from this past summer.