Austin
Maiden

Maiden burst onto the scene this summer with a dynamic performance on the tournament circuit. He was outstanding in my first look at him during the winter high school scrimmage season. Now making his Prep Baseball California event debut at the LA Preseason ID Maiden did not disappoint with the metrics/actions he showed off at Buena High School. He is a smooth, fluid mover on defense who plays with natural grace and body control. Moving laterally, coming downhill or working to balls hit right at him Maiden always looks in control with his footwork even when playing on the run. The hands are super smooth and soft with an easy clean transfer that allows him to throw from multiple angles. He relies more on a quick transfer and comfort throwing from those different angles over pure arm strength, but still shows present 80 MPH INF velocity without letting it loose, so there is undoubtedly more in the tank for Austin. At the plate it's a simple operation that relies on his impressive hands/barrel awareness to deliver a compact swing path that wears out the middle of the diamond with hard contact. His swing focuses on the quickness of his hands at 20+ MPH presently to produce 68+ MPH bat speed to works directly to the baseball and is geared towards contact over raw power. But, don't get it wrong that the 5'9 170 lbs. RH hitter doesn't have present impact as he peaked at 94.7 MPH on his max EV while averaging over 87 MPH on his full round of exit velocities. The angles that Maiden produces are high level posting a 82% sweet spot rate with a 355' max distance at present on a line drive to his pull side gap. A rising talent on the SoCal baseball scene Maiden confirmed for me his natural ability to go with his ability to use his tools in game and will be a top name to follow in the 2028 class going forward.

Austin Maiden, Chaminade College Preparatory (CA), 2028
Positional Profile: SS/3B Versatile SS with smooth footwork, accurate throws and consistent barrels at the plate.
Body: 5-9, 170-pounds. Lean, proportional build with present athleticism and strength.
Hit: RHH. Balanced stance with slight knee bend. Quiet hands just under the rear shoulder sync with a slight rear hip coil and a simple leg kick. Minimal yet efficient body movements. Hands whip barrel through the zone with a compact, slightly downward bat path. Extends the barrel through the zone to achieve backspun line drives to the pull-side. 66.1 mph bat speed with 5 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 95 max exit velocity, averaged 87.3 mph. 355' max distance.
Arm: RH. INF-80 mph. Short, quick arm motion ending from a low 3/4 slot with consistent throws and accuracy. Demonstrates ability to throw from multiple arm angles.
Defense: Presents ajustability due to light, athletic footwork. Soft, active hands secure the ball and presents a consistent gather to the center of the body.
ATH: 7.40 runner in the 60.