Colton
Booterbaugh

Colton Booterbaugh, Highland High (CA), 2026
Positional Profile: OF/RHP Versatile OF defender who has comfort playing all 3 spots, RHH with interesting offensive upside
Body: 5-10, 177-pounds. Athletic build, adding strength in lower 1/2
Hit: RHH. Balanced set up with slight knee bend, low back elbow, loose hands set off rear shoulder just above shoulder height. bat waggle Sits into back hip to start load with a hover move before taking medium stride to launch position, hands tip barrel with slight push back and down into lower position, knee/hips sequence effectively, tilt in upper body at contact, barrel path working up hill to generate loft 65.8 mph bat speed with 10 G's of rotational acceleration.
Power: 94 max exit velocity, averaged 86.8 mph. 338' max distance. Uphill path generating fly balls with carry when on time, still polishing approach to generate loft, sneaky impact to pull gap/foul line for HR power
Arm: RH. OF-87 mph. Arm has carry with sound present strength, flashes RF potential, solid accuracy
Defense: Three OF versatility if run speed ticks up, moves with confidence, good angles and feel to play one-handed
ATH: 7.45 runner in the 60. 1.71 and 4.06 in the 10 and 30 yard splits. Low drive with ability to build speed, maintains line, covers ground in final 30 yards 22.60 max vertical.
Vizual Edge: 76.97 Edge Score

Colton Booterbaugh, Highland High (CA), 2026
Positional Profile: OF/RHP Corner outfield profile who shows the ability to drive the baseball with authority, producing gap-to-gap contact.
Body: 5-11, 173-pounds. Developing build with noticeable projection and plenty of room to add strength as he continues to mature.
Hit: RHH. Balanced stance with a rhythmic bat waggle and flat barrel that transitions into a vertical hand load. Incorporates a small, controlled leg kick to initiate the swing. Uphill path, aggressive intent in the swing. Two-hand finish.
Arm: RH. OF-78 mph. Medium arm circle with clean, consistent mechanics; delivers accurate throws to the bag.
Defense: Controlled approach to the ball, prioritizing proper fielding first, then transitions smoothly into a balanced shuffle for the throw.

Colton Booterbaugh, Highland, 2026
Positional Profile: OF/RHP Rhythmic outfielder with present bat speed.
Body: 5-11, 169-pounds. Lean, wiry frame with room to grow.
Hit: RHH. Normal, balanced stance. Knees bent. Hands held high at ear level behind helmet. Back elbow pointed towards catcher. Low, inward leg kick stride. Hands cast outward with bat pointed up. Loads with hands and legs. Upward swing path with whip-like barrel.
Power: 94 max exit velocity, averaged 90.7 mph. 347' max distance.
Arm: RH. OF-86 mph. High 3/4 slot. Full windup on arm path. Whip-like arm action with loose finish.
Defense: Calculated steps towards ball. Calm presence as a fielder. Flashes glove late. Fluid crow hop.
ATH: 7.21 runner in the 60. 1.50 and 3.85 in the 10 and 30 yard splits.

Booterbaugh was coming off an electric high school season at Highland High School in the High Desert and took advantafe of teh FGT: Central California event being in his hometown to put on a strong overall performance. Checking in with an athletic build Booterbaugh stands 5'11 169.1 lbs. at present with room to fill across his broad shoulders and lower 1/2. He ran a 7.2 60 yard dash time (has been hampered by a hamstring injury, having posted times as low as 6.75 in the 60 yard dash) while adding an accurate 86 MPH OF arm that has online accuracy with feel to consistently one-hop the baseball on target. A CF defensive profile for Booterbaugh is upped by the high quality offensive toolset the RH hitter shows. Living on the barrel throughout his batting practice session Booterbaugh had 10+ balls over 90 MPH during his rounds for a 75% hard hit rate that peaked at 93.9 MPH. His bat path is leveraged through the middle of the field for hard consistent doubles contact with impact to the pullside generating a 91% ball in the air rate (66% line drive rate), an 83% sweet spot rate and a 347' max distance. The raw offensive profile showed extremely well for Booterbaugh and it carried into live at bats where he drew a BB and laced a hard line drive right back up the middle over two plate appearances.

Booterbaugh slots in the middle of the order and demonstrated a strong offensive profile in my first extended live look at him. A RHH who was playing CF for Highland he is a sound defender who moves well around the OF with range to both gaps, comfort going back on the ball or coming in on the ball with solid athleticism that should stick there long term. But, it was what Booterbaugh did at the dish in this look that really caught my eye. His swing has strong present bat speed with quickness in his hands and feel to deliver the barrel on time and on plane for hard contact consistently while using his lower half effectively. He flashed some impact in his first at bat drilling a deep line drive to the CF for an L-8 which if he eventually learns to stay in his legs longer could turn into a drive over the CF head or potentially the fence. Then his second at bat he jumped on a FB over the plate for a single right back up the middle and finished his day lofting a fly ball to RCF for a SAC FLY. Booterbaugh is aggressive, hunting hittable pitches early and often without getting beyond 5 pitches in an at bat over the three trips to the plate. A strong first impression for the uncommitted ‘26 and leaves me intrigued to see more of him in the future.