The Five Tool Scout Team returned home from the first-ever Arizona Fall Classic Draft Prospect Tournament with a very strong 3-1 showing that included leading the entire tournament with 34 runs scored. Below is a report on each of our players, and we can’t thank them enough for embarking on the journey with us and representing themselves and Five Tool extremely well on the big stage. 

Matthew Boughton – SS/INF – Covenant Christian - Texas A&M commit
Boughton helped set the tone for the club when he pulled a loud homer during game one versus the Mets Scout Team. Wisely, the right-handed hitting shortstop jumped on a first-pitch fastball and hammered it easily over the left field fence. He nearly hit a second homer during our final game when he smashed a towering fly ball to the wall in center field. In addition to some poor batted-ball luck in a couple of at-bats, Boughton was also hit by a pitch twice and walked five times, which led to six runs scored. Defensively, he fielded his chances cleanly around the infield and needs to trust his strong arm more often in the future. The consistency of Boughton’s heartbeat, energy, mental approach and at-bats was notable. No matter the situation, he was the same, steady player, which will serve him well at the next level. 

Blaine Bullard – OF – Klein Cain – Texas A&M commit
The most productive player on the team proved to be Bullard, who hit .500/.600/1.100 and recorded at least one hit in each game, including the last game when he had a hit from each side of the plate. He could have easily added another, but Slater De Brun, a fantastic center fielder from Summit High School in Oregon, robbed him and Carson Brumbaugh of extra-base hits during our final game. In the first game against the Mets Scout Team, Bullard scored four of the squad’s 13 runs and ended up scoring a team-high nine runs with four stolen bases. Once he reached base in our first game after being hit by a pitch on his foot, he stole second base on the first pitch against one of the best catchers in Arizona. Among the best runners and athletes in Texas, Bullard did an impressive job of making adjustments from one at-bat to another. 

Like Boughton, Bullard’s approach and heartbeat stood out. He asked questions about what a pitcher’s stuff looked like, wanted feedback after his at-bats about pitch location, and kept a calm, steady, confident demeanor. Defensively, he made a sliding catch in left field and his arm strength continues to improve. 

Carson Brumbaugh – SS/INF – Edmond Santa Fe (OK) – uncommitted 
On the infield dirt, Brumbaugh stood out the most with his work with the leather. At third base, he made an outstanding play on a slow roller at third base. The ball appeared like it was foul, but Brumbaugh stuck with it, showed impressive athleticism and arm strength to throw across his body all the way to first base and the bang-bang call went the other way (it happened right in front of our dugout, and we thought he was out… no bias, of course). Among the nation’s top uncommitted players in the 2025 class, the 6-2, 195-pound infielder handled his other chances cleanly, including a tough play deep in the hole at shortstop that required him to make a quick reaction and complete a throw from the outfield grass. Rather than show any sort of nervous energy on tough plays, Brumbaugh handled everything like he’d done it a thousand times before. And he made a ridiculously impressive, over-the-shoulder grab in no-man's land in shallow left-center.

With the bat, Brumbaugh hit .300/.429/.300. His pitch-to-pitch focus and competitiveness shined as he repeatedly worked deep into counts and displayed good knowledge of when to let a big hack fly and when to think with the pitcher and adjust his approach to get the job done. While Brumbaugh’s electric pitching outings have garnered a lot of attention in the past, make no mistake, he’s a major infielder prospect, too. And he’ll have no issues sticking on the left side of the infield. Even playing with a new team for the first time and being the only player from Oklahoma on the roster, Brumbaugh had a clear desire to compete and win and his approach was professional-like. 

Hogan Nelson – OF – Liberty Christian – Dallas Baptist commitment
We missed Nelson in our last game after an illness led to some severe dehydration, but he did more than enough hitting during our first three games. Like he’s done all summer, Nelson performed with the bat at a very high level. The right-handed hitter slashed .571/.500/.571 and recorded three of his hits against the best pitching staff he faced. Among his outs was a deep, hard fly ball towards the warning track in left field and he also adjusted his approach to record two sacrifice flies. Speaking of adjustments, deep in the count against a good arm, Nelson received an offspeed offering and smacked it through the right side of the infield for a RBI single. Hitters hit. And Nelson hit. Again. His joy for playing the game, and especially for hitting, also stood out. He carries himself with a lot of confidence as he heads towards the plate and turns each at-bat into a fun competition. 

LJ Layhew – C – The Kinkaid School – Rice commitment 
In the two games he was with us, Layhew, unsurprisingly, stood out as a receiver. In addition to handling pitches with little wasted movement and good hands, Layhew routinely smothered sliders in the dirt and also threw out a runner stealing second base on a delayed steal. After seeing him up close again, there isn’t a doubt in my mind the Houston-area product is one of the top catchers in Texas. His next step defensively will be growing to trust his arm more. The switch-hitter hit two screaming line drives from the left side and drove in two runs. He also walked once and was hit by a pitch twice. Like the summer, Layhew’s bat continued to shine and both the swing and bat-to-ball skill are real. He’s on the right track for a big senior season and could push for early playing time at Rice. 

Joshua Viars – INF/C – Walnut Grove – West Virginia commit
Viars, a 2026 prospect, didn’t just hold his own on a big stage against major 2025 competition. He excelled, which wasn't the least bit surprising. Viars routinely put the good part of the bat on the baseball, walked five times, and looked comfortable on the infield dirt. At one point after another loud out, a teammate commented in the dugout, “that guy can hit.” Yes, he can. In our final game, Viars just missed pulling a homer, which resulted in a towering fly out to the warning track in center field, and he probably had as many or more loud outs than anyone. As the tournament progressed, Viars’ defense as a catcher improved as he grew more comfortable receiving and moving. Right now, he’s undoubtedly a middle infielder, but the West Virginia commitment again showed he has the pieces to develop into a real catching prospect if he works at it often. At second base, Viars did the little things well – like charging slow, routine grounders instead of sitting back and making the play more difficult than it needed to be.

Jailen Watkins – INF/OF/RHP – Sachse – Miami commit 
It's fitting we follow one do-it-all player with another. Watkins just missed a walk-off grand slam in our third game, which ended up being a clutch ground-rule double that kept the inning moving and led to an eventual walk-off win. Once he found his timing and got that first knock, Watkins was off and running. He hammered a triple into the right-center gap during our final game and showed how he creates some leverage in the batter’s box to drive extra-base hits in the air. The longtime Miami commitment did everything we asked – second base, shortstop, left field, center field and also 2.0 innings on the mound. As a right-handed pitcher, Watkins sat comfortably in the 84-87 MPH range in what was clearly a fall workout that wasn’t full intent. He filled up the zone, spun a curveball and also found a quality slider in his second inning, which led to a clutch strikeout as he went back-to-back sliders against an overmatched righty to strand some runners on base. 

It was a treat to have Watkins in the dugout. He brings an infectious joy to the game and he a shining example of what it means to love playing the game while also competing. Up close, I appreciated his all-around skill even more. Think about it: two extra-base hits, two steals, nearly threw out a runner from center field, made a tough hop on a ball slicing down left field look easy, 2.0 quality innings on the mound, and handled his defensive chances on the infield dirt. 

Brady Ladusau – OF – Rockwall-Heath – DBU commitment
When Ladusau put the barrel on the baseball, it jumped. At 6-3, 205 pounds with a frame that will definitely add a considerable amount of strength at the next level, Ladusau is going to be a real candidate to hit for average and power, especially with improved bat speed. He finished with a .273/.385/.455 slash line and hammered a triple into the right-center gap during our final contest. In our first game against the Mets Scout Team, the right-handed hitter helped open the floodgates with a two-RBI single up the middle in the first inning. Defensively, the way the ball carries in Arizona did get the best of him once in left field, but he looked very comfortable naturally tracking balls in right field. His arm creates good carry on his throws and it wouldn’t surprise me if that becomes a big part of his game as he develops. 

Frank Gearhart – 1B/RHP – Hamilton (AZ) – uncommitted
Big Frank, who is 6-5, 215 pounds, represented the Phoenix area well by raking from the left side. The 2026 prospect hit .333, drove in two runs, scored three runs and also walked twice. His bat-to-ball skill really stood out, even in a tough left-on-left at-bat when he hit a hard fly ball at the center fielder. He used the middle of the field well and was comfortable even in two-strike accounts while also exuding quality pitch selection. On the mound, he tossed 2.0 solid frames against a really good lineup and the look of his fastball out of his 6-5 frame seemingly gave some hitters issues. As he matures and adds strength, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Gearhart tap into some more power to help boost his already impressive left-handed swing and hitting ability. More reps defensively will allow Gearhart to get more comfortable around the first base bag.

Jet Berry – INF – Queen Creek (AZ) – uncommitted 
A member of the Five Tool Academic team in the past at the Arizona Fall Classic, Berry joined the Scout Team for our final three games in the tournament. Unfortunately for Berry, each time he puts on a Five Tool jersey he gets hit by a pitch. In his first three plate appearances, Berry, a 2026 prospect, saw a mistake fastball up-and-in twice and was hit by a pitch the other time. But he had the last laugh when he came through with a walk-off single in our third game. Noticeably bigger, stronger and more physical since we last saw him around this same time last year, Berry is an impressive athlete who can really run. His swings from both the left and right sides looked promising and he isn’t just a switch-hitter in name only. He can do it. We needed to shuffle our defense to adjust to an illness our final game, and Berry had no hesitation jumping in at left field and even handed a fly ball with ease. Ballplayer. 

Jacob Segotta – C – Cibola (NM) – uncommitted
Illness took its toll on our catching just before the trip and during the tournament, too. And it didn’t help that the temperatures reached as high as 115 degrees. So, were fortunate that coach Ryan Brewer was able to tap into this ABA connections and add a catcher to the squad. Segotta wasn’t just a player to fill a spot. He could truly catch and throw, and especially the latter. With a noticeably strong arm, he threw out runners stealing and also picked off a runner at second base. Unafraid to swing with intent and bat speed, Segotta blasted a ground-rule double in our last game to left field. Clearly, Segotta loves playing the game and takes great pride in his work defensively. He’s absolutely talented enough to keep playing at the next level and should have the attention of JUCO and D2 programs in his region. 

PITCHERS
Before I get to the pitchers, I think some context is important: pitching in the fall is different from the spring. Guys could be in different spots of their fall program. Heck, some guys don’t even pitch at all during the fall. So, what you see in the fall is likely a different version from what you’ll see in the spring. 

Ethan Sanders – RHP – Vista Ridge – Rice commitment
Against what had to be the most talented lineup he’s ever faced, Sanders threw the ball very well before he, understandably, began to run out of steam his final inning. Sanders bumped 91 MPH with his fastball and sat comfortably in the 87-89 MPH range. His slurve carried good shape, high spin rates and performed well, and he had feel for executing the pitch down in the zone when he was ahead in counts against both lefties and righties. If you’ve seen Sanders, you know his competitiveness shines. He’s a bulldog. And this outing was no different. He attacked from pitch one and challenged hitters without fear. What will help the righty this upcoming season and beyond is mixing in his changeup more often against left-handed hitters. The pitch, barely thrown in Arizona, was around 82 MPH with spin around 1300 and barely any movement. It has the look of a future quality offering in the future. 

Aiden Barrientes – RHP – Katy – TCU commitment
Up to 93 MPH with his fastball, Barrientes had flashes of brilliance during his 2.2 innings on the mound. Like usual, his curveball (75 MPH) and slider (78-80 MPH) showed promise with spin and shape and the slider in particular created some ugly whiffs and check-swings. As the outing progressed, Barrientes had scattered control, which led to an elevated pitch count. When he was in a groove, he hammered the glove side with his fastball and executed his slider effectively off that pitch down and to the glove side. 

Christopher Gutierrez – LHP – Bridgeland – DBU commitment 
Gutierrez has been working on a new changeup grip throughout the fall and mixed in the pitch often versus right-handers around 82 MPH with a similar look to his fastball. He left one up in a key spot that floated and led to a two-RBI single, and it was the only bad one he threw. Like usual, Gutierrez’s slider was a standout offering. To end his first inning of work, the skinny lefty executed one perfectly to get a strikeout against an overmatched lefty. His fastball touched 89 MPH and settled in comfortably in the 85-87 MPH range. 

Isaiah Salas – LHP – The Woodlands – San Diego State commitment 
When Salas was in the strike zone, he was dominant, which led to six of his eight outs coming via a strikeout. Salas has one of the best left-handed breaking balls in the state, and the slurve-like pitch can befuddle hitters with its late depth at velocity that reached as high as 79 MPH. Salas’ fastball touched 89 MPH, and he settled in around 84-87 MPH. When he worked downhill, he threw strikes. When he was a bit too crossfire, lost his release and was too slider heavy, his control eluded him, which led to an elevated pitch count. Easy fixes. We’ve seen Salas fill it up in the past and expect him too in the spring. 

Brody Kahle – RHP – Homeschool – uncommitted
Recently uncommitted, Kahle touched 90 MPH with his fastball and competed well on the mound across 3.0 solid innings. A good left-handed hitter got the best of him when a splitter hung over the plate and lacked its late movement, but Kahle’s stuff was otherwise solid. I continue to be impressed with the consistency and shape of his slider, which again stood out and created whiffs. At 6-4, 210 pounds, Kahle is a prime candidate to add a lot of strength over the end of the offseason and at the next level, too. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him comfortably in the 89-93 MPH range in 2025 and he’s going to be a good college addition for someone. 

Everett Burdett – RHP – La Cueva (NM) – uncommitted
Burdett is going to be a major, national-level pitching prospect in the 2026 class. High-waisted and 6-3, 190 pounds with long arms and a frame that will certainly continue to fill out, Burdett moves well on the mound, especially for a young pitcher his size and age. He gathers, bends and repeats well, and his arm action works cleanly and quickly. Easily, Burdett touched 91 MPH multiple times, and he is going to throw really hard in the future. The tall righty from New Mexico showed a four and two-seam fastball and caught a right-handed batter looking for a strikeout with a perfectly placed, backdoor two-seamer. Burdett has the makings of both a true curveball and slider with the former being more of a freeze pitch around 75 MPH and the latter a swing-and-miss offering around 79 MPH. Originally, Burdett was supposed to join us just for Saturday, but asked to return to Sunday’s 8:30 a.m. game to be around the team and share a dugout with a talented roster. Good makeup. 

Noah Weiss – RHP – Pinnacle (AZ) – uncommitted
This 2026 right-hander has true feel to pitch and was very sharp during 2.0 shutout innings, which included striking out the side to end the game. Weiss’ fastball settled in at 84-86 MPH with some natural arm side run and signs of getting it to both sides of the plate. His 77 MPH slurve had late action and was a swing-and-miss offering that he could execute early in the count for strikes or later in the count for whiffs. And Weiss had full confidence in a 78 MPH changeup, with spin around 1300 RPM, that he featured against both lefties and righties in any count. At around 5-11, 170 pounds, Weiss repeated his delivery easily and had no issues filling up the zone. He is going to be one of the best junior pitchers in Arizona this upcoming spring. 

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor and National Scout