High school tournament season is in the rear mirror, and baseball is now in full swing in states besides Texas, like Arizona, Nevada and California. Let’s head out to Arizona where a top MLB Draft prospect made a loud statement and is teammates with an uncommitted 2023 pitcher who is D1 good. 

What is the Five Tool Five? The short, succinct definition: it’s simply a look at five players who recently caught our attention. The long-winded, more detailed explanation: showcasing our coverage from around the United States and highlighting noteworthy baseball talent, skill, performances, news, uncommitted players who colleges should pay attention to and more.

Want to know what a day one MLB Draft prospect looks like? Allow Roch to lead the way… 

Elite prospect has elite performance in a huge game 

There was a lot of buzz and anticipation for Hamilton’s recent game against Mountain Pointe. After all, the matchup featured two of the unquestioned top teams and programs in the state and was loaded with talent. On the big stage, one player stole the show: UCLA signee and Hamilton shortstop Roch Cholowsky. 

Every year, there are a lot of senior players who have MLB Draft tools. There are a lot of players who will be heavily scouted as decision-makers weigh whether to hand out a huge signing bonus or not. But each year, there are only a small percentage of high school players who match elite tools with elite production. Scouts want to see the top players emerge as the top players on the biggest high school stages with the most at stake; for almost every top high school player, there are only a few times a year when the competition is truly challenging for a hitter or pitcher. 

Presented with that type of opportunity to make a statement, Cholowsky’s performance - 4-for-4 with two homers - said it loudly: he’s one of the best high school infielders and prep draft prospects in the nation. There are a lot of things to appreciate about Cholowsky’s tools and skill, but I especially appreciate how he leverages his lower half into his swing; watch how quickly his knee/back leg rotates to help ignite his swing and the athleticism shown to allow his back foot to move so much because of the torque created. And yet his head remains steady. Impressive. It's just one of the reasons why his all-around talent and skill have placed him firmly in the first-round discussion. 

Cholowsky isn’t the only draft prospect on his team… 

A Five Tool favorite after an outstanding performance at Area Code this past summer, Zach Wadas gives Hamilton what I’m sure some Arizona coaches think is an unfair advantage in the middle of the lineup. A tall, powerful left-handed hitter, Wadas, who signed with TCU, just missed a homer and hammered a double off the wall in right field. The strength/ability to impact the baseball continues to show up during his senior season after a summer that put him on the map as a potential MLB Draft pick this upcoming July. It’s nice to check back and see one of our favorites continuing to perform at a high level. He continues to show he can cover the plate with strong hitting hands that can get the barrel to pitches in different areas. 

A 2023 RHP who is too good to be uncommitted

I can’t speak to Rohan Lettow’s recruiting process because I don’t know who he’s hearing from. But I know his recent performance in front of Five Tool Arizona was outstanding and showed a pitcher who is a D1 caliber prospect. He should have plenty of recruiting attention if he doesn’t already and possesses the type of profile that could contribute immediately because of his physical frame, present strength, good delivery and strike-throwing characteristics. 

Oh. The stuff, too. The stuff is strong. Sure, sitting 87-89 MPH with his fastball isn’t going to blow many observers away, but Lettow can command the pitch. And his velocity has ticked up noticeably since the summer with an improved delivery and it’s obvious he went to work in the weight room this past offseason. Plus, Lettow’s changeup has flashed as a future plus pitch routinely, allowing his heater to play up against left-handers because the changeup is so good. Lettow spins a quality curveball with sharp, tight break that he can get over for a strike early in counts or bury down and to his glove side for whiffs late in counts. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a fan. 

Another 2023 uncommitted prospect from Arizona… 

Really like what I’ve seen from 2023 left-handed hitter and Horizon (Arizona) prospect Andrew Grenert. An athletic shortstop who looks like he has a chance to stick on the dirt at the next level, Grenert is enjoying a strong senior season with the bat. Visually, he possesses a good, pretty left-handed swing capable of pulling homers and driving line drives around other parts of the park. A good runner with a good frame, Grenert looks like another prospect that should be on D1 radars. 

A physical, 2025 RHH from Arizona who is putting up big numbers

Valley Vista 2025 prospect and right-handed hitter Adrian Montoya has been putting up big numbers with the bat this season, and had an outstanding performance in front of Five Tool Arizona recently. In addition to drilling a two-run bomb off the scoreboard, he added a single and a three-RBI double the opposite way. 

With the bat, Montoya’s calling card is his raw power; he has the type of present power that can result in mishit extra-base hits and loud pull-side pop that can create angry missiles. He’s put himself on the map in Arizona as a hitter to follow in the 2025 class. 

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor