Arizona鈥檚 top 10 baseball players in the Class of 2022
PHOENIX (BVM) 鈥� The state of Arizona is teeming with high school baseball talent as the spring season rolls on. The Class of 2022 in particular boasts MLB prospects and future Division I superstars both on the mound and at the plate.听
Before this senior class begins its next chapter, here are 10 of Arizona鈥檚 top baseball players in the Class of 2022.听
- Ethan Hatch 鈥� 3B/RHP, Poston Butte
Hatch has put together an impressive four-year run at Poston Butte which began by batting .309 with 15 RBIs as a freshman. After a Covid-shortened sophomore season, Hatch improved all facets of his game as a junior, batting .515 with two home runs and 31 RBIs while going 4-0 with a 0.78 ERA on the mound. But the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Hatch has put it all together in his final season at the prep level. He鈥檚 batting .563 with seven home runs and his 51 RBIs so far this season are good for second in the state. Meanwhile on the mound, Hatch has been just as dominant, going 9-0 (tied for the third-most wins in the state) with a 1.10 ERA and four complete games.听
Had a great day with the boys getting two W鈥檚 against some good 5A squads! Went 2-5 in a double header with my third bomb of the season!
— Ethan Hatch (@EthanHatch10)
- Garrett Sloan 鈥� 3B/RHP, Estrella Foothills
Sloan has enjoyed a breakout senior campaign after a strong showing at the Area Code Games over the summer. He鈥檚 batting .554 with six home runs and 49 RBIs which is the third-most in the state of Arizona this season. The 6-foot, 200-pound Sloan went a perfect 6-for-6 with a pair of doubles and six RBIs in a win over Tempe last month. New Mexico State is the next stop for Sloan after he committed to the Aggies back in August of 2021.听
3B Garrett Sloan (Estrella Foothills, 鈥�22)
6-foot 200 lbs, recruit gets on top of a high 2k FB for RBI knock. Gap-to-gap approach with strength.
2022 stats
.565 | 8 2B | 8 3B | 6 HR | 37 RBI | 12 SB— Prep Baseball Arizona (@PrepBaseballAZ)
- Dante Turgeon 鈥� 1B/3B/OF, Benjamin Franklin听
Turgeon鈥檚 dominance can be best exemplified by one week in late April. While his team went 3-0, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Turgeon went 10-for-10 with three doubles, a pair of home runs, seven RBIs and 10 runs scored. He also walked three times, stole three bases and hit safely in 12 consecutive at-bats. On the season, Turgeon is batting .613 with six home runs and 29 RBIs. The Arizona State commit will remain in-state for the next level and continue his trek towards the majors with the Sun Devils.听
Arizona 2022 infielder Dante Turgeon () cranks a no-doubt HR to dead center his 5th this year. commit
— Future Stars Series Southwest (@fss_southwest)
- Mason Kelley 鈥� RHP, Red Mountain听
Both Kelley and his teammate TJ Adams 鈥� who will both once again be teammates at the next level 鈥� deserve to be on this list, but only one Mountain Lion could make it. Kelley鈥檚 command of his fastball to both sides in combination with a nasty slider makes him one of the best righthanders in the state. He鈥檚 7-1 on the mound this season with a 0.83 ERA across 50.2 innings pitched. The Arizona commit will remain in-state alongside his Red Mountain teammate, Adams.听
7 strikeouts thru 4 frames for Red Mountain starter Mason Kelley. FB to 88, with sweeping breaking ball in low 70鈥檚. commit
— Perfect Game California (@California_PG)
- Alessandro Castro 鈥� LHP/OF, Pusch Ridge Christian Academy
Castro has overpowered Arizona hitters all year as his 107 strikeouts so far this season rank atop the state. The reigning 3A South Region Player of the Year has picked up right where he left off, going 7-1 on the mound with a 0.93 ERA and four complete games to begin his senior campaign. Castro is also making his presence felt at the plate by batting .538 with a pair of home runs and 27 RBIs. The Nevada commit will join the Wolf Pack next season who finished atop the Mountain West a year ago.听
Tucson 鉃★笍 Reno
Welcome to the Pack, @Ale_baseball14!
— Nevada Baseball (@NevadaBaseball)
- Dominic Chacon 鈥� OF/1B, Horizon (Scottsdale)听
Perhaps the most feared hitter in the state this year, Chacon鈥檚 11 home runs this season are second to no one in Arizona. He鈥檚 batting .368 with 33 RBIs and a pair of two-home run games. The powerful and smooth outfielder was originally committed to Yavapai College until he announced his commitment to Arizona State last month.听
OF Dominic Chacon (Horizon, 鈥�22)
6-foot-3 190 lbs, Yavapai commit, plus build with smooth OF actions and bat speed. Puts one deep over the right field wall for his 6th 馃挘 on the year.
— Prep Baseball Arizona (@PrepBaseballAZ)
- Issac Araiza 鈥� RHP, Yuma Catholic听
Araiza already has a big-league frame at 6-foot-5 and a strong arm to match. He鈥檚 8-1 with a 1.50 ERA and his 101 strikeouts on the season are second only to Castro across the state. The Shamrocks鈥� captain has also held his own at the plate, batting .510 with a home run and 25 RBIs on the year. With a dominant fastball that tops out at 91 mph, Araiza will make San Diego State fans very happy at the next level.听
Great look at Issac Araiza (). The RHP showcased a dominant FB and sharp BB as an out pitch on his way to 6K over 5 innings of work.
FB: 88-92
CB: 74-76 Five Tool (AZ) 2022 鈥⑻� signee— Five Tool Baseball (@FiveTool)
- Demetrio Crisantes 鈥� SS/2B, Nogales听
Look no further for evidence of Crisantes鈥� immense talent than a win over Ironwood Ridge in early April. The 6-foot team captain went yard three different times and knocked in four RBIs to help the Apaches outpace the Nighthawks, 16-10. Crisantes is batting .511 on the season with seven home runs and 24 RBIs. His 24 extra-base hits and 44 runs scored are major reasons why Nogales is 27-2 on the season. Crisantes will hope to bring the same level of team success to the next level when he joins Kelley and Adams at Arizona.听
鈥�22 Demetrio Crisantes ( commit) catches this ball out front and drives it deep over the left-center field fence for a home run!馃挘
Really impressive showing from Crisantes tonight. || ||
— Prep Baseball Arizona (@PrepBaseballAZ)
- Dillon Orr 鈥� RHP, Shadow Ridge听
Seen as the top right-handed pitcher in the state by many, Orr鈥檚 fastball that tops out at 93 mph is just the tip of the iceberg. His 5-2 record or 1.81 ERA on the mound might not jump out at you, but only three pitchers across the state have more strikeouts than Orr (86) this season. Orr has command of three pitches: an overpowering fastball, a sharp curveball and a changeup that misses bats. The 6-foot-4 Tennessee commit is as skilled as they come.听
Great look at Dillon Orr () tonight in front of . The RHP went 6.1 IP with 11K鈥檚 & was up to 93 MPH. Had command of 3 pitches all game.
FB: 88-92, 93
CB: 74-76
CH: 78-80 Five Tool (AZ) 2022 鈥� signee— Five Tool Baseball (@FiveTool)
- 听 听 Gavin Turley 鈥� OF, Hamilton听
The top-ranked senior in the state has the kind of bat speed and power that could get him to the majors sooner rather than later. During a week-and-a-half stretch in March, Turley homered in six consecutive games, including a two-home run game against crosstown rival Chandler. The 6-foot-2 Oregon State commit is batting just .299 on the season, but his 10 home runs are second only to Chacon across the state. Expect Turley to hear his name called in the MLB Draft in the near future.听
Collected some clips to try to accurately depict why Gavin Turley is now a late first rounder due to a scorching hot spring. The most AND1 mixtape prospect in the class, for me
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd)