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High School  | General | 2/11/2026

Southwest All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
SOUTHWEST REGION (AZ, NM, NV, UT, CO) 
The most dominant tool in the Southwest Region for the 2026 season is undoubtedly power at the plate, as most players featured below not only have the size and bat speed to drive the ball but have put up the numbers as well.  While that isn’t exactly surprising given that virtually the entire region plays at elevation, it certainly stands out on the individual top prospects.

The Region features four Perfect Game All-Americans in OF Ryan Harwood, IF Rookie Shepard and C Alain Gomez-Gudino and RHP Dylan Blomker.  The 2027 class is looking very promising as well, with four juniors gaining mention on the All-Region team below and Arizona in particular having a very talented class.  Keep an eye out especially for 2027 3B Colton Floyd (Corona Del Sol HS, Ariz.), one of the best and biggest power hitters in that class.



Two Region high schools start the year in the Perfect Game Top 50 national rankings.  Casteel (AZ) is the top ranked team at 15th overall, while Nevada’s Basic HS is 18th to start the year.           

C – Alain Gomez-Gudino (Sr., Saguaro HS, Ariz.)

Gomez-Gudino was a virtual unknown at the beginning of 2025, befitting of a young man who endured a multi-month trip to the United States from Venezuela.  He has quickly become one of the best catching prospects in the 2026 class with a great profile of being a switch-hitting catcher with better bat speed from the left side to go with high level defensive tools.  He hit .384-1-22 in his first year of high school baseball at Saguaro HS last spring.

1B – Kellan Tom (Sr., Corona Del Sol HS, Ariz.)

Tom is a big and strong 6-2/210 right-handed hitter who is starting to get scout attention for his power potential and overall offensive potential.  The Arizona State signee mashes with a wood bat in his hand in particular, as he hit .500-3-25 in 28 PG games in 2025 and .420-1-24 in 30 games in 2024.

MIF – Troy Southisene (Sr., Basic HS, Nev.)

Troy’s senior year at Basic HS will mark the end of the Southisene Era in Nevada high school and Perfect Game baseball, an Era that has now sent four brothers through the system and two to professional baseball.  Troy varies little from his brother, with speedy athleticism, defensive versatility and far more bat speed and pop than you’d expect from his 5-10/168 frame.

MIF – Rookie Shepard (Sr., Faith Lutheran HS, Nev.)

Shepard was one of the first recognized prospects in the 2026 class nationally and has done nothing to change that, especially as a hitter.  He’s hit over .500 three of the last five years at PG events and hit .424-7-34 as a junior at Faith Lutheran HS.  Shepard is a versatile defensive player who probably profiles best at second base at the highest levels.

3B – Anthony Del Angel (Sr., V. Sue Cleveland HS, N.M.)

The 6-4/205 right-handed hitting Del Angel was a dominant hitter on the summer circuit from a young age and has continued to develop his raw power and tools since.  The Oklahoma signee hit .534-7-28 as a junior at Cleveland HS and won New Mexico Player of the Year honors.

OF – Ryan Harwood (Sr., Casteel HS, Ariz.)

Harwood is the topped ranked 2026 player in Arizona and 32nd overall in the country.  The PG All-American is one of the strongest premium prospects in the country with a 6-3/205 chiseled build but he has a full basket of tools, including 6.65 speed in the sixty and a 95 mph outfield throwing arm.  Harwood hit .378-6-28 for Casteel HS as a junior and has hit .362 in 63 games of PG play the last two years.

OF – Cooper Goff (Jr., Mountain Ridge HS, Utah)

Goff doesn’t look like a power hitter with his slender and athletic 6-0/175 build but has very fast hands to go with plenty of lift in his swing.  He also has the numbers to back up his power, including seven home runs as a sophomore at Mountain Ridge and five more on the PG circuit.  Goff is currently ranked 29th in the 2027 class and is committed, like many in the Southwest Region, to TCU.

OF – Jake Turner (Jr., Centennial HS, Nev.)

Turner is the highest ranked player in the Southwest Region regardless of year as he checks in at 9th overall in the 2027 class.  The sweet-swinging left-handed hitter hit .438-5-26 as a sophomore at Centennial HS and .339-2-12 in 26 PG games in 2025.  A 6-3/185 TCU commit, Turner also has shown a fastball up to 94 mph on the mound.

RHP  Dylan Blomker (Sr., La Cueva HS, N.M.)

The 6-4/200 Blomker is the only PG All-American pitcher in the Southwest Region and is the 14th ranked right-handed pitcher in the 2026 class.  He generally works in the 92-94 mph range with his fastball but has bumped it up to 96 mph at times.  Blomker’s strikeout pitch is a low 80’s slider that has big sweeping life and sharp bite and is well commanded in and out of the zone.

RHP  Soreen Etheridge (Jr., Phoenix Country Day, Ariz.)

Etheridge used a fastball up to 94 mph and a hard downer curveball with big downward angle to post some of the most eye-opening strikeout numbers in the country in 2025 as a sophomore.  He struck out 136 hitters against only 20 walks in 55 innings during the spring at Phoenix Country Day, then dialed up a notch in Perfect game summer play, striking out 69 hitters in 35 innings while only allowing 11 hits.  Etheridge is a Wake Forest commit.

RHP  Devin Long (Sr., Chapparal HS, Ariz.)

Long is a very projectable 6-3/185 athlete with solid present stuff and more to come.  He features a 90-94 mph fastball to go with a very advanced change up and a solid slider and profiles as a strike throwing three-pitch starter.  The Mississippi signee struck out 75 hitters in 45 innings as a junior at Chaparral HS.

RHP  Cooper Vais (Jr., Arvada West HS, Colo.)

Vais is a superb athlete who is a two-way standout and multi-sport star but has his highest ceiling on the mound.  He’s an extreme strike thrower with a low 90’s fastball that projects to go with a mid-70’s curveball.  He went 8-1, 1.29 with 93 strikeouts and only 18 walks in 54 innings as a sophomore at Arvada West and hit .347-5-22 at the plate.  The Texas commit came back to throw 18 innings in PG play last summer, striking out 32 versus only 3 walks and throwing 69% strikes.  Vais is also a basketball standout and averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds as a junior.

RHP  Ethan Wachsmann (Sr., Grandview HS, Colo.)

Wachsmann is a big and strong 6-5/210 right-hander with a power pitcher’s body and power pitcher’s stuff.  He tops out at 94-95 mph to go with a low 80’s slider and change up and will be taking his arm to Wake Forest next year.  Wachsmann went 8-1, 1.77 with 80 strikeouts and only 24 walks in 51 innings as a junior at Grandview HS.

UT – Giovanni Guariglia Jr (Sr., Silverado HS, Nev.)

Guariglia dominates on both sides of the ball for Silverado HS.  Using a fastball that can reach the md-90’s to go with a sharp hard curveball, Guariglia struck out 92 hitters and allowed only 17 hits in 42 innings last spring on the mound while hitting .482-8-37 at the plate.  The future TCU Horned Frog wasn’t much different at PG events in short looks, striking out 18 hitters in 8 innings and hitting 4 home runs in 7 games.


Southwest Region Top Tools


Best Hitter for Average: Rookie Shepard (Sr., Faith Lutheran HS, Nev.)

Shepard has always performed on the biggest stages on the PG circuit and has been especially consistent with the bat.  There’s just enough power there but the ability to square up quality stuff is what makes the PG All-American stand out.

Best Hitter for Power: Anthony Del Angel (Sr., V. Sue Cleveland HS, N.M.)

This could really be any one of a four or five players and we could even break it up into three sections:  Best raw power (distance):  Del Angel.  Highest Exit Velos:  Ryan Harwood.  Highest Ceiling:  Jake Turner.

Best Runner: Jet Berry (Sr., Queen Creek HS, Ariz.)

The aptly named Berry definitely has the jets as he’s a 6.41 runner with a very quick first step in the middle infield on defense.  The switch-hitter also has juice in his bat, as he hit .495-8-34 as a junior at Queen Creek HS and followed that up by hitting .413-1-12 with 17 steals in 30 PG games last summer.

Best Defensive Catcher: Alain Gomez-Gudino (Sr., Saguaro HS, Ariz.)

Gomez-Gudino first gained notice and his initial invitation to the PG National as a premium defensive catcher with all the tools necessary on that side of the ball. 

Best Defensive Infielder: Troy Southisene (Sr., Basic HS, Nev.)

Southisene’s quickness and range is his best defensive asset and his instincts enable to those to play up another level.  He’s also got a low 90’s infield arm and has experience playing all over the field.

Best Defensive Outfielder: Ryan Harwood (Sr., Casteel HS, Ariz.)

Harwood’s strength and physicality stand out so much that it’s easy to overlook his big athletic tools.  He profiles as a right fielder on defense at the next level.

Best Defensive Arm: Matthew Kelly (Sr., Basic HS, Nev.)

Kelly was originally part of the 2027 class and played in the 2023 14U PG Select Festival but re-classified.  He’s a well-round prospect with a solid bat but his best tool is his arm strength and overall defensive ability at shortstop.  The Texas A&M signee threw 98 mph from shortstop at the PG National and an even 100 mph from the outfield.

Best Fastball: Dylan Blomker (Sr., La Cueva HS, N.M.)

Blomker was 92-94 mph every time out at PG events last year, including at the All-American Classic, and bumped it up to 95-96 mph at a few events.  He notably threw 70% strikes in his 2025 PG innings as well.

Best Off-Speed Stuff: Dylan Blomker (Sr., La Cueva HS, N.M.)

Blomker’s slider is the single best secondary pitch in the region.  He has an advanced ability to shape the pitch between a bigger sweeper shape and tighter true slider look and he’s also shown the ability to throw it for strikes.  Blomker also throws a firm change up that will further develop at the next level.

Best Pitchability: Cooper Vais (Jr., Arvada West HS, Colo.)

Vais’s ability to throw strikes and his high-level athleticism make him a very intriguing prospect if he can continue to add more velocity to his already low 90’s fastball.

Best Multi-Sport Athlete: Soren Etheridge (Jr., Phoenix Country Day, Ariz.)

Etheridge is a rare three-sport standout but it isn’t in the three sports that one would normally expect.  Aside from his obvious baseball talent, he’s a high-level swimmer in the fall season and plays varsity basketball during the winter before becoming a two-way baseball player during the spring. 
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