Ethan Schiefelbein stands out as one of the nation’s premier left-handed pitchers among high school prospects. His prominence surged further following a remarkable display with the U.S. 18U national team last summer. Notching a stellar 0.78 ERA and delivering 12 strikeouts across nine innings, his performance drew widespread acclaim from talent evaluators.
His success last summer motivated him as he prepared for his senior season. As a senior at Corona (Calif.) High School, Schiefelbein hopes to take another step forward in his development this spring. Scouts will watch the lefty closely, as he is a projected early-round pick in July’s MLB draft.
“It’s been really surreal,” Schiefelbein said. “Going into my freshman year, I never really played travel ball. This last summer was really my first year on the national showcase circuit. I didn’t even know what was out there, so getting on the summer circuit and seeing what this career could turn into was really cool. I’ve just been along for the ride and enjoying it.”
Schiefelbein is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound left-handed pitcher who throws a two-seam fastball, curveball, slider and changeup from a loose and smooth delivery and over-the-top arm slot.
Schiefelbein’s two-seamer touches 94 mph and features plenty of induced vertical break. He likes to attack hitters with this fastball in the upper quadrants of the strike zone. His curveball is his go-to breaking pitch. It has a 12-to-6 break, touches the low-80s, and serves as his strikeout pitch. It also tunnels well off of his fastball.
The lefty also mixes in his slider and changeup. His slider is more of a slurve and complements his fastball well. His changeup is a developing pitch that flashes potential.
Scouts rave about Schiefelbein’s makeup, competitiveness and ability to attack the strike zone with all of his pitches in all parts of the strike zone.
“I’d consider my pitchability to be my biggest strength,” Schiefelbein said. “Knowing what my stuff does is a big thing, and having confidence in everything I’m throwing in any count is huge for me. Most high school guys don’t have the ability to throw any pitch in any count for a strike. Since my freshman year when I was 14, I called my own games. Learning through the past four years how to read hitters and how to set up hitters has been a big thing.”
Schiefelbein hopes to show an improved changeup and fastball command this spring.
“I want to throw the fastball up in the zone and have more competitive pitches,” Schiefelbein said. “Shadow zone, which is the two-to-three-inch zone outside of the strike zone, I want to pitch there and have more success with my fastball to put guys away. I also want to use my changeup more and have success with that.”
In addition to being a highly regarded draft prospect, Schiefelbein is a UCLA commit. The California native verbally committed to the Bruins during his sophomore year in September 2021.
The prestige of the program and the strong rapport he built with the coaching staff factored into his decision. UCLA’s proven track record in developing pitchers for success in the professional realm greatly influenced his choice during the recruiting process.
“We had a couple of schools in our final decision, but I loved how coach (John) Savage runs a practice and his philosophies are,” Schiefelbein said. “I really like how I talked to the head coach and pitching coach and not just the pitching coach. I loved getting in his mind. He’s produced some of the best pitchers in the world. That is what came down to my final decision.”
Read more in-depth stories on top 2024 MLB draft prospects at Baseball Prospect Journal.
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for nine years. He has interviewed 518 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
