Arizona State Baseball Lands Commitment From 2027 Top In-State Prospect

Arizona State baseball has landed one of the top in-state prospects in the Class of 2027.

Jace Harrell, a shortstop at Chandler High School, announced his commitment to Arizona State this week. Perfect Game lists Harrell as a 6-foot-2, 160-pound switch-hitter who primarily plays shortstop but has experience at second base and in the outfield.

Harrell had previously been committed to UC Santa Barbara before changing course and choosing the Sun Devils. USA Baseball listed Harrell as a UCSB commit as recently as its 2026 DREAM Series(early January), where he recorded a 10-foot-2 broad jump, tied for fourth among players at the event. Harrell impressed with that off the charts explosion and athleticism and got more eyes on him.

Harrell Breaks Out During Junior Season

Harrell's commitment comes after a significant statistical jump during his junior season at Chandler. He showed some tremendous year-over-year growth, and that production paired with his explosiveness should excite the Sun Devil faithful out there.

After batting .305 as a sophomore, Harrell hit .420 across 20 games during the 2026 season, according to statistics submitted to MaxPreps. He finished with 21 hits in 50 at-bats, including eight doubles, one triple and four home runs. He also drove in 16 runs and scored 19.

The jump extended beyond his batting average.

Harrell posted a .522 on-base percentage and .860 slugging percentage for a 1.382 OPS. He drew 10 walks and struck out nine times across 67 plate appearances. As a sophomore, Harrell had a .402 on-base percentage, .524 slugging percentage and .926 OPS.

Through his first two varsity seasons, Harrell has a .348 career batting average, .451 on-base percentage and .652 slugging percentage. He has 46 hits, 16 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 34 RBIs in 48 games.

Harrell really showed he was committed to his craft and put in the work to take his game to the next level. Not only was he slugging at a better rate, but he was hitting for better average jumping up .115. He was also able to double his home run total despite playing in eight fewer games.

More Than High School Production

Harrell has also generated attention on the showcase circuit.

At the 2026 Four Corners ProCase, Harrell registered a maximum exit velocity of 102.9 mph and drove a ball 395 feet, according to Prep Baseball. He also ran the 60-yard dash in 6.59 seconds.

Prep Baseball noted Harrell's ability to generate impact from both sides of the plate and highlighted his athleticism, hands and footwork defensively. The outlet listed him at 6-foot-2, 165 pounds at the event, leaving room for continued physical development before he reaches the college level.

Perfect Game has similarly evaluated Harrell as a switch-hitter with quick hands and a direct swing from both sides of the plate. His Perfect Game profile lists a top 60-yard dash time of 6.68 seconds and an infield velocity of 84 mph from its events. Certainly an exciting prospect, and interesting to note that Harrell would be the tallest infielder on the current Arizona state squad.

Arizona State Keeps an Arizona Standout Home

For Arizona State, Harrell's commitment carries additional significance because of where he developed.

Instead of leaving Arizona for UC Santa Barbara, Harrell now plans to remain in the state and continue his career in Tempe.

The Sun Devils' 2027 commitment list on Perfect Game also includes Arizona right-handed pitcher Jace Adams, along with California prospects Jose Partida, Joshua Priest and Danny De La Torre and Alaska shortstop Rilen Niclai.

With the history and success that Arizona State has had there will always be an natural expectation of national recruiting, but it is good to see them retaining some of the top talent the state has to offer.

Another point of reassurance was that Harrell was committed elsewhere, but was able to be reeled back home, showing their shouldl be something good cooking in Tempe for the years to come.

Another Building Block for Arizona State's 2027 Class

There is still plenty of baseball to be played before Harrell would arrive in Tempe. It will be interesting to see if he can top his high school production from last season after improving by leaps and bounds.

With his final high school season ahead of him, and a player at this stage can change considerably before reaching a college campus. His development over the past year, however, provides a glimpse of why he has emerged as arguably the most coveted player in Arizona's 2027 class.

The combination of his varsity production and showcase numbers gives Arizona State a commitment with proven high school results and additional room to develop physically.

After a junior season in which he hit .420 with a 1.382 OPS, Harrell will now have an opportunity to build on that production during his final season at Chandler.

For now, one of Arizona's notable 2027 prospects plans to play his college baseball close to home. For someone with a similar build and athletic of a player like Elly De La Cruz and O'Neill Cruz fans should be excited for this one and come check out some of his high school games to see a show before he comes on home to Tempe.

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