After a spring full of in-game looks, our staff made an update to the 2025 rankings. With this update, we wanted to take a look through some of the top uncommitted prospects in the class.

With the recent update we wrote a story on the prospects within the top-10, as well as some of the major risers, which can be found by clicking HERE. To view the complete 2025 rankings list, click HERE.

TOP UNCOMMITTED 2025

Lucas Grant LHP / OF / Joliet Catholic, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 15 / POS: 4 From 3/15/24: “Uncommitted. 6-foot, 185-pound, left-handed pitcher, currently on the rise in the Illinois’ 2025 class. Showed well this winter at the Preseason All-State and has now backed it up with two quality performances this spring. Came out of the bullpen in this game and was almost perfect in his three innings of work, allowing one hit, no walks and struck out six. 29 of his 42 pitches were strikes, working primarily behind a lively fastball that gets all over hitters at 87-89, T90 mph early on, settling at 86-88. Worked almost exclusively with his late running fastball that he works at the bottom of the zone. Rarely went to his slider which played at 77 mph with a short, late horizontal wrinkle. Overall, easy operation with feel and presence on the mound. Should be a highly-sought after left-handed arm in the Illinois’ 2025 class.”

Wyatt Wawro OF / LHP / Downers Grove South, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 16 / POS: 3 OverallRank: 510 / POS: 90 From 5/8/24: “Uncommitted. Currently listed 5-foot-7, 159-pounds, a lean, athletic frame. The 2023 Junior Future Gamer got the start in right field and batted third in the order. The left-handed hitter stands tall in the box with a wide base, minimal pre-pitch movement before using a toe-lift trigger to start the swing. Loose, athletic hands work through the zone, a direct path to the ball to create a whole field approach. Second at-bat took a 3-2 pitch the other way for his lone hit. Following at-bat, showed strength in the swing with a near home run that resulted in a sacrifice fly. Wawro makes easy work on the base path, stealing second and reading a dirt ball to advance to third. Defensively, Wawro has no wasted movement tracking down the ball, taking direct routes. The top uncommitted juniors in the State, will play a pivotal part in a deep state run for the Mustangs.”

Cooper Eggert RHP / OF / Providence Catholic, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 21 / POS: 6 From 5/1/24: “Uncommitted. Currently ranked No. 24 in the state. Trim, athletic build that stands in at 6-foot-1, 190-pounds. The left-handed hitter continues to perform in front of our staff, finishing the day with a backspin single up the middle, an RBI and a run scored. Relaxed setup with his hands, hangs foot with a high leg-kick for timing, unloads from launch position with a direct path. Quality feel for the barrel with the ability to cover the plate.”

Xavier Crowder SS / RHP / Proviso West, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 28 / POS: 4 OverallRank: 504 / POS: 106 From 7/14/23: “Crowder provided a brief but ultra-impressive look during Friday’s action. Built at an athletic 5-foot-11, 180-pounds, Crowder is a powerful mover on the bump and pairs it with a fast arm that created some of the top velocities of the entire weekend. During his two-innings of relief, Crowder ran his fastball all the way up to 90 mph and sat in the 86-89 mph throughout. He also showed feel for an advanced breaking ball that played with sharp 11/5 action, and spun upwards of 3,000+ RPM. He would finish his quick outing with four strikeouts en route to a dominant win for Strikes Baseball. Followed up later in the weekend with two home runs at the plate.”

John McAuliffe OF / C / Marist, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 30 / POS: 5 From 4/3/24: “Uncommitted. McAuliffe had an impressive week going 7-for-10 with a grand slam, two triples, five RBIs and four runs scored. His most impressive performance of the week came against Fenwick, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a grandslam, triple, five RBIs and two runs scored.”

Brandon Shannon RHP / McHenry, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 33 / POS: 10 From 4/22/24: “Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 35 in the state. Got the start for the Warriors and showed upside throughout his outing. Listed at a projectable 6-foot-3, 160-pounds, Shannon is an athletic mover down the mound. He works with a quick, compact arm action, releasing the ball from a high ¾ slot. He pounded the zone throughout his outing (65% strikes), and had confidence in all three of his offerings. His fastball sat 84-87, touching 88 in the first inning with some sink to it. He went to a 75-79 mph breaking ball with 11/5 shape for consistent swings and misses, while also going to an 80-82 mph splitter with sharp downer action to round out his arsenal. Shannon finished the day with seven strikeouts over his six innings of work and will be a junior arm to continue to keep tabs on this spring.”

Brandon Menser RHP / 3B / Sesser Valier , IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 35 / POS: 11 From 3/28/24: “One of the top uncommitted junior arms in Illinois, No. 31 overall on our recently updated 2025 rankings. Lean, lanky 6-foot-4, 180-pound multi-sport athlete that’s far away from what his future physical self will look like. Started on the mound for the Spartans on Thursday in a home contest against Nashville. Raw, upside, and athletic mover downhill. Short arm stroke, over-the-top slot, twitchy arm speed. Fastball touched 89 twice in the first, pitched at 86-88 mph through three innings of work. Played mostly straight with some downhill action to it at times. Curveball flashed swing-and-miss upside at 74-75 mph; tight 12/6 spin with big depth and sharp break at times. Battled through some defensive woes in this look and didn’t have his best stuff, but still holds considerable projection in all aspects to his game that make him a high-follow uncommitted arm in Illinois.”

Ike Young SS / Monticello, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 42 / POS: 7 From 4/22/24: “Uncommitted. Currently ranked No. 162 in Illinois’ 2024 class. Stands in a high-waisted and projectable 6-foot-1, 160-pound frame with plenty more to come. Started on the mound for the Sages, and although he didn’t get the results he wanted, it was still an impressive look at the uncommitted junior. Athletic mover with a high leg lift with tuck, tall and fall delivery down the mound, foot lands closed towards third base. Clean and quick arm path out of a ¾ slot with noticeable acceleration out front. Came out of the gate throwing three 90 mph fastballs in a row, but sat mostly 87-89 mph early on, showed clear ride through the zone with arm-side run at times. Mixed in a breaking ball at 74-77 mph with varying shapes, worked best when thrown hard, producing 12/6 shape, garnering multiple swings-and-misses. A must-know uncommitted junior in Illinois.”

Noah Brandt C / OF / Somonauk, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 46 / POS: 6 From 2/24/24: “...put together one of the more impressive rounds of BP on the day. The left-handed hitter worked on the sweet spot 70% of the time per TrackMan, keeping the ball on a line for a majority of his round; averaging 87.5 mph for his EV with a max of 94.8 mph. He has loose, whippy hands with some feel for the barrel, giving a polished look throughout his round. Defensively, Brandt has clean catcher actions, staying directional out of the crouch with a clean over-the-top arm action, plays true with a top velocity of 81 mph, reaching as low as 1.88 for his pop-time.”

Brady Schallmoser OF / 1B / Downers Grove North, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 47 / POS: 8 From 2/24/24: “...continues to impress with his hit tool, taking an easy and loud round of BP. Listed at 6-foot-2, 192-pounds with added strength since our last look, he has rhythm in his hands that work into a flat path, staying through the zone and working on the barrel to the whole field; averaging 91.3 mph for his EV with a max of 94 mph. Upside left-handed bat with proven in-game success.”

Calen Scheider RHP / C / Hampshire, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 48 / POS: 13 From 2/10/24: “...once again impressed our staff on both sides of the ball, and he’s likely just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. Listed at a lean and projectable 6-foot, 155-pounds, Scheider still has plenty of room to pack on strength in the coming years. On the mound, the right-hander displayed a loose and easy arm action from a ¾ slot, creating a notable amount of sink on his fastball that cruised around 84-88 mph, topping out at 88.9 mph. He maintains arm-speed on both his breaking balls, with his curveball coming in around 75-76 mph with tight, sharp 11/5 shape. His slider plays harder in the upper-70s, coming in with more lateral action at times. He also featured a changeup to cap off his dynamic arsenal, playing with late dive and heavy run (T17.6”), flashing the ability to land it for strikes. Offensively, the right-handed hitter has a loose/whippy barrel, giving off an athletic look with a controlled finish. He worked primarily up the middle of the field, staying through the baseball and creating a max EV up to 90.7 mph. Defensively, Scheider works athletically through the baseball while remaining in-line to second, playing low and staying in his legs with a quick transfer to produce a pop-time as low as 1.83 seconds, topping out at 82 mph with scattered accuracy.”

Michael Furmanek RHP / SS / Plainfield East, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 54 / POS: 15 From 9/23/23: “gave one of the more intriguing looks on the entire weekend. Listed at a highly projectable 6-foot-6, 195-pounds, Furmanek still has plenty filling out left in his frame. The uncommitted right-hander has a deceptive crossfire delivery, and when paired with his low ¾ release makes for an incredibly tough look for opposing hitters, especially right-handers. His fastball cruised at 84-88 mph, still touching 88 mph in the fourth inning and playing with extreme run and sink through the zone, thrown to both sides of the plate. To pair off the fastball, he went to a 10/4 sweeping slider, thrown at 75-76 mph. Furmanek did not allow a single hit or run over his four innings of work.”

Gino Zagorac RHP / RHP / Benet Academy, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 57 / POS: 17 From 3/15/24: “Uncommitted 6-foot-3, 180-pound highly projectable frame that’s set to make his debut next time we update the state’s 2025 rankings. Drew the start on the mound for the Redwings in a win over Washington. Worked exclusively out of the stretch. Lead leg lifts into a coiled position at balance point, some stack onto the backside, uses his long levers to get down the mound. Some feel to repeat, should continue to improve in that regard as he grows comfortable with his frame. Short tight arm action, high ¾ slot. Fastball plays clean out the hand, touching 90 mph in the first, pitching at 86-89 mph early before settling at 83-85 mph. Should continue to tick up from a velocity perspective as he adds strength and mass to his stature. Tight spin on breaking ball at 74-78 mph, developing feel. An upside uncommitted arm to know in the state’s 2025 class.”

Jake Rifenburg LHP / Benet Academy, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 59 / POS: 9 From 2/24/24: “was one of the biggest winners from Saturday’s event. At the same event last year, Rifenburg’s fastball sat 78-80 mph, but this year, he showed significant strides in velocity, with his fastball sitting 87-89 mph with carry through the zone. He showed a sharp, late breaking curveball that sat 73-74 mph with 1/7 shape. Rifenburg’s changeup was thrown with intent, and he created clear fade/sink to the arm-side (avg. -11.6” HM). An instant uncommitted name to know in the state’s junior class.”

Mason Orton LHP / OF / Mahomet-Seymour High School, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 60 / POS: 10 From 5/22/24: “...Orton has taken over as the ace of the staff and looks to be one of the top left-handed pitchers still on the market in the 2025 class. We had Orton up to 88 mph this winter in a bullpen but reports have had him touching 90 at points this spring. Left-hander to know in the state.

Julian Ashley-Friedman SS / 2B / Barrington , IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 61 / POS: 13 From 7/15/23: “Standing at an athletic 6-foot, 180-pound frame, Ashley-Friedman stayed hot over the weekend, continuing to showcase his pull-side power at the plate. The righty showcased his quick swing in multiple looks this weekend, including on Saturday where he doubled down the left field line to plate two runs. He finished the day with a 2-for-2 line and four RBIs, illustrating his successful weekend, as he wasn’t retired at all on Friday as well. Ashley-Friedman’s consistent performances raised his stock as a prospect this weekend, as he’s currently ranked No. 62 in Illinois 2025 list.”

Chase Petersen OF / RHP / Glenbrook North , IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 63 / POS: 9 From 5/16/24: “Uncommitted. Currently ranked No. 64 in the state. Stands in at a physical and sturdy 5-foot-8, 179-pounds; started in center field and batted second for the Spartans. Petersen impressed all-around on Thursday and showed a versatile playstyle; in his first at-bat he swatted a solo shot to left-center field, the next half-inning he made a diving grab in the outfield, and in his final at-bat he laid down a well-placed bunt down the third base line for a single. The right-handed hitter has a crouched setup with rhythmic pre-pitch movement in his hands that load back with a short stride. He has a strong, compact swing with a slightly uphill path that looks to elevate the baseball. Defensively, Petersen displayed the ability to cover ground to both his left and right, and also showed to be a savvy runner on the basepaths. The uncommitted junior will be one to continue to keep tabs on entering the summer.”

Josh Fleming SS / OF / York, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 64 / POS: 15 From 3/25/24: “Uncommitted. The No. 41 ranked player in the state turned in a strong day at the plate on Monday collecting two hits off of a high-level arm in the same class. The right-handed hitter has a simple, hitterish setup in the box standing in at a presently strong 6-foot-1, 185-pounds. He uses a leg kick trigger for timing to go with a flat swing path that works direct to the ball. Fleming also impressed with his aggressiveness at the plate, attacking fastballs early in counts. The three-hole hitter for the Dukes is a name to continue to follow in the state’s 2025 class.”

Davis Collie 1B / LHP / Sycamore, IL / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 65 / POS: 4 From 5/3/24: “Uncommitted. Physical 6-foot-2, 204-pound frame with broad shoulders and strength throughout. Started at first base and hit out of the five-hole for Sycamore, finishing the day 2-for-3 with a single and a double. Confident, intimidating presence in the box, confident in his takes, was getting a number of quality swings off throughout his at-bats while seeing the ball well. Strong left-handed swing, stays through the ball and flat through the zone.”

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