By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

The final Illinois rankings update of the year is the Illinois’ 2019 Rankings. The list has expanded to 75 and it features a number of newcomers as well as a few prospects who have risen since the last update. With three full high school seasons still left, the rankings are sure to shuffle over the next several years as prospects separate themselves and physically mature.

The top four in the class remain unchanged with recent West Virginia commit, catcher Matt McCormick (St. Laurence), continuing to lead the way. McCormick has an advanced left-handed bat and should be able to stick behind the plate at the next level.

Right behind McCormick is right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester (Cary Grove). Priester was far and away the best arm at the 2019 Top Prospect Games in the summer. At the event Priester sat 87-89 mph and spun an advanced curveball with sharp, late action and depth.  We have not seen him since, as he spends his fall playing varsity football for the Trojans.

Carmel Catholic’s Andrew Wiegman and Effingham’s Zachary Lee come in at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Wiegman, a Louisville recruit, is an athletic, toolsy infielder with explosive bat speed. Lee meanwhile is a 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher with a loose, fast arm from a lower slot and runs his fastball into the upper 80’s.

Rounding out the top 5 is the top newcomer in the rankings, Jason Hodges (Marist). Hodges is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound, versatile, athletic OF/1B who burst onto the scene this fall. Hodges was the top overall prospect at the Underclass Showcase in October. Offensively, he has explosive bat speed with present middle of the order type of pop. Defensively, he currently plays first base and corner outfield but given his athleticism and foot speed it is not out of the question that he could find himself in centerfield in the future.

The other newcomer in the Top 10 is infielder Jalen Greer (St. Rita). Greer showed well multiple times this fall and now finds himself at No. 8. Greer routinely showed he is an advanced defender with a chance to be a true shortstop at the next level. He has natural infield actions and his hands work soft and simple. The arm which may not be plus at this point, is accurate, true and flashes carry across the infield. Offensively, he has a loose, whippy swing and the bat stays in the hitting zone a long time. He also has plenty of room to add quality strength to his 6-foot-2, 160-pound, wiry, athletic frame.  

Jalen Greer (10.16.16)

A LOOK AT THE TOP 10:

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Matt McCormick	IL	St. Laurence	2019	C	West Virginia
2	Quinn Priester	IL	Cary Grove	2019	RHP
3	Andrew Wiegman	IL	Carmel Catholic	2019	SS	Louisville
4	Zachary Lee	IL	Effingham	2019	RHP
5	Jason Hodges	IL	Marist	2019	1B
6	Grant Leader	IL	Lyons Township	2019	RHP
7	Kendall Pettis	IL	Brother Rice	2019	OF
8	Jalen Greer	IL	St. Rita	2019	SS
9	Kyle Wisch	IL	Hinsdale Central	2019	RHP
10	Brody Harding	IL	Moline	2019	SS	Illinois

CLICK HERE to see the updated Illinois Class of 2019 Rankings, extended to 75 prospects.

Stayed tuned this week as we will touch on some of the top newcomers and risers to the updated rankings. Also, updated rankings are taking place all over our coverage area and 2019 overall rankings will be released soon.

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