Illinois 2021 Rankings: Risers
September 4, 2020
On Thursday, the PBR Illinois staff updated its Class of 2021 Rankings and we’re spending today breaking down the newly expanded board further, by assessing the prospects who climbed the board the most.
At this stage in the process, it’s especially difficult for players to rise in the rankings. For most of these players, we’ve strived to see them at events or in person so their initial rank is typically in the range of their final one. In other words, you won’t see too many big jumps inside this latest update. Players rising or sliding is usually a result of a new player breaking into the rankings for the first time. For example, 12 players in this update debuted in the top-200, and that will naturally push players ‘down’ even though their performances this summer may have earned some praise from our staff.
Without further ado, here are notes on some of the most substantial Risers in the state’s 2021 class.
ON THE RISE
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Cameron Hill OF / Brother Rice, IL / 2021PURDUE COMMIT Hill’s up a 19 huge spots, from No. 30 to 11, after a really impressive performance at the PBR ProCase Midwest. He’s got room to keep adding strength to his highly projectable 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame, and he’s been polishing his toolset. Hill swings a loose, easy right-handed bat that produces some hot contact off the barrel. Inside a right field profile, defensively, Hill’s continued to improve and he has plenty of arm for the position, too. Among the prospects ranked in this range, Hill is harboring some of the biggest upside in this group as he has the chance to blossom into some power down the road. |
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Noah Edders RHP / Downers Grove South, IL / 2021BRADLEY COMMIT Just five spots back of Hill is the Bradley commit Edders, who’s up nearly 30 spots in this update and has also garnered the attention of the pro scouting community. His velocity spiked at the start of the summer after a winter in which he topped 87 mph. This spring and summer, he was more consistently bumping the low-90s. He’s a physical, athletic right-hander with more fuel in the tank. |
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Andrew Jimenez 3B / St. Charles North , IL / 2021WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE COMMIT His frame is eye-catching, having added even more muscle to his 6-foot-3, 215-pound build. Jimenez’s brawny stature and athleticism combine to produce one of the class’ toolsiest profiles. He’s a 6.62 runner who uses his strength well in the right-handed batter’s box while playing a reliable third base – though his athleticism and foot speed suggest he could also be an asset in a corner outfield spot. After a impressive showing at the Senior Games in mid-August, Jimenez committed to UW-Milwaukee, the latest Illinois prospect to land at the Horizon League program. He’s up 13 spots on the 2021 board. |
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Zamaurion Hatcher OF / Kenwood, IL / 2021MICHIGAN COMMIT Back inside the top-25, Hatcher was another prospect on this Risers list who performed well at the ProCase. He’s packed with athleticism as a left-handed-hitting outfielder with twitch. Hatcher continues to demonstrate above-average bat-to-ball skills in his loose, easy swing. These improvements helped him boost seven spots up the board. |
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Ryan Weaver LHP / Cary-Grove, IL / 2021ILLINOIS STATE COMMIT Weaver spent the summer getting better and better in front of our staff, first at Top Prospect - Chicago and then again in-game at a PBR Wisconsin tournament. He was one of the top uncommitted lefties in the class before Illinois State landed him recently, too, which helped him earn a spot at No. 26 in the class. Weaver is a high-pitchability southpaw with a plus changeup and a constantly improving breaking ball, which helps his fastball play up. That above-average three-pitch mix translates into a starter’s profile, and he pitches with a ton of confidence, controlling the game effectively. |
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Ben Hartl C / Springfield, IL / 2021HEARTLAND CC COMMIT Ranked inside the top-30 for the first time, Hartl is a competitive, well-rounded talent with a propensity to hit for some pop. At our Central Illinois Scout Day event, Hartl crushed a no-doubt home run and he backed it up with another couple homers at that aforementioned PBR at The Rock tourney in Wisconsin. His overall hit tool and skills as a receiver and arm strength from behind the plate make him an arrow-up prospect. Hartl popped 2.00 flat in game at that Scout Day, and he should become a real asset following his stint at Heartland. |
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Gavin Schmitt RHP / Plainfield East, IL / 2021ILLINOIS COMMIT One of the biggest Risers in this update, Schmitt parlayed a huge summer into a commitment to Illinois and a No. 33 spot in the class. After sitting 85-86 mph last fall, the Plainfield South prospect upped his velo into the 88-90 range at the ProCase with tilt and control of the zone, while utilizing a mid-70s breaking ball he can locate. Given his lean frame and projection, there’s more here to unlock this offseason. |
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Cole Luckey OF / Glenbrook South, IL / 2021BRADLEY COMMIT Another huge winner this summer, he entered the season ranked No. 131 overall and without a commitment, and he’s exiting it ranked No. 34 and headed to Bradley next year. Luckey has an advanced toolset and he showed it off multiple times this summer. His feel to hit from the right side, combined with his quality athleticism and upside build, Luckey emerged as one of the top prospects in the state. |
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Kyle Hayes 1B / St. Charles East, IL / 2021KIRKWOOD JC COMMIT Hayes is built like a tank, listed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, and he uses that powerful physique well inside the right-handed box. At multiple PBR tournaments this summer, Hayes was all over the barrel, demonstrating real pull-side power that can clearly develop into the kind of pop that can travel over any fence in any direction. Defensively, he profiles as a catcher/first baseman moving forward. Behind the plate he is a sure-handed receiver with a strong arm that has been up to 82 mph from the crouch. Hayes did plenty enough this summer to warrant a rise to No. 36 overall. |
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Sam Antonacci SS / Sacred Heart-Griffin, IL / 2021HEARTLAND CC COMMIT The second Heartland CC commit on this list, Hartl and Antonacci should really do their part on offense when they arrive on campus. A left-handed hitter, he has some of the class’ best bat-to-ball skills, taking poised and confident at-bats with an advanced plate-discipline. He’s up eight spots to No. 37 in the class, the highest he’s ever been ranked. |
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Karson Bonaparte 3B / University, IL / 2021NOTRE DAME COMMIT Bonaparte is a physical prospect who’s taken strides offensively this summer, enough to earn some added attention by scouts. That physicality provides some gap-to-gap pop in his bat and he’s especially athletic for his size and build – which helps him profile well on the left side of the diamond, more neatly at third base. Bonaparte has been up into the upper-80s on the mound, too. |
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Nick Walczak RHP / Maine South, IL / 2021UNCOMMITTED At the beginning of the summer, at our Top Prospect - Chicago event, Walczak was arguably the day’s best pitcher. His performance there helped launch him up the 2021 board, sitting at No. 44 overall now. Inside an upside 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame, Walczak wields a live arm that was up to 88 mph then. Still working on harnessing his stuff, Walczak offers some substantial upside as the top-ranked uncommitted prospect in the class. |
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Ryan Smith SS / Nazareth Academy, IL / 2021UNCOMMITTED Another live-armed standout at TP Chicago, Smith is a highly athletic 6-foot-2, 184 pounds. Smith's best tool looks to be his strong-arm which plays well on the mound. The fastball was jumping through the zone at 87-89 mph at the Senior Games and as he continues to polish up his arsenal he should continue to see his arrow up. |
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DJ Morand RHP / Loyola Academy, IL / 2021UNCOMMITTED Like Walczak, Morand offers some big upside as another one of the state’s top uncommitted prospects. At a sturdy and strong 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Morand carries some big arm strength, touching a 91 mph in his bullpen at Top Prospect - Chicago. He cruises at a comfortable 88-89 mph with feel for a mid-70s curveball. |
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Richie Snider RHP / Springfield, IL / 2021ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD COMMIT One of the most projectable frames in the class, listed at 6-foot-6, 195 pounds, Snider is sticking close to home at the next level, committed to Illinois-Springfield. This time last year he was up to 85 mph, and he added four ticks in the time since. Sitting 88-89 mph in a bullpen last month, Snider showed that he could spin it too, with rates in the 2,400 rpm range on both the fastball and curve. He showcased a solid changeup as well, creating a three-pitch profile with additional ceiling. That session in August helped bump his stock up over 110 spots, to No. 52 overall. |
MORE RISERS
+ Drew Burkholder, RHP, Eastland (uncommitted): At Senior Games, Burkholder sat 86-88 mph inside a strong, durable build. He’s another big, uncommitted right-hander to note in the state’s ‘21 class.
+ Parker Johnson, RHP, Mater Dei (Missouri State): The velocity and the stuff bloomed this summer at the PBR Illinois Select Tournament, where he sat 86-88 mph in-game from an athletic delivery with some effort. He’s now ranked No. 54 overall in the state.
+ Crayton Burnett, RHP, St. Joseph-Ogden (uncommitted): A highly competitive righty who looks like he’s only just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. He’s long been a strike-thrower, but Burnett did well this summer to showcase his added velocity, now sitting more often in the mid-80s (up to 87 mph) and a solid breaking ball. Because there’s some room to grow and add muscle, Burnett should be a commodity on the market still.
+ Jackson Kent, LHP, Lake Park, (Wisconsin-Milwaukee): Kent did well to rise 16 spots in this update after showing some of the best stuff at a PBR Wisconsin event this summer. Built at a robust 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Kent attacks the zone with mid-80s stuff that touched 88 mph. He repeats short, clean arm action well and there should be some more velocity to unlock.
+ Michael Rivera, RHP/INF, Warren Township (uncommitted): Rivera’s always been an interesting follow for his athleticism, and it seems like it’s helping him trend up as an arm to know at this stage in the recruiting process. At Senior Games, Rivera was 85-87 mph with a swing-and-miss slider, at 73-74.
+ Luke Trepanier, LHP, Manteno (Bradley): Trepanier is a highly competitive lefty with two-way capabilities, but the arm looks too good to share in the outfield when he’s not on the mound. He works clean and easy, and he’s ticked up into the upper-80s nowadays. Because he’s been juggling multiple positions, Trepanier’s not yet polished from the rubber, as he’s still learning to harness his command, but there’s some immense potential here yet.
+ Will Morris, RHP, Plainfield South (uncommitted): A physical 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, Morris projects well with an effort-y, quick arm that produces some big velo, up to 88 mph at Senior Games. In his outing on that day, Morris threw strikes and simply carved in that one-inning stint, leaving a lasting impression.
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