Prep Baseball Report’s roots began in Illinois, starting in 2005. Over the years, the state has produced an incredible amount of high-level prospects, many of whom have advanced to play the game professionally.

Some of the most famous names over years weren’t necessarily the most decorated high school performers. As we were putting together the PBR Illinois All-Decade Team, we combed through all our all-state teams, players of the year and reams of data we had covering the state.

Sean Duncan, Prep Baseball Report President, intimately scouted all the players listed below, and vividly recalled all the players’ exploits over the years. The All-Decade Team consists of prospects that played between 2010-2019. We took into account their entire career as a high school player, and how they impacted their team – not where they were drafted and if they are currently aspiring toward big league dreams.

Some of the players were no-brainer selections, others there’s plenty of room for debate. But one thing is for certain: We were in the trenches over the entire decade, and have insights from class to class over the last 10 years.

ALL-DECADE TEAM

PITCHERS

DEREK THOMPSON, LHP, TEUTOPOLIS, 2011

+ In the 2011 class, Thompson was the top prospect, hands down. Thompson, one of the most decorated left-handers to come through Illinois in the decade, led Teutopolis to consecutive state titles his junior and senior season and did so in style. Thompson twirled complete games in both wins and capped his senior season off in style, striking out the side in nine pitches. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound, left-hander finished his dominant senior season with an 11-0 record, while striking out 112 batters and walked only seven in 66.1 innings with a minuscule 0.11 ERA. In his junior season Thompson finished 9-1 with 93 strikeouts, 10 walks and a 0.47 ERA in 59 innings. Thompson was drafted in the 29th round out of high school by the Twins but ultimately elected to head to John A. Logan JC following his senior year. He was drafted in both of his years at Logan and signed with the Texas Rangers after they called his name in the 12th round of the 2013 draft and he spent two years in pro ball.

Derek Thompson (February, 2011)

KYLE FUNKHOUSER, RHP, OAK FOREST, 2012

+ Funkhouser was a two-time PBR First-Team All-State selection and went down as one of the most highly-touted Illinois arms of the decade. He spent three seasons at the varsity level for Oak Forest and went 32-3 over that span, capped off by an 11-2 senior campaign. He racked up 123 Ks, against just 25 walks, in 78.2 innings in his final season of high school ball. As a junior, Funkhouser led Oak Forest to a Class 3A runner-up finish after he went 12-0 with a 0.84 ERA. In 82.2 innings, he struck out 134 and walked 25. He also posted a 9-1 record as a sophomore. From a pure stuff perspective, few Illinois prep arms have matched the talent inside Funkhouser’s arsenal. Coming out of high school, his fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range and topped 94 mph in the playoffs with command of the strike zone with three pitches.

Naturally, he went on to dominate at Louisville, too. He was a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American in 2014. In 2015, his 122 strikeouts were the third most in a single season for a Cardinals pitcher, and he went 13-3 with a 1.94 ERA, too. He was drafted in the first round, but did not sign, following his junior season in Louisville and finished his four-year career as the program’s all-time leader in wins (35), strikeouts (376), and innings pitched (380.2). Funkhouser signed with the Tigers after they selected him in the fourth round his senior year and he spent the majority of 2019 in Triple-A.

DRAKE FELLOWS, RHP, JOLIET CATHOLIC, 2016

+ Fellows dominated the East Suburban Catholic Conference as a sophomore, was its Pitcher of the Year as a junior, and was similarly sharp in his senior spring, with MLB scouts in attendance at each of his starts. He punched out 98 batters in 73 innings, walked just 11, and planted his stuff into Vanderbilt’s rotation for the three seasons he was a part of that staff. Fellows’ tremendous strikeout-to-walk ratio was his calling card throughout his career and made him one of the more dominant high school arms the state has seen. The 6-foot-5 right-hander finished his high school career with a 23-3 record over 184.2 innings pitched, amassing 268 strikeouts to just 38 walks, leading to a 0.76 ERA.

He starred in multiple sports at Harrisburg, and was even a critical reason why the school won a 2A basketball title in 2013, but Roper’s most decorated sport was baseball. He earned the title of Gatorade Pitcher of the Year in 2013 as a senior before heading out to Champaign. He transferred from Illinois to Union for the 2016 baseball season and finished his playing career at the Jackson, Tenn., college.

The legend of Donovan’s game grew before he ever stepped foot on a varsity field at Westmont. He wasn’t your first draft of a high-profile athlete of mythological proportions. He was a thin 5-foot-11 baby-faced kid – but he was explosive – and it was that unlikely combination that made him exhilarating to watch. He went on to shine in Illinois, the Midwest, and eventually USA Baseball’s Tournament of Stars event. Donovan was garnering a reputation as one of the toolsiest middle infielders in the country. In his senior spring, Donovan hit .483 with 17 doubles, five triples, seven home runs, 33 RBI, 64 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases. He helped lead the Sentinels to a program record 30 wins in 2015, and the school’s first state trophy with a third-place finish in Class 2A in 2014. Donovan was selected in the 30th round of the MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, but opted to attend Michigan instead. His memory on the diamond lives on as one of the best talents the state has ever produced, especially in the last decade.

Charlie Donovan (2/1/15)

MIKE MADEJ, 2B, PROVIDENCE CATHOLIC, 2016

+ Madej was named the 2016 PBR Player of the Year after a four-year run on the Celtics' varsity squad. At PC, Madej was a line-drive machine, a legendary clutch performer, and an all-time gamer – nobody made a greater contribution to the only state championship three-peat in Illinois high school baseball history, and nobody in the state was more valuable in 2016. Madej led Providence to a 30-7 record and a historic third consecutive 4A state title to conclude his memorable prep career. He operated as the Celtics' three-hole hitter and second baseman and won four state titles (one in football) while at Providence. The switch-hitter was a starter on varsity since his sophomore year and was a third team All-State selection as a junior. Known for his propensity to deliver in the clutch, Madej went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored in the 2016 state title game. In 2015, Madej delivered the walk-off RBI single in extra-innings to give the Celtics a 6-5 win over Mount Carmel that year's title game. In his final spring season, Madej hit .446 with 17 doubles, three triple, two home runs, 30 RBIs, and 45 runs scored in 42 games.

After high school, Madej spent a season at Purdue before transferring to JUCO powerhouse Northwest Florida State and slashed .354/.432/.451 last season. His production at the plate caught the eye of North Carolina, and Madej has since transferred into the Tar Heels' program to be a member of that dugout this upcoming season.

Like Travis, McCormick was also selected by the Reds in the 40th round, and he too stayed true to his commitment to West Virginia. There, he’s already stirring some momentum as a name to know for the 2022 draft, when he’s next eligible.

After somewhat surprisingly slipping to the second round, the Arizona Diamondbacks called Thomas’ name with the 63rd pick. Thomas turned down the opportunity to play football and baseball at Texas Christian and so far Thomas has made the most of that decision. Thomas has found success ever since he stepped foot on a pro diamond and has elevated himself into one of the best prospects in a very talented Diamondbacks system. As a teenager in Class-A Kane County last year, Thomas hit .312 with eight homers and recorded an OBP of .393 in just over 400 plate appearance at the level, striking out under 18 percent of the time. He was rewarded with an end-of-season promotion to High-A where he’ll most likely start 2020.

He went on to start all four years at Texas and tallied a Big 12 record on-base streak of 101 games. At the time of his graduation, he was the conference’s all-time leader in total bases (385), walks (148), triples (19), doubles (50), RBI (122), and OBP (.425). In June of 2014, the Yankees used their seventh-round pick on Payton where he had been since last offseason. 

He had slowly worked his way up to Triple-A inside the Yankees’ system before the Athletics took a chance on him and Payton exploded as a 27-year-old experiencing his first new ballclub. He smashed 30 home runs in his first season at Triple-A Las Vegas with the A’s, slugging .653 with an OBP of .400. Eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, the Cincinnati Reds snagged him in December with the 12th pick and he looks poised to make his MLB debut in 2020 as a power-hitting fourth outfielder type.

He was drafted in the 33rd round by the Mariners out of high school but Ray went on to Louisville and was quick to make an impression. He hit .325 as a freshman and earned starting reps as the Cardinals played their way into the College World Series. He was an All-American after his sophomore season, where he hit .325 with 11 homers and 34 steals, which prompted a spot on USA Baseball’s collegiate team. In his junior spring at Louisville, he snagged 44 bases all while leading the Cards in homers (15) which turned him into one of the top prospects in the draft class. The Milwaukee Brewers selected Ray with the fifth overall pick and he climbed his way to Triple-A in 2019.