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Updated Illinois Class of 2017 Rankings

December 1, 2014

By Ryan Quigley
Illinois Scouting Director

Back in August we released our inaugural 2017 class rankings, which included twenty of the top sophomores in Illinois. Today that list extends to fifty prospects, as the fall season allowed the Prep Baseball Report scouting staff to track down emerging talent at tournaments and showcases.

With three full high school seasons left, the rankings are sure to shuffle over the next several years as prospects separate themselves and physically mature.

Brother Rice right-hander Ryan Kutt retains the top spot in the rankings thanks to an impressive fall that did nothing to diminish his prospect value. The Illinois commit impressed with an 85-87 mph fastball, and a 78-81 mph slider that is one of the top secondary offering in Illinois high school baseball regardless of graduating class.

Lake Forest’s Brad Czerniejewski impressed back in July as the Top Overall Prospect at the 2017 Top Prospect Games. The athletic outfielder with premium bat speed has several standing offers from traditional collegiate powerhouses. Czerniejewski rises to No. 2 overall in the rankings thanks to unmatched athleticism in the 2017 class.

Mount Carmel’s Bobby Seymour, a left-handed power hitting first baseman, moves to No. 3 thanks to a strong summer and fall. Seymour committed to Wake Forest shortly after impressing at the PBR Future Games and the PBR Labor Day Challenge.

Lemont’s Ryan Sublette missed much of the spring due to an ankle injury, but would have made a significant impact during the Indians 3A State Championship run. A healthy Sublette should help ease the loss of rotation mainstays Jake Latz and Charlie Wright. His mid-80’s fastball and 6-foot-3 projectable frame make him one of the more projectable arms in the 2017 class and the No. 4 overall prospect.

Batavia’s Glenn Albanese was absent from the fall scene due to his football commitment, and retains his No. 5 spot in the rankings. Albanese is a standout tight-end in addition to being one of the top right-handed pitchers in the 2017 class. He impressed back in July at the Top Prospect Games with 85-86 mph velocity from a hulking 6-foot-4, 206-pound frame.

Cameron Hupe impressed in the fall pitching for Cangelosi Baseball and also last month at the October Underclass Showcase with an 84-87 mph fastball and plenty of projection remaining. Hupe has the makings of a three-pitch mix, which aided in making him the Top Overall Prospect at the Underclass Showcase.

Coming in at No. 7 and No. 8 are McHenry West’s Bobby Miller and Westmont’s Joe Donovan, who both recently made their college commitments. Miller, a projectable 6-foot-3, 160-pound right-hander, committed to Louisville. Donovan will join his older brother Charlie, the No. 3 prospect in Illinois’ 2015 class, at Michigan. Donovan has shown premium athleticism behind the plate (7.03 runner in the 60), and also flashed above average infield actions this fall with 83 mph arm strength across the diamond.  

Mount Carmel’s Zion Pettigrew was recently named the No. 2 overall prospect at the October Underclass Showcase, and rises from No. 14 into the top ten at No. 9. Pettigrew impressed with his bat speed, advanced infield actions, and arm strength. He gives the Caravan yet another Division-I caliber infielder.

Plainfield South’s Austin Marozas also impressed at the Underclass Showcase, where he was ranked the No. 3 overall prospect thanks to a physical 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame and an 84-86 mph fastball. Marozas was new to the PBR scouting staff, and is sure to be a hot commodity in the recruiting world.

Several more prospects are new to the rankings, which we will highlight over the next few days, but for now, let’s take a look at the updated 2017 rankings, extended to fifty prospects.

Rank Name State School Class Pos Commitment
1 Ryan Kutt IL Brother Rice 2017 RHP Illinois
2 Brad Czerniejewski IL Lake Forest 2017 OF
3 Bobby Seymour IL Mount Carmel 2017 1B Wake Forest
4 Ryan Sublette IL Lemont 2017 RHP
5 Glenn Albanese IL Batavia 2017 RHP
6 Cameron Hupe IL Mount Carmel 2017 RHP
7 Bobby Miller IL McHenry West 2017 RHP Louisville
8 Joe Donovan IL Westmont 2017 C Michigan
9 Zion Pettigrew IL Mount Carmel 2017 SS
10 Austin Marozas IL Plainfield South 2017 RHP

Click Here to view the entire updated 2017 rankings

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