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Illinois 2024 Rankings: Preseason Update

March 8, 2024
By: Drew Locascio
Illinois & Wisconsin Scouting Supervisor

This update to the class of 2024 comes after a busy winter with a couple of high-level events, such as the Super 60 and Preseason ProCase to cap it off before their final spring season. This shakeup to the class will be also one of the final updates to the 2024 class. 

The top of the class remains concrete with two high-level prospects, RHP Ryan Sloan (York; Wake Forest) and SS Tyler Bell (Lincoln-Way East; Kentucky). Both have a chance to hear their name called early in the upcoming draft, especially if they can continue to trend the way they did throughout 2023, most notably at the Prep Baseball All-American game this past September. 

OF Nate George (Minooka) and RHP Ethan Bagwell (Collinsville; Missouri) are two other names that are climbing up the board as we approach the spring. George, up three spots to No. 7 in the class, is full of high-level tools (6.39 60, 96 OF, 104 EV, and is coming off a 2023 spring where he hit nine home runs and knocked in 42 RBI for a Minooka team that looks like it could be a state contender in ‘24. Bagwell is up to No. 10 in the class after an impressive offseason. He continues to trim and shape his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame while moving down the mound cleaner than ever before and his stuff has taken a big jump as a result. Reports had his fastball comfortably in the mid-90s while flashing his notable swing-and-miss slider. Bagwell could garner all kinds of interest from scouts if he continues on this path in the spring. 

THE TOP-10

RANK   NAME SCHOOL POS COMMITMENT
1 Ryan Sloan York RHP Wake Forest
2 Tyler Bell Lincoln-Way East SS Kentucky
3 Brendan Tunink Newman Central Catholic OF Notre Dame
4 Cole Crafton Lincoln-Way West OF Louisville
5 Jimmy Janicki Downers Grove North C Troy
6 Cooper Malamazian Nazareth Academy SS Indiana
7 Nate George Minooka OF -
8 Brayden Mazzacano Schaumburg LHP/OF Illinois
9 Collin Mowry Lincoln-Way Central C Louisville
10 Ethan Bagwell Collinsville RHP Missouri

Outside of the top-10 there are plenty of noteworthy prospects who have warranted a climb towards the top of the list. Two central Illinois arms, LHP Ethan Eberle (Normal Community; Louisville) and RHP Luke Teschke (Monticello; Illinois State) attended Pro events this winter and shined. Eberle is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound left-hander who was a First-Team All-State selection after a dominant 2023 spring where he struck out 105 in 52 innings. This winter he showed out at the Preseason ProCase, running his fastball up to a personal best 92.2 mph while showing one of the top breaking balls in the class, a big sweeping upper-70s curveball with all kinds of action and depth. Eberle is up a handful of spots to No. 12 in the class. 

Teschke, is up to No. 16 after throwing one of the more polished bullpens at the Super 60 in early February. The 6-foot-1, 187-pound, Illinois State commit, flooded the zone with a four-pitch mix throughout his ‘pen while his average fastball registered at 91.4 mph. Athletic right-handed arm who continues to see his entire repertoire tick up with plenty more to come. 

SS Jude Warwick (Downers Grove North; Michigan State), RHP Jeremy Allen (Hersey; Kansas) and RHP Bryce Koch (Barrington; Cincinnati) are a couple of other risers within the top-30 in the class. Warwick, now No. 20, is a smooth left-handed hitting shortstop with advanced bat-to-ball skills and easy actions on the infield. Allen is a physical right-handed arm that has been running his fastball into the low-90s to go along with a wipeout slider that he throws with conviction and feel. Allen will look to be a key piece for a loaded Hersey pitching staff this spring. Koch is a high-ceiling right-hander who continues to see his stuff tick up in every look. Most recently, Koch opened eyes at the Preseason ProCase. Filling out the uniform at 6-foot-5, 187-pounds, Koch ran his fastball up to 92.6 mph (2476 average rpm) while flashing an above-average three-pitch mix, including a firm upper-70s curveball that played with an average of 2440 rpm. 

OF Jalen House (Downers Grove South; Northern Illinois) and Elliott Alicea (Burlington Central; Triton JC) made big jumps within the top-50 of the class. House, who profiles in center field, is one of the top athletes in the state, having run a 6.37 60 in the past and his swing has taken a big stride in the off-season. At the Preseason ProCase he showed off a loose, clean swing and was elevating balls with ease to the pull-side. Alicea has all kinds of tools packed into a 6-foot-2, 194-pound, physical, athletic frame. Alicea came out to the Lockport Preseason ID this winter and put together a loud performance running a 6.83 60, topping at 93 mph from the outfield and making some of the hardest contact of the day at the plate. Alicea peaked at 104.8 mph off the bat and his furthest batted ball traveled 409’ which not only led the event by a large margin but would have led the Super 60 by 10’. Alicea will be one to watch down the road and a strong spring could put him on the radar of pro scouts.  

There are a number of other prospects continuing to trend up in the class and have impacted the rest of the expanded list. 

CLICK HERE for a look at the complete Illinois 2024 rankings. 

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