Winter Watchlist: Names to Know
January 9, 2025
We're less than a month away from the start of the Prep Baseball Illinois winter calendar, in which our staff will trek across the state to run various events prior to the start of the high school season.
These events serve as an opportunity for aspiring collegiate athletes to accumulate accurate and verified measurable data in a workout setting while also showcasing their talents in front of our staff. By attending, players have the opportunity to update their Prep Baseball profile, which serves as a recruiting 'resume' in a way for each athlete. All of our events serve as identifiers for future high-level invite-only events like our All-State events, the prestigious Future Games and even the Prep Baseball All-American Game.
To see what our events offer from a technology, athletic testing, and evaluation point of view, click HERE. For a look at all of the events our staff is running this winter and when, click HERE.
Several of the state's top prospects have already signed up for one of our upcoming winter events, and we're eager to see the multitude of talent that Illinois has to offer up-close. Below you will learn more about the high-level prospects in the state, regardless of class, that our staff will see this winter.
WINTER WATCHLIST
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Tommy Abbatemarco OF / Barrington, IL / 2026From 8/6/24 Body: 5-10, 173.5-pounds. |
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ET Data 3B / Lane Tech, IL / 2027From 10/6/24: "2027 3B ET Data (Lane Tech, Illinois) was a solid sophomore prospect from the state of Illinois in attendance. Doing his best work in the left-handed batter's box with a physical, 6-foot-1 200 pound frame - Data reached a peak exit velocity of 96.1 mph with a strong barrel that works behind the baseball with a more aggressive intent. He creates present above average bat speed with hints of pull-side power already showing. On the dirt, Data showed fundamental actions with sure hands, fundamentally sound feet, and above average arm strength from the hot-corner." |
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Matthew Donnelly OF / Prospect, IL / 2027From 2/11/24: "OF Matthew Donnelly (Prospect, 2027) had a strong all-around showing from Sunday’s event. Listed at 5-foot-9, 170-pounds, Donnelly has some strength in his upper-half with round shoulders, paired with a developed lower-half. There’s some present athleticism, as displayed by his 7.04 in the 60. The right-handed hitter has a strong, compact swing, reaching up to 92.9 mph for his max EV. He has some present athleticism, cruising to a 7.00 in the 60 and also displaying quick, bouncy footwork in the outfield. He has a quality arm to pair, reaching up to 84 mph from a crow hop." |
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Warren Furio RHP / Lake Park, IL / 2026From 8/27/23 Body: 5-10, 160-pounds. Evenly proportioned frame with broad shoulders. |
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Gavin Hartigan SS / Nazareth Academy, IL / 2028Rankings StateRank: 5 / POS: 1
From 7/9/24 Body: 5-9, 155-pounds. High-waisted frame. |
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Billy Main SS / Hinsdale Central, IL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 158 / POS: 29
From 8/6/24 Body: 5-11, 179-pounds. |
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Nathan Moline RHP / St. Charles East, IL / 2026From 2/11/24: "INF Nathan Moline (St. Charles East, 2026) is another high-ceiling underclassman for the Saints that showed well over the weekend. Listed at a highly projectable, 5-foot-10, 145-pounds, the right-handed hitter has a loose, flat path with ease in his operation, looking to lift the baseball up the middle of the field with a max EV just shy of 90 mph. He also provided some intrigue on the mound, working his fastball up to 81 mph with over 2300 RPM at times to pair with a sharp, 10/4 slider that he could dump in for strikes." |
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Jenner Smith RHP / Hersey, IL / 2028From 10/20/24 Body: 6-1, 160 pounds. Trim, high-waisted frame with projection. |
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Luke Stachowiak 3B / Benet Academy, IL / 2025From 8/6/24 Body: 5-9, 192.9-pounds. |
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Justice Hernandez RHP / New Trier, IL / 2027Rankings StateRank: 25 / POS: 8
From 7/10/24: "After showing well at the Rock Summer Championships 15U and claiming a title at Grand Park during the Grand Park Summer Championships, Hernandez showed well again - this time at the PBT Wisconsin Open. After the previous looks at the electric right-hander, Hernandez’s stuff was on par with what was expected from him. After mounting a comeback against the squad they would eventually claim the weekend’s championship against, Hernandez’s relief appearance on Friday was dominant as he closed the door to secure a 6-5 victory. Over that one inning, Hernandez ran his fastball up to 84 mph and showed his wipeout slider, recording a strikeout in the process. Without allowing a hit, Hernandez’s first showing helped put CRB into the bracket games on Sunday. In his second appearance against MBA, Hernandez was dominant as he recorded six K’s over six innings of work. The wiry, 5-foot-10 RHP allowed two runs on just three hits which culminated in an 18-2 victory to win the tournament. The look from New Trier’s ‘27 graduate keeps him as a high-follow in Illinois as the summer circuit continues on." |
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Konner Altergott 1B / Crystal Lake Central, IL / 2026From 6/19/24 Body: 6-3, 175-pounds. Sloped shoulders, lean build with long levers. |
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Owen Borkowski 2B / Huntley, IL / 2027From 7/16/24 Body: 6-0, 150-pounds. Wiry frame, skinny with room to fill out. |
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Brock Harer SS / St. Viator, IL / 2025From 6/5/24 Body: 6-0, 175-pounds. Athletic frame, well-proportioned. |
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Ian Kelly OF / Huntley, IL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 123 / POS: 18
From 8/6/24 Body: 5-10, 157-pounds. |
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Xavier Martin SS / Oak Park-River Forest, IL / 2027From 6/5/24: "INF Xavier Martin (Oak Park-River Forest, 2027) showed off some loud tools during his round of batting practice. The muscular and sturdy 5-foot-9, 187-pound prospect showed the ability to leverage the baseball in his round, even sending multiple balls out of the park. He posted event highs in both exit velocity (100.7 mph) and max distance (395 feet). While also finishing top-3 in both bat speed (81 mph) and hand speed (25.1 mph) from the event." |
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Kaden Wasniewski 3B / McHenry, IL / 2027From 8/6/24: "RHP/INF Kaden Wasniewski (McHenry) has made major strides, and continued to make a case for why he’s one of the top prospects in the 2027 class at this year’s Illinois State Games. Pitching against the ProCase team, Wasniewski struck out the first three batters he faced, predominantly using his fastball that sat 87-90 mph and topped out at 90.9 mph with clear ride through the zone and quality spin (2403 avg. rpm). He later showed a mid-70s slider with minimal induced vertical break and quality horizontal movement, averaging -17.8 inches. He rounded out his arsenal with a change-up that sat 79-81 mph with slight arm-side fade. Wasniewski has all kinds of confidence on the mound, showing minimal emotions throughout. He finished his outing with four strikeouts, one run and two hits allowed. He’s a legitimate two-way threat, beginning the showcase running 6.54 60 time, which cracks the 12th for all of the State Games events across the country, regardless of class. The right-handed hitter has a calm/confident approach at the plate with some easy juice, recording a max exit velocity of 94.3 mph and a max batted distance of 358 feet. An athletic defender on the infield with range to both sides, Wasniewski’s arm plays strong and accurate across the diamond, topping out at 89 mph in this look." |
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Tommy Gasner 1B / Huntley, IL / 2028From 2/10/24: "Gasner has a strong build for his age, listed at 6-foot, 173-pounds and there’s still plenty of room to pack on muscle to his high-waisted frame in the coming years. The L/L prospect led the entire event in max EV (T82.3 mph) and max distance (275’), all while boasting a controlled operation with athletic hands and a balanced finish, displaying feel for the barrel with a middle of the field approach. He displayed soft hands and athletic actions while taking his reps at first base. On the mound, the southpaw displayed a simple delivery with a high leg-kick and drop/drive lower-half, transitioning into a loose, high ¾ slot. His fastball worked up to 74 mph, setting up a low-60s curveball and mid-60s changeup." |
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Josh Rudnick RHP / Huntley, IL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 143 / POS: 35
From 8/22/24: "RHP John Rudnick (Huntley) gave a quality look over his two innings of work, striking out one. Listed at 6-foot-1, 160-pounds, the upside right-hander has a quick arm out front that creates a fastball in the low-80s (T83 mph; 2,302 rpm), though we’ve seen him up to 85 mph in the past. To pair off the fastball he went to a slider in the 71-73 mph range with 10/4 shape, landing it for some strikes." |
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Will Pennell RHP / Sacred Heart-Griffin, IL / 2026From 8/6/24 Body: 6-2, 185-pounds. |
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Landon Gray OF / Dunlap, IL / 2026From 8/6/24 Body: 6-0, 164-pounds. |
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Auggie Lohnes RHP / East Peoria, IL / 2026From 8/6/24 Body: 6-0, 233.3-pounds. |
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Cullen Schwigen RHP / Rockridge, IL / 2027From 8/6/24: "RHP/OF Cullen Schwigen (Rockridge) stands in a hard-to-miss and projectable 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame. He tossed two innings on the mound and struck out three, walked one and allowed one hit and no runs. His fastball touched 88.5 mph, but sat mostly 84-87 mph with quality spin (avg. 2265 rpm) and some ride through the zone. He continues to improve his 73-75 mph curveball, continuing to show more feel for the pitch. It’s a swing-and-miss potential pitch with an average of -15.8 inches of horizontal movement (T-20.4”). Schwigen also showed well with the bat; both in the workout and during gameplay. The right-handed hitter swung a heavy barrel - reaching a max EV of 91.2 mph and peak distance of 355 feet during the workout. In-game, his power translated nearly leaving the yard twice with both a pull-side and a backside double. Schwigen’s impressive two-way profile makes him a must-know name in the state’s 2027 class." |
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Kash VanHouten SS / Canton, IL / 2027From 8/6/24: "RHP/INF Kash VanHouten (Canton) is yet another high-level prospect from the state’s 2027 class that attended this year’s event. An athletic frame with present strength, VanHouten stands in a 6-foot, 179-pound frame. He works out of a stretch-only delivery on the mound, showing a long arm action with strength, sitting mostly 84-88 mph, while topping out at 88.6 mph with carry through the zone. He turned to a slider that he showed feel to land at the bottom of the zone, and a change-up with clear fade, sitting 76-80 mph. He began the showcase running a 6.96 60 time, a significant improvement since his last showing in the winter. The right-handed hitter displayed a quick bat (avg. 72.4 mph), producing a max exit velocity of 93.9 mph and a max batted distance of 344 feet during batting practice. He remains an athletic defender with clean actions up the middle, including the top infield velocity of the event (91 mph)." |
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Tyson Filyaw RHP / O'Fallon, IL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 141 / POS: 22
From 8/6/24 Body: 6-3, 188.3-pounds. |
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Anderson Kaufmann C / Alton, IL / 2028From 8/14/24: "UTIL Anderson Kaufmann (Alton) had a productive week in multiple aspects. He led the team in hits throughout the week, going 4-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored; showing a whippy barrel and the ability to use the whole field. He’s a confident receiver with the ability to limit the run game with his strong arm (T76 mph) and quick glove-to-hand, producing a pop-time as low as 1.94 seconds. He threw the ball extremely well when he took the ball in the playoffs, going three shutout innings with just two hits allowed, no walks and three strikeouts - working consistently in the upper-70s (T80 mph), though we’ve seen him up to 84 mph in the past." |
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Ty Etcheson SS / Father McGivney, IL / 2026From 8/6/24 Body: 6-0, 148-pounds. |
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