By Sean McCann
Prep Baseball Report Kansas

After spending the last week sifting through piles of notes, reports and grids as well as watching hours of videos from the spring and summer we’ve updated and expanded our class of 2015 player rankings. 

We have a number of risers and newcomers in the rankings since our last major overhaul.  This time around we move the total number to 125. 

We will expand and update the Class of 2015 Player Rankings in late August after this month's events, the college camps we will be attending, the Royals Scout Team tryout on August 11th and the "Get Hits for Education" All Star Game on August 24th.

Noteworthy Risers 

Shortstop Connor Kaiser (Blue Valley West) moves to the #1 spot as he continues to impress as one of the most physical and athletic true shortstops in the country.  

Another prime athlete bumps up to #2 in right-handed pitcher Connor Lungwitz (Maize), an easy armed 6-foot-5, 204-pound physical specimen that projects off the charts. 

Austin Hansen (Olathe Northwest) moves to #7 after a strong junior campaign in which he captured Sunflower League Pitcher of the Year honors. 

Up to #8 in the rankings is baseball/football star Curtis Whitten (Derby) whose speed and skills as a left-hand hitter stand out among his peers. 

Right-handed pitcher Miller Hogan (Blue Valley Southwest) did the improbable in the state playoffs throwing back-to-back no-hitters and did so working up to 89 mph with his fastball and utilizing a knee-buckling breaking ball – he moves up to #13 in the rankings. 

Right-hander Brogan Heinen (Topeka Hayden) climbs to #16 after capturing the 4A-I Player of the Year award and showing a deceptive and loose low three-quarters mid-to-upper-80’s fastball and left-turn breaking ball – weighing just 167 pound, Heinen is a prime candidate to make further jumps in the rankings as he continues to catch up physically over the next year. 

Physical left-hander Davis Schwab (Blue Valley West) put together a strong junior campaign and was named 6A All-State 1^st Team Pitcher.  We’ve seen him low-to-mid 80’s with feel for three pitches – 6-foot-4, 220-pound lefty’s with potential for high level command aren’t exactly falling from trees and, as such, Schwab is currently the focus of area major colleges.  He moves to #18.

Goddard Eisenhower right-handed pitcher and left-hand hitting first baseman Jacob Gibson has come on strong this summer lighting up opposing pitchers as well as radar guns  (fastball up to 90 mph earlier this month, according to college coaches).  He jumps up to #20. 

The season’s change but Brylie Ware (Sedgwick) continues to hit.  As he continues to hit, he continues to climb in the rankings.  He’s now at #21.  He’s the top right-handed hitter in the state.

Noteworthy Newcomers 

Little used Bishop Carroll right-hander Scott Engler threw one of the best innings of relief we’ve witnessed in the last few months at the 5A state tournament in Manhattan.  Every fastball he threw was in the 88-90 mph range and he also flashed an 80 mph 12/6 breaker – something you just don’t see very often.  He’s not consistent yet, but the bottom line is he’s a strong 6-foot-2, 195-pound righty that has shown glimpses of great things.  He checks in at #27.

Right-hander Blake Peterson (Wasburn Rural) enters the rankings at #30.  The 6-foot-3, 195-pound three-sport athlete posses a MLB pitching prospect frame and is very athletic.  In addition, we saw him bump some 88 mph fastballs this spring.  He’s being aggressively recruited for football - and on the mound he’s somewhat raw, but he’s also never had a chance to focus on just baseball, and, in particular just pitching – if he ever does, the tools are there for a serious prospect to emerge.

Topeka Hayden infielder Derrick McGreevy enters at #32.  He’s a strong-framed athlete with solid across the board tools and is very competitive on the baseball field.   He's another mulit-sport athlete that’s also good at baseball.

We had the chance to see Paola infielder Nick Sloan play one game earlier this month and that’s all that was needed to move him from unranked to #41.  He’s an exceptional athlete with easy actions in the infield and a simple middle-of-the field approach at the plate. 

Olathe North outfielder Chaz Burgess enters the rankings for the first time at #44.  He’s a physical 6-foot-2, 190-pound left-hand hitting centerfielder with an impressive set of tools. 

Enough analysis, here are the updated and expanded Kansas 2015 player rankings:

A look at the top 10:

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Connor Kaiser	KS	Blue Valley West	2015	SS	Vanderbilt
2	Connor Lungwitz	KS	Maize	2015	RHP	Wichita State
3	Isaiah Campbell	KS	Olathe South	2015	RHP	Arkansas
4	Garrett Hutson	KS	St. Thomas Aquinas	2015	RHP	Oklahoma State
5	Greyson Jenista	KS	DeSoto	2015	RHP	Wichita State
6	Ryan Cyr	KS	Blue Valley	2015	RHP	Mississippi State
7	Austin Hansen	KS	Olathe Northwest	2015	RHP	Oklahoma
8	Curtis Whitten	KS	Derby	2015	OF
9	Keylan Killgore	KS	Wichita Heights	2015	LHP	Wichita State
10	Brendan Stanek	KS	Blue Valley Southwest	2015	RHP	Arkansas

>> CLICK HERE for Top 125 Rankings