Prep Baseball Report

Final Edition Of The 2016 Rankings Released




Trey Sofio
Louisiana Scouting Director

Follow us on Twitter: @PBR_Louisiana

With the completion of the high school season, it’s time to make our final adjustments to the 2016 rankings prior to the upcoming MLB Draft. There have been some players that have made a late push and have continued to move up the board.

It’s been a busy three-plus months since the last Class of 2016 rankings update. The winter and spring months, both on the state and national levels, have shed more light on this talented and deep senior class.

While there have been significant shakeups in the rankings, the top of the list remains largely intact, headlined by INF Jake Slaughter (Ouachita Christian HS). The physical 6-foot-2, 198-pound Louisiana State recruit has continually showed to be the best overall player in Louisiana, despite not having the present carry tool.

OF/INF Zachary Watson (West Ouachita HS) holds firm at the No. 2 slot. The Louisiana State recruit features the biggest carry tool in Louisiana’s 2016 class. The 6-foot Watson runs a 6.5 60 yard dash, 4.00 home to 1st time, and shows solid bat speed, having a successful senior campaign leading West Ouachita to a state runner-up finish.

SS Josh Smith (Catholic(BR) HS) slides up to No. 3. The most polished player in Louisiana’s 2016 class, Smith joins Slaughter and Watson in Louisiana State’s stellar 2016 recruiting class, and could make an immediate impact for the Tigers.

Also holding firm in the top 10 are a pair of Tulane recruits – INF Michael Kirsch (Brother Martin HS) and RHP Keagan Gillies (Brother Martin HS). Kirsch has arguably the highest ceiling in the class, while the 6-foot-8 Gillies projects very well with a fastball up to 90 mph and an advanced feel to spin a breaking ball.  

RHP Haden Erbe (Crowley HS), a hard-throwing 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, is a Louisiana-Lafayette recruit that maintains his hold in the top 10. Erbe burst onto the scene at this fall’s Pre-Season All-State Games, when he topped at 93 mph.

A recent Louisiana Tech commit and the top ranked catcher in the class, Keelyn Johnson (Pineville HS) also maintains his top 10 status. Although still raw overall, Johnson will show flashes of elite level, catch and throw skills, and raw power from the right-side. Speaking of power, Texas recruit, Ryan Reynolds (Ouachita Christian HS) possess the most of anyone in Louisiana’s 2016 class. A switch-hitter, he has shown the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark at the high school level, and showed well at major national events.

Rounding out the top 10 are a pair of Louisiana State commits, LHP Blair Frederick (Brother Martin HS) and Matthew Beck (Alexandria HS). With a lean, athletic 6-foot, 180-pound frame, Frederick has run his fastball up to 94 mph, on occasion, and showed a potential swing-and-miss slider. However, he struggled to maintain velocity consistently, but should be one to watch out of LSU, as he adds strength. One of the top quarterbacks in the state, Beck has run his fastball up to 93 mph with quality tilt and angle. He is a very good athlete on the mound, and should only get better with increasing mound time.

To see the entire class of 2016 rankings, click HERE.

Below is a look at the Top 10:

Rank

Name

State

School

Class

Pos

Commitment

1

Jake Slaughter

LA

Ouachita Christian

2016

SS

Louisiana State

2

Zachary Watson

LA

West Ouachita

2016

SS

Louisiana State

3

Josh Smith

LA

Catholic (BR)

2016

SS

Louisiana State

4

Haden Erbe

LA

Crowley

2016

RHP

Louisiana-Lafayette

5

Michael Kirsch

LA

Brother Martin

2016

SS

Tulane

6

Keelyn Johnson

LA

Pineville

2016

C

Louisiana Tech

7

Ryan Reynolds

LA

Ouachita Christian

2016

2B

Texas

8

Blair Frederick

LA

Brother Martin

2016

LHP

Louisiana State

9

Matthew Beck

LA

Alexandria Senior

2016

RHP

Louisiana State

10

Keagan Gillies

LA

Brother Martin

2016

RHP

Tulane

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