Missouri Class of 2024 Rankings Update
August 22, 2022
With a full spring and summer circuit under our belt, it’s time that we update our individual state rankings, starting with the 2024 class.
Below you’ll find an updated look at the state’s incoming junior class, as we’ll highlight the top-10 prospects, including a handful of risers and newcomers. We’ll dive deeper into the class as the week progresses, so be on the lookout for that.For now, learn about the top of this class, below.
THE TOP 10
+ Holding onto the top spot on our board, INF Trey Snyder (Liberty North; Tennessee commit) continues to prove why he’s an upper-tier prospect in the Midwest for the 2024 class. Snyder helped lead Liberty North to a state championship in the spring, piggybacking off that positive momentum by impressing on the summer circuit, most notably at Creekside and Area Codes. He’s highly athletic at the plate with bat speed, pitch adaptability, and advanced feel to hit for his age. That translates to the field, where his actions and foot speed have him pegged to stick on the infield dirt down the road.
Trey Snyder
+ LHP Cole Gibler (Blue Springs, 2024; Arkansas commit) stays put, occupying the second spot on our board as the top pitching prospect in this class. The 6-foot, 180-pound southpaw has some of the highest pitchability and competitiveness on the mound we’ve seen, consistently attacking hitters with three pitches. He turned in arguably the most dominant outing of the summer at Creekside, punching out 14 batters over a complete game shutout, scattering three hits. There, Gibler sat 84-87 mph with his fastball, topping 88 mph early, and he consistently landed a mid-70s curveball for strikes. A potential uptick in velocity given his current stuff and demeanor on the hill have Gibler headed on an upward trajectory as his junior year begins.
+ Checking in at third overall is INF Drew Dickerson (Lee's Summit West, 2024; Missouri commit), who has one of the highest ceilings amongst this group. A wiry 6-foot-4, 195-pound athlete Dickerson owns present power from the right side with bat speed, and there’s likely more to come as he continues to physically grow into his frame. Dickerson’s upside is that of an impact middle-of-the-order type bat at the next level, and he’s one we’ll definitely be eager to see throughout the next calendar year.
+ Rising in this update, RHP Andrew DuMont (St. Louis University, 2024; Tennessee commit) continued to make waves this summer as one of the Midwest’s top pitching prospects. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder showed loud stuff at Creekside late July, bumping his fastball up to 92 mph while holding upper-80s heat. There, DuMont also landed a mid-70s breaking ball around the zone for strikes, a pitch that could potentially miss bats at the next level should it see a rise in velocity and lateral spin. Regardless, DuMont’s ascension up our board is warranted and he figures to be towards the top of this list throughout the remainder of his high school career.
+ The top uncommitted prospect in Missouri’s 2024 class, 3B Grant Hollister (Blue Springs South) proved he’s more than capable of impacting the baseball at a high level at the Future Games. A strong 5-foot-11, 175-pound athlete, Hollister regularly produced against quality arms throughout the event, putting together competitive at-bats on repeat and finding the barrel with authority at times. He paced Team Missouri offensively in one contest, homering to the opposite field and turning on a loud single to left field afterwards. Sure-handed on the infield with 90+ mph arm strength to pair, Hollister’s all-around skill-set shouldn’t keep him on the market for much longer.
+ RHP Christian Bobzin (St. Paul Lutheran, 2024; Missouri commit) is another high upside prospect on this list, checking in at sixth overall. At 6-foot-4, 175-pounds, Bobzin generates upper-80s heat with his fastball from a higher slot, previously topping at 90 mph in our looks. He’ll throw a tighter, more firm slider at 74-76 mph with late break on occasion and will also land a more gradual, higher spin curveball for strikes at 68-70 mph. Still gaining a full feel for his body, Bobzin’s ceiling on the mound is undeniable.
+ RHP John-Paul Sauer (Jackson, 2024) vaults into the top 10 after dominating for Team Missouri at the Future Games. There, Sauer punched out six batters over his two innings of work, regularly attacking hitters with an 89-91 mph fastball. He complimented that heater with a firm, sharp slider at 78-80 mph, spinning at 2,400-to-2,500 RPM. Built at a sturdy 6-foot-1, 195-pounds, Sauer’s strength allows him to hold velocity and he’s previously shown our staff that he’s capable of throwing four pitches for strikes. Sauer is currently the top uncommitted pitching prospect in Missouri’s 2024 class.
+ The backstop for the reigning 6A state champions, C Bo Jonas (Liberty North, 2024) sits at eighth on our updated board. Jonas has bat and arm strength attached to a sturdy 5-foot-10, 200-pound frame, generating most of it from a thick lower half. We’ve seen him barrel a few loud batted balls in the past and uncork accurate throws with carry from behind the plate, popping as best as a 1.90 at an event last year. Committed to Oklahoma, Jonas figures to be an integral part of Liberty North’s plans to repeat as state champs, and we’re eager to see the strides he’ll make from now until then.
+ Slotted at No. 9 overall on our updated list is OF Kenton Unruh (Staley, 2024), who recently represented Team Missouri at the Future Games. Built at a strong 6-foot, 185-pounds, Unruh is a name that's regularly produced in front of our staff in the past and he flashed real intrigue off the barrel at the Future Games. A 6.77 runner that's breached the 95+ mph exit velocity mark, Unruh's certainly one of Missouri's top uncommitted juniors.
+ A do-it-all type prospect that played a key role in the success that Francis Howell saw this spring, UTL Tytus Cissell (2024; Missouri commit) wraps up the top 10. A 6.70 runner who switch-hits, Cissel easily repeats a short, athletic swing from both sides that’ll likely grow into more power as he fills out his 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame. He’s a stable presence defensively on the infield with steady hands and athletic actions to pair, as evidenced by an unbelievable diving snag he made in a clutch moment during the 6A state semifinals. Expect Cissell to have yet another impactful spring for the Vikings, especially with a full off-season under his belt.
Tytus Cissell
RISERS
+ Just outside the top-10 is another member of Team Missouri’s squad: OF Brady Picarelli (Eureka, 2024). A 6.76 runner at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, Picarelli’s left-handed stroke is engineered to elevate the baseball while also showcasing a feel to match planes and work the other way. He hammered some balls in BP at LakePoint, leaving the yard towards the end of his round and recording a peak exit velocity of 96.9 mph previously, per TrackMan. Picarelli is one of the top left-handed hitters in Missouri that’s still uncommitted, regardless of class.
+ Climbing over 10 spots after an upside showing at the Future Games is LHP Brady Kehlenbrink (Parkway South, 2024), who’s now slotted at 12th overall. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound southpaw twirled a pair of quality frames, failing to allow a hit while punching out two. He ran his fastball up to 88 mph, sitting 85-87 mph from a controlled, low-effort operation. Kehlenbrink spun a mid-70s curveball around the zone for strikes and, on occasion, turned over an upper-70s changeup, too. A strong, athletic arm, Kehlenbrink figures to be one of the top left-handed arms in this class for the remainder of his high school career.
+ Arguably the biggest winner of our entire summer circuit, C Xander Schmitt (Lafayette, 2024) became the first Missouri player to capture MVP honors at the Future Games. There, Schmitt went 7-for-7 with four doubles, two walks, and five steals, helping lead Team Missouri to a 2-1 record on the week. His ascent started at the St. Louis Top Prospect Games, where the 5-foot-11, 173-pound backstop clearly proved he was one of the best players there across a loaded field. Schmitt has tools across the board - 101.5 mph max exit velocity, 6.68 60-yard dash, 80 mph from the crouch, and 1.86-to-1.95 pop times. His ability to impact the game in multiple ways is evident, and Schmitt sticks out as the top uncommitted backstop on our updated board.
+ Another arm to climb up this board that’s still on the market: RHP Adam Shipley (Francis Howell, 2024). The 6-foot, 180-pound Shipley made the trip down to LakePoint as a member of Team Select, running his heater up to 90 mph while pitching in the upper-80s. He spun a 72-76 mph curveball with late break off an 11/5 plane that plays well off a high fastball, giving him a potential swing-and-miss offering at the next level. Pitching for one of Missouri’s premier high school programs, Shipley is poised for a promising spring on the mound.
+ UTL/RHP Eddie Ahearn (Parkway South, 2024) climbs up our board after an impressive two-way showing at the Future Games with Team Select. There, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound backstop threw it well behind the plate, popping a 1.96 on his best bullet while elevating the baseball to the pull-sde in BP. Perhaps Ahearn’s most redeeming quality, however, lies on the mound, running his fastball up to 88 mph from a lower slot on average, pitching at 84-87 mph. He also spun a low-70s slurvey-type breaking ball and spotted a 78-80 mph changeup below the zone.
NEWCOMERS
+ After impressing at the Midwest Mavericks Scout Day, C Tank Sims (West Plains, 2024) earned an invite to the PBR Future Games, where he was amongst the top prospects on Team Select. Sims offers plenty of physical projection attached to a 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame, and his present knack for contact should grow into more thump as he continues to fill out. Sims showed flashes of that in BP at LakePoint, elevating loud contact to the pull-side (88 mph avg.) with a max exit velocity of 96.1 mph and peak batted distance at 354 feet, per TrackMan. Sims is a quality defender behind the plate, too, popping a 1.97 on his best bullet at the event with a 78 mph high. Making his debut on these rankings, Sims currently sits at No. 15 overall.
+ Another winner from the Midwest Mavericks Scout Day that earned an invite to the Future Games, who debuts at 22nd overall: RHP Caide White (Republic, 2024). At 6-foot, 195-pounds with a lower half, White fired two scoreless innings in his start, punching out a pair and attacking hitters at will. He ran his fastball up to 89 mph, holding 86-88 mph from a long, over-the-top slot, and flipping a 73-75 mph breaking ball with sharp, downer spin to pair.
+ Left-handed hitting OF Charlie Bennett (Parkway South, 2024) is a high level athlete in the state’s 2024 class, vaulting into the rankings at 52nd overall. Bennett was a winner at the St. Louis Top Prospect Games, blazing to a 6.67 60-yard dash while producing quality batted ball data (92.4 mph EV, 345 ft. peak) as well. Defensively, Bennett comfortably covers grass in the outfield with swift feet to pair.
+ After a productive spring for the 5A runner-ups INF Hayden Bates (Festus, 2024) debuts inside the top-80, especially after a productive showing at the St. Louis Top Prospect Games. At 6-foot, 205-pounds, Bates repeated quality contact from a heavy right-handed barrel at that event, showing well in-game, too.