2029 Rankings: Best by Position
September 10, 2026
North Carolina Class of 2029: Positional Power Rankings
With the release of the post-summer update to the North Carolina Class of 2029 Rankings, Prep Baseball North Carolina takes a deeper look at the class by breaking down the top prospects at each position.
The latest update expanded the rankings from 75 to the Top 100 players in North Carolina, incorporating evaluations from the high school season through summer tournament coverage, organizational workouts, Prep Baseball events, the East Coast Super Sophomore Games, and the Tobacco Road State Games.
While the Class of 2029 remains early in its evaluation cycle, the picture continues to become clearer. Our scouting staff continues to update player grades and confidence ratings as additional live looks are added to each prospect's evaluation history. The summer provided significant movement throughout the rankings while also introducing new names to a class that continues to show both high-end talent and depth.
Below, we break down the updated rankings by position, highlighting the Top 5 Catchers, Right-Handed Pitchers, Left-Handed Pitchers, First Basemen, Middle Infielders, Third Basemen, and Outfielders in North Carolina's Class of 2029. In the older classes, Prep Baseball Scouts begin to shift players to a primary position based on their player grades. In the 2029 class, primary positions are based on the player preference as they fill out their player profile.
Each list is ordered by the player's standing in the August 2026 North Carolina Class of 2029 Rankings.
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TOP 5 CATCHERS
- #6 Cole Christian — South Mecklenburg — C
- #24 Chase Kafes — Heritage — C
- #26 Will Brincefield — Needham Broughton — C
- #37 Landon Blackard — Eastern Alamance — C
- #51 CJ Waleski — Charlotte Catholic — C
TOP 5 RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS
- #12 Briggs Ulrich — Hoggard — RHP
- #14 Robert Bigan Jr — Pro5 Academy — RHP
- #27 Aiden Kirkland — High Point Christian Academy — RHP
- #29 Landen McElhinny — Corvian — RHP
- #34 Blake Tokarz — North Davidson — RHP
TOP 5 LEFT-HANDED PITCHERS
- #7 Noah Rumley — Revolution Academy — LHP
- #11 CJ Nixon — Grace Christian — LHP
- #15 Owen Todd — Pro5 Academy — LHP
- #41 John Hlavacek — Wake Forest — LHP
- #57 TJ Coleman — James Hunt — LHP
TOP 5 FIRST BASEMEN
- #16 Whitton Butler — High Point Christian Academy — 1B
- #20 Trevor Snyder — Metrolina Christian Academy — 1B
- #32 Connor Stein — Emsley A. Laney — 1B
- #48 Ty Pugh — Grimsley — 1B
- #54 Luke Culpepper — Charlotte Catholic — 1B
TOP 5 MIDDLE INFIELDERS
- #2 Owen Duncan — Metrolina Christian Academy — SS
- #5 Ryder Sheffield — East Rowan — SS
- #10 Cooper Long — Terry Sanford — SS
- #13 Karsen Dodd — Providence — SS
- #17 Colton Pettinato — Metrolina Academy — 2B
TOP 5 THIRD BASEMEN
- #3 Braxton Faulkner — Reagan — 3B
- #8 Sam Piscorik — Wakefield — 3B
- #9 Chase Woodley — Charlotte Christian — 3B
- #25 Logan Grainger — Emsley A. Laney — 3B
- #43 Austin Tack — Apex — 3B
TOP 5 OUTFIELDERS
- #1 Andrew Brown — Gates County Senior — OF
- #4 Calvin Madenspacher — Clayton — OF
- #21 Jeremy Moreno-Robledo — Millbrook — OF
- #30 Kingston Rupert — Wilmington Christian Academy — OF
- #33 Michael Marelli — Providence High School — OF
THE COMPLETE TOP 100
The positional rankings provide another look at the depth developing within North Carolina's 2029 class, but the evaluation process remains far from finished. With another fall, preseason, and full high school season ahead, our scouting staff will continue to evaluate players, update grades, and identify prospects capable of making their own moves in future rankings releases.
The August update features the Top 100 players in North Carolina's Class of 2029, with plenty of additional prospects already pushing for consideration in the next expansion.
VIEW THE COMPLETE NORTH CAROLINA CLASS OF 2029 RANKINGS
https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/rankings/NC/north-carolina-class-of-2029