Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

New Jersey Class of 2026: Update

December 4, 2023
Dan Valerio & TJ Hunt
PBR NJ Staff

With the Fall coming to a close, it is time for an update of the 2026 class. This class is full of talent from top to bottom. Throughout the fall, the players in this class attended a lot of our events like the ID North and South, Top Prospect games, and Last Chance Open, along with attending various national tournaments all across the country. This gave our staff an up close look at just truly how talented this group is. 

What to expect from this class? Depth at the catching position. Left handed arms with major upside. Right handed pitching with high 80s / low 90s  stuff. On the hitting side, some really impressive bat to ball skills as well as advanced approaches. 

Below you will find a look at the class top 10-players and a link to the complete class of 2026. 

CLICK HERE to see the full list of NJ 2026 rankings.

Top 10: BREAKDOWN

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 1 RHP Jason Amalbert  (DePaul Catholic / Indiana) 

6-foot-170 pounds. Wiry athlete, free and easy arm action. H 3/4 slot with run to the arm side. High 80's fastball into the low 90's. Effective speed change uses all four quadrants. Has a downer that is 73-75 and sinking CH 81-83. Lanky levers with tons of room to fill out. At the plate Amalbert shows just how athletic he is. Quick twitch in his hands and hips. 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 2 3B/RHP Guy Lynam  (Gloucester Catholic / Uncommitted) 

6-foot-160 pounds. The South Jersey native and 2023 Future Games standout remains at the No.2 ranked spot in the state. The LHH has a lot of moxie - tall athletic setup, limited backshift, creates carry and backspin to all fields. Impressive arm talent as well, 88 from the infield and 86-87 on the mound with high spin breaker at +2800 rpm. Lynam currently has a lean frame but over time look for him to add to this with size and strength. 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 3 RHP Alex Weingartner  (St. Augustine Prep / Uncommitted) 

6-foot-170 pounds. Weingartner makes a splash into the No. 3 spot. Dominated the summer with FB into the low 90s. At the Fall Top Prospect Games he was 88-90 T 91. An easy fluid arm action. Breaking ball 12/6 break in the 73-75 range. Long whippy levers, gets down the mound with conviction with an easy delievery. Premier arm for the class. 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 4 C Braeden Lipoff  (Gloucester Catholic / Uncommitted) 

6-foot-195 pounds. Lipoff is broad shouldered. Strong build with explosive actions. At the 2023 Future Games he higlighted the event with a launching pullside grand slam. Behind the plate Lipoff, possesses a strong throwing arm and advanced receiving skills. Look for him to be a productive piece in Gloucester Catholic's lineup this season. 

 _____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 5 RHP Ethan Lee  (Don Bosco Prep / Uncommitted) 

6-foot-2-190 pounds. High level arm speed. Low 90s fastball paired with a sharp SL in the 76-79 range. The breaking ball seems to be Lee's put away pitch. Lanky build with an OTT release. Injuries stifled Lee last spring as a freshman, but look for him to be a big part of the Non-Public A defending champs run at a three-peat.

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 6 SS Sal Garcia  (Delbarton / Duke) 

6-foot-2-170 pound frame. Lean and athletic. Garcia led his Delbarton team in many offensive categories as a freshman. Dynamic athlete with feel for the game. Glides around the field on defense and the bases. Quick twitch in the batters box, hits for average while using the whole field. 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 7 OF Michael Hanna  (Don Bosco Prep / Virginia) 

6-foot-160 pounds. Athletic build with muscular frame. Quick hands and high metrics when it comes to bat speed and exit velo. The running speed is a plus as well turning in a 6.6 60 yard dash. In terms of hitting, Hanna gets into a strong, balanced position while maintaining posture. 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 8 SS Mason Wilson  (Randolph / Uncommitted)

5-foot-11-160 pounds. Fast twitched athlete. Ran a 6.7 at the '23 Future Games. Wilson has a tremendous feel for the speed of the game, makes routine plays on defense. On offense he a short compact stroke with whip to the barrel. 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 9 LHP AJ Saccento (Delbarton / Duke)

6-foot, 190-pounds - broad shouldered upper 80s arm with feel for spin for strikes from a lower slot. Battle-tested early as a frosh, contributing 39.2IP and punching out 52. Competes and attacks the bottom half of the zone.

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 10 C Alex D'Angelo  (Ridgewood / Uncommitted) 

6-foot-190 pounds. D'Angelo after a strong summer and fall makes it into the top 10 rankings for the first time. His hitting metrics are off the charts. Rotational Accelerations of 22g and Average bat speeds of 74 mph. Exit Velos also stand out over 95 mph. As a freshman on his high school team, D'Angelo hit .349 while driving in 28 runs. He has a strong build with quick hips and hands. For such a young hitter he stays connected and the power upside is intruiging to follow. 

_____________________________________________________________________

15 Picks to Click:

+ No. 12 C Mickey Gilligan  (Lakeland Regional / Rutgers)

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 14 RHP Christopher Marano  (DePaul Catholic / Uncommitted) 

__________________________________________________________________________________

+ No. 25 C Carney O'Donnell  (Jackson Liberty / Uncommitted) 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 26 LHP Danny DiTullio  (Christian Brothers Academy / Uncommitted) 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 23 SS JC Pacheco  (DePaul Catholic / Uncommitted)

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 18 1B Jordan Burwell  (Seton Hall Prep / West Virginia) 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 21 RHP JJ Drennan  (Seton Hall Prep / Uncommitted) 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 27 C DJ Lloyd  (St. Augustine Prep / Uncommitted) 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 32 RHP Jackson Redmond  (Freehold Twp. / Uncommitted) 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 28 C/SS Chase Bagley   (Don Bosco Prep / Uncommitted)

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 22 OF Mason Myers  (Paul VI / Uncommitted) 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 30 RHP/3B Aiden Ogando  (St. Joes Montvale / Uncommitted) 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 54 C Aiden Funk  (Red Bank Catholic / Uncommitted) 

_____________________________________________________________________

+ No. 24 RHP Nate Bott  (Kingsway / Uncommitted)

_____________________________________________________________________