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Updated 2016 Rankings Released

February 25, 2015

By Greg Williams, PA Director of Scouting
and Jacob Gill, Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

As we come down the home stretch of the off-season, we begin to enter the season preview stage of our coverage. Today and tomorrow will be dedicated toward revealing our updated class of 2016 and 2017 rankings, while two and a half weeks of district previews begin on Friday. We will then roll into the start of the PIAA regular-season with our preseason Super 16 rankings (that is, the teams we feel have the best chance to reach the state tournament out of their respective districts in each classification).

This most recent revision of our class of 2016 rankings will be the final major update until the summer. The top ten in the rankings remains largely unchanged, outside of one notable exception (see below):

Rank Name State School Class Pos Commitment
1 Max Kranick PA Valley View 2016 RHP Virginia
2 Connor Yoder PA East Pennsboro 2016 RHP Virginia Tech
3 Nolan Jones PA Holy Ghost Prep 2016 RHP Virginia
4 Jake Jessell PA Woodland Hills 2016 C Pittsburgh
5 Kenny Bergmann PA William Penn Charter 2016 C Connecticut
6 Myles Gayman PA Greencastle-Antrim 2016 RHP Penn State
7 Alex Kirilloff PA Plum 2016 1B Liberty
8 Isaiah Kearns PA Mifflin County 2016 RHP West Virginia
9 John Matthews PA Punxsutawney 2016 SS Kent State
10 Carter Cross PA Cathedral Prep 2016 RHP Nebraska


A few noteworthy movers:

  • The former #2 ranked player, Titusville LHP/OF J.J. Bleday (a Vanderbilt commit), has been removed from the PA rankings. He relocated this year and is now competing for A. Crawford Mosley HS in Lynn Haven, Florida.

  • Following a bullpen session at the recently completed Preseason All-State Showcase during which he worked 85-87, while touching 88 twice, 89 once, and popped 90 on his last pitch (with minimal effort), Spring Grove SS/RHP Matt Brooks has climbed into the top 20 at #17.

  • Conestoga RHP/IF Tim Miller made a big impression at the Preseason College Prospect Showcase in January and enters the rankings for the first time at #25. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder worked 84-87 with action down in the zone, while also registering an 94-mph exit velocity with the bat.

  • Uber-toolsy Seton-La Salle shortstop Nico Popa made one of the largest jumps up the rankings following his performance at the Preseason All-State Showcase and now checks in at #31. Popa ran a 6.56 60-yard dash and registered a 91-mph exit velocity thanks to an athletic swing and excellent bat speed.

  • Laurel Highlands third baseman Dominic Peroni also used the Preseason All-State Showcase to make his own significant push up the list and now slots in at #56. Peroni was solid across the board, posting a 93-mph exit velocity with good bat speed and a balanced, repeatable swing. He also threw 86-mph across the infield, while showing good feet and a soft glove hand.

  • A hat tip to our colleagues in Ohio for the report on Knoch RHP/3B Alex Stobert, who has entered the rankings at #65 following his performance at the Mahoning Valley Open ID Showcase. The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder sat 84-86 with his fastball and also featured an upper-70s slider.

  • East Pennsboro LHP Drew Miller just about cut the number of players in front of him in half following his Preseason All-State Showcase performance and has climbed up to #77. The 6-foot-1, 165-pounder's fastball has jumped 4-mph since June and now sits at 81-84 with limited effort.

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