Prep Baseball Report

2023 Overall Rankings Update


Shooter Hunt
Vice President, Scouting


 

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A modest update to the Overall 2023 Rankings comes after a fall season that provided even more time for PBR’s boots-on-the-ground forces to get out and evaluate players on both local and national stages. Still months away from stepping into its Draft Year, the class already holds the distinction of being the most talented in the prep ranks with eye-opening depth.

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 Kevin McGonigle (PA, Auburn recruit)

A look at the top 25:
1 Thomas White MA Phillips Academy, Andover 2023 LHP  
2 Max Clark IN Franklin 2023 OF Vanderbilt
3 Aidan Miller FL JW Mitchell 2023 3B Arkansas
4 Blake Mitchell TX Sinton 2023 C Louisiana State
5 Adam Hachman MO Timberland 2023 LHP Arkansas
6 Walker Jenkins NC South Brunswick 2023 OF North Carolina
7 Dylan Cupp GA Cedartown 2023 SS Mississippi State
8 Braden Holcomb FL Foundation Academy 2023 3B Vanderbilt
9 Gavin Grahovac CA Villa Park 2023 SS Texas A&M
10 Kevin McGonigle PA Bonner-Prendergast 2023 SS Auburn
11 Zander Mueth IL Belleville East 2023 RHP Mississippi
12 Antonio Anderson GA Tri-Cities 2023 SS Georgia Tech
13 Nolan Stevens CA Franklin 2023 1B  
14 Aidan Keenan CA Live Oak 2023 RHP Stanford
15 Travis Sykora TX Round Rock 2023 RHP Texas
16 Chance Mako NC East Rowan 2023 RHP North Carolina State
17 Paul Wilson OR Lakeridge 2023 LHP Oregon State
18 Will Burns CA Trabuco Hills 2023 SS  
19 Landen Maroudis FL Calvary Christian 2023 SS North Carolina State
20 Landon Stump CA Live Oak 2023 RHP UCLA
21 Ralphy Velazquez CA Huntington Beach 2023 1B Arizona State
22 Roman Martin CA Servite 2023 SS UCLA
23 Campbell Smithwick MS Oxford 2023 C Mississippi
24 Bryce Eldridge VA James Madison 2023 RHP Alabama
25 Kade Anderson LA St. Paul's 2023 LHP Louisiana State


That immense talent and depth comes even in spite of a slew of reclassifications. RHP/IF Cam Collier, RHP Walter Ford, and C Brady Neal are all top 10 talents in the 2023 class who will now have a chance of hearing their names called in the 2022 MLB Draft. The most recent move from Ford provides an opening in a top 10 that remains otherwise untouched. SS Kevin McGonigle (Bonner-Pendergast HS, PA), an Auburn recruit, steps emphatically into the No. 10 spot in the class completing an ascension that hardly shows signs of ending any time soon. The left-handed hitting shortstop has separated himself as one of the top hitters in the class, and has performed at the highest of levels against elite competition time and time again. McGonigle fills the hole left by Ford, and is just as equally in the conversation for, The Case For No. 1, as discussed in the September update.


Beyond the top 10, some subtle changes were made as the class continues to come into focus while eyeing July of 2023’s MLB Draft. The overwhelming depth, with 60-plus players being in contention for the top 10, makes the margins between players much smaller. California boasts 7 of the top 22 players in the class, and there might ultimately be even more who jump up that high in the future. RHP Aidan Keenan’s (Live Oak HS, CA) electric arm and outlier slot were explosive on the summer circuit, and the Stanford commit has not slowed down. He moves up to third in the state, and 14th overall. The balance of premium prospects coming out of the Golden State is what might ultimately make this a special year for a state with an already rich history. Whether frontline arms, up the middle athletes, or imposing power threats: California has it all in 2023.

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Liam Peterson (FL, Florida recruit

Fellow power-state, Florida, also saw some slight movement as the prospects in the class have started to elevate and separate. Most notably, a pair of mid-90s arms in RHP Landen Maroudis (Calvary Christian HS, FL) and RHP Liam Peterson (Calvary Christian HS, FL) moved up the ranks. No stranger to the top 50, Maroudis, a North Carolina State recruit, steps into the No. 19 overall (No. 2 in Florida) thanks to a full repertoire of above average offerings, but even more so the competitive edge and athleticism that promise future successes and advancements. Peterson, a Florida recruit, looks the part of a future workhorse thanks to a projectable, 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame. He was up to 94 mph late in the fall with more likely on the way next spring. The advancement that his breaking ball, now 76-79 with depth and tightness, has made in pairing with an above average changeup, provided a path for him to jump into the top 100 (No. 48) with reason to believe he could move even higher.

On the Rise:

Cameron Johnson LHP / 1B / Bishop McNamara , MD / 2023

Johnson has long had considerable upside and been a favorite of the PBR Maryland crew, and after exploding on the national stage to close out the summer with a strong performance at the Area Code Underclass event, he continued to excel throughout the fall. Durably built at 6-foot-4, 227 pounds, the southpaw is able to get plenty of swings and misses off a low-90s fastball thanks to a flatter vertical approach angle that still carries some riding action through the zone. Countering the power fastball, Johnson also shows a mix of present feel and high upside on both the changeup and curveball. Oozing projection while exhibiting some present polish, Johnson rises to No. 41 overall. He committed to LSU this fall.

Jake Brown LHP / OF / Sulphur, LA / 2023

Just coming back from a minor injury, Brown’s build up looked to be going outstanding at the PBR Louisiana All-State Games as the LSU recruit was dominant in a one inning stint. Long and athletic at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, the left-hander effortlessly delivered fastballs up to 88 mph (2339 rpm) with much more in the tank. Adding to his claim as a future starter, he also exhibited aptitude for spin with both a curveball and slider, and has some present feel for a changeup. The southpaw also possesses a nice stroke from the left side, and as a 6.79-runner, it is easy to bet on continued progressions to be made in a hurry. He moves up to No. 70 overall.

Nazzan Zanetello SS / RHP / Christian Brothers College, MO / 2023

It is hard to ignore the mega tools that Zanetello brings to the diamond. The Miami recruit is a 6.65-runner who can play anywhere on the diamond with a 90-plus arm from all positions, including on the mound. Wiry-athletic at 6-foot-2, 171 pounds with plenty of room to continue filling out, the right-handed hitter has quick hands at the plate that produce eye-opening bat speed and louder contact with present gap-to-gap power. What might end up carrying Zanetello even higher in future renditions is his ability to bring a high motor to the diamond at all times. That hard working mentality mixed with elite tools should play well in his future development.

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Zane Adams LHP / 1B / Porter, TX / 2023

In looking at Texas’ strong 2023 class, Adams is an arm that is likely to be followed very closely moving forward. At 6-foot-4, 175 pounds, he has a long-limbed, wiry frame that will hold much more strength in the future, but already possesses a fastball that works 87-90. The southpaw possesses a full arsenal of pitches, including a 1/7 curveball (75-78) with multi-tier break, and an upper-70s changeup that profiles well off the fastball with the ability to kill spin. The arm works clean and quick, and he presents a starter’s profile that is sure to be valued moving forward. He moves up to No. 84 overall. Adams is an Alabama recruit.

Easton Breyfogle OF / SS / Benilde-St. Margaret's, MN / 2023

After making a loud introduction in the national limelight as a breakout star at the PBR Future Games, Breyfogle continued to show well throughout the fall. Now an Arizona recruit, the wiry-athletic 6-foot-2, 170-pounder seemed to have taken his swing to another level in the fall, and with the frame continuing the fill out, there is good reason to believe he will develop much more power in coming years. A true center fielder, Breyfogle’s upside is some of the highest in not only the midwest, but the country. He moves up to No. 123 overall.

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