CJ
Deckinga

Arguably the biggest winner from the Team Illinois’ position player group was 3B/OF CJ Deckinga(Minooka, 2025), who turned plenty of heads throughout the weekend. Standing at a long, lanky, and highly projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, Deckinga was all over the barrel in BP during Wednesday’s workout, showcasing an athletic swing with present bat speed and plenty to project on from the right side. His 94.8 mph max exit velocity, 89.9 mph average exit velocity, and 342 ft. peak batted distance are all presently impressive numbers that are surely to tick upward as he continues to physically mature. Deckinga wasted no time showcasing his offensive skill-set in gameplay, homering in the first game for Team Illinois and picking up a few more hits in game two, including a double he rocketed to the opposite field. He took a number of quality swings throughout the Future Games and looks every bit the part of a future middle-of-the-order bat at the next level. Further enhancing his overall value, Deckinga looks capable of sticking at third base, moving well for his size at the hot corner with steady hands and a quick, accurate arm to release. Deckinga may have one of the highest ceilings in the entire Illinois’ 2025 class and he did nothing but solidify himself as a high-end prospect heading into his junior year. 

3B/OF CJ Deckinga (Minoooka, 2025) continues his arrow-up summer with an impressive workout day. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound, athletic, loose-levered, versatile prospect had one of the more intriguing workouts. He started his day by running a 6.97 60 with a top speed of 20 mph. At the plate, Deckinga displayed a loose, athletic right-handed swing that was consistently on time and on the barrel. He registered multiple 90+ mph exit velocities with two batted balls over 340 ft. Defensively, Deckinga had one of the top showings from the outfield, displaying clean actions while topping at 89 mph. He also looked natural on the infield with fluid footwork and an accurate arm that played at 84 mph. High-ceiling prospect who looks to be just scratching the surface of his potential. 

UTIL/RHP CJ Deckinga (Minooka, 2025) was arguably the biggest riser out of any 2025 in Illinois this summer. He started his summer in front of us at this event and ultimately earned an invitation to the PBR Future Games where he shined over the four-day event and has garnered plenty of attention from colleges since. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound, long-limbed, athletically-built right-handed hitter with plenty more strength to come down the road has a loose, athletic swing and versatility to his overall game. At this event he ran a 7.08 60-yard dash and showed upside bat speed (70.5 mph average) and hand speed (22.5 mph) while registering a peak exit velocity of 92.3 mph, 87.1 mph average. Defensively, he can play a corner infield spot or slot into a corner outfield spot easily but at this event he worked out on the infield. On the infield he plays with natural actions, clean footwork and sure hands all while showing off an 86 mph arm that played relatively easy. He also jumped on the mound and ran his fastball up to 85.9 mph with a slider at 74-75 mph and a 79-80 mph changeup with an average of 15.6 inches of horizontal movement.

A couple of other infielders, worth noting from BP were Derrick Holmes (Brother Rice, 2025), Tyler Trapp (Lane Tech) and CJ Deckinga (Minooka).

Positional Profile: 3B/OF
Body: 6-3, 170-pounds. Long, high-waisted build, plenty of room for continued physical development.
Hit: RHH. Tall setup with wide base, slight leg kick. Athletic swings, balanced throughout. Loose, fast hands; rhythmic swings and natural barrel feel.
Power: 92 max exit velocity, averaged 86.6 mph. 317’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 84 mph. Loose and easy arm action.
Defense: Two-hand gather out front, plays through the ball with a shuffle.
Run: 7.35 runner in the 60. 

INF Cj Deckinga (Minooka, 2025) was one of the more projectable prospects in attendance, sporting a 6-foot-3, 165-pound, long-levered, high-waisted frame. The right-handed hitter starts from a crouched setup, leg-lift timing trigger and loose, athletic hands with natural lift through the zone. Deckinga made a lot of hard gap-to-gap contact throughout his round. On the infield he has a quick arm topping out at 74 mph across the diamond. His footwork is clean and quick, allowing him to move with ease.