Joey
Ireland

Illinois commit. Currently ranked No. 5 in the state, No. 157 nationally. 6-foot, 162-pound frame, highly athletic build with a high waist, room to fill out as he matures. Advanced defender on the dirt, highly athletic actions, floats with ease to both sides of his glove, plays on the move and is comfortable to his backhand, soft hands with a quick transfer and release, arm plays accurately. Upside right-handed hitter, loose hands that work to stay on top of the baseball, should continue to tick up as he adds strength. High-follow 2026 MIF prospect.

Illinois commit. Currently ranked No. 5 in the state, and No. 157 nationally. Standing at a noticeably more physical 6-foot, 162-pounds, Ireland stood out with both his offense and defense on Saturday. Offensively, the right-handed hitter has a loose, athletic swing that stays on the barrel. He went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Defensively, Ireland plays in rhythm at short, with soft hands and a strong, accurate arm that should allow him to stick on the left side of the infield.

Ireland, one of the top sophomores in the state, has always shown our staff high level athleticism. The 6-foot, 163-pound Illinois’ commit ran a 6.71 60 on Saturday, posting a 1.61 10-yard split while reaching 20.1 mph of run speed at peak. He also jumped 33.4” in the vertical and had the third highest RSI score (3.04) of the event. Eight of Ireland’s barrels came off his bat at 90+ mph, including a high mark of 96.1 mph.

MIF Joey Ireland (Mount Carmel, 2026; Illinois commit) continues to stand out as a high-level prospect in the Illinois 2026 class. Currently ranked No. 5 in the state, No. 158 nationally, the right-handed hitter has a loose, easy stroke and he’s starting to add on some power; averaging 92.9 mph for his EV throughout his round with a max of 96.1 mph. Advanced defender on the infield, soft hands with bounce in his step and fluid footwork, ranges well to both sides of his glove with a clean transfer and smooth glove-to-hand. Quality arm across the diamond that plays on the move, topping out at 84 mph. Premium athlete, cruising to a 6.66 in the 60 with a 33.4” max vertical jump.

Perhaps one of the most impressive hitting performances of the weekend came from 2022 PBR Junior Future Game participant MIF Joey Ireland (Mount Carmel, 2026; Illinois commit). Ireland is an advanced athlete up the middle that ran a 6.66 60 yard dash at the Illinois State Games back in August. Defensively, he is a savvy defender on the dirt that presents above average arm strength. Despite his impressive athleticism and defense, Ireland impressed the most using the bat. On Saturday morning, Ireland finished with three hits including a home run to left at Milkmen Field. The Sophomore also added a triple and a hustle double, finishing just a single short of the cycle. Ireland will be a fun prospect to watch going into his second year.

Positional Profile: SS/2B
Body: 6-1, 155-pounds.
Hit: RHH. Slightly open stance, leg-lift trigger, gains ground, repeats in rhythm. Easy, controlled with intent, direct at times, slightly uphill, on the barrel, all fields. 67.4 mph bat speed with 8 G’s of rotational acceleration.
Power: 92 max exit velocity, averaged 84.4 mph. 340’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 85 mph. Shorter arm with intent, over the top slot.
Defense: Soft, fluid hands, clean transfer, clear feel for the position, plays with rhythm.
Run: 6.66 runner in the 60.

Another high-end prospect from the 2026 class that was in Rantoul for this event: MIF Joey Ireland (Mount Carmel; Illinois commit). The 6-foot-1, 155-pound sophomore has one of the higher athletic ceilings in the class, and he ran a 6.66 60 at this event while reaching 21.1 mph at peak. In BP, Ireland showed a flat right-handed swing with some barrel length, elevating his furthest ball 340 feet, per TrackMan. Defensively, Ireland showed a fast, loose arm, peaking at 85 mph across the infield. 

Joey Ireland (Mount Carmel) is another Illinois commit who in-state fans should be excited about. Ireland has an upside 6-foot, 140-pound frame and flat projectable swing with a whole field approach and a feel to hit. He also has the tools to stick on the left-side of the diamond while topping at 81 mph and running a 7.20 laser-timed 60.

Positional Profile: SS/2B
Body: 6-0, 140-pounds. Lean, athletic build with plenty of room to add strength.
Hit: RHH. Wide stance, upright posture, slight knee lift. Loose, fast swings off an uphill path. Balanced and athletic throughout; high upside offensive profile.
Power: 91 max exit velocity, averaged 87.4 mph. 311’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 81 mph. Athletic, loose arm, 3/4 slot, can play on the move.
Defense: Quick, athletic actions, soft hands, plays through the ball with rhythm and feel, clean double play turn, controls body on the move.
Run: 7.20 runner in the 60. 

Joey Ireland (Mount Carmel) is another Illinois commit who in-state fans should be excited about. Ireland has an upside 6-foot, 140-pound frame and flat projectable swing with a whole field approach and a feel to hit. He also has the tools to stick on the left-side of the diamond while topping at 81 mph and running a 7.20 laser-timed 60.

SS Joey Ireland (Mount Carmel, 2026) is an early name to know in the freshman class. The former Junior Future Games participant continues to impress our staff with his ability. Ireland is an elite defender on the infield with soft hands, quick feet and uncanny instincts that allow him to make the toughest plays look relatively routine. Ireland moves with long strides and agile movements and is as sure handed as they come at his age. Offensively he has a line drive gap to gap approach with some occasional pop to the pull side.  As his frame fills out he has a chance to have some sneaky juice for a middle infielder. High-follow 2026 in the state.

Junior Futures Games: Leadoff hitter Joey Ireland reached base with a walk and single. Ireland is an elite defender in the middle infield and possess quick, clean footwork and a strong arm with the ability to make all of the plays. Ireland is a top-of-the-order hitter with an advanced feel for the barrel and strike zone. He has advanced bat speed and is ultra confident in the batter's box. He looks to do damage during every plate appearance but is willing to take the a walk to help the team.

Positional Profile: SS
Body: 5-10, 140-pounds.
Hit: RHH. Quiet. Balance and rhythm throughout. Short stride.  Loose athletic hands with bat speed. Barrel stays in the zone, works on an uphill plane to contact. Easy gap-to-gap juice off the barrel, plenty of power projection to come. Easy, fluid all-around operation and stayed in sync throughout.
Power: 86.8 max exit velocity, averaged 80.6 mph. 318’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 72 mph. Short/quick arm from an over the top slot, backspin with carry.
Defense: Soft hands, fluid feet, plays through with easy range to both sides.
Run: 7.23 runner in the 60. 

Positional Profile: RHP
Delivery: Controlled leg-lift into balance point, slight drop/drive lower-half, controls body well down the mound, strides in-line.
Arm Action: RH. Short draw out of the glove into a high 3/4 slot.
FB: T75.3, 72.4-75.2 mph. Arm-side run.  T2171, 2040 average rpm.
CB: 65.0-66.5 mph. 11/5 downer action.  T2008, 1899 average rpm.
CH: 66.1-70.2 mph. Mostly straight, fastball arm-speed, slight fading action at times.  T1753, 1503 average rpm.

INF Joey Ireland (Mount Carmel, 2026) is a name that we’ve become familiar with over the last calendar year, having represented Team Illinois at the PBR Junior Future Games this past summer. The 5-foot-10, 140-pound highly projectable middle infielder was amongst the top prospects in attendance at last week’s event, starting his day off with a 7.23 in the 60-yard dash and showcasing a high-ceiling skill set at the plate. Ireland worked gap-to-gap with ease in BP, displaying loose athletic hands and an uphill plane to contact while keeping his barrel in the zone. Ireland’s fluidness transferred to the infield, where he displayed soft hands and rhythmic footwork, ranging easily to both sides. He also featured a quick arm that produced backspin with carry across the diamond, topping at 72 mph on his hardest bullet. Ireland’s quickly emerging as a high-follow prospect in the Illinois’ 2026 class.