Lucas
Simulick

Uncommitted. Currently ranked No. 15 in the state. Started at shortstop and once again impressed with his prowess on the dirt. Advanced actions, quick/clean hands and transfer, impressive body control, plays through the ball with rhythm, vocal leader on the infield, wants the ball hit to him. The right-handed hitter hunts fastballs at the plate, and he took one right back up the middle for a single in his second at-bat. Quick out of the box with a 4.50 on a turn. High-level middle-infield prospect in the state’s 2026 class.

Athletic 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame with lean strength. One of the top sophomores in Illinois, currently ranked No. 15 overall on the state’s 2026 class rankings. Started at shortstop and hit in the eight hole for Joliet Catholic in a win. Has all the makings of an impact up-the-middle glove both now and at the next level. Clear understanding of himself and his movement patterns on the move, gets around the baseball in a controlled fluid rhythm. Soft hands, trusts them, slows the game down. Had a crisp double play feed to end an inning in a key spot. Athletic hands at the plate that work direct to contact, did his job twice by plating two runs on two ground balls to the right side with runners in scoring position.

INF Lucas Simulick (Joliet Catholic, 2026) continues to look the part as a high-end infield prospect. Currently ranked No. 15 in the state, Simulick has athletic actions to pair with soft hands and a clean glove-to-hand, demonstrating clear feel and rhythm throughout his defensive round. His arm has continued to trend up, now reaching up to 90 mph across the diamond. The right-handed hitter continues to make strides with the bat, showcasing an easy/simple swing that looks to stay on top of the ball, flashing backspin up the middle of the field with a max EV of 92.8 mph, averaging 87.5 mph. Athletic runner with a 6.91 in the 60.

5-foot-10, 160-pound agile and athletic body. Compact swing at the plate with above-average bat-to-ball skills. Hit multiple baseballs hard in our brief look. Has clear feel for the barrel. Smooth and collected defender with range and an easy arm. On the mound he showed an 81-83 mph fastball with some carry as well as a sharp curveball in the upper 60s with quality depth. 

Uncommitted. Athletic, 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame, plenty of room to add on strength throughout his build. Once again impressed as a premier defender in the state’s 2026 class. Advanced hands and actions with easy range and a quick first step. Showed to have an internal clock, doesn’t rush himself and remains confident. The right-handed hitter hit out of the nine-hole for the Hill, recording a double and an RBI on the day. Simple swing with a flat path, appears to be more and more confident in the box each time we see him. Hustles out of the box with a 4.51 down the line on a turn. Legit shortstop profile, high-follow 2026. 

Despite being the youngest player out there, Simulick was arguably the best defender on the field. Listed at a lean 5-foot-10, 160-pounds, Simulick has a solid base to add on strength as he continues to develop. Starting at shortstop as a freshman for the defending 2A State Champions, Simulick impressed with his glove throughout the day; boasting soft/confident hands that work from the ground up and through the ball before moving into a quick/clean transfer. He understands angles and attacks the ball accordingly, also playing through the ball in rhythm with a clear internal clock. At the plate, the right-handed hitter didn’t find success in the hit column, but his at-bats were still impressive, proving to not be overpowered by the velocity he was facing and appearing to be comfortable in the box throughout his at-bats. Well above-average defender that shows early signs of a high-level shortstop.

Daniel Coyle (St. Laurence), Lucas Simulick (Joliet Catholic), Charlie Rosynek (Brother Rice), Nehemiah Torres (Glenbrook North), Logan Wroughton (Mount Carmel) and Lucas Espinosa (Taft) all have the tools to stay on the left-side of the diamond moving forward and were some of the top 2026 infield defenders on the day. 

Positional Profile: SS/RHP
Body: 5-10, 160-pounds. Athletic build with developing strength.
Hit: RHH. Balanced stance, short stride, minimal hand load. Quick bat, short to the ball, sneaky twitch and jump off the barrel, used the  middle of the field throughout.
Power: 86 max exit velocity, averaged 81.8 mph. 259’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 82 mph. Easy carry and backspin, accurate throws.
Defense: Clean actions with feel for the position, athletic through the ball, plays with rhythm and soft hands, mature round of defense.
Run: 7.14 runner in the 60. 

Delivery: Simple operation, medium balance point, jumps down the mound, works slightly across body, open toe landing.
Arm Action: RH. Full arm circle, high 3/4 slot.
FB: T83, 81-83 mph. Four-seam action, some finish through the zone.  T2142, 2045 average rpm.
CB: 68-69 mph. 11/5 shape, gradual action.  T2214, 2145 average rpm.
CH: 72-74 mph. Showed fade action. T1686, 1610 average rpm. 

Junior Futures Games: The bats exploded for five runs in the top of the sixth inning to put the game out of reach; RBI singles from 3B/RHP Jonathan Osornio (St. Rita, 2026), Oliver Thulin, as well as RBI doubles from OF Jaxson Crancer (Normal West, 2026) and SS/RHP Lucas Simulick (Joliet Catholic, 2026) helped cap off the big inning. Ian Kelly came up big early in the game with an RBI single to put Illinois ahead 2-0 in the top of the fourth, while Simulick added one more in the fifth with an RBI double, his second of the day.

C/UTL Drew Stevens (Normal Community, 2026) would add on to the scoring with a sac fly to make it 6-3, followed by an RBI single from Lucas Simulick to make it 7-3 at the time. Simulick got the nod on the mound for Illinois and boasted a fastball up to 81 mph, sitting mostly 79-80 mph. To pair off his fastball, Simulick went to a sharp, downer breaking ball at 65-68 mph, pairing off his fastball effectively with feel down in the zone. Simulick not only impressed on the mound, but also at shortstop throughout the week, where his skills play well above his age; moving athletically to both sides of his glove with soft hands and athletic actions, also translating his strong arm to the diamond.

Positional Profile: SS
Body: 5-9, 145-pounds.
Hit: RHH. Athletic in the box. Compact load. Efficient movements in the box. Quick hands with some bat-speed, fluid arms throughout, uphill path, consistently on the barrel up the middle.
Power: 85.6 max exit velocity, averaged 76.1 mph. 282’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 77 mph. Quick and short release, carry, advanced actions.
Defense: Athletic, plays through the baseball.
Run: 7.33 runner in the 60. 

Positional Profile: RHP
Delivery: Repeatable, moves into an up-tempo drop/drive delivery from balance point, remains in-line.
Arm Action: RH. Long out of the glove into a high 3/4 slot.
FB: T79.8, 78.4-79.8 mph. Rides through the zone with slight running action to the arm-side. T2138, 2047 average rpm.
CB: 64.3-65.7 mph. Sharp 11/5 shape, tight spin with late action, kept down and tunnels off his fastball. T2154, 2100 average rpm.
CH: 69.0-70.5 mph. Fades to the arm-side off a similar fastball plane. T1929, 1845 average rpm.

Simulick impressed with a fastball up to 79.8 mph, while displaying feel for a sharp curveball and fading changeup - also showing well with the bat, reaching up to 85.6 mph for a max exit velocity.