By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

The month of August is extremely busy with events and has started hot with the Prep Baseball Report Future Games, Area Code Games and Under Armour All-America Game. The end of this week marks the second installment of the Metropolitan Baseball Classic. Unfortunately, my friends don’t consult my showcase schedule when planning weddings so I missed the Under Armour Game and won’t be back in time to get to New York for the Met Classic. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have you covered. If you haven’t caught up on the Future Games and Area Code Games, what are you waiting for? Sean Duncan reviewed some of the workout day for the Under Armour Game and then highlighted some players from the PBR coverage area that stood out in the game. We’ll also have coverage from Citi Field for the Mets’ tournament this weekend.

Now, let’s get to a reader’s question…

Who do you see being in the top of the 2017 class?
A few states—Illinois, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—have already put out initial rankings for the 2017 class, but we’re still a little bit away from putting an overall list together of rising sophomores. However, between the Prep Baseball Report Future Games and Team USA 15U Trials, I’ve seen a few 2017s stand out. Here are a few of them, listed alphabetically:

Jordon Adell, RHP, Ballard HS, KY
At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Adell certainly stands out for his frame at a young age, but his ability to spin a curveball was also a highlight. He sat 82-83, touching 84 several times, but he’s been better than that in the past and his curveball hints toward added velocity down the road. It sat in the low 70s with good shape and depth. Adell recently made a verbal commitment to Louisville.