RANKINGS UPDATE: Class of 2025
August 30, 2023
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LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - After a full summer saw our team scour the state and parts of the nation for players, we were able to see many players in tournaments, showcases, game-play events, workouts and more allowing us to develop a better feel for the way things look in California as we head to fall season.
As a result of all the visibility to players in the last couple of months we have updated our Class of 2025 Player Rankings.
With significant changes coming in the Top 10 and beyond, we have expanded the rankings from 250 to 300 players to better encompass the depth of the class. Some players are on a very fast rise up the rankings after putting together outstanding summer seasons and look to carry that into the fall and beyond.
While this class is now about two years away from any MLB Draft consideration, several players at the top of the rankings are already firmly entrenched in notebooks for scouts, while some new faces are beginning to make themselves known.
Below you'll find the Top 10, Top 10 Uncommitted Players, along with notes/video on several Rankings Risers.
CLASS OF 2025 TOP TEN
There was some shuffling in the Top 10 with Brady Ebel elevating himself into the No. 2 spot while Brock Ketelsen, Brayden Jaksa, and Chase Bentley all enter the Top 10 after very productive summers.
Rank | Player | POS | School | Commitment |
1 | Seth Hernandez | RHP | Corona | Vandebilt |
2 | Brady Ebel | INF | Etiwanda | |
3 | Billy Carlson | SS/RHP | Christian Brothers | Vanderbilt |
4 | Diego Velasquez | SS | Crespi | Southern Cal |
5 | Angel Cervantes | RHP | Warren | UCLA |
6 | Brock Ketelsen | OF | Valley Christian | Stanford |
7 | Brayden Jaksa | C | Irvington | Oregon |
8 | Brock Sell | SS | Tokay | Stanford |
9 | Chase Bentley | RHP | Granite Bay | Texas A&M |
10 | Grayson Boles | RHP/1B | St. Augustine |
CLICK HERE FOR FULL CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS LIST
CLASS OF 2025 TOP UNCOMMITTED
With over 200 uncommitted players in this rankings update, this class has prospects up and down the list outside of the two uncommitted players ranked in the Top 10. Below are the highest ranked uncommitted players outside of the Top 10.
Rank | Player | POS | School |
12 | Josiah Hartsthorn | OF | Orange Lutheran |
13 | Trent Grindlinger | C | Huntington Beach |
18 | Reagan Ricken | RHP | Great Oak |
32 | Ryland Duson | INF | Vista Murrieta |
36 | Jordan Ortiz | C | Valley Christian |
41 | Joshua Woodworth | RHP | Ventura |
42 | Marco Jones | OF | San Ramon Valley |
45 | Peyton Barsotti | C/1B | Buchanan |
46 | Gavin Lauridsen | RHP | Foothill (Santa Ana) |
50 | John Kasten | RHP | Clovis |
CLICK HERE FOR FULL CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS LIST
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS RISERS
The expansion and update of any rankings generally includes a number of players who have seen their rankings rise as a result of, in this case, a highly successful summer season that saw them standout amongst their peers.
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Brock Ketelsen OF / LHP / Valley Christian, CA / 2025After a summer of showing off his well-rounded and quite polished tool set, Ketelsen is knocking on the door of the Top 5. We saw him excel in a spring tournament in SoCal, we then saw him excel at the Future Games tryout, which earned him an invitation to the Future Games. Then in Georgia he continued to show the silky smooth stroke, with outstanding bat to ball skills to all fields. The arm is a plus as well, while on the mound he’s more than competitive. Following the Future Games Ketelsen returned home to California, impressed the MLB scouts at the Area Code Games tryout and then impressed all who saw him at the Area Code Games. Everything he does is easy, graceful, smooth, but also impactful. Is he a future 1st round draft pick (out of college)? If he’s not, that would be an upset.
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Reagan Ricken RHP / Great Oak, CA / 2025
Rankings StateRank: 18 / POS: 3
A converted catcher, the 6-foot-4, uncommitted right-hander burst on the national scene at the Area Code Games this summer after flashing a lively fastball at 91-93 with a short, tighter slider at 80-81 mph quickly establishing himself as one of the premier uncommitted arms in the entire state. It’s easy to see the velocity steadily climbing as he moves well down the mound with upside to the breaking ball. |
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Brayden Jaksa C / 3B / Irvington, CA / 2025An early commitment to Oregon made Jaksa a player we had to get to know more about. It was at the Area Code Games tryout that we laid eyes on him, followed by a tremendous showing in San Diego. He’s long, big, strong, certainly looks the part of an impactful catcher. His BP rounds at the tryout showcased thunderous strength, raw power with distance/carry, and a swing that happens easily. His defensive workout was as impressive, with pops in the 1.95-2.00 range and velocity up to 80 mph. Showed an all-field hitting approach in the modified scrimmage which suggests he’s more than a potential slugger, rather, a good hitter who can slug. For good measure he ran a 7.29 on what was overall a slow track for even the fastest of players at the tryout.
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Anthony Pack OF / 1B / Lakewood, CA / 2025
Rankings StateRank: 22 / POS: 5
Pack produces loud noises and athletic plays with some present strength on a compact and strong 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame. With present bat speed and hand-quickness that really stands out, the left-handed hitter routinely gets the barrel on the ball with sneaky juice flashing at times. Despite an unorthodox set up, Pack gets into a powerful final position allowing the hands to work efficiently and explosively. Pack looked the part of a premium top-of-the-order bat all summer. |
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David Wiser RHP / Bradshaw Christian, CA / 2025
Rankings StateRank: 37 / POS: 7
The 2025 class is shaping up to be a very good one in California and the RHP talent appears to be among the strongest of positions. Wiser began his summer of ascension by first impressing at the Area Code tryouts. The arm action is clean, the delivery is athletic and having feel of three pitches, he’s got a chance to keep rising as he develops. His running FB was steadily 85-87 mph with more of the higher velocities coming as he settled into the session. The slow CB was 67-69 mph with shape and feel, while it appears that his CHG is the better of the two offspeed pitches. At 77-79 mph there is life and here comes that word again, feel. The sizeable velocity differential between all his pitches, if utilized properly, will be a challenge for hitters in the coming years.
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Chase Davidson OF / Aquinas, CA / 2025
Rankings StateRank: 91 / POS: 17
The junior outfielder confirmed at the CA State Games what we’ve been seeing for close to two years of high school and summer ball now. Davidson was a hit and defensive machine during the showcase and two-game event. Showed the ability to hit the ball the other way while also pounding the pull side gap. The bat has always had our attention making his defensive play in the outfield all the more impressive after hosing a runner at third and making a huge catch after a 30+ yard sprint on a ball over his shoulder. |
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Caden Castles RHP / Davis, CA / 2025
Rankings StateRank: 47 / POS: 12
Another RHP we saw numerous times and were continually impressed by, starting in June at BAWS 2023, is Castles. Lean and lithely built, he’s not the big body pitcher that elicits images of being an innings-eater, rather, with his athleticism and arm quickness, the imagination is more along the lines of a potentially electric hurler. He runs the FB up to 89 mph with spin rates peaking around 2500, which clearly illustrates a potentially plus fastball. Also gets a good amount of arm side horizontal movement on the pitch, boring into right-handed hitters. The slider is a smooth breaker with more lateral action than depth. Will need more spin and depth on this pitch in the future. His CHG has a chance to be a plus pitch (80 mph), with devastating action, while being thrown with nearly identical release height and extension of his FB, with bigger horizontal movement.
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Tyler Walton RHP / OF / Crespi Carmelite, CA / 2025
Rankings StateRank: 56 / POS: 16
Walton burst on the scene as a sophomore pitcher at Crespi last spring helping lead the Celts to the CIF Division II title. The upward trajectory continued through PBR Summer Championships then again at the Future Games where Walton was lights out through three innings. The outing led to a commitment to UCSB shortly after the Future Games for Walton. Featuring a true three-pitch mix, it’s the frame and his ability to manipulate spin on the baseball that really adds to the intrigue of Walton as a prospect. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
NorCal Underclass Games | CA | 09/30 | Islanders Field |
NorCal Uncommitted Games | CA | 10/08 | Chabot College |
SoCal Uncommitted Games | CA | 10/08 | Fullerton College |
MORE PREP BASEBALL NEWS
- CA CA State Games: '26 Top Performers from Game Action 8/16/24
- CA CA State Games: '25 Top Performers from Game Action 8/15/24
- CA Uncommitted Spotlight: '26 C Jaden Liu 8/14/24
- CA CA State Games: Quick Hits Workout Wonders 8/13/24
- CA Uncommitted Spotlight: '26 C/RHP Nyte Teeter 8/08/24
- CA CA State Games Preview 8/07/24
- CA Uncommitted Spotlight: '26 LHP Brayden Charness 8/07/24
- CA Uncommitted Spotlight: '26 RHP/1B Jacob Oropeza 8/06/24
- CA Uncommitted Spotlight: '26 OF/INF Rock Akahi 8/05/24
- CA Prep Baseball Junior Future Games Bracket Play Recap 7/31/24