On Saturday, the PBR Illinois team hosted the first event of its kind: the 2024 Top Prospect Games. In an attempt to gather the state’s best incoming freshmen in one place, the staff invited over 50 of Illinois’ rising Class of 2024 prospects to participate in the showcase. After sharing our rapid analysis inside of our Quick Hits post yesterday, we’re onto taking a closer look at our top statistical performers from the Saturday showcase.

MAX FASTBALL VELOCITY

3B/RHP Cole Crafton (Lincoln-Way West) stood out in a tremendous way on Saturday. While looking like one of the top position players in attendance, Crafton also was able to hop on the mound and record the day’s single-firmest fastball at 84 mph, sitting 82-83. He’s a 6-foot-2, 175-pound high-follow in the state’s incoming freshman class and we’re excited to watch his progress as he arrives to Lincoln-Way West’s campus.

Another two-way standout landed near the top of this fastball leaderboard: C/RHP Angel Jimenez (Disney II Magnet). Like Crafton, you’ll see Jimenez on other leaderboards elsewhere, but he was also able to run his heavy fastball up into the 81-83 mph range. RHP Ryan Sloan (York) also topped 83 mph with a really quick arm and an advanced slider.

Pontiac’s RHP/INF Henry Brummel was another prospect who stood out for his work on both sides of the ball, though his work from the mound was our biggest takeaway. A loose, easy arm helped produce a fastball that topped 82 mph with some late sink, and he has a good feel for two offspeed offerings that project well. RHP Charlie Vercruysse (Normal University) is yet another athletic two-way prospect, standing in at 6-foot-2, 155 pounds, and he’s able to repeat his quick and clean arm action well, sitting 77-79 mph though topping at 82 once. And 3B/RHP Jonah Weathers (Marian Catholic) is built at an athletic, strong 6-foot, 150 pounds, and he makes his arm strength look clean and easy, as he joined the two aforementioned with an 82 mph high.

TOP 60-YARD DASH

New Trier’s Jackson McCarey ran a substantially quick 6.89 to pace this category. He swings a short and compact bat that helps him profile atop a lineup, and he moves well within the outfield, with notable arm strength that topped 81 mph, as you’ll find out for yourself below.

Crafton’s size and strength are impressive, no doubt, but his footspeed underscores his outstanding athleticism. He ran a 7.04 on Saturday to come away with arguably the day’s top performance, pound for pound. Jimenez’s day was similarly impressive, statistically, as he also ran a notable 7.20.

Also worth noting the athleticism attached to Vercruysse’s game. He ran a 7.25 here in a 6-foot-2 frame, furthering offering some two-way upside.

MAX EXIT VELOCITY

Another category in which Crafton was able to showcase his advanced toolkit, as he made especially loud contact from the left-handed batter’s box, enough to top this chart with a 94 mph high at the exit velo station.

Yorkville’s 3B/RHP Ben Alvarez has some noteworthy strength inside his big 6-foot, 195-pound frame. He trailed Crafton by just a tick for the top spot on this chart. He applied that bat strength in game too, as he launched a ground-rule double in live action.

RHP/3B Paul Svanascini (Northridge Prep) gets a lot out of his 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame. His strong, quick hands are able to produce louder contact than you might initially expect, as he topped 92 mph off the tee himself. That mark tied the left-handed-hitting slugger Cash Campbell (Montini Catholic), another incoming freshman with premium power potential for his age.

MAX INFIELD VELOCITY

C/SS Colin Mowry (Lincoln-Way Central) was inarguably one of the day’s top performers, from both a statistical and evaluative standpoint. He recorded a 90 mph exit velo high while being among the day’s top catchers (as you’ll soon find out), and he paced this group here, recording an 85 mph high across the infield. It was an eye-opening performance, as he’s become a high-follow within the state’s 2024 class already.

Unsurprisingly, Crafton’s all-around strength found its way to show itself here, as he topped 82 mph to first base, with obvious carry and accuracy. Two-way players like Svanascini, Sloan, David Cox (Nazareth Academy), and Weathers each were able to apply their premium arm strength from the rubber effectively into their infield defense.

MAX OUTFIELD VELOCITY

Weathers’ versatility helped him stand out on Saturday. He demonstrated upside from both the infield and outfield, with raw but malleable actions to follow, and his innate strength helped him top this leaderboard at 82 mph, tied with Samuel Chapman (Woodstock). Chapman’s an upside athlete in his own right, who can really run it down in the outfield with fluid and smooth actions. His loose lefty bat also presented us with some all-around skill that should warrant high-follow attention from the Woodstock outfielder.

New Trier’s Beau McBride is a left/left prospect, listed at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds. He sat 75-77 mph on the mound and also topped 81 mph on his throws home, so there’s some traits worth playing close attention to here as he continues to develop. Luke Weber (Highland Park) tied McBride with an 81 mph throw home, and that same looseness in the arm works on the mound, too.

MAX CATCHER VELOCITY

Jimenez’s superior arm strength is well-applied from out of the crouch, as he was able to dart an 80 mph to the bag – a highly advanced number for an incoming freshman. Not far behind was the especially physical Randall Nauden (Marian Catholic). Nauden is built with some defined muscle for his age, and he uses it well, from behind the plate and at it. Mowry trailed these two by just a bit, though he popped in a very similar range. And Seth Impson (Springfield) is a switch-hit bat to know in this class, but he also emerged as one of the day’s top backstops. While he trailed these three in velocity, his quickness and natural feel for the position helped him average a pop that was right in line with the group.

TOP POP TIMES

And Impson wasn’t just in line with the group’s pop times, he actually earned the single-lowest time of the day at 2.05. Jimenez, Nauden, and Mowry each averaged similar pop times, establishing themselves further as follows at the position. Kyle Hartmann (Sycamore) and Joshua Gutierrez (St. Ignatius) are another pair of catchers to watch. Both showed natural actions for the position, so there’s some added upside here.

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