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Illinois 2022 Rankings Updated

December 17, 2020
By Andy Sroka & Drew Locascio
Illinois Staff

Typically, around this time of year, we dust off each high school class rankings list following a small fall update. This year, however, there was a lot to see and cover this fall – two late September showcases, a couple informative fall tournaments in Indiana and Wisconsin, and a huge Class of 2022 Showcase at The MAX to close the season. Those events made for a sizable end-of-year update, which we’re unveiling today.

We’re starting to break down the ‘22 class by assessing the top-75 prospects or so, noting any significant performances from those ranked at the top of their class.

TOP-10 NOTES

+ Again, the fall provided our Illinois staff with the chance to view this robust class’ top-ranked players, including its top two: OF Alex Stanwich (Lincoln-Way East; Tennessee commit) and LHP Noah Schultz (Oswego East; Vanderbilt). Stanwich’s extremely live toolset has been well-documented, but it was nice to see it on display once again in the fall at a PBR Wisconsin tournament where he smashed this line-drive to the fence to his opposite field while also reaching 90 mph from the mound with a wipeout slider. He remains the No. 1 overall player in the state.

As for Schultz, we caught up with him at the PBR Midwest Fall Championships at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., where he pitched in front of a flock of pro scouts. Pitching against a lineup a year older than himself, Schultz cruised at 87-91 mph while spinning in sharp sliders at a premium 3,000-plus rpm, flashing a viable change, too. Listed at 6-foot-8, 200 pounds, the sky remains the limit for the Oswego East lefty.
Noah Schultz (9/13/20)

+ Coincidentally, it was RHP Julius Sanchez (LaSalle-Peru; Illinois) who relieved Schultz at that same tournament in September, and that outing skyrocketed his stock way up – and surely not only on our in-state rankings. Sanchez reportedly ticked up big in the fall and we were able to see it first-hand in Indiana where he pumped in an easy 91-94 mph with feel for his tight slider, 77-80, thrown with an especially easy effort. That outing helped nudge him up a couple more big spots to the No. 3 overall spot in the state.

Julius Sanchez (9/13/20)

+ This past summer and fall was hugely productive for 3B Jimmy Rolder (Marist), who earned an invitation to the PBR Future Games where he showed a rare combination of strength/physicality, speed, and a middle-of-the-order righty bat. Rolder’s only continued to feature those skills in-game, doing so again in Westfield this fall, which has helped him make another climb into the top-10 overall. Naturally, Rolder’s size and athleticism have helped him establish himself as a genuine prospect on the gridiron as well, at linebacker.

Jimmy Rolder (9/13/20)

+ Listed at an advanced 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Daniel Pacella (Mundelein; Kentucky) is still able to move really well for his size (denoted by a recent 6.87 time in the 60), which means he might not only be limited to his natural first base position. Regardless, his left/left profile is highlighted by his immense bat strength and speed. Pacella attended the Class of 2022 Showcase in October where he was eventually ranked the top overall player in a crowded field. There, his round of batting practice was one of the best we saw throughout the 2020 showcase circuit. The Blast Motion device helped identify his ability to generate premium bat speed while our TrackMan unit averaged his exit speed at 96.4 mph with a 101.5 max, some of the best marks measured all year within this 2022 class. Pacella enters the top-10 overall headed into the offseason. 

Daniel Pacella (10/18/20)


RISING UNCOMMITTED TOP-75

Much of the movement across the rest of this top-75 comes from the looks gathered at October’s Class of 2022 Showcase. For a full rundown of the highlights coming out of the day, check out the event’s Quick Hits. We’ll assess some of those top players below, too.

+ A pair of uncommitted arms from this class of 2022 who are making pronounced moves up the rankings inside this update: RHP Elias Hachem (Mount Carmel) and LHP Dylan Warda (Brother Rice). Hachem made vast improvements from his showing at the PBR Future Games while a member of Team Illinois. In that short time between looks, Hachem’s velocity has ticked up and his breaking ball looks like it can become a go-to offering in the future. At the Class of 2022 Showcase, he was throwing it with greater confidence while consistently landing it for strikes.

Elias Hachem (10/18/20)

Warda entered the fall ranked outside the top-100 and now he’s all the way up to No. 33 in the state. At that same showcase, he showed off a quick, efficient arm that has gone from the low-80s this past summer to a firm 87-88 mph in the late fall, complemented by an equally firm curveball at 73-75 mph. Whatever changes Warda has made, they’re clearly working, as his fastball played with finish and above-average control of the zone.

Dylan Warda (10/18/20)

Easton Harris SS / RHP / Washington Community, IL / 2022

Harris has consistently been one of the year’s top performers in multiple in-person looks. And for the first time, Harris is ranked within the top-40. At the Joliet Open in late September, Harris showed highly advanced, confident middle infield actions and his arm continues to tick up (topped at 91 mph across at the event). Offensively, he has loose, whippy levers that project as he adds strength to his wiry/athletic frame and right-handed swing.

Victor Izquierdo 1B / C / Lockport Township, IL / 2022

Izquierdo climbs another 10 spots in this update following an extremely loud round batting practice at the Class of 2022 Showcase. He’s one of the most powerful, physical bats in this ‘22 class, producing tremendous bat speed and strength from the right side, supported by both Blast and TrackMan. His round of BP at that event rivaled that of Pacella, mentioned earlier. Defensively, it remains to be seen where Izquierdo slots best, but he continues to make strides from both behind the plate and at first base, and he moves well inside his hulking 6-foot-2, 200-pound build. 

 

Matthew Morsovillo SS / 3B / Sandburg, IL / 2022

In early October, we hosted the Fall Limited Series at Illinois State University to feature some the area’s top travel teams against one another. There, Morsovillo emerged as one of the biggest winners of the weekend. He’s added strength to his 6-foot-4, 180-pound stature, filling it out proportionally while swinging a repeatable, simple right-handed bat that lags through the zone effectively. He was spraying balls into both gaps at the Limited Series and his in-game performance here helped launched him all the way up into the top-70 overall.

Keegan Connors C / OF / Jacobs, IL / 2022

This twitchy left-handed hitter was another winner from the Class of 2022 Showcase, and he’s boosted his overall stock by over 30 spots in this update. Connors is a noteworthy athlete with sneaky strength that shows up prominently in batting practice. Defensively, Connors has multi-positional potential, but given his speed and athleticism, it's easy to see him patrolling any outfield spot at a high level, combined with the arm strength to do so (topped 90 mph to home in October). 

CLICK HERE for the complete 2022 Illinois rankings.

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