With the spring season coming to a close, our staff has updated the Class of 2026 rankings as the summer circuit is set to start shortly. It’s a modest update, as we’ve briefly expanded our list as we continue to gather more and more information on the state’s 2026 class as a whole.

Below you will learn more about some movement within our top-10 prospects, as well as a handful of name-to-know soon-to-be juniors that are on the rise.

THE TOP 10

The top three names on our board all stay in the same order, with INF Ethan Bass (Glenbrook North; Illinois), CIF/OF TJ McQuillan (Mt. Carmel; Louisville), and RHP Paddy Roth (St. Patrick):

+ Bass continues to look the part of a high level prospect on a national scale and he’s done so while helping lead his Spartans club to a sectional semi-final appearance later this afternoon. An impact talent on both sides of the ball, Bass should be a mainstay near the top of these rankings for the remainder of his high school career.

From 5/16/24: “...Illinois commit. Currently ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 13 in the country. Bass stands in at a lean 6-foot, 171-pounds with room to fill out the frame, and started at shortstop and batted fifth for Glenbrook North. Defensively he looked the part with his actions and overall feel for the game. Bass showed an advanced feel for the glove with how soft and reliable his hands played, while showing a feel for an internal clock; trusting his strong and accurate arm across the diamond to make the necessary throws. He also made a couple advanced plays for his age moving to his left up the middle. From the right side of the plate, he has a calm swagger about him in the box with minimal pre-pitch movement, while maintaining some looseness in the hands. His hands work direct to the ball with an uphill bat path. He finished the game 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.”

+ McQuillan’s physicality and sheer bat strength from the left side rival that of anyone in the state, regardless of class. He’s a real middle-of-the-order impact bat that’s done nothing but impress each time we see him, whether it’s in a showcase setting or between the lines. His ability to produce high-end bat speed, potent batted ball outputs, and also run a 7.04 60-yard dash at his size are all a testament to how well-rounded of a prospect he is. The Louisville commit draws parallels to other physical left-handed hitters that have come before him, like Drake Westcott (Edwardsville, 2020) and Matt McCormick (St. Laurence, 2019).

From 5/25/24: “...Louisville commit. Currently ranked No. 2 in the state, No. 102 nationally. 6-foot, 223-pound frame, strong, barrel-chested, wide shoulders with strength throughout and a trim waist. Premier left-handed hitter in the state, finished the day 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Advanced approach and presence in the box, clear plan of attack and, showed the ability to cover the entire plate with ease. Relaxed setup with a simple load, hands rock back slightly and work on-plate through the zone with easy bat-speed. His damage was done as a DH in this look but he took a strong round of IO third base, boasting steady hands with feel for the position and a strong arm. High-profile 2026 to follow closely.”

+ Roth is a physical 6-foot-3, 195-pound athlete that’s the top uncommitted prospect on our board. He was up to 91.1 mph at the Preseason All-State this winter, touching 88 mph multiple times with his fastball in a live look this April. Roth figures to be a popular name in the Midwest on the recruiting scene with the summer set to start shortly.

From 4/20/24: “...Uncommitted, currently the top arm in the state’s sophomore class ranked No. 3 in Illinois, and No. 105 nationally. A fluid and athletic mover at a high-waisted 6-foot-3, 195-pounds, the righty came out of the ‘pen for the final two innings and showed well. His arm works clean and quick from a low ¾ slot with acceleration out front. His fastball came out of the hand easy with some arm-side run to it at 84-87 mph (T88 multiple times). He worked in a late-breaking slider at 71-73 mph for swing and miss when he needed it, while mixing in a 78-80 mph changeup. The sophomore will be a high-follow name to continue to watch moving through his high school career. He turned in a final line of: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 K”

+ We were able to get our eyes on SS Jory Crocker (Willowbrook) twice this season and he continues to possess one of the highest ceilings in the class. Now coming in at No. 6, Crocker has a long-levered, high-waisted frame with all kinds of physical development still to come down the road. Defensively, he has the tools to stick at shortstop with smooth, easy actions, soft glove hand and gets the ball across the diamond with carry and minimal effort. Offensively, he stays within himself with above-average feel for the zone and loose, whippy hands. Should garner plenty of attention moving forward.

+ SS Kamrin Jenkins (Oswego) and RHP Keaton Reinke (St. Charles North) are two of the biggest risers, both uncommitted, now sitting in the Top-10 at No. 7 and No. 8 respectively. Jenkins has an advanced all-around skill-set with athletic, free-flowing actions on the infield that translate into his right-handed swing. Reinke is a thoroughbred, two-sport athlete, who fills out the uniform at 6-foot-3, 198-pounds with more development to come. Reinke ran a 6.81 and was 95 mph from the outfield this winter at the Preseason All-State: Underclass but he is making his recent rise because of his abilities on the mound. Here is a Scout Blog from a start earlier this month:

From 5/10/24: “...Highly projectable and athletic 6-foot-4, 198-pound frame. Got the start on the mound for the Stars and threw it well despite some defensive miscues. Easy, simple delivery, medium balance point with a slight coil, leads with front hip down the mound with a drop/drive lower-half that starts with a pre-set back knee, works in-line. Long arm action in the back, delivers his arsenal from a high ¾ release. The fastball played with easy life out of his hand in the 86-88 mph range, topping out at 89 mph into the second inning while playing with some noticeable arm-side life. His breaking ball got better as his outing went on, playing around 75-77 mph, gained sharpness and feel as the outing went on, 11/5 plane for strikes and S/M. Flashed a straight change at 76-78 mph. High-ceiling 2026 in the state to keep tabs on.”

ON THE RISE…

+ OF/RHP Frank Costabile (Stevenson) has one of the louder all-around skill sets in the state and continues to rise up our board, jumping up two spots to No. 12 overall. Costabile was a major winner from our Preseason All-State event in February, where he ran a 6.80 60, peaked at 98 mph from the outfield, registered a 97 mph exit velocity, and was 90-92 mph on the mound with feel for a 79-82 mph slider at 2700+ RPM. We saw Costabile this spring for Stevenson, where the 5-foot-9, 165-pound soon-to-be junior impressed yet again:

From 5/15/24: “...Compact, 5-foot-9, 165-pound frame, round shoulders with strength throughout. Came out of the ‘pen and displayed premium arm talent. Easy mover with little perceived effort, clean operation, gets into his legs and works in-line, creates quality hip/shoulder separation. Creates above-average arm-speed that plays into a ¾ slot. Fastball cruised at 89-90 mph, working to both the bottom and top of the zone, holds plane with carry. Gained confidence in his slider that played at 81-83 mph, throws with intent, able to land for strikes and to put hitters away to his glove-side, played with sharp 10/4 action and late depth. Strong right-handed hitter, shot a double that nearly left the yard to the opposite field gap, strong/quick hands that gets extension and stays through the ball. High-level two-way prospect to know in the state.”

Two names that each rose up more than 15 spots in this update are RHP Luke Blackwell (Valmeyer) and OF/INF Cory Les (St. Laurence):

+ Blackwell really looks the part in a uniform, toeing the rubber at a presently physical yet still plenty projectable 6-foot-3, 200-pounds. He dominated for Valmeyer this spring, pitching to a 0.93 ERA over 45 ⅓ innings pitched with 16 walks to 80 strikeouts. In our live look, Blackwell pitched at 86-89 mph and held it through six innings, showing heavy arm-side action with consistent feel for both corners of the plate. He also spun a tight, firm bullet-like slider at 78-80 mph and pulled the string on a fading changeup in warmups, though didn’t show it in-game. Now inside the top-25 names on our board, Blackwell is one of the top prospects in southern Illinois.

+ Les is a physical left-handed hitter who looked natural starting in center field this spring despite being fairly new to the position. Listed at 6-foot, 205-pounds, Les turned in above-average run times for his age; 4.43 down the line and put together a number of quality at-bats in a look this spring. There is minimal wasted movement, strong hands, present bat speed and all kinds of loud contact off the barrel with the ability to use the whole field. If he can continue to profile as a center fielder his stock should only rise moving forward.

**CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2026 RANKINGS**

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