With the summer circuit in the rearview mirror and fall ball picking up, it is time for an update to the 2026 rankings. The summer is an extremely busy and valuable time for players to get seen, and our staff is taking into account performances from all types of events - whether it be tournaments, showcases, the Illinois State Games, or even the Future Games. 

In addition to a new order, we also expanded the rankings to 150 players, with plenty of talented names still knocking on the door. 

For now, let's take a look at some of the notable movements throughout the rankings. 

The Top-10

The top-two prospects in the state remain untouched, with MIF Ethan Bass (Glenbrook North) and CIF/OF TJ McQuillan (Mount Carmel) leading the pack. 

Middle infielders Landon Thome (Nazareth) and Kamrin Jenkins (Oswego) now find themselves in the three and four positions following impressive summer campaigns which included eye-opening showings at the Future Games with Team Illinois. Thome has long been regarded as one of the top left-handed hitters in the state, also playing a pivotal role in Nazareth’s success over the last two seasons. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Participating in his first ever Prep Baseball event, Thome continued to show to be one of the more advanced hitters in the class. Standing at an athletic 6-foot, 170-pounds, the left-handed hitter stood out with the bat throughout the week, both with results and his overall approach to the game. He started the week off with an impressive showing during the workout day where he posted a 6.87 60, an 85 mph infield velocity, and a max exit velocity of 94.2 mph. His bat speed metrics also impressed on the workout day with an average speed of 74.6 mph, and a max of 78.6 mph. Thome’s overall game translated even better in-game where his feel for the game shined. Offensively, he has been known to have a very mature and advanced approach, and that was no different down at LakePoint. In a tough left-on-left matchup during the last game of the week, Thome showed the ability to be patient, let the ball travel, and work the middle of the field for a hard single; which is something he did in the spring against tough southpaw arms. Defensively, he made one play in particular at third base in the same aforementioned game, where he made an advanced read on a tough ground ball, making the play look routine. Thome finished the week with three hits, including a double, two walks, and a stolen base.

Jenkins is a thoroughbred athlete, listed at a high-waisted 6-foot, 174-pounds. His right-handed bat has shown well above-average power in previous looks with more strength to come, and he’s proven to be one of the top defenders in the state as well. 

8/12/24 Future Games: There’s plenty to like about the upside and athleticism from Jenkins. The 6-foot, 174-pound middle infielder showed impressive defensive actions throughout his week in LakePoint, displaying soft hands, fluid feet, the ability to throw on the run, and a strong (T86 mph) and accurate arm across the infield. He’s a right-handed hitter at the plate with a calm and fluid approach, showing bat speed (avg. 73.8 mph) and twitch through contact. During the showcase, Jenkins produced a max exit velocity of 95.6 mph, staying on the barrel for an average of 87.4 mph. He also ran a 7.03 60 time while jumping a max vertical of 30.7 inches. The uncommitted incoming-junior has plenty of intrigue with his upside and all-around game.

Rising five spots to the No. 5 position is OF Nolan Ramoley (Brother Rice). Fresh off a commitment to Kentucky after an impressive showing at the Future Games, Ramoley undoubtedly has some of the all-around loudest tools in the state. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Recent Kentucky commit, Ramoley came away one of the event’s biggest winners. Listed at a muscle-bound 6-foot-1, 191-pounds, Ramoley boasts some of the loudest tools in the state across the board. Ramoley has a valuable combination of power and speed, cruising to a 6.52 in the 60 while also having reached up to 104 mph for his max EV. A right-handed hitter, he put up some eye-opening BLAST metrics in his workout, averaging 22.1 mph for his hand speed, 77.7 mph for his bat speed and 20.8 Gs of rotational acceleration. His defense continues to improve with more in-game reps, and he has the makings of a well-above average defender with his aforementioned speed and advanced arm strength (T92 mph OF). After an impressive workout day, Ramoley continued to show well throughout the week in gameplay; leaving the yard for a home run and also jumping on a fastball for a pull-side double in the nightcap. Currently ranked No. 10 in the state, the future Wildcat has cemented himself as one of the state’s top prospects.

Another winner from Team Illinois that is seeing a slight bump in the rankings is physical left-handed hitter 1B Brody Landgraf (Columbia), who now finds himself at No. 6 in the state. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Landgraf proved to be a threat with the bat during his week at the Future Games. The big, 6-foot-4, 231-pound first baseman has all kinds of strength in his frame. His eye-opening performance came in the nightcap of Team Illinois’ final game on Saturday night, where he earned the Dicks Sporting Goods Player of the Game honors after going 4-for-4 with two RBI and two stolen bases. He took quality at-bats throughout the game, working counts, fouling off pitches, and creating tough outs for pitchers. Landgraf has power in his left-handed bat, showing the ability to barrel balls to the pull-side, and during Wednesday’s showcase, he posted a max exit velocity of 97.8 mph. He remains an uncommitted follow after the event.

RHP Connor Elenteny (Mount Carmel), boasts one of the best fastballs in the state, topping out at 93 mph at the Future Games. There’s a lot to like about the fluid-moving right-hander, as he now finds himself up 13 spots to No. 8 in the state.

8/12/24 Future Games: Elenteny certainly turned some heads with his easy velocity and long-levered frame. Listed at 6-foot-3, 193-pounds, Elenteny has a loose and free-flowing delivery, working with minimal perceived effort into a drop/drive delivery that stays in-line, creating noticeable hip/shoulder separation. His arm works with a clean path and high ¾ slot to create a fastball in the 89-92 mph range, topping out at 93 mph while filling up the zone. His out-pitch was a slider at 76-77 mph, holding quality 10/4 shape with some depth and late action. He finished his two innings of work with no hits or runs allowed, one strikeout and one walk. High-ceiling right-hander with more velocity to come.

LHP Michael Petit (Lincoln-Way West) is making his rankings debut at the No. 9 position, and he’s yet another talented prospect that came away a winner from the Future Games this past summer, running his fastball into the low-90s in recent looks with all sorts of upside. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Pettit is an uncommitted southpaw to know, and he’s quickly proved to be one of the top left-handers in the state just in the past few months. Standing in a high-waisted 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame, Pettit has an extremely projectable frame with wiry limbs. He’s an easy mover with a simple operation, working into a medium/high balance point before working down the mound with a level front side, staying in-line. He hides the ball well in the back out of the glove before firing through with a loose ¾ release. He gets natural sinking action to his fastball, playing around 86-88 mph, topping out at 89 mph in this look - though we’ve seen him up to 91 mph in the past. He’ll also go to a slider at 72-73 mph that flashes tight, sharp 10/4 action, and he backs it up with a sinking changeup in the 76-77 mph range that he sells with arm-speed. Over his two innings of work, Pettit allowed only one run, one hit, two walks and struck out three.

The Top-50

C Brandon Thomsen (St. Viator) finds himself up 16 spots to No. 13 in this update, and he’s long been one of the top defensive catchers in the state who now appears to be making noteworthy strides with the bat. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Thomsen showed well all week behind the dish, a theme our staff has become accustomed to seeing out of the 6-foot-1, 188-pound backstop. The incoming-junior displayed advanced actions in the crouch and also seemed to be comfortable catching arms he had never handled in the past. His defensive tools shined brightly during the workout portion earlier in the week as well, where he had a 1.95 pop time, while tossing his best bullet at 80 mph from the crouch. Thomsen also showed the ability to barrel the baseball from the right side during batting practice, where his average exit velocity was 94.4 mph (T99), which was good for top-20 in the entire event. His average distance of 316 feet during BP, was another metric that found him among the event’s best.

Rising two spots and coming in at No. 16 in this update is LHP Ian Tosi (Mount Carmel). Long regarded as one of he top left-handers in the state and also one of the top competitors, he showed an up-tick in velocity at the Future Games to go along with his patented bulldog mentality and pitchability. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Tosi was about as dominant as it gets over his two innings of work, not allowing a single hit, run or walk while striking out two. Listed at 5-foot-11, 175-pounds, the southpaw has been a mainstay at the top of Mount Carmel’s rotation as an underclassman, and he got to show his stuff on the biggest uncommitted stage. He fearlessly attacked the zone with his fastball, cruising in the mid-80s and touching 88 mph with carry through the zone. He showed feel for both his curveball and changeup, landing them both for strikes when he wanted. High-level compete factor paired with his advanced feel to pitch and arsenal makes him one of the more sought after southpaws in the state.

One of the biggest risers in this update is MIF Gavin Michaels (Normal Community), jumping 60 spots to No. 18 in the state. A premier athlete with game-changing speed, Michaels is also a fluid defender with an upside right-handed stroke that should continue to tick up in the coming years. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Michaels left the Future Games a big winner for Team illinois. An athletic, wiry frame with plenty more to come, Michaels checks in at 6-foot, 155-pounds. Throughout gameplay, he reached base multiple times on infield singles, showcasing his speed and baserunning IQ around the base paths throughout the entire event. He’s an athletic, clean defender, too, showing the ability to play many different positions on the field. Michaels showed some intriguing tools during the showcase, starting off by running a 6.67 60 time and jumping 32.2 inches. During batting practice, he averaged 86.7 mph (T95.8 mph) off the bat, while sending his farthest hit ball 350 feet. His BLAST metrics were intriguing as well, as his average bat speed was 75.2 mph (T81.8 mph), and his average rotational acceleration was 21.5 mph, good for the second highest on Team Illinois. He’s a highly athletic prospect with plenty of upside, and he remains a must-know uncommitted prospect from the event.

Another big riser in this update is RHP Dylan Huff (Glenwood), rising from No. 48 to now No. 19. A projectable 6-foot-3, 170-pounds with a fastball up to 89 mph and pair of breaking balls that routinely spin over 2,400 rpm, Huff looks like the next big arm to come out of the Glenwood pipeline. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Huff is yet another talented arm coming out of Glenwood High School. A multi-sport athlete, he still has plenty of upside in his 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame. His delivery is loose and easy with minimal effort down the mound, and his arm has clean actions that work out of a high ¾ slot. His fastball sat 87-89 mph, and topped out at 90 mph multiple times. Huff’s slider is a standout off-speed pitch, sitting mostly 74-77 mph with 2400-2500 rpm, showing true swing-and-miss potential. He’s continued to polish up his repertoire since we first saw him this past winter, and he’s a must-know name in Illinois’ rising junior class.

MIF Lucas Simulick (Joliet Catholic) is rising a spot to No. 21 in this update, and he’s a premier defender that continues to be trending in the right direction with the bat, working on the barrel multiple times with hard contact at the State Games this past August. 

8/22/24: Simulick continues to improve his overall game with every look. An athletic 5-foot-10, 167-pounds, Simulick began the event by posting strong numbers all-around during the workout. He ran a 6.73 60, tossed an 87 mph bullet across the infield, while also posting a max EV of 93.6 mph. Simulick’s tools continued to be loud during gameplay where he made play after play up the middle, both at shortstop and at second base. He swung a flat, direct path that produced consistent hard contact - including a double and a homer during gameplay. Simulick is a must-know uncommitted name to follow in the state.

RHP Luke Blackwell (Valmeyer) now sits at the No. 22 position after an impressive showing over the summer and with Team Illinois, as he boasts a quality three-pitch mix highlighted by a fastball up to 90 mph. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Blackwell is a talented arm from Southern Illinois to know. He stands in a strong, 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame with athleticism to pair. The big right-hander has simple and easy mechanics, with a compact and quick arm out of a ¾ slot. In his two-inning stint, he showed composure and confidence, and continued to show better as he went on. He worked his fastball up to 90 mph, touching it three times, but sat mostly 87-89 mph with mostly straight actions. Working off of his fastball, Blackwell showed feel for both a slider and a change-up, the former sitting 77-82 mph with short horizontal actions, and the latter sitting 81-83 mph with arm-side fade. He’s a multi-sport athlete with plenty of upside still to come on the mound.

Two committed physical bats that are rising in this update are INF/OF Cory Les (St. Laurence) and C Dylan Kassab (Hinsdale Central). Les, a recent Louisville commit, runs extremely well for his size and it pairs with a heavy left-handed barrel that can run exit velocities up to nearly 100 mph. 

8/22/24: Les is fresh off a commitment to Louisville, and its easy to see why the Cardinals like him. Listed at a strong-bodied yet athletic 6-foot-1, 205-pounds, Les is extremely athletic for his size with a 6.92 in the 60 and 33.1” vertical jump. The left-handed hitter continuously shows well in front of our staff, and this week was no different, taking one of the better rounds of BP in the workout with a max EV of 99 mph and average of 90 mph (T361’). He has a polished approach at the plate, and was on the barrel multiple times in gameplay for some loud outs.

Kassab, a recent Indiana commit and Future Games standout, swings an intentful barrel from the right side with a max EV of 100 mph and max distance of 390’. He also has a strong arm behind the plate that can reach up to 80 mph with a 1.94 pop-time. 

8/22/24: Kassab was all over the barrel throughout his round of BP. The 5-foot-10, 191-pound right-handed hitter produced a max EV of 100 mph to pair with an average of 94.3 mph. There’s some controlled aggression in the swing, coiling his lower-half with a toe-tap before throwing his hands through the zone with a flat path. He showed some tools on the other side of the ball as well, reaching as low as 1.94 for his pop time with a max velocity of 80 mph from the chute.

One of the biggest winners from the Illinois State Games, RHP Ryan Harris (Stevenson) now finds himself up to No. 26 in the state after running his fastball up to 92.6 mph with nearly 2,500 rpm. 

8/22/24: Harris gave arguably the loudest look in the entire event. His fastball exploded out of his hand in the 87-91 mph range, topping out at 92-93 mph early with nearly 2,500 rpm on it, playing with finish and carry through the zone. He throws his slider with fastball intent at 73-77 mph, flashing sharp 10/4 action at times. Some of the best raw arm-strength in the state, high-level 2026.

Rising 13 spots to No. 33, UTIL Johnny Nelson (Oak Park-River Forest) has been a consistent performer in front of our staff, and he showed off some defensive versatility at the Future Games playing both the infield and outfield while pairing with a strong right-handed bat. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Nelson was another member of Team Illinois that had a strong showing during the event’s workout portion. A lean and athletic 6-foot, 177-pounds, Nelson started the event by running a 6.98 60, while also reaching a max vertical of 30.9”. During batting practice, he showed some of the quicker hands on average for the event at 23.3 mph (T24.8), which allowed for added bat speed from the right side, with a max of 77.6 mph. A primary third baseman defensively, he showed a strong arm on the infield where his top bullet registered at 87 mph. Nelson would get time in the outfield as well during gameplay where he showed comfortable actions and athleticism.

RHP Kaeden Schatsiek (Brimfield), LHP Zane Caves (Minooka) and RHP RJ Duncheon (East Peoria) are a trio of talented arms that are seeing a significant rise in this update. 

Schatsiek is rising 65 spots and now sits at No. 34 after a strong summer circuit, boasting a fastball that reached up to 91 mph with a firm swing/miss slider. 

8/12/24 Future Games: Schatsiek stands in a hard-to-miss 6-foot-3, 191-pound frame with plenty of strength and athleticism throughout. He works out of a stretch-only delivery, utilizing simple and easy movement patterns down the mound. His arm stays compact in the back with clear acceleration out front, working out of a high ¾ slot. His fastball sat 86-89 mph, topping out at 90.5 mph, with mostly straight actions, paired with a hard-throwing slider at 77-79 mph, playing with sharp, 11/5 actions. A must-know arm talent out of Central Illinois.

Caves is making his rankings debut at No. 35, and he had one of the louder showings at the Illinois State Games this past summer with a fastball up to 87 mph from the left side and sharp curveball with over 2,500 rpm.

8/22/24: Caves was far and away one of the event’s biggest winners. In his two innings of work, the southpaw only allowed one hit with no runs, one walk and five strikeouts. He attacked the zone with his fastball, playing in the low-mid 80s, topping out at 87 mph with heavy arm-side run. His curveball has wipeout potential, playing consistently over 2,700 rpm around 70 mph with sharp downward action. He also showed a changeup that played in the low-70’s, playing with heavy arm-side fade with a similar profile to his fastball. High-level uncommitted arm.

Now sitting at No. 36, Duncheon was yet another winner from the Future Games, as well as a couple other events including the Central Illinois Summer ID and the Illinois State Games, boasting a fastball that can reach up to 92 mph. 

8/12/24 2024 Future Games: Duncheon continues to get better on the mound each time we see him. Standing in a strong 6-foot-1, 191-pound frame, Duncheon is an athletic mover down the mound. He works out of a stretch-only delivery with a loose, quick arm that works out of a ¾ slot. His fastball has life through the zone, topping out at 92 mph, while sitting mostly 86-91 mph with arm-side run at times. He also mixed in two separate breaking balls; his curveball showed 11/5 shape with feel to throw for strikes, sitting mostly 72-74 mph, and his slider showed more horizontal actions, sitting 78-81 mph. A must-know arm with more velocity on the way.

CLICK HERE for the updated 2026 Illinois Rankings.

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