With the spring season coming to a close, our staff has updated the Class of 2027 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 2027 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 sophomores that are on the rise.

THE TOP-10

Tennessee commit, OF Sebastian Wilson (Lane Tech) remains the state’s number one prospect after an impressive spring where he slashed .420/.517/.769/1.286 with 15 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 40 RBIs, and 51 runs scored. Our staff was able to get out and see Wilson multiple times this spring - read below to hear what we had to say about him:

From 4/11/24: “Tennessee commit. The No. 1 ranked 2027 in Illinois and No. 18th ranked Nationally proved to have the tools to play at the varsity level as a freshman. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound left handed hitting outfield was slotted in second in the lineup. Setup in a slightly open, balanced stance with some pre-pitch hand movement, hands work short and direct to the baseball with the ability to drive the ball to all fields. Wilson took quality at-bats making contact on every swing. Drew a five pitch walk during his first at-bat and made a hard line out to the right fielder on a 0-0 count during his final at bat. On the defensive side, Wilson was able to display his arm strength by taking a ball from the right center fence to third on a one hop throw.”

RHP Kaden Wasniewski (McHenry) made major strides this spring, jumping up to the No. 2 spot in the class after finding playing time for the Warriors both on the mound and at the plate. He looks the part of a high-level prospect, standing in an athletic 6-foot, 164-pound frame. We’ve seen him up to 90 mph on the mound, and he’s a strong right-handed hitter, too. Read below to hear what we had to say about him this spring:

From 4/22/24: “Currently ranked No. 7 in the state, Wasniewski had a big game on both sides of the ball for the Warriors. He batted out of the five spot in the lineup from the DH position and tallied three hits. Wasniewski stands in at 6-foot, 164-pounds with some present muscle in the upper body. He has a calm demeanor in the box from the right side and showed maturity in his approach throughout the game, using the pull-side/middle parts of the field. He has a simple and repeatable swing that works level and direct to the ball for consistent line drive contact. He later hopped on the mound to close out the game for McHenry. The right hander had some mixed results to begin the inning, giving up a run and putting the tying runner on second base with no outs. But the freshman showed a ton of composure and toughness, striking out the next two batters and getting a flyout to end the game and pick up the save. Wasniewski was working with an 83-86 mph fastball and a mid-70’s breaking ball as part of his arsenal on Monday night. The highly-touted freshman will be a name to continue to monitor as he gets more and more time on the varsity squad.”

Louisville commit, SS Colin Campbell (Brother Rice) remains at No. 3 in the class in this update. He showed well at this past winter’s Preseason All-State event, showing a whole field approach at the plate and advanced defensive actions. He’s an athletic, 5-foot-8, 150.8-pound prospect, running a 6.80 60 time at the event.

RHP Cole Ruggeri (Waubonsie Valley; Missouri commit) and SS Jacsen Tucker (Oswego East) are a pair of names rising in this update.

Ruggeri, now at No. 4, stands in an athletic and lean 6-foot, 162-pound frame. He’s an athlete on the mound with loose, easy movement and a clean arm action with quickness out front, touching 89.7 mph with his fastball this past winter.

From 2/24/24: “Missouri commit, INF/RHP Cole Ruggeri (Waubonsie Valley, 2026) did not disappoint in our staff’s first look since the 2022 PBR Junior Future Games. Ranked No. 6 in the state and No. 127 overall, Ruggeri is an athletic mover on the mound with all kinds of ease and fluidity paired with advanced arm-speed. His fastball sat in the upper-80s while topping out at 89.7 mph with arm-side run (avg. 15.2” HM) and carry through the zone. Arguably his best off-speed pitch was his changeup which sat 70-74 mph with swing-and-miss traits and clear fade to the arm-side (avg. 14” HM). His curveball sat 69-71 mph with 11/5 shape and future projection. At the plate, the right-handed hitter swings with intent, staying through the ball with extension while working on the barrel up the middle, reaching up to 94.3 mph for his max EV while averaging 90 mph, reaching up to 351’ for his max distance.”

Tucker, moving up to No. 5, stands in a hard-to-miss 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame with athleticism throughout and more strength still to come. He’s a 6.95 runner in the 60 with loose, easy swings from the right side of the plate, producing a max exit velocity of 93.2 mph at the Preseason All-State this winter. Below is our Scout Blog on Tucker from this spring:

From 4/20/24: “Uncommitted. Currently ranked No. 10 in the state. Ultra-projectable 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame, high-waisted with a lean and trim build, plenty of room to pack on strength. Got his first start on varsity and fit right in; advanced defender on the dirt, plays through the ball with rhythm and timing, soft hands with a clean glove-to-hand. Arm plays with carry and accuracy across from a short ¾ release. The right-handed hitter has a wide base with a minimal stride, hands have some movement pre-pitch, works to stay short to the ball with a flat path. High-level, high-ceiling prospect in the 2027 class.”

OF Josh Morgan (Fenwick), SS/OF Andrew Talbert (Byron), UTL/RHP Gavin Stanislawski (Brother Rice), and SS Blake Ragsdale (Lyons; TCU commit) all round out No. 6-9, and remain high-level prospects in the class.

Rounding out the top-10 in this update is RHP Trevor McClure (Mt. Vernon). Our most recent look at the long-limbed right hander, came this spring at the Kick-Off Classic, and below is our Scout Blog from that outing:

From 3/13/24: “6-foot-1, 170-pound long limbed multi-sport (basketball) athlete that started on the mound for the Rams against Mascoutah and popped as a high-follow, name-to-know arm in the state’s freshmen class. Simple, low-effort stretch-only delivery, upright posture throughout. Lead leg swings to an open-toed landing at front footstrike, drifts towards the first base side at finish. Arm plays with some length on the backside, loose and free shoulder, high ¾ finish. Fastball plays clean out the hand and touched 89 mph early, sitting at 85-88 mph throughout his start. Confident in his curveball, comfortable throwing it in any count to both handed hitters. Flashed sharp late action at 74-76 mph, developing feel and consistency but does have out-pitch potential. A high-ceiling arm that’s nowhere close to what he’ll ultimately be on the mound and is a must-follow prospect in the Illinois’ 2027 class.”

NEWCOMERS OUTSIDE THE TOP 10

Five names entered the rankings for the first time in this update, and the first one to take a look at is LHP Tyler Gluting (Metea Valley), coming in at No. 18. He’s an intriguing prospect that found some time on varsity this spring, and we’ve heard reports that his velocity has ticked up since we last saw him.

OF/RHP Wade Ozment (Crystal Lake Central) and INF/OF Ryan Tucker (Jacobs) come in at No. 27 and No. 28, respectively. Ozment attended last summer’s Prep Baseball Junior Future Games, and we’re hearing that his fastball velocity has continually ticked up since seeing him this past summer, and Tucker emerged as a follow this past winter at the McHenry Preseason ID.

SS Eli Michanicou (Dunlap) is entering the rankings for the first time at No. 29 after a successful spring for the Eagles. Michanicou found himself in the starting lineup throughout the season, playing second base. Below is a Scout Blog on him from the spring:

From 5/01/24: “Stands in an athletic frame at 5-foot-11, 160-pounds. Started at second base and batted seventh. Impressed in this look again, showing well defensively during IO with soft hands and a clean transfer with an accurate arm, showed range to both sides, too. From the right side of the plate he shows some fluidity in his load, was short to the ball with above-average bat speed through the zone. Finished the day 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI. A name to know in the freshman class.”

RHP Cameron Delahoussaye (Waubonsie Valley) rounds out the expanded rankings after an impressive showing at the Chicagoland Summer ID, where he showed well both at the plate and on the mound, touching 85 mph with his fastball.

CLICK HERE for the full look at the updated 2027 Illinois rankings.

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