After a long, eventful summer, it is time to hit the refresh button on the Illinois class of 2027 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, or even the Illinois State Games.

In addition to a new order, we also expanded the rankings to 40 players, with plenty of talented names still knocking on the door. 

For a look at the complete rankings, click HERE. 

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

Updated Rankings 

The top two players in the state remain the same, with Tennessee commit Sebastian Wilson (Lane Tech) and Kaden Wasniewski (McHenry) holding down the top of the class. 

RHP Brady Buenik (Libertyville) is seeing a significant jump up to No. 3 in the state thanks to a helium summer. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound right-hander has routinely been into the low-90s in our recent looks to pair with a swing/miss changeup and sweeping slider. 

2/24/24: RHP Brady Buenik (Libertyville, 2027) left Saturday’s event one of the biggest winners after showing an impressive bullpen with advanced polish for his age. His fastball sat 87-89 mph, topping out at 90.8 mph with heavy run to the arm-side and easy effort. His changeup, which sat 77-79 mph, had late sink and fade, with an average of 17.3 inches of horizontal movement and swing-and-miss characteristics. To round out his arsenal, Buenik threw a low-70s slider with sweeping tendencies, and he showed the ability to land the pitch for strikes at times. An impressive 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame, Buenik established himself as one of the top arms in the freshman class.

Rising one spot to No. 4 in the state, MIF Jacsen Tucker (Oswego) is an ultra-athletic and projectable prospect that has continued to stand out on both sides of the ball for our staff, particularly when he’s roaming around shortstop. 

8/06/24: MIF Jacsen Tucker (Oswego East) continues to impress as one of the top prospects in the state. Listed at an uber-projectable 6-foot-3, 173-pounds, Tucker is lean and highly athletic while still holding plenty of room for added strength in the future. He’s an advanced defender with high-level actions and an internal clock that allows him to play with timing and rhythm, making plays to both sides of his glove with ease and long/athletic strides - pairing with a strong arm (T85 mph) that can play on the move and from multiple angles. He has an athletic right-handed swing that continues to trend in the right direction; working up to 96.9 mph for his max EV in the workout. 6.85 runner in the 60.

MIF Trevor McClure (Mount Vernon) is rising four spots and now sits at No. 6 in the state. Listed at 6-foot, 166-pounds, McClure is an above-average runner with a 6.94 in the 60, and he has some other loud tools to pair. 

8/06/24: INF/RHP Trevor McClure (Mount Vernon) is an ultra athletic prospect with plenty more strength to come, standing in a 6-foot, 167-pound frame. His tools are intriguing, highlighting why he’s one of the top prospects in the state’s 2027 class. On the mound, McClure showed athletic movements and confidence to throw strikes with his entire repertoire. He displayed an upper-80s fastball with sink and quality spin. McClure frequently turned to a sharp 12/6 curveball that was up to 2576 rpm, and a slider with equally impressive spin (2329 avg. rpm), sitting 76-78 mph. He rounded out his arsenal with a change-up that played with mostly straight actions. At the plate, the right-handed hitter showed a simple, repeatable swing that was paired with a loose, level path and an up-the-middle-to-pull side approach. He finished the week 3-for-6 with a double, two runs, two walks and two stolen bases. A 6.94 runner, McClure’s athleticism translated to his defense, as he showed deliberate footwork and a strong arm that topped at 89 mph across the diamond during the showcase.

RHP/OF Cullen Schwigen (Rockridge) finds himself up to No. 8 after a strong showing over the course of the summer, most notably at the Super Sophomore Games and the Illinois State Games, where he showcased an upper-80s fastball and swing/miss slider. He’s an impressive athlete on the other side of the ball as well, boasting a 6.82 60-time and max exit velocity in the low-90s. 

8/06/24: RHP/OF Cullen Schwigen (Rockridge) stands in a hard-to-miss and projectable 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame. He tossed two innings on the mound and struck out three, walked one and allowed one hit and no runs. His fastball touched 88.5 mph, but sat mostly 84-87 mph with quality spin (avg. 2265 rpm) and some ride through the zone. He continues to improve his 73-75 mph curveball, continuing to show more feel for the pitch. It’s a swing-and-miss potential pitch with an average of -15.8 inches of horizontal movement (T-20.4”). Schwigen also showed well with the bat; both in the workout and during gameplay. The right-handed hitter swung a heavy barrel - reaching a max EV of 91.2 mph and peak distance of 355 feet during the workout. In-game, his power translated nearly leaving the yard twice with both a pull-side and a backside double. Schwigen’s impressive two-way profile makes him a must-know name in the state’s 2027 class.

LHP Chase Reinhart (Normal West) is jumping seven spots in this update to No. 15, and he’s impressed with a carry fastball that cruises in the mid-80s with a quality curveball/slider/changeup combination to pair. 

8/06/24: LHP Chase Reinhart (Normal West) is an upside southpaw that threw the ball well in his outing. He stands at a high-waisted 6-foot, 167-pounds, and is an athletic mover down the mound paired with a short, quick arm. His fastball worked up to 85 mph, flashing sharp run at times (T-19.7” HM). His slider played more vertically at 68-73 mph and earned whiffs throughout the outing. Reinhart would go on to punch out three over his 1 ⅔ scoreless innings, and is name to continue to follow in the state’s incoming-sophomore class.

C Ryan Wilberding (Libertyville) is rising one spot to No. 16, and he’s a physical right-handed hitter that has continued to perform in front of our staff on numerous occasions, also registering a max EV of 100 mph in-event. 

6/03/24 Ryan Wilberding (2027) looks to be the next high-follow catcher coming out of Libertyville HS. The 6-foot, 190-pound right-handed hitter was a presence in the varsity lineup as a sophomore and it is easy to see why with the advanced bat speed he showed during BP. Wilberding has power potential from the right-side and he averaged an impressive 91.9 mph off the bat during BP with his furthest ball traveling 359’. He also showed actions and tools to stick behind the plate long term. He was a quality receiver during the bullpen setting and then topped at 78 mph with pop times ranging from 2.01-2.03 during the defensive workout. Name to know in the 2027 class.

LHP/OF Tyler Gluting (Metea Valley) is an athletic two-way prospect that is rising a spot to No. 17 in this update. He has a big fastball that can reach up to 86 mph, and there is more velocity to come for the 5-foot-10, 150-pound southpaw. On the other side of the ball, Gluting swings an athletic bat from the left-side with all sorts of whip and looseness throughout. He’s also an athletic defender that is backed up by a strong arm (T85 mph OF). 

RHP Liam Nash (Westminster Christian) was one of the biggest winners from the Illinois State Games, striking out five over his two innings of work, and he slots in at No. 23 in this update. He has a durable 6-foot-1, 192-pound frame that should continue to add strength, and his fastball can already reach into the upper-80s. 

8/06/24: RHP Liam Nash (WestMinster Christian) gave a highly impressive look over his two innings of work, striking out five along the way. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound right-hander displayed well above-average arm-strength for his age, sitting in the 85-87 mph range throughout his outing while showing the ability to control the zone, especially the upper quadrant. His go-to secondary was his slider that played in the low-70s with sharp 10/4 bite and feel to land for strikes. High-follow arm.

Making his rankings debut at No. 24, RHP Justice Hernandez (New Trier) exploded on the summer circuit as a must-know arm in the state. He is highly projectable with a lean 5-foot-10, 142-pound frame, and his movement patterns paired with his quick arm indicate more velocity in the near future. 

7/10/24: After showing well at the Rock Summer Championships 15U and claiming a title at Grand Park during the Grand Park Summer Championships, Hernandez showed well again - this time at the PBT Wisconsin Open. After the previous looks at the electric right-hander, Hernandez’s stuff was on par with what was expected from him. After mounting a comeback against the squad they would eventually claim the weekend’s championship against, Hernandez’s relief appearance on Friday was dominant as he closed the door to secure a 6-5 victory. Over that one inning, Hernandez ran his fastball up to 84 mph and showed his wipeout slider, recording a strikeout in the process. Without allowing a hit, Hernandez’s first showing helped put CRB into the bracket games on Sunday. In his second appearance against MBA, Hernandez was dominant as he recorded six K’s over six innings of work. The wiry, 5-foot-10 RHP allowed two runs on just three hits which culminated in an 18-2 victory to win the tournament. The look from New Trier’s ‘27 graduate keeps him as a high-follow in Illinois as the summer circuit continues on.

Coming in at No. 27, C Shane Torres (Waubonsie Valley) is a toolsy backstop that continues to establish himself as one of the top players in the state. The left-handed hitter has a powerful stroke that can reach up to 90 mph for his max EV, and he has impressive BLAST metrics to pair; reaching up to 82 mph for his max bat-speed. He’s an advanced defender behind the plate for his age, reaching as low as 2.00 for his pop-time to pair with steady hands. 

OF Anthony Cartolano (Brother Rice) checks in at No. 30 in this update, and he’s an advanced athlete that continues to get better with each look we get, showing well in-event and on the tournament circuit. 

6/11/24: Anthony Cartolano (Brother Rice, 2027) was on the barrel throughout his round of batting practice, using the whole field with a flat, athletic bat path. Presenting a strong and athletic 5-foot-9, 175-pound frame; he was among the event leaders in max exit velocity (94 mph) and average bat speed (70.8 mph). Cartolano also showed one of the stronger arms for the event from the outfield at 84 mph with some athletic actions to pair. He also was among the event leaders during the 60, registering a time of 6.92 seconds.

Coming in at No. 31, 1B/LHP Dylan McCabe (St. Charles East) provides all sorts of upside in his 6-foot, 145-pound frame, and he’s been a consistent winner in front of our staff over the past year. He has a fluid left-handed stroke that has proven to play in-game, and he also provides some upside on the mound. 

2/11/24: 1B Dylan McCabe (St. Charles East, 2027) is an intriguing, upside left-handed hitter to follow moving forward. Listed at 5-foot-11, 140-pounds with all sorts of room to add on strength, McCabe has a loose, whippy swing with intent to lift to his pull-side, creating extension through impact, highly projectable swing and operation. On the infield, McCabe moves comfortably around the bag with fluid footwork and steady hands. High-ceiling prospect to follow throughout his prep career.

1B Michael Haran (Carmel Catholic) is a physical right-handed bat making his rankings debut at No. 33 in this update. Listed at 6-foot-2, 202-pounds, Haran swings a heavy barrel that can reach as high as 95 mph for his max EV with not a lot of effort. His operation is simple, allowing himself to have success in-game while using the whole field with authority. 

MIF/OF Isaiah Martin (Lane Tech) slides in this update and No. 38, and he’s an athletic, dynamic prospect that continues to trend in the right direction. He boasts some impressive tools for his age as well, maxing out at 91 mph for his EV while also being a 6.97 runner in the 60. 

7/10/24: At 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, Martin is a tooled-up outfielder with athletic features on both sides of the ball. At the plate, Martin features a smooth swing that was consistently on the barrel. The right-hander’s quick hands paired with clear confidence in the box showed well in the heart of the CRB order. Across the weekend, Martin had a plethora of timely hits that either plated runs or kickstarted an inning. In the field, he was deployed in left and center with a roughly even split. The to-be sophomore showed the ability to cover an immense amount of ground as well as flashing above average arm strength.

RHP Traxton Roberts (Armstrong Township) finds himself at No. 39 in this update, and he’s a projectable power arm that can run his fastball up to 86 mph with a low-effort operation and more in the tank. 

8/22/24: RHP Traxton Roberts (Armstrong, 2027) is an arm to know from Central Illinois. The projectable 6-foot-1, 175-pound righty worked his fastball up to 86 mph, which was good for the top fastball velocity from any 2027 arm in attendance. Roberts also featured a 68-71 mph splitter that killed spin and played with sink.

OF Keaton Ariano (Geneseo) takes over the final spot in the rankings at No. 40 and he showed well numerous times over the summer, including at invite-only events such as the Super Sophomore Games and the Illinois State Games. 

8/06/24: OF Keaton Ariano (Geneseo) stands in an impressive 6-foot, 182-pound frame with strength throughout the frame as well as present athleticism. He showed well during the showcase portion of the event, staying on the ball to all fields during his round of batting practice, producing an average exit velocity of 88.1 mph (T92.7). A 7.07 runner, Ariano’s athleticism translates to the outfield where he’s shown an above-average arm on throws to home (T85 mph).

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