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Underclass Showcase: Takeaways

October 22, 2024
By: Pete Hamot & Tyler Defibaugh
Illinois Staff

On Sunday, October 20th, the Prep Baseball Illinois staff hosted the Underclass Showcase at The Max in McCook, IL. This event was host to just under 40 players of the 2027/2028 grad classes, and gave our staff one final look at some up-and-coming players in the state before the fall finishes up. 

Today, we begin our post-event content with a look at some of the standout players from the day, with scouting reports and videos, below. 

Position Players 

+ INF Leobel Chan (Elmwood Park, 2027) is a name to follow from the event. The right-handed hitter showcased quick hands with some whip in the barrel, working into a flatter path with a balanced finish. He worked to stay up the middle of the field and to his pull-side, reaching up to 92 mph for his max EV with a max distance of 338’. On the infield, he's a smooth defender with an easy first step and soft hands, also showing body control on the run-through play. 

+ Another strong follow from the day is INF Jayden Figueroa (Grant, 2027). Listed at 5-foot-10, 154-pounds, the right-handed hitter took a quality round of BP with an easy/balanced operation, loose hands that work into a flat path, and intent to elevate at times to his pull-side (T91 mph EV). On the infield, he showed a steady two-hand gather that works out front with patient actions and feel for the position, fluid footwork through the ball. 

+ INF James Obaldo (Fenwick, 2027) had a strong all-around showing over the weekend. A right-handed hitter, Obaldo has an upside swing and operation with a whippy barrel and loose hands, works with a slightly uphill path with intent to elevate. Athletic and fluid defender with feel for the position, advanced actions and strong arm (T82 mph). 

+ INF Tanner Toback (Lane Tech, 2027) is a quality follow from the event. The right-handed hitter has strong, quick hands that work into a flat path with a whippy barrel, working to keep the ball on a line up the middle of the field with a max EV of 89 mph. He showed quick hands once again on the infield, pairing with a clean transfer, confident actions and hands. Strong arm across the infield, compact arm with an over-the-top release, T81 mph. 

+ C Emmett Schulze (Oak Park-River Forest, 2028) is a right-handed hitting catcher to know from the event. At the plate, he creates some separation in his hands into footstrike before working into a steeper path that tries to stay on top of the baseball. Defensively he showed clean actions with steady hands, working in-line out of the chute and gaining ground to second on throws. 

+ INF Carl Pedersen (Hinsdale Central, 2028) is a fluid infielder with an upside right-handed swing to make note of. At the plate, he works short to the ball and long through the zone with extension and a clear effort to stay on top of the ball, used the middle of the field and his pull-side consistently. On the infield, he showed fluid footwork with soft hands, playing with rhythm and smooth actions. 

+ INF Anthony Oster (Mount Carmel, 2028) put together a loud round of BP from the right side in his workout, reaching up to 90 mph for his max EV. He has a flatter swing that stays through the zone, showing little perceived effort despite the ball jumping off the bat. 

+ One name that really stood out on the day was INF Julio Ayala (Montini, 2027). He has a projectable, athletic frame, standing 5-foot-11, 178-pounds. At the plate, the left-handed hitter displayed loose wrists with a fluid, handsy swing, creating bat-speed with feel to use the whole field, reaching up to 93 mph for his max EV with an average of 86 mph (T355’). Fluid defender on the infield, plays in his legs with smooth actions and soft hands. Well above-average arm-strength across the diamond, T87 mph, can play from multiple angles. 

+ OF Johann Lasn (York, 2028) stood out physically with his 6-foot-1, 171-pound frame, looking to still have all sorts of room for added physicality in the coming years. He’s an above-average athlete, cruising to a 7.02 in the 60, and he has strength in his right-handed bat, reaching up to 92 mph for his max EV. Defensively, he displayed a one-handed gather that works off to the side of his body, playing through the ball into his crow hop. Shorter arm circle with a high ¾ slot, topping out at 80 mph. 

+ OF Brandon Beasley (Oak Park-River Forest, 2027) is a strong-bodied, L/L prospect to know from the day. Listed at 5-foot-11, 193-pounds with broad shoulders and some strength throughout, the left-handed hitter was on the barrel with some authority throughout his round, reaching up to 94 mph for his max EV with a max distance of 342’. He has a flatter swing that stays through the zone, getting some extension out front with line-drives up the middle of the field. On defense, Beasley showed controlled and deliberate actions with steady hands, playing through the ball with long/easy strides (T83 mph OF).

+ Another prospect with a high-ceiling to know from the day is OF Jenner Smith (Hersey, 2028). Listed at a high-waisted 6-foot, 150-pounds, Smith holds plenty of room to add on strength throughout the coming years. A right-handed hitter, he showcased a compact and balanced swing that stays mostly flat through the zone with intent to stay on top of the ball, middle/pull approach that worked on the barrel, also was able to elevate with ease (T90 mph EV; T345’). Quality arm from the outfield, reaching up to 80 mph from a crow hop. 

+ 1B Harry Resis (New Trier, 2027) stands in at a physical 6-foot-4, 238-pounds and he appears to have big power potential in his left-handed stroke. He has an easy swing with a heavy barrel, flicking the barrel through the zone to create a max EV of 95 mph (T360’). He put up some impressive BLAST metrics to pair, averaging 21.5 mph for his hand-speed and 73 mph for his bat-speed. 

+ Currently ranked as the No. 1 prospect in Illinois, OF Sebastian Wilson (Lane Tech, 2027) did nothing but further cement his status as one of the top players not just in the state, but in the country. He improved his 60-time from a 6.76 to a 6.58 in less than a year, and his left-handed swing is as strong as ever; reaching up to 101 mph for his max EV with a max distance of 400’. He has explosive hands that create all sorts of bat-speed through the zone, elevating the ball with ease to all fields. On defense, he’s an athletic mover with bounce in his step and fluid footwork, pairing with confident hands and a well above-average arm (T89 mph OF). 

+ INF/C Alexander Burke (Oak Park-River Forest, 2027) provides an intriguing switch-hitting profile with defensive versatility. On the infield, Burke is an advanced defender with fluid actions and timing, boasting confident hands and clear feel for the position. Behind the plate, he has a quick transfer while working in-line from the chute, quick release with a best pop-time of 2.16 seconds. His left-handed swing appears to be ahead of his right side at the moment, working with rhythm in his hands and a flat path with feel to use the whole field. 

Two-Ways

+ SS/RHP Gavin Weston (Hampshire, 2028) gave an intriguing two-way look over the weekend. At the plate, he has a loose right-handed swing with a flat path and balanced finish. On the infield, he showed soft hands that secure the ball into his body, smoother mover with a quick first step and range up the middle. Weston then hopped on the bump and showed intrigue with his two-pitch mix. His fastball played clean out of the hand with heavy arm-side action (avg. 14.5” HM), sitting in the mid-to-upper 70’s. His slider showed 10/4 bite and played effectively to the glove-side part of the plate. 

+ 3B/RHP Miles Mazanowski (Lane Tech, 2027) was another two-way winner from the day. He has a physically advanced frame that still holds room to add strength in the coming years, listed at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has a loose and athletic swing that stays balanced throughout with a flat path, reaching up to 98 mph for his max EV while averaging 91 mph (T366’). He has soft hands with easy actions on the infield, moving well up the middle and also showcasing a strong arm (T85 mph). Mazanowski later would get on the mound and throw the hardest fastball for the event, topping out at 84 mph with carry through the zone (avg. 17.5” IVB). His slider looked to be a potent out-pitch at 71-73 mph with sharp 9/3 shape and high-spin (avg. 2662 rpm). Mazanowski is an arm to keep tabs on heading into the spring. 

+ LHP/OF Anthony Kilimnik (Joliet Catholic, 2027) is a trim, high-waisted, and athletic 5-foot-9, 146-pound prospect to know. His arm is athletic and clean from a high ¾ slot, paired with a loose delivery. His fastball was clean out of the hand with carry, playing in the upper 70’s (T79.9 mph). Kilimnik’s curveball was arguably his best pitch of the event, showing 1/7 action, feel to spin, and strong feel for the strike zone (75% strikes). He would then go to a low 70’s slider that flashed feel to spin (avg. 2327 rpm) with 3/9 shape and feel for the zone. Kilimnik would round out his arsenal with a 72-74 mph changeup that played with downer fade. On the other side of the ball, the left-handed hitter showed a smooth and easy stroke that works on top of the baseball and up the middle of the field. He showed advanced actions in the outfield with bounce and fluid footwork, pairing with confident hands. Strong arm from a crow hop, reaching up to 82 mph. 

Pitchers  

+ Putting together one of the better ‘pens on the day was RHP Colin Giles (St. Ignatius, 2027). Giles is an athletic mover at an imposing and long-limbed 6-foot-4, 177-pounds. HIs mix was headlined by a low 80’s fastball (T83 mph), that played with sink and arm-side run, reaching an average spin rate of 2454 rpm. His 69-73 mph curveball was a potent offering as well; playing with a sharp 11/5 shape and also showing to be a high-spin offering (avg. 2677 rpm). Giles would round everything out with a 76-77 mph changeup that had heavy arm-side fade (avg. 18.5” HM), and showed promise as another quality secondary pitch down the road. 

+ RHP Hunter Bergdahl (Lakes Community, 2027) is an arm to follow from the event. Standing at a high-waisted 5-foot-11, 147-pounds, Bergdahl is an athletic mover down the mound with a clean and loose arm to pair. His fastball topped out at 79.6 mph, playing clean out of the hand, and was thrown for strikes. His curveball was the best of his offspeed offerings, showing 11/5 shape with big break at 59-62 mph. 

+ RHP Alexander Aridas (Maine South, 2027) caught our attention with how he moves down the mound at a long-limbed and high-waisted 6-foot, 133-pounds. The righty was able to repeat his delivery that featured a high leg-kick and drop/drive lower-half. His fastball played in the upper 70’s with occasional sink and was thrown for strikes over 60% of the time. His changeup showed to be a quality secondary offering, playing with heavy sinking action (avg. 4.5” IVB) and feel for the zone. 

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