As the summer draws to a close and the fall set to get underway shortly, the Prep Baseball Kansas staff has once again updated the state’s 2026 rankings. Our expansive knowledge of the state’s incoming junior class has only grown since our last update, with the 2024 Future Games, a full summer circuit of showcases, tournaments, and more under our belt.

We take a look at the Top 10, noticable newcomers, and the top committed and uncommitted risers, all detailed below.

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The Top 10

This edition of our rankings update sees some shuffling and new faces at the top of our board. INF/RHP Beau Peterson (Mill Valley) remains at the top of the list as he continues to cement his status as one of the top two-way prospects in the nation. LHP Tucker Thompson (Gardner-Edgerton) shoots up four spots to No. 3 after a huge summer that saw him put together one of the most impressive outings across the board at the Future Games, tossing two perfect innings against Team Wisconsin.

Arguably, one of the biggest winners from the Team Kansas’ trip to the Future Games, INF/OF Brady Stewart (St. Thomas Aquinas) continues to shoot up our rankings, jumping more than 14 spots to land in our top 10 at No. 8 followed by two more fresh faces in RHP Otto Knust (Shawnee Mission South) and INF Ethan Carswell (Blue Valley) who enter at No. 9 and 10 respectively to round out the top 10.

RANK	NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
1	Beau Peterson	KS	Mill Valley	2026	INF/RHP
2	Keaton Neal	KS	Spring Hill	2026	INF/RHP	Florida
3	Tucker Thompson	KS	Gardner-Edgerton	2026	LHP
4	Carson May	KS	Olathe East	2026	C
5	Max Hamilton	KS	Olathe West	2026	RHP
6	Parker Clubb	KS	Mulvane	2026	C/RHP	Louisville
7	Milo Burton	KS	Olathe East	2026	INF/RHP
8	Brady Stewart	KS	St. Thomas Aquinas	2026	INF
9	Otto Knust	KS	Shawnee Mission South	2026	RHP
10	Ethan Carswell	KS	Blue Valley	2026	INF

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Biggest Risers

Brady Stewart SS / 2B / St. Thomas Aquinas, KS / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 8 / POS: 2 A true utility player who plays high end defense not only at 3 infielder spots, but at all three outfield positions as well, Stewart rises 14 spots into the top 10. Stewart also proved he was a polished hitter with an advanced approach, collecting five hits in three games at the Future Games for Team Kansas.

Otto Knust RHP / 1B / Shawnee Mission South, KS / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 9 / POS: 2 Kunst sees his name jump 12 spots into the top 10 in this rankings. The 6-foot-4 210-pound right hander has added consistency and velo, dominating hitters with a fastball up to 93 at this year's Future Games.

Luke Hanahan OF / RHP / Blue Valley Southwest, KS / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 14 / POS: 2 Hanahan had one of the biggest breakout performances at the Future Games with an impressive workout day and loud barrels in game play.

Roch Emanuel RHP / OF / Piper, KS / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 16 / POS: 4 Another hulking arm who has polished his game on the mound, the 6-foot-5, 245-pound righty filled up the zone with his fastball up to 90 and consistently landed a swing and miss breaking ball at the Future Games. Emanuel sees his name rise nine spots in this rankings.

Max McKenna RHP / 3B / Shawnee Mission South, KS / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 17 / POS: 5 After a solid spring where he showed the ability to really compete on the mound, McKenna saw a velo jump at the end of his summer, giving him a solid three pitch mix featuring a 90 mph. The 6-foot-3, 176-pound right-hander jumps 14 spots in these rankings.

Danny Napier III C / 1B / Louisburg, KS / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 30 / POS: 5 Country strong only begins to describe Napier. Surprisingly agile for his 6-foot-256-pound frame, Napier runs a sub 7.0 60 and shows impressively quick hands and feet behind the dish. Offensively, the right handed hitter shows in game exit velos in the upper 90s and is still polishing his swing with more to come. The small school product is up 35 spots.

Henry Goodwin SS / 2B / St. Thomas Aquinas, KS / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 33 / POS: 8 With strong baseball bloodlines, Goodwin has started to come into his own this summer and shows no signs of slowing down. One of the more technically sound infielders in the state, Goodwin will only continue to get better with added size and strength. A high follow prospect is up 17 spots.

Brandon Neis LHP / OF / Mill Valley, KS / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 40 / POS: 5 We got to see Neis for the first time while at the Building Champions Scout Day this summer and were impressed. Neis sees his name catapult up 54 spots with his fastball now reaching into the mid 80s and a loose and fast arm that promises more velo to come.

Nolan Bell RHP / Blue Valley, KS / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 52 / POS: 15 Up nearly 40 spots, Bell has seen his velo shoot up into the mid 80s. More impressive than the fastball though, is his near 2400 spin rate slider that he lands for strikes and collects swing and misses on. Bell has plenty of room in his 6-foot-1, 180 pound frame.

Reed Hackleman C / 3B / Mulvane, KS / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 57 / POS: 9 Hackleman puts up solid numbers in showcase, but it is his in-game play that has pushed him up over 50 spots in this rankings. Offensively, the left-handed hitter is a hit collecting machine against all levels of pitching showing impressive consistency throughout the spring and summer. Defensively, Hackleman has also proven he can handle a high-end pitching staff and control the run game.

Newcomers

Tre Wilson C / OF / Iola, KS / 2026 Wilson jumps into our rankings at No. 23 after one of the most impressive performances of the summer at our Heart of America Summer ID, finishing atop the leaderboards in nearly every statistical category. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior’s loud, physical barrel from both sides of the plate paired with strong defensive actions both from behind the plate and in the outfield makes him one of the most intriguing uncommitted prospects in the class.

Luke Nelson 3B / 1B / Bishop Miege, KS / 2026 Packed with physicality at 6-foot-3, 225-pounds, Nelson cracks our rankings for the first time after an impressive summer and a standout performance at the Kansas Fall Kickoff, sliding in at No. 25 in this edition. Nelson continues to develop into a true power threat at the plate with gap-to-gap pop and advanced bat speed that can translate to the next level.

Gavin Perez LHP / OF / Shawnee Mission East, KS / 2026 We got our first look at Perez this summer at the Building Champions Scout Day earlier this June. The 6-foot, 160-pound lefty swung a quick barrel that worked line drives to all fields at the plate. However it was on the mound where Perez impressed the most, pitching in the mid-80s with his fastball and spinning a 2,500+ RPM curveball in the mid-70s. Perez will be a prospect to keep an eye on as he adds strength and size to his frame.

Caden Wallace LHP / OF / Olathe East, KS / 2026 One of the most projectable lefties in the class, Wallace enters our rankings at No. 37 overall. Sporting a long-levered, 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame with a quick, effortless arm action to pair, the junior worked up to 83 mph with his fastball at our Royals Scout Team Scout Day in June while being even firmer in game across several looks this summer. Look for Wallace to rise in our rankings as he continues to add strength and polish to his game.

Haiden Peterson SS / RHP / Shawnee Mission North, KS / 2026 Peterson slides in at No. 41 in our rankings after a breakout spring for the Bison and continued to impress our staff at our Kansas City Top Prospect Games. With quick-twitch explosiveness on both sides of the ball, Peterson swings a quick, right-handed barrel with an all-fields approach at the plate, showing clean, fluid actions on the infield with the ability to stick at the next level, making him a name-to-know prospect in the class. Peterson also competed on the mound for SMN this spring, making him a legitame two-way prospect at the next level.

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