Updated Class of 2026 Player Rankings (September)
September 25, 2023
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Updated Class of 2026 Player Rankings (September)
Thanks to a great spring and summer season, we had the opportunity to see numerous prospects and are updating each of our class rankings based off what we have seen.Many names came off the board to some of the top programs around the nation, many new names came to the forefront of the recruiting scene, and many prospects improved their game.
That being said, we have had the pleasure of seeing a number of solid players this past year. Prospects are popping up left and right, making velocity jumps, improving 60-yard dash times and showing more power with the bat.
As the school year here and with fall ball right around the corner, we will take a look at "Top Uncommitted Tools”, “The Risers", "The Newcomers", and some of the top uncommitted prospects by position.
To view the Class Rankings, click below:
To view the Prospect Reports, click below:
To view the entire Class of 2026 rankings, please click here.
Top Uncommitted Traits
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Chandler Taylor OF / 3B / Badin, OH / 2026Hit Tool: In a year where the recruiting rules have shifted, you have to be 100% sure about bringing a 2026 to the Future Games. Well we had no doubts Taylor belonged and he did nothing but confirm our previous thoughts on him which have been well documented. There’s still work to do but we believe he has a chance to be in the conversation with the prolific hitters the state has produced in the past 5-10 years. |
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Landon Thiel LHP / Massillon Jackson, OH / 2026Rankings StateRank: 11 / POS: 4
Mound Upside: This class is absolutely loaded with arms…however the prospect that has the shortest path to being an elite prospect is Thiel. When talking upside the conversation needs to start with NCTs (non coachable traits). The Jackson product is a 6-foot-7, good moving strike thrower with velocities north of 80mph. Those traits are enough to be a D1 arm at any age, let alone going into your sophomore year. With three more years in a program that has a pedigree of churning out high level arms…..the sky's the limit. |
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Keaton Bowers C / SS / Hilliard Bradley, OH / 2026Rankings StateRank: 14 / POS: 1
High Ceiling, Low Floor: When analyzing prospects we not only try to predict what you think they’ll be at the next level we also look at the ceiling and the floor. Typically prospects coveted by college coaches have either a high ceiling or a high floor. Meaning they either are willing to take a chance on a prospect with elite traits but not quite there yet (high ceiling) or take a prospect that may not have the elite physical traits potential but is a consistent in-game producer (high floor). We think you’re looking at both here with Bowers. Left-handed hit tool with significant physical projects left and can play multiple positions. At the end of the day we just don’t see a world where he doesn’t impact the game in several ways at the next level. |
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Jack Ryan 3B / RHP / St. Xavier, OH / 2026Two-Way Talent: With the 2026 class being one of, if not our top class we’ve had in the past decade or so, the Vegas odds of who ends up being ranked No. 1 by the end of this process are relatively evenly split with in the top 4-5 guys and Jack is directly in the middle of that conversation. Power arm / power bat who was one of two, 2026s that we took to the Future Games. On the biggest stage he shined on both sides of the ball. Initially in his evaluation process we had him ahead with the arm vs the bat … we'd probably still lean that way but by a razor thin margin ... he’s turned himself into a legit two-way option at the next level.
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Casey Myser LHP / 1B / Highland, OH / 2026Rankings StateRank: 10 / POS: 3
5-Tool Athlete: There’s few, if any that offer a more well-rounded skill set in this class than Myser. A 6-foot-2, 200-pound well put together athlete that can impact the game in all phases. On the bump the southpaw is up to 85 mph and doesn’t take much of an imagination to see it being 90+ before his prep career ends. Offensively he’s explosive with some of the top raw power traits in the state. If you want an idea on his athleticism through 4 games of high school football he has 58 carries for 647 yards and 8 touchdowns. |
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Conner Cuozzo 3B / RHP / Archbishop Moeller, OH / 2026Raw Power: Evaluating power potential can be more complicated than the general public may believe. Even the most prolific power guys in the state will hit 2-4 home runs during their high school season. We expect Cuozzo to end up being one of those guys and for more than physical traits. Yes, the strength/bat speed combination on paper is elite - near 80 mph bat speed, physical, and upper 90s jump. However, movement patterns also translate to natural lift and we’ve seen him be a barrel machine in game. Simply put he has the natural tools and movement profile offensively that we could see flirting with double digit bombs at the collegiate level. |
Risers
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Cameron Anderson RHP / SS / West Clermont, OH / 2026Rankings StateRank: 15 / POS: 4
Report: Remember this name. He appeared on our “sleeper list” last rankings cycle where we had him in the Top 50 when he was low 80s. The bullpen he threw at Midland Scout Day screamed more velocity in the tank. Well he seems to have jumped even faster than we thought and is a candidate to be a big time prospect heading into 2024. Athletic, smooth and pitchability with a quality arsenal that now features a fastball reportedly up to 87mph. |
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Owen Mikin C / RHP / St. Ignatius, OH / 2026Rankings StateRank: 16 / POS: 2
Report: Mikin just keeps getting better and better. Albeit he has quality traits across the board, the arm talent is near or at the top of the class. The jury is still out where his high ceiling will be - you could easily see him being an elite catching prospect, one of the highest velo guys in the state on the mound, or both. As of now our crystal ball says him being a 90+ arm off the bump and one of the top defenders in the state behind the dish with college coaches choosing which option they think best fits their roster. |
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Drew Oerther 1B / LHP / Loveland, OH / 2026Rankings StateRank: 30 / POS: 1
Report: Another high-level, two-way talent in the class. We got an in depth look at the 6-foot southpaw this summer at Ohio State where he was up to 84 mph off the bump and showed power potential with the bat. We also see substantial projection left with both the arm and the hit tool. |
Newcomers
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Kade Romine RHP / SS / Hilliard Darby, OH / 2026Rankings StateRank: 62 / POS: 19
Report: The bullpen we saw from Romine is eerily similar to the bullpen we saw from Cam Anderson this winter which we highlighted earlier in this article. A 6-foot-1, smooth moving righty with low to mid 80s juice now and physical indicators of much more to come. A guy that you could see sky rocket up these rankings if he takes the jumps we think are in store for him. |
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Caleb Driessen RHP / SS / Summit Country Day, OH / 2026Rankings StateRank: 37 / POS: 11
Report: Driessen had a really good summer, following a spring where he was an impact arm as a Freshman. There’s a lot to like here and we think he falls into that high ceiling, high floor category we talked about earlier. There’s physical projection when it comes to the frame at 6-foot-1, with room to add and the ability to fill up the zone. Doesn’t take much of an imagination to see this being an upper 80s arm (if not higher) that can control the zone with his entire arsenal before it’s all said and done.
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Carson Powell RHP / SS / Lucasville Valley, OH / 2026Rankings StateRank: 41 / POS: 12
Report: Another arm we think is going to go stock up in a big way. A good athlete on the bump with one of the quickest arms in the state. We’ve seen it up to 86 mph and with how well he moves, the armspeed, and at just 145-pounds, he has a chance to take big jumps over the next few years. |
TOP UNCOMMITTED PROSPECTS BY POSITION
Below we look to name the top 5 prospects in specific categories based on primary position in profile for the 2026 class rankings. Beyond this group, there are numerous prospects that can help a collegiate program in some capacity.
- Top Right-Handed Arms: Ben Hanley | Cameron Anderson | Grant Lashutka | Johnathan Brenner | Logan Minamyer
- Top Left-Handed Arms: Casey Myser | Landon Thiel | Dominic Singleton | Kenyon Oakes | Bryce Eckert
- Top Two-Way Prospects: Jack Ryan | Conner Cuozzo | Casey Myser | Cameron Anderson | Owen Mikin
- Top Outfield Prospects: Chandler Taylor | James Haupt | Zander Triplett | Isaac Sullivan | Enzo DiCocco
- Top Second Basemen Prospects: Nicholas Hood
- Top Shortstop Prospects: Garrett Dilcher | Peyton Frontino | Izaiah Amarise | Wil Kraus | Ryan Bass
- Top Third Basemen Prospects: Jack Ryan | Conner Cuozzo | Aidan Sullivan | Landon Wolf | Drew Jones
- Top Catching Prospects: Keaton Bowers | Owen Mikin | Dax Redman | Zach Church | Patrick Brancel
***** To view the entire rankings, please click here.
PBR OHIO CLASS OF 2026 TOP 10
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Commitment | |
1 | ![]() |
Parker Van Engelenhoven | OH | Olentangy Liberty | 2026 | RHP | Louisville |
2 | ![]() |
Matt Ponatoski | OH | Archbishop Moeller | 2026 | SS | Missouri |
3 | ![]() |
Jack Ryan | OH | St. Xavier | 2026 | 3B | |
4 | Shawn Sullivan | OH | Walsh Jesuit | 2026 | RHP | Alabama | |
5 | ![]() |
Chandler Taylor | OH | Badin | 2026 | OF | |
6 | Bryson Wittmer | OH | Milan Edison | 2026 | LHP | Louisville | |
7 | Deacon Nelson | OH | University School | 2026 | SS | Virginia | |
8 | ![]() |
Conner Cuozzo | OH | Archbishop Moeller | 2026 | 3B | |
9 | Drew Hauenstein | OH | Olentangy Liberty | 2026 | LHP | Ohio State | |
10 | Casey Myser | OH | Highland | 2026 | LHP |
***** To view the entire rankings, please click here.
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