Given the countless number of showcases, camps and tournaments that took place throughout the fall, an update to the Illinois’ 2019 rankings was long overdue. Last week the 2019 overall rankings were released, reflecting the top 400 rising juniors in the PBR current 36-state coverage area.

The Illinois 2019 list has seen a few changes within the Top 10 and has been expanded from 125 to 150 prospects. The No. 1 player in the class has not changed as Quinn Priester (Cary Grove), a Texas Christian commit, remains cemented at the top. Despite still being only a junior, one could make a strong case that Priester is the most complete arm in the state, regardless of age. The highly-athletic right-hander has been up to 93 mph, generally sitting 89-91 with command of the strike zone. He also possesses a curveball and changeup that both have potential to be a plus-pitch. Priester is also a standout quarterback for the Trojan football team who finished the season 7-4. The Trojans lost in the playoffs 17-13 to Prairie Ridge, the eventual 6A state champions.

Jumping up to No. 2 in the state is Zachary Lee (Effingham), another extremely talented and projectable right-handed pitcher. Lee, who is committed to Kentucky, was one of the top arms on Team Illinois at the Future Games this August. At the event, the quick-armed right-hander peppered the zone with a fastball that was up to 91 mph with late arm-side-run. Lee seems to have plenty more in the tank and has feel for a three-pitch mix.

Zachary Lee (8.2.17)

Rounding out the top five is C Matt McCormick (St. Laurence), SS Andrew Wiegman (Carmel Catholic) and OF Jason Hodges (Marist); all of whom have sat comfortably in the top five for the past year.

TOP 10

RANK	NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
1	Quinn Priester	IL	Cary Grove	2019	RHP	Texas Christian
2	Zachary Lee	IL	Effingham	2019	RHP	Kentucky
3	Matt McCormick	IL	St. Laurence	2019	C	West Virginia
4	Andrew Wiegman	IL	Carmel Catholic	2019	SS	Louisville
5	Jason Hodges	IL	Marist	2019	OF	Missouri
6	Grant Leader	IL	Lyons Township	2019	RHP	Illinois
7	Brody Harding	IL	Moline	2019	SS	Illinois
8	Cole Kirschsieper	IL	Lincoln-Way East	2019	LHP
9	Xander Rojahn	IL	Elk Grove	2019	RHP	Arkansas
10	Clark Elliott	IL	Barrington	2019	SS	Michigan

 

The top newcomer inside the top 10 is also the top uncommitted prospect in the state, LHP Cole Kirschsieper (Lincoln-Way East). The quick-armed left-hander, who now sits at No. 8 in the state, burst onto the scene at the Future Games this August topping out at 88 mph with his fastball and featuring two above-average off-speed pitches. Kirschsieper one-upped his Future Games performance with his semi-final outing at the PBR Fall Championship in September. In his six inning victory, in which he threw a total of 62 pitches, Kirschsieper induced a ton of early, weak contact using a fastball/changeup combination. The talented left-hander has potential to be a weekend starter at the next level.

Stay tuned over the next couple of days as we continue to dig deeper into the updated rankings.

CLICK HERE for complete Illinois 2019 Rankings.

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