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By Jordan Chiero, Dylan Hefflinger and PBR Staff
Ohio Director of Scouting / Editor in Chief/NW Scout 

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Ohio Insider: Updated Class of 2017 Player Rankings (March)

As the winter showcase season comes to an end and the spring season being right around the corner, we at PBR Ohio would like to take a look at the Class of 2017 Player Rankings.

Our staff evaluated talent all across the Buckeye state during the fall/winter seasons and we have had the pleasure of seeing a large group of solid players, both in the spring and summer. Prospects are popping up left and right, making velocity jumps, improving 60-yard dash times and showing more power with the bat.

With that being said, we will look into “What’s New At The Top”, some “Rising Prospects”, "The Newcomers" and take a look at some of the top uncommitted prospects.

What's New At The Top

This winter gave us a chance to get one last look at the 2017 class before the High School season gets underway. In particular, the Preseason All-State event brought some of the state’s top 2017 talent to Columbus to perform in front of professional scouts. Some guys really showed they had taken the next step and as result, we had some movement inside the top 10.

Michael Kirian Takes Over The Top Spot

The Louisville commit had been largely under the radar over in 2016 due to an ACL injury. Kirian immediately stood out physically at Preseason All-State when he stepped on the mound at 6-foot-6, 240-pounds. His frame alone had scouts taking notice. Then when his first two fastballs were above 90 mph … well needless to say, he had their full attention. Throughout the bullpen, he flashed a 90-93 mph fastball, which he complemented with a sharp breaking ball and feel for a changeup. His performance was impressive enough to put his name at the top of the class. Look for him to be one of the most dominating pitchers this spring.

Jackson Wolf, Justin McConnell, Peyton Deats Move Into The Top 15

Wolf has always had huge potential, with a 6-foot-7 frame and a loose arm, but for the most part, just been a low-80s guy. This winter, the southpaw showed that this was no longer the case, as the Gahanna Lincoln ace hopped on the mound at Preseason All-state and consistently sat 86-88 mph, topping at 89 mph with his fastball. The lefty's fastball had heavy run at times. The West Virginia commit made his way from No. 24 to No. 6 in the rankings.

Few, if any, did more to improve their stock than Justin McConnell. The Wright State commit has used the past year to become a beast physically, adding 20 pounds of strength that has obviously translated to his game. His measurables are off the charts, as he ran a 6.7 60-yard dash, showed 90 mph arm strength across the infield, and was 92 mph off the tee with a wood bat. McConnell was equally impressive in his evaluations, showing all the tools to play shortstop and be a run producer at the next level. The Springboro HS product made his way from outside the top 25 to the No. 7 spot.

Peyton Deats is far from an unknown, and has been a regular in the top 20 for the 2017 class. However, this winter he showed he has taken his game to another level. The southpaw features an easy, 85-88 mph fastball with all the physical signs of more velocity to come. It will be fun to watch how he continues to develop under Coach Birkbeck at Kent State.

The Risers

The past few months a number of prospects have shown they deserved to move up in the rankings. Many prospects made a jump in the rankings and a few in particular really took their game to the next level.

Trevor Damron
Previous Rank: 41
Current Rank: 15
Scouting Report: This southpaw out of Firelands HS has always been the guy who showed potential, but had yet to make the jump everyone was expecting. This winter, he proved the wait for that jump was over. The Coastal Carolina commit sat 84-88 mph with his fastball at the Preseason-All State event with impressive secondary offerings.

Cade Rybolt
Previous Rank: 65
Current Rank: 19
Scouting Report: The Springfield Shawnee product looked electric at Preseason All-State. The Dayton commit has a quick arm that generated a heavy fastball that touched up to 90 mph. Rybolt also showed feel for two secondary offerings and the ability to run/cut his fastball.

Jacob Kates
Previous Rank: 96
Current Rank: 30
Scouting Report: This was our first look at Kates, as he has flown largely under the radar during the spring and then played his summer ball down south with the Evoshield Canes organization. An imposing presence in the box at 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, Kates showed off a smooth swing with advanced feel for the barrel. The High Point commit shows all the signs of being a middle of the order bat at the next level.

THE NEWCOMERS

Eric Wentz
Scouting Report: Wentz recently committed to Indiana Wesleyan University. His skill set at the plate fits just about anywhere in the lineup. Wentz has impressive bat speed through the zone with the ability to drive the ball into the gaps. The outfield prospect ran a sub 4.2 to first base, was 86 mph off the tee, and showed 85 mph arm strength from the outfield.

Kyle Burke
Scouting Report: The 1st basemen brings loud natural tools to the plate. The bat speed and strength are impressive. His bat speed is created with a low effort fluid swing. The ball jumped off his bat in batting practice, showing signs of power potential.

Landon Vance
Scouting Report: A talented unsigned senior that would be a solid addition to a college roster. A flashy infielder that plays with confidence. At the plate, the ball comes off his bat well, showing gap-to-gap pop. Bat path is slightly uphill as a result of weight staying on back leg at contact. The Brush product has the tools to be a run producer.

TOP UNCOMMITTED PROSPECTS BY POSITION:

Below we look to name the top 3-5 prospects in specific categories for the 2017 class. Beyond the top 3-5, there are numerous prospects that can help a collegiate program in some capacity. Our 2017 class is one of, if not the deepest classes we’ve had. There are number of players still on the board that could help out a college program in some capacity. Here are some of the top uncommitted guys at each position.

+ Top Right-Handed Arms: Caleb Canter, Kevin Finzer, Garrett Wissman, Collin Sammons, Charlie Gordon

+ Top Left-Handed Arms: Daniel Rutherford, Ricky Handel, Ryan Profitt

+ Top Catching Prospects: Craig Palidar, Collin Hannan, Jordan Cavanaugh

+ Top Corner Infield Prospects: Hunter Hughes, Jake Shier, Jacob Peters

+ Top Middle Infield Prospects: Samuel Frontino, Wes Reid, Griffin Stevens

+ Top Outfield Prospects: Blake Obringer, Cole Antle, Ryan Schwartz

PBR OHIO CLASS OF 2017 TOP 415

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Michael Kirian	OH	New Riegel	2017	LHP	Louisville
2	Tyler Brown	OH	Olentangy Orange	2017	RHP	Vanderbilt
3	Luke Waddell	OH	Loveland	2017	SS	Georgia Tech
4	Seth Lonsway	OH	Celina	2017	LHP	Ohio State
5	Xavier Moore	OH	Amherst Steele	2017	RHP	Ohio State
6	Jackson Wolf	OH	Gahanna Lincoln	2017	LHP	West Virginia
7	Justin McConnell	OH	Springboro	2017	SS	Wright State
8	Brock Mathis	OH	Fairfield	2017	C	Louisville
9	Dillon Dingler	OH	Jackson	2017	C	Ohio State
10	Jake Ruby	OH	Bishop Hartley	2017	OF	Ohio State

***** To view the entire top 415, please click here.