Follow @PBR Ohio 

By Jordan Chiero and Dylan Hefflinger
Ohio Director of Scouting / Editor in Chief/Scout 

Interested in attending a PBR Ohio event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

Ohio Insider: Updated Class of 2018 Player Rankings (March)

As we wind down from a very eventful winter season, we turn our attention to the latest updates for Ohio's Class of 2018 Player Rankings. This year was our most extensive winter coverage, as we saw over 400 prospects in the 2018 class alone. Below we will take a look at “What’s New At The Top”, “Rising Prospects”, and some of the top uncommitted prospects.

What's New At The Top

Inside the top 20 there was some shuffling, but most of the faces stayed the same. The most notable move at the top was RHP/3B Nicholas Northcut. The talented prospect out of Mason has been a fixture inside the top five over the past few years, but his commitment to Vanderbilt and his summer spent with Evoshield had limited our chances to get a look at him. However when he attended our Preseason All-State event, he showed major improvements to his offensive game. Northcutt was the unanimous top performer at the plate, repeatedly showed power potential, driving ball after ball with authority and recording a record high 105 mph exit velocity with a wooden bat. His maturation process as a position player, to go along with his abilities on the mound, were enough to move him to the No. 2 spot.

Another prospect that noticeably improved his stock since the summer was CIF Cam Swanger. The Missouri commit has become noticeably more physical then when we saw him in August as a member of Team Ohio at the PBR Future Games. The added strength translated to his swing as he had noticeably more bat speed through the zone and pop off the bat. The Moeller standout moved into the No. 10 spot.

It is very rare for a prospect to come out of nowhere with the extent of our coverage, social media, and earlier recruiting tendencies in general, let alone jump into the top 15.

Well, C/3B Zade Richardson did just that after his very impressive winter performances. Prior to the Miami Valley Preseason Preview Richardson was largely an unknown in the recruiting world. The New Richmond product stood out amongst the competition in Dayton and then proved he belonged amongst the state’s best at the Preseason All-State event. Richardson is a very flexible defender that projects to be a well above average third baseman and flashed catch and throw abilities behind the plate that rival any prospect in his class. At the plate, he has loud natural tools and has the look of a run producer at the next level. Richardson has positioned himself at the No. 15 spot and the top uncommitted player in Ohio's 2018 class.

The Risers

Each time this year, we see prospects who have taken their game to the next level, especially prospects on the mound. This year was no different as we had a crop of arms prove they deserved to move up in the rankings.

RHP Ethan McCarty was a late add to the 2016 PBR Future Games roster, and held his own for Team Ohio. At the Future Games, he consistently sat 83-85 mph with feel for two secondary offerings. When he showed up to the Preseason All-State event he had added solid weight to his 6-foot-4 frame. The added physicality translated to a velocity jump (86-87 mph) and much sharper secondary stuff. His fastball also showed added run and sink than it had in the summer. The Edgewood HS ace finds himself at the No. 21 spot, moving up from No. 35.

Mitchel Megias came onto the scene as an arm to follow last winter. He had a strong spring as Gahanna Lincoln’s number two behind Jackson Wolf (the No. 6 overall prospect in Ohio’s 2017 class). Megias continues to get better and consistently sat 83-86 mph this winter. The 6-foot-3 right-hander has a very low effort delivery with an impressive changeup and a below average breaking ball. Frame still has room to fill out and has the look of a guy who has more velocity to come. After his strong winter, Megias moved inside the top 30, to the No. 28 spot.

Matthew Brosky continues to get better each time we’ve seen him. The recent Ohio University commit has a low effort delivery with an 85-87 mph fastball. Upon occasion uses a two-seam that has substantial run without losing much, if any velocity. The right-hander from the Youngstown area also has an array of offspeed offerings that are all playable.

Jackson Miller earned an invitation to the Preseason All-State event after turning heads by touching 89 mph at the IVL Scout Day. Along with his mid to upper-80s fastball, the righty also spins a very sharp breaking ball with depth that has some swing and miss to it. While he is more projectable on the mound, he also showed tools that make attractive as a position player. A switch-hitter that can make hard contact from both sides of the plate and an above average defender up the middle. He finds himself moving up to No. 45 in the class.

Kyle LaCalameto had a string of impressive performances this winter that vaulted him up to the No. 58 spot in the 2018 class. The southpaw out of Kings HS is Mechanically efficient with a fast arm. Repeatedly showed the ability to run and cut his low to mid-80s fastball (81-85 mph). Also spins a hard breaking, 1/7 curveball and offers a well above average changeup.

Although it was mostly the arms moving up in the 2018 rankings, two of the top uncommitted players in the class,  OF Ryan McCurry and  C Cole Andrews, made notable jumps as well.

McCurry (a member of Ohio’s 2016 PBR Future Games team), has always been known as a prospect that can flat out fly. This winter he showed improved tools across the board with a bat the has more pop than he has gotten credit for and the ability to play center field. It is worth noting that he showed his speed again by running in the 6.4 range twice at the Force Ohio Scout Day. The Solon HS standout moved up to the No. 24 position.

Andrews has always been known for his skill set behind the plate, and not as much for his bat. At the Preseason All-State event he displayed a much louder bat than he has had in the past. The Watterson backstop took one of the most impressive BPs at the event, consistently hitting towering fly balls to left that looked to have the distance to leave the park. Andrews moved up to the No. 31 spot in the class.

THE NEWCOMERS

Aside from Richardson, we saw multiple prospects that earned a spot in the 2018 rankings, as we added close to 80 new names.

LHP Wesley Earles burst onto the scene after the Midland Scout day. The recent Wright State has much more velocity to come, currently sitting 80-84 mph with his fastball. Offers to very impressive breaking balls, being consistently in the zone with both. Also, throws a more than playable changeup with late fade to it. Earles move inside the top 25, to the No. 23 spot.

Division 1 schools across in the midwest might want to add the name Garrett Priestley to their follow list. The LHP out of Buckeye Senior HS found himself at the No. 30 spot following a lights out performance at the Premier Ohio Scout Day. Fastball sat 84-87 mph (a majority of fastballs were 86-87 mph) with natural ASR and occasional sink. Changeup is his best secondary offering and breaking a ball showed potential.

Going from unranked to the No. 41 spot is 6-foot-3 RHP Brett Souder. The RHP out of Kings HS looked like a different guy than the one we saw in the early summer. His fastball jumped from 78-81 mph to 83-87 mph, with much heavier run and sink. Secondary stuff has room to grow but the frame and arm talent is there.

Jonathan Ambro is one of the more interesting prospects in the 2018 class. The RHP out of Highland HS could easily be a guy we look at a year from now under the “Risers” category as he matures physically. The 6-foot-5 RHP has long limbs with room to fill out and reminds me some of 2017 Wright State commit Henry Von Hollen at the same stage of their development. Arm works well and he sits 82-84 mph, topping at 86 mph with his fastball. Secondary stuff is playable and he is far from his ceiling on the mound. He currently sits at No. 49 in the class.

It was our first time seeing RHP Jarrett Miller and he was impressive enough to move to the No. 60 spot in the class. Secondary stuff has room to improve, the arm talent is there. Miller consistently sat 85-87 mph with his fastball, topping at 88 mph. Also showed a two-seam that was 84-85 mph with some run to it.

6-foot-4 and up to 87 mph off the bump will turn some heads and that’s what Zach Losey did at the Cincinnati Preseason Preview. The Tippecanoe product has long limbs with room to fill out and a loose arm. It was our first time seeing Zach but he is definitely one of the more interesting arms in the class. Losey currently rounds out the top 50.

Another very interesting arm that came on to the scene is LHP Rollie Sheriff. A 6-foot-3 frame with all the physical signs for added velocity to a fastball that currently sits 80-83 mph. Secondary stuff is impressive as well. A definite arm to get out and see this spring.

Few prospects have improved over the past year as much as C Nick Renken. The Desales backstop has added solid strength that translates directly to his offensive game. A left-handed bat that has a series of well-timed movements and swings with intent. A twitchy hitter with impressive natural tools and the ability to drive the ball with authority. Also, noticeable improved measurables behind the plate since the summer. Renken currently finds himself at No. 65.

TOP UNCOMMITTED PROSPECTS BY POSITION

Below we look to name the top 3-5 prospects in specific categories for the 2018 class. Beyond the top 3-5, there are numerous prospects that can help a collegiate program in some capacity.

+ Top Right-Handed Arms: Ethan McCarty, Mitchel Megias, Tyler Hays

+ Top Left-Handed Arms: Drake Batcho, Garrett Priestley, Rollie Sheriff

+ Top Catching Prospects: Zade Richardson, Cole Andrews, Manny Vorhees, Jarrett Miller, Nick Renken

+ Top Corner Infield Prospects: Trenton Gillison, Griffin Merritt, Jack Warncke

+ Top Middle Infield Prospects: Nicholas Erwin, Greg Gilbert, Evan Fromwiller

+ Top Outfield Prospects: Ryan McCurry, Seth Gergely, Bryce Johnson

+ Sleeper Prospects: Carson Comer, Brennan Gick, Brody Clark, Ethan Langham, Jackson Meter

 

PBR OHIO CLASS OF 2018 TOP 255

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Austin Becker	OH	Big Walnut	2018	RHP	Vanderbilt
2	Nicholas Northcut	OH	Mason	2018	RHP	Vanderbilt
3	Cole Ayers	OH	Loveland	2018	RHP	Kentucky
4	Casey Maniglia	OH	Solon	2018	OF	North Carolina
5	Cal Conley	OH	Loveland	2018	SS	Miami
6	Zach Dezenzo	OH	Marlington	2018	SS	Ohio State
7	Nick Thwaits	OH	Fort Recovery	2018	RHP	Kent State
8	Lane Flamm	OH	New Richmond HS	2018	RHP	Xavier
9	Nolan Clegg	OH	Toronto	2018	OF	Ohio State
10	Cameron Swanger	OH	Moeller	2018	1B	Missouri

***** To view the entire top 255, please click here.