By Chris Valentine and the PBR Ohio Staff

If college programs are looking for pitching in the Class of 2016, they need to look no further than the Buckeye State.

21 of the top 25 ranked players in the latest edition of the Class of 2016 rankings are pitchers or two-way prospects with a legitimate chance to pitch at the next level.

Massillon Washington RHP/SS Chris Machamer, one of the nation's top recruits, maintains the top spot in the rankings. Machamer, who is on pace to decide between his choice of major college programs or the MLB draft, is blessed with a low 90's fastball on the mound and the tools to excel in the field and at the plate at the next level.

Lebanon C Ty Duvall (Vanderbilt recruit) stays behind Machamer at No. 2 while a pair of southpaws in Moeller LHP Nick Bennett and Solon LHP Nathan Alstadt follow at No. 3 and No. 4.

Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy OF/C Chase Murray, who recently committed to Georgia Tech, jumps into the rankings at No. 5. The talented left-handed hitter made noise this off-season as he began to pick up several offers from programs around the region.

Napoleon RHP Layne Schnitz-Paxton jumps into the rankings at No. 6. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound righty was impressive at the Final Event of the Winter at the end of February with a mid to upper 80's fastball and a hard 69-71 mph breaking ball.

Canton Central Catholic RHP Jake Vance, who shows advanced command of multiple pitches and plenty of projectability for the future, sits at No. 7.

Utica RHP/OF Jimmy Crabtree, one of the top athletes in the class, follows at No. 8. With his best baseball ahead of him, Crabtree offers plenty of raw skills for the future. He features an upper 80's fastball, a sub 7.0 60, 91 mph velocity from the outfield, 87 mph across the infield, and a top exit velocity of 91 mph off the tee.

Rounding out the top ten, we turn to a pair of teammates from Moeller in RHP Cam Junker and LHP AJ Juelg. Junker, the No. 9 ranked prospect, is a 6-foot-4, 170-pound righty with a low to mid 80's fastball and projectability that will draw college scouts to Moeller's JV games this spring. Similarly, Juelg, the No. 10 ranked prospect, displays clean arm action that produces a low 80's fastball with good movement as well as a 67-68 mph breaking ball with good depth and a 73-75 mph changeup.

To view the complete Top 60 rankings, please click here.

Movers and Shakers

+ Vandalia Butler RHP Mitch Gremling, Moeller LHP Kevin Brenning, Bellefontaine RHP Tyler Jones, Beavercreek LHP Jackson Tedder, Crestview LHP Michael McDonough, and Anderson RHP Dylan Smith are just a few of the notable pitchers to make significant jumps into the rankings.

+ Loveland 1B/3B/RHP Jay Wilson is one of the fastest rising position players. The talented left-handed hitter is garnering attention from programs in the Big 10, MAC, ACC, SEC, and American Conference.

Facts to Ponder

+ Of the 21 pitchers ranked in the top 25, 15 of those pitchers are 6-foot-2 and above.

+ The RHP/LHP breakdown for the top 21 pitchers splits at 8 and 13 respectively. 

+ One of the biggest positions of strength in this class may be at first base with six talented left-handed hitting first baseman showing up in the rankings.

+ The Southwest Region claims 10 of the top 25 players.

+ If you are expecting Moeller to run dry on talent anytime soon, think again. The Crusaders have seven sophomores on the list.

+ Rankings will be updated again at the end of June after the Top Prospect Games and Class of 16/17 Games are complete. 

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Christopher Machamer	OH	Massillon Washington	2016	SS
2	Ty Duvall	OH	Lebanon	2016	C	Vanderbilt
3	Nick Bennett	OH	Moeller	2016	LHP
4	Nathan Altstadt	OH	Solon	2016	LHP
5	Chase Murray	OH	Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy	2016	C	Georgia Tech
6	Layne Schnitz-Paxton	OH	Napoleon	2016	RHP
7	Jake Vance	OH	Canton Central Catholic	2016	RHP
8	Jimmy Crabtree	OH	Utica	2016	RHP
9	Cameron Junker	OH	Moeller	2016	RHP
10	Andrew Juelg	OH	Moeller	2016	LHP