VA/DC 2026 Rankings: Risers
September 3, 2024
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With age and experience comes growth. The ten young men below are players who have made sizable jumps between the lines and with that have made a significant jump in the upcoming rankings release. Read more about the areas they have grown and where the future on the field lies.
2026 Rankings Risers
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Landon Bauer SS / 2B / LOUDOUN VALLEY HIGH, VA / 2026Bauer showed out this summer at the plate. Coming off of an All-State worthy spring at Loudoun Valley, the left handed hit tool continues to impress. 6.9 runner, versatile defender, and a left handed swing that has shown some adjustability to go along with a willingness to hit in different counts.
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Chase Dorsey SS / 2B / James Madison HS, VA / 2026Long and lean 6-foot-1 frame. Functional athlete, average runner that should continue to get faster, and a chance to have impactful offense long term. Had some of the best BP for Team Virginia/DC at Future Games. Uses the whole field, some power potential to pull, and displayed the ability to hit in two strike counts. Really like the ceiling and future potential for this NOVA infielder.
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Tre Hamilton OF / OF / Ocean Lakes, VA / 2026The athletic 6-foot outfielder had a monster summer. Sub 6.9 runner, rangy defender in centerfield, slightly above average arm strength, and has shown a tick up with the offensive impact at the plate. Doubles power in both gaps and has flashed more to the pull side. Quiet pre-pitch, repeatable load and stride, and has length through contact. The hands are fluid, has above average bat and hand speed, and still has ceiling left to his game. This one will be one to follow this fall and into the spring.
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Ethan Hudson RHP / OF / HIGHLAND SCHOOL, VA / 2026Hudson had some up and down outings in front of our staff during the spring and summer. The now Highland right hander has shown the ability to compete with his stuff, but the stuff, primarily the velo, has been a touch light. On the backend of the summer the fastball found another gear, resulting in a Future Games invite. The velo crept into the upper 80's and the slider velo ticked up right along with the fastball. Hudson worked two quick and clean innings to close out Future Games for Team Virginia/DC, closing out a very strong last 3-4 weeks of his summer.
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Thomas Jewett SS / OF / Paul VI, VA / 2026Compact 5-foot-7, 170-pound frame. Short and compact swing at the plate with length out front and has displayed some adjustability in the swing. More doubles from gap to gap, but a bit more power than maybe the frame would suggest. Leverages the swing well and creates some loft to get to that doubles power. Above average arm strength, average runner, and probably more 3B/2B defensive profile.
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Cooper Molloy 2B / SS / Atlee, VA / 2026What can sum up Molloy in a few words? Hand-eye, bat to ball, barrel control, hits, and defends. Versatile offensive skillset that puts pressure on the defense and can do a variety of things to help a team win. Uses the whole field in approach and does not possess much swing and miss. More contact driven and will hit occasional doubles from line to line. Defensively, it profiles best at second base, but he is a really really quality defender at second. Can throw on the run with accuracy, makes the tough ones look easy, and finishes a double play pivot as well as anyone in the state. Run tool is average and plays a bit better in game, but that is the one area where he has the room for the most growth.
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Owen Peltier SS / OF / Paul VI, VA / 2026This Paul VI infielder has really started to come into his own. Sub 6.8 runner who can impact a game on the bases, as well as at the plate. With visible added strength, the hands and bat speed have improved. It is a compact swing with balance and some explosiveness through the zone. It is a bigger leg lift to stride and some moving parts pre-pitch, but when he gets it down on time and is synce up, it really works. Average arm strength with maybe more 3B/2B profile in the infield and has the footspeed and athleticism to potentially move to left field/center field, offering some positional versatility.
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Vincent Porcaro SS / RHP / Deep Run, VA / 2026More compact 5-foot-10 frame with proportional strength throughout. Porcaro has some sneaky strength at the plate when working to middle and pull. Quick hands and has some pull side tendency to the swing. Defensively, Porcaro has slightly above average arm strength from the left side and can make just about any throw from that side of the field. He has taken a jump up in the rankings because of some of the added power that he has shown the ability to get to in game, as well as an increase in arm strength allowing him to make plays on the left side of the infield.
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Grayson Shield OF / LHP / Gloucester , VA / 2026Really like the direction this Gloucester left handed bat is going. He showed a drastically improved run tool this summer after he ran a 6.70 at the Summer State Games, shaving nearly a half second since last October. Short level path with line drive tendency, willing and capable of using the whole field in approach, and has a solid feel for the barrel. Line drive, contact bat that has a chance to hit for average with occasional doubles from gap to gap.
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Kason Wagner 3B / RHP / Miller School , VA / 2026Wagner has long shown the ability to pitch and win, but the stuff has been light. Over the course of the spring and into the summer, the velo took a small step forward and the secondary improved. The Miller School right hander usually worked in the low 80's earlier in the spring and would run an occasional 84-85 with the fastball. As he got later into the spring and summer, the velo was holding in the mid 80's and touching an occasional 87. Wagner is an ultra-competitive arm on the mound, and you would expect nothing less. He knows how to pitch with what he has and as he continues to mature and add to his arsenal, he will continue to rise.
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