By Ryan Quigley
Illinois Scouting Director

Yesterday the Class of 2015 Overall Rankings were updated, so today we’ll take a look at where our top Illinois prospects fit within that list.

The landscape of the updated overall Class of 2015 player rankings have changed dramatically, chiefly because the landscape of the Prep Baseball Report state-specific coverage area has expanded since the last update.

It is important to note that the PBR overall rankings only reflect the states that we intimately know from our boots-on-the-ground scouting staff. The updated Top 400 Class of 2015 rankings now includes Florida, Louisiana and Maryland, in addition to our previously established states. All told, the overall rankings include 21 states and Ontario.

The inclusion of Florida dramatically changes the overall rankings, as the state is a hotbed for talent at the national level. For example, in last year’s June MLB Draft, 50 players with ties from Illinois (college or high school players) were drafted, while 161 prospects with Florida ties were drafted (79 in the top 20 rounds alone). Still, Illinois maintains 34 prospects ranked within our Top 400 Overall.

Michigan commit Charlie Donovan, the No. 1 ranked player in Illinois, parlayed a strong winter showing and sits at No. 22 overall in the rankings. Donovan is the No. 3 overall shortstop behind probably No. 1 overall pick Brendan Rodgers (Lake Mary, FL) and No. 9 overall Nick Shumpert (Highlands Ranch, CO).

Lincoln-Way North’s Kyle Ostrowski comes in at No. 24, but is the No. 2 overall left-handed pitching prospect in our coverage area, behind only No. 6 Juan Hillman (Olympia, FL). With the scarcity of quality left-handed pitching, Ostrowski could hear his name called early in June’s MLB Draft if he has a successful spring campaign.

Like left-handed pitching, premium catching prospects are a valuable commodity come draft time. Joliet Catholic’s Nick Dalesandro ranks No. 42 overall in our rankings, but is the No. 2 overall catching prospect behind No. 20 Wyatt Cross (Legacy, CO). Dalesandro, who has the athleticism to play multiple positions and is already an elite catch-and throw prospect, should see his all-around catching game increase as he focuses exclusively on the position.

Let’s take a look at where the rest of the Top Illinos Prospects fit in the Top 400 Overall Rankings:

 

54	Bryan Hudson	IL	Alton	2015	LHP	Missouri
58	Liam Jenkins	IL	Lincoln-Way North	2015	RHP	Arizona State
63	Ethan Skender	IL	Metamora	2015	SS	Kansas State
69	Brenden Spillane	IL	Wheeling	2015	OF	Illinois
74	Fitz Stadler	IL	Glenbrook South	2015	RHP	Arizona State
78	David Craan	IL	Whitney Young	2015	C	Illinois
110	Jeremy Orbik	IL	Homewood-Flossmoor	2015	RHP	Kentucky
115	Cole Daily	IL	Sacred Heart Griffin	2015	SS	Notre Dame
118	Shane Ritter	IL	Plainfield South	2015	RHP	Iowa
137	Malcolm Grady	IL	Homewood-Flossmoor	2015	RHP	Wabash Valley
159	Scott Kapers	IL	Mount Carmel	2015	C	Valparaiso
170	Chris Holba	IL	O'Fallon	2015	RHP	East Carolina
172	Chris Botsoe	IL	Hinsdale Central	2015	OF	Louisville
184	Nick Zouras	IL	Hersey	2015	C	Illinois State
185	Peyton Isaacson	IL	Galesburg	2015	C	Coastal Carolina
186	Josh Stowers	IL	Mount Carmel	2015	OF	Louisville
221	Cole Bellair	IL	Lockport	2015	RHP	Illinois
223	Trent Johnson	IL	Metamora	2015	RHP	Arizona
224	Ako Thomas	IL	Mount Carmel	2015	2B/MIF	Michigan
251	Tyler Halas	IL	St. Rita	2015	SS	Tennessee
256	Keegan McHood	IL	Argenta Oreana	2015	RHP	Kentucky
282	Cole Berry	IL	St. Joseph-Ogden	2015	RHP	Eastern Illinois
286	Trey Schramm	IL	Hampshire	2015	RHP	Xavier
332	Alex Weigand	IL	Bradley Bourbonnais	2015	LHP	Evansville
335	Kyle Shimp	IL	Yorkville	2015	LHP	Iowa
353	Brett Newberg	IL	Moline	2015	LHP	Austin Peay
357	Cory Wright	IL	St. Charles North	2015	1B	Kansas State
364	Mitchell Boe	IL	Joliet Catholic	2015	SS	Iowa
371	Jesse Forestell	IL	Homewood-Flossmoor	2015	C	Western Michigan
374	Willie Bourbon	IL	Stevenson	2015	3B	Northwestern
387	Mitchell Janssen	IL	Princeville	2015	RHP	Bradley

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