Prep Baseball Report

NJ: Updated and Expanded 2017 Rankings



By TJ Hunt
New Jersey Scouting Director

Taking into consideration the late fall, winter season and national events such as the Super 60 scouted over the last couple of months, we have updated the New Jersey 2017 rankings once again. This crop of seniors features plenty of high-end arms with impressive overall depth.

Over the course of the last few months, this senior class has continued to strengthen. There are legitimate First Team All-State candidates up and down the rankings. 

Looking at the Top 10, RHP Brad Dobzanski (Delsea HS, NJ) remains at the top of the list in New Jersey. The 6-foot-3 185-pounds right hander sits 88-89 touching 90-91 routinely with command of an 11/5 breaking ball at 80-81.

UPenn recruit, LHP Brendan Bean (Gloucester Catholic HS, NJ) moved his way up into the Top 25. Bean has a strong 6-foot-1, 212-pound frame, big strong lower half, One of the top Left Handed Pitchers in South Jersey. Fastball is 85-87 mph with arm side run, Changeup he uses as an out pitch at 75-76 with good downward movement and slight arm side run. Slider was 78-79 with 2/7 break with swing and miss potential, especially to right handed hitters

The Top 20:

RANK NAME STATE SCHOOL CLASS POS COMMITMENT
1 Brad Dobzanski NJ Delsea 2017 RHP Kentucky
2 Devin Ortiz NJ St. Joseph's Montvale 2017 RHP Virginia
3 Drew Wilden NJ West Deptford 2017 LHP Maryland
4 Nick Egnatuk NJ Immaculata 2017 3B Pittsburgh
5 Brandon Jenkins NJ Sterling 2017 RHP Campbell
6 Andrew Papantonis NJ Delbarton 2017 SS Virginia
7 Buddy Kennedy NJ Millville 2017 3B North Carolina
8 Eric Heatter NJ Monroe Twp. 2017 LHP Rutgers
9 Davis Schneider NJ Eastern Regional 2017 3B Rutgers
10 Collin Kiernan NJ Verona 2017 RHP Rutgers
11 Zachary Dreznin NJ Northern Highlands 2017 RHP Notre Dame
12 David LaManna NJ Bergen Catholic 2017 C Notre Dame
13 Justin Willis NJ Memorial WNY 2017 RHP Vanderbilt
14 Tommy Sheehan NJ Manasquan 2017 LHP Notre Dame
15 Harry Rutkowski NJ Woodbridge 2017 LHP Rutgers
16 Will Schaffer NJ Summit 2017 LHP Pennsylvania
17 Jordan Winston NJ Allentown 2017 LHP Oklahoma State
18 Ryan McLinskey NJ Don Bosco 2017 RHP Seton Hall
19 Kyle Angel NJ Saint Joseph's, Metuchen 2017 RHP Northeastern
20 Aaron McLaughlin NJ Barnegat 2017 SS Rutgers


 The Breakdown
Rutgers has seemed to put their stamp on NJ's 2017 class, with five of the Top 20 going to play on the Banks of the Raritan next year. The next highest signees are to Notre Dame (3: Dreznin, LaManna, Sheehan) and Virginia (2: Ortiz, Papantonis).

Of the Top 10, the Big Ten and ACC are tied with four recruits apiece from the Garden State - with the SEC (Dobzanski) and Big South (Jenkins) coming in with one recruit each.

The Top 20: High School Conferences
Big North: 4
Greater Middlesex: 3
Colonial: 2
Shore: 2
Tri-County: 1
Colonial Valley: 1
Skyland: 1 
Northwest Jersey: 1
Cape-Atlantic: 1
Olympic: 1
Super Essex: 1
Hudson County Interscholastic: 1
Union County Interscholastic: 1
 
The Top 20: Commitments
Rutgers: 5
Notre Dame: 3
Virginia: 2
Kentucky: 1
Campbell: 1
Pittsburgh: 1
North Carolina: 1
Vanderbilt: 1
Pennsylvania: 1
Oklahoma State: 1
Seton Hall: 1
Northeastern: 1
Maryland: 1