Prep Baseball Report

Updated 2018 Overall Rankings Released



By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

It’s been a busy three-plus months since the last overall Class of 2018 rankings update. Spanning the spring high school season and the first half of the summer - both on the state and national levels - our boots-on-the-ground scouting staff has seen a dizzying amount of baseball. All of which is reflected in our updated and expanded Top 400 Class of 2018 rankings.

It is important to note that the PBR overall rankings only include the states that we intimately know from our scouting staff. The updated Top 400 Class of 2018 rankings is comprised of our current 35-state coverage area, which now includes recently added Mississippi.

With the Class of 2018 now taking center stage after June’s MLB Draft, much has changed. While there have been significant shake-ups throughout the overall rankings, the top remains largely intact.

OF Jarred Kelenic (Waukesha West HS, WI) holds firm at the No. 1 spot. While this 2018 class features a bevy of high-level power arms, Kelenic’s legitimate five-tool skill-set - particularly his polished left-handed bat - separates him from his peers.

 


Florida’s 2018 class is especially deep and talented this year, even for Florida’s lofty standards. Four Florida prospects reside in the top 10 - and 13 of the top 50 - headlined by RHP/C Mason Denaburg (Merritt Island HS, FL), RHP Slade Cecconi (Trinity Prep HS, FL), 1B Triston Casas (American Heritage HS, FL) and switch-hitting SS Nander De Sedas (Montverde Academy HS, FL). Both Denaburg and Cecconi are athletically built righties who have been in the 93-97 mph range this summer, while Casas features the best left-handed power bat in the class. De Sedas has separated himself as the premier middle infield prospect in our coverage area.

RHP Cole Winn (Silver Creek HS, CO) and OF Michael Siani (William Penn Charter HS, PA) also hold firm in the top 10.

Three new names slide up into the top 10, starting with C/INF Noah Naylor (St. Joan of Arc, ON), who vaults to No. 4 after his eye-opening performance at the PBR Ontario ProCase. If the Naylor name sounds familiar, it’s because his older brother, Josh, was a first-rounder three years ago. OF Alek Thomas (Mount Carmel HS, IL) moves back into the top 10 after delivering in big ways, both during the high school season and throughout the national showcase circuit this summer. At the PBR Midwest ProCase in June, the left-handed hitting centerfielder ran a 6.43 laser-timed 60 while showcasing his high-level defensive and offensive skill-set. Few players in the country were more dominant this spring than LHP Ryan Weathers (Loretto HS, TN), and the Vanderbilt recruit carried his dominance into the summer. Over the last year, Weathers has steadily climbed the ranks up to No. 9.

 

Noah Naylor
Texas’ loaded 2018 class has some of the biggest overall risers in the updated Top 400 list, starting with LHP Jonathan Childress (Forney HS, TX), who’s now the top prospect in the Lone Star state, RHP Matt Rudis (Madisonville HS, TX), INF Jordan Groshans (Magnolia HS, TX), RHP Riggs Threadgill (Fredricksburg HS, TX) and LHP/1B Joseph Menefee (George Ranch HS, TX).

There were many big risers outside of Texas, too. Some of the most significant risers include: RHP/INF Seth Halvorsen (Heritage Christian Academy HS, MN), RHP Mike Vasil (Boston College HS, MA), RHP Lenny Torres (Beacon HS, NY), OF Robby Martin (Jefferson HS, FL), OF Zaid Walker (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, IL), OF Denzel Clarke (Everest Academy, ON), OF Jordyn Adams (Green Hope HS, NC), OF Levi Usher (Cedar Rapids Prairie HS, IA), C Adrian Del Castillo (Gulliver Prep HS, FL) and LHP Drew Rom (Highlands HS, KY), to name a few.
Enough reading about it. See for yourself.

A look at the Top 20:
RANK NAME STATE SCHOOL CLASS POS COMMITMENT
1 Jarred Kelenic WI Waukesha West 2018 OF Louisville
2 Mason Denaburg FL Merritt Island 2018 C Florida
3 Slade Cecconi FL Trinity Prep 2018 RHP Miami
4 Noah Naylor ON St.Joan of Arc 2018 C Texas A&M
5 Triston Casas FL American Heritage 2018 1B Miami
6 Nander De Sedas FL Montverde Academy 2018 SS Florida State
7 Alek Thomas IL Mount Carmel 2018 OF Texas Christian
8 Cole Winn CO Silver Creek 2018 RHP Mississippi State
9 Ryan Weathers TN Loretto 2018 LHP Vanderbilt
10 Mike Siani PA William Penn Charter 2018 OF Virginia
11 Jonathan Childress TX Forney 2018 LHP Texas A&M
12 JT Ginn MS Brandon 2018 RHP Mississippi State
13 Austin Becker OH Big Walnut 2018 RHP Vanderbilt
14 Owen White NC Jesse C Carson 2018 RHP South Carolina
15 Jack Perkins IN Kokomo 2018 RHP Louisville
16 Matt Rudis TX Madisonville 2018 RHP Texas Christian
17 Brandon Howlett FL George W. Jenkins 2018 3B Florida State
18 Elijah Cabell FL TNXL Academy 2018 OF Louisiana State
19 Joe Gray MS Hattiesburg 2018 OF Mississippi
20 Simeon Woods - Richardson TX Kempner 2018 RHP Texas


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CLICK HERE for Complete Top 400 List