Updated Class of 2027 Alabama Rankings
December 11, 2024
As the year winds down and players prep for the upcoming Spring, we've continued to evolve the 2027 Alabama Rankings and update it for the final time in 2024 with a few small changes inside the top-75. As the build-up for the high school season is in full swing, we shine the light on a few of the prospects who have elevated their status as prospects heading into their sophomore seasons.
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As always, the evaluation process is a fluid and ongoing process with multiple viewings in order to get the best feel for players abilities. It’s important to note that as players continue their development some show marked improvement at a much more rapid pace. That doesn’t indicate that other players got worse or went backwards, it’s just how player development works. As the year unfolds, players make improvements and new prospects pop up on the radar expanding the Prep Baseball rankings universe. In addition to the evaluations of players, our scouts, both those in Alabama and nationally, have also had multiple discussions with each other to review our individual lists and then make adjustments based on what we've each seen.
To view the Class of 2027 Rankings, CLICK HERE.
The Top-10 in the Class of 2027
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Rocco Maniscalco SS / Oxford, AL / 2027"Uncommitted. 6-foot-0, 188-pounds. Athletic frame with some lean strength and still tons of projection. A former PB Jr. Future Games alumni and current top-100 prospect nationally and certainly showcased why with arguably one of the best showings out of any prospect in attendance. The rising sophomore delivered some big swings down the stretch for Oxford this past spring, and appears to be the next premier prospect in line to come out of the pipeline for that program. A switch-hitter with pop from both sides of the plate with the left-handed swing showing a bit more output in our looks, but equally adept from both sides. Loose hands with loads of bat and hand speed to help impact the baseball, which he did during his round posting numerous mid-90s readings and a top EV of 100.1 mph, which was third-best from the event. Sizable power projection and tapping into some now, showing it off during gameplay with a loud swing off the top of the RCF fence for a triple in his first at-bat of Game 2. A 7.3-runner earlier this summer on turf, Maniscalco also trimmed down his 60-yard dash to 6.90 at this event and showcased that athleticism going from H to 3B on the triple. Also an elite defender who played third base during the spring, but should slide to shortstop in the near future and certainly has the glove to do so. Can flat pick it with good footwork and range, and has plenty of arm strength to back it up working up to 92 mph across the infield during the workout. Just a special talent in the 2027 class in Alabama who continues to do things your typical rising sophomore in high school isn't able to do." |
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Jamarkius Smith RHP / Reeltown, AL / 2027"Smith is already known as one of the top right-handed pitchers in the 2027 class in the country, and his performance on the mound this weekend did nothing but boost his stock. Standing a lean 6-foot-3, 170-pounds, Smith is an elite caliber athlete with near limitless projection on the mound. A long and loose arm, the right-hander consistently sat 91-93 mph and touched 93.4 mph in the early going with his fastball before settling 90-92 mph. It’s an advanced fastball with an extremely high whiff rate, but his slider sitting 74-78 mph is seemingly his best pitch with the innate ability to spin it and land it in the zone. He appeared to be comfortable pitching backwards in the outing and was 65-70% slider. Just an uber-athletic prospect with a substantially high ceiling." |
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JB Upton SS / Auburn, AL / 2027"Uncommitted. 5-foot-10, 184-pounds. Strong, athletic frame with tons of quick-twitch. Present compact strength throughout and uses it well. Another highly-touted prospect in the 2027 class in Alabama who is ranked inside the top-105 nationally. One of the biggest winners and eye-opening performances from the event while seeming to live on the barrel once he walked into the complex. A switch-hitter who took quality swing after quality swing from both sides of the plate during his round of BP, resulting in a top EV of 99.4 mph and a max estimated distance of 387 feet. Short and direct to contact who shows the ability to hammer it out front or let it travel and drive it the other way. Has an innate feel for the barrel with good twitch and athleticism in the swing. Absolutely hammered an opposite-field ground-rule double during gameplay for one of the biggest swings of the weekend. Also clocked a 6.86 60-yard dash and showcased good actions on the dirt with versatility to play multiple positions defensively." |
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Paul Barnett SS / RHP / Mountain Brook, AL / 2027"Uncommitted. 6-foot-2, 167-pounds. Another highly-ranked sophomore in attendance for Team Alabama, coming at No. 5 overall in the 2027 class in Alabama. Has arguably made the biggest strides out of anyone in his class over the past year, and shattered his previous statistics/metrics at this past weekend's event. Possesses a slim, projectable frame that will continue to add mass over the next few years and is already showing the advanced skills on the diamond to pair. Hits from a taller setup from the right side and coils his hips well during his load for timing. Shows the ability to impact the baseball at a high-level already with a top EV of 100.8 mph during his round of BP. Has shown flashes of power with a more present hit tool right now, but will only continue to see higher volumes of slug in the future. Elite bat speed for a sophomore, 85.3 mph max bat speed and 79.2 mph avg. Smooth, rangy defender up the middle with crisp footwork. Plus arm strength across the diamond working up to 92 mph. Started at shortstop as a freshman this past spring for one of the top programs in Class 6A. Possesses some two-way intrigue with a fastball that works in the mid-80s and may have as high of an upside there, as well." |
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Brue Milner C / Tallassee, AL / 2027"Uncommitted. 5-foot-9, 209-pounds. The top-ranked backstop in the 2027 class in Alabama and the No. 4 prospect overall in the most-recent update. Attended the Yellowhammer State Games in the summer and continued to elevate his stock with a standout showing this past weekend. Physical, proportional strength to build. Aggressive right-handed swing and swings with loads of intent, looks to drive gap-to-gap with present power and more to come. Consistent pull-side barrels during BP posting a top EV of 101.4 mph and averaged 90.7 mph with a max estimated distance of 375 ft. Advanced Blast Motion metrics for a 2027 prospect; 23.2 mph avg. hand speed, 73.0 mph avg. bat speed, 27.7 G avg. rotational acceleration. Just missed on a few swings during gameplay, but blasted a triple to RCF in his final at-bat on Sunday. Hit seven HRs this past high school season as a freshman. Offensive ability is leading the way currently, but ability to defend behind the plate isn't too far behind. Recieves well with strong wrists, sticks the pitch at the bottom of the zone well. Posted 1.96-2.05 pop times and worked up to 78 mph on throws to the second base bag. High-follow sophomore prospect in Alabama to follow closely moving forward over the next year." |
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Judson Harris SS / Gulf Shores, AL / 2027"Uncommitted. 5-foot-11, 150-pounds. Athletic frame with lean strength and more coming. Currently regarded as the No. 3 prospect in the recently released 2026 rankings and AL and is top-100 nationally. If anyone was to rival Barrett from the most impressive day during the workout, it was certainly Harris, who put up some gaudy numbers across the board for a freshman. An elite multi-sport athlete who also served as the starting quarterback for Gulf Shores this fall, and helped lead them to a perfect 15-0 record and captured a Class 5A State Championship. Also plays basketball and runs track. Hits from an athletic right-handed stance and uses a controlled stride; possesses elite hand (25.1 mph avg.) and bat (78.3 mph) speed, per Blast Motion, and helps him deliver firm contact to all fields. Posted a top EV of 100.2 mph, which was second-best from the event. Line drive hitter currently with a chance to hit for higher volumes of power output in the future. Also impressive in other stations during the workout, where he recorded an OF velo of 90 mph and clocked a 7.00 60 YD. Athleticism translates to the mound, where he worked up to 85 mph and showed feel for spin. Uber-talented young freshman to follow closely over the next few years in AL." |
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Brodie Wilson RHP / 1B / Faith Academy, AL / 2027"Wilson showed why he is one of the top prospects in the 2027 class in Alabama. Thursday night, the former PBR Jr. Future Gamer made an appearance in relief and showed some quality stuff on the mound. During his first inning in relief, Wilson dominated and struckout the side in order. Used the fastball and breaking ball to secure all three punchouts. His fastball worked in the 83-85 mph range (was up to 88 mph in the summer) and was located to the lower parts of the zone during his first inning of work; he also flashed a breaking ball in the 68-71 mph range. Wilson struggled with command in his second inning of work, but looking at the positives of his outing, there are a lot of things to like from the freshman." |
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Connor Greb SS / Spain Park, AL / 2027"Leading a talented crop of younger prospects for powerhouse Spain Park, SS Connor Greb slides inside the top-10 after performing well on the circuit with the bat over the past two years. Another former Prep Baseball Jr. Future Gamer, the smooth left-handed hitting shortstop showcases some of the top bat-to-ball ability in the young class to compliment some current physicality to his frame with more coming. Greb is an all-fields hitter with a simple, direct stroke from the left side that is sure to attract college recruiters over the next couple of years." |
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Boston Brown RHP / Lakeside, AL / 2027"Uncommitted. 6-foot-3, 214-pounds. Durable build with advanced physical strength for his age. A top-10 prospect in the 2027 class in Alabama. Cruised his two innings of work during the outing and showcased an intriguing three-pitch mix in the process. Appears to have good poise and mound presence with confidence in all pitches. Threw some big innings for a quality 7A program this spring. Larger frame produced an 83-85 mph fastball with tons of arm-side run, registering and average of 15.7 in. of horizontal movement. Competing in the zone with the pitch. Also spins a tight slider in the mid-70s with good 11-5 shape, but the changeup was arguably the most impressive pitch of the repertoire during the outing. Ranging 75-77 mph, Brown was able to get tons of arm-side fade to the offering and averaged 17.8 in. of horizontal movement with the ability to land it for strikes. Starter traits with some two-way ability as a power-hitting corner infielder, as well." |
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Slade Bounds OF / Spain Park, AL / 2027Rankings StateRank: 10 / POS: 1
"Uncommitted. 5-foot-10, 195-pounds. Advanced physicality for a prospect of his age and is used well. Possesses some of the louder tools currently in the 2027 class in Alabama and put them on full display at this week's event. Just some monstrous power potential down the road and is showing the ability to hit for some now. Generates such easy pull-side pop from the right side of the plate and led the event with a top EV of 100.9 mph and recorded a max estimated distance of 359 ft. Creates tons of torque on rotation using a strong lower-half and has some elite Blast Motion metrics for a prospect of his age; 21.9 mph avg. hand speed, 76.8 mph avg. bat speed, 19.2 G's of rotational acceleration. For being so physical and strong at a young age, Bounds is an above-average athlete posting a 1.73 10 YD, 3.87 30 YD, & 6.80 YD. Really having a strong summer so far and is a big name in the rising sophomore class in Alabama to monitor over the next couple of years." |
Uncommitted By Position:
Pitchers: RHP Jamarkius Smith | RHP/1B Brodie Wilson | RHP Boston Brown | RHP Brooks Campbell | LHP/OF Jace Duckett
C: C Brue Milner | C Evan Taylor | C Eli Quinley | C Hudson Smith | C Drew Monte
CINF: 3B Braxton Williams | 3B Ayden Noyola | 1B Carson Stancil | 3B/RHP Gavin Lang | 3B Lawson Hare
MINF: SS Rocco Maniscalco | SS JB Upton | SS/RHP Paul Barnett | SS Judson Harris | SS Connor Greb
OF: OF Slade Bounds | OF Colin Watson | OF Cole Ziak | OF Crawford Mann | OF Owen Dye
Upcoming Preseason Events
| SHOWCASE | DATE | LOCATION |
| Birmingham Preseason ID | January 5th, 2025 | StrongBox Indoor (Birmingham, AL) |
| Huntsville Preseason ID | January 8th, 2025 | Talley Performance (Huntsville, AL) |
| North AL Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) | January 11th, 2025 | Hartselle HS Indoor (Hartselle, AL) |
| South AL Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) | January 12th, 2025 | Orange Beach Sportsplex (Orange Beach, AL) |
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