Prep Baseball Report

Illinois Class of 2028 Rankings Debut


Illinois Scouting Staff

Rankings season is officially coming to an end, and to cap it all off we are releasing our first edition of the class of 2028 rankings. The rankings are always tough, but this update is arguably the toughest based on the age and growth that all of the prospects in the state still have yet to do. The five players mentioned below have proven over multiple looks to be high-end talents within the state’s young class, but with that being said the rankings will surely change over time with more and more names being added throughout the coming years. 

For now, let's take a look at the names making their rankings debuts. 

2028 Rankings

OF/LHP Carver Cohn (McHenry) comes in as our top ranked player, boasting multiple tools that will surely continue to tick upwards in the coming years. He’s a switch hitter with a loose, athletic swing you can dream on, and he’s consistently found the barrel to the gaps throughout numerous looks. His speed is the separator though, already recording a 6.97 in the 60, Cohn is an aggressive baserunner and he can change the game with his legs by taking extra-bases with ease. His speed easily translates to the outfield where we have seen him make acrobatic diving plays and cover all sorts of ground, and he profiles to be a true centerfielder moving forward. His arm-talent is also worth mentioning, reaching up to 84 mph from a crow hop and 83 mph on the mound. 

It’s hard to find anyone in the 2028 class that rivals the pure physicality of 1B Quincy Fulton (Newton), and he comes in at No. 2 in this update. Listed at 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, Fulton is an incredible athlete for his size and young age backed by a couple state championships for the 1A track 100M and 200M. The four-sport athlete is gifted in many ways, but where he really shines is at the plate. Another switch-hitter, Fulton has premium power from both sides (T97 mph EV) with an equally efficient swing, and we expect him to do nothing but hit as he continues to go through the high school ranks. 

Coming in at No. 3 in this update we have C/RHP Anderson Kaufmann (Alton), a talented two-way prospect from southern Illinois. Standing in at a trim 5-foot-10, 163-pounds, Kaufman is an athletic right-handed hitter with an easy and balanced operation, also showing plenty of strength at impact (T93 mph EV). He looks to be a well-above average defender behind the plate with soft hands paired with natural actions, and he can limit the run-game with a 1.88 pop-time, putting throws accurately on the bag with ease (T76 mph). It's also easy to like Kaufmann on the mound with his projectable movement patterns, four-pitch mix and fastball already up to 84 mph. We loved the mound presence/demeanor he showed at the Junior Future Games, showing real pitchability and confidence to use any of his pitches in any count. 

INF/RHP Cole Clower (Minooka) cracks the rankings at No. 4 after numerous strong looks throughout the past year. There’s plenty to project on with his 6-foot-2, 160-pound frame, and we are big fans of his left-handed swing that has shown strength and the ability to elevate pull-side. He’s also proven to be a versatile defender with strong showings up the middle of the infield, at first base and even the outfield. Moving over to the mound, the right-hander has plenty of arm-strength with a fastball up to 83 mph paired with an explosive delivery. There’s also some present feel to pitch as he features confidence in a slider, curveball and a changeup.

Sliding in at No. 5 and capping off this rankings debut is INF/RHP Gavin Hartigan (Nazareth). One of the biggest standouts from the summer showcase circuit, the thing that really stands out about Hartigan is the twitch he possesses in his right-handed swing, already averaging over 70 mph for his bat-speed (T76 mph) at his young age. On top of his twitch at the plate, it clearly transfers over to other aspects of his game with a 6.82 in the 60, and you can expect that number to continue to get better as he matures. 

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