Illinois Player of the Year Watchlist
January 24, 2025
With the sping season right around the corner, we wanted to take the time to go through some of the players from around the state that will likely be in consideration for Player of the Year when its all said and done.
We are strictly speculating and making educated guesses, as there are countless talented players from around the state that will have a chance to win the award.
Continue reading below to see who our staff came up with in this rendition.
Frontrunners
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Cameron Appenzeller LHP / OF / Glenwood, IL / 2025The top ranked southpaw in the country, Appenzeller is primed for another big spring as he’s coming off a First-Team All-State selection in 2024 with 43 innings pitched, a 6-0 record, 85 strikeouts to just 15 walks, and a 0.64 ERA. Being the high-level pitching prospect that he is, he very well may have some innings restrictions as a result of the upcoming draft, so we will see how much he actually throws this spring. |
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Joseph Chiarodo OF / RHP / Edwardsville, IL / 2025The Alabama commit’s 2024 campaign got cut short due to an injury, and the Tigers of Edwardsville are surely excited to have him back for this coming spring, as they still ended up making a run to 4A state without their talented two-way. Currently the No. 9 ranked player in Illinois, Chiarodo is one of the top arms in the state with a fastball into the mid-90s and advanced pitchability, along with unteachable competitiveness. He is also an extremely valuable position player that we can expect to be a key piece in the top half of the Tigers' lineup, and he provides lock-down defence in centerfield as well. |
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Daniel Coyle 3B / OF / St. Laurence, IL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 33 / POS: 3
Coming off a Third-Team All-State selection in 2024, Coyle is a name to keep an eye on this coming spring. Playing in the Chicago Catholic League Blue which is undeniably one of the toughest conferences in the state, Coyle turned in a .410 batting average with nine doubles, four triples, 34 RBIs, 32 runs scored, 12 walks and 13 stolen bases. Perhaps the most impressive stat for Coyle was the fact that he only struck out twice all year, and we expect him to continue to be busy at the plate once again in 2025. |
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Joe DuSell OF / LHP / St. Edward, IL / 2025The recent Cincinnati commit is one of the top two-way players in the state, currently ranked No. 19 in Illinois, and we expect him to be a frontrunner for Player of the Year this coming spring. The L/L prospect has big power at the plate with loud tools across the board, and his status as a position player has only skyrocketed over the last year or so. Despite being a high-level position player, we also expect him to dominate on the mound with a fastball around the 90 mph mark and high-spin slider to pair. |
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Cooper Eggert RHP / OF / Providence Catholic, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 24 / POS: 8
Eggert had a 2024 campaign to remember, winning the 4A state title with Providence Catholic and capping it off with a Third-Team All-State selection as a two-way player. At the plate, Eggert turned in a .417 average with nine doubles, five triples, five home runs, 25 RBIs, 43 runs scored and 14 stolen bases. On the other side of the ball, the right-hander fired 36 innings to the tune of a 4-1 record with 45 strikeouts against just seven walks and a 2.53 ERA. Look for the SIU-Edwardsville commit to have success once again on both sides of the ball in 2025. |
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Conor Essenburg 1B / LHP / Lincoln-Way West, IL / 2025Essenburg was one of the top two-way players in the state last year, going on to earn a First-Team All-State selection after he hit .388 with 12 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 29 RBIs, 31 runs scored and 38 walks - along with firing 52 innings on the mound with a 10-2 record, 101 strikeouts and a 1.48 ERA. Currently ranked No. 4 in Illinois, Essenburg is also one of the most competitive players in the state, and we expect him to make plenty of noise this coming spring. |
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Jaden Fauske C / 3B / Nazareth Academy , IL / 2025Recent LSU commit and former Prep Baseball All-American Game participant, Fauske is coming off a monster year in 2024 where he earned First-Team All-State honors after hitting .546 with 15 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 43 RBIs, 45 runs scored, 18 stolen bases and just nine strikeouts all year. He’s one of the best pure hitters to come through Illinois for quite some time, and we expect him to produce tremendously at the plate once again this coming spring. |
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Enzo Infelise C / 3B / Providence Catholic, IL / 2025Another one of the top bats in the state, Infelise has premier power from the right side of the plate and will surely look to put up big numbers for his senior year. Currently ranked No. 10 in the state, the Cincinnati commit is extremely polished despite having premier bat-strength, and he will be one of the more dangerous hitters in the Chicago Catholic League Blue. |
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Franklin Kirchner LHP / OF / Conant, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 112 / POS: 13
Kirchner had a dominant 2024 campaign and we expect his success to continue in this coming spring season. He helped lead Conant to the 4A state finals in 2024 and also earned Second-Team All-State honors after he twirled 65.2 innings with a 10-1 record, 82 strikeouts, just 22 walks and a 1.81 ERA. |
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Luke Mensik RHP / SS / Lincoln-Way Central , IL / 2025The Xavier commit will be an arm to watch this coming spring, coming off a 2024 season in which he twirled 51 innings with a perfect 8-0 record, 65 strikeouts against just 16 walks and a 1.09 ERA. On top of these numbers, he also held opposing hitters to a minuscule 0.168 batting average against. |
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Chase Milburn RHP / 3B / Edwardsville, IL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 41 / POS: 10
Milburn was one of the more dominant arms in the state last year as only a sophomore, helping to lead Edwardsville to state and taking on a much larger role on the mound after the aforementioned Chiarodo went down with an injury. The big right-hander earned Second-Team All-State honors last spring after he fired 61.1 innings with a sparkling 10-0 record, 54 strikeouts against 19 walks, a 0.57 ERA and minuscule 0.91 WHIP. |
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Austin Musso RHP / 3B / Mascoutah, IL / 2025One of the premier arms in the southern part of the state, the Arizona State commit is coming off a spring in which he earned Second-Team All-State honors after tossing 61 innings with a 10-2 record, 96 strikeouts, 28 walks, a 0.69 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Currently ranked No. 13 in the state, Musso will also be one of the top arms in Illinois for pro scouts to track down. |
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Nathan O'Donnell 3B / RHP / Providence Catholic, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 37 / POS: 3
The reigning Chicago Catholic Blue Player of the Year, O’Donnell also earned First-Team All-State honors after he recorded a .430 average with 11 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 55 RBIs and 43 runs scored. The Minnesota commit will also likely supply quality innings on the mound for the Celtics as they look to win state in consecutive years. |
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AJ Putty 1B / 3B / Huntley, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 38 / POS: 2
One of the more prominent power hitters in the state, Putty is coming off a First-Team All-State selection in 2024 after he swatted 11 home runs to go along with a .419 average, 13 doubles, 29 RBIs, 35 runs scored and a .812 slugging percentage. |
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Quinn Schambow C / RHP / Libertyville, IL / 2025The No. 5 ranked player in the state, Schambow was dominant in 2024 and we expect him to keep it rolling into this coming spring. He earned Third-Team All-State honors last season after hitting his way to a .418 average with 10 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 31 RBIs, 30 walks to 23 strikeouts, and seven stolen bases on the year. |
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Brandon Shannon RHP / McHenry, IL / 2025The Louisville commit was one of the more dominant arms in the state last spring, earning Second-Team All-State after he tossed 60.1 innings with a 10-0 record, 82 strikeouts, 27 walks and a 1.86 ERA. Shannon has some of the best swing and miss stuff in the state, and we expect him to put up even better numbers this coming spring. |
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Landon Thome SS / 2B / Nazareth Academy, IL / 2026Another one of the top bats in the state, Thome has proven to be one of the best pure hitters around, and we expect him to become increasingly more dangerous as he continues to get stronger. Teams will also likely be forced to pitch to him with Fauske lurking in the same lineup. |
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Brayden Zilis SS / 2B / Minooka, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 33 / POS: 5
Zilis had a breakout year this past spring, capping it off with a First-Team All-State selection. The Illinois State commit hit his way to a .407 average with 15 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 33 RBIs, 44 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. On the other side of the ball, the right-hander fired 48 innings with a 7-1 record, 66 strikeouts, a 0.58 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. |
Watchlist/Breakout Candidates
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Joey Arend OF / LHP / St. Charles East, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 22 / POS: 4
The Xavier commit earned conference pitcher of the year as a sophomore and he’s also one of the top outfielders in the state, so we expect him to have yet another strong spring campaign on both sides of the ball. |
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Gavin Bailey OF / 2B / Mahomet-Seymour, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 139 / POS: 26
Bailey is coming off a Third-Team All-State selection after he hit .421 with five doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 47 RBIs, 36 runs scored, 27 walks and a .757 slugging percentage. He will likely be a middle of the order bat for a strong Mahomet-Seymour squad. |
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Ethan Bass SS / RHP / Glenbrook North, IL / 2026The former Prep Baseball All-American already has a couple years of varsity experience under his belt, and he has already proven to be not only one of the best players in the state, but the country. He will provide elite defense at shortstop to go along with his twitchy and powerful right-handed swing. |
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Zach Bava C / OF / Naperville North, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 34 / POS: 4
The Illinois State commit was Conference Player of the Year Runner-Up last spring as just a hitter, and he should continue to hit for average as well as power this coming spring. Also look for him to cause havoc on the basepaths for opposing teams. |
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Sean Cody SS / RHP / Richards, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 76 / POS: 16
The Illinois-Chicago commit was a Third-Team All-State selection last spring, turning in an impressive .460 batting average with six doubles, nine triples, four home runs, 27 RBIs, 50 runs scored, a 1.427 OPS and 31 stolen bases. On the other side of the ball, he fired 47.2 innings with a 6-3 record, 101 strikeouts, a 1.17 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. |
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Aidan Flinn LHP / 1B / Marist High School, IL / 2025The big southpaw will be one of the top arms in the state this coming spring, boasting a low-90s fastball that plays up thanks to his long-levered frame with a swing and miss slider to pair. |
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Drew Kleinheider SS / 2B / Father McGivney, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 46 / POS: 8
Kleinheider will be a name to follow this spring as he was in the mix for 2A Player of the Year this past season. He will help lead a loaded Father McGivney squad that should once again be a team to watch out for all spring long. |
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Chase Knebel LHP / 1B / Highland , IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 173 / POS: 16
Knebel earned Third-Team All-State honors last spring as a two-way and he’ll be one to watch yet again this spring; hitting .340 with six doubles, 38 RBIs and 16 runs scored - also while firing 69 innings on the mound with a perfect 11-0 record, 63 strikeouts against seven walks and a 0.31 ERA. |
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Brody Landgraf 1B / RHP / Columbia, IL / 2026The former Future Gamer and Creighton commit is one of the top bats in the state, boasting both premier power and feel to hit, and he should be a gamechanger all spring long in the middle of Columbia’s order. |
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Nolan Maciejewski OF / LHP / Tinley Park, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 92 / POS: 15
The Wisconsin-Parkside commit had a dominant year at the plate in 2024 and will be one to watch again this spring, earning Second-Team All-State honors after hitting .553 with 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 24 RBIs, 53 runs scored, 28 stolen bases, just five strikeouts and a .872 slugging percentage. |
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Trevor McClure SS / RHP / Mount Vernon, IL / 2027The rising sophomore is primed for a big spring, coming off a year in which he set the single season stolen base record for his school (30) as only a freshman. He’s one of the top two-way players in the state, and we expect him to put up video-game type numbers on both sides of the ball. |
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TJ McQuillan 3B / OF / Mount Carmel, IL / 2026McQuillan is undeniably one of the top hitters in the state, and we expect him to put up big numbers this spring for the Caravan. Not only does he have tremendous power, but he also boasts a polished approach with the feel to hit for average, and he should have no problem tearing up the Chicago Catholic Blue conference. |
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Chase Petersen OF / RHP / Glenbrook North, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 54 / POS: 12
The recent Heartland commit saw plenty of success last spring and will certainly look to replicate it again in the coming months, earning Third-Team All-State honors after he hit .470 with six doubles, four triples, four home runs, 20 RBIs, 46 runs scored, just 10 strikeouts and 34 stolen bases. |
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Owen Roberts SS / RHP / Waubonsie Valley, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 50 / POS: 9
The Indiana State commit was one of the more dominant players in the state last spring, earning Second-Team All-State honors after he hit .455 with nine doubles, three triples, four home runs, 31 RBIs, 26 runs scored and 20 walks. On the mound, Roberts fired 50.1 innings with a 9-0 record, 66 strikeouts, a 1.25 ERA and 0.80 WHIP |
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Tanner Thomas RHP / OF / Arcola, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 41 / POS: 12
The Louisville commit will be yet another two-way to watch, earning Third-Team All-State honors this past spring after he hit .490 with seven doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 35 RBIs, 62 runs scored, a 1.415 OPS and 21 stolen bases. On the mound, he fired 51.1 innings with a 7-2 record, collected 115 strikeouts, a 1.77 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. |
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Kash VanHouten SS / RHP / Canton, IL / 2027Van Houten will be an exciting name to follow this spring, and he’s only a sophomore. He has premier arm-strength, with rumblings of his fastball reaching the 94 mph mark this winter, and he should see plenty of time on the bump for his school. He’ll also likely be in the starting lineup and hit in the top half of the order, priming himself for a big year on both sides of the ball. |
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Kaden Wasniewski 3B / RHP / McHenry, IL / 2027Wasniewski is one of the top players in the state regardless of class, and we think he has a real chance to open some eyes this spring. Currently the No. 2 player in the state and No. 38 nationally, Wasniewski is a real threat to put up videogame type numbers on both sides of the ball, particularly on the mound where he already is running his fastball into the low-90s. |
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Wyatt Wawro OF / LHP / Downers Grove South, IL / 2025Rankings StateRank: 30 / POS: 5
The Northern Illinois commit is one of the state’s best pure hitters, and he’s coming off a spring in which he earned Third-Team All-State honors, hitting his way to a .500 clip with 12 doubles, seven triples, three home runs, 39 RBIs, 29 runs scored, a 1.486 OPS and just eight strikeouts. |
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