Prep Baseball Report

Top-10 Stories of 2024: No. 3 Ryan Sloan Wins POTY and Signs with the Mariners


By: Peter Hamot
Assistant Scouting Director, Illinois & Wisconsin

One of the top players to come out of Illinois in recent memory, RHP Ryan Sloan (York, 2024) is without a doubt worthy of his own year-end story with what he accomplished throughout his illustrious career at York. 

Sloan finished his prep career as the No. 1 ranked player in the state and No. 6 nationally, taking over the top position in the rankings in August of 2022 and never looking back. He was a key piece for the Dukes even as an underclassman, but his final two years is where we really saw Sloan take it to another level - particularly his senior campaign where he not only was selected to Prep Baseball Illinois First-Team All-State, but also earned our Player of the Year honors after twirling 46 innings to the tune of a 0.30 ERA with 90 strikeouts against just five walks, 19 hits allowed and an opponents batting average of .117. His junior campaign was also dominant, earning him a Third-Team All-State selection after he tossed 40 innings with a 3-1 record, 1.05 ERA, 78 strikeouts, 12 walks, just 25 hits allowed and a 0.93 WHIP. 

MLB scouts would flock to see the big right-hander take the mound, along with others in the community that just wanted to catch a glimpse of him and what number he could put on the radar gun that day. With a fastball nearing triple-digits and a slider that made kids wish they never left algebra class that day, Sloan was virtually untouchable in his final two years on varsity. He started to add and refine pitches to make his arsenal even better, showing a changeup and even a cutter at times. 

Sloan gave his York squad a legitimate chance to win every time he took the ball, which in turn was part of the reason they made it to state in two consecutive years - finishing fourth-place in both 2023 and 2024, their first appearances at state since 1993. To cap off his 2024 campaign, the big right-hander went on to be selected in the draft by the Seattle Mariners 55th overall, signing for well over slot value at $3 million. It will be incredibly fun to follow Sloan throughout his professional career, and he’s just one of the many talented Illinois products now making their way up the affiliated ranks. 

Scouting Report

6/19/24

Prep Baseball Illinois' Player of the Year, Ryan Sloan, had quite an impressive year for York, pitching 46 innings and only allowing two earned runs the whole season, leaving the No. 1 right-handed pitcher in the country with a staggering 0.30 ERA. Sloan was practically unhittable with 90 strikeouts, scattering 19 hits with a 0.117 opponent batting average. The Wake Forest commit also showed command of his explosive arsenal, surrendering only five walks on the season. Sloan may not make it to Winston-Salem as the projected first-rounder has impressed scouts all over the nation with his arsenal, pitchability, and makeup, all of which helped lead York baseball to consecutive 4A State Finals. Sloan's fastball has been up to 98 this spring, hovering in the 95-97 range, grouped with a mid-80s slider with late 10/4 bite and an upper-80s changeup with late dive.

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