2028 Initial Class Rankings : Indiana 2028s
December 18, 2024
At the end of each year, we release rankings for the upcoming freshman class, a preview of the "next up" prospects in the state of Indiana. Our initial rendition of this class begins with 20 prospects that have made big impressions on our staff in our early evaluations. This list will certainly evolve and expand as these players begin to mature further, but we are excited to announce this initial list while giving insight on some of the top players on it.
Head of the Class
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Dylan Murphy SS / North Posey, IN / 2028+ Murphy headlines the class in the initial rankings seeing his name at the top of the list. There are some special traits here, beginning with an athletic, 6-foot-3, 190 pound frame that still has room for strength gains. A 6.91 runner, there is true speed/power upside here when his advanced foot speed is paired with his ability to backspin the baseball from gap-to-gap with strength. The swing is very advanced from a mechanical standpoint and he creates above average bat speed presently that will only be enhanced as the body matures further. Murphy is a primary shortstop with fundamental, sure-handed actions, though he may end up in CF in the long-term due to his high-end athleticism. Regardless of whether he ends up sticking at short or moving to centerfield, the athleticism and offensive abilities that he possesses are special and make for a must-follow prospect over the next four years. |
Talented Top Ten
+ RHP Cole Breeden (Evansville Mater Dei) debuts at No. 2, the top-ranked arm in the class as it stands now. It is easy to be bullish on the upside of this 6-foot-4, 175 pound right-hander. Breeden is an exceptional mover, with a long, full arm stroke that will allow his velocity to skyrocket as he adds strength to his ultra-projectable frame. A standout on the hardwood, Breeden has the athleticism and pitch-ability to profile as a starter in the long-term. Presently, Breeden shows command of three pitches, including a low-80s heater that shows ride/run properties and two future swing-and-miss offspeed pitches.
+ SS Jack Whaley (Columbus North) is one of our favorite hitters in the class. Whaley holds a frame that is equally athletic and projectable, standing at all of 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with tons of room to pack on strength. He is already a 7.1 runner, and is currently a three sport athlete just scratching the surface of his high-end ceiling. Whaley hits with a simple lower half, fast hands, and advanced strength at impact that translates to exit velocities reaching 96 mph. A primary SS - Whaley has the athleticism to stick up the middle in some capacity, whether on the dirt or in CF, though he may outgrow the MIF and get pushed to 3B in the long run.
‘28 INF Jack Whaley (Columbus North) drives in 2 more.
— Prep Baseball Indiana (@PrepBaseballIN) July 28, 2024
6’1” 175 lbs, has been exceptional at the plate this week, hitter👍
Indiana 6
Ohio 1
B3
92+ off the bat here👇@whaley_jack5 | #TeamIndiana pic.twitter.com/39KzBFCX4i
+ OF/RHP Mason Biernacki (Penn) follows at No. 4, the most dynamic player in the class, offering a loud toolset for the age. Already a 6.9 runner, Biernacki also shows off an 89 mph arm from the outfield, exit velocities that creep into the mid-90s, and two-way upside with a mid-80s fastball & high spin breaking ball. The athleticism that he carries is obvious in the way he moves in the box, showing exceptional weight control with an electric turn of the barrel.
‘28 OF/RHP Mason Biernacki (@574_mason2028)
— Prep Baseball Indiana Scouting Coverage (@PrepBaseINScout) July 24, 2024
5’10” 160 lbs
Max EV - 93.6 mph
60 - 7.06
Outfield Velocity - 88 mph #PBJFG24 || #TeamIndiana pic.twitter.com/1gdDBErD9t
+ OF Canyon Koonce (Brownsburg) rounds out the top 5, profiling as a true CF with his athletic, 6-foot-1, 165 pound frame. He turned in a 6.90 60-yard dash this past summer while showing off a sweet left-handed stroke that is equally impactful and accurate. His foot speed plays all over the diamond and he carries a mature approach to the game that allows his tools to shine consistently.
‘28 CF Canyon Koonce (@CanyonKoonce) is an up-and-coming name to know in the Hoosier State.
— Cooper Trinkle (@CTrinkle23) October 6, 2024
Athletic 6’1” frame w/ present twitch, already a 6.9 runner.
Showcasing his advanced abilities in the box 👇while playing up a grade @ Grand Park.
2x #TeamIndiana Junior Future Gamer pic.twitter.com/O40BGuXaEV
+ Our No. 6 prospect offers the most arm strength of any pitcher in the class currently, RHP Bodhi Pulley (Bloomington North) and he was the biggest underclass winner from our Fall State Games this past October. Find our full report on Pulley from that event below :
"One of the more advanced arms we have identified in the 2028 class thus far. His 6-foot-2 frame has a chance to be really physical when its all said and done plus it already holds some strength in the lower half. He coils atop his leg lift to allow the hips to power the delivery, and his arm works clean on the backside in a longer fashion, producing a mid-80s sinker that topped at 86. The power-armed youngster found success with a 71-74 mph slider, his best pitch at the moment and very advanced for the age, and it already spins into the 2500s. Pulley found the zone at an above average clip with advanced stuff for the age, an exciting freshman follow that will debut as a highly ranked player in the class when 2028 state rankings release."
A lot to like w/ ‘28 RHP Bodhi Pulley
— Prep Baseball Indiana Scouting Coverage (@PrepBaseINScout) October 12, 2024
6’2” 185
Showing advanced arm strength for the class w/ to-be physical frame & aptitude for spin.
FB 82-85 T 86 (10” IVB, 17” HZ)
SL 71-74 (2400s)
CH 75#FallStateGames24 pic.twitter.com/8BKrvRKcn6
+ LHP Ty Pohl (Evansville North) checks in at No. 7 - offering big upside with a clean operation and projectable, 6-foot-2, 185 pound frame. One of four Evansville-area natives within the top eight, Pohl pitches with a balanced delivery and clean, quick arm to go along with a fastball that works into the low-80s that he pairs with two well-shaped offspeed pitches.
+ C/RHP Spencer Schiff (Evansville Mater Dei) appears next on the list, a consumate gamer with big two-way upside. Schiff offers a simple, strong operation in the right-handed batters' box, showing feel to lift the ball to his pull-side with backspin along with minimal swing-and-miss, traits to suggest he will end up being a legitamite power bat as his 6-foot-1, 170 pound frame becomes physical. Schiff is also an above average defender behind the dish with good arm strength for the class. His future may end up on the hill, where the strong-armed righty reaches into the mid-80s with one of the classes' best breaking balls presently.
+ A pair of two-way standouts with big ceilings on the mound round out the top ten in RHP/SS Billy Miller (Kouts) and RHP/1B Bishop Moore (Beech Grove).
Miller is a very solid athlete with a wiry, 6-foot, 155 pound frame that holds plenty of athleticism and twitch. Another top ten player in this class that also doubles as a hoops star, Miller's athleticism is evident in the way he moves down the slope, along with his 6.97 60-time. His fastball reached 84 mph at the Junior Future Games, with his best offering being his sweeping breaking ball that will be a swing-and-miss pitch, and he is one of the more reliable strike-throwers that we have identified in this class thus far. Miller holds true two-way upside, doubling as a slick-fielding shortstop with an athletic swing, drawing comparisons to current Tennessee recruit Gannon Grant from our 2026 class.
Moore holds down the No. 10 spot in the initial rankings, offering one of the highest ceilings of any player on this initial list. Like many others in this top ten, Moore is a multi-sport athlete that shines on the football field and hardwood, and his 6-foot-5, 180 pound frame has a chance to be very physical when it is all said and done. Moore currently reaches into the mid-80s (T 84) with a carry fastball that comes from a step-and-throw delivery. Expect this fastball to jump quickly as refinements are made to the delivery and strength is added to the frame.
Next 🆙
+ A pair of athletic left-handed hitters are next, OF Hayden Zellers (Greenfield-Central) and OF Andrew Noble (Westfield). Both prospects already burn 60s into the 6.8s, with Zellers' swing showing more polish and barrel feel, while Noble is a three-sport athlete that shows more bat strength at the moment. Following these two are a pair of projectable left-handed arms in Macon Simpson (Floyd Central) and Luke Hensley (Danville). Simpson is the youngest players on this list, a wiry, 6-foot-2, 170 pounder with athleticism and a clean arm that follows a balanced delivery. He is one of the better strike-throwers on this list, showing three pitches for strikes, including a well-shaped breaking ball and fastball that creeps into the low-80s with the arm action/frame to project much more is coming. Hensley follows with a similiar profile, standing at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds with a highly projectable frame. He impressed our staff as one of the youngest prospect at our Fall State Games, find our notes on him from that even below.
"Hensley, a 6-foot-4 southpaw with major upside in the frame/operation, showed off clean, compact arm action to go along hips that power rotation in the delivery. His fastball reaches 81 for now, but it is easy to dream on more. He also showed an upper-60s breaking ball with 1/7 shape that he was able to use as an out-pitch."
+ Checking in at No. 15 we have RHP Darret Branson (Evansville Mater Dei). Branson is a high-waisted, 6-foot right-hander that commands three pitches for strikes, highlighted by a low-80s fastball and feel for a breaking ball that shows swing-and-miss upside. Following Branson, we have two "gamers" that we are high on in this initial rankings, SS Brody McGaha (Mooresville) and MIF Ty White (Plainfield). McGaha offers a high floor with exceptional bat control and defensive abilities for the class, a fundamentally sound player in all facets of the game that hits from the left-side. White is one of the best overall athletes on this list, a standout on the gridiron as well, bringing ample twitch and bat speed to the right-handed batters' box and enough athleticism to stay up the middle long term.
+ LHP Charlie Johnson (Cathedral) checks in at No. 18 on this initial list, an undersized southpaw that has impressed our staff with quality command, above average stuff, and the arm speed to suggest more jumps are ahead. C Chase Millington (Terre Haute North) follows, a projectable, high-waisted, 6-foot-1, 165 pound backstop with promising movement patterns. His actions are ahead of his tools at this point, but he has performed throughout a variety of looks with a well-sequenced swing and athletic actions behind the dish. RHP Gavin McGee (Roncalli) holds down the No. 20 spot, the second-youngest player on the list, offering promising arm talent. McGee was another standout from our Fall State Games as a freshman, with his writeup from that event below.
"McGee showed off quality stuff for the age to pair with his athletic, 5-foot-11, 165 pound frame. The arm action here is one of the better ones I've identified in this young class, as the arm works clean on the backside with some whip & arm speed as he turns it over. McGee showed three pitches with solid properties, beginning with a carry fastball (18" IVB on avg) that works at 82-84 and touches 86. His best secondary offering is his 75-78 mph changeup, a pitch that averages 19" of horizontal break that he was able to miss bats with. McGee also showed a 67-72 mph breaking ball that played with depth and spun north of 2400 on average."
+ While our initial rankings are conservative, only going to 20, we wanted to highlight another crop of prospects that we will follow closely within this class moving forward. In alphabetical order, those prospects on our high follow list includes : LHP Jack Baumgardner (Valparaiso), RHP Sam Behrendt (Pendleton Heights), OF Andrew Confer (Cathedral), RHP Jayce Cunningham (Guerin Catholic), SS/RHP Drew Dalton (Decatur Central), SS Carter Durbin (Jeffersonville), RHP Carson Frome (Evansville North), SS Brayden Greathouse (Brownsburg), SS Gideon Harris (Silver Creek), SS/RHP Remington Johnson (North Posey), LHP Carson Meyer (Batesville), RHP Rhys Sorgius (Gibson Southern), OF Aidan Toler (Jeffersonville) SS Tavian Trotter (Homeschool).
Full Top 20
Rank | Name | School | Pos |
1 | Dylan Murphy | North Posey | SS |
2 | Cole Breeden | Mater Dei | RHP |
3 | Jack Whaley | Columbus North | SS |
4 | Mason Biernacki | Penn | OF |
5 | Canyon Koonce | Brownsburg High School | OF |
6 | Bodhi Pulley | Bloomington High School North | RHP |
7 | Ty Pohl | Evansville North | LHP |
8 | Spencer Schiff | Mater Dei | C |
9 | Billy Miller | Kouts | SS |
10 | Bishop Moore | Beech Grove Sr High School | RHP |
11 | Hayden Zellers | Greenfield-Central | OF |
12 | Andrew Noble | Westfield | OF |
13 | Macon Simpson | Floyd Central High School | LHP |
14 | Luke Hensley | Danville Community High School | LHP |
15 | Darret Branson | Evansville Mater Dei | RHP |
16 | Brody McGaha | Mooresville | SS |
17 | Ty White | Plainfield High School | 2B |
18 | Charlie Johnson | CATHEDRAL HIGH SCHOOL | LHP |
19 | Chase Millington | Terre Haute North | C |
20 | Gavin McGee | RONCALLI HIGH SCHOOL | RHP |