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Final 2024 Rankings Update: Indiana Class of 2027

December 11, 2024
Cooper Trinkle
Indiana Scouting Director

State of the Class

+ The 2027 class within Indiana, and nationwide, will be our first class to really go through the new recruiting landscape. The 2026s are going through the process under the new rules, although a handful made commitments prior to the rule switch while Drake McClurg, an Indiana recruit ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the class, is the only 2027 grad committed in the Hoosier State. The sophomore spring into 16u Summer has become a crutial time for prospects to establish themselves amongst their peers leading up to August 1 - the opening of the recruiting for this class. Without further ado, find the full list, expanded to 200 prospects, before we take an in-depth look at where this class stands as we close the 2024 calendar year. 

+ View The Full Top-200 HERE

Offensive Star Power

+ The position player group is exciting with this bunch, headlined by McClurg who is coming off a successful freshman year at Center Grove that he parlayed with a school record-breaking sophomore campaign on the gridiron. He is followed by a pair of high-end shortstops that find themselves recognized nationally heading into their sophomore spring, Isaiah Snavely (Fort Wayne Snider) and Parker Robinson (Lake Central). Snavely oozes twitch with a fast left-handed bat, arm strength, and 6.6 60 - while Robinson counters with an ultra-projectable, 6-foot-4 athletic frame and smooth actions to pair. Both will be highly sought after recruits, as will left-handed slugger Grady Nelson (Warsaw), offering the best bat in the class that is backed by a physical, 6-foot-3 frame. Another high-end position player in this class is Cooper Collins (Vincennes Lincoln) - a well-beyond advanced defensive catcher that currently stands as the No. 7 prospect in the class. 

+ Four high-floor players find themselves in a tier near the top of the list : SS Liam Delp (Mooresville), SS Brayden Ring (Zionsville), UTL Mason Meyer (Mt. Vernon), and OF Lincoln Hoffman (Westfield). This group returns for their sophomore spring with significant varsity experience under their belt and a chance to establish themselves even further next spring and summer. 

To stay on the "gamer" trend - our top 40 features a handful of them, including infielders Grady Grant (Center Grove), Crewe Hasenour (Gibson Southern), Chase Nelson (Andrean), Logan Drake (Castle), and Cam Gates (Bedford North Lawrence). This group will be relied-upon heavily by their respective high school programs - giving them the opportunity to shine in 2025. 

+ The top 40 is littered with major upside on the position player side of things - with three players standing out above the rest currently with traits to suggest big jumps, INF Camden Moore (Zionsville), C Luke Brown (Evansville Memorial), and C Jackson Harris (Carmel). Moore's projectable, 6-foot-4 frame and innate feel to lift the baseball with backspin creates a must-follow bat, while Brown and Harris offer major upside behind the dish with each offering loud offensive profiles for the position.

+ The biggest race that I am excited to follow next season, on the position player side of things, is the group of outfielders that follow McClurg and Hoffman. Currently, Colin Axel-Adams (Pendleton Heights) stands at the top amongst this group, a twitchy, athletic, left-handed hitter that shows flashes of a valuable speed/power profile. Although, he is followed closely by OF Clark Bucher (Hamilton Southeastern) a left-handed hitter with a sweet stroke and accurate barrel to pair, and ultra-athletic right-handed hitters Jaxson Cripe (Lapel) and Jack Sorgi (Tri-West). Two upside left-handed bats in this group include Aden Baggett (Evansville North) and Mark Neels (Carmel). Neels is a gifted athlete with high-end foot speed, while Baggett shows some feel to hit with budding power and two-way upside. A riser in this update, Brody Langhans (Crown Point) rounds out this group by offering a physical look from the right-side of the dish with solid hit and run tools (6.78 60-time). This group will be monitored closely throughout 2025 as they all offer traits that excite. 

The Arms Race

The position player side of things is a bit more clear at the moment, at least in our early evaluations, though around this time for each class we begin to see velo jumps as the prospects mature further. The uptick in stuff helps to boost the floor, ultimately allowing them to rise closer to our highest projections on them. There is quality depth in this bunch, though two arms have established themselves above the rest in this class, Cole Cheatham (Union County) and Gavin Markus (Greenfield-Central). Cheatham is the power arm - offering a fastball up to 92 mph with a power breaking ball to pair. His physical, 6-foot-3 frame will hold significant strength and it's easy to put 95-plus projections on him. In terms of projection, Markus offers one of the higher ceilings in the class with his lanky, athletic, 6-foot-3 frame and ease of operation. Showing a starters' mix with an athletic delivery - look for Markus to elevate himself even higher if strength is added this offseason. 

+ The next group is headlined by Jaylen Wells-Henderson (New Albany) and Eli Hall (Noblesville). Wells-Henderson is one of the classes' best athletes with above average stuff and control, along with an ultra-projectable 6-foot-3 frame. Hall continues to rise with his easy delivery and full arm action playing at a low ease of operation that combines with an athletic, 6-foot-2 frame to scream starters' profile. A big riser in this update is Carson Cauley out of Pendleton, catapulting himself as the No. 5 arm in the class. There is a lot to like with the 6-foot-6 right-hander. There is present feel to spin with athleticism in the frame and stuff that should really louden as strength is packed onto his lengthy, 175 pound frame. He is followed closely by Mason Gomez (Franklin Community), Davis Moore (Zionsville), Carter Strole (Fishers), and Carter Lowe (Zionsville). Gomez and Strole are both highly projectable righties with above average stuff and command, while Moore stands as the top-ranked lefty with one of the classes' best breaking balls and a projectable frame to pair with a fastball reaching into the mid-80s. 

+ The depth of the class begins to shine with five more arms, all reaching into the upper-80s with their fastballs with big follow next to their name heading into the spring.

Connor Christiansen (Cathedral), Harper Sturstman (Manchester), and Guerin Boshears (Beech Grove) are the highest ranked of the group. Christiansen and Boshears are two athletic right-handers that represented Team Indiana in August, showing quality stuff presently with arm speed to suggest more jumps are ahead. Sturtsman is a newcomer to this update, a sturdy-framed, 6-foot-2 right-hander with power upside and quality command (12 walks in 49 IP as a frosh). Another newcomer establishing himself amongst the best arms in the class is Lucas Collins (Garrett). Collins shoots up the list after showcasing big upside with an athletic frame and loud stuff that is enhanced by his deceptive 3/4 arm angle. Rounding out this group is Lucas Haas (Valparaiso). Haas stands as one of my "pick-to-click" arms in the class, a lanky, athletic, right-hander with quality movement patterns and could likely shoot up the list in a hurry with more looks. 

+ Two arms that offer major intrigue to me heading into 2025 are LHP Riley Ackerman (Crown Point) and RHP Destin Billings (Washington Township). Ackerman fills the zone with above average stuff and a starters' look at 6-foot-2, while Billings shows one of my favorite arm actions' of the class. 

Ultimately, players develop and mature at various rates - meaning this list will evolve as each player inches closer to their ceiling. But by all indications, this is another class that will represent Indiana well on the national scale. The talent at the top is obvious, though one of my favorite parts of the year is checking in on sophomores after they spend an offseason in the weightroom on top of grinding away at their craft for several months. Without a doubt, a prospect not named above will elevate themselves massively next spring. I have a handful of arms in this class that I will be eager to see moving into the winter showcase season and spring, including but not limited to Bo Blondi (Cathedral), Charlie Conyers (Floyd Central), Sam Tokar (Yorktown), Chase Fankhauser (University), Logan Robe and Sam Flickinger (Westfield), along with left-handers like Connor Parker (Bloomington South) and Jaiden McNulty (Western), just to name a few. Next season will be the biggest year to date for this group, and we look forward to seeing our early favorites succeed, with expectations set that other names will gain significant helium and shoot up the board as we near the Prep Baseball Future Games in July of 2025.