Missouri 2026 Rankings: Winter Winners

With the high school season coming to a close, and the summer set to start shortly, our staff has updated the state's 2026 rankings. We did so officially last week, expanding the board from 15 to 60 names, and we touched on that within our official release, which you can find HERE.

Below you'll learn more about a handful of 2026 prospects that either rose up our 2026 rankings in this most recent update, or they debuted for the first time, and showed well at one an event of ours this winter.

WINTER WINNERS

Drew Messey SS / Westminster Christian, MO / 2026 From 3/1/23: “...Messey really looked the part in all aspects of his workout, starting the day off on the mound, where he held 82-84 mph with his fastball, touching 85 mph on his highest bullet. He showed upside at the plate from a clean, polished, and projectable left-handed swing, spraying line drives to all fields in the process. Messey was also 85 mph across the infield, which paced all underclassmen at this event.”

CJ Lake 3B / Oakville, MO / 2026 From 2/21/23: “...emerged as a name-to-know prospect with loud tools attached to a 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame in the state’s freshman class. Lake squared up several baseballs with authority in BP from a twitchy right-handed swing, reaching a 99.1 mph max exit velocity while averaging 90.3 mph per batted ball. His furthest ball traveled 339 feet, the fourth furthest number of the entire event. After standing out with the bat, Lake hopped on the mound and ran his fastball up to 86.7 mph, the day’s firmest bullet, while holding 84-86 mph throughout. Lake also spun a high-60s slider with heavy horizontal action (15.8 inches) and created natural run on his changeup (21.3 inches) at 70-72 mph as well. Set to start his high school career shortly, Lake’s raw talent and future upside left a positive mark on our staff.”

Kendall Hagedorn C / Smith-Cotton, MO / 2026 From 1/24/23: “...another name that really impressed on Sunday, despite being one of the youngest prospects in attendance. Hagedorn repeatedly got off some of the day’s hardest hacks, staying exclusively up the middle throughout. He swings a quick and loose right-handed barrel, generating acceleration out of his load relatively easily. Hagedorn certainly emerged from this event as a name-to-know in Missouri’s 2026 class.

William Bologna SS / Liberty North, MO / 2026 From 2/17/23: “...really looked the part on Sunday and firmly cemented himself as a high follow prospect in the state’s senior class. The 5-foot-9, 145-pound freshman took an extremely polished round of BP, repeating a short, simple right-handed swing with all sorts of rhythm throughout. He peppered line drives off his barrel and, while he’s not thumping the baseball entirely right now, should add more power as he continues to fill out his frame. Bologna’s sure-handed on the infield too, ranging well laterally and comfortably playing on the move, topping at 79 mph across the diamond.”

Carson Twellman SS / Troy Buchanan , MO / 2026 Athletic 5-foot-11, 155-pound frame with quick twitch throughout. Represented Team Missouri at the PBR Junior Future Games and saw time on a strong Troy Buchanan squad as a freshman this spring. Ran a 7.27 this winter at the GBA Scout Day, swings a quick, rotational right-handed swing that stays in the zone.

Dawson Edwards C / Lees Summit West, MO / 2026 From 3/1/23: “...at 6-foot-3, 195-pounds, Edwards got off some of the day’s loudest hacks, squaring up nearly every ball at 90+ mph from a long, level right-handed stroke. He squared his hardest ball up at 99.5 mph, the day’s fourth-highest mark, and a metric that is well above average for someone his age. Edwards was also up to 77 mph from the crouch and ran his fastball up to 83 mph on the mound.”

Jaymeson Forest 3B / Gateway Legacy Christian, MO / 2026 From 2/16/23: “...showed the loudest raw power in attendance. Built physically at 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, Forest generated the day’s highest max exit velocity (96.9 mph) and average (87.5 mph), while also barreling the furthest batted ball (322 ft.) of the event. He did so from a loud left-handed bat with easy hand speed and inherent strength, one that we saw play well in-game at LakePoint last August. Forest peaked at 82 mph across the infield during his workout, and his firmest fastball topped at 81 mph on the mound, too.”

Cooper Montgomery 1B / St. Dominic , MO / 2026 From 2/15/23: “...represented Team Missouri at the PBR Junior Future Games this past summer and the 5-foot-10, 170-pound freshman showed premier bat strength from the left side at Saturday’s event. Montgomery’s 96.5 mph max exit velocity the second-highest of any left-handed bat in attendance, and he drove three balls into the right-center gap at 325+ ft., including a 337 ft. peak, per TrackMan. He generates fast rotation out of his load, keeping a level barrel through the zone while flashing leverage to the pull-side. With his first year of high school ball set to start in a few weeks, Montgomery looks the part of a true middle-of-the-order type left-handed bat in Missouri’s 2026 class.”

Brant Colvin C / Knob Noster, MO / 2026 From 3/1/23: “...Colvin has lean strength within a 5-foot-11, 184-pound frame, and he got off regular hacks with authority, squaring his hardest ball up at 96.8 mph, which was one of this event’s highest marks. He showed a quick release behind the plate, popping a 1.95 on his best bullet.”

Henry Vedder RHP / St. Francis Borgia, MO / 2026 Long, lean, and lanky 6-foot-4, 165-pound frame with plenty of physical projection left to come. Was a winner from the A's Scout Day in February, has seen playing time this spring on a St. Francis Borgia squad that is now in the Class 5 'Final Four'. Fastball plays in the low-80s, spins a shorter wrinkle breaking ball with downer spin and intent. Projectable on the mound in all facets, also swings a quick, flat right-handed bat.

Brennan McLaughlin SS / Platte County , MO / 2026 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame with lean strength and room for more. Attended the MOKAN Preseason All-State this winter and impressed, parlaying that success into regular playing time at Platte County this spring. Loose hands at the plate with some barrel whip, looks to elevate the baseball. Peaked at 83 mph across the infield during his defensive workout. Hopped on the mound later on and pitched in the low-80s, touching 83 mph, spotted two secondaries around the zone in his 'pen.

Drew Grauberger SS / Lee's Summit West, MO / 2026 From 3/1/23: “...Grauberger swung with aggression throughout his round, showing hand speed and quick rotation out of his load. He stayed on the barrel, averaging 85.5 mph per batted ball, while peaking at 89.9 mph. Defensively, Grauberger’s hands worked out front with steady actions, and his hardest ball came out at 80 mph across the infield.”

Christian McNew C / Cape Central, MO / 2026 From 2/1/23: “...is the latest 2026 to impress thus far into our winter circuit. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound backstop swung a quick left-handed bat in BP, working direct to contact and staying on top of the baseball while flashing feel to stay up the middle. McNew should grow into more impact as he physically develops and fills his frame out, but the current freshmen earned himself a spot on our radar after this event.”

Landon Matthews OF / Lafayette , MO / 2026 Compact 5-foot-10, 165-pound frame with strength in the lower half. Put together a polished 'pen at the Preseason All-State, throwing a true three-pitch mix that we saw play in-game this spring in an extra-innings contest against Fort Zumwalt South. Fastball played at 80-81 mph with some rise/run traits. Advanced breaking ball for his age, spun it around the zone at 68-70 mph while averaging 14 inches of horizontal movement. Limited spin and lift on his changeup, naturally running it to the arm-side at 74-75 mph from the same arm slot as his fastball. Hurled 24 innings over 11 appearances as a freshman for a Lafayette team that made it to the state quarterfinals, posting a 3.50 ERA.

Luke Baer 3B / Ozark , MO / 2026 From 3/4/23: “...is a physical right-handed bat that also threw well on the mound. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound freshman stayed short to contact, barreling line drives up the middle with consistency and recording a peak exit velocity of 88.2 mph. He was 84 mph across the infield and sat in the low-80s with his fastball, running his hardest bullet up to 84 mph as well.”

Drew Parsons C / Jackson , MO / 2026 From 2/15/23: “...was another underclassman to follow from this event. At 5-foot-11, 160-pounds, Parsons showed more athleticism and a looser right-handed swing at the plate in BP, working on top of the baseball and spraying line drives throughout. His hardest hit ball came off his bat at 90.6 mph, which was a near seven mph uptick from the summer, and he was all over the barrel, posting an 80% sweet-spot rate, per TrackMan. Parsons’ defensive skill-set behind the plate is extremely advanced for his age, and his catch-and-throw skills are especially impressive. He was all over the bag during his workout, popping as fast as a 1.93 from an ultra quick trigger. A willing blocker with soft hands when receiving too, Parsons has the makings of a true do-it-all type of backstop in this class. He hopped on the mound later in the day, bumping his fastball up to 80 mph with two above-average secondaries, a changeup and slider, to pair.”

Kody Underwood 3B / Lees Summit West, MO / 2026 From 3/1/23: “...Underwood, who brings a strong 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame to the plate, squared his hardest ball up at 93.9 mph with a handful of other 90+ mph barrels to pair.”

Zak Meador RHP / North St. Francois County, MO / 2026 From 3/4/23: “...has advanced stuff at the moment with plenty more to come down the road. Meador worked down the mound easily, repeating a clean delivery consistently while staying in sync to release. His fastball came out clean from a loose arm, sitting 82-84, and there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll throw harder sooner rather than later. Though still completely developing feel for his secondaries, Meador spun a tight slider at 69-72 mph, and he limited both spin and lift on a 73-76 mph changeup in his ‘pen.”

Chase Hartman C / St. Louis University, MO / 2026 From 2/23/23: “...was one of the few freshmen in attendance, and he showed well in multiple aspects of his workout. Hartman, who stands at 5-foot-10, 150-pounds, started his day off by taking a clean round of BP, working line drives off his barrel to the pull-side. Hartman repeated a flat, simple right-handed swing throughout BP, and he’ll continue to impact the baseball with more authority as he gets older. He topped at 75 mph from behind the plate, a three tick increase since we saw him last October, and popped a 2.03 on his best bullet. Hartman hopped on the mound afterwards and ran his fastball up to 79 mph, spinning his breaking ball for strikes at 66-67 mph as well.”

Eli Kemna 3B / St Elizabeth R-IV, MO / 2026 From 3/1/23: “...provided our staff another upside look this past weekend. The lean, lanky 6-foot, 165-pound freshman ran his fastball up to 82 mph, sitting at 78-81 mph with feel to spin his 69-70 mph breaking ball around the zone, and adding a 72-75 mph changeup into the mix, too. Kemna swung a simple and projectable right-handed bat in BP, staying level through the zone while working pull-side line drives throughout.”

Preston McCracken RHP / Republic, MO / 2026 6-foot-2, 170-pound long, lanky frame with upside levers. Flashed plenty of intrigue on the mound at the A's Scout Day, also saw time as a freshman on a Republic squad that was the top seed in their District. Fastball touched 81 mph, peaking at 17.7 inches of vertical break at 96% spin efficiency on average. Spun his breaking ball at 2200+ RPM, killed spin on a low-70s changeup.

**CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2026 RANKINGS**

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