As our rankings cycle for this calendar year concludes, the PBR Missouri staff is unveiling our inaugural Class of 2027 rankings, debuting the list at 15 total names. 

It is still extremely early to be forecasting Class of 2027 prospects, especially since they have yet to play a high school spring season. We are fully aware that these prospects are nowhere near their future potential ceiling but there are a number of prospects who have emerged throughout 2023 in the state that look to be the next crop of high-level players to come through the state. Several of the high-end talents should also be known on a national level as well. There are a plethora of names that are not presently on our rankings who will make strides over the next couple of years as they continue to physically mature, ultimately finding themselves on our board. 

With that being said, below you will learn more about the top-10 players that make up these initial 2027 rankings. A large majority of these names represented Team Missouri at the PBR Junior Future Games, which is the most prestigious event on a national level for players prior to the start of their high school career. Later in the week we will go into more details on the players who make up the back-end of our top-15, as well as a few names-to-know that just missed the cut. 

For now, learn more about the next crop of talented prospects in the ‘Show Me’ state. 

THE TOP 10 

+ Occupying the top spot in these inaugural rankings is UTL Cole Chambers (SLUH). The 6-foot-1, 175-pound freshman is a budding multi-sport star, as he’s also a highly regarded soccer player to pair with his efforts on the diamond. Chambers’ talents on both sides of the ball stood out at the Rawlings Tigers Scout Day in February and ultimately earned him an invite to represent Team Missouri at the PBR Junior Future Games. He’s a 7.10 runner with a fast, athletic right-handed swing at the plate that stays in the hitting zone. Chambers moves well in the infield and outfield with advanced arm strength for his age, peaking at 82 mph and 88 mph respectively from both spots. We’ve also seen his fastball play in the low-80s on the mound, touching 84 mph, and he’s able to land a breaking ball for strikes while also showing feel for his changeup. Expect Chambers figures to be a high-end prospect in Missouri’s 2027 class for a large majority of his high school career. 

Cole Chambers

+ LHP/OF Chase Stieferman (Capital City, 2027; Missouri commit) checks in at No. 2 overall on our board and he’s also the only committed prospect on this list. Stieferman can really pitch with polish on the mound that’s well advanced beyond his years and raises his floor significantly down the road. He’s consistently been a strike thrower in our looks, starting with a low-80s fastball that he’s comfortable working to both corners of the plate. Stieferman also spins a slurvy-type breaking ball at 70-72 mph for strikes and his best secondary pitch down the road may end up being his 72-73 mph changeup that plays with natural fade. His polish translates from the mound to the plate as well, with a strong, fluid, and rhythmic left-handed swing that’s shown gap-to-gap juice to our staff. 

Chase Stieferman

+ Debuting at third in these rankings is RHP Brandon Ott (DeSmet Jesuit), who has one of the highest ceiling amongst this crop of names. Built at a lanky 6-foot-3, 165-pounds with lean limbs, Ott controls his levers downhill well for his age and stature with a loose, clean arm to pair. Ott’s fastball presently plays in the low-80s, though it’s reasonable to believe he’ll make a sizable velocity jump in the coming years given his ease and projectability. Ott throws two breaking balls - a more bendy curveball with higher arch and depth in the mid-60s that he’ll flip in for strikes, as well as a tighter slider that plays in the low-70s - and he also throws a running low-70s changeup at fastball arm speed. 

Brandon Ott

+ UTL Andrew Maultsby (Staley) has some of the loudest tools early on in this class and the Kansas City native slots at fourth overall in these rankings. Maultsby’s quick twitch and wiry strength on a 5-foot-10, 150-pound frame is evident, as he ran a 7.08 60-yard dash with a 1.67 10-yard split at an event this summer. Offensively, Maultsby works direct to contact from a quick right-handed swing that has flashed gap-to-gap feel in a BP setting. His arm may be his biggest asset with real juice from multiple spots on the diamond. Maultsby owns lively a 77 mph arm from the chute that popped at 1.95-to-2.05 in his workout, was 88 mph across the infield that same day, and has also been up to 85 on the mound, pitching at 82-84 mph at LakePoint in the summer. 

Andrew Maultsby

+ INF Max Partney (Hillsboro) rounds out the top five and appears to be one of the more intriguing offensive prospects in the class. Partney has a polished and pure left-handed swing that just screams “hitter”. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound freshman showed advanced bat strength for his age at the Top Prospect Underclass Games in Columbia this summer, squaring his hardest ball up at 90 mph, while also posting some of the day’s best batted ball numbers on average (271 ft.) and at peak (308 ft.). Also a PBR Junior Future Games alum, Partney is a high-end left-handed bat to know in Missouri. 

Max Partney

+ C/INF Carson Leuthauser (Eureka) is another name that appears to be a real offensive threat from this group, slotting at sixth overall on these initial rankings. Leuthauser has balance and rhythm at the plate with the ability to cover both corners confidently and stay on the barrel gap-to-gap, too. He doesn’t lack bat speed or bat strength either, posting peak exit velocities (93.6 mph) and max batted distances (331 ft.) at our events this year that are well advanced marks for his age. Leuthauer’s strength translates behind the plate, topping at 79 mph from the chute with pop times in the 1.95-to-2.00 range, as well as an 83 mph arm across the diamond. Leuthauser looks the part of a real impact bat that should only boost his status as a prospect should he stick behind the plate moving forward. 

Carson Leuthauser

+ At seventh on our list is OF Adam McKnight (Nixa), who’s a name we’ve heard plenty of positives on from the southwest portion of the state. McKnight’s 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame really looks the part in a uniform, and his athleticism is standout worthy, too. He’s a quarterback for the Eagles’ football team, though made an impact as a receiver during his freshman year, and is already gaining plenty of positive momentum on the basketball court for Nixa’s varsity squad. Given his present size, strength, and high level athletic versatility, McKnight presents a notable ceiling within Missouri’s 2027 class. 

+ RHP Ryan Dobratz (Liberty) really turned heads after his ‘pen at the Legacy Scout Day in early April and figures to be a high-end follow on the mound in this class, starting his high school career at eighth overall on our board. Dobratz has long, loose, and highly projectable levers to pair with an upside 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame. His fastball played in the low-80s, touching 84 mph, in our brief look, with plenty more in the tank as he continues to mature physically. Dobratz flashed feel for both of his secondaries too, as he threw his 72-75 mph changeup with sink at fastball arm speed, while also showing a 64-65 mph breaking ball that should turn into a swing-and-miss pitch as he gets older. Dobratz is also a fluid right-handed hitter with a clean, rhythmic swing that stays level through the zone, adding even more upside to a profile that's plenty full of it.

Ryan Dobratz

+ Another member of Team Missouri from the Junior Future Games, INF Bode Schenewerk (Jefferson City) occupies the ninth spot in these rankings. He’s a loose-bodied and athletic 5-foot-10, 150-pound freshman with a clean, rhythmic right-handed swing that’s only going to add impact as he continues to get stronger. On the infield, Schenewerk plays with pace on the move and trusts his hands, particularly up the middle, with the future actions to pencil himself in on the dirt down the road. 

Bode Schenewerk

+ Rounding out the top-10 is INF/RHP Michael Wolff (Fort Zumwalt West), who also made the trip down to LakePoint for the Junior Future Games as a member of Team Missouri. Wolff’s right-handed swing is presently his most valuable asset, as he’s comfortable spraying line drives to all fields from a flat, simple stroke. Wolff’s shown steady glovework on the infield as well and we’ve also seen him up to 80 mph on the mound while flashing feel to land his breaking ball for strikes. 

**CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2027 RANKINGS**

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