Prep Baseball Report

Rankings: Unveiling the NC Class of 2028


Brandon Hall
NC / Mid-ATL Director of Scouting

Follow: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

As the fall season comes to a close, the scouting staff at Prep Baseball takes the opportunity to update their class rankings. This week, the focus is on high school freshmen, the Class of 2028. Although it’s early in their development, the scouting team in North Carolina has been working through the summer and fall to begin identifying the top prospects in the state.

Events like the Rising Stars Series, Top Prospect Games, and the Jr. Future Games have provided players with a platform to showcase their skills, while also helping to build their Prep Baseball profile with stats, analytics, and video. The scouting staff will continue this process throughout the high school preseason, including Preseason IDs, and for those who earn high grades, the Preseason All-State events. During the high school season, the staff aims to attend 400+ high school games in 2025. By observing players in both workout settings and live game action, the staff gains a more comprehensive view of their abilities.

Ranking players can seem straightforward, but it requires a significant amount of time and effort. For every player the Prep Baseball scouting staff in North Carolina evaluates, they assign a player grade and a confidence rating. The confidence rating reflects the number of times a player has been observed and the variety of evaluation methods used. For the Class of 2028, the confidence rating will be relatively low compared to other high school classes. Once all data is gathered, the database is sorted anonymously, with only the player grade, confidence rating, and tool grades visible. The rankings are determined by sorting the database by player grade, with tool grades used to differentiate between players with similar overall ratings. After the sorting is complete, the rankings are essentially set. The scouting staff will then review the list to ensure there are no discrepancies, where a grade may have been off for any reason. Once this review is done, the rankings are ready to be published.

The freshman year is a critical one for high school players. It is often the first time players step outside their immediate environment and compare their development to that of players from other areas. There will likely be significant changes to this list over the next few years. On average, North Carolina’s senior class of baseball players sees 450-500 college commitments each year. With this initial list of the top 50 players in the Class of 2028, we are still far from identifying all the players who will have the opportunity to continue their baseball careers beyond high school.

Below, we begin the process of breaking down the top talent in the 2028 class. This is just the starting point. Players will move up and down the list, and over the next three years, we expect to see 350-400 players added to the state rankings. While this is an exciting time, it’s important to remember that this list is just the beginning for our scouting staff as they continue to build evaluations and history with these players. The full Class of 2028 Rankings for North Carolina can be seen HERE.

Initial Release: North Carolina Class of 2028 Rankings

Does The Top Compare to the 2025 Class

North Carolina has a long history of producing highly talented and deep baseball classes. With numerous Division I schools in-state, along with several Division II, Division III, and JUCO programs that have competed for national titles, the state’s depth of talent plays a crucial role in developing future prospects. As we dive into the Class of 2028, the depth compared to other classes is striking. At times, our scouting staff struggles to narrow down an initial rankings list to just 25 players with grades that we are confident will remain consistent throughout their high school careers and allow college coaches to get an early start on identifying top prospects. However, the Class of 2028 reached the Top 50 with ease, and there were even discussions about expanding the list to the Top 75.

One factor contributing to this early depth may be the scouting staff’s increased focus on rising freshmen, starting earlier than in previous years. With the growth of Prep Baseball Tournaments, more information has been made available to the scouting team. Additionally, players in high school have helped by providing names of rising freshmen to track. Finally, the introduction of the Rising Stars Showcase Series across Prep Baseball has given younger players a platform to get their information in front of decision-makers at an earlier stage.

The Overall Rankings for the Class of 2028 are expected to be released later this week, and we anticipate that more than 10 players from North Carolina will be featured in the Overall Rankings. The star power at the top of the list is especially notable, with several players having competed on national circuits with their club teams, others who have worn a Team USA jersey, and players who, if they continue to develop, will be professional prospects in the coming years.

The Class of 2025 in North Carolina is shaping up to be one of the strongest in the state’s history. Three players may be in the mix for Day 1 draft attention, and upwards of 20 players will need to be followed and reported on this spring by area scouts. Will the Class of 2028 rival the Class of 2025? It’s too early to say, but the 2028 class will certainly be exciting to follow. There will be intense competition for coveted spots in the rankings, which only pushes players to improve. Such competition makes the scouting world an exciting place to be, filled with opportunities and anticipation.

Jr. Future Games Yields

The Future Games is the largest uncommitted player showcase in the country. Hosted at Prep Baseball's LakePoint facility, just north of Atlanta, GA, the event features top uncommitted rising juniors from each territory or state, selected to represent their respective regions. The event attracts over 400 college coaches and scouts who come to watch players from across the nation. In addition to the rising juniors, each state also brings a team of rising freshmen to compete in the Jr. Future Games. At the 2024 Jr. Future Games, Team NC won their pool and performed well in the tournament bracket, ultimately losing to the eventual runner-up, Team IN.

The talent at the Future Games is incredible. The stacked rosters draw in college coaches and generate a lot of buzz and energy around the LakePoint facility. The Jr. Future Games teams experience this atmosphere firsthand and can set their sights on returning to represent their territory in two years. The players on the North Carolina roster from the 2024 Jr. Future Games will be closely followed as potential candidates for Team NC at the 2025 Super 60 Games, and eventually, the 2026 Future Games.

Below are three players from Team NC at the 2024 Jr. Future Games. Their skill and performance earned them spots in the Top 50 players of North Carolina's Class of 2028 rankings. In total, 8 players from the roster made it into the initial rankings release.

Levi Kerr 3B / SS / Marvin Ridge, NC / 2028

An advanced athlete, Kerr has the skill set to play anywhere on the infield.  At 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, and with a youthful look, it is easy to dream about where Kerr could get to as he continues to fill out.  A left handed hitter, he flooded the stat sheet on the workout day and followed it up with 4 days of high level at-bats, showing an ability to get the barrel to high level arms, and drive the baseball with some ease.  Kerr also flashed potential on the bump.  A multi-sport athlete, he will be a fun follow for the next several years.

 

Hunter Hedgecoe C / 3B / Terry Sanford High, NC / 2028

Physicality can matter in any rankings, but as much as in any class, there are great disparities in the physical development between players in the freshman class.  Strength matters and at times can be difficult to project.  Players that have size, quickness, and project with a frame that will continue to pack on strength, while remaining athletic, can be of high value... Meet Hunter Hedgecoe.  The current tools are good.  The future tools and potential ceiling is really high.  It is not always fair to put that type of ceiling on a player publicly, but Hedgecoe showed a ton of developement from the start of the summer to the JFG event.  He is inside the Top 10, and there will be competition to stay, but he has a very bright future.

Matthew Wright SS / 3B / West Forsyth, NC / 2028

5'10" - 160lb athlete, sure hands on the diamond and a strong arm with an infield velo of 72mph. Moves well and covers ground, ran a laser timed 7.38sec sixty yard dash. Slightly open stance from the right side, toe tap load, has feel for the barrel and keeps hands inside. 

In live game action, Wright flashed advanced tracking skills in the outfield, having never really played out there.  He also had excellent barrel feel, showing an ability to get to upper level fastballs with some ease.

Previewing the Top 10

See the full Class of 2028 Top 50 HERE.

RECENT NC NEWS