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The end of the fall season gives the scouting staffs at Prep Baseball a chance to do a quick clean of their class rankings.  This week will feature the Sophomores in high school, the 2027 grads.  The class expanded to the top 155 players in the state with several players making small moves within the rankings based on what our scouting staff saw this fall season.  Events like the Open IDs and the Top Prospect Games allowed our scouting staff to hone in on players with their eyes and the full analytical package, detailing players strengths and giving some feel for what their future could hold as they continue to develop.

The process of rankings players can be somewhat simple but it does take a ton of time and effort.  For every player the Prep Baseball scouting staff in NC sees, they work to put a player grade on the player and a confidence rating on the grade.  The confidence rating can be related to the number of times a player is seen, and the number of different ways that player is evaluated.  Once ready, the database is sorted blindly, with all player information hidden outside the player grade, confidence rating, and tool grades.  When the data base is sorted by player grade, the tool grades are used to flush out players with similar overall grades.   As the sorting process is finished, the rankings are basically set.  Our scouting staff will go through the list to see if there are any outliers, where the grade may have been off for one reason or another.  As this process is finished, the rankings are ready to post.

One of the biggest years in the recruiting and development of high school baseball prospects is the Sophomore year.  Many college coaches will begin to identify players in their Sophomore year, as they are allowed contact the summer after the Sophomore year.  The contact period falling on August 1st is just after the nations top uncommitted event, the Prep Baseball Future Games, this year featuring the top 2027 grads from across the country.  The depth in North Carolina's 2027 class should yield a very talented Team NC at the Future Games.  The race towards the Future Games really begins in the preseason, but with an additional 25+ players added to the rankngs list after the fall season, the Prep Baseball staff is already identifying key players in the class.

Below we begin the process of breaking down the top talent in the 2027 class.  The Fall Season saw the Prep Baseball scouting staff at events, workouts, games, and tournaments in an effort to find and update notes and grades on players across North Carolina.  Below we dive into the rankings, taking a look at 10 players that made a jump, rising in the rankings.  The entire class of 2027 Rankings update, expanding it to the top 155 players in North Carolina, can be seen HERE.

2027 Class Rankings: Risers

Banks Woody C / 3B / North Raleigh Christian Academy, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 14 / POS: 3 Moved from No. 25 to No. 14   From the Fall Top Prospect Games, Woody's overall grade did not change much.  He was well thought of after his Team Carolina Trials performance in the fall earned him an invite to the Super SO Games.  Seeing him a 2nd time, with live game action allowed the confidence level in the grade to move him up in this rankgins update.

Carter Huff SS / OF / Reagan, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 17 / POS: 4 Moved from No. 37 to No. 17    Probably a little under-graded after the summer, Huff moved around with a ton of athleticism and confidence at the Fall Top Prospect Games.  Switch-hitter has good ball to barrel skills from each side of the dish.

Brandon Bush OF / RHP / Hoggard, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 20 / POS: 5 Moved from No. 35 to No. 20    A high level athlete, the tool set already had high marks.  The Fall Top Prospect Games gave the scouting staff a further opportunity to evaluate how the tools can turn into production.

Giovanni Buccino 1B / RHP / West Forsyth, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 26 / POS: 2 Moved from No. 33 to No. 26    A big climber throughout 2024, Buccino has continued to improve his athleticism, movement, and quickness, translating into loud rounds of BP, balls rocketing off the barrel in game situations, all while showing some nimbleness around the bag at first.

Christian Xavier Romine 3B / RHP / Union Pines, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 31 / POS: 3 Moved from No. 34 to No. 31   While the move in the rankings is small, the continued coverage of Romine did see a bump in his overall grade. At the plate, the strength and quickness are real.  He is beginning to translate advanced BP seessions into game production.  He also increased his bend and lateral quickness on the infield, defensively.

Harrison Mears C / SS / South Brunswick, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 32 / POS: 6 Moved from No. 49 to No. 32   Mears' ability on the field, and his versatility defensively created a lot of interest as our scouting staff was updating the evaluation and player grade.  There is strength and quickness present but the most exciting part of his tool set is the future grades and where the tools could end up as he continues to develop.

Thomas Smith RHP / Cannon, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 51 / POS: 12 Moved from No. 121 to No. 51   Big right hander took some time in 2024 to make sure he was fully healthy, increasing his flexibility and movement patterns.  At 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, Smith will catch eyes.  The arm action and feel for the fastball will keep coaches on the hook as he continues to mature into the frame.

Jaylen Witherspoon OF / LHP / West Forsyth, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 54 / POS: 13 Moved from No. 58 to No. 54   Another small move in the rankings, but in our background the increase in the overall player grade was significant. Witherspoon has continued to get stronger and the strength gains showed up as production in game play this fall.

Thad Parker SS / 2B / Cleveland, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 78 / POS: 17 Moved from No. 89 to No. 78   There are times a player may have a good workout, but blends a bit around other talented players.  Just the ability to see Parker again, and Parker doing his part to have another good day on teh diamond, allowed our staff to increase the confidence in the player grade, bumping him up 14 slots.

Ryan Edwards RHP / OF / DH Conley, NC / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 85 / POS: 21 Moved from No. 101 to No. 85   As we look at Edwards from our past evaluations, we had some confidence that he would make a jump.  The Fall Top Prospect Games allowed him to show increased looseness and quickness through his delivery and release.  The feel for pitching is present and as he adds strength the stuff will continue to climb.

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