Rankings Insider: Top 2026 Uncommitted by Position
December 13, 2024
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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 Juniors in high school, the 2026 grads. The class expanded to the top 265 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.
The recruiting world of high school baseball players has seemed to slow down a bit. While the 2025 class is seeing a fairly normal amount of early signing period commits, many came late in the fall period. For the 2026 class, many schools are in a holding pattern on their high school recruiting process. They are working to manage the new roster limit of 34, the new scholarship process, and the transfer portal. Much of the recruiting world will be quarter by quarter as teams work to constantly fill their roster with talent, depth, and balance. The 2026 class is the first class seeing these changes affect their entire recruiting cycle. We do expect a ton of attention on the 2026 class through the winter and into the spring as the winter transfer period closes and recruiting coordinators work to get a grasp on the talent as they are able to watch games in the spring, leading to a big summer period.
Below we continue the process of breaking down the top talent in the 2026 class. The fall season allows the scouting staff at Prep Baseball to see new players and continue the evaluation process on players already in the rankings database. Today we take a look at some of the top uncommitted players, by position, in the recent rankings release. The entire class of 2026 Rankings update, expanding it to the top 265 players in North Carolina, can be seen HERE.
2026 Rankings: Top Uncommitted
Middle Infielders
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Cason McGinnis SS / 2B / North Lincoln High, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 42 / POS: 5
McGinnis' prospect status elevates when you see him in live game play action. Solid tools and metrics, but his feel for the speed of the game and instincts elevates all the numbers produced in a workout. Advanced defender with good lateral quickness, he will be close to impacting a high level of the game on the defensive side when he arrives on a campus. |
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Jacob Cesarz SS / 2B / Cary Christian, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 51 / POS: 6
One of the top runners in the state, Cesarz's quickness plays in the middle of the field. At the Future Games, he showed an ability to play at a very high level in the outfield, giving college coaches some options on how to use him early in his career. A right handed hitter, the quickness translates and as the barrel feel grows, his threat on the bases will be a huge weapon. |
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Christian Gentrup SS / 2B / Northwest Guilford High, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 59 / POS: 8
Gentrup checks a lot of boxes. Defensively he should stick in the middle of the field. There is lateral quickness and straight ahead speed. In the box, the swing creates consistent hard contact working the middle of the field. |
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Zeke Adwaters III SS / 3B / TC Roberson, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 71 / POS: 10
Adwaters is an interesting follow as he may just be scratching the surface of what his potential is. Good numbers in the workout setting with excellent lateral quickness, Adwaters is in a highly competitve spot at TC Roberson, having to earn his way past some older D1 commits in recent years. More will be expected this spring, which should allow him the opportunity to continue his developement process. |
Corner Infielders
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Max Wearing 1B / 3B / Palisades, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 49 / POS: 1
A sweet swinging lefty with a good glove around the bag. Wearing has a physical presence but with a baby face. As he continues to mature, the hard contact we see on a regular basis should continue to mature, giving him the chance to be a damage creator at the next level, fairly quickly. |
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Bo Moxley 1B / RHP / Forbush High, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 55 / POS: 2
A big winner at the Top Prospect Games to conclude the summer, Moxley has quickness and strength in the swing, generating hard contact with an ability to drive the ball to the gaps. As he continues to mature, the natural loft he possesses could turn into quick runs. A good athlete, with nimble feet for his size, Moxley is solid around the bag and has solid feel on the mound. |
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Grant Buchanan 3B / SS / Clayton, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 63 / POS: 5
Physical presence with stength through contact caught a ton of eyes out of the Border Battle in June. Over the past year, the feet and hands have continued to develop, giving him a solid opportunity to stay on the left side of the field as he continues to move up the ladder. |
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Tanner Pope 1B / LHP / Garner High, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 69 / POS: 3
A unique prospect that has seen his upside debate go between his prospect on the mound and in the box as a left handed hitter swing a bit among those that have seen him. The power potential is real. The ball absolutely explodes off the bat when he is on time and on the barrel. The prospect will continue to climb as he shows an ability to translate the barrel feel in BP to live game action. |
Outfielders
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Cole Blevins OF / RHP / West Rowan High, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 30 / POS: 8
One of the top hitters in the state, the bat should play very quickly when he gets to the next level. Consistent barrel feel with production in game action vs. high level arms will continue to have his name coming across recruiting coordinator's list. |
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Dylan Palmer OF / 1B / East Wake Academy, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 34 / POS: 9
Palmer will be a high follow this preseason and spring season. The bat is live with the ball jumping off the barrel. He has the chance to create a ton of damage. Out for a large chunk of 2024, the early 2025 season will give coaches a quick update on how he has progressed.
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Jakub Mudd OF / 3B / Cardinal Gibbons, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 44 / POS: 11
Mudd was a key to the Cardinal Gibbons late run in the state playoffs in 2024. He followed that up with a very good summer season. The body has added strength and quickness in the past year and those additions have yielded production at the plate. |
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Parker Roland OF / LHP / Ayden-Grifton, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 56 / POS: 15
Roland impressed at a Fall Scout Day showing a left handed swing with quickness and a frame that screams projection. There is quickness and plenty of room for added strength in the coming years. He also turned some heads in his bullpen session. |
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Dylan Poling OF / RHP / Marvin Ridge, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 66 / POS: 16
Poling checked a lot of boxes as the Scout Day he attended in the summer. The game play portion is behind the workout skills at this time, but he is a good athlete with quickness and length present. As he continues to get game reps, and fill out, he will be an interesting follow to see if he continues his climb to what could be a very high ceiling. |
Catcher
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Addison Rowland C / SS / palisades high school, NC / 2026One of the more athletic uncommitted players in the state, Rowland has elite characteristis behind the plate. His athleticism also transfers to the infield and outfield, giving him a chance to contribute to a lineup early at the next level, in a lot of different fashions. |
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Hodge Williams C / RHP / Holly Springs, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 58 / POS: 6
Williams impressed at the Future Games with his ability to handle and intereact with high level arms. There is a quick comfort throwing to him. Offensively, the swing has excellent barrel feel in live game action and he has consistently shown an ability to drive the baseball vs high level arms. |
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Jack McKellar C / OF / Rocky Mount High, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 67 / POS: 8
McKellar is a prospect that has consistently gotten better season to season. The tool set plays across the board. There is arm strength and athleticism behind the dish. The bat has shown solid barrel feel with good power potential. |
Right Handed Pitcher
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Charlie Shaver RHP / North Stanly High, NC / 2026High level righty has developed a feel for pitching with a clean arm. The future is very bright as he continues to add strength to an athletic frame. |
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Colton Haire RHP / OF / Pro5 Baseball Academy, NC / 2026Pitchers that can create discomfort can contribute early. Haire has a breaking ball that could become an out-pitch fairly quickly. Schools may also check out the bat to see if he can provide depth to the roster as a hitter as well. |
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Carter Adams RHP / 3B / Home School, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 29 / POS: 13
Physical presence and streng arm. Has shown an ability to attack the strike zone and create discomfort for hitters. The prospect staus can continue to grow as he continues to improve his movement down the hill. |
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Greyson Jones RHP / 2B / West Forsyth High, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 39 / POS: 16
Another right hander that has developed an ability to pitch and has seen his stuff take a step forward in the past year. Two different breaking balls will both have a chance to play as he continues to develop. |
Left Handed Pitcher
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Noah Rhoades LHP / OF / Holly Springs High, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 31 / POS: 1
Powerful build and quick arm, the fastball has metrics that suggest he may be able to attack hitters with it as he moves up. Solid feel for pitching and good mover down the mound, there is a lot to like as coaches work to balance their staff. |
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Jared Hagwood LHP / 1B / Bunn, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 60 / POS: 3
Big winner from the end of summer scout days, Hagwood turned heads with a clean arm, long lean frame, and athletic movements down the hill. He may be just beginning to scratch the surface of what the potential could be. |
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Anthony Zezza LHP / OF / Holly Springs, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 78 / POS: 6
Zezza has a history of getting outs and showing a good feel for pitching. As the frame continues to add strength, the fastball growth could lead to the change-up becoming an elite pitch that troubles top hitters. |
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Maverick Walters LHP / OF / Carson High, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 84 / POS: 7
Physical presence and long arms, Walters has a very intriguing ceiling. He may be a bit away from his potential ceiling but the climb could be fun to watch in the coming years. |