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The Year In Review - 2023

January 1, 2024
Dylan Hefflinger
Editor in Chief/Scout

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Interested in attending a PBR Ohio event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

To view the Class Rankings, click below:

To view the Prospect Reports, click below:

To view the 2023 Showcase Statistical Breakdowns, click below:

The Year In Review - 2023

Each of us here at PBR Ohio want to thank you for making 2023 the best year yet. We look forward to continuing to bring the best baseball coverage to the Buckeye State. Happy Holidays to all!

"2023 has been such an awesome year for PBR Ohio. Our core staff worked well together and all our interns made a major impact. I believe we are set up better than ever to continue to provide exposure to athletes and help them accomplish their dream of playing at the next level." - Jordan Chiero, PBR Ohio Director of Scouting

"2023 was another banner year for PBR Ohio and myself. From the relationships we've made and the experiences I had personally throughout these past 12 months, 2023 was a year to remember. Being able to help high school athletes reach their dreams of playing at the next level while building personal relationships is something I enjoy daily. The showcase season is great and I love everything about it, but as most who know me understand, I love the high school and summer seasons and I'd like to thank all who made those two seasons the best we could make them. Thanks to the interns that helped a bunch during the year, as well as all of our full time guys, each have brought something to PBR Ohio that has made it what it is now. I also want to thank the outstanding hospitality provided by the OHSAA staff and the Akron Rubberducks MiLB organization at the state tournament (see below). Last but certainly not least, thank you very much to the athletes, parents, coaches and all in the great Buckeye State. Have a great holiday season!"- Dylan Hefflinger, PBR Ohio Editor in Chief/NW Ohio Scout

"Another enjoyable year of story writing is in the books. Hearing the baseball journeys from so many brings me delight as each player’s dream of playing the sport for as long as possible stays alive. It is a delight to see these athletes in action, be it during the regular season, on the postseason trail to the state tournament or at the Future Games. To witness the passion displayed on the ball diamond keeps this old man excited to come back for more year after year. Add in the opportunity to listen to what all the great coaches out there have to say and it is no wonder why the sport of baseball is so special to so many people." - Bruce Hefflinger, PBR Ohio Senior Writer

"2023 was another great year! Our staff provided maximum exposure for prospects by executing high level showcases and tournaments across the state. We grew closer as a staff and navigated new challenges as they arose. I'm very appreciative of the coaches, organizations and players for trusting in our brand. I'm excited for what is to come in 2024 and look forward to continuing to make a positive difference in the recruiting process for amatuer baseball players." - Luke Wolford, PBR Ohio Vice President of Operations and Multimedia

"The addition of tournaments in Ohio was worthwhile in 2019 and we have improved in every way in 2023. We tried to add another level of scouting to differentiate ourselves and I think we capitalized on that. In 2024 we look forward to developing current relationships as well as establishing new relationships with summer coaches." - Alex Schillig, Vice President of Operations and Multimedia

"2023 was an awesome year for Prep Baseball Ohio. I'm extremely fortunate to be able to work with such a great team who are constantly looking to improve upon what we are currently doing while also proactively looking for new ways to continue providing the best amateur scouting platform in Ohio. It's an exciting time to be involved with Prep Baseball Ohio as we introduce an updated brand identity & logo while still providing the same unparalleled boots-on-the-ground coverage for High School baseball players across the entire state." - Alex Stefanelli, Director of Social Media

"2023 has been another banner year for our PBR Ohio team. I think the staff that Chris Valentine has assembled is second to none and we are leading the way in our industry on all fronts. No one in Ohio covers high school spring coverage like Dylan, Jordan, and the team of guys they have assembled. The showcases and scout days run by Jordan and Luke, are the events to be at for all aspiring baseball players and are very well run. I don't think this can be stated enough but Alex Stefanelli and his team on the social media side are incredible and some of the best content creators in the space. I won't pump the tournaments too hard but I think we (Alex Schillig, Myself, and our Tournament staff) put on some of the best events in the region and we continue to see major growth every year. At the end of the day, we are a customer first company and I truly believe no one cares more about baseball and our community like the PBR Ohio team. I can't wait to see what 2024 has in store." - Phil O'Shea, Ohio Tournament Director

2023 Showcase Recap

Prep Baseball Report events are designed to give players the maximum exposure needed to advance to the next level. In 2023, not only did they receive high-level exposure from college coaches at each event, but all players at these events were videotaped, with the edited performance being posted onto the website with the opportunity to be seen by more than 800 colleges and pro teams who subscribe to the Prep Baseball Report services.

In 2023, PBR Ohio hosted 58 showcases/workouts throughout the year. This included 31 Scout Days, which provided the top summer organizations in the state the ability to show what their program has to offer College/MLB organizations. In this article, you will find the "best of the best" for the year in numerous categories, with the top 10 being highlighted.

Looking ahead to 2024, we at PBR Ohio look forward to bringing you comprehensive year-round coverage throughout the state and continue to be the No. 1 resource for amateur baseball in the state thanks to our variety of events, boots-on-the-ground scouting staff, daily coverage, multimedia platforms and more. With more than 800 colleges and pro teams subscribed to Prep Baseball Report services, we look to continue to help the prospect reach their dreams of playing at the next level.

 

Ohio High School Spring Season Recap

PBR Ohio covers the High School spring season unlike any other. Each year we have brought more and more coverage throughout the state, with 2023 being our biggest year yet. We brought you in-depth Team Previews, Spring Scout Blogs, Preseason/Postseason All-State Teams, Preseason/In-season Team Rankings, High School Classics, as well as complete coverage of the OHSAA State Tournament.

January through the start of the season saw many team previews placed online, click here to view each of the previews from 2023.

To view the 2023 Scout Blog, please click here.

To view the 2023 All-State Teams, click below.

To view the final 2023 Team Rankings, click below

    To view the OHSAA Baseball Tournament Wrapup, click below.

    PBR Ohio 2023 Player Of The Year

    In 2023, there were numerous players who were in contention for the PBR Ohio Player of the Year, including:

    • 2023 RHP Ryan Piech (54.2 IP, 9-1, 0.25 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 89 K, 22 BB).
    • 2023 C Mason Eckelman (39-97, .402 AVG, .504 OBP, 12 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 35 R, 43 RBI, 19 BB, 5 HBP, 5 SB).
    • 2023 SS A.J. Ewing (39-84, .464 AVG, .571 OBP, 8 2B, 7 3B, 4 HR, 34 R, 37 RBI, 25 BB, 19 SB).
    • 2023 SS Blake Bowen (35-77, .455 AVG, .606 OBP, 5 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 35 R, 27 RBI, 31 BB, 16 SB).
    • 2023 SS Mason Oñate (43-93, .462 AVG, .570 OBP, 9 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 50 R, 23 RBI, 19 BB, 7 HBP, 37 SB).
    • 2023 RHP Jacob Bean (57 IP, 8-1, 2 SV, 0.49 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 115 K, 9 BB | 29-60, .483 AVG, 12 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 18 R, 24 RBI, 13 SB).
    • 2023 RHP Michael Murphy (32.1 IP, 6-0, 0.86 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, 49 K, 9 BB | 34-97, .351 AVG, .407 OBP, 8 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 27 R, 30 RBI, 8 BB).
    • 2023 LHP Aaron England (44.2 IP, 6-2, 0.62 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 93 K, 26 BB | 26-74, .351 AVG, .490 OBP, 2 2B, 13 R, 14 RBI, 16 BB, 5 HBP).
    • 2023 RHP Ethan Stewart (62 IP, 10-0, 0.79 ERA, 0.56 WHIP, 119 K, 3 BB).
    • 2023 SS/RHP Toby Hueber (43-106, .406 AVG, .489 OBP, 10 2B, 4 3B, 40 R, 27 RBI, 19 BB, 3 HBP, 32 SB | 59 IP, 10-0, 1.54 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 45 K, 12 BB).

    Along with these 10 prospects, who put on outstanding seasons statistically in 2022, there were numerous other outstanding seasons, but we had to choose and that honor went to one individual who put together an outstanding season before being drafted in the first round by the Mariners. 2023 SS Colt Emerson put together an outstanding spring campaign; 33-74, .458 AVG, .602 OBP, 12 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 39 R, 25 RBI, 20 BB, 6 HBP, 26 SB.

    Future Games - Team Ohio

    The 12th annual Future Games took place on July 26-29 at LakePoint in Emerson, Georgia. Top uncommitted prospects in the classes of 2025 and 2026 participated in one of the most popular events of the year.

    There were 32 teams, including Team Ohio, with players representing 44 states plus Canadian prospects. Each team played three games the final three days of the event after all position players were put through a showcase workout on Wednesday. More than 375 college coaches from across the country were looking on as approximately 500 players participated in this year’s event.

    Team Ohio went 2-1, defeating Team Midwest on Thursday and Team Illinois on Friday, while losing to Team Pennsylvania on Saturday.

    To read about each of the prospects experience at the Future Games, please click on this article. Every single prospect talked about their experience, the highlights, the competition and much more. A must read to say the least. To view another must read, the second annual "Heff's Hits", please click here.

     

    Committed Insider/Uncommitted Spotlights

    In 2023, we were blessed to have OPSWA Hall of Fame writer Bruce Hefflinger back for his fifth full year. With Bruce on board, we were able to provide numerous commitment articles and uncommitted spotlights throughout the year. As of this date, in combination with Dylan Hefflinger's top uncommitted by position articles, we have written eight uncommitted articles in 2023 and 200+ since late 2017. Along with uncommitted articles, we provided numerous uncommitted spotlights on twitter throughout the year. To view the uncommitted spotlights throughout the year, please click here. When it comes to commitment articles, in 2023 we provided 70 articles and 500+ since 2017. To view each of the commitment tracker articles, please click here.

    In 2023, we look forward to another year of spotlights heading your way.

    2023 MLB Draft - Ohio Prospects

    The 2023 MLB Draft took place July 9-11. We at PBR Ohio took time to highlight a few of the MLB draftees that were Ohio Prospects.

    Our guys at the national level, David Seifert (Director of College Scouting) and Shooter Hunt (Vice President, Scouting) have DraftHQ with all of your draft information in one spot, click here.

    Early Signing Period

    The NCAA early signing period took place November 18th-15th. We at PBR Ohio broke down each individual Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, and JUCO commitment from in-state prospects, where they are headed and what tools they will bring with them.

    Look Ahead At 2024

    With 2023 behind us, we look ahead at what 2024 has to offer.

    Throughout the year we will offer numerous showcases across the state, click here to view our 2023 showcase schedule.

    When it comes to the OHSAA spring season, soon we will be starting to be working on our in-depth Team Previews. We will also provide the 2024 Spring Scout Blog, Preseason/Postseason All-State Teams, Preseason/In-season Team Rankings, the Heat Sheet, as well as complete coverage of the OHSAA State Tournament. We look forward to being your number one spot for HS baseball coverage in the spring. Another big thing coming this spring is our second annual PBR Ohio High School Spring Classics, which you can find all of our outstanding matchups by clicking here.

    Come summer time, we look to scour the entire state, scouting our PBR Tournaments and covering Travel Ball/ACME/Legion tournaments. We will be hosting numerous PBR Tournaments. Also in the summer, we have numerous showcases including the Top Prospect Games, Future Games, Preseason All-State Showcase and many more.

    Throughout the year, we will be updating the individual Player Rankings. To view the current rankings, please click below:

    Plus we may have more up our sleeves in terms of content, be on the lookout!