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Updated 2021 Ontario Rankings

November 5, 2020
PBR Ontario Staff
PBR Ontario Scouts

 

Ontario Insider: Class of 2021 Player Rankings 

The updated 2021 rankings are here. Thankfully we were able to get a great look this summer and fall, and even more importantly, players were able to take to the ball field to play this great game again. 

As always, there is lots of re-classifications, and with the year 2020 has produced, we’ve see even more 20’s staying back and turn into 21’s and 2021 grads opt to take another year and become 2022 graduates and so on…. 

Confusing it can be at times, but completely understandable when it comes to the players and their families looking to get the right fit. Either way, we are happy to bring to you our updated and expanded 2021 rankings for the class of Ontario. 

The Top Ten

At the top is right-hander and recent Auburn commit Calvin Ziegler. If you are thinking he was a 2020, you're correct. Ziegler is a case of where the shortened season interrupted his plans in the MLB draft, and he chose to stay back another year and de-committed from Uconn and is now set to attend Auburn as not only the top ranked player in Ontario, but the entire country. 

We saw Ziegler with the National team in March and looked very good in his two outings, working 90-92 and touching some 93’s and 94’s. Well once quarantine hit and the season done, it was our last look before June draft. After he went un-drafted and decided to stay back for another year, we saw multiple looks from Ziegler and it became evident that is was something special as the low 90’s heater became 94-95 and we even had multiple 96’s with a 97. It’s not too often we get that in Ontario and if memory serves us right, Landon Leach was the last one around here bringing 96 mph heat. The secondary stuff is sharper and more polished and Ziegler will be a name you are going to get very familiar with over the next year.  

Following Ziegler is left-hander and FSU commit Mitch Bratt. Consistent all summer, Bratt is looking to put together and build of his successes in 2021 and come out with a point to prove as one of the top prep pitchers in north america. He was consistently 87-89 with three pitches for strikes in every outing we saw while touching a few 91’s across the few months he was on the field and competitive in games.

Adding to the top ten is LHP Adam Shoemaker, who is arguably someone who made the biggest jump development wise this year and is locked in to go to St.john’s. There is a lot to like with the tall and lanky 6-foot-6 southpaw who works with a fairly easy and repeatable delivery and lots of upside to project on here. 

Continuing in the southpaw fashion, Caleb Clark cracks our top ten and the lefty has been pretty dominant over the last few months and is no slouch in the batters box as a left-handed bat and one of the top defensive first-baseman as well in the province. 

The last arm in our top ten is Nelson Mercado, a Connors State juco commit, the physical and strong right-hander has been in the low 90’s with his fastball and if the secondary stuff develops, he could really take off. 

From a positional standpoint, it’s all infielders in the top ten and the newest face is from our neighbours in the east with Kentucky commit and former Futures Team member Emilien Pitre jumping into the Ontario rankings as he will play his senior year in Ontario. Elijah Hammill, Core Jackson, Brando Leroux and Mason Dobie round out the 5 position players in the top ten and all do something different than the other that makes them standout. 

Jackson may have left off as the hottest hitter in that group this year and the video below speaks to what he was doing the last couple weeks on the field, and that was hitting the ball hard.

A split mix between our Top 10 and you can bet with them all being committed minus one arm, we can expect these players to continue to get better and be exciting prospects to watch when we get out on the field and baseball activities begin to ramp up. 

Uncommitted Standouts

Understandably, this is not how 2021 grads thought their recruiting process is going to go. That said, these players offer tools and skills that are going to be big pieces for the right school moving forward

Nick Woodcock LHP / OF / Henry Street, ON / 2021

Rankings  StateRank: 17 / POS: 6

Report: The left-hander has been up to 87 mph with strength gains and maturity to come. He spins the breaking ball with downer like action and it can act as a putout pitch today and tomorrow. There is some tweaks in the delivery to be made but Woodcock is a solid lefty that is going to play at the next level. 

Kieran Pook OF / OF / ST Thomas Aquinas, ON / 2021

Rankings  StateRank: 24 / POS: 3

Report: Pook is a player that seems to perform every time we lay eyes on him. He moves well in the outfield, throws well and can play either of the 3 positions. It's a balanced and line drive, gap to gap approach at the plate and when you look at the box scores, Pook usually has a couple knocks to his name. 

J.J. Dutton OF / SS / Forest Hill Collegiate , ON / 2021

Rankings  StateRank: 25 / POS: 4

Report: The numbers from Dutton at the Uncommitted open jump off, especially the arm strength in the outfield. There is a lot to dream on here with Dutton and if he can put it all together, he's going to be impact for somebody at the next level. 

Aaron Manias 3B / SS / Uxbridge, ON / 2021

Rankings  StateRank: 38 / POS: 2

Report: Manias has some of the most pop and bat speed in the class and a smooth looking swing form the left side. It comes with some swing and miss but the hard hit balls he produces is something that will make you perk up real quick. He's also done a good job defensively to turn himself into an adequate defender at third base.

Rhys Montgomery LHP / OF / Our Lady of Mount Carmel, ON / 2021

Rankings  StateRank: 36 / POS: 9

Report: Long, lean and projectable, the left-hander has made small strides every year and we believe that early in 2021, Montgomery is going to be one of the top arms in the province. You love the size, the way he moves and is able to control his body and shows feel for the strike zone. The stuff is going to need to jump but if you're patient here and let him have another winter in the gym, you shall be rewarded. 

Don't Sleep On

These players have made jumps, and we expect them to continue this trend and make themselves continue to trend upwards as we head into the winter where players have the ability to make big gains and come out with a statement in 2021.

Charlie Iriotakis OF / RHP / St. Michael's, ON / 2021

Rankings  StateRank: 44 / POS: 8

Report: With Iriotakis, you’re buying on what's to come as the strength gains and physicality are bound to go up as the 6-foot-3, 175-pounder is going to add more mass and size. The bat shows good whip through the zone and he gets everything he can out of his body and swing. He plays a solid outfield and is someone who has the chance to really take off once he matures and begins to fill. A left-handed outfield bat to take note of.

Jonathan Stables 1B / OF / Christ The King, ON / 2021

Rankings  StateRank: 59 / POS: 1

Report: Big and strong right-handed hitting first-baseman, we were set to see Stables at our uncommitted event at the end of summer but a bad wheel kept him sidelined. That said, the power and swing really intrigues you and Stables is a bat to keep a watchful eye on.

Lucas Bolin OF / 3B / Thomas A.Stewart, ON / 2021

Rankings  StateRank: 54 / POS: 15

Report: The athletic right-handed hitting outfielder started to make some noise at the end of the summer and the actions and upside is what has us intrigued here. The twitch at the plate and ability to run and throw, we think there is a lot left here for Bolin as he is just scratching the surface.

Graham Sim RHP / 3B / Bradford District, ON / 2021

Rankings  StateRank: 73 / POS: 16

Report: Big and strong right-hander, we've seen Sim over the last two years and he continues to add more physicality and the velo and stuff continue to rise as well. Mechanically, there are some correctable actions in the delivery as he lower half can be cleaned up and the secondary stuff needs some polish, but the arm works and with the frame and person,  we are willing to bet on Sim taking another step forward into the 2021 season.

Benicio Diaz C / RHP / St. Joan of Arc, ON / 2021

Rankings  StateRank: 77 / POS: 13

Report: Another player from the uncommitted open, Diaz stood out behind the dish with his arm strength as he was online with good carry with his throws from the crouch. He'll need to work on the footwork and get in sync, but there is tools to work with defensively here. With the swing there is size, looseness, and he has bat speed to work with, not to mention it's 6-foot-3, 200-pounds and all kinds of strength to add to the body. Diaz gets you excited for what it could look like come March after workouts both in the floor and in the gym.

As we head into the winter months, we will continue to make tweaks and additions to the list as we get ready and plan for our winter season of events that take place in the new year. A strong class headlined by some high-end arms and solid position players, the depth of it is something that really stands out and should have college recruiters from Canada and the US taking a deep dive here on our 2021 Ontario Rankings.