Illinois 2021 Rankings: Newcomers

Last week, the PBR Illinois staff updated its Class of 2021 Rankings and detailed the prospects climbing up the ranks in this ‘Risers’ post.

Today, we’re continuing our ‘21 rankings breakdown by assessing the new names and faces to this updated and expanded senior board. This update included over 50 new prospects, and we’re going to discuss a dozen of them today.

NEWCOMERS

Kaleb Applebey RHP / MOunt Carmel, IL / 2021 WABASH VALLEY JC COMMIT No prospect debuts at a higher place than Applebey, whose first appearance on this ‘21 board comes all the way up at No. 19 overall, 56 spots higher than the next new name. Applebey hails from southeastern Illinois, Mount Carmel, and he broke out this summer at the Midwest Scouts Association Showcase where he sat 88-91 mph inside a huge 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame. He K’d four of the five he faced at that event and showed very well, helping launch him up his first-ever rankings board. Applebey is also a noteworthy multi-sport athlete, having garnered attention in football as both a quarterback and tight end, though he’ll be headed to Wabash Valley JC for baseball.

Keegan Buksa RHP / Homewood-Flossmoor, IL / 2021 HEARTLAND CC COMMIT Buksa was one of the uncommitted winners at this summer’s PBR Wisconsin 17U tournament, where he was up to 90 mph, sitting in the upper-80s with low effort. His big build and feel for three pitches, including an effective changeup, helped him land the No. 75 ranking in the state’s updated 2021 class board. He landed a commitment to Heartland CC shortly after that outing over the border in the Milwaukee area.

Meade Johnson RHP / Mattoon , IL / 2021 UNCOMMITTED Back at the Chicagoland Open, Johnson turned heads with his athleticism and strong 6-foot-2, 170-pound build. It was fun to watch him work there and the TrackMan unit helped back up his high-spin stuff. The fastball averaged nearly 2,300 rpm in the 84-85 mph range, while he mixes in two different breaking balls, both with sharp, tight spin – the curve averaged 2,500 rpm, specifically. He remains uncommitted.

Jared Cortez SS / Oak Park River Forest, IL / 2021 UNCOMMITTED Johnson and Cortez are ranked back-to-back on the new-look 2021 board. Cortez broke out after a stellar performance at the RakeCity Scout Day event where he ran a 6.62 while swinging a repeatable, easy right-handed bat that was consistently on the barrel. He fits inside a top-of-the-order profile while operating defensively as an up-the-middle glove on the dirt, fit with all of the necessary actions – rangy with smooth hands.

Ryan St. Ledger OF / Edwards County, IL / 2021 UNCOMMITTED Another RakeCity Scout Day standout, St. Ledger is loaded with wow-inducing tools, including a 6.42 mark in the 60-yard dash in addition to a fast, twitchy bat that produces some hard-hit contact. Presently, St. Ledger is a raw talent, but few prospects in the state possess tools like these. The twitchy athleticism warrants a close in-game inspection, but he’s a name to keep tabs on after another offseason.

Kaydon Norkus RHP / Neuqua Valley, IL / 2021 UNCOMMITTED Norkus’ good work at the Metro East Open event earned him an invitation to the late summer Senior Games showcase and he was impressive upon both looks. With some strength attached to his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame, Norkus generates upper-80s velocity with a fastball that carries well through the zone. He’s still honing his feel to pitch and ability to locate, but there’s some upside to untap here as an uncommitted right-hander.

Braden Roesch LHP / Gibson City, IL / 2021 ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD COMMIT An Illinois-Springfield commit, Roesch popped up as a follow this year as a southpaw with some velocity, reportedly up into the upper-80s, backed up by a sharp slider with swing-and-miss potential.

Kyle Gibson SS / 2B / Niles West , IL / 2021 UNCOMMITTED Gibson appeared at his first-ever PBR showcase late this summer at the GPA Games where he showed well as a left-handed-hitting infielder with a follow left-handed bat. He swings a short, simple bat with strength in the hands while looking like a dependable third base-type on defense. He offers some sleeper potential in the state’s 2021 class.

Noah Campbell INF / East Peoria , IL / 2021 ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD COMMIT Another Illinois-Springfield commit on this list, Campbell is a wiry, strong right-handed hitter with a gap-to-gap bat. Above-average actions on defense with some hope to stick up the middle, though he’ll be carried by his hit tool.

Erik Mitchell OF / St. Charles East, IL / 2021 LORAS COLLEGE COMMIT A recent Loras commit, Mitchell keeps bulking up quality strength to his frame, which has enhanced his right-handed bat. The bat, in particular, is an exciting part of his toolset. It’s short, aggressive, and he connects for some pull-side power. He’s shown some athleticism for his sturdy stature, though is a raw defender in the outfield.

Benjamin Benoit RHP / Hampshire, IL / 2021 LAKE LAND JC COMMIT Benoit is listed at an upside 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, and he does well to work downhill to create extension on the mound. An unorthodox delivery makes for an uncomfortable at-bat at times, and he does well to change the tempo. At our Top Prospect - Chicago event, Benoit sat 83-84 mph with a high-spin breaking ball. He’s committed to Lake Land JC.

Camden Karczewski INF / Joliet West, IL / 2021 UNCOMMITTED Karczewski is an easy player to root for, given his feel for the game and fluid infield actions. He’s a reliable, sure-handed defender with some more ceiling to get out of his athletic frame. Karczewski looks like a versatile infielder who can become an asset anywhere on the diamond, and he also swings a simple, repeatable right-handed bat.

Nick Rodriguez INF / Bradley-Bourbonnais, IL / 2021 UNCOMMITTED Our last Newcomer ranked inside the top-200, Rodriguez catches immediate attention for his 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame. He’s raw, but offers exciting potential, with a short, flat bat path from the right side in addition to steady actions on the infield. Rodriguez is still honing his craft, but the upside here is obvious.

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