Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Updated Class of 2022 Player Rankings (May)

May 25, 2020
PBR Ontario Staff

Updated Class of 2022 Player Rankings (May)

With the last baseball we have seen in person being the Junior National Team take on a roster of Minor Leaguers in Dunedin early in March, it really has made for some tough situations for players of the baseball community here in Ontario.

March is when teams embark south for spring training, team practices begin to pick up with a spark to players knowing that the season is fast approaching and game play will soon begin to commence.

Unfortunately, Covid-19 has put a halt to weekend doubleheaders, mid-week 9 inning affairs and extra BP at the facility or diamond. That said, the recruitment hasn’t stopped for college coaches, and all the more reason on why we expanded our rankings to over 120 players from the 2022 class, with the majority of the entire list uncommitted.

This class has a little bit of everything from National Team players to athletes up the middle to left-handed arms off the bump.

With the expansion from 40 to 120, you can imagine there are a ton of fresh faces, so dive into the updated 2022 Ontario Rankings and we look forward to some point, getting outside and really getting to focus on these players in action.

AT THE TOP

Not much changed as a pair of teammates in recent Purdue commit Nate Ochoa and switch hitting outfielder Luis Pimentel-Guerrero stayed at one and two in our rankings. We got to see Ochoa with the National team in March and you could see the strength start to come in his very projectable 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame while the actions were smooth at third base and the arm really played. The bat is still a tick behind but we believe Ochoa has the tool set to get that caught up over time. 

Pimentel was at our New Year Open and we also got a good look at his clubs pro-day in February. It’s a hit first approach with ability to use the entire field. Line drive oriented swing and arm strength that can play at any outfield position. 

TOP TEN

The top ten is pretty similar as well, with left-handed hitting catcher Hugh Pinkney of the Ontario Terriers coming in at the three spot followed by right-hander Carson Lumley of the London Badgers. Pinkney has all kinds of upside as a long and lean body that will add muscle can go along with a pretty sound and smooth swing presently. Lumley has one of the quickest arms in the class and we saw him really spin his curveball at T12 last year, and throw it for strikes. 

Athletes up the middle in Cameron Chee-Aloy, Colby Ariss and Blake Gillespie see themselves all in the Top Ten while re-classified Carter Krawchuk makes his first appearance in the 2022 rankings, coming in at the number 7 spot. 

COMING IN HOT

Jackson Soucie LHP / 1B / St. Benedicts CSS, ON / 2022

Rankings  StateRank: 9 / POS: 1

This left on left, 6-foot-4, 210-pound Soucie is a player we all need to watch. Another true 2021 grad butis now listed as a 2022, Soucie has tools on both sides of the ball, but we here think the future is going to be on the mound for the left-hander. The actions play, there is feel for a curveball and he continues to look better every time we see him.

Zakery Szabo RHP / 3B / Sinclair, ON / 2022

Rankings  StateRank: 14 / POS: 5

We were able to see Szabo at the Mets pro day workout in February this year and it's a strong frame with present strength. Shorter arm action in the back, the ball jumps out of Szabo's hand and the fastball works in the 83-85 range and we’ve seen him up 86 mph indoors. 

Quinn Tavares RHP / St Martins, ON / 2022

Rankings  StateRank: 23 / POS: 9

Tavares, another player who is a true 2021 but has made the switch to 2022 class is someone who really made strides this winter and we were able to lay eyes on it at the New Year Open in February this year. The velocity has made a jump where he was 84-85 and touched 86 mph and the secondary stuff was sharper with more polish. Always has Tavares had a feel for his curveball with 11/5 shape, the extra strength and velocity really made this a weapon for him in February.

Owen Constantineau 1B / Colonel By, ON / 2022

Rankings  StateRank: 25 / POS: 1

The left-handed swinging Constantineau out of the Ottawa region is someone everyone needs to pay attention too. The bat is the carrying tool and with some of the video he has sent in, he looks stronger, quicker, and more flexible. He is going to be an interesting follow moving forward.

DON’T SLEEP ON

Parker Burgess RHP / 1B / St. Peters Catholic, ON / 2022

Rankings  StateRank: 28 / POS: 11

We saw Burgess at the New Year Open and he did not disappoint. The right-hander was smooth and easy with a repeatable delivery, and showed he could pound the zone with two pitches. The frame and upside make Burgess someone to pay close attention to and follow his development.

Kalayo Shaw SS / 2B / St. Martins catholic, ON / 2022

Rankings  StateRank: 53 / POS: 10

Shaw was very interesting for us as he showed potential tools on both sides of the ball. It is a short and quiet swing with not much pre-pitch movement, allowing him to be direct to the ball with some present strength and twitch from the right-side. Defensively, there is some softness to his hands and the arm and feet work. Shaw is one to watch from the 22’ class.

Jax Nyberg LHP / OF / Dennis O'Connor Catholic SS, ON / 2022

Rankings  StateRank: 30 / POS: 3

Nyberg is a player you can’t miss when you show up to the field. The 6-foot-4 left-hander stands out with his size and the fact he is a left-handed pitcher makes him even that more intriguing. We saw Nyberg in early February at our Canadian event and there are tools to work with for the tall lefty. Nyberg will still need to work on his body, get stronger and more flexible, but the upside is there and we’ve seen glimpses of him beginning to tick up through his videos online over the last couple months.

Jonah Tong RHP / OF / Bill Crothers, ON / 2022

Rankings  StateRank: 43 / POS: 17

Tong is a smaller right-hander, listed at 5-foot-10, but the stuff has a chance to play big with a high ¾ arm that is quick out-front. Tong does a good job of getting everything out of his frame, using the lower half creating as much energy as he can. The fastball works in the low to mid 80’s, and there is a feel for a curveball that has 11/5 shape and late action to it. If Tong can harness his stuff and pound the zone, he has a chance to be one of the more quality arms coming out of this class.

This is only a small sample size of the 2022 class and over the next couple weeks, we will continue to dive into the full list and highlight more players and continue to promote our players here in Ontario and across the country.

PBR Ontario Class of 2022 Top 10

Rank Name State School Class Pos Commitment
1 Nathaniel Ochoa ON Notre Dame Catholic 2022 SS Purdue
2 Luis Pimentel Guerrero ON Corpus Christi 2022 OF
3 Hugh Pinkney ON Silverthorn CI 2022 C
4 Carson Lumley ON Mother Teresa 2022 RHP
5 Cameron Chee-Aloy ON Neil McNeil 2022 OF
6 Colby Ariss ON Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic 2022 SS
7 Carter Krawchuk ON St. Francis 2021 RHP
8 Blake Gillespie ON Medway 2022 SS
9 Jackson Soucie ON St. Benedicts CSS 2022 LHP
10 Matthew Donnison ON St. Paul Catholic 2022 RHP

***** To view the entire rankings, please click here.