Who Are This Winter's Preseason Picks to Click?
January 16, 2025
The ‘Hotlist’ is a series that provides weekly insight into the high school baseball scene spanning the country, curated by Prep Baseball’s state directors who are situated nationwide, with vital intel on the prospects who are in their own backyards. Each week, we’ll publish our ‘Hotlist’ on varying topics that are timeliest to the national baseball calendar at that point in time.
This week’s topic: This week, we're looking for players headed to an upcoming Preseason ID or a Preseason All-State event who you consider to be a "Pick to Click" this winter. This can be either an upperclass or an underclass player – up to you entirely.
+ Learn of our directors stationed nationwide by visiting the staff directory.
+ View which Prep Baseball events are headed your way next at this page.
+ Read about previously published ‘Hotlist’ topics here.
♨️ The ‘Hotlist’ (1/16):
Alabama
+ Dalton Dardin, RHP (Grissom HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Uncommitted. 5-foot-11, 157-pounds. Lean, athletic build with more strength to be added. Added 10 pounds from last summer, and has seen his velocity climb from 81-82 mph to the upper-80s in just a few short months. A two-way prospect, but appears to have more ability and upside on the mound. Athletic delivery with a long, loose arm action that has quickness to it. Pitched at 86-87 mph and topped at 87.6 mph during his bullpen, showing natural arm-side run coming out of a H 3/4 arm slot. Also displayed a feel for spin on his sharp-biting curveball that ranged 72-74 mph, spinning north of 2600 RPM and showing hard, late 11-5 bite and depth to it. Possesses a changeup as a third offering, ranging 78-79 mph with good fade and the same arm-side action as the fastball. Smooth, athletic actions down the rubber with quality movement patterns and more upticks coming. Can swing it from the left side of the plate, but ability on the mound certainly jumps out. The sophomore can continue his rapid rise with an impressive showing this coming Saturday at the North Alabama Preseason All-State. ”
– David Sharp, Deep South Supervisor
California
+ Gavin Loebe-Keene, RHP (Los Osos HS, 2026) | Uncommitted:
“Loebe-Keene’s wiry, long frame at 6’2” 175lbs. immediately catches your attention thanks to his long arms and even longer legs that ooze projection when the physical maturity catches up. On the mound he was fierce at the Inland Empire Preseason All-State, striking out four-of-five batters and getting a weak ground ball to the left side for the fifth out. Working 85-87 mph with the FB he showed the ability to command it to all quadrants of the zone. He backs it up with a wipeout slider at 74-77 mph that was unhittable during his outing, though he didn’t throw many of them. The changeup is effective as it sharply fades from righties. He was also aggressive with the pitch to lefties starting way in and running it back over the plate. On a team with high expectations this spring, Loebe-Keene's abilities on the mound should play a big role their success. ”
– Les Lukach, State Director
Canada
+ Cam Dube, C (Ontario Nationals HS, 2025) | Wabash Valley College:
“Dube will be one of the top overall players in attendance at the Preseason Invitational and has a chance to light up the TrackMan numbers in a loaded BP group. The Ontario Nationals product was one of the biggest risers among 2025s this past year and will look to carry that momentum into his senior campaign.”
– Cam Black-Araujo, Asst. Director
Colorado
+ Cooper Vais, RHP/SS (Arvada West HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Cooper Vais will be attending this year's Preseason All-State as the #2 ranked prospect in the Colorado 2027 class. Vais has built plenty of momentum heading into his sophomore year, and we think it could be a big one for the Arvada West athlete. We have seen Vais up to over 87 mph on the mound while he holds exceptional feel for spin already with all three of his fastball, curveball, and slider registering around 2,600+ rpm. Vais has also pitched plenty of innings at the 5A varsity level within Colorado with pitchability and already a higher level feel on the mound overall. The two sport athlete (also plays basketball) comes in at 6-foot with tons of future upside. Cooper Vais is Colorado's 'pick to click' for 2025. ”
– Caleb Dameron, Colorado Staff
Connecticut
+ Cade Rinehart, RHP (Guilford High School HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Cade Rinehart, a RHP, loose, whip arm action, low to mid 80's fastball, along with a slurvy BB, creating a ton of swing and miss. Look for him to have a monster year. ”
– Trevor Brown, State Director
Georgia
+ Reid Gainous, RHP (Thomas County Central HS, 2026) | Uncommitted:
“Gainous was a 2024 Future Gamer and as went to work as soon as the event ended. In July he was up 80's with 3 pitches for strikes. He competed against one of the toughest line ups in the event. Fast forward to October and he is 88-91 with a sharp slider and new 12-9 breaking and the change up is much more polished. From what I am hearing we could see Gainous in the low 90's on Sunday and maybe event up to 93 or 94. ”
– Hudson Graham, State Director
Illinois
+ Samuel Chin, LHP (St. Laurence HS, ) | Uncommitted :
“Chin has one of the highest ceilings in the state and has even drawn some comparisons to fellow southpaw and potential first-rounder Cameron Appenzeller (Glenwood, 2025) with his mechanics. The velocity has been in the low-80s in previous looks and he has an innate ability to spin the baseball both with his fastball and breaking ball, pairing all this with his ultra-easy movement patterns has our staff thinking this will be the year the velocity takes some strides and takes him to the next level. ”
+ Jack Slightom , RHP (Lyons Township HS, 2026) | Uncommitted :
“Slightom is an arm that our staff became quite fond of at the Illinois State Games this past summer. Listed at 6-foot-3, 185-pounds, he still has all sorts of room to add on strength to his frame, and his young look indicates much more maturing still to be done physically. He's an athletic and flexible mover with plenty to project on with his mechanics, and his velocity took a signifiant jump from 84 mph in the winter to 88 mph in the summer. Looking back even further, he was 73 mph in the spring of 2022 and gained over 20 mph in two years, so we would be foolish not to bet on him again. ”
+ Kaden Wasniewski , RHP/INF (McHenry HS, 2027) | Uncommitted :
“Wasniewski is one of the top players not just in the state, but in the country - currently ranked No. 2 in Illinois and No. 38 nationally. He's a legitimate two-way threat and we expect him to potentially have a Player of the Year type run in the spring. He already boasts a fastball that can reach up to 91 mph, and we would not be shocked to see that number up a couple ticks this winter. On the other side of the ball, he's an athletic right-handed hitter with plenty more to tap into, and we expect him to take strides there as well. ”
– Peter Hamot, Assistant Director Illinois/Wisconsin
Indiana
+ Lucas Haas, RHP (Valparaiso HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“I am extremely excited to see the 6-foot-3 right-hander from Valparaiso at our Great Lakes Preseason ID, an ID that is consistently strong. Haas is an arm that I have followed from afar since last summer and his first event could very likely cement him, in my mind, amongst the top arms that the class has to offer within Indiana. There are high-end traits present - an athletic, projectable frame, full arm action that will allow velocity to jump, two well-shaped offspeed offerings, and an easy-effort, well-sequenced delivery. While not well-known yet, I think the Great Lakes ID will serve as a launching pad for this '27 arm. ”
– Cooper Trinkle, Scouting Director
Iowa
+ Lincoln Dalton, RHP (Pleasant Valley HS, 2026) | Uncommitted:
“Lincoln Dalton has taken a refreshing approach with his pitch development; valuing command and pitchability as the foundation before chasing velocity. Dalton has a larger frame at 6-foot-4, 220-pounds with solid overall athleticism on the field. Primarily mid 80's- up to 87 mph previously- the prep RHP as a good chance to continue to add velocity on the mound. ”
– Rob Allison, Upper Midwest Supervisor
Louisiana
+ Gavin Foreman, RHP (Acadiana HS, 2026) | Uncommitted :
“The Acadiana right-handed hurler had undoubtedly the biggest eye-opening performance during our preseason events. At our Lake Charles Preseason ID, Foreman sat 91-94 mph with his heater and located the pitch down in the zone to both sides of the plate. He also flashed a 73-76 mph CB with late downer break, a developing 77-79 mph SL, and pretty good feel for a 81-83 mph CH. Foreman has definitely created some “buzz” for himself heading into the 2025 spring high school season. ”
– Alex Armand, State Director
Massachusetts
+ Bradley McCafferty, C/INF (Austin Prep HS, 2026) | Duke:
“Attending ProCase in February. High level catch and throw prospect. He has been committed to Duke for two years. ”
– Dennis Healy, Co-Scouting Director
Michigan
+ Ryer Olsson, RHP (East Grand Rapids HS, 2026) | Uncommitted:
“Western Michigan Preseason All-State”
– Adam Goodwin, Michigan Scouting Director
Mississippi
+ Cody Pigford, 3B (West Lauderdale HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“We’ve like the way Cody has progressed each time we have seen him. He does everything right on the field and 2025 could be a breakout year for him. we look forward to seeing him in a couple of weeks at our Preseason All State showcase at Clinton. ”
– Matt Miller, State Director
New York
+ Connor Davy, Utility (Bainbridge-Guilford HS, 2026) | Uncommitted:
“Davy, coming out of a small school, turned heads with his offensive showing at the Future Games. A 6.61 runner he posted exit velocities north of a 100 MPH during his workout day and easily turned around velocity in game play. Developing arm strength and could keep him in the middle but easily could see a long term conversion to the OF. Has a chance to by a dynamic player at the next level. ”
– Jared Carrier, Executive Director NY
North Dakota
+ Hudson Dinger, RHP/1B (West Fargo Sheyenne HS, 2026) | Uncommitted:
“Dinger will be in attendance at the North Dakota Preseason ID. A steady progression from Dinger has helped him be a name to watch coming out of the area. A mid 80s fastball last summer, and then a jump to upper 80s last fall in a tournament in Iowa. A physical frame at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Dinger is an uncommitted arm to watch out of North Dakota.
https://x.com/HagemanParker/status/1854653179255832691”
– Andy Judkins, State Director
Ohio
+ Kenyon Oakes, LHP (Jackson HS, 2026) | Uncommitted:
“5-foot-10 left-handed pitcher that will sit in the upper 8's. Has made big strides in the last 18 months and positioned himself as one of the more intriguing uncommitted LHP's in the 2026 class. Three-pitch mix highlighted by the FB with some metric potential to turn into a high level sinker play with some adjustments. Kenyon will throw for us next at the Northern Ohio Preseason All-State. ”
– Kyle Weldon, Ohio Director
Oklahoma
+ Eddie Fish, SS (Yukon HS, 2026) | Uncommitted:
“Fish has continued to make jumps each time anyone from our staff has had the opportunity to see him - most notably showing more polish in-game last summer and fall. As we get closer to the spring season, don't be surprised to see Fish at the top of various leaderboards, from the SS position, at the Preseason All State event, but also as a steady producer in the middle of the field for Yukon this spring.”
+ Colby Whieman, OF/RHP (Owasso HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Whiteman is a name to know as he continues maturing physically and filling out his 6’1” frame. A true two-way prospect, he has flashed upside on both sides of the ball with an exit velocity above 90 mph and a fastball in the mid 80s. Whiteman is an exciting prospect and we anticipate a strong showing at our Preseason All State event before being a factor as a sophomore for a talented Owasso team this spring.”
– Bret Schwartz, Oklahoma Scouting Director
Ontario
+ Robert Omidi, 3B (St. Martin HS HS, 2026) | Kentucky:
“Omidi is coming off a special summer at the plate, where he performed at several high-profile events across the country. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-handed hitter showcases electric bat speed and elite hands with the ability to impact the game with one swing. Omidi committed to the University of Kentucky shortly after the Future Games, and made his Team Canada Junior National Team debut in October, where he collected 7 hits (2 doubles, 1 triple) 4 RBI, and 10 BB in 29 AB's against pro arms. We're excited to get our first 2025 look of Omidi at the Ontario Preseason Invitational. ”
– Josh Arce, Ontario Director
Oregon
+ Kye Leenders, 1B/LHP (Tualatin HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Leenders will be in attendance at PNW Preseason All-State this February. Athletic 6'1, 185 pound sophomore garnered multiple looks in 2024, and possesses a well-rounded game. The lefty has some bat speed present, already peaking at 95.4 MPH and averaging an 87.2 MPH exit velocity in his most recent showing. Solid runner is also a strike thrower with a long, sweeping arm action on the mound. Leenders' game should only continue to trend upward with his natural athleticism. Transferring from Sherwood to Tualatin this spring, Leenders should immediately be a key contributor for a Timberwolves team with high hopes.”
– Dylan Grenz, Associate Scout
Pennsylvania
+ Will Swisher, SS/2B (Moon Area HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Swisher is the No.6 ranked player in the PA 2027 class and quite possibly has the smoothest swing in the entire class. His barrel gets in the zone early, and has adjustability to use all parts of the field. The power is still developing but can still burn an outfielder from time-to-time. Decent athlete all around (best 60 7.17s) and gradually continues to fill out the frame. We are excited to see the continued development of Swisher as he looks better every look we get on him.”
– Pennsylvania Staff
South Carolina
+ Daniel Thor Schenk, OF/RHP (Fort Dorchester HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Excited to see him at the Preseason All-State South on Janurary 25th. This athletic 2-way talent has power in that bat with a mid 80s fastball with lots of room to continue to improve. Really looking forward to seeing the growth of this talented player!!”
– Sammy Esposito, State Director
South Dakota
+ Kade Wede, RHP (Harrisburg HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Wede is on of the hot names for underclassman out of South Dakota. The sophomore really had his coming out party at the Super Sophomore games this summer at Creekside. A mid 80s fastball and show good feel for his secondary stuff. We look forward to seeing Wede at the end of February at South Dakota's Preseason ID.
https://x.com/PrepBaseballMN/status/1819884709167428077”
– Andy Judkins, State Director
Tennessee
+ Will Brick, C (Christian Brothers HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Coming off a school ball season that saw Christian Brothers finish runner up in the state, it was Brick that got things started for the Purple Wave in the leadoff position all year. The rising sophomore is already one of the better talents behind the dish, in the state championship, not a ball got past him and few left the home plate dirt. Brick already showcases a sub 1.8 pop-time, just sneaking into the 1.7s. He also swings the bat with the best of them, with mid 70s bat speed, and legit present juice from a simple and extremely effective swing. He was one of the few to leave Charles Hawkins field, and he did so with authority to right center field. A special player who is going to do amazing things throughout his high school career, while having real pro-prospect potential at the high school level. ”
– Hunter Martin, State Director
Washington
+ Declan Crawford, RHP (Edmonds-Woodway HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Crawford will be attending PNW Preseason All-State this February. The lean-framed, 6'1 righty is coming off of an impressive freshman campaign in which he logged 25 varsity innings, including a relief appearance in the 3A WA state semifinal game. In his most recent look this past summer, Crawford was 81-83 with a plus slider, with plenty more strength to fill in his frame. With the departure of fellow '27 arm Grafton Marshall-Inman, Crawford will undoubtedly carry a heavy load on the mound this spring, but has plenty of talent to be up to the task.”
– Dylan Grenz, Associate Scout
West Virginia
+ Jaxon Spratt, RHP/OF (Buckhannon-Upshur HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:
“Spratt looks to follow up his 2024 WV State Games effort this preseason at the West Virginia Preseason All-State on January 31st. Prototypical pitcher's build at 6-1 165lbs, Spratt looks to harness some of the arm strength he has showed from the OF (85 MPH) and bring it to the mound. The 2027 grad features a low spin sinker while showing the ability to kill the change up and spin the breaking ball. With gains in the footspeed and power department, Spratt could be a two-way threat when it's all said & done. ”
– Jared Carrier, West Virginia Staff