Prep Baseball Report

VA/DC 2026 Rankings Update: Top 150


Staff
PBR Virginia/DC

 

Follow @PBRVirginiaDC 
Facebook + Instagram

In December we released an update to the Class of 2026. Today, we expand this class from the Top 100 to the Top 150, adding in fifty talented sophomores from across the state. As we continue to see more and more 2026's, this class will look drastically different in the next one to two years. Our late spring/early summer update will feature a lot more movement in the Top 150, as opposed to an expansion to the class. All of the movement at the end of the spring will come from evaluations that are done throughout the high school season.


We have two new faces that have made a big jump into the rankings. Charles Tobler III of Deep Creek HS and Christopher Martinez of Cape Henry Collegiate make their way into the rankings update.

Tobler had arguably the best day of anyone at the Preseason All-State Beach event, showing some big gains on the mound and continues to display his athleticism. While there is some two-way intrigue with Tobler, the mound is where he showed his biggest gains since we saw him in November. Loose arm swing, easy arm speed, and the velo came pretty easy at 84-86 T87. The slider had depth, swing and miss traits, and looks to be an advanced pitch at this stage. The velo on that pitch will need to firm up, but the shape and makeup of it are there. He is an athletici mover and everything he does seems to come fairly easy. He will be one to watch throughout the spring and as we approach the August 1 recruiting window. 

Christopher Martinez is a pretty high end runner and has the footspeed to stay in the middle infield. Compact, lighter frame that could work against him in terms of long term shortstop, depending on the level of school at the collegiate level. Regardless, he is a consistent defender in the infield, hands work, and creates solid angles on approach. Average arm strength across that will continue to get stronger as he matures and adds strength. At the plate it is an easy and repeatable swing. Level path through the zone, contact driven, and more line drives from gap to gap. Average bat and hand speed that like the arm strength, should get better as he matures. The biggest push for Martinez in this update is that he has a pretty important tool for the middle infield, footspeed and range. His potential ability to stay in the middle infield adds to his positional value. 

VIRGINIA/DC Class of 2026 Top 10

1 Daniel Nienaber Glen Allen RHP Virginia
2 Bryant James Gonzaga SS Duke
3 Lawson McLeod Trinity Episcopal RHP
4 Jason Kruczek Alexandria City RHP East Carolina
5 Connor Quill Tuscarora 3B
6 Barrett Bucholz Atlee C/OF Virginia
7 Oscar Hickey St. Anne's Belfield OF
8 Mandela Browman Miller School OF
9 Jayden Davis Amherst County RHP/OF
10 Tristan Lange North Cross RHP

Click here for all the new faces and complete Top 150