Jackson
Natanek

Illinois State commit, ranked No. 29 overall in the state’s junior class. Sturdy, compact 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame with lower half strength. Worked a clean, quick 1-2-3 inning out of the ‘pen for the Crusaders in a winning effort. Simple, athletic drop-and-drive delivery, repeats and works in-line to the plate. Continuous arm path, short draw out of the glove with arm speed out front, high ¾ finish. Attacked hitters on the corners with his fastball, touched 88, pitched at 84-87 mph. Sharp late break on his breaking ball, 74-75 mph, swing-and-miss upside.

SS/RHP Jackson Natanek (Brother Rice, 2025; Illinois State) is a scrappy up-the-middle defender that put on a clinic early on Saturday. It started at the plate, where the uncommitted prospect finished with two hits, both of which were barrels. On the defensive end, Natanek made a slick diving play up the middle at the shortstop position, and threw the runner out at first base with ease and plenty of arm strength. More of that arm strength was reflected on the bump later on Saturday, where Natanek worked his fastball in the 85-87 mph range. He also mixed in a sharp curveball and slider combination from the high ¾ arm slot.

Another 2025 for Top Tier Americans that caught our eye was former Future Games participant, SS Jackson Natanek (Brother Rice, 2025). THe uncommitted shortstop made a number of plays defensively over the weekend. His footwork stood out, playing through the baseball with active feet while showing an advanced arm across the diamond that was consistently on the bag playing with life and carry.

A former member of Team Illinois at the 2022 PBR Future Games, RHP/SS Jackson Natanek (Brother Rice, 2025) was a major winner at this year’s Illinois State Games. A legitimate two-way prospect, Natenek really stood out on the mound in this look. Athletic with quick levers, his fastball was up to 87.8 mph, sitting mostly 84-87 mph, and spinning it at a max of 2590 RPM. He threw a true sinker, too, at 86.1 mph with 18.3” of horizontal movement and 5.1” of induced vertical break. Pairing that with his slider that spun at 2826 RPM, on average, with an average horizontal movement of 13.3”, Natanek’s sequence of sinker/slider has out-pitch potential. During his two innings of work, he struck out three, allowed one hit and no runs. Positionally he continues to prove he is one of the steadier middle infielders in the state and took a number of competitive swings and at-bats throughout the two days.

A former member of Team Illinois at the 2022 PBR Future Games, RHP/SS Jackson Natanek (Brother Rice, 2025) was a major winner at this year’s Illinois State Games. A legitimate two-way prospect, Natenek really stood out on the mound in this look. Athletic with quick levers, his fastball was up to 87.8 mph, sitting mostly 84-87 mph, and spinning it at a max of 2590 RPM. He threw a true sinker, too, at 86.1 mph with 18.3” of horizontal movement and 5.1” of induced vertical break. Pairing that with his slider that spun at 2826 RPM, on average, with an average horizontal movement of 13.3”, Natanek’s sequence of sinker/slider has out-pitch potential. During his two innings of work, he struck out three, allowed one hit and no runs. Positionally he continues to prove he is one of the steadier middle infielders in the state and took a number of competitive swings and at-bats throughout the two days.

Athletic 5-foot-10, 172-pound frame with lean strength and room to fill out further. Represented Team Illinois at the PBR Future Games last summer and is currently the No. 25 overall prospect in the state’s 2025 class. Started at second base and hit in the two-hole for Brother Rice in this look. Heavy back leg load, active front half at the plate, hands are already set as the pitch is delivered. Path is short with quick hands and bat speed through the zone. Comfortable defensively, has advanced feel for himself on the dirt with steady glovework and athletic feet. Capable of providing positive production in multiple ways on the diamond; one of the top infielders in the state’s soon-to-be junior class. 

Athletic 5-foot-10, 172-pound frame with lean strength and room to fill out further. Represented Team Illinois at the PBR Future Games last summer and is currently the No. 25 overall prospect in the state’s 2025 class. Started at second base and hit in the two-hole for Brother Rice in this look. Heavy back leg load, active front half at the plate, hands are already set as the pitch is delivered. Path is short with quick hands and bat speed through the zone. Comfortable defensively, has advanced feel for himself on the dirt with steady glovework and athletic feet. Capable of providing positive production in multiple ways on the diamond; one of the top infielders in the state’s soon-to-be junior class.

The Crusaders went 3-2 on the week, and Natanek was a big help going 8-for-15 (.533) with three doubles, five RBIs, five runs scored and two walks. In their loss to No. 1 Providence Catholic, Natanek went a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored. Rounding out the week with a 14-5 win over Loyola, Natanek went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, one run scored and a walk.

The Crusaders went 3-2 on the week, and Natanek was a big help going 8-for-15 (.533) with three doubles, five RBIs, five runs scored and two walks. In their loss to No. 1 Providence Catholic, Natanek went a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored. Rounding out the week with a 14-5 win over Loyola, Natanek went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, one run scored and a walk.

Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 25 in the Illinois’ 2025 class. 5-foot-10, 172-pound, right-handed hitting two-way prospect. Started at second base and hit in the two-hole. Finished 1-for-4 at the plate and played a smooth second base. Also, came out of the bullpen and showed above-average arm talent on the mound. Loose, quick, athletic arm. Fastball jumps out of the hand and sat 85-86 mph, T87. Slider has a chance to be a go-to, swing-and-miss secondary, flashed hard, tight spin and horizontal action at 75-76 mph; shape and tightness was inconsistent in this one inning look. Two-way prospect to follow moving forward. 

Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 25 in the Illinois’ 2025 class. 5-foot-10, 172-pound, right-handed hitting two-way prospect. Started at second base and hit in the two-hole. Finished 1-for-4 at the plate and played a smooth second base. Also, came out of the bullpen and showed above-average arm talent on the mound. Loose, quick, athletic arm. Fastball jumps out of the hand and sat 85-86 mph, T87. Slider has a chance to be a go-to, swing-and-miss secondary, flashed hard, tight spin and horizontal action at 75-76 mph; shape and tightness was inconsistent in this one inning look. Two-way prospect to follow moving forward.

Fellow Brother Rice product, INF/RHP Jackson Natanek (Brother Rice, 2025), was a part of Team Illinois at the 2022 PBR Future Games and continues to separate himself as one of the top middle infield defenders still on the market in the class. He’s an ultra smooth and athletic mover, boasting soft hands while playing low through the ball and gaining ground easily with a shuffle into his throws. His arm has made some jumps since our last look at him, now reaching up to 91 mph across the diamond. The right-handed bat has always been compact with a line-drive approach, whole field approach and it gained some bat strength over the winter, now registering a T90.4 mph exit velocity, up from 83.6 mph in 2022. He has continued to improve his 60-time and his arm is an asset on the mound too. He topped at 86 mph with a hard-biting mid-70s curveball that plays with an average of 2482 rpm.

Positional Profile: SS/2B
Body: 5-10, 170-pounds. Lean, athletic build.
Hit: RHH. Balanced slightly open stance with toe tap trigger and strong hand load Compact swing, stays on-plane, developing bat strength and was consistently on time.
Power: 90 max exit velocity, averaged 82.4 mph. 301’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 91 mph. Easy life and carry.
Defense: Athletic actions, plays low and through the ball, gains ground easily through his shuffle into thrown, ultra athletic look with feel and confidence.
Run: 7.52 runner in the 60.

Delivery: Drop and drive delivery with effort and intent, works directionally. Uptempo pace, attacks.
Arm Action: RH. Long draw, over the top slot, quick out front.
FB: T86, 85-86 mph. Played mostly straight, showed finish. T2508, 2413 average rpm.
CB: 75-76 mph. Well above average spin, sharp action. 11/5 shape. T2555, 2482 average rpm.
CH: 78-80 mph. Fade action, plays to the arm side. T1780, 1721 average rpm. 

Positional Profile: SS/2B
Body: 5-10, 170-pounds. Lean, athletic build.
Delivery: Drop and drive delivery with effort and intent, works directionally. Uptempo pace, attacks.
Arm Action: RH. Long draw, over the top slot, quick out front.
FB: T86, 85-86 mph. Played mostly straight, showed finish. T2508, 2413 average rpm.
CB: 75-76 mph. Well above average spin, sharp action. 11/5 shape. T2555, 2482 average rpm.
CH: 78-80 mph. Fade action, plays to the arm side. T1780, 1721 average rpm.

Positional Profile: SS/2B 
Body: 5-10, 170-pounds. Lean, athletic build.
Hit: RHH. Balanced slightly open stance with toe tap trigger and strong hand load Compact swing, stays on-plane, developing bat strength and was consistently on time.
Power: 90 max exit velocity, averaged 82.4 mph. 301’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 91 mph. Easy life and carry.
Defense: Athletic actions, plays low and through the ball, gains ground easily through his shuffle into thrown, ultra athletic look with feel and confidence.
Run: 7.52 runner in the 60.

Fellow Brother Rice product, INF/RHP Jackson Natanek (Brother Rice, 2025), was a part of Team Illinois at the 2022 PBR Future Games and continues to separate himself as one of the top middle infield defenders still on the market in the class. He’s an ultra smooth and athletic mover, boasting soft hands while playing low through the ball and gaining ground easily with a shuffle into his throws. His arm has made some jumps since our last look at him, now reaching up to 91 mph across the diamond. The right-handed bat has always been compact with a line-drive approach, whole field approach and it gained some bat strength over the winter, now registering a T90.4 mph exit velocity, up from 83.6 mph in 2022. He has continued to improve his 60-time and his arm is an asset on the mound too. He topped at 86 mph with a hard-biting mid-70s curveball that plays with an average of 2482 rpm.

Positional Profile: SS
Body: 5-10, 155-pounds. Athletic build. Plenty of room for continued physical development.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, quiet load, short stride. Athletic hands, bat stays on-plane, natural lift, works gap-to-gap.
Power: 83.6 max exit velocity, averaged 76.4 mph. 290’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 87 mph. Short arm circle into a 3/4 slot. Life out of the hand. Accurate throws on the move. Carry to the base.
Defense: Fundamentally sound. Athletic actions. Under control on the move.
Run: 7.70 runner in the 60. 

Positional Profile: RHP
Delivery: Twitchy, up-tempo delivery, pre-loads back knee before moving into a strong drop and drive lower-half, works in line with the plate, closed front foot at landing.
Arm Action: RH. Long, loose arm swing out of the glove. Quick arm action, high 3/4 slot.
FB: T83.2, 82.2-83.0 mph. High spin fastball--Life and carry through the zone. T2573, 2459 average rpm.
SL: 71.3-73.6 mph. Hard slider. Tight spin. Out pitch potential. T2679, 2592 average rpm.

Here are two of the top two-way talents at The MAX on Saturday: SS/RHP Xavier Crowder (Montini Catholic, 2025) and SS/RHP Jackson Natanek (Brother Rice, 2025). Both stood out on the mound with their high spin rate breaking balls that topped the entire event. Crowder led the showcase with a curveball that averaged a spin rate of nearly 2,700 rpm, while Natanek’s slider averaged nearly 2,600 rpm, which led that pitch’s category. Both clearly have dynamic, athletic arms and Crowder paired his breaking ball with one of the top fastballs of that day, topping at 90.7 mph. Crowder’s dynamic athleticism was on display as a position player as well. He ran the top 60 time for 2025s (6.94) and showed off elite bat speed for his age (75.5 mph max). Crowder swings with intent off an uphill path with pull-side tendencies and his furthest batted ball traveled 346 feet. Natanek is a high-level shortstop with fundamentally sound, athletic actions, and a strong arm, naturally, and has shown a feel to hit from the right-handed box.

Positional Profile: SS/2B
Body: 6-0, 160-pounds. Long Projectable frame
Hit: LHH. Balanced setup, toe-tap stride. Easy, balanced swing. Handsy. Repeatable. Uses the whole field. Remains balanced throughout.
Power: 87.4 max exit velocity, averaged 81.7 mph. 257’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 80 mph. Short, whippy arm action. 3/4 slot. Accurate throws to the base on the move.
Defense: Quick feet, aggressive, quick release, plays through the baseball.
Run: 6.84 runner in the 60.

Positional Profile: SS/RHP
Body: 5-10, 155-pounds. Athletic build. Plenty of room for continued physical development.
Delivery: Twitchy, up-tempo delivery, pre-loads back knee before moving into a strong drop and drive lower-half, works in line with the plate, closed front foot at landing.
Arm Action: RH. Long, loose arm swing out of the glove. Quick arm action, high 3/4 slot.
FB: T83.2, 82.2-83.0 mph. High spin fastball--Life and carry through the zone. T2573, 2459 average rpm.
SL: 71.3-73.6 mph. Hard slider. Tight spin. Out pitch potential. T2679, 2592 average rpm.

Here’s a trio of left-handed-hitting infielders worth noting: Jackson Smith (Providence Catholic), James Novakovic (New Trier), and Gavin Duran (Harvest Christian). Smith has a 6-foot, 160-pound wiry/lean frame, ran a 6.84, and he profiles as a top-of-the-order middle infielder moving forward. He flashed an easy, balanced, handsy swing featuring barrel control from a spray approach. Defensively, he plays fast with quick, active feet, sure hands, and a consistently fast glove-to-hand release from a low slot. He profiles as a potential spark plug-type.

5-foot-8, 135-pounds, right handed hitter. Small, quick frame projectable to fill out. Profiles as a lead-off type hitter, even/balanced stance, short stride, quick and short swing. Has a 2-strike approach with discipline. Clean transfers at shortstop with quick hands and above average accurate arm, is agile and able to cover a lot of ground. Has the ability to make the big plays in the hole, up the middle and in front of him. At the plate against Chicago Elite went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI. Offensively, he totaled 16 hits on the weekend in his team’s seven games, en route to the championship. On the mound, he showcased a clean arm with long and loose action. His arm speed is quick from a high ¾ window. Fastball sat 76-78 mph, topped at 80, and plays with life in the zone. He mixed in a breaking ball with 11/5 shape at 67-68 mph. Final line: CG, 0 R, 1 H, 4 K.