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Arkansas Class of 2028 Rankings Update: Winter Edition

May 1, 2025
Eliott Wilk
Prep Baseball Arkansas Staff

As the spring season begins, the Prep Baseball Arkansas staff has once again updated the state’s 2028 rankings. We have one of our largest updates to date after our loaded preseason showcase season. We saw over 100 talented sophomores expanding our list from 10 to 30 players with the addition of over 20 names.

It is important to note in an update this large, there are players that may decline in total rank even with improvement and passing some peers simply due to the number of names added. For an in-depth look at how we put our rankings together, click HERE.

Notable changes to these rankings include a handful of prolific risers and 20 newcomers in the list. 

Click HERE for the full 30 player update

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THE TOP 10

RHP/INF Ty Tanksley (Carlisle) holds on to the top spot in this update after an impressive showing at the Arkansas Preseason All-State this past February. Lean and projectable at 6-foot, 180 pounds, Tanksley stood out on the mound, running his fastball up to 88.3 mph and sitting comfortably at 86–87 mph. He showed advanced feel for three secondary pitches: a 75–78 mph slider, a 77–78 mph changeup, and an 80–83 mph cutter. A must-see name in the class, Tanksley also impressed at the plate, consistently finding the barrel during BP with an 87 mph exit velocity. He paired that with an 86 mph arm across the infield, rounding out a well-balanced skill set.

Ty Tanksley

RHP/1B Brooks Robinson holds steady at No. 2, just ahead of top-10 newcomer INF/RHP Blain Van Hilsen (Har-Ber), who makes an impressive debut at No. 3. One of the most physical prospects in the class, C/INF Jayden Stegner rises to No. 4, continuing to display his strength both behind the plate and in the batter’s box. OF Will Schaefer (Fayetteville) rounds out the top five, coming in at No. 5.

Jayden Stegner

Most of the remaining top ten holds relatively steady, with INF Reid Mitchell (Little Rock Christian) coming in at No. 6. A pair of two-way standouts who impressed at multiple events this winter, INF/RHP Haydon Bradshaw (White Hall) and INF/RHP Caden Mendenhall (Greenwood), follow at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. INF/RHP Cade Rogers holds the No. 9 spot, while C/INF/OF Boston Graber (Rogers Heritage) moves up one spot to round out the top ten at No. 10 after playing a key role in the War Eagles’ success so far this spring. 

Boston Graber

  

NOTABLE NEWCOMERS

Coming in at No. 13 in this update, OF/RHP Brody Brown (Mountain Home) headlines a strong group of newcomers making their debut in this edition of the rankings. Lean with plenty of upside at 6-foot, 164 pounds, Brown showcased intriguing two-way potential at the Arkansas Preseason All-State. He ran his fastball up to 83 mph on the mound, posted a 6.98 60-yard dash, recorded an 81 mph outfield velocity, and flashed upper-80s exit velocity at the plate.

Brody Brown

INF/RHP Ronin Ketchum (Northside) enters the rankings at No. 14 in this update following an impressive Prep Baseball debut this winter at the Northwest Arkansas Preseason ID in Fort Smith. With an advanced 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame and a well-rounded skill set, Ketchum flashed serious power at the plate with a 94 mph exit velocity and showed feel for the zone on the mound, topping out at 85 mph.

Ronin Ketchum

A pair of two-way outfielders make their debut in the rankings at No. 15 and No. 16, with OF/RHP Brody Freeman (Valley View) and OF/LHP Lucas Hildebrand (Conway) joining the list. Freeman impressed in his Prep Baseball debut at the East Arkansas Preseason ID, showcasing an 80 mph fastball and upper-80s exit velocity at the plate. Hildebrand continues to show progress with every viewing, offering intriguing upside on both sides of the ball with more development still to come.

A physical prospect with noticeable strength throughout his 5-foot-11, 206-pound frame, C/INF/RHP Jace Dulaney (Walnut Ridge) breaks into the rankings at No. 17 in this update. Dulaney flashed power at the plate during the Arkansas Preseason All-State and continues to show the potential for more as he refines his overall game.

Jace Dulaney

OF/LHP Austin Hill (Benton), RHP/INF Tage Pollard (Farmington), and RHP/OF Bryce Meakin (Arkadelphia) headline the group that rounds out the top 20, coming in at Nos. 18–20, respectively.

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