The 2025 draft is just around the corner, with rounds 1-4 set for July 13th and rounds 5-20 scheduled for July 14th, down in Atlanta, as part of this year's All-Star game festivities. As we look at the state of Illinois, this year has potentially the most exciting crop of prospects the state has seen. With 20 players within the nation's Top 500 prospects and seven of those names coming within the Top 100. We will break down the players making waves up draft boards, and keep an eye on them as the draft approaches.

Our Prep Baseball National and Draft HQ team recently released their MLB Draft Board and Mock Draft updates, which can be found with the links below:

• FINAL DRAFT BOARD UPDATE
• MEGA MOCK DRAFT

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HIGH SCHOOL

Jack Bauer LHP / Lincoln-Way East, IL / 2025 MISSISSIPPI STATE COMMIT From 4/24/25: “Currently ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 15 nationally. Trim 6-foot-4, 191-pound frame with room for added strength in the future. Got the ball to start for the Griffins and continued his impressive 2025 campaign. He has a loose and easy delivery down the mound, throwing from a clean ¾ slot. He attacked with his fastball that sat 97-99 mph (T100) early, before settling in at 95-96 mph, showing spin-feel (2500+ rpm). His go-to secondary continued to be a sharp slider that played in the 79-82 mph range with high-spin (2600+ rpm). Bauer would also mix in an 85-86 mph changeup, while showing a potential fourth offering; a curveball that he would toss in warmups. He would control the run-game well in this outing, varying moves and his looks at runners on base. It was a more extended look at Bauer than we have been accustomed to seeing this spring, which allowed him to show even more feel to pitch as well as his ability to make pitches in big spots with runners on and in scoring position. Perhaps the most impressive part of Bauer’s game is his ability to be around the zone and control all of his offerings, evidenced by not allowing a single walk through four innings while throwing 34 of his 46 pitches for strikes (74% strikes). Line: 4 IP, H, 0 BB, 0 R, 5 K. Bauer has certainly cemented himself as a must-know name with the MLB Draft coming up in July.”

Jaden Fauske OF/C / Nazareth Academy , IL / 2025 LOUISIANA STATE COMMIT From 2025 First Team All-State: “Jaden Fauske will leave high school as perhaps one of the better prep hitters to ever come out of the state. The LSU commit was a varsity contributor for all four of his years, capturing two baseball state championships, wearing a Roadrunners uniform and will likely not have to wait long to hear his name called when the MLB Draft rolls around next month. Over the course of his four-year varsity career, he put up a .492/.590/.744 triple-slash, good for a 1.334 OPS, while hitting 44 doubles, 10 triples, 12 homers, driving in 136 runs, and stealing 73 bags. In 2025, Fauske posted career-highs in triples (4), home runs (6), RBI (40), walks (29), and stolen bases (33).”

Cameron Appenzeller LHP / Glenwood, IL / 2025 TENNESSEE COMMIT From 5/20/25: “Tennessee commit. Projectable 6-foot-5, 185-pound frame. Started on the mound and hit out of the lead-off position. Appenzeller shined on Tuesday as he struck out 12 batters through six shutout innings, allowing one hit and one walk. He threw 88 pitches in his six innings of work, picking up a 70% strike percentage. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning. The left-hander operates from a tall/fall approach with a repeatable delivery that has easy actions. Long, clean arm action from a low ¾ slot. Fastball sat 89-92, clean out of hand. Was sitting 90-92 in the first inning. Settled down to 89-90 in the fifth inning. Mixed in a slider that sat 77-80 with depth and sweeping action. Settled down to 76-79 in the fifth inning. Produced plenty of swings and misses with his slider. Confident, competitor on the mound. At the plate, the left-hander connected on two solo home runs. His first home run came in the first inning and was a no-doubter over the right-center wall. His second came in his final at bat during the sixth inning, which was down the right-field line.”

Brandon Shannon RHP / McHenry, IL / 2025 LOUISVILLE COMMIT From 2025 First Team All-State: “Louisville commit Brandon Shannon has been dominant for McHenry this season. One of the top pitching prospects in the state, Shannon helped lead the Warriors to the 4A State Championship, capping off his impressive career with a win in the State Semifinals. The McHenry ace finished the season with an impressive 12-0 record on the mound, which included 111 strikeouts, 32 walks, eight earned runs, good for a 0.82 ERA, also recording a 0.951 WHIP on the season. Shannon’s fastball has been up to 96 mph this spring, also showing a mid-80s splitter, 79-82 mph slider, and a curveball that worked in the upper-70s. To add, Shannon broke the McHenry career wins record this season, which was previously held by Bobby Miller (Los Angeles Dodgers), Zach Badgley and Mark Badgley.“

CJ Deckinga 3B/OF / Minooka Community High School, IL / 2025 MICHIGAN STATE COMMIT From 2/03/25: “Deckinga once again shined on a national stage, coming in as somewhat of a “sleeper” and exiting as one of its biggest winners - first at the Future Games and now again at the Super 60. The pure upside he possesses in his wide-shouldered, young looking 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame is enough to get scouts excited, but he further added to his stock with his strong all-around showing Sunday. He started things out with a 6.77 in the 60-yard dash, using little perceived effort and long strides. On top of that, he had the fourth highest peak jump height with a 31” vertical - also performing extremely well in the RSI jump test. His rounds of BP were some of the best on the day, working hard on the barrel with easy jump off the bat and big upside in the operation. Using a wood bat, he averaged 94.3 mph and reached up to 102.3 mph, sending his furthest ball 381’. The hand-speed (22.6 mph avg.) and bat-speed (76.1 mph avg.) also stood out among some of the best players in the country. Deckinga also shined on the other side of the ball, boasting confident hands with natural actions and the ability to move laterally with ease. Deckinga seemingly gets better with each look, and he is a must-follow name heading into this spring.”

Conor Essenburg LHP/1B / Lincoln-Way West, IL / 2025 KENTUCKY COMMIT From 2025 First Team All-State: “Conor Essenburg earns First Team All-State honors after one of the more impressive seasons across the state. The Kentucky commit slashed .464/.591/.909 good for a 1.500 OPS, while hitting four triples, 11 doubles, 10 home runs, 49 RBI, 42 runs scored, 36 walks and eight stolen bases. He was also a force on the mound, going 5-0 in 44.2 innings pitched, striking out 94, walking 23, allowing six runs on the year (0.94 ERA), while also tallying a 0.92 WHIP. Essenburg broke the record numerous records at Lincoln-Way West – season home runs (10), career home runs (21), season RBI (49), career RBI (118), season runs scored (42), stolen bases in a career (35), most pitching wins in a season (10), career pitching wins (20), season strikeouts (102), career strikeouts (294).”

Quinn Schambow C / Libertyville, IL / 2025 OKLAHOMA STATE COMMIT From 2025 First Team All-State: “The Prep Baseball Illinois Player of the Year, Schambow has also earned First Team All-State honors after an impressive spring. The top backstop in the state’s senior class, Schambow capped off his prep career with a 4A State Championship, the first in Libertyville’s history. The Oklahoma State commit and MLB Draft prospect hit .449 on the year with a .534 OBP, also tallying three home runs, 47 RBI, 32 runs scored, 18 doubles, four triples, 21 walks, and 27 stolen bases on 29 attempts. To add, Schambow is one of the top defense prospects in recent memory, helping lead the Wildcats pitching staff, who pitched to a 1.12 ERA on the season, struck out 308 and walked 95 in 262 innings pitched. For his efforts, Schambow was awarded the ABCA Gold Glove award, given to the top defensive catcher in the country.”

Ethan Moore SS / Oak Park-River Forest, IL / 2025 TENNESSEE COMMIT From 5/02/25: “Tennessee commit, currently ranked No. 8 in the state and No. 124 in the country. 5-foot-10, 202-pound frame, extremely developed lower-half, strong and compact frame, round shoulders. Started at shortstop and hit out of the three-hole for the Huskies, finishing the day 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk. Switch hitter, showed a compact and strong swing from both sides of the plate, athletic hands, can control the barrel and match plane, gap-to-gap approach throughout his rounds of BP with line-drives. Minimal swing/miss in-game with good swing decisions, no chase, recorded a 4.26 down the line from the left side on a groundout to the pitcher. Confident hands on the infield, plays with bounce and timing through the baseball, comfortable on the move, has no trouble moving laterally, clean/crisp exchanges, body flows. His arm plays with strength across the diamond, can play on the move and change angles, has the strength to stay on the left side if-needed. One of the top infield prospects in the country, should continue to garner professional interest throughout the spring, advanced defender that will be able to stay on the dirt at the next level, simple/compact swing with gap-to-gap approach and strength."

Aidan Flinn LHP / Marist, IL / 2025 ILLINOIS COMMIT From 5/07/25: “Illinois commit, currently ranked No. 9 in the state and No. 161 in the country. Long-limbed 6-foot-6, 205-pound frame, plenty of room for added strength, highly projectable. Much more to dream on with the smooth-moving lefty, utilizes a higher leg-lift that works in-sync with his hands to his head, creates some drop/drive in the lower-half down the mound while working in-line, loose and athletic leg-swing finish, front foot lands stable and square, repeats and syncs well for size. Loose arm with a longer reach out of the glove, clean ¾ release. The fastball played mostly in the upper-80s, topping out at 89 mph with dive/sink to his arm-side, showing the ability to keep it down and to his arm-side consistently. Went to a sweeper/slider in the 75-79 mph range, sharp action tunnels well from the FB, showed notable lateral break at times, got some ugly swings below the zone from RHH. High-ceiling arm that should continue to garner MLB interest throughout the spring.”

Joseph Chiarodo OF/RHP / Edwardsville, IL / 2025 ALABAMA COMMIT From 2025 First Team All-State: “Alabama commit Joe Chiarodo was stellar on both sides of the ball for the Edwardsville Tigers as he has been since an underclassmen. This year Chiarodo broke out as a position player that can do it all in center field. Chiarodo has a plus arm from the position and covers ground at an above-average clip as well. Offensively, Chiarodo batted .496, got on-base at a .558 clip, and posted a 1.372 OPS. He collected 56 hits, nine doubles, three triples, seven homers, 39 RBI, 35 runs scores, and was a perfect 14-for-14 on stolen base attempts. On the mound, he posted a 2.16 ERA over 48.2 IP, striking out 62, walking only nine batters, and scattering 35 hits while pitching against one of the harder schedules in the state.”

Enzo Infelise C / Providence Catholic, IL / 2025 CINCINNATI COMMIT From 2025 First Team All-State: “Cincinnati commit Enzo Infelise was one of the more feared hitters in the entire state over the last few years while starring for one of the better programs in the state. Named the CCL Blue Player of the Year after his sophomore season in 2023, Infelise has been known to be one of the better pure bat-to-ball hitters in the region. In 2025, he batted .516, got on-base at a .611 clip, and recorded an OPS of 1.524. His hits (65) and average (.516) are good for fourth-best in a season for Provi, while his 12 homers in 2025 are good for third-highest in a single season for the Celtics. Infelise also drove in 48 runs, scored 36 times, walked 27 times, while only striking out five times all spring. Perhaps the most impressive stat for Infelise this spring was his ability to post a .970 fielding percentage all while moving all over the infield positionally and serving time behind the plate for the Celtics. His incredible spring put him firmly in the POTY conversation like many others on this list star-studded list.”

Ike Young RHP / Monticello, IL / 2025 ILLINOIS COMMIT From 5/31/25: “​​Illinois commit, currently ranked No. 22 in the state’s senior class. 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, high-upside frame with more strength to come. Three-sport athlete, Quarterback for Monticello’s State-Runner up team in the fall. Started on the mound in a 2A Sectional Championship and struck out 13, allowed no earned runs and one hit. Athletic, easy mover down the mound, loose arm with clear acceleration out front. Fastball sat 89-92 mph throughout and topped at 93 mph early. Threw two different breaking balls in this look, both in the mid-to-upper-70s - Curveball showed 11/5 shape with late, sharp action at times, garnered swing-and-miss. Continues to look like one of the top arms in the senior class.”

Andrew Winslow RHP / Triad, IL / 2025 OKLAHOMA STATE COMMIT From 4/08/25: “Oklahoma State commit, currently ranked No. 13 in the state. Started on the mound. Physical 6-foot-6, 195-pound frame with room to add strength. Winslow showed well Tuesday afternoon, as he struck out three batters through three innings while only allowing two runners on. Winslow mainly operated with a fastball that sat 89-90 while topping out at 91 with an arm-side run. Showed the ability to be deadly to his arm-side. Mixed in a slider that sat 77-79 with late action. 10/4 shape and was located slider effectively to his glove-side.”

COLLEGE PLAYERS

NOTE: PLAYER'S ARE LISTED IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.

Brendan Summerhill OF / Whitney Young, IL / 2022 ARIZONA Taking home Big 12 Championship All-Tournament, All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, Gold Spike pre- and midseason watch list, Baseball America First Team Preseason All-American and Preseason All-Big 12 honors, the stage was set for Brenan Summerhill. The right-handed hitting outfielder slashed .343/.459/.556 with four bombs, 12 doubles, six triples, 34 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases to end his junior season with the Wildcats. He showcased his contact-oriented style of play backed by elite defense, committing zero errors all season long. As the Wildcats made a deep run into the College World Series, Summerhills' stock only rose, and we now look at a bona fide day one pick, and one we could hear in the first round.

Sean Episcope RHP / The Latin School of Chicago, IL / 2022 PRINCETON While only making four starts this year for Princeton, Episcope still has an intriguing profile, garnering draft interest this year. The big right-hander in his four starts tossed 20 innings, striking out 26, walking only four, and allowing only seven hits en route to a 3.15 ERA.

Jack Lausch OF / Brother Rice, IL / 2022 NORTHWESTERN While former QB1 for the Northwestern Wildcats, Lausch decided this would be the year to turn to baseball full-time, and he did not disappoint. After a slow start to the season, the left-handed hitter slashed .268/.345/.450 with six home runs, nine doubles, and 28 RBIs. The formally third-ranked in the state of Illinois and 53rd nationally from the class of 2022, Lausch has been on scouts' radars for years, and with a full commitment to baseball, it will be interesting to see where he lands after being out of the game for so long.

Daniel Pacella OF / Mundelein, IL / 2022 ILLINOIS STATE The recent Ole Miss commit, Pacella, skyrocketed up draft boards after an outstanding year with Illinois State. The left-handed hitting outfielder slashed .355/.429/.714  with 20 home runs, nine doubles, driving in 59, with a 1.143 OPS, en route to taking home back-to-back All-MVC First team and Midwest All-Region Second Team honors. While committed to Ole Miss, Pacella will still garner a lot of draft interest after his outstanding junior season as he now weighs whether to go pro or try for a National Championship with the Rebels.

Shai Robinson SS / Homewood-Flossmoor , IL / 2022 ILLINOIS STATE Another outstanding year coming from the Illinois State lineup comes by the name of Shai Robinson. The right-handed hitting shortstop offers one of the most interesting draft profiles in this class. Robinson showed potential to stick at shortstop, but could see some movement within the infield. With the bat, Robinson slashed .276/.459/.409 with three home runs and six doubles. While not blowing away with the power numbers, Robinson excels with plate discipline, drawing 42 walks to 19 strikeouts. A hitter that finds a way on, showing an already advanced feel for the zone.

Tony Pluta RHP / St. Viator, IL / 2022 ARIZONA One of the best relief arms in the country, Pluta took home NCBWA Stopper of the Year, D1 Baseball Second Team All-American, Baseball America Second Team All-American, All-Big 12 Second Team, and Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, along with many more. Backed by some of the best stuff in the nation, the righty tosses 37 innings with 14 saves, 34 strikeouts, with a 1.46 ERA, while only allowing seven free passes. After an up-and-down sophomore year and a freshman year where he only saw seven innings, Pluta has set himself apart from the rest come draft day, backed by an elite junior year.

Jayden Lobliner C / St. Charles North , IL / 2022 SAN DIEGO After transferring from Kansas State, Lobliner put together a season to remember during his first year at San Diego. Taking the reins behind the backstop, the right-handed hitter drove in 34 while slashing .296/.372/.464 with 13 doubles, and six home runs.

Eddie King OF / Marian Catholic, IL / 2021 LOUISVILLE In a season that saw Louisville reach the College World Series in a star-studded lineup, King Jr shone above the rest. The right-handed hitting outfielder took home Louisville Regional MVP, College World Series All-Tournament Team, and Second Team All-ACC honors. King tallied up 17 home runs, driving in 63 while slashing .367/.435/.750, with 19 doubles and a 1.185 OPS. Managing only to get better as the season deepened, King stood out among College Baseball’s best and showed why he is one of the top college bats in the draft.

Brennyn Cutts RHP / Toledo-Cumberland, IL / 2021 LOUISVILLE Another member of Louisville making it onto the list, just this time from the mound. Cutts was a key piece of the Louisville bullpen, tossing 38 innings, striking out 46 with a 4.97 ERA and two saves. The highlight of Cutts' season would come during the College World Series when he would receive only his second start against a powerful Oregon State lineup. The righty would end up tossing three innings, allowing only two runs, striking out seven, and collecting the win.

Alex Calarco C / New Trier, IL / 2021 MARYLAND Quite potentially the most powerful season coming from this list, Calarco burst onto the scene in his senior year and solidified his name on draft boards. The right-handed hitting catcher started the season hitting six home runs in his first seven games, three being grand slams. As he would come down to earth, Calarco still belted 19 home runs, with 11 doubles while slashing .287/.432/.612, driving in 61. This would lead to Calarco being named to the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List (winning the player of the week), February Dick Howser National Hitter of the month (February), and finally first team All-Big Ten.

Colin Brueggemann 1B / Freeburg, IL / 2021 OKLAHOMA STATE The left-handed hitting first baseman, Brueggemann, put together a strong season for the Cowboys as he brought home All-Big 12 Second Team honors. Sending 15 balls over the wall while slashing .303/.380/.582 with 11 doubles, driving in 54.

Casey Hintz RHP / St. Viator, IL / 2022 ARIZONA The final arm coming out of Arizona, Hintz put together another strong season out of the pen, creating a strong duo between the two Illinois natives. The right-hander pitched to a 5.56 ERA while tossing 55 innings, with 53 strikeouts, and two saves. Starting the season on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, Hintz put together a strong showing all season long as a heavily used arm from the Wildcats.

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