2026 MLB Draft Preview: Illinois Prospects
July 10, 2026
.png)
The 2026 draft starts tomorrow, with rounds 1-4 set for July 10th and rounds 5-20 scheduled for July 11th, in Philadelphia, as part of this year's All-Star game festivities. As we look at the state of Illinois, this year looks like another exciting year for prospects from the state. Today, we’re breaking down some of the names from the state that have a chance of hearing their name called this weekend.
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:
ILLINOIS NATIVES IN COLLEGE
SS TYLER BELL (Kentucky; Lincoln-Way East, 2023): One of the top-ranked college shortstops in the MLB Draft, Bell has a chance to go inside the top-10, potentially. He was a second-rounder out of high school by the Rays but opted to go the college route instead. A risky gamble that very much appears to have paid off for Bell, despite missing some time early this spring with a shoulder injury. Ultimately, he slashed .343/.510/.608 with a 1.119 OPS in 41 games this year (143 at-bats), almost exclusively within the SEC upon his return. A switch-hitting shortstop with a sound approach, solid speed, and reliable middle-infield defense. A combo of tools that has him projected to be the first Illinois native selected on Saturday.
OF ZION ROSE (Louisville; Brother Rice/IMG Academy, 2023): Rose was one of the top athletes in Illinois’ 2023 class before transferring to Florida’s IMG Academy for his senior season of high school. Initially considered a catcher, the athleticism was too good to avoid using out in the outfield, and there’s a chance he can still turn into a professional center fielder in pro ball. He finished his 2026 in Louisville with a 1.137 OPS in 36 games after an ankle injury cost him some time. He’s been an arrow-up prospect since the college season ended as he’s impressed athletically and he’s model-friendly for his high contact% and lack of whiffs.
RHP CALVIN PROSKEY (Oak Park-River Forest, 2023; UC Santa Barbara): Back in high school, Proskey epitomized projection. He moves exceptionally well down the mound and his fastball had a true backspin carry-type profile with a hammer breaking ball that matched up perfectly alongside it. At OPRF, he simply lacked velocity, and he’s grown into more (low-90s) in college inside one of the top pitching staffs in the country at UCSB. He still lacks impact velocity on the heater, but he’s progressed steadily overall since high school and looks like a worthwhile pro project for an eager development department.
RHP DOMINIC VOEGELE (Kansas; Columbia, 2023): Voegele was one of the IHSA’s true aces in high school back at Columbia and he walked into Kansas starting rotation the moment he hit campus, which didn’t surprise us at all. He threw 81 innings as a freshman, then 96.1, and 97 in the following two seasons, and he wound up breaking Kansas’ single-season strikeout record (120) this season. He lives in the zone a lot and he wields a curveball as his best secondary, though the fastball could use a tweak in pro ball because it lacks a real shape that plays despite being 95-98 mph regularly and throughout long outings.
C COLIN BARCZI (Vanderbilt; Naperville Central, 2023): Barczi has some of the best raw power in the country and off a swing path that maximizes it too. With that said, he’s got a knack for being a highly aggressive hitter overall and it’s contributed to whiffs which situates him in poor counts to connect on pitches he can pick out and drive over the fence. He hit the farthest batted balls of anyone at the MLB Draft Combine to showcase this most recently after slashing .263/.341/.576 with 11 homers in 31 games as a junior at Vandy.
RHP MICHAEL ADDARI (Illinois State; Libertyville, 2023): Libertyville has been on quite a run in recent years, both on the diamond and off it, and Addari is the latest gem of this program to have his name in some headlines. A Michigan State commit out of high school, Addari returned to his home state after redshirting to join the Illinois State staff where he flashed the ability to be a lights-out reliever one day. In 2026, he took a spot on the starting rotation and blossomed into an MLB Draft prospect. He’s a 6-foot-6 righty with two different mid-90s heaters and a sweeper that’ll get whiffs in pro ball. After recording 14 walks in 17.2 innings last year, Addari walked just 22 in 67.1 innings (73 K) this past season, which has also helped paint a brighter picture of his future in the game.
RHP JOSH MCDEVITT (Mizzou; Effingham, 2023): It took McDevitt a couple seasons at Missouri to grab regular work but he made it count once he finally landed a starting spot in the rotation this past spring. The unique slot and velo he showed in high school reappeared for Mizzou and the fastball showed as one of the best in the country at 93-95 mph. He used it, along with a quality curve and change, to punch out 102 batters in 79.1 innings as a junior.
OF COLLIN JENNINGS (Illinois; Marist, 2023): Jennings broke out for the Illini as a sophomore when he hit 16 homers in 48 games with a 1.078 OPS, and he hit another 16 this past season although he did show a little bit more swing and miss and a lesser contact rate in general. Still, Jennings is a 6-foot-5, left-handed-hitting athlete with big power potential that could continue to unlock itself in pro ball.
OF JACK LAUSCH (Northwestern; Brother Rice, 2022): Lausch was one of the top prospects in Illinois out of high school but elected to head to Evanston to play quarterback for the Wildcats. In 2025, Lausch took another stab at baseball. This past spring he homered 12 times, drove in 41 runs, tallied three triples, 13 doubles, and hit for a .312 batting average while slugging .653.
MORE POTENTIAL COLLEGE DRAFTS
1B RYAN NIEDZWIEDZ (SIU-Edwardsville; West Aurora): Niedzwiedz had a phenomenal career at SIU-E where he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Co-Player of the Year after hitting 27 homers and slashing .351/.427/.768 with a 1.195 OPS.
RHP OWEN KELLY (Ole Miss; Belleville East): Had 16 appearances and six starts this spring for Ole Miss. Struck out 31 in 29.2 innings pitched with 10 walks and a 4.25 ERA. Was an athletic mover in high school who topped out at 91 mph.
OF BRAYDEN BAKES (Illinois State; Huntley): High-level prospect out of high school, ranked No. 12 in the Illinois’ 2023 class. Was a 6.45 runner with big power from the left side of the plate. Found a home at Illinois State this spring and emerged onto the scene after leading the team in numerous categories and was in the mix for Missouri Valley Conference POTY. Hit .393 with 22 doubles, 2 triples, 16 home runs and 52 RBIs. Also scored 55 runs and walked (38) more than he struck out (37).
SS JIMMY ANDERSON (Joliet West; Heartland CC): The next high-level shortstop to come out of Heartland (Sam Antonacci previously, among others). Turned himself into one of the top JUCO prospects in the country after an impressive freshman season. Kentucky commit who should have a decision to make after the draft. In 2026 he hit .465 with 22 doubles, 6 triples and 26 home runs and 88 RBIs. Also scored 82 runs, walked 37 times to just 18 strikeouts. .544 OBP.
RHP MATT SAUSER (Central Florida; Normal University): Had a breakout season for the Knights. Listed at 6-foot-3, Sauser has long been a projectable, high-waisted, fluid mover with a big ceiling. The 2023 HS grad started eight games this spring and finished with a 3.22 ERA. In 36.1 innings he struck out 30, walked 11 and scattered 27 hits.
HIGH SCHOOL DRAFTS
INF LANDON THOME (Nazareth Academy, 2026; Florida State): Florida State commit Landon Thome is one of the more popular names in the country and has been since he stepped foot into high school. A varsity contributor since his freshman year with a state title under his belt, Thome has had an illustrious prep career up to this point and really capped it off on a high-note, earning Gatorade Player of the Year for Illinois and also now First Team All-State honors. The left-handed slugger turned in a .535 batting average with a .630 on-base percentage, also swatting seven home runs with eight triples, 14 doubles, 31 RBIs, 59 runs scored, just 12 strikeouts to 30 walks and a staggering 54 stolen bases. He will likely be one of the first Illinois prep names off the board in this upcoming draft.
SS ETHAN BASS (Glenbrook North, 2026; Wake Forest): Wake Forest commit Ethan Bass has been a cornerstone for Glenbrook North’s program his entire prep career, and he’s going out on a high note with First-Team All-State honors. He has collected numerous accolades throughout his career, including 100 career hits, the single season HR record and the career HR record. This past spring, he turned in a .449 batting average with 12 home runs, six doubles, 40 RBIs, 51 runs scored, 47 walks to only 16 strikeouts, 21 stolen bases and an OPS of 1.519 - all while supplying high-level defense at shortstop all year long.
RHP JACK SLIGHTOM (Lyons Township, 2026; Cincinnati): The Cincinnati signee was one of the more dominant arms from start to finish this spring. A name that will surely garner draft buzz next month, he allowed just two earned runs over 45.1 innings to the tune of a 0.31 ERA in 2026. As impressive as his run prevention was, his strikeout-to-walk numbers were perhaps even more impressive; punching out 87 and only walking nine all spring. He finished the year with a perfect 7-0 record on the mound while helping lead Lyons Township to a 23-12 record. Slightom possessed one of the more dynamic arsenals we have seen come through the state; headlined by a fastball that touched 96 mph routinely, paired with a sweeping slider at 78-80 mph and rounding out his mix with a hard changeup at 85-87 mph.
OF DOMINIC BATTISTA (Oswego East, 2026; Illinois-Chicago): Illinois-Chicago signee, Dominic Battista offers some of the more intriguing tools in the Illinois’ 2026 class. A 6.53 runner in the 60, with 94 mph arm strength from the outfield to go along with EV’s north of 105 mph (T108.5). Sidelined for most of the spring in 2026, when he was on the field he was dynamic and continued to show to be one of the top players in the class. He stole 37 bags in limited action while also swatting four homers, 14 doubles, and posting a 1.440 OPS.
CIF TJ MCQUILLAN (Mount Carmel, 2026; Wake Forest): Wake Forest signee, TJ McQuillan, has been one of the more feared left-handed bats across the state for numerous years now. In 2026, he triple-slashed .464/.566/.812 - good for a 1.378 OPS all while helping lead the Caravan to State for the first time in 11 years. He drove in 45 with 30 extra-base hits (17 doubles, five triples, seven homers), and also came across to score 60 times while batting leadoff all spring.
MIF/OF GAVIN MICHAELS (Normal Community, 2026; Cincinnati): Michaels continued to impress with his ability to impact the game this spring. The right-handed hitter worked out of the leadoff spot for the Ironmen and tallied a .500 on base percentage, scored 46 runs and stole 26 bases. His 6.47 60 time translates to the diamond, extending singles into doubles, and providing Normal Community’s middle of the lineup hitters with run producing opportunities. He’s a premium athlete with the ability to play all over the diamond, and there’s seemingly plenty more projection in the 6-foot, 173-pound frame.
RHP GAVIN SWARTZ (Normal Community, 2026; Indiana): The past two years for the Ironmen, Swartz has been an in-game performer that continues to get better with his overall repertoire. It’s easy to fall in love with the 6-foot-3, 183-pound frame that’s full of athleticism and shows room for added strength. We saw his fastball up to 96 mph in an early spring look, and he paired it with a swing-and-miss slider, and change-up in the upper-80s. In 38 ⅔ innings, Swartz struck out 58, walked 16, allowed 14 runs, and 20 hits, finishing the year 6-2.
1B/OF ANTHONY CHAVEZ (Mount Carmel, 2026; Illinois): Chavez is another talented left-handed bat that could hear his name called over the weekend. 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame, proportionate with present strength, long-levered with more room to continue to add muscle throughout, impressive athlete for his size and profile. Chavez had a big winter on the Prep Baseball showcase-circuit and continued to provide intrigue throughout the spring. He has posted as low as a 6.68 60 for our staff, while recording a max EV of 108.1 mph.
RHP CALEB COX (Springfield Lutheran, 2026; Northern Illinois): Cox came onto our staff’s scene in the winter of 2025 where we saw a wiry, clean moving arm work a fastball up to 91 mph at the Peoria Preseason ID. Fast forward a year and Cox continued to improve, now working out of a projectable 6-foot-5, 198-pound frame. He attended the Prep Baseball Super 60 in February of 2026, before our staff saw him up to 95 mph in a spring game with an 11/5 shaped curveball that showed swing-and-miss potential. As he continues to develop overall, there’s all kinds of upside for the future of Caleb Cox.
RHP TRE COLE (Champaign Central, 2026; Uncommitted): Cole is an athletic 6-foot-2, 194-pound arm with clean, loose movement patterns and a quick arm. His fastball has been up to 95 mph in our looks, and has seemingly more velocity and polish still to come.
RHP/OF KAEDEN SCHATSIEK (Brimfield, 2026; Illinois State): Schatsiek is a two-way prospect that continues to look the part of a high-follow in the class. He’s a 6-foot-4, 215-pound athlete with all kinds of strength throughout the build. A right-handed hitter, he hit .486 on the season with a 1.171 slugging percentage, while homering 17 times, driving in 61 runs, tallying four triples and 13 doubles. On the mound, he works his fastball up to 94 mph, and struck out 99 over 48 innings of work.
RHP/UTL RYAN DUNCHEON JR. (East Peoria, 2026; Illinois State): Duncheon is another intriguing two-way prospect from Central Illinois that was a big producer on both sides for the Raiders. On the mound, Duncheon was up to 94 mph this spring with swing-and-miss off-speed offerings. He finished the season 11-3 with 149 strikeouts in 85.2 innings of work. At the plate, he hit .542, homered nine times, drove in 41 runs, and tallied 14 doubles.
C BRANDON THOMSEN (Saint Viator, 2026; Purdue): Purdue signee, Brandon Thomsen, earned First Team All-State honors in 2026 after an illustrious career at Saint Viator. Thomsen earned East Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year after posting a .524/.532/.961 triple-slash, good for a 1.593 OPS. Thomsen notched double-digit homers (10) in 2026, while collecting 13 doubles, a triple, and driving in 50. He walked over double the amount of times he struck out (35:15). All while supplying premier defense behind the plate; he is known for being one of the more talented catch-and-throw backstops in the region, and has been up to 84 mph from the chute for our staff.
RELATED CONTENT