2026 Rankings Update: Summer Risers
August 28, 2025
With the summer behind us, and the 2026 State Rankings being released yesterday, we’re taking a look at some of the notable risers within this update. There was quite a bit of movement within yesterday's release after a summer of events, tournaments, and the Illinois State Games.
Today, we’re taking a look at some of the notable risers. Note, the players mentioned within this story were ranked No. 50 and beyond.
2026 RISERS
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Connor McKay RHP / RHP / Nazareth Academy, IL / 2026Rankings StateRank: 51 / POS: 14
From 8/5/2025: RHP Connor McKay (Nazareth Academy, 2026) is a projectable, 6-foot-3, 179-pound frame who gave a solid look on the mound Wednesday night, striking out two and allowing zero hits through his two innings of work. The right-hander works from the stretch only, with a quick medium leg lift, quick down the mound. Then the arm works from a lower ¾ slot, staying loose with long extension in the back half. McKay would show a solid two-pitch mix with the fastball sitting 86-88 mph, playing with sink, 19 inches of horizontal movement. The slider was 77-79 mph, with a gyro profile, gaining positive vert with an average of 6.4 IVB. In-game, McKay was fastball-heavy, attacking low and pitching to contact outs. The slider was on point, creating bad swings. |