Top Of The Class

The Top-10 remains mostly untouched, with INF Landon Thome (Nazareth) and INF Ethan Bass (Glenbrook North) leading the way in the Top-25 nationally as well.

Thome holds down our top spot, and the All-American standout is fresh off a commitment to Florida State. The floor is extremely high with Thome as he already is one of the more polished left-handed hitters in the entire country, but we think there is still more strength to come which will only help elevate his prospect status and allow him to hit at every stop throughout his career. The glove will be able to stick on the dirt long-term, profiling more at second base for the time being, but the bat is the carrying tool for Thome with some of the top feel to hit in the nation.

Bass is an impressive athlete that provides all sorts of versatility on the diamond. His main position is up the middle at short, but he’s athletic enough to move around and even shift to the outfield if needed. He’s a twitchy right-handed hitter that has performed well on the national circuit, and his draft stock is on pace to be rising in the coming months.

One of the only noteworthy risers towards the top of the class was OF Dominic Battista (Oswego), who is committed to UIC. Battista continues to see his stock rise over the 2025 calendar year, looking like a dynamic top-of-the-order left-handed bat while profiling at all three outfield spots. Battista is now up one spot, sitting at No. 5 in the Class.

This year’s 2026 class should once again have a number of pro follows littered throughout the state. A number of these seniors have already registered for the January Illinois Preseason ProCase.

OF Nolan Ramoley (Brother Rice; Northwestern), CIF/RHP Kaeden Schatsiek (Brimfield; Illinois State), ATH Gavin Michaels (Normal Community; Cincinnati), LHP Sam Finn (Plainfield North; Kentucky), C/RHP RJ Duncheon Jr. (East Peoria; Illinois State), C Brandon Thomsen (St. Viator; Purdue) and 1B Anthony Chavez (Mount Carmel; Illinois) are all Top-20 prospects set to attend the loaded event, among many others.

CLICK HERE for a look at the current ProCase roster.

Outside the Top-20

CIF Jason Phillips (Plano; Kennesaw State commit) is making a massive jump, nearly 80 spots to No. 36. He’s a highly physical right-handed hitter with electric bat-speed, showing real power potential and middle of the order upside at the next level. His 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame also continues to trend in the right direction, and it’s clearly paying dividends in all aspects as he also boasts a heavy sinking fastball up to 91 mph on the mound.

C/OF Adam Swanson (Ottawa Township; Bradley commit) is jumping eight spots to No. 38 in this update. He’s a premium athlete with a 6.42 in the 60, and he’s one that just continues to improve and makes strides to his game. A proven in-game performer with feel to hit and present power, Swanson also provides versatility being able to handle the glove both behind the plate and in the outfield with his well above-average speed. He’s one to follow closely this spring as we think his best days are still ahead.

RHP Jack Gianikos (Maine South; John A. Logan commit) is rising 15 spots to No. 59, and he’s a high-ceiling arm that has made some significant jumps over the last year. Listed at 6-foot-4, 175-pounds, he’s extremely projectable with long-levers and plenty of room to add strength. What really stands out is his loose, elastic delivery down the mound, indicating more velocity jumps to be had down the road, though he already works up to 90 mph with the fastball with a couple sharp breaking balls to pair.

INF Logan Nordentoft (Prospect) recently committed to Wabash Valley JC and checks a lot of boxes from a frame and tools perspective. Noirdentoft, who climbed into the top-100 in this update has a 6-foot-2, 174-pound, strong, athletic, high-waisted frame with more quality strength to come. A 6.77 runner, he moves with ease and actions on the left-side of the infield while topping out at 87 mph across the diamond. Offensively, he has a simple right-handed swing with above-average bat speed and gap-to-gap power. His best years seem to be ahead of him.

RHP Max Young (Mahomet-Seymour) creeps up 10 spots, sitting just outside the top-100 in the state. The SWIC JC commit is a fluid, athletic mover who spins the baseball at an above-average clip while climbing into the upper-80s with his fastball. The floor is high already for Young but it would be easy to see his velocity continue to climb in the coming years. A name to keep an eye on in the 2026 class down the road.

Stay tuned in the coming days for a deeper look inside the 2026 class with some newcomers to the rankings and guys who continue to ascend up our list.

CLICK HERE for the updated 2026 Illinois rankings.

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