Rankings season is upon us once again, and with that comes our initial look at this young 2029 group. We’re keeping the list short by design, going off what we’ve seen in-event and on the tournament circuit to this point. Blending present ability and projection, we’ve accumulated the five players we feel the most confident in to stay towards the top of the class in the coming years, found below. 

There will be a follow-up story coming soon with more names to follow in this class, so be on the lookout for that. 

2029 Rankings Debut 

Making his debut as our No. 1 prospect in the 2029 class, SS/RHP Paris Head (Lane Tech) is an exciting young prospect that we are eager to see blossom throughout the high school ranks. The arm talent is unquestionable, with rumblings of his fastball peaking around the 89 mph mark this past fall - and he’s also comfortable landing a couple different breaking balls in the zone. The movement patterns on both sides of the ball are highly projectable, and so is his 6-foot, 160-pound frame. He’s an advanced defender on the dirt with clean, natural actions and feel for the position, pairing with his aforementioned arm-strength. He also provides plenty of intrigue with the bat, boasting a loose, twitchy swing that stays in the zone and will only continue to get better as he gets stronger. 

Coming in at No. 2 is INF/OF Todd Dulaney Jr. (Nazareth), a standout member of our Junior Future Games team this past summer. Listed at 5-foot-10, 150-pounds, Dulaney is ultra-projectable with a lean, high-waisted build that has a chance to really fill out in the coming years. His power potential has already been flashing at a young age, leaving the yard on multiple occasions for our staff including at the Junior Future Games. He has defensive versatility with the ability to handle the glove both up the middle of the infield and in the outfield, and he’s plenty athletic to handle both spots as well. 

Taking the No. 3 position we have yet another versatile defender with C/INF Terrell Hamton Hall (De La Salle). There is no shortage of power in his right-handed bat, already peaking in the mid-90s for his EV - and he has a mature approach with barrel control to go along with it. He’s proven to be a well above-average catcher at his age with soft receiving actions and a quick release to limit the run game, reaching as low as 1.94 for his pop-time in-event (T70 mph). He also shows steady hands on the infield that will allow him to play multiple positions and move around the diamond as needed. 

The final two members on this initial list were also Junior Future Games standouts with SS/RHP Cody Busch (Joliet Catholic) and RHP/INF Leo Kelly (Loyola Academy).

Busch makes the list at No. 4, and he was far and away one of the top performers we saw all summer. He did nothing but hit for our staff on the tournament circuit with loud results, and he carried that right into the Junior Future Games as one of the cornerstones of the Illinois lineup. He also has tremendous overall knowledge/feel of the game that really stands out when you see him play, pairing with well above-average defensive actions and instincts up the middle. On the mound, he’ll work into the upper-70s with advanced pitch-ability and moxy, making him a dynamic two-way threat to watch throughout the coming years. 

At No. 5 and another highly intriguing two-way, Kelly has one of the bigger arms in the young class. Listed at a physical 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, he still holds room to add on strength to his frame, and we fully expect him to do so in the coming years. His fastball tops out in the mid-80s with exploding life through the zone, and that number should only continue to rise as he matures. He also has thunderous power from the right side that we have seen in-game, giving him a middle of the order profile. 

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