2026 Spring Rankings: Class of 2029
March 26, 2026
Preface
As freshman across the state are gearing up for the first season of high school ball, our staff expands and updates our 2029 rankings list. This is the largest expansion we will ever do - adding 75 names to a list that is still much more of an identifier list than a set-in-stone order. We now have identified over 500 prospects in this class through our extensive Prep Baseball showcase and tournament circuit, so we feel comfortable in expanding this list to 100. Our criteria for adding a player to the rankings is simple, these are the 100 players we feel most confident in becoming college-level prospects at some point in their career. While these are not the only players in the class we think can play at the college level, these are the ones we feel most confident in at this present moment. On our current internal board, there are 60-plus names who were in consideration that we left off the list for now.
Make no mistake, this list will change substantially over the next four years. Our in-depth analysis to put this list together includes: showcase evaluations, in-game evaluations from 2025, recomendations from high school varsity and travel coaches, and much, much more. The confidence level in our list will rise within each update, and we look forward to seeing those we missed, or currently value too low, climb the board...
Top Tier Talent
The top of the class remains unchanged - with LHP/OF Adler Kellams (Fort Wayne Carroll) holding onto the top spot. The ultra-athletic two-way player has some of the best tools in the class in several areas; a 6.69 runner who reaches the low-90s from the OF and into the upper-90s in terms of exit velocities. To add onto a loud offensive toolset, Kellams doubles as one of the hardest throwers in the class, reaching 87.4 mph on his fastball from the left-side. The tools are real, and by all of our in-game evaluations - they play even higher between the lines due to extreme competitiveness. The best true position player in the bunch remains at #2 - OF Cooper Gear (Valparaiso). A 6.7 runner that projects for a hit/power profile, our early evaluations on Gear were further soldified with toolset jumps this winter and he remains in the top tier of the class. Following close behind is RHP/OF Cain Sims (Evansville Mater Dei). Sims may actually be the most naturally-gifted of the bunch as a square-shouldered, 6-foot-2, 195-pounder who reaches up to 89 on the fastball, 104 mph at his peak exit velocity, and a 6.9 runner in the 60. The power potential at the dish, and upside that he holds to be a power arm, keeps him in this mix. Though maintaining status as the 4th ranked player in the class (& top shortstop) - SS Alex McCord (Cathedral) has closed the gap between himself and the three in front of him as we see a true quartet of top tier talent at this point in the evaluation process. McCord is extremely explosive for a prospect at this stage, showing advanced arm strength (89 across the IF; 88 on the mound) to go along with exits that reached 103.6 mph this winter. A big spring for McCord (clip below), who has a chance to crack the varsity lineup at Cathedral as a rookie, could force us to rethink this top-four order.
‘29 SS Alex McCord (@AlexMcCord2029) made a statement.
— Prep Baseball Indiana (@PrepBaseballIN) February 22, 2026
5’11” 180. Moves the bat at an eye-opening pace. Looks to damage to the middle of the field. 80+ mph peak bat speed.
Max EV - 103.6 👀 (event-best)
60 - 7.11
IF arm - 89 mph
👍👍#INPAS26FROSH pic.twitter.com/m0KOOwG7Jw
Our first new face in this update is also a familiar one to our staff in OF/RHP Paulie Hobbs (Hanover Central). We saw a ton of Hobbs last spring and summer on the circuit, and he brings some of the best in-game abilities of any in the class at the present moment. Hobbs spent his first semester of high school at Marist in Illinois, before transferring back home to Hanover Central before his freshman season begins. The tools are loud for the impact two-way; 98 mph exit velocity, 89 OF arm, 7.13 60, and he is also up to 88 on the mound. Expected to be an impact guy for 3A #5 Hanover Central, Hobbs (clips below) enters the Indiana rankings at the #5 spot.
A trio of arms follows Hobbs in RHP Colten Russell (Franklin Central), RHP Keagan Linder (Tri-West), and LHP Townes Cinninger (Saint Joseph). This group is tiered together from spots No. 6 - No. 8, with Russell getting the edge for now after a quality look at the Freshman Preseason All-State. Linder was a Junior Future Games standout last summer that maintains status as a top-of-the-class arm, and Cinninger looks the part of one of the highest-upside arms in the class with as silky of an operation as any on this list, and a left-handed fastball that already reaches 84 mph. 1B/OF Isaac Marshall (Heritage Christian) was another JFG standout who remains in the top ten, now at #9, as one of our favorite left-handed power bats in the class. Our second new face in the top ten holds down the #10 spot in this update in SS Deaken Johnson (Hamilton Southeastern). Johnson (clip below) is easily one of the best pure athletes in the class, and looks the part of a high-level shortstop with silky movement patterns, athleticism, arm strength, and power potential at the dish.
‘29 SS/QB1 Deaken Johnson (@DeakenJ10) is a must-know name in the freshman class.
— Prep Baseball Indiana (@PrepBaseballIN) February 22, 2026
6’3” 175. Premier athleticism & body control on the infield w real chance to stick at SS.
Easy impacts at the dish w M2C. 7-flat runner; 92.3 peak EV.
Confident 👍👍#INPAS26FROSH pic.twitter.com/iT9r3YMjiq
While he drops a spot, our evaluation on LHP Royal Durham (Noblesville) hasn't changed. His bullpen at the All-State was excellent, he showed budding athleticism, and his 6-foot-3 frame is trending exactly as we'd hoped. He remains a must-follow lefty in the class at #11 overall, and a similiar tune applies to our #1 ranked 2B in LHH Oliver Wilkinson (Mt. Vernon) who follows Durham at #12. He drops a spot due to the climb of Johnson, but we stand firm in our early evals, where we considered (& still do) Oliver as one of the top left-handed hitters we've seen to this point. Finally, OF Caleb Smith (Center Grove) remains at #13 after showing excellent trends this winter - and he remains as one of our favorite hit tool guys in the class.
As we pieced the rest of the list together, several things factored in. Metrics are certainly important and allow us to compare toolsets between players of the same position profile, but the order isn't based strictly off numbers. Especially with the nature of these players maturing at different rates, projection, movement patterns, and the athleticism each player brings is valued just as much - if not more - at this stage. Long-limbed pitchers, and pitchers who can spin the baseball, are valued by our staff at this point. On the position side, you'll see more middle of the diamond (55 total SS/CF/C on the list) than corner profiles (12 CINF/OF on the list). Left-handed hitters see an edge over right-handed hitters with similiar profiles, while we carefully evaluate the blend of skill and tools each player provides, and ultimately the list is geared more towards identifying top talent, with the order certain to shift over the next four years as different toolsets blossom.
Find our full Top 100 list of 2029s HERE.
Read along to find ten prospects who stand as picks-to-click, prospects we are excited to follow for various reasons, who see their name in the top 30 as the list stands now. Important to note, there are still a handful of players we have gotten great reports on, or seen in limited amounts, that remain as follows but aren't ranked yet due to the fact that we are not yet comfortable in the evaluation to place a number next to their name. Some of those are: SS Chris Pumphrey (Seymour), RHP/SS/OF Clayton Atchison (Morgan Township), RHP/IF Nolan Smith (Park Tudor), and LHP Brady Biggs (Lafayette Jefferson).
Top 30 Picks to Click
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Chase Holmes SS / RHP / Zionsville, IN / 2029+ One of our favorites from the winter showcase circuit. Athletic, 6-foot frame with room to add. Present 6.9 runner with clear feel on the infield and upside in the swing. Doubles as a RHP up to 85 with 2 quality secondaries. Chance to breakout as a frosh for Zionsville; could crack the varsity lineup for the 4A #3 Eagles. Checks in at #14 on the overall list; #3 ranked true two-way & a T5 SS we've evaluated to this point.
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Zac Alexander SS / Hanover Central, IN / 2029+ One of the most athletic shortstops in the class that we have identified. Provided a really strong defensive look at showcase while also turning in a 6.9 60 and showing hit/power upside. Intriguing switch-hit ability; right-side is clearly more advanced. Chance to be an immediate impact guy for 3A #5 Hanover Central this spring. Enters the rankings at #15 in the class; #3 SS. 
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Wesley Matheny RHP / Center Grove, IN / 2029+ Provided one of the most polished 'pens of any frosh on our winter showcase circuit. Up to 85 on the fastball, with 2400+ fastball & breaking ball spin, two highly-valued metrics for us when evaluating arms at this stage. 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame with a young look and ample room to add. One of our favorite projection arms thus far who provides a coveted combination of present polish and upside. Enters the rankings at #16 overall & is regarded as a T5 RHP. 
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Fletcher East RHP / SS / Franklin Central High School, IN / 2029+ One of our biggest winners from the Freshman All-State. High-waisted frame suggests more growth to come. Fastball up to 83 from a clean, repeatable delivery; showed a pair of quality secondaries also. Doubles as a left-side infielder with the arm to stick on that side. Loose, fluid right-handed swing with exits up to 94 already. Checks in at #18 overall; #4 two-way prospect we've seen to this point.
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Caleb Tugmon OF / IN, Mishawaka, Penn High School, IN / 2029+ Tugmon is one of the more explosive athletes we've identified in the class, and all indications suggest he's a 'next up' bat in a long line of them for Penn. Stocky strong at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds, the left-handed bat holds tons of value and there is real power potential as he showed some of the classes' best bat speed, reached a 95 mph peak exit, and turned in a 6.97 60. Tugmon moves to our #6 ranked OF, just inside the T20 at #19 overall. 
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Paul Morgan RHP / Plainfield High School, IN / 2029+ Morgan's 6-foot-3 frame is exactly how you draw up a pitching prospect at this age. Still 14 years old, Morgan ran his fastball into the mid-80s at the Preseason All-State and is one of our favorite projection arms that we've seen as he enters the rankings at #22 overall. 
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Hudson Walker RHP / Huntington North, IN / 2029+ Hard not to be bullish on the movement patterns, pitch-ability, and the ability to spin the baseball that Walker presents. A bit undersized, Walker is one of our favorite movers in the class, and brings a present low-80s fastball with his breaking ball looking the part of a future weapon - already spinning into the 2700s. Checks into the rankings as a T10 RHP at #26 overall. 
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Hayes Loggins SS / William Henry Harrison High School, IN / 2029+ A future pick with outstanding actions across the board. Loggins is a LHH SS w/ impressive defensive actions as one of our favorite defenders in the class. Metrics don't jump out just yet, but the left-handed bat provides real value and strength/maturity will amplify already-advanced glove & hit tools. Our #5 ranked SS in this update, Loggins sees himself at #27 on the overall list. 
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Cayden Adley SS / Munster, IN / 2029+ Providing some of the best present tools of any middle at the moment, Adley was an All-State winner who will have an immediate impact on Munster's varsity team. He is undersized and R/R, but mitigates with a 6.74 60 yard dash and exits already reaching 94-plus. Our #6 SS, Adley checks in at #29 overall. 
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Ben Berwanger SS / Lake Central, IN / 2029+ There is a lot to like about Berwanger, a projectable-looking left-handed hitter. There is arm strength present already with rawer actions on the infield, and the left-handed swing has a chance to become impactful. Some refining to do overall, but the LHH IF profile provides value and he's shown barrel feel in our evals to this point. Rounding out the top 30, Berwanger stands as our #7 ranked SS. 
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Future Projections
Ten names who made the list, and could make a serious climb as they mature.
+ #32 RHP Eli Allison (South Bend Saint Joseph)
+ #36 IF Gideon Snavely (Fort Wayne Snider)
+ #37 IF Caleb Salsbery (Noblesville)
+ #38 LHP Ben Zartman (Warsaw)
+ #44 SS Legion Gargett (Cathedral)
+ #47 RHP Liam Seiler (Homestead)
+ #48 LHP Andrew Shaw (Warsaw)
+ #61 RHP James Wong (Andrean)
+ #75 RHP Rex Samardzija (Valparaiso)
+ #97 SS Brennon Holland (Andrean)