Inside the Rankings: New to the 2026 Rankings
September 3, 2025
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North Carolina Class of 2026: Rankings Update
With the conclusion of the summer season and the start of the school year, Prep Baseball North Carolina begins its fall rankings updates across all classes. First up is the Class of 2026, where the rankings expand to include the Top 375 players in the state. The end-of-summer update is traditionally the largest of the year, and for the Class of 2026, this represents the most significant shift in their high school careers to date.
A Summer of Growth
Following the high school season, players across the state showcased their skills throughout a busy summer schedule. Many competed deep into national events such as the Prep Baseball NPI and the Prep Baseball National Championships, while others stood out in American Legion competition, highlighted by Asheville’s run to the World Series in Shelby, NC.
Beyond team success, players also had opportunities to update their Prep Baseball profiles with fresh statistics, analytics, and video. Standouts from events such as the NC/SC Border Battle, Summer IDs, and organizational scout days earned invitations to represent Team Carolina at national stages, including the Future Games, Super Sophomore Games, and Top Prospect Games.
The 2025 Future Games once again drew more than 400 college coaches, with Team Carolina fielding impressive rosters across multiple Future Game events. The Super Sophomore Games at UNC also provided a strong platform for rising talent, particularly among the 2028 class. These high-level events have continued to fuel player exposure, driving significant traffic to player profiles, stat pages, and video on the Prep Baseball platform.
New to the Rankings
The Class of 2026 continues to show steady growth across North Carolina, with several players making significant jumps in the latest update. Some prospects have surged forward thanks to clear physical development and improved on-field performance, while others have maintained a consistent upward trajectory that has steadily elevated their player grade.
Each rankings cycle brings new insights—whether it’s identifying players who have refined their tools, or recognizing prospects who may have been undervalued in initial evaluations. As the scouting staff gains more looks and players move closer to their long-term ceilings, grades are adjusted accordingly, resulting in movement throughout the rankings.
Below, we highlight 10 players who made strides in their developement, earning their way into the Class of 2026 Rankings update. For subscribers, we provide a deeper breakdown on each prospect, including video and analysis from this summer’s performances.
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Isaiah James LHP / OF / South Central, NC / 2026Big winner from the summer. Electric mover whose fastball flashed at 94, sitting 88-92 from the left side. Loose hips and projectable build vaulted James onto draft follow boards after his outings at the State Games of NC and the Prep Baseball 17U National Championships Committed to Duke |
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Justin Iannetto 2B / SS / Sun Valley, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 44 / POS: 1
Iannetto was a known commodity in the Charlotte area, attending Legion Collegiate, just across the SC border the last couple of years. With his move back to NC, attending Sun Valley HS, Iannetto moves into the NC Rankings. |
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Grady Sotriffer SS / 2B / South Brunswick, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 45 / POS: 5
A player our scouting staff had notes on, they were finally able to see him enough to get a full player grade added to his prospect. He filled the stat sheet at the Team Carolina Summer ID: Wilmington and followed that up with a strong week at the State Games of NC. Sotriffer committed to Catawba shortly after the summer season. |
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Matthew Ulicny C / RHP / Ravenscroft, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 62 / POS: 7
A high level athlete with the potential to be a dual prospect at the next level, Ulicny was a standout performer at a loaded Team Caroilna Summer ID: East. With that performance he earned an invite to the Sr. Future Games where he caught and pitched in front of his future school. |
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John Wallace RHP / 3B / Athens Drive, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 138 / POS: 46
Wallace earned an invite to the Top Prospect Games through a solid performance at the Prep Baseball Scout Day with the Rawlings Prospects. At the Top Prospect Games, Wallace showed current stuff with solid projection of what could be coming in the near future as he continues to develop. |
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Jaden Gore 2B / West Brunswick, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 139 / POS: 4
Gore impressed in a very short look over spring break. What our scouting staff noted, turned out to be very accurate as we got an in depth look at the Team Carolina Summer ID: Wilmington. Good defender with quickness present and projection left in the frame. |
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Keegan Spach RHP / 3B / Liberty Prep Christian, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 147 / POS: 50
Strong armed right handed pitcher earned an invite to the Top Prospect Games with his performance at a Team Carolina ID. He carried over the strong bullpen as he faced hitters. He also showed strength and barrel feel with the bat. |
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Brayden Mottola RHP / 3B / Riverside High, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 148 / POS: 51
The Prep Baseball Scout Day with 5 Star Carolina provided a quick look... and Mottola took advantage. The righty is an athletic mover that was up to 89. Still projection left as he continues to develop. |
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Cameron Copley SS / RHP / Voyager Academy, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 170 / POS: 24
Copley impressed early in the summer at the Team Carolina Summer ID: Wilmington and continued to get better throughout the summer. The frame is long and lanky. The arm is clean. A lot to like as Copley is just beginning to scratch at his overall ceiling. |
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Kenan Helton OF / LHP / Stuart W. Cramer, NC / 2026Rankings StateRank: 178 / POS: 30
Left handed hitting outfielder took advantage of his workout at the Prep Baseball Scout Day with the MegaStars. Checked a lot of boxes with his metrics and should be an interesting follow into the fall. |
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