Rankings Insider: Best of the 2029 Class by Position
July 3, 2026
North Carolina Class of 2029: Top Players by Position
With the release of the updated North Carolina Class of 2029 Rankings, Prep Baseball North Carolina expands its coverage of this young class by taking a closer look at the top players at each position. While the rankings have now grown to include the Top 75 players in the state, it remains very early in the evaluation process, with plenty of growth and development still ahead for this group.
Throughout the spring, Prep Baseball North Carolina scouts were on the road evaluating players in a variety of settings—from live game action to practices, workouts, and Prep Baseball events. Those additional looks allowed our staff to refine player grades, gather more confidence in player evaluations, and begin identifying the positional depth that is emerging across the state.
The Class of 2029 remains one of the most fluid groups we evaluate. As players continue to mature physically and gain valuable game experience, expect movement throughout the rankings over the coming months. A busy summer schedule featuring showcase events, national tournaments, and Prep Baseball events will provide another significant evaluation period and help shape future updates.
Below, we highlight the Top 5 players at each primary position group—Catcher, Right-Handed Pitcher, Left-Handed Pitcher, First Base, Middle Infield, Third Base, and Outfield—based on the latest Class of 2029 rankings. These players have distinguished themselves through their current tools, in-game performance, and long-term projection, but with so much baseball still ahead, the race for positioning within this class is just beginning.
Players are listed according to their primary position. While our scouting staff may evaluate prospects across multiple positions to determine their overall grade, this section reflects the player's self-selected primary position.
Top 5 Catchers
- #3 Cole Christian — South Mecklenburg — 2029
- #15 Will Brincefield — Needham Broughton — 2029
- #23 Chase Kafes — Heritage — 2029
- #33 Landon Blackard — Eastern Alamance — 2029
- #46 Grayson Durrant — Pro5 Academy — 2029
Top 5 Right-Handed Pitchers
- #14 Briggs Ulrich — Hoggard — 2029
- #18 Robert Bigan Jr. — Pro5 Academy — 2029
- #26 Aiden Kirkland — High Point Christian Academy — 2029
- #28 Landen McElhinny — Corvian — 2029
- #29 Trevor Dobson — Manteo — 2029
Top 5 Left-Handed Pitchers
- #13 CJ Nixon — Grace Christian — 2029
- #19 Noah Rumley — Revolution Academy — 2029
- #25 Owen Todd — Pinecrest — 2029
- #43 TJ Coleman — Wilson Preparatory Academy — 2029
- #48 John Hlavacek — Wake Forest — 2029
Top 5 First Basemen
- #11 Whitton Butler — High Point Christian Academy — 2029
- #34 Luke Culpepper — Charlotte Catholic — 2029
- #41 Connor Stein — Emsley A. Laney — 2029
- #42 Ty Pugh — Grimsley — 2029
- #50 Trevor Snyder — Metrolina Christian Academy — 2029
Top 5 Middle Infielders (SS/2B)
- #2 Owen Duncan — Covenant Day — SS — 2029
- #7 JonLuke Harper — Northern — SS — 2029
- #8 Cooper Long — Our Home — SS — 2029
- #10 Colton Pettinato — Metrolina Academy — 2B — 2029
- #12 Ryder Sheffield — North Stanly — SS — 2029
Top 5 Third Basemen
- #4 Chase Woodley — Charlotte Christian — 2029
- #6 Braxton Faulkner — Reagan — 2029
- #9 Sam Piscorik — Wakefield — 2029
- #17 Logan Grainger — Emsley A. Laney — 2029
- #39 Austin Tack — Apex — 2029
Top 5 Outfielders
- #1 Andrew Brown — Gates County Senior — 2029
- #5 Calvin Madenspacher — Clayton — 2029
- #22 Michael Marelli — Providence High School — 2029
- #36 Jeremy Moreno-Robledo — Millbrook — 2029
- #37 Kingston Rupert — Wilmington Christian Academy — 2029