New Jersey Class of 2027 Rankings: Updated
September 9, 2025
The summer circuit has come to a close and with school starting up and fall sports kicking into gear, it's time to reorganize our class of 2027 New Jersey state rankings. After the Future Games showcased some of the top uncommitted underclass talent last month, New Jersey players have slowly come off the board with commitments to programs who have cherry-picked some prospects from the Garden State in recent years, including Rutgers, Penn State and Wake Forest. However, this year and this particular class has seen some new programs play ball. Recently, perennial College World Series programs in Arkanasas and Tennessee have dipped into the recruiting landscape in NJ.
Read below for some info on some of the top players in the junior class.
CLICK HERE for the full list of the Class of 2027 NJ state rankings.
The Top 10
| Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Commitment |
| 1 | Cooper Burti | NJ | Cherokee | 2027 | LHP | Tennessee |
| 2 | Finnian O'Loughlin | NJ | Delbarton | 2027 | OF | |
| 3 | Michael Fekete | NJ | Cherry Hill East | 2027 | RHP | |
| 4 | Ricky Lopez | NJ | Ranney | 2027 | SS | Louisiana State |
| 5 | Brayden Longo | NJ | Mount Olive | 2027 | OF | Rutgers |
| 6 | Kyle McBride | NJ | Delbarton | 2027 | RHP | Wake Forest |
| 7 | Alex Odud | NJ | Cherokee | 2027 | C | Arkansas |
| 8 | Curt Friedrich | NJ | Delbarton | 2027 | OF | Penn State |
| 9 | Joey DiMeo | NJ | Toms River East | 2027 | SS | |
| 10 | Steven Pannullo | NJ | Delbarton | 2027 | RHP |
New No. 1
Recent Tennessee commit, LHP Cooper Burti (Cherokee HS, NJ) tore it up at the Future Games last month showcasing a full arsenal of top-end starter potential stuff. Lean and athletic at 6-feet 175-pounds, Burti ran his heater up to 89 mph and flashed elite slider spin metrics at 2600+ at 71-75mph and a true armside fading changeup at 82mph. At the Future Games, it seemed like all coaches stopped their conversations and were locked into his two innings of work. Burti's delivery is smooth, repeatable and low effort. Expect him to be a top guy next spring after he leads Cherokee as QB1 this fall.
OF Finnian O'Loughlin (Delbarton) impressed at the Future Games with a mature approach at the plate - finding several barrels throughout the event against some of the top competition. O'Loughlin remains a mainstay at the top of the rankings in NJ.
Recent Virginia Tech commit, RHP Michael Fekete (Cherry Hill East) was outstanding in his outing at the Future Games, too. Fekete has a strong, broad shouldered frame at 6-foot-2 190-pounds and ran his fastball up to 90 mph.
No. 5 Rutgers commit OF Brayden Longo (Mount Olive) seemed to play like his hair was on fire on the big stage. Physical, broad shouldered and athletic build, Longo was arguably the top position player for NJ at the Future Games, 6.65 runner, 99 EV in showcase, 100+ in game.
No. 6 RHP Kyle McBride (Delbarton), a Wake Forest commit, was exceptional at the Future Games as well. Lanky, athletic 6-foot-1 174-pounds, McBride showcased a whippy arm in the upper 80s and a solid mix of a hard changeup at 84 and slider at 75-78. Certainly more in the tank for McBride as he continutes to fill out his frame.
In the same vein as Longo, Penn State commit OF/LHP Curt Friedrich (Delbarton) was exceptional on the big stage at the Future Games - routinely on the barrel and delivering competitive at bats throughout the event. Friedrich is a gamer and can also hop on the mound and run his heater up to 88-89, too.
Newcomers and High Risers
No. 13 OF Jackson Staples (The Hun School) has a pro-prospect looking frame at 6-foot-3 204-pounds and really fills out the jersey and batters box from the left side. Ultra toolsy, expect a monster spring from Staples as he contines to add strength.
No. 14 RHP Jack Nicholls (Haddon Heights) is a newcomer to the rankings after exploding on the scene at the South Jersey Young Guns scout day in June. He continued that momentum at the Future Games where he showcased a loose, wiry and athletic arm that ran up to the high 80s and a small, late breaking slider/cutter combo that delivered several swings and misses in gameplay.
No. 17 OF Casper Billington (Rumson Fair Haven) was another Future Games that dominated both statisically and metrically at the event. Physical 6-foot-4 205-pounds, Billington had extra base hits in all three games and narrowly missed a homer, too.
No. 19 RHP Jamari Whitley (Schalick) is another newcomer to the rankings after dominating in an outing at one of PBT's tournaments in the early part of the summer. At the Future Games, Whitley showcased a fast arm, running his fastball up to 90 mph and showcasing good feel for spin at 69-73 and 2600+ spin on the slider. Certainly a guy to follow the next couple of years.