Winter Review: Top Performers from Preseason All-State – Upperclass | Position Players
April 14, 2025
The 2025 New Jersey Preseason All-State: Upperclass event was littered with top-end talent from around the state. The Prep Baseball New Jersey staff had a prime opportunity to see these prospects just ahead of another highly anticipated high school campaign.
CLICK HERE to view all of the metrics collected at this invite-only event; below, we're highlighting some of the top overall performers from the showcase.
Top Position Player Performances
Catchers
+ C Alex Bellovich (Ramapo, 2026): Bellovich has always had some of the best catch and throw skills in the state (regardless of grad year), showing off a 1.83-1.90 pop time. It’s a firehose from behind the plate at 82 mph (which leads me to believe he can step on the mound for some innings this year for the Green Raiders). The bat has come along nicely. One of the top all around BP’s from the event. Loud contact throughout, maxing out at 97 mph EV and a max distance of 368 feet.
+ C Maddox Chu (Rutgers Prep, 2026): Another guy who has incrementally improved throughout his high school career. Chu’s strength and compact, quick, and repeatable swing at the plate is worth noting. Had a 100 mph max EV while averaging 90 mph along with a max distance of 399’. He gets in and stays in his legs really well. The backstop had a 1.99-2.09 pop time while throwing 78 mph from the chute.
+ C/1B Ryan McCabe (St. Joseph’s Montvale, 2026): One of the St. Joe’s bash brothers, smashing balls at 101 mph with an average of 92 mph, McCabe is a monster and really fills out the batter’s box. A Future Games alum from 2024, McCabe has a quiet aggressiveness to his game that can sneak up on you. Hit .411 as a sophomore for the reigning Bergen County champs.
+ C Frank Soos (Wall, 2026): There’s a quiet confidence to Soos’ game that is really admirable. Strong, broad shouldered and sure handed behind the plate. Flashed a 2.2 pop time. Your prototypical tough, middle of the order catcher with some juice. Showed well in his round of BP with a 96 mph peak EV but was averaging an impressive 91 mph.
+ C Liam Velit (Northern Burlington, 2026): Velit was probably one of the top overall performers from the PAS Upperclass event. Strong showing behind the plate with one of the top C Velos at 81 mph and pop times at 1.86-2.00 from the event - paired with a strong showing during batting practice, was up to 98 mph EV and max distance of 370’. He’s gotten more athletic since our last look at him and he’ll be a guy to keep an eye on in the early part of the summer.
Infielders
+ MIF Ty Barber (Rampo, 2026): Continues to improve his all around game. Added strength in the offseason and is really starting to put it all together. Easy, athletic LH stroke at the plate, flashing a 88.5 peak EV. Advanced glovework at SS - strong arm, topping 89 mph across the diamond. Look for this to be a monster year for Barber.
+ 3B Daniel Comtois (Seton Hall Prep, 2026): another consistent performer, love the way Comtois moves the bat through the zone with a quick bat at an average bat speed of 73 mph. Produces loud line drives at 100 mph with an average of 90 mph.
+ SS JJ McLaughlin (Bishop Eustace, 2026): McLaughlin was really fun to watch at this event. Super athletic with some bounce to his game in the infield, threw 84 mph across the diamond. Consistent, hard contact throughout his round of BP at 95 mph for the exit velocity.
+ MIF Aiden Ogando (DePaul Catholic, 2026): I think Ogando is still one of, if not the most projectable prospect in the class. Still baby-faced but long and lanky build at 6-foot, 165-pounds. Ogando has a smoothness to his game at the plate with a 92 mph max EV and throwing 88 mph across the infield, the fielding is tough to replicate. A Future Gamer in 2024 and a standout from that event, too. Also advanced on the mound.
+ 1B Brady Shust (St. Joseph’s Montval, 2026): Part 2 of the bash brothers from St. Joe’s. At the plate, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Shust was striping baseballs at a max of 105 mph with a max distance of 422’. Uses his advanced strength to propel baseballs into the gaps. It was a sight to watch at this particular event.
+ SS Patrick Vannote (Montclair, 2026): Vannote is yet another example of a guy who just gets incrementally better and better. Good size at the plate at 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, will probably be more of a corner guy at the next level, but the bat to ball skills are there. Was up to 92 mph EV in his round of BP and was 80 mph across the infield.
+ SS Kyle Wenckus (Pascack Hills, 2026): Wenckus is arguably the top uncommitted 2026 on the table. Got a late start last spring/summer after Tommy John recovery, but bounced back in a big way at the Summer Open ID at FDU last July. Last spring he was one of the state’s top statistical hitters at .567 (!!) batting average. Broad shouldered and athletic, Wenckus is a guy to watch and was one of the top overall performers from the event. Was 88 mph across the infield and was up to 101 mph EV with an 82 mph bat speed average.
+ SS Jack Walsh (Westwood, 2026): Walsh is an under the radar type right now but from his performance at this event, he’s not a guy to be reckoned with. Strong showing in BP up to a 98 mph EVwith an average of 90 mph as well as an average bat speed of 75 mph and athletic movements in the field, was 87 mph across the infield. Walsh can also hop on the mound and rev it up into the mid 80s (although did not pitch at this event).
+ 3B DJ Ylagan (Rumson-Fair Haven, 2026): one of the top overall performers from the event and a top uncommitted player in the state. Ylagan continues to put forth some really strong showings. He really stood out at last year’s Top Prospect Games where he was on the barrel during BP and in gameplay all day. He’s added some strength and some lateral quickness at the hot corner, too. At this year’s Preseason All-State, Ylagan was up to a 101 mph EV with an average of 92 mph and a max distance of 385’, while throwing 85 mph across the infield.
Outfielders
+ OF Andrew Benitez (Lawrenceville, 2026): Intriguing prospect with a notable frame at 6-foot-1, 189-pounds, with an avg. bat speed of 74 mph, and ability to hit for power with a peak EV of 96 mph, and peak distance of 370’. Benitez is an elite mover at the plate and controls the body well. Athletic defender with sound actions
+ OF Tommy Conroy (Point Pleasant Beach, 2026; Mount St. Mary’s commit): Conroy showed well at both the Northeast ProCase and Preseason All-State. Lanky, projectable frame with a strong arm from the outfield at 88 mph and 6.78 runner. At the plate, the left hander pushes off the back leg to produce a flat swing with a line drive approach. Conroy was up to 92 mph EV with some bat speed.
+ OF Jake Dolan (Ridge, 2026): Dolan has been one of the most consistent underclassmen since we first got to see him a couple years ago at an underclass PAS. Compact, athletic build at 6-foot, 175-pounds with the footspeed running a 6.81 60-yard dash and raw power showing a 98 mph max EV and 381’ max distance, and ability to hit for extra bases consistently with an average bat speed of 75 mph.
+ OF Caden Lozito (West Essex, 2026): Really love this kid’s game, lanky, projectable frame with room to fill out, standing at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds but the actions are easy, a foundation is there. Loose, whippy arm throwing 92 mph from the outfield. At the plate, a simple, smooth swing that generates power to the gaps and produces plenty of line drives at a max EV of 97 mph while averaging 90 mph. A prospect for schools to follow this spring.
+ OF Lucas Melton (Toms River East, 2026): Melton is recovering from an arm injury so was limited on the bump at this event after being a top LHP to watch as a sophomore. But Melton really impressed with the bat at this particular event - launching several loud, backspinning line drives over 100 EV, topping at an event leading 106.6 mph with an average of 93 mph.
+ OF Ryan Miceli (Pompton Lakes, 2026): Miceli was a relatively unknown prospect coming into this event but really impressed in his round of BP. Strong, broad shouldered frame at 6-foot-1, 190-pounds and consistent loud contact during BP with a max EV of 99 mph and an average of 89 mph along with a max distance of 392’.
+ OF Collin Perna (South Brunswick, 2026): Perna is still recovering from Tommy John surgery but that did not hamper him at the plate for this event. Another guy that was blistering baseballs to the back of the facility at 105 mph (90 mph avg.) off the bat carrying 388’ and one of the biggest head turners at the event when it came to batting practice.
+ OF Petros Rouggeris (Paramus Catholic, 2026): One of the top statistical performers from the event and oozes athleticism. The outfielder ran a 6.78 60-yard dash and threw 91 mph the OF. At the plate, Rouggeris flashed a 97 mph EV and a 75 mph average bat speed. Still has room to fill out his frame but produced on the big stage for the varsity squad as a sophomore at Bergen Catholic. Transferred to Paramus Catholic for this year.
+ OF Joseph Spinello (East Brunswick, 2026): Spinello was a guy that really stood out at last summer’s PPH Scout Day - really intriguing prospect with some athleticism and knack for finding the barrel. At this year's Upperclass All-State, Spinello impressed all around, running a 6.85 and pulling down 91 mph from the outfield. Offensively, the right-hander was powering balls up to 102 mph with an average of 90 mph and a max distance of 382’.
+ OF Matthew Tafuri (Delbarton, 2026): Tafuri oozes athleticism running a 6.78 60-yard dash and can flat out mash. A Future Gamer in 2024 - and after that was a big part of Delbarton’s football team, has added strength and size since we got to see him last right before training camp. The measurables are hard to beat standing at 5-foot-11, 185-pounds and he should be a mainstay at the top of the order for Delbarton this spring again.
+ OF Billy Wingren (Morris Knolls, 2026): Wingren has been a consistent performer at past events. He’s got a violent swing that produces loud contact. Was up to 95 mph EV and had an average bat speed of 78 mph. The 5-foot-9, 182-pound outfielder was 84 mph from his respective position.