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Updated Class of 2028 Player Rankings (August)

August 26, 2026
Prep Baseball Ohio Staff

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Updated Class of 2028 Player Rankings (August)

Throughout the summer we were all over the state, scouting numerous prospects and seeing many new names came to the forefront of the recruiting scene. With that information, we are updating each of our class rankings based off what we have seen.

As summer sports come to an end and the new school season starts, we will take a look at "What's New at the Top", "The Risers", and "Coaches Need To Circle Back To", as we expand our Class of 2028 Rankings.

To view the Class Rankings, click below:

To view the Prospect Reports, click below:

To view the entire Class of 2028 rankings, please click here.

What's New At The Top

Jakob Groeschel OF / RHP / Kenton Ridge High School, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 1 / POS: 1

Report: Jakob Groeschel remains the No. 1 player in Ohio's 2028 class.. The Kenton Ridge outfielder is a legitimate five-tool talent, posting a 107 mph max exit velocity and a 75.8 mph average bat speed that blow well past his class average, paired with a 6.3 laser-timed 60 that puts him among the fastest kids in the country regardless of class. His arm plays elite for the position at 89-90 mph with carry and plus accuracy, giving him a true CF profile with above-average power potential to grow into. Groeschel earned his spot as the only Ohio player to participate in the Prep Baseball All-American Game, a stage that will do nothing but confirm what we already know - this kid is a national talent.

Will Schaefer LHP / OF / Olentangy Liberty, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 5 / POS: 1

Report: Will Schaefer is a new addition to the Ohio prep landscape, a lefty out of Olentangy Liberty who just relocated from Arkansas and made an immediate statement with a strong showing at Future Games before getting on our radar. The 2028 grad sits 87-88 and touched 89.7 in his showcase look, which is a legitimate arm for a wiry 5-11, 145-pound rising junior. His slider, sitting 76-78, is described as a plus hammer with tight spin - 2873 average rpm and touching 3087 - and the pitch flashes true two-plane depth. There's projection here that gets scouts genuinely excited; he comes from good bloodlines with a brother who pitched at Arkansas and is now headed to Ohio State, and the physical upside of adding 30-40 pounds to that frame could turn a big arm into a real draft conversation. We're excited to have him join the 2028 class and slot him in at No. 5 in the state.

Colt Ward C / 1B / Defiance, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 6 / POS: 2

Report: Colt Ward has made one of the more dramatic climbs on the Ohio 2028 board, jumping from No. 18 all the way to No. 6, a 12-spot surge that puts him firmly in the conversation as one of the elite players in his class. The bat leads this profile, with a 102.9 max exit velocity and a swing that consistently produces hard contact through the middle of the field from the left side.. the kind of hitter-first tools that get evaluators excited before you even factor in the position. And the position only adds to it, because a 6-3, 195-pound left-handed hitting catcher is about as rare a commodity as prep baseball produces, and Ward checks that box as well as anyone in the 2028 class. He backs it up athletically too, running a 7.1 laser-timed 60 and posting pop times in the 1.91-1.99 range that show the actions and athleticism you want from a long-term catching prospect. The profile is already elite, and with physical projection still ahead of him, the ceiling here is as high as anyone in Ohio's 2028 class.

Holden Wilcox SS / RHP / Dublin Coffman, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 9 / POS: 1

Report: Holden Wilcox has made a significant jump in the Ohio 2028 class rankings, climbing from No. 16 all the way to No. 9 and landing firmly inside the top 10 after a standout summer that included a strong showing at Future Games. As a left-handed hitting shortstop with length, easy range, and polished actions up the middle, he checks boxes that are genuinely hard to find in a class this young. The bat plays with quick hands and a line-drive approach that already produces loud contact from gap to gap, and there is real power projection here as the frame fills out. At 6-foot and still lean, Wilcox has considerable room to add mass without sacrificing the athleticism that makes him so fluid at shortstop, which keeps the two-way conversation very much alive given a fastball that already touches 88. The combination of a premium defensive profile, a projectable switch to either side of the ball, and a frame built for continued development makes him one of the more intriguing 2028 prospects in the state.

The Risers

Bairon Exline RHP / C / Salem High School, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 14 / POS: 6

Report: Bairon Exline is the biggest riser in the 2028 class, jumping 156 spots from 170 all the way up to 14 in the state rankings, a leap that is not close to being replicated by anyone else in the class. The engine behind that ascension is a heavier-than-advertised fastball that sits 90-92 and touches 93, a pitch that gets on hitters fast. Scouts noted the easy velo and a true changeup to complement a sharp 11-to-5 curveball, giving him a three-pitch mix that looks well ahead of where most arms are at this stage. There is legitimate two-way projection in his profile, and the bat has drawn attention, but the arm is the separator and the reason evaluators are pushing for him to sit inside the top 5 right-handed pitchers in the state. At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds out of Salem, the physical foundation is already there and the trajectory strongly suggests his ranking has more room to climb.

Will Blueter C / RHP / Walsh Jesuit, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 30 / POS: 6

Report: Will Blueter is a 2028 catcher and right-handed pitcher out of Walsh Jesuit who has made one of the more significant ranking jumps in the Ohio class, moving from 101 all the way up to 30 on the strength of what he's shown on the mound. The right-hander sits 84-88 mph with his fastball and backs it up with a slider that drew frisbee action notes from scouts, giving him a legitimate two-pitch combination for a kid his age. He moves well off the rubber, shows a quick, powerful hip hinge with a drop-and-drive delivery, and the arm action and command grades from evaluators suggest real projection remaining in a 6-foot frame that is still filling out at 159 pounds. He's a legitimate two-way prospect, but the mound is what's driving the buzz right now.

AJ Yoder LHP / 1B / Shekinah Christian School, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 37 / POS: 6

Report: AJ Yoder jumped 36 spots in the Ohio 2028 rankings, from 73 to 37, and the combination of his physical profile and his summer performances on the mound is what drove it. At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, he is one of the biggest bodies in the class and that size alone commands attention from college programs looking to project a left-handed arm at the next level. Left-handedness at that size is a rare commodity, and scouts came away with a legitimate two-pitch weapon, an 85-87 fastball that has real spin behind it paired with a slider that already profiles as a plus offering. The projection grade on his arm is well above average, and with continued development there is a lot of future here to get excited about. The package of size, stuff, and left-handedness is getting Yoder onto radars at multiple levels of college baseball, and strong summer production only accelerated that interest.

Notable Newcomers

Jacob Noretto OF / RHP / Dover High School, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 45 / POS: 6

Report: Jacob Noretto checks in at No. 45 in the Ohio 2028 class in his first appearance on the board, and the arrow is pointing up. The Dover right-hander is primarily a mound guy, sitting 85-87 and touching 89 with a fastball that carries natural arm-side run, paired with a slider that already grades out as an above-average offering with late bite and spin rates that support continued development. Scouts have noted the slider creating plenty of whiffs and weak contact even at this early stage, and his athleticism, clean arm action, and feel for the strike zone give him a legitimate projection grade. There is a two-way dimension worth tracking as well, as he owns a plus outfield arm to go with some encouraging bat-to-ball skills in the box. Regional mid-major programs have started to take notice, and continued velocity gains as he fills out a projectable frame could open the door to a wider conversation down the road.

AJ Borsch 1B / RHP / Steubenville, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 39 / POS: 2

Report: AJ Borsch enters the 2028 Ohio rankings at 39 after a summer that turned heads well beyond the regional scouting community. The Steubenville right-hander flashed a fastball with elite induced vertical break, and the loose, whippy arm action that generates it is the kind of tool that gets college programs on the phone early. He pairs that heater with a developing slider and a changeup that give him the foundation of a three-pitch mix, and the projection remaining in his frame at this stage of his development only adds to the intrigue. Both mid-majors and Power Four programs have taken notice, which speaks to how legitimate the buzz around him is. Questions about consistency and overall polish remain fair ones to ask, but the arm is real and Borsch is absolutely worth tracking through his high school career.Here

Carson Tabler OF / LHP / Archbishop Moeller, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 56 / POS: 9

Report: Carson Tabler makes his first appearance on the Prep Baseball Ohio 2028 board at 56, and the debut is well-earned for a kid who only recently began coming into his own. He is a 6-foot-3, 175-pound rising sophomore at Archbishop Moeller with a frame that has not come close to filling out, and his numbers have moved in the right direction across every tracked look, with his laser-timed 60 dropping from 7.27 to 6.97 while his max exit velocity climbed from 91 to 97 mph, both figures sitting above the class average. The loudest tool right now is the arm, with an 89 mph outfield velo that clears the top decile of the entire 2028 class in the database. Throw in a projectable left-handed bat that showed up against quality arms and a grandfather in Pat Tabler who spent over a decade as one of the toughest outs in the American League, and you have a profile with a ceiling that will keep evaluators coming back. He is just getting started.

College Coaches Need to Circle Back to

Sam Griffiths 3B / RHP / Avon, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 33 / POS: 3

Report: Sam Griffiths is a 6-foot-7, 225-pound 2028 with a projection arrow that points straight up, and that frame with this much coordination at this age is genuinely rare. The bat is already playing above class level, with a 98 mph max exit velocity, 70.8-74.6 mph bat speed, and a few oppo doubles in front of our evaluators that showed he can use the whole field with leverage. On the mound he is already working four pitches, 85-88 fastball with a cutter, changeup, and curve, with two more years of physical projection still ahead of him. His 82 mph infield velo with plus carry across the diamond shows the arm translates in both directions, giving him a legitimate two-way path. Big Ten programs are already circling and MAC schools have made calls, so getting in front of him now before the recruiting market fully catches up to the physicality is the move.

Braylon Benson 1B / OF / Padua Franciscan, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 38 / POS: 1

Report: Benson is a 6-2, 209-pound right-handed hitter with a 104 mph max exit velocity that sits well above the class average for 2028 prospects we have measured. Two independent scouts both noted legitimate bat-to-ball skills and the ability to drive it with authority to all fields, not just pull-side pop. He is currently ranked No. 38 in Ohio's 2028 class and the recruitment is wide open, meaning now is the time to build a relationship before others catch on. The 2028 grad year combined with his current size gives him significant physical projection remaining, meaning the 104 EV number is likely a floor rather than a ceiling. Getting in front of him now, before the recruiting market catches up to the profile, is the obvious play.

Carson Fister LHP / 1B / Northmont High School, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 50 / POS: 8

Report: A 2028 lefty sitting 84-88 with a sweeper and a track record of missing bats at a high level is not the kind of arm that stays on the board forever, and Fister is exactly that guy. He's a lengthy lefty sitting 84-88 and touching 88-89 in the second half of the summer, and that velo is only going to climb as he fills out a 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame. The natural arm-side run on his fastball paired with a sweeper-shaped breaking ball gives him two pitches that already create real problems for right-handed hitters, and his ability to work ahead and pound the outside corner shows the competitive makeup to go with the stuff. His summer line, 73 strikeouts across 40 innings with a sub-2.30 ERA, is not a number you see from a guy who isn't special, regardless of the walk totals. The command concern that existed earlier in the summer is a legitimate conversation, but for a rising junior lefty with this much projection and present production, that is exactly the kind of fixable problem coaches should want to get their hands on.

Showcase Standouts

Miles Wolf C / 3B / University School, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 77 / POS: 16

Report: Wolf is an intriguing prospect in the 2028 class, and the tools behind the dish are what jump off the page first. The Top Prospect Games standout showed that his arm plays well behind the plate, and his pop times put him in a legitimate tier of catching prospects at this stage of development for a player his age. At the plate he generates easy, above-average exit velocity with a swing that produces a ton of line drives, showing the kind of barrel control you want to see before a frame fills out. Add in the fact that he can take the mound and sit 83-85 with a multi-pitch mix, and you have a prospect with real value on both sides of the ball. University School's Wolf moved up two spots to No. 77 in the class and has a chance to keep climbing as his 6-foot frame continues to develop.

Cody Zahler SS / 2B / Louisville, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 123 / POS: 22

Report: Cody Zahler was the standout performer in his session at the 2026 Ohio Top Prospect Games at Prasco Park, putting together a complete showing on both sides of the ball that separated him from his 2028 classmates. At the plate he touched 101 mph exit velocity with a 94.2 mph average, sitting well above the class average. Defensively, his 87 mph infield velo is already well above the 75th percentile for the class and serves as the loudest tool on the card, reinforcing what scouts have seen from him up the middle across multiple looks. His 7.04 laser-timed sixty further confirms he is a legitimate athlete, not just a bat, and his grip strength and jump numbers out of the athletic testing paint the picture of a kid with a physical foundation that will continue to develop. Zahler is trending up in a real way, having climbed more than 40 spots in the Ohio 2028 rankings since his first entry, and the combination of premium arm strength, consistent hard contact, and projectable frame makes him one of the more exciting names to watch at the prep level in this class.

Andrew Montgomery OF / RHP / Bexley High School, OH / 2028

Rankings  StateRank: 135 / POS: 24

Report: Montgomery has moved from 188 to 135 in the Ohio 2028 class rankings, a 53-spot jump that reflects real measurable improvement. Holding his own against a field of rising juniors and seniors as a rising junior himself at Top Prospect Games, he stood out on the position player side with a 99 mph exit velocity and 50 percent sweet spot rate that point to genuine raw power still developing in a 6-foot-5 frame. His 88 mph outfield arm is premium for the position and pairs with a 6.56 laser-timed 60 that gives him the athleticism to profile as a legitimate everyday outfielder at the next level. The two-way element adds a layer of intrigue, as he was already sitting 83-84 on the mound against older competition, but the bat and arm combination in the outfield is the lead story. For a college evaluator hunting an under-the-radar prospect, an uncommitted 2028 with this size, exit velocity, and arm strength who is still climbing the Ohio rankings is a name worth getting on early.

***** To view the entire rankings, please click here.