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Oregon Rankings Update - Class of 2028's

March 11, 2026
Dylan Grenz
Assistant Scouting Director

As we enter the start of the high school season, Prep Baseball Oregon continues our latest series of player rankings updates. Over the next several days, we'll unveil our rankings for each of the high school classes, featuring some of the top high school talent Washington has to offer. Today, we'll continue with the sophomore class, the 2028's.

This year's sophomore class is made up of a talented top with increasing depth throughout. Several players throughout the rankings figure to be major contributors to their respective varsity high school programs. Click here to view the full rankings list.

Below is a breakdown of the sophomore class, including notes on prospects at the top seen this winter, notable newcomers and other standout performers. Stay tuned this week for the rankings update for the 2029 class.

Click Here to View the Full Rankings List

Winter Looks at the Top Ten

Several players ranked in the top ten for the 2028 class were seen at preseason showcases this winter. Perhaps no player impressed more than Central Catholic outfielder Sam Smith, who retains his top spot in the latest rankings update. The speedy prospect led PNW Preseason All-State, the preseason's top invite-only event, with a blistering 6.47 60 yard dash on top of showing offensive advancements to his game. The defensive actions continued to show positively as well with quick, crisp movements to cover groudn and arm strength into the upper 80's. At the plate, the wiry-strong lefty generated plus bat and hand speed for his size, with some bat lag through the zone to drive balls in the air consistently. Smith peaked with a 97.7 MPH exit velocity, with an all-fields approach yielding balls hit up to 347 feet. Smith will be a sparkplug atop Central Catholic's lineup, as well as on the mound, where he works in a mid-80's fastball and pitched to a 1.5 ERA in his freshman season. 

Willamette RHP/OF Zeke Thomas retains his second spot in the rankings after making his Prep Baseball showcase debut at PSAS this winter. The multi-sport athlete may well be a D1 football commit in the near future, but Thomas carries a wealth of talent on the mound. A 6'1 190 pound arm, Thomas worked through an upright wind with a more narrow base into an OTT delivery. The FB sat 85-87, topping out at 87.9 MPH with heavier action at times. The CH and SL were both thrown in the upper 70's with quality contrast in movement patterns, all playing at the bottom of the zone. A 7.11 runner, Thomas also posted low 90's exit velocities at the dish. The high-level transfer has potential to make a huge impact this spring. 

Other standouts inside the top ten seen this winter include Summit's Evan Guadalupe and Jesuit's Ethan Peng. Guadalupe was seen at multiple showcases in 2025, but came solely as a position player while managing a small arm injury. The two-way upside broke out in a big way this winter, as Guadalupe delivered a stellar bullpen performance in Centralia. The righthander moved through an up-tempo delivery with a long, sweeping arm action into a high-slot release, with a fastball sitting 87-89 MPH that should play up in the zone. The arm looked to be back to full strength, further exemplified by an event-leading 91 MPH infield velocity. Guadalupe also posted a new personal-best 60 time of 7.03 seconds and had exit velocities into the low 90's at the dish.

Meanwhile, Peng opened some eyes thanks to a superb showing at last July's Portland Summer ID event, and he looks to have taken a leap in his skillset heading into the high school season. The righthander works with fluidity and poise through an easy-looking lift and fire, with arm speed from the stretch position. Peng's fastball sat 85-87 MPH with spin rates north of 2400 RPM on average. He also showed feel for a low-70's curveball as his best secondary pitch, with an upper-70's changeup thrown as well. A high-upside 6'1 arm, Peng was no slouch as a position player, posting exit velocities up to 96 MPH with balls hit up to 351 feet, with a 7.1 run time and 88 MPH throws from the outfield as well. Both players are breakout two-way candidates.

Notable Newcomers

The sophomore class produced many standout performers seen at Preseason ID events this winter. After earning All-League honorable mention in his freshman spring, Sam Barlow's Chaz Johnson was exceptional at his first Prep Baseball showcase in Eugene and earns a spot in the latest rankings list. The 5'11 righthander worked through a steady-paced wind, generating plus scap retraction into a 3/4 slot release. The FB worked up to 85 MPH, never dropping below 84 MPH. Johnson maintains consistent armspeed on a 76-77 MPH changeup and a 71-73 MPH slider, the slider with heavy horizontal action and over 2660 RPM on average. The righty also blasted balls up to 96.6 MPH at the dish and has versatility defensively. 

On the pitching side, Westview's Mathias O'Brien displayed upside at the Corvallis Preseason ID. O'Brien's 6'3, 219 pound moved well on the mound and carries a durable frame that could project as a starting pitcher. The fastball sat 80-82 T82.6 MPH, generating up to 17 inches of IVB. The changeup held fading action with over 17 inches of horizontal break on average, while an upper 60's slider was thrown as well. O'Brien's long-limbed frame generated plus extension with over 6 feet generated on all pitches thrown.

Seen at PNW Preseason All-State, Lincoln's Hunter Arana carries two-way potential heading into his sophomore spring. A 6'5, 190 pound prospect, Arana's fastball was up to 81 MPH with more velocity likely as he continues to develop. The righty featured a four pitch mix with lower spin offspeed deliveries in this look. A 1B only type defensively, Arana showed some pop when on time at the plate, posting a 94.5 MPH peak exit velocity with balls hit up to 331 feet. Arana figures to be a contributor to a Lincoln side that made our Preseason Power 25 Team Rankings, earning him a spot in the 2028 player rankings.

Other Preseason Standouts

Sheldon's Chase Colling headlines the group of other sophomores who impressed in a showcase setting this winter. The Sheldon product flashed on both sides of the baseball at the Corvallis Preseason ID, carrying upside moving forward. The athleticism and ability to move well behind the plate stood out, further solidified by a 6.94 second 60-yard dash time. Colling also showcased a strong arm behind the dish with throws up to 78 MPH and a best pop time of 1.98 seconds. At the plate, Colling kept his weight stacked on his backside with a longer, loose-wristed swing through the zone. The sophomore displayed a flatter barrel path with a line drive approach and balls hit up to 94 MPH. 

Ridgeview High School infielder Kingston Lopez showed quality progression in his game in Eugene. The 6'0 frame looks to slowly be building strength and still has plenty of room to add. At the plate, Lopez sets with a bend in his knees externally rotated slightly, with a quieter forward move and some loft created to the pull side at impact. Lopez peaked with a 94.4 MPH exit velocity, driving balls up to 343 feet. A 7.4 runner in the 60, the sophomore worked through more controlled actions defensively and could realistically stick at any INF spot as he matures, working throws up to 81 MPH. Lopez also ran a fastball up to 82 MPH on the mound with a four-pitch mix.

Another two-way talent seen this February, Sprague's Samuel Hoda set several new personal bests metrically. The 6'0, 180 pound player sat 82-83 MPH from a loose, projectable arm action and clean operation on the mound. The slider showed tighter shape in the low 70's, with a low 70's changeup mixed in as well. Hoda carried a quick bat through the zone, with 78 MPH bat speed resulting in exit velocities north of 95 MPH at his best. Hoda also posted throws up to 85 MPH from the infield. The righthander should continue to trend upward and will be a name to watch heading into the spring and summer.

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