2027 Overall Rankings Update

May 27, 2026
By Shooter Hunt
Vice President, Scouting

The high school spring season has served as a definitive proving ground for the 2027 class, seamlessly bridging the raw data gathered during our winter circuit with live, in-game evaluations. Emerging from the controlled environments of winter ID events, where mechanical adjustments and added physicality first materialized on the TrackMan and Blast Motion leaderboards, these athletes were thrust into the competitive fires of varsity baseball. This transition from the indoor facility to the prep diamond has accelerated the evaluation curve, providing a comprehensive lens into how offseason gains in bat speed and fastball carry translate into highly leveraged spring innings. No longer resting on the laurels of winter projection alone, the 2027s have solidified their standing as the next wave of premier talent firmly entrenched on the industry’s radar.

With the spring campaign coming to a close, the 2027 class now embarks on a pivotal summer circuit that will serve as the ultimate test before their final year of high school. This elongated runway of evaluation is critical, representing a period where physical maturation, skill refinement, and head-to-head performance against top-tier national talent are weighed heavily with each and every look. Prep Baseball’s boots-on-the-ground scouting department has meticulously tracked these trajectories, synthesizing the underlying metrics from the winter with the functional baseball actions demonstrated throughout the spring to provide the most credible, up-to-date amateur information available.

As a result, this updated release reflects a landscape of significant opportunity and upward movement.

VIEW THE TOP-500 HERE

Top-100 Risers

#9 SS Malachi Butler (McEachern HS, GA)
#12 SS/CF Ely Mason (Huntington Beach HS, CA)
#13 OF JJ Utash (EVIT-Williams Field HS, AZ)
#26 RHP Cole Cheatham (Union County HS, IN)
#33 OF Jake Cueto (Belen Jesuit Prep, FL)
#35 OF John Hucko (Charlotte Catholic HS, NC)
#38 3B Brady Cunningham (Brother Rice HS, IL)
#46 LHP Kade Luker (Cedar Creek HS, LA)
#49 RHP Tyler Scarborough (Lovejoy HS, TX)
#50 OF Jordin Griffin (Barbe HS, LA)
#51 C Tristan Steger (St. Laurence HS, IL)
#54 SS Tyler Fryman (Beechwood HS, KY)
#59 C William Weber (Knights Academy, TN)
#61 RHP Liam Radke (Faith Lutheran HS, NV)
#62 RHP Colin Doyle (Downers Grove North HS, IL)
#63 OF Charlie Sarsfield (Linn-Mar HS, IA)
#72 RHP Soren Etheridge (Phoenix Country Day, AZ)
#76 OF Carson Richter (Newbury Park HS, CA)
#77 1B Frankie Thomas (IMG Academy, FL)
#79 LHP Gabriel Norman (Merritt Island HS, FL)
#87 RHP Traxton Roberts (Armstrong HS, IL)
#89 RHP Luke Samples (CE Jordan HS, NC)
#90 C Cole Bowman (Wesleyan Christian Academy, NC)
#93 3B Brady Yates (Glendale HS, MO)
#97 3B Tavis Honeycutt (Newberry HS, FL)

Marquee Newcomers

#43 SS Alex Smith (North Broward Prep, FL)
#84 RHP Matthew Hernandez (Ft. Worth Paschal HS, TX)
#92 RHP Johnny Bowes (Mission Bay HS, CA)
#99 RHP Trent Lutz (Souderton Area HS, PA)
#117 OF Griffin Boesen (Jesuit HS, FL)
#128 OF Brandon Bush (Hoggard HS, NC)
#140 LHP Ryan Donahoe (Highland Park HS, TX)
#166 SS Anthony Badillo (Archbishop Spalding HS, MD)
#178 RHP Matthew Sowers (Chesapeake HS, MD)
#189 3B Braedon Mackay (Sarasota HS, FL)
#217 OF Rogan Rivard (Vauxhall, CAN)
#224 RHP Jake Watts (Ralston Valley HS, CO)
#244 RHP Stone Massey (James Hunt HS, NC)
#256 LHP Jimmy Benson (St. Laurence HS, IL)
#271 RHP Charlie Herr (Homestead HS, IN)
#289 LHP Josh Vanderlugt (Hudsonville HS, MI)
#293 1B Keegan Seipp (Triad HS, IL)
#296 RHP Liam Nash (Huntley HS, IL)
#298 RHP Owen Tornga (Mona Shores HS, MI)
#301 RHP Charlie Borchard (Brophy Prep HS, AZ)
#305 SS Elijah Parkhurst (Edmond Santa Fe HS, OK)
#390 RHP Dylan Frers (Kings Park HS, NY)
#401 RHP Ryan Murphy (Oak HIlls HS, OH)
#417 C Berrin Zenner (Franklin Road Academy, TN)
#470 SS Keiyun McQueen (Brandon HS, MS)
#494 OF Bryce Valls (Chaminade HS, NY)

THE RECLASS EFFECT

As more elite underclass players seek accelerated paths to competition and development, the trend of “reclassing” has become one of the most fascinating shifts in amateur baseball. Talented prospects are increasingly moving up a graduation year, not simply to gain exposure earlier, but to challenge themselves against older, more advanced competition. For many, the decision reflects confidence in both their physical maturity and long-term projection, while also highlighting the evolving landscape of player development, and recruiting timelines. Reclassing is no longer viewed as uncommon or risky, but rather as a strategic move for players eager to test themselves at the highest level as early as possible. While there are still murmurs of more to come, below are three prospects from the 2028 grad class that have officially taken their talents to the Class of 2027:

Brogan Witcher C / RHP / Liberty, CA / 2027

Sheerly on physicality alone, the move up a class by the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Adonis made plenty of sense. Equipped with electric hands and bat speed that get off vicious swings in all counts from the right side, there is intrinsic value to the profile that he presents as a position player. Nimble behind the plate with a cannon for an arm, Witcher joins a group of catching prospects that has a chance to be one of the better in recent memory. Having said that, there is, perhaps, an even better chance that he emerges as the top right-handed arm in the class. Climbing as high as 98 mph this spring with a short, quick, and explosive arm stroke indicative of his catching prowess, Witcher also flashed the makings of a wipeout breaking ball while looking the part of a potential frontline arm in the making. The Golden State has a strong history with catcher/pitcher prospects, and the Bakersfield native appears ready to continue that tradition.

Luke Esquivel LHP / OF / Grapevine, TX / 2028

The LSU recruit holds some similarities to former Tigers’ standout, Daniel Cabrera, in the sense that his pitchability stands out with weekend upside, but the value of the left-handed stick might ultimately drive the MLB prospect profile higher. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound left-handed hitter possesses some adjustability at the plate, and should the power continue to show itself on the summer circuit, he should make a strong case as an impact player in his new class.

Jordan Ayala RHP / Norco, CA / 2027

The 6-foot, 175-pound right-hander, who also shows athleticism as a position player, immediately enters the class with one of the top secondary offerings that is a deadly 84-85 mph curveball. Some similarities are likely to be drawn to former SoCal two-way standout, Jared Jones (Pirates), given the aggressive move down the mound and ultra-quick arm, although Ayala presently spins it better than Jones at the same time. Already, Ayala has established himself as an ace and feared arm in California’s vaunted CIF Southern Section, and his introduction to MLB scouts and decision makers has already been a loud one.