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Initial 2029 Overall Rankings Released

November 24, 2025
Shooter Hunt
Vice President, Scouting

The initial rollout, post-fall, of each new freshman class is always one of the most exciting checkpoints on the calendar. It serves as a first real glimpse into the future landscape of amateur baseball, providing an early look at the athletes who might one day shape the national conversation. The 2029 group is no different. This first iteration is intentionally modest, and to be used as a starting point of the country’s emerging talent that gives us a sense of what lies ahead while leaving plenty of room for growth.

****CLICK FOR TOP 200****

From coast-to-coast, the class already shows signs of being both deep and diverse, featuring players with advanced tools, big ceilings, and that early flicker of competitiveness that helps drive development. But make no mistake: this list is far from finished. It is merely the foundation. There is always an influx of risers including late-bloomers, two-sport studs, cold-weather sleepers, and players who simply have not stepped into the spotlight yet. They will join this initial group of 200 as the class begins to take shape over the next several years.

Prep Baseball’s boots-on-the-ground staff will be out in full force, eager and relentless in uncovering new talent. From preseason events and showcases, to the spring season before the summer circuit and fall finale, the search never stops.

Arizona OF Macgraw VanWormer (Prescott HS, AZ) grabs the top spot in the initial release thanks to a bevy of impressive tools and elite athleticism. At 6-foot, 190-pounds with a blazing 6.69 60-yard dash time, the right-handed hitting outfielder is equal parts impact and acceleration in all phases of the game. His lightning-quick hands and thunderous barrel promise much more to come, and when combined with the present bat-to-ball capability, the ceiling is set impressively high.

Pushing VanWormer for the top spot is SS/P Jordan Leon (Sierra Canyon HS, CA). East to bet on as a dynamic mover with an electric arm and arsenal on the mound and as a SoCal shortstop with equal electricity in the bat, the uber-impressive, 6-foot-1, 195-pound two-way player appears set to make an instant impact on the southern California spring season.

Another dominant two-way player, #3 LHP/OF Garrett Harper (Cocoa Beach HS, FL) holds big present stuff on the mound, including a mid-80s fastball and advanced secondary, along with a powerful left-handed stroke, while still carrying premium projection on a 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame.

Evan Thompson (October 2025)

#4 OF Evan Thompson (Casteel HS, AZ) already stacks the stat sheet with eye-opening metrics and one of the more professional strokes in the class. Routinely belting triple-digit exit velocities in workout (101.8 mph max) along with astounding bat (71.5 avg.) and hand (24.0 avg.) speed, he already looks the part of an impact bat.

Mattias DiMaggio (November 2025)

Joining Leon in the top 10 are fellow Golden State natives, #5 SS Cooper Holland (Santa Margarita HS, CA) and CF/P Mattias Di Maggio (Dos Pueblos HS, CA). Each possesses an ultra-projectable frame with pristine athleticism and left-handed sticks. Holland, a true SoCal shortstop, already showcases advanced actions on the dirt with a strong approach at the plate with a chance to make quick advancements. Di Maggio, a 6-foot-3, 185-pounder with impressive presence in the box already looks the part of an impact-bat while also exhibiting intriguing upside on the mound.

Nolyn Nickels (July 2025)

A trio of South Carolina natives headline a STELLAR crop of freshmen coming out of the Palmetto State. The excitement of the upside goes well beyond, but #7 LHP Nolyn Nickels (Hanahan HS, SC), #8 SS Brooks Blanchard (Eastside HS, SC), and #10 OF Tre Lawrence (Cane Bay HS, SC), all look the part of future top prospects. Nickels shined at this past summer’s Prep Baseball Junior Future Games where his loose arm and wiry-athleticism provided for upper 80s velocity that accompanied an eye-opening arsenal. Likely to make future jumps, he is a clear close follow (already) in the class. Blanchard, whose 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame and heavy left-handed barrel mirror that of several others in the top 10, has already produced at a high rate on the national circuit, and shows no sign of slowing down. Finally, Lawrence brings the exciting impact and acceleration to the diamond with an imposing 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame that produces top end power outputs.

The state Texas is sure to have many risers and discoveries throughout 2026 and beyond, and physical two-way, #9 RHP/1B Noah Vrzal (Sonia Sotomayor HS, TX) leads four Texans in the Top 20 overall. At 6-foot-3, 225-pounds, the left-handed hitting slugger is already one of the most feared bats in the class with light-tower-power that sides next to a frontline look on the mound.

THE SCOOP:

Prep Baseball’s National Underclass Correspondent, Cooper Trinkle, weighs in on a group of Midwest names to know:


Paris Head (September 2025)

+ #20 SS/P Paris Head (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, IL)

“Head”-lining the class, the buzz surrounding the top-ranked player in Illinois was loud and clear each time he took the field at Grand Park in 2025 — and for good reason. Head blends advanced athleticism and skill with significant room for future growth inside a wiry, athletic 6-foot, 160-pound frame, and the entire package is amplified by a slam-dunk, middle-of-the-diamond profile. His Super Select outing on the mound was the loudest of the class, cruising into the mid-80s with a cut/ride fastball that jumped out of the hand with ease, while the top-down breaking ball flashed as a future out-pitch. He’s equally advanced on the dirt, translating his arm across the infield with polished, rhythmic actions that stand noticeably ahead of his peers. The bat should take a considerable jump as strength arrives, but he already repeats a balanced, connected move with quick hands that deliver the barrel out front on time. A player who checks a wide range of coveted boxes, Head stands as the top-ranked talent in the Midwest in our initial 2029 overall rankings.

+ #47 LHP/OF Adler Kellams (Fort Wayne Carroll HS, IN)
Kellams is one of the more physically advanced and athletic ‘29s to compete at Grand Park on the 2025 circuit, and he proved that at every stop. There’s real twitch in the 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame, helping him produce one of the top left-handed fastballs in the class to date — up to 87.4 mph and trending up steadily since last March. The arm works in a short and compact fashion as the delivery works downhill while he attacks with a two-pitch mix. A 6.69 runner, he showed far more than just a high-octane left-handed arm. Kellams profiles as a true two-way follow with the ability to impact the game across all phases. He plays with an aggressive heartbeat — taking away hits in the outfield, pressuring defenses on the basepaths, and consistently forcing action. The left-handed stroke works on a direct path and features loose, quick wrists and the ability to use the whole field. Early pull-side strength is already beginning to show, signaling even more impact as the body continues to mature.

+ #75 SS Todd Dulaney (Nazareth HS, IL)
Making the loudest first impression of all, Dulaney’s GP looks were equally as productive as they were exciting about his future. He brings the presence of a high-end shortstop prospect with a lean, high-waisted 5-foot-10, 155-pound frame that’s clearly far from finished. His defensive actions stood out immediately — dancing around the middle with quick feet, advanced body control, and the type of ease that separates early. While he’s silky on the dirt, the offensive intrigue is very real. Dulaney rotates efficiently with extremely quick hands, producing 93+ mph exit velocities in showcase settings and flashing extra-base impact in-game in my looks. For how immature the frame is, the ability to drive the ball at this clip stands out. Projecting the body forward, it’s easy to dream on usable power arriving as he adds strength. The shorter, connected nature of the swing enhances confidence in the hit tool’s trajectory, suggesting he’ll continue to produce at a rate well above his peers as he matures.

+ #85 OF Cooper Gear (Valparaiso HS, IN)
The excitement that surrounds Gear resides largely in how high the floor is set, alongside one of the more advanced offensive profiles I’ve seen a LHH carry at the age in Indiana’s recent classes. One of the youngest on this list (18.5 @ draft; 2 weeks older than Paris Head) - although he doesn’t look it, carrying compact strength in an already-athletic, 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame. Strong forearms help him create easy, impactful flick from the left side, producing 96+ mph exit velocities in showcases with gap-to-gap extra-base power that has shown consistently across multiple looks in my two-year follow. A 6.97 runner, Gear offers the ingredients of a speed-and-hit center field profile with real power upside looming. One of the more dynamic left-handed bats in the region, he stands as my favorite Midwest LHH in the 2029 class.

+ #90 RHP/OF Cain Sims (Evansville Mater Dei HS, IN)
Sims appears next in-line to carry on Indiana’s reputation of producing power right-handed arms, flashing all traits necessary to do so throughout a two-year follow at Grand Park. Mixing athleticism with a high-waisted, projectable, 6-foot-1, 190-pound look, Sims worked up to 87 in early June & worked in the mid-80s each time we got eyes on, showing clear athleticism within the operation as the arm works to a longer full circle before accelerating with advanced arm speed for the class as the high front-side tucks. There is aptitude to spin a low-70s breaking ball, along with the ability to pick up the bat and provide the look of a future power RHH. There is clear twitch in a wide-based, repeatable swing that creates excitement and already plays with occasional over-the-fence power.

+ #118 RHP Cooper Graham (Mukwonago HS, WI)
Durably built at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with some of the easiest velocity that I’ve seen at the Super Select (the premier Midwest event for incoming freshmen, consistently boasting the top teams from all over the area). He flooded the zone in my look, playing catch in the mid-to-low 80s (T85 in May, 86.4 at JFG) while repeating the delivery well. His low-70s breaking ball already featured some bite in an 11/5 shape, and he showed a mid-70s change as well. It is hard to throw a starter’s tab off one look, but Graham checks just about every box necessary for that coveted profile: workhorse-framed, a clean arm, advanced stuff that he gets to with ease, control, and he’s sneaky athletic for the frame while also providing the competitiveness to handle the bat as a middle-of-the-order hitter for now..

+ #143 C/UTL Colton Smith (Archbishop Moeller HS, OH)
Few rising freshmen have been as productive as Smith at Grand Park, and he’s done it while playing up one grade each time I’ve seen him. All five tools are clearly advanced for the class, although strength-based, and the metrics are some of the most well-rounded in the Midwest’s 2029 class to go along with an uber-competitive, productive presence. Up to 87.5 on the bump and 80 from the crouch, the glove-to-hand enhances the arm strength from the crouch, and he can glove it on the dirt as well. A 6.98 runner with showcase exits coming in at 96+, Smith’s most valued trait for me is the high-floor offensive profile he brings. Simply put, and alluded to earlier, the kid finds the barrel each time I’ve seen him and does it with some authority. There is over-the-fence pull-side strength already, with an adjustable forward move that allows him to hit spin and take his hits to the opposite field when needed.

+ #156 SS/OF Carter Houseman (Urbana HS, OH)
A gut-feel favorite from the Super Select who will debut as the No. 2 ranked prospect in Ohio, Houseman hit a staggering .625 (5-for-8) for the week against a large contingent of the best players in the Midwest. Hitting from an upright stance and controlling an athletic move forward with counter-balanced hips, Houseman unleashes a tight turn with some twitch at go and works behind the ball well to use the whole field. The productivity at this event speaks to the bat-to-ball feel present; looks the part of a high-end LHH hit-and-speed combo profile in SS/CF with a sub-7 sixty time already under his belt.

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