As we look back on the 2025 summer tournament circuit here in Kansas City, we’ll be breaking down the top players by tool from each class — based on evaluations from our scouting team at Homefield and Creekside. Follow along as we take a deep dive into these players and highlight the summers they put together. Each week will feature our top five players based on each tool from the class, presented in no particular order.

Top Defenders Class of 2028

Kameron Gillespie SS / RHP / Liberty, MO / 2028 Rankings  StateRank: 2 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 36 / POS: 12

Kameron Gillespie is not only one of the top athletes in the area, but also one of the most skilled defenders we saw, showcasing his versatility across multiple positions. Primarily a shortstop, Gillespie also logged significant time at third base during the high school season and continued to flash advanced defensive ability there at the Central Super Sophomore Games.

The numbers back up the on-field performance. Gillespie holds an Athlete Score of 87, which measures his analytics and compares them to underclassmen nationwide. He posted an 86 mph infield velocity, a well-above-average 1.58 10-yard dash (99th Percentile), and a 30-inch vertical leap (99th Percentile), tools that allow him to make throws from anywhere on the infield while pairing quickness with explosive range. Beyond the metrics, he consistently showed these traits in game action over the past year, which is why we project him as an outstanding defender at the next level.

Follow along on X: @ljhatchpb and Instagram: @ljhatchprepbaseball as we continue breaking down the top tools from this past summer.