Prep Baseball Report

VA/DC Class of 2027 Rankings: New Faces


Staff
Prep Baseball Virginia/DC

 
 
Follow @PrepBaseballVA
Facebook + Instagram

As the summer comes to a close, we’re kicking off another round of rankings updates with the state’s 2027 class. After a busy summer filled with live looks across Virginia/DC, this update brings plenty of movement throughout the board while also expanding the rankings to the Top 250.

The summer offered another valuable checkpoint for this group, giving our staff extended looks at how players continue to develop physically while translating their tools into game performance against quality competition. With the fall now approaching, this update reflects the progress, upside, and overall depth we’ve seen from the class over the past several months.

Today we take a look at 10 New Faces that make their way into the Top 250 of the VA/DC Class of 2027.


2027 Rankings Week Stories:

Summer Risers




CLASS OF 2027: NEW FACES

Bryson Abbott SS / 2B / Centreville High, VA / 2027

After the summer Abbott has had, he is more than deserving of this new ranking inside the Class of 2027. Lanky 6-foot-1 frame with room to add some lean strength. Above average runner that has turned out multiple sub 6.75's this summer. Lower set hands at the plate with a short and flatter path through the zone. It is a whippy barrel with above average hand speed and some sneaky impact. The offense has shown really really well this summer and has done it in a variety of ways. With all that departed the Wildcats program, as well as the jumps he has made in his own game, the uncommitted middle infielder should almost certainly be a centerpiece in 2027. 

Seth Cheatham OF / OF / Cosby High, VA / 2027

Lighter 5-foot-9 frame with solid bat to ball skills and shows up in game. Had one of the best days of any positional player at Unsigned Senior Games. Consistently on barrel during BP and then turned around during gameplay and found multiple barrels for XBH's. Average to slightly above runner that is probably more left field, but the offense is production based and he just seems to show up in game.

 

 

Everett Clark SS / 2B / Lightridge High School, VA / 2027

Clark is arguably one of the best middle defenders in this VA/DC 2027 class. Moves well laterally and plays a tick quicker in the infield than his 7.1 run time. Average arm strength, but the exchanges are clean, he gets it out quick, and can play on the move. Toe tap load at the plate, lands on line, and is more contact driven with some doubles power from gap to gap. The profile is certainly defense first, but he flashed offense this summer that closed the gap between the two.

Connor Doxey C / 3B / Patriot High, VA / 2027

Another Unsigned Senior Games standout, making a statement behind the plate and in the batter's box. More compact frame, narrow stance to start, and finishes his stride just outside the shoulders. While a fair number of HS hitters will tend to drift and lose their middle with this type of movement pattern in the box, Doxey does a good job of staying centered and behind the barrel. He has shown adjustability in the swing and the ability to produce consistent quality contact. Average to slightly above arm strength behind the plate and has shown the ability to put the ball on the bag with accuracy. Good athlete that should allow for some positional versatility. 

 

 

Easton Elms SS / RHP / Frank W. Cox High, VA / 2027

Elms was one of the more intriguing 27's that jumped onto the scene this summer. Our staff had seen Elms in more of a pitching role during the spring, and while he had some success, his athleticism and physicality certainly leave more intrigue at the plate. He is a well above average runner, plays the game at a different pace, and has some impact potential at the plate. While consistency and a longer track record could really help the positional case, his offensive upside is hard to turn away from because of the aforementioned physical skillset and athleticism. He is athletic enough to move around to a variety of positions and seems to be a competitor that is just scratching the surface of his potential.

Soma Kato 2B / OF / Blacksburg High, VA / 2027

Higher set hands at the plate, contact driven line drive approach, and an above average run tool. While the hands are a little bit higher in the pre-pitch mechanics, there is some simplicity to the swing, and has shown the ability to deliver a flatter barrel through the zone. Kato is a sub 6.8 runner that profiles more second base, left field, or potentially center. 

Caden Kuehni OF / RHP / Tabb, VA / 2027

It seems like every single time we saw Kuehni this summer, he produced loud and hard contact. Medium lift to stride, gets it down on time, and has some twitch in the hands and strength in the wrists. While it is more average to slightly below bat and hand speed, the bat has some whip through the zone that he is able to deliver with his strength and feel to hit. A lot of the production has come from the middle to pullside, but it is not a pullside dominant swing. Slightly above average runner that tends to get out the box well. Profiles more corner outfield, especially left, with the footspeed to play some spot time in center.

Kai Raghunathan 1B / RHP / Patriot High, VA / 2027

Strong and large frame with big raw power that he put on display at the Unsigned Senior Games. Quiet early in the stance with a deeper load and arm bar. Does a nice job of getting back inside the ball and displaying his above average raw power in the box. Drove multiple balls deep to center and to the pull side in BP, and showed more of the same during gameplay. 1B/DH profile from the left side, with middle of the order run production type of offense.

 

 

Tyler Weader RHP / Chantilly High, VA / 2027

There was just something different about the way Weader worked on the mound at Unsigned Senior Games. The ball tended to get on hitters a little quicker, showed three secondary pitches that he landed for strikes, and attacked hitters from the first pitch. With his arsenal, there is some starter or bulk reliever profile there, that with his mix of pitches, should allow him to navigate an opposing lineup more than once. The velo jump will certainly help the long term upside, but watching hitters react in the box, they just did not seem comfortable with what they were seeing.

 

 

Noah Womeldorf 3B / RHP / Hidden Valley High, VA / 2027

For a few members of the staff, this was the first time seeing Womeldorf. To say he made a strong first impression is an understatement. Measured at 6-foot-5, 209-pounds, the left handed bat and right handed arm leaves a lot to dream on with the future here. Some feel to hit, above average hand and bat speed, average to slightly above raw power potential, and some upside on the mound as well. One of the biggest things that stood out is how easy everything seems to come for Womeldorf. It is not a max effort, tapped out operation at the plate, or on the mound. This could be one of the better late takes from this class with some quality player development at the college level.