VA/DC Class of 2027 Rankings: Risers
September 11, 2025
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It has been quite some time since we have expanded our VA/DC Class of 2027 Rankings. Well wait no longer. We are moving from a Top 125 to a Top 150. This class, like others, will cap at the Top 225. While updates happen four times a year, we will gradually add clusters of players twice a year until we reach that 225 player cap. While there is another late fall update, we will not expand from this 150 player total until late winter.
In addition to the new faces, which were revealed yesterday, we have some movers that were previously inside of the rankings. Today we will take a look at some of those movers and what made them take the jump up.
To see the full list of new faces and complete rankings, check back on Wednesday and Thursday with our Top 50 and Top 150 releases.
CLASS OF 2027: 10 RISERS
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Waylon Ammons RHP / 2B / St. Annes-Belfield, VA / 2027Ammons hit his stride this summer and took the next step by showing his ability to impact the baseball. It is a strong 6-foot-1, 189-pound frame that still has more room to add strength. He keeps a strong lower half with rhythm in his hands. The barrel path is slightly uphill which creates some natural loft and carry. There was some consistency in the impact showing up with some easy power working to the pull side. Defensively he has fluid actions with average arm strength. Long term it is more of a corner with the actions and future potential power. He is young for the class, which gives more excitement to the future development.
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Jacob Babcock SS / RHP / Godwin High, VA / 2027Throughout the summer every time Babcock was in front of our staff, he just flat out hit. He took his hot bat to the 2025 Prep Baseball Future Games, and it was on display all week. He picked up multiple hits during the week, displaying the hit tool with some impact to the pull side. It is a whippy barrel that uses all fields with line drive tendencies. He brings a calm presence to the plate with a hitter's mindset that makes him successful. Defensively he has the actions to move around the infield, but the foot speed will have to get better to be able to stay up the middle.
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Cam Bates SS / RHP / Bishop O’Connell High School , VA / 2027The athleticism has always been there for Bates with the offensive ability, but on the mound is where the jump has come recently. The fastball has worked up to 90 this summer and sits in the mid-to upper eighties. He mixes in a curveball that he can land for strikes and works off of the fastball. The low seventies changeup is used mostly for left-handed hitters and has some late fade and tumble. Offensively, he is an above-average runner that can spray the ball to all fields. Defensively he has the foot speed and the arm strength to stay up the middle. With the strides that he has made on the mound, it has given him more value to go along with what he already brought offensively.
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Bear Friske SS / 3B / Cape Henry Collegiate School, VA / 2027The offensive production picked up for Friske as he showed flashes of it late in the spring, and it continued into the summer. He has added some lean strength to the 6-foot-0, 185-pound frame, which has led to the impact picking up. He keeps a short barrel path that works gap to gap. It is more line drives but does show some carry in the gaps for extra bases. He has soft hands, fluid actions, and average arm strength in the infield. The run tool has improved, but there are still more improvements to be made to be able to stay in the middle of the infield.
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Brock Hall 1B / OF / E.C. Glass High, VA / 2027There aren’t many players that are functional athletes with a 6-foot-8, 202-pound frame like Hall. He’s an above-average runner with extremely large strides. He showed his ability to hit throughout the summer with some intriguing power potential in the long-levered frame. It is a balanced, upright setup with some natural loft in the swing path. While there is still some wiry strength to the frame, there have been some flashes of being able to turn the barrel and show some impact to the pull side. Defensively it is a corner profile with the athleticism to play in the outfield or at first base. Hall is far from a finished project with plenty of room to add strength; it seems like the sky is the limit for the junior.
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Chandler Howlett SS / 2B / Walsingham Academy, VA / 2027There aren’t many players that bring the energy and fast pace of the game better than Howlett. He brings a high motor and competitive energy to the diamond. He’s a wiry athlete at 5-foot-10, 160-pounds, with a hit tool that works line to line. He can string together competitive at-bats with some impact to the pull side. The impact comes in extra bases with doubles and triples. He is a threat on the basepaths as an above-average runner swiping bags. Defensively he has the position versatility to play any position in the dirt with above-average arm strength. The high motor and the ability to impact the game give Howlett a high floor and more ceiling to reach as the strength continues to be added.
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Evan Lee OF / LHP / Cave Spring, VA / 2027The consistency of the offense has been a big thing that has stood out for Lee since the spring against any quality competition. He brings an aggressive approach, looking to make something happen early in counts. He works line to line with line drive tendencies that flashes some occasional impact to the pull side. He put that on display at the 2025 Prep Baseball Future Games, where he had a strong showing, putting together quality at-bats and spraying the ball to all fields. He’s a compact athlete that’s a slightly above average runner with a corner outfield profile. What he brings to the field is a high motor with the sense of comfort knowing what you are going to get out of him each day.
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Julius Pabon OF / SS / Woodbridge Senior High, VA / 2027Pabon can be a spark plug in any lineup with the athleticism and high motor that he brings. He’s a wiry athlete with twitch and the ability to impact the game in different ways. It is a line drive approach that works gap to gap. There is defensive versatility to move around the infield and make plays in the outfield. There is more room to add strength in the athletic frame, which could add more impact to the offensive profile.
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Daniel Sanchez RHP / Briar Woods High, VA / 2027There is a lot to dream on with the 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame of Sanchez. It is long limbs that throw with easy effort. The fastball has been up to 93 and sits in the upper eighties to low nineties depending on the outing that has late life. The feel for secondary is still coming along, but when he can land them both for strikes, it gives him even more of a chance to have success. The slider is firm, working in the upper seventies, and has more gradual depth. The changeup has shown some more success due to the fact that it tunnels well off of the fastball that is heavily used. There is more polishing that needs to be done, but there have been multiple flashes of the premium arm that he can be down the road.
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Kaden Zimorowicz RHP / SS / Gainesville High School, VA / 2027Zimorowicz makes the case of having some of the most electric stuff in the VA/DC 2027 class. It is electric arm speed that can work into the low nineties with the fastball, then break off a late depth slider that is an above-average pitch already. He is a dynamic mover with late intent that competes every time he is on the mound. He put on a phenomenal outing in the Commonwealth Classic this spring and continued to show similar outings like that during the summer. His ability to mix pitches and miss bats in the zone with the fastball and the slider gives him a chance to compete against any quality lineup. The competitive mentality is what you love to watch when he steps on the mound.
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