Lou
Ratcliffe

INF Lou Ratcliffe (Lyons Township, 2026) posted one of the top BP rounds during Tuesday’s workout. The right-handed hitter collected six 96-plus mph exit velocities with his top coming in at 103.3 mph. Strong 5-foot-10, 178-pound frame. Ratcliffe operates from a wide base with a small leg lift. Has a pure swing that is quick through the zone with pull-side power. Ratcliffe also posted a 6.77 60 time. Ratcliffe is another 2026 name that has versatility defensively and will be an interesting name to keep an eye on.

Uncommitted, currently ranked No. 200 in the state. 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame, broad, squared shoulders with some present strength in the lower-half. Started at third base and hit out of the four-hole for the Lions, finishing the day 3-for-3 with two RBIs. The right-handed hitter has a simple swing with little wasted movement, easy hands with a flat swing that stays through the zone, sees spin, aggressive when needed, jumped on a first pitch FB for a double to his pull-side gap in his first at-bat. Consistent performer in front of our staff at the plate.

INF Lou Ratcliffe (Lyons Township, 2026) took one of the more physical rounds of BP on the day. Listed at 5-foot-10, 182-pounds with present strength throughout and broad shoulders, the right-handed hitter reached up to 103 mph for his EV with a compact and balanced swing, displaying easy strength at impact with some feel to lift. He also put up impressive BLAST metrics, averaging 75 mph for his bat-speed and just under 23 mph for his hand-speed.

Positional Profile: 3B/RHP
Body: 5-11, 185 pounds. Strong frame.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, simple stride and load. Compact and balanced, easy, heavy barrel and strong hands. 75 mph bat speed with 11g of rotational acceleration.
Power: 103 mph max exit velocity (83.1 avg.).
Arm: RH. INF - 77 mph. Short arm action, 3/4 slot.
Defense: Plays from the ground up, natural actions, clean on the move and quick release at times.
Athletic Testing: 6.93 runner in the 60-yard dash; 18.80-inch max vertical jump.
Vizual Edge: 73.42 Edge Score.

INF Lou Ratcliffe (Lyons Township, 2026) is an upside sophomore to know in the state. Listed at a lean and projectable 5-foot-11, 170-pounds, Ratcliffe started off his day by cruising to a 7.07 in the 60. At the plate, the right-handed hitter creates easy bat-speed with a flat path and some whip through the zone. He looks to keep the ball on a line, working the ball to the whole field while reaching up to 94.3 mph for his max EV. Defensively, Ratcliffe showed confident, soft hands with clean footwork throughout his round.

Positional Profile: 3B/RHP
Body: 5-11, 170-pounds. Athletic, lean frame.
Hit: RHH. Wide base, short knee-knock stride. Pre-pitch rhythm, flat path, stays through the zone, loose athletic hands, line-drive approach. 69.3 mph bat speed with 11 G’s of rotational acceleration.
Power: 94 max exit velocity, averaged 84.4 mph. 309’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 73 mph. Easy, quick arm path, 3/4 slot.
Defense: Stays low, uses leverage, steady hands.
Run: 7.07 runner in the 60.

Positional Profile: 3B/RHP
Body: 5-11, 160-pounds. Athletic frame, some strength in the lower-half, room to add on.
Hit: RHH. Balanced setup, smooth load and short stride. Level path, uses the big part of the field.
Power: 88 max exit velocity, averaged 80.7 mph. 314’ max distance.
Arm: RH. INF - 70 mph. Short and athletic arm action, operates mostly from a 3/4 window. Showed ability to throw from multiple slots.
Defense: Moves well laterally with active feet. Reliable hands play out front with two-hand gather. Clean transfer that secures into the body.
Run: 7.30 runner in the 60.