50 Standouts From 2025 USA 16U National Team Championships

10 Top Standouts

Banks Addison, SS, Tennessee

No hitter raised his profile at the event more than Addison, a 2027 shortstop who went 8-for-11, including a tournament-leading five doubles. It was barrel after barrel after barrel for Addison, who has a lean 6-foot-1, 180-pound build and a balanced, fluid lefty stroke. Those doubles came against a mix of fastballs and changeups and all of them were well-struck balls that traveled deep in the air to all fields, with hard contact even on some of hits outs. It was an outstanding offensive showing for Addison, who should grow into even bigger power and have more of those doubles turn into home runs given the space he has left to pack more weight onto his frame.

Max Hemenway, SS, Washington

A Tennessee commit, Hemenway continued his stellar summer in Cary and showed why he’s the No. 3 player in the 2027 class. At 6 feet, 170 pounds, Hemenway tracks pitches well, consistently grinds out quality at-bats and has a compact, accurate swing from the left side with high-end contact skills. He drew five walks, hit hard line drives around the field and to both gaps. He tripled off a changeup that he pulled to right-center field, doubled on a 91 mph fastball that he lined into the left field corner and drove an elevated fastball to right field for another double. Everything is quick, crisp and clean at shortstop, making multiple plays where he showed impressive body control and ability to make difficult throws from multiple angles on the run.

Connor Salerno, LHP, North Carolina

Salerno had a dominant outing, striking out 11 with no walks over 5.2 scoreless innings with three hits allowed. He’s the No. 2 lefty in the 2027 class and No. 22 player overall, combining physicality (6-foot-4, 225-pound), stuff and pitchability. He carved up hitters early mainly with his fastball, sitting at 89-92 mph and touching 93 mph from a low release height. Then he mixed in a 79-82 mph slider with sharp lateral break that can miss bats against both lefties and righties. Salerno sprinkled in an occasional changeup, but it was mostly his fastball/slider combination that he used to overmatch hitters. 

Striker Pence, RHP, California

Pence is the nephew of former major league outfielder Hunter Pence and has unbelievable arm strength for a 16-year-old in the 2028 class. He’s 6-foot-6, 195 pounds and dialed his fastball up to 98 mph five times in one scoreless inning of relief. Pence struck out two and walked two in that outing, using a sharp slider to get a swinging strikeout. There are still three years until Pence’s draft year, but he is clearly one of the premier talents available for 2028 and is just scratching the surface of his potential. 

Isaiah Snavely, SS, Indiana

Snavely is already the No. 47 player in the 2027 class, but after the 16U NTC, he made a case to move up. Few hitters were more impressive than Snavely, who went 8-for-18 (.444) with two doubles and a triple. Snavely is 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with good feel for the barrel from a swing that works well from the left side of the plate. He showed a good balance of hitting ability and power with the strength projection to grow into 20-25 home runs once he’s physically mature. He’s also an above-average runner with a strong arm from a lower slot that should fit on the left side of the infield. 

Jared Grindlinger, OF/LHP, California

Grindlinger (No. 4 in the 2027 class) is a two-way threat who didn’t pitch at this event, but he was an offensive force throughout the tournament, going 6-for-12 with two doubles. Both doubles came against offspeed stuff, one a changeup that he pulled in the air into the right field corner, the other on a hanging slider that resulted in his loudest contact of the tournament when he hammered it into the right-center field gap. Grindlinger is 6-foot-3, 185 pounds with lots of space left to fill out and showed a knack for finding the barrel throughout these games, staying behind the ball well and driving the ball for hard contact to all fields. 

Logan Bristol, RHP, Florida

Bristol moved up to No. 16 overall and No. 3 among righthanders in the new 2027 rankings. He looked as advertised in Cary, where he cruised through four scoreless innings with one hit, one walk and six strikeouts. Bristol is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and repeated his delivery well to pound the strike zone with a fastball that sat at 90-93 mph. He threw strikes with his fastball to both sides of the plate, attacking hitters on the inner half in a way that’s uncommon to see for pitchers at this age. Bristol’s slider isn’t an especially high spin pitch in the 2,100 to 2,300 rpm range, but he executes it well to get tight, sharp bite with two-plane depth to miss bats against hitters from both sides of the plate. He used his slider for four of his six strikeouts and it generated seven swinging strikes in total. 

Samir Mohammed, RHP, Florida

Mohammed showed why he’s the No. 19 player in the 2027 class as he struck out seven with one walk over five shutout innings with three hits allowed. Mohammed is 16 with a huge 6-foot-5, 240-pound build and stands out for his power arm, running his fastball up to 94 mph here, but he also has one of the best changeups in the country. He sells it well by maintaining his arm speed, getting a lot of separation off his fastball at 77-81 mph and often generating 16-20 inches of horizontal run. He went to his changeup for three swinging strikeouts, one of which fooled the batter so badly that his bat went flying at the first baseman. Mohammed threw a solid slider at 75-81 mph, but it’s his fastball/changeup combination that accounts for most of his success.

Jacob Seamon, OF, North Carolina

Seamon has tantalizing upside that was on display even when he wasn’t at full strength. The No. 2 player for 2027, Seamon is still 15, so he’s young for the class and will be 17 on draft day, with a 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame and monster projection remaining. On the first day of the tournament, he showed his wheels on a groundball getting down the first base line in 4.09 seconds, a time consistent with plus speed for a lefthanded hitter. Seamon didn’t play the other two pool play games because of a sprained left ankle, but he came back for bracket play to played through it for three games, still drew four walks and crushed an opposite-field double to left-center field. There’s some swing-and-miss that comes with any young hitter with his size and long limbs, but it’s a fluid, mechanically sound lefthanded swing with a strong track record of game performance and the potential to grow into 30-plus home run power. 

Jace Moran, C, Florida

Moran was an offensive machine all week. The 2027 catcher went 5-for-9 with two triples, a home run and four walks. In a left-on-left matchup, he pulled a 2-2 breaking ball into the right-center field gap for his first triple, hit a 2-0 fastball over the center fielder’s head for his next triple and pulled a 2-1 fastball on the inner third out to right field for his homer during bracket play. Moran is 5-foot-11, 175 pounds with experience in the infield as well, but he’s primarily an offensive-minded catcher whose bat is his calling card. 

2026 Class

Michael Teasley, RHP, Tennessee

There were two pitchers for the 2026 class who are young enough to compete in this tournament who will be names for scouts to follow for next year’s draft. One is Teasley, a Tennessee commit and the No. 77 high school player for 2026 who threw 5.1 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, two walks and four hits allowed. Teasley, 16, is 6 feet, 190 pounds and pitched at 89-92 mph with his fastball from a compact arm stroke. He can hit a tick higher at times, but it’s his curveball that’s his best weapon. It’s a high-spin breaking ball mostly in a mid-70s, and while it wasn’t as consistently sharp as it’s been in other outings, Teasley was still able to use his curveball to finish five of his seven strikeouts. 

Tristan Lange, RHP, Virginia

Lange is a sleeper to watch for next year’s draft. The No. 121 high school player in the class is a Virginia Commonwealth commit who just turned 17 and breezed through five shutout innings, striking out nine with one walk and three hits allowed. Lange has a projectable 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame and doesn’t have an overpowering fastball, pitching mostly in the upper-80s and scraping 90 mph in this look, but he has a projectable 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame to add strength and velocity. There’s feel for a tight slider as well that he used effectively in this outing to miss bats and disrupt timing. 

2027 Class

Infielders

Chase Fuller, SS, Florida

The No. 6 player for 2027, Fuller is 6-foot-3, 205 pounds with explosive bat speed and power. He went 5-for-13 with two walks and a double on a 3-2 fastball that he blasted over the center fielder’s head to drive in two runs. Fuller has some of the best power in the country for 2027 and it’s just one of his standout tools. He has a plus arm at shortstop and showed plus speed going home to first in 4.21 seconds from the right side of the plate. 

Graham Houston, SS, Florida

Houston is a polished defender at shortstop, where he’s both fundamentally sound and capable of making the flashy, acrobatic plays. He has quick footwork, soft hands, good body control and instincts. Houston (No. 11 in the 2027 class) defended his position well throughout the tournament and showed a short, direct swing from both sides of the plate. It’s a contact-oriented offensive profile but he flashed some sneaky power when he drove a fastball running away from him the opposite way over the left fielder’s head for a double and narrowly missed a home run that he pulled over the right field fence that went just to the right of the foul pole. 

Grady Nelson, 1B/OF, Indiana

Nelson jumps out immediately at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, a big frame for a player who just turned 17, and he delivered some of the most consistent loud barrels of the tournament. A lefthanded hitter, Nelson went 6-for-16 (.375) with two doubles, one on a 2-2 curveball he pulled to right-center field and another on a 1-0 fastball he pulled in the air into the right field corner. Nelson had multiple well-struck outs that he barreled in the air as well, hanging in well against offspeed stuff and driving the ball with impact. At his size, Nelson is likely a first baseman long term, but his combination of lefthanded hitting ability and power will make him a prospect to follow for the 2027 draft with the chance to hit in the middle of a collegiate lineup if he does make it to campus. 

Rocco Maniscalco, SS, Alabama

The switch-hitting Maniscalco is the No. 9 player in the 2027 class and he showed why with his actions at the plate and potential to stick at a premium position. It wasn’t his most dominant offensive showing, but Maniscalco still chipped in four hits, loading with a leg kick and taking a swing with good bat path to get the barrel into the hitting zone early and stay on plane for a long time. At 6-foot-2, 188 pounds, Maniscalco has a hit-over-power offensive game for now but with the strength projection to grow into a balance of both hitting ability and power as he fills out, especially for a player who just turned 16 in May. Maniscalco showed clean hands at shortstop with the potential to stick there at higher levels. 

Parker Robinson, SS, Indiana

Robinson is 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, a tall, well-proportioned frame that jumps out quickly. Robinson showed a patient approach, drawing five walks in 12 trips to the plate, and he shot a double into the right-center field gap on a fastball. The combination of size, athleticism and offensive upside that Robinson showed here as a righthanded hitter will make him a name to know for scouts in the Midwest as the 2027 draft gets closer. 

Mason Hawkins, 3B, North Carolina

Hawkins entered the NTC as a more under-the-radar name and finished it as one of the more intriguing sleepers from the event. He hit .500 during the tournament, registering five hits and three walks, with consistent quality contact throughout his at-bats. Hawkins is 6-foot-2, 195 pounds with a simple lower half move to the ball and keeps his hands tight to his body in a short, direct swing from the right side. He drilled a pair of doubles, one on an 89 mph fastball that traveled over the center fielder’s head and another on a first-pitch breaking ball he stayed back on to drive into the left-center field gap. 

Frank Thomas III, 1B, Florida

Thomas, the son of Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound lefty who has shown hittability and an all-fields approach throughout multiple events this summer that continued in Cary. Thomas is 6-foot-2, 195 pounds and faced two different lefties in the first game, driving a first-pitch breaking ball up the middle for a single in one at-bat and keeping his hands inside a 1-2 fastball that was probably inside (but often gets called a strike at this level) to smash a double in the air into the right field corner to drive in a run. He doubled twice in the tournament and was an athletic mover around at the bag at first base with good defensive actions. 

Jeter Farina, SS, Florida

Farina was one of the top offensive performers in Cary, going 6-for-14 (.429) with two walks and two doubles. He sets up at the plate with a slightly crouched stance and takes a simple, direct righthanded swing with good bat-to-ball skills to produce hard line drives to all fields. At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Farina has a strong lower half and would be an intriguing catcher conversion candidate, but if not he has the skill set to stick somewhere in the infield at higher levels. 

Brayden Landry, SS, Washington

Landry is still 15 until later this month, making him one of the younger players in the 2027 class. He was consistently on base throughout the NTC, going 5-for-12 and drawing four walks out of the leadoff spot for the SBA Bolts. He’s 6 feet, 165 pounds, a slender build with good bat-to-ball skills and a line-drive approach from the right side of the plate. He’s a plus runner who showed good defensive actions and instincts at shortstop. 

Blake Ragsdale, SS, Illinois

The No. 24 player in the 2027 class, Ragsdale didn’t get a ton of plate appearances in Cary, but he shined defensively, gliding around like a butterfly at shortstop. At 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, Ragsdale is quick and light on his feet, moving around gracefully with smooth actions and a swift transfer. A TCU commit, Ragsdale just turned 16, so he’s young for the class, and along with Graham Houston and Jordan Kurz showed some of the cleanest defensive movements among any shortstops at the NTC. 

Outfielders

Noah Goettke, OF, Ohio

Goettke has some of the best raw tools in the 2027 class. He can fire the barrel with big bat speed and righthanded power, something he showed when he smashed a 1-0 fastball for a home run to left field with a 105 mph exit velocity. Goettke is 6-foot-1, 190 pounds with plus speed and a strong arm from the outfield, giving the top 50 prospect a chance for at least three plus tools. There are still things he will have to improve with his pitch recognition and approach as he faces more advanced pitching, but the athleticism and tool set is going to make him a priority follow for scouts in the 2027 draft. 

Cooper Goff, OF, Utah

Goff hits everywhere he goes and it was no different in Cary, where he went 5-for-15 (.333) with a double and two walks. He’s 6 feet, 165 pounds with an easy, low-effort swing from the left side and showed the ability to use the whole field with his best barrel coming on a 2-0 fastball that he hit on the sweet spot in the air into the right field corner for a double. Goff is the No. 10 player in the 2027 class and a TCU commit. 

Kyler Meccage, OF/LHP, Florida

There are few 2027 hitters who look as natural in the batter’s box as Meccage, the No. 7 player in the class. He’s a lean 6-foot-2, 175 pounds with a loose, fluid lefthanded swing that’s relaxed, balanced and he has impressive barrel accuracy with a knack for being on time consistently. His best hits came on a pair of doubles, one when he let a fastball away travel and drove it the other way, another when he got a first-pitch changeup that stayed up and he pummeled it over the right fielder’s head. He chipped in another hit on an 0-2 curveball that he reached out to poke into shallow left-center field for a single. 

Bryan Ravelo, OF, Florida

Ravelo stood out right away for his well-proportioned 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame. He already has big power for his age, and with what looks like room to add another 30-plus pounds of good weight once he’s physically mature, there’s projection for him to grow into an even bigger power threat. Ravelo performed well in games too, going 5-for-13 (.385) with a walk. In a scoreless game in the bottom of the sixth, he singled on a 94 mph fastball to drive in two runs in a 2-0 victory, while his best hit came on a first-pitch curveball that he pulled for a line-drive double to left field. 

Anderson Lambert, OF/INF, Maryland

Lambert is making a bigger name for himself this summer and he continued to pad his resume in Cary, where he went 7-for-18 (.389) with a double on a fastball he drove the other way over the right fielder’s head and nearly hit another double that went to the left field warning track but landed foul by less than a foot. Lambert is 6 feet, 170 pounds, a lean, athletic build with quick wrists and fast bat speed in a handsy swing from the right side of the plate. His best game came on the first day, when he faced  one of the better pitchers in the tournament and he went 2-for-2 with hits off a curveball and fastball. An average runner who can split time between the outfield and infield, Lambert made a great defensive play tracking down a fly ball deep in left field for the catch to take away an extra-base hit. 

Jack Leeper, OF, California

Leeper has an athletic 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame and a quick, accurate righthanded stroke. He recorded a pair of hits against breaking balls and showed a patient offensive approach to draw five walks in 14 plate appearances. His size, athleticism and potential to handle a premium position in center field made Leeper one of the better West Coast prospects at the tournament.

Tyler Fryman, OF, Kentucky

A Louisville commit, Fryman was a spark plug for the Canes Midwest National 16U lineup, going 8-for-19 (.421) with four walks and two doubles. A righthanded hitter, Fryman has an athletic 6-foot-1, 185-pound build and grinded out consistent quality at-bats, putting the ball in play and taking advantage of his plus-plus speed. He showed those wheels on multiple occasions; dropping a bunt single, beating out a weak groundball the pitcher fielded toward the third base side for an infield single and when he hit a 1-2 fastball into the right-center field gap and used his speed to stretch it into a double. 

Lane Johnson, OF, Texas

Johnson was one of the big risers in our new 2027 rankings, moving up to No. 25 in the class. He’s 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, a strong, athletic outfielder with a mix of hitting ability and power from the left side of the plate. Johnson worked four walks, hit an opposite-field double and was robbed of another double by a diving catch from a center fielder on a ball he hit into the right-center field gap. When Johnson was in center field, he stole a hit himself with a diving play of his own. 

Charlie Sarsfield, OF, Iowa

Sarsfield was productive out of the leadoff spot for the Soldier Spects National team. He’s 5-foot-10, 170 pounds and doesn’t immediately leap out for his tools, but he performed well, going 5-for-15 (.333), homered in a 3-2 count in a left-on-left matchup and pulled a 90 mph fastball in a 2-2 count into right-center field for a double. Sarsfield gets his weight on his back side, takes a compact swing and shows good feel for the barrel. 

Drake McClurg, OF, Indiana

McClurg collected five hits and walked twice over the tournament hitting out of the leadoff spot for the Indiana Bulls. At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, McClurg used a slashing stroke from both sides of the plate to lace line drives around the field with gap power. He’s a good athlete and a plus runner in center field. 

Pitchers

Rylan McMahan, LHP, Florida

McMahan is a Florida commit ranked No. 30 in the 2027 class with impressive velocity for a lefty who just turned 17. McMahan is 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with physical projection to grow a fastball that sat at 90-94 mph. He had tight spin above 2,600 rpm at times on his curveball and slider, with the slider showing better shape and likely to be his best breaking ball long term. McMahan went 2.2 innings in his start with one hit, one run, two walks and three strikeouts, battling his fastball control at times especially to his arm side, but it’s some of the best stuff of any 2027 lefty in the nation. 

Chubb Jones, RHP/SS, Georgia

Jones did a little bit of everything in Cary. The No. 5 player in the 2027 class and top ranked righthanded pitcher, Jones pitched 1.2 innings of relief on the first day of the tournament, running his fastball up to 94 mph and mixing in a low-80s slider. On one day of rest, he returned in bracket play to close out a game throwing 5.2 innings of relief in which he struck out eight, walked two and allowed just two hits that his team won 7-6 when Jones delivered the walkoff single. Jones has an extremely fast arm and outstanding physical projection remaining as a lean, athletic 6-foot-4, 190 pounds to grow into upper-tank velocity. The feel for his slider was inconsistent given the conditions, but at its best it’s a pitch with tight spin and sharp break. Normally a shortstop when he’s not pitching, Jones is a plus runner who showed his athleticism making a diving catch in left field. 

Brady Guzzie, LHP/OF, Pennsylvania

Guzzie is one of the up-arrow lefties in the 2027 class this summer. He had one of the best starts of any pitcher at the NTC, striking out eight with no walks in six scoreless innings with two hits allowed. Guzzie has a simple, low-effort delivery and a projectable 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame. He pitched up in the zone with his fastball, which sat at 87-90 mph and touched 91 multiple times. Guzzie did an impressive job holding his velocity even into his final inning, rare for a pitcher that age and especially so given the weather conditions. He showed feel for a 77-81 mph changeup that had good separation off his fastball and was his most impressive secondary pitch in this look ahead of his 72-74 mph curveball, with the confidence to throw his changeup in any count. 

George Ferguson, RHP, Texas

Ferguson is the No. 21 player for 2027 and flashed the stuff to show why he’s one of the top pitchers in the country over a brief 2-inning relief outing in which he had three strikeouts, no walks, one hit and one unearned run allowed. Ferguson is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, a tall, strong build with a power fastball for his age, operating at 91-94 mph. He mixed in a sharp, high-spin breaking ball at 76-80 mph that got a pair of swinging strikes, including one of his strikeouts. 

Charlie Fuller, RHP, California

Fuller elevated his profile with a strong start of four shutout innings with three strikeouts and no walks to win the gold medal game for Stacked Baseball. That came on one day’s rest after Fuller threw 2.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and one walk. Fuller is still 15 until the end of August, so he’s one of the younger players in the 2027 class and will be 17 on draft day. He’s 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and pitched effectively with his fastball, which touched 92 mph and should have more in the tank over the next few years. Fuller’s fastball was his best pitch ahead of a slider he used as his go-to secondary pitch, though he did show feel for a changeup he rarely used but did get a swinging strikeout. 

Noah Lemau, RHP, California 

Lemau didn’t run into any trouble over four scoreless innings when he struck out nine, walked one and allowed only one hit. At 5-foot-10, Lemeau doesn’t have huge physical projection, but he has an athletic operation on the mound and ran his fastball up to 92 mph. Lemeau showed a solid slider for his age but primarily picked apart hitters with his fastball, which got a lot of empty swings above the belt. 

Kaden Wasniewski, RHP/3B, Illinois

Wasniewski threw two shutout innings of relief to close out a win against a 2-0 victory against a stacked USA Prime 16U National/Detroit Tigers lineup. He’s 6 feet, 180 pounds with a quick arm and a fastball he ran up to 92 mph. He struck out three and walked two, showing a solid slider in the mid-to-upper 70s that he used to get four swinging strikes. 

Brennan New, RHP, South Carolina

Pitching at the NTC shortly before he turned 16, New recorded five of his six outs via strikeout in two innings of scoreless relief with one walk and no hits allowed. He’s 6-foot-3, 190 pounds with the physical projection to add to a fastball that touched 89 mph here and has been up a couple ticks higher in previous outings. He mixed in a slider and showed impressive feel for a changeup that he used to get a swinging strikeout. 

Connor Wells, LHP, South Carolina

Wells is 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, a towering lefty who struck out five with one walk over four innings, and while he allowed three runs, all of them were unearned. Wells pitched off a fastball that touched 91 mph and has reached 93 earlier this summer, looking like a pitcher who should be into the mid-90s or better within the next couple years. The No. 26 player in the 2027 class, Wells attacked hitters up with his fastball and leaned heavily on that pitch in his start, as his feel to land his slider wasn’t as good as it had been in other outings, though at its best his slider flashed two-plane depth to get swing-and-miss. 

Ethan Kerze, RHP, Texas

If you’re looking for a sleeper pitcher to watch from the tournament, Kerze is one to follow. He’s 6-foot-2, 195 pounds and just turned 16 before the event. His fastball topped out at 88 mph, but he has the physical projection to eventually sit in the low-90s or better. The separator pitch for Kerze was his mid-70s curveball, a sharp breaking ball with good depth and shape that he showed feel to land in the zone or miss bats. He generated six swinging strikes with his curveball over five shutout innings in his start, striking out seven with only one walk. 

Catchers

Caden Borcherding, C, Georgia

Borcherding went 6-for-13 (.462) during the tournament and performed well against one of the top arms in the country, hitting a single against a 91 mph fastball and knocking a 90 mph fastball for a triple to center field. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Borcherding is a righthanded hitter and a good athlete for a catcher who projects to have an average or better arm. He just turned 16 a month before the tournament, so he’s on the younger side of the class. 

Dariel Carrion, C, Puerto Rico

Carrion didn’t get many plate appearances here, but the No. 45 player in the 2027 class made an impression with his two best tools. Carrion is still 15 but he’s already 5-foot-10, 210 pounds with a strong lower half and can drive the ball for extra-base damage when he’s on time. He showed that righthanded power on a fastball down the middle that he smoked for a line-drive double into the left field corner. Carrion also has a powerful arm that stacks up among the best of any 2027 catchers. 

Will Brick, C, Tennessee

Brick is the top ranked catcher in the 2027 class (No. 13 overall) and has terrific catch-and-throw skills for his age. He’s 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, is athletic and flexible in the way he moves behind the plate and is an advanced receiver who frames pitches well already. He has a strong arm, a quick release and loves throwing behind runners. At the plate, Brick picked up three hits and drew three walks during the tournament, showing the strength and bat speed during batting practice for more game power that could come later on in his development.  

2028 Class

Dexter McCleon Jr., OF, Georgia

McCleon has athletic bloodlines as the son of Dexter McCleon Sr., a 10-year defensive back in the NFL. McCleon has a lively, athletic 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame and is one of the best players in the 2028 class, playing up all summer with 2027s on a loaded USA Prime 16U National/Detroit Tigers team. Already at 15 he shows plus or better speed underway, a strong arm that has been up to 94 mph on the mound and moves around well in the outfield with the tools to develop into a power-hitting center fielder. He makes hard contact for his age, and while he’s learning to recognize better secondary stuff at this level than he has seen before, the tool set, athleticism and physical upside stack up among the best in the country for this age. 

Derek Vazquez, SS, North Carolina

Vazquez, 15, looked like one of the best players in the 2028 class. It’s a lean, athletic build at 6-foot-2, 183 pounds with good strength projection remaining to add to what’s already an impressive foundation of tools and skills. He went 4-for-8, drew five walks, hit a double and tripled on a 3-2 fastball he pulled in the air into the right field corner. He’s an above-average runner who moved around well in the infield with the actions and arm strength to handle the left side of the diamond and potentially stick at shortstop. 

Valentin Ceballos, RHP, Texas

Ceballos, 15, looks like he will be one of the top pitchers to follow for 2028. He’s 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, a projectable frame with a smooth, controlled delivery. He didn’t run into much trouble in his start of 3.2 scoreless innings in which he allowed only one hit, one walk and struck out seven. He repeated his delivery to throw strikes with a fastball that touches 90 mph and had a tight curveball in the mid-70s with sharp, late snap to get five swinging strikes and projects to be a big swing-and-miss pitch for him at higher levels. 

Hudson Simmons, OF, North Carolina

Simmons only played in a few games so he didn’t get that many plate appearances, but it was enough to make a strong impression. He went 2-for-6 with a walk, pulled a double against righthander Tristan Lange (a prominent 2026 pitcher) and drove a sacrifice fly to the right field warning track. Simmons is 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, a lefthanded outfielder who is still 15 but already has a sound swing and showed a knack for driving the ball in the air for impact that should continue to increase given his age and physical projection. 

Maksim Neshov, OF, Michigan

A switch-hitter with a compact 5-foot-9, 175-pound build, Neshov took mature at-bats, stayed within the strike zone and finished with five hits, including a double. It’s a short swing from both sides of the plate with a low swing-and-miss rate, a line-drive approach and gap power.