June 26, 2025
By Prep Baseball Draft HQ
The final spring high school seasons have completed their state tournaments, the College World Series is over (congrats, LSU), and school is out – summer is definitely here. With that, Prep Baseball is publishing its final Top-100 Draft Board update, which shouldn’t really change much at all with all of the most major games, tourneys, and showcases behind us finally. We’re in wait-and-see mode as the MLB All-Star break arrives, which allows everyone to turn their attention to the MLB Draft at long last.
This week, we’re going to have a lot of content for you to give you some research material to review on behalf of your favorite team in the lead-up to the draft. Here are some headlines we’ve published already:
DRAFT HQ HEADLINES
THESE PREP LEFTIES ARE CLOSE…
The spring proved to be a huge win for clubs searching for prep southpaws as this year’s crop elevated its status throughout the new year. LHP Jack Bauer (Lincoln-Way East HS, IL; Mississippi State commit) jumped to the head of the class thanks to a triple digit fastball and the chance for two plus secondary offerings (slider, changeup). The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder possesses arm talent that has not been seen before at the prep level, and the almost boring arm action suggests an easiness that makes the stuff that much more surprising. His ascension after an up-and-down summer might mean that the spring helium is just a precursor to an even bigger rise in coming years.
Perhaps interchangeable in value and upside, but with different ways of operating, Johnny Slawinski (Johnson City HS, TX; Texas A&M) and Briggs McKenzie (Corinth Holders HS, NC; LSU) bring mid-90s fastballs with real starter profiles. Elite movers with clean arms, Slawinski possesses the cleanest, most dynamic delivery in the class with pristine athleticism and the potential for a pair of above average secondary offerings. McKenzie can really spin the baseball with the ability to get in-zone-misses on the heater, and given the proximity and profile, the hopes of another McKenzie Gore-like North Carolina prep product is likely to drive suitors early on in the draft.
Tennessee recruits Cameron Appenzeller (Glenwood HS, IL) and Kruz Schoolcraft (Sunset HS, OR) round out an elite top-five set of left-handers. Appenzeller did not have the explosive spring that a breakout summer might have promised, but the ease of the operation, starter profile, and all around athleticism (an all-state basketball performance pushed the start of his year into May) still provide ample value for what the future holds. Schoolcraft dominated the spring with a fastball that ran up to 97 mph from a lower release height rarely featuring a breaking ball, instead showcasing advanced feel for a near-parachute changeup that generated plenty of whiffs. At 6-foot-8 with a frame that is quickly adding strength, the Oregon native holds a unique profile with a clean delivery and the chance for power-stuff.
Still more, monster springs (after sensational Super 60 showings) from left-handers like No. 84 Frank Cairone (Delsea HS, NJ; Coastal Carolina), as well as Talon Haley (Lewisburg HS, MS; Vanderbilt) and Ethan Rogers (Lone Jack HS, MO; Wichita State), who provide high-level depth to the bunch, though are ranked just outside this top-100 below.
YES, THE SHORTSTOPS…
For nearly two years, Prep Baseball has been adamant that this class’ strength lied in the upside of its up-the-middle positional players, namely a talented group of shortstops. Outside of the top pitcher in the class, Seth Hernandez, nine of the top-10 (12 of the top-20) prep players in the class are either shortstops or left-side defenders. There is such an abundance of stacked talent that teams are likely to have many differing views and values for each. The influx of a pair of top-10 prep prospects – No. 4-ranked Eli Willits and No. 10 Steele Hall – from the 2026 class only served to stretch the abundance of value at the premium position. Willits, along with top overall prospect and fellow Oklahoma native, SS Ethan Holliday, feel destined for top-five selections.
However, it is a group of about 10 other shortstops who will likely drive the most questioning and analyzing from each of the 30 MLB clubs.Each one brings slightly different value and skills, but all bring immense upside. One thing is for certain: there is more talent than the first round can hold, and while the suggested slots trot on at a diminishing pace, the actual bonuses that these players sign for will be headed in the other direction.
KEY RISERS
+ No. 63 ➡️ 37: Aaron Watson (FL)
In the end, it is important to “post”, and that is exactly what RHP Aaron Watson (Trinity Christian Academy HS, FL; Florida) did throughout the year tossing 78.2 innings with 126:15 K:BB and a 0.53 ERA. The long and athletic, 6-foot-5 right-hander possesses one of the loosest arms in the class with effortless mid- to upper-90s heat that might still rise higher. Featuring both a changeup and split-finger effectively, it was the advancement of his slider late in the year that helped provide more assurance to the upward path that he is headed in. An emphatic final outing in the Florida’s state tournament only capped a dominant year, and should have clubs envisioning just the beginning of a meteoric rise in pro ball.
Aaron Watson (4/29/25)
+ No. 62 ➡️ 45: Josh Owens (TN)
At this point, it would come as no surprise if SS Josh Owens’ (Providence Academy HS, TN; Georgia Southern) jumped into the end of the first round, but a top-50 pick appears cemented. The left-handed-hitting shortstop, who blew up last summer as a must-follow two-way prospect, never slowed down and the bat has only continued to make quality jumps while the defensive ability maintains the look of a player who will be sent off as a shortstop. Owens feels like the quintessential second pick for a club, and one who ultimately outpaces many firsts.
Josh Owens (5/1/25)
+ No. 74 ➡️ 47: Marcos Paz (TX)
RHP Marcos Paz (Hebron HS, TX; LSU) would have challenged Seth Hernandez as the top pitching prospect in the class were it not for the Tommy John surgery that robbed him of the past year. However, most recently the 6-foot-2, 220-pound right-hander was showing off a low- to mid-90s fastball with a wipeout slider and feel for the changeup (again). The Dallas native might be the biggest question mark of the draft with regards to where he goes, but with first-round value, some team might ultimately be getting a steal.
Marcos Paz (2/14/24)
+ Unranked ➡️ 97: Brandon Shannon (IL)
Perhaps less heralded due to his cold-weather-state status, RHP Brandon Shannon (McHenry HS, IL; Louisville) opened plenty of eyes at the Prep Baseball Super 60 before posting in all spring outings at an impressive clip. Stacking outing after outing, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound, wide-shouldered athlete ran his fastball into a hoppy upper-90s while flashing feel for a changeup, but especially a breaking ball with clear upward trajectory. The Louisville recruit has an explosive arm and fastball with minimal miles on it, and a player development program might catapult his long-term value. At this point, there is no reason to consider Shannon a sleeper anymore.
Brandon Shannon (5/31/25)
+ No. 37 ➡️ 16: SS Daniel Pierce (Mill Creek HS, GA)
+ No. 50 ➡️ 31: C Caden Bodine (Coastal Carolina)
+ No. 63 ➡️ 37: RHP Aaron Watson (Trinity Christian Academy, FL)
+ No. 65 ➡️ 41: RHP Patrick Forbes (Louisville)
+ No. 62 ➡️ 45: SS Josh Owens (Providence Academy, TN)
+ No. 74 ➡️ 47: RHP Marcos Paz (Hebron HS, TX)
NEW PREP FACES
+ No. 83: Dax Kilby (GA)
SS Dax Kilby (Newnan HS, GA; Clemson) led his high school to a historic season, winning Georgia’s Class 5A state title – Newnan’s first since 1991. All the while, Kilby climbed draft boards as a slick left-handed-hitting shortstop with size and actions fit for the left side of the diamond. It’s not hard to add those ingredients together and envision a glowing pro future, so naturally he’s taken some strides north, ranked inside the Draft HQ top-100 now, in our final update.
Dax Kilby (5/8/25)
+ No. 86: Jordan Yost (FL)
From Prep Baseball Florida’s Class of 2025 Update from early April: SS Jordan Yost (Sickles HS, FL; Florida) has been a buzzy name this spring. Scouts have been flocking to see the left-handed-hitting shortstop who has shown a ton of projectability and an ability to stick at shortstop long-term. Yost is batting .500 this spring and has only struck out once.
Jordan Yost (3/1/25)
+ No. 96: Myles Upchurch (VA)
From the 2025 Super 60 (Feb. 2): RHP Myles Upchurch (St. Albans HS, VA; Alabama) registered a fastball at 96.5 mph at the event (94-96; 2,412 rpm avg.), but even more than the number was the general feel of the pitch. Heavy with some explosive attributes, the ball came out of the hand easy. Loose out of the glove with impressive quickness to a high ¾ slot, his ability to stack the back side before driving fluidly down the mound gave an athletic look that was eye-opening when considering his big, 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame. Both the slider and spike-curveball backed up in this look, but took some tighter shape with upside. Should those pitches trend up and make crisper advancements throughout the spring, there may be some buzz for a late Day One selection.
Myles Upchurch (Super 60; 2/2/25)
+ No. 98: Peter Kussow (WI)
RHP Peter Kussow (Arrowhead HS, WI; Louisville) is already one of the top prospects to ever come out of his Wisconsin high school, one that’s been known to produce high-level talent year after year. The 6-foot-5 long-levered righty was excellent at February’s Super 60, reaching a 95 mph high there, but what he really showed pro scouts this year was his ability to show that mid-90s velocity throughout the duration of his starts. He’d often hit a 95 mph, or even a 96, in the fifth inning, and he finished the spring with a WHIP of 0.87, and 75 Ks in 41.2 innings. Kussow’s wicked breaking ball is another separator for him, and it became known as one of the best in the Midwest throughout the spring as well.
1
Ethan Holliday
SS
Stillwater HS (OK)
2
Kade Anderson* 🔺
LHP
LSU
3
Seth Hernandez
RHP
Corona HS (CA)
4
Jamie Arnold
LHP
Florida State
5
Kayson Cunningham
SS
S.A. Johnson HS (TX)
6
Eli Willits 🔺
SS
Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK)
7
Kyson Witherspoon 🔺
RHP
Oklahoma
8
Billy Carlson
SS
Corona HS (CA)
9
Josh Hammond
SS
Wesleyan Christian HS (NC)
10
Xavier Neyens
3B
Mount Vernon HS (WA)
11
Aiva Arquette
SS
Oregon State
12
Liam Doyle 🔺
LHP
Tennessee
13
Brady Ebel 🔺
SS
Corona HS (CA)
14
Joseph Parker 🔺
SS
Purvis HS (MS)
15
Steele Hall 🔺
SS
Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL)
16
Daniel Pierce 🔺🔺
SS
Mill Creek HS (GA)
17
Jack Bauer 🔺
LHP
Lincoln-Way East HS (IL)
18
Tyler Bremner
RHP
UC Santa Barbara
19
Ike Irish 🔺
C
Auburn
20
Devin Taylor
OF
Indiana
21
Brayden Jaksa
C
Irvington HS (CA)
22
Wehiwa Aloy
SS
Arkansas
23
Gage Wood 🔺🔺
RHP
Arkansas
24
Gavin Kilen
SS
Tennessee
25
Jaden Fauske
OF
Nazareth Academy HS (IL)
26
Johnny Slawinski III 🔺
LHP
Johnson City HS (TX)
27
Briggs McKenzie 🔺
LHP
Corinth Holders HS (NC)
28
Angel Cervantes 🔺
RHP
Warren HS (CA)
29
Cameron Appenzeller
LHP
Glenwood HS (IL)
30
Nicky Becker 🔺
SS
Don Bosco Prep HS (NJ)
31
Caden Bodine 🔺🔺
C
Coastal Carolina
32
Coy James 🔺
SS
Davie HS (NC)
33
Kruz Schoolcraft
LHP
Sunset HS (OR)
34
Marek Houston
SS
Wake Forest
35
Brendan Summerhill
OF
Arizona
36
Ty Peeples
OF
Franklin County HS (GA)
37
Aaron Watson 🔺🔺
RHP
Trinity Christian HS (FL)
38
Gavin Fien
3B
Great Oak HS (CA)
39
Sean Gamble 🔺
UTL
IMG Academy HS (FL)
40
Riley Quick
RHP
Alabama
41
Patrick Forbes 🔺🔺
RHP
Louisville
42
Ethan Conrad
OF
Wake Forest
43
Quentin Young
3B
Oaks Christian HS (CA)
44
Lucas Franco
3B
Cinco Ranch HS (TX)
45
Josh Owens 🔺🔺
SS
Providence Academy HS (TN)
46
Slater de Brun
OF
Summit HS (OR)
47
Marcos Paz 🔺🔺
RHP
Hebron HS (TX)
48
Zach Root
LHP
Arkansas
49
Anthony Eyanson
RHP
LSU
50
Andrew Fischer
1B
Tennessee
51
Reid Worley 🔺
RHP
Cherokee HS (GA)
52
Matthew Fisher
RHP
Evansville Memorial HS (IN)
53
CJ Gray 🔺
RHP
A.L. Brown HS (NC)
54
Dean Curley*
3B
Tennessee
55
Alex Lodise
SS
Florida State
56
Caleb Barnett
3B
Mountain Brook HS (AL)
57
Jacob Parker
OF
Purvis HS (MS)
58
Boston Kellner
3B
Hamilton HS (AZ)
59
Luke Stevenson*
C
North Carolina
60
AJ Russell 🔺
RHP
Tennessee
61
Jace LaViolette
OF
Texas A&M
62
Max Belyeu
OF
Texas
63
Cam Cannarella 🔺
OF
Clemson
64
Ethan Petry
OF
South Carolina
65
Taitn Gray
OF
Dallas Center-Grimes HS (IA)
66
Uli Fernsler
LHP
Novi HS (MI)
67
Marcus Phillips
RHP
Tennessee
68
Aidan West
SS
Long Reach HS (MD)
69
Brandon Logan 🔺
OF
Fort Wayne Snider HS (IN)
70
Charles Davalan* 🔺🔺
OF
Arkansas
71
JD Thompson
LHP
Vanderbilt
72
Dean Livingston
RHP
Hebron Christian HS (GA)
73
Joseph Dzierwa
LHP
Michigan State
74
Colby Shelton 🔺
SS
Florida
75
Danny Dickinson
2B
LSU
76
Tate Southisene
SS
Basic Academy HS (NV)
77
Blaine Bullard
OF
Klein Cain HS (TX)
78
Chase Shores ⭐
RHP
LSU
79
JB Middleton 🔺
RHP
Southern Miss
80
Landon Harmon
RHP
East Union HS (MS)
81
John Stuetzer
OF
Pope HS (GA)
82
Caden Crowell
LHP
Valparaiso HS (IN)
83
Dax Kilby ⭐
SS
Newnan HS (GA)
84
Frank Cairone
LHP
Delsea HS (NJ)
85
Dean Moss 🔺
OF
IMG Academy HS (FL)
86
Jordan Yost ⭐
SS
Sickles HS (FL)
87
Mitch Voit
2B
Michigan
88
Henry Godbout
2B
Virginia
89
Brandon Compton ⭐
OF
Arizona State
90
Henry Ford*
OF
Virginia
91
Aaron Walton ⭐
OF
Arizona State
92
Korbyn Dickerson
OF
Indiana
93
Omar Serna
C
Lutheran South HS (TX)
94
Nick Dumesnil
OF
Cal Baptist
95
River Hamilton
RHP
Sam Barlow HS (OR)
96
Myles Upchurch ⭐
RHP
St. Albans HS (VA)
97
Brandon Shannon ⭐
RHP
McHenry HS (IL)
98
Peter Kussow ⭐
RHP
Arrowhead HS (WI)
99
Kyle Lodise
SS
Georgia Tech
100
Kane Kepley
OF
North Carolina
*Indicates the player is a college sophomore who’s age-eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft.
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