-Tyler Henninger
Even though his offensive numbers don’t jump off the page,
Ethan Bass (2026, Northbrook, IL) leaves no doubt that his comprehensive skillset is elite in his class. Super-lean and twitchy with a 6-2/165 frame, he plays the glove like a mature veteran, can steal would be base hits and the arm is electric. The bat projects long-term and there is little doubt he will hit for average and for power. Bass did slug .250/.400/.775 in Jupiter with a double and a couple RBIs.
Trip Ostergard (2027, Charleston, SC) may well have been the youngest player in the field, but his actions and physicality would make you think otherwise. At 6-0/175 he is wiry strong and creates leverage at the plate finishing the barrel through impact with loose hands. There is a quickness to his actions, and he has yet to begin to fill out, so there is real power projection to his offensive game. Ostergard finished the week batting .308 with an OPS of .665, setting the stage for more success in Jupiter in the next couple years.
Chase Kiker (2026, Indian Trail, NC) showed some of the most complete two-way skill packages of the week in Jupiter regardless of class. The physical 6-1/190 righty is strong and durable and is all about the power side of the game. He creates easy lofted power with plus bat speed and will be an impact middle of the order bat at the next level. The Clemson commit also closed out a win with 2.0 IP as he punched out 3 batters, running his fastball up to 95 mph with a late upper-70s slider.
-Craig Cozart
Jack Smejkal (2026 TX) could have easily been placed in the stars category had we gotten more run from the #35 prospect in the nation, but in the two innings we did get, it’s safe to say the stuff is real. With the FB up to 94 mph, a number that has steadily climbed over the last two years, Smejkal is one of those arms who draws attention from pitch one and maintains it over the course of the appearance. He pairs the heat with a late breaking SL and has one of the higher upsides in the country still at just 16 years old.
Luke Williams (2026 PA) - Williams has become accustomed to playing under the brightest lights, as the PA native has been a staple at the top of the USA Prime order for some time now. One of the more intriguing toolsets in the ‘26 class, the 6-foot, 178 pound primary IF has lightning speed with a cannon for an arm, and has flashed both contact and power threat on the offensive end.
Bryce Hill (2026 CT) - Hill continued his year of dominance on the mound in Jupiter, tossing four clean innings of five strikeout, one run baseball which brings his ERA to a 1.43 over 14.2 IP. The FB, already sitting in the low 90s with the ability to reach back for 94/95, displays present riding action and is without a doubt one of the livelier FBs in the class. As the #1 ranked prospect in CT and #92 nationally, the arrow is only pointing up here.
-AJ Denny
Steele Hall, SS
Hall was one of the true standouts in Jupiter, showcasing lots of athleticism and impressive pop. The bat is short and quick with a direct path, capable of making tight turns. The hands are fast and the power comes easy, going 411-feet to right centerfield for a long two-run homer.
Maddux Lessard, C
Lessard recently reclassed from the 2027 class to the 2026 class and followed with a loud performance. The backstop has grown man strength and the ball jumps. The swing is built for power with a steep path and big strength out front. The juice always shows up and he handled quality stuff without missing a beat.
Brooks Zumwalt, C
Zumwalt has some of the best power in the 2026 class and it was on display for Canes National 17U. At 6-foot-6, 180-pounds, the left-handed bat uses the long levers well, picking up a knock in all five games he played in. The Missouri native regularly throws up big exit velocity numbers and the power upside is enormous.
Blake Bryant, RHP
Bryant was utterly dominant, facing up against a talented lineup. The Clemson commit tossed five scoreless, one-hit frames and filled up the zone. Standing at an ultra lean and projectable 6-foot-5, 165-pounds, Bryant is really athletic on the bump. The fastball held velocity in the low-90s and topped at 94. He has standout feel to spin the ball and has a lot of ways to miss bats.
-Kyler Peterson
Jack Lerro (2027, Haddon Heights, New Jersey) made a brief appearance for BPC, as the athletic right-hander continued to showcase electric arm speed and real feel for spin that will be fun to watch develop over the next few years. He worked around some early command issues, while punching out two across his two-innings of work. He will assuredly add velocity as he physically matures, will continue to refine his delivery and will be a name to monitor closely as a low mileage arm that hails from the Northeast.
Sean Loggie (2026, Westfield, New Jersey) could have been mentioned in the uncommitted for now list, as the 6-foot-6 left-hander has plenty of interest but the velocity upside and immense projection could have this New Jersey native ascending the rankings rapidly. He has been into the low-90s already with his fastball, while showcasing an aptitude for spin and the ability to turn over a changeup well. The sky is the limit with this young left-hander.
Jaden Grose (2026, Huntington Station, New York) is another Northeast arm that could have been in the uncommitted section but for various reasons we decided to include him here. Grose delivered nine scoreless innings across two appearances, as the athletic right-hander has dealt all of 2024. He pounds the zone effortlessly from a loose, whippy arm stroke and the fastball has plenty of life to it. He has been up to 90 mph but the untapped velocity that should come rather soon is why he is in the Next Wave category. Couple that with an excellent feel for spin, as he seemingly lands his two-plane slider at-will and we very well could see Grose performing once again come next Jupiter.
Landon Green (2027, Clearwater, Florida) has been a name that has become synonymous with a high-octane fastball and huge arm talent, as the number five prospect in the Class of 2027 has run his fastball up to 96 mph in previous PG events. He got the start for East Coast Sox 2025 Scout in their pivotal playoff matchup during the round of 16. He ran it up to 95 mph in this look with huge life through the zone and elicited plenty of whiffs in the zone. He did battle some command issues but the arm talent is simply unreal and we could see Green flirt with triple digits over the next few years.
-John McAdams
Malachi Washington (’26, Stone Mountain, Ga.)- the 6-foot-1, 194-pound right-handed hitting outfielder displayed all the skills and tools that major league scouts covet in a player. The uncommitted Washington showcased a quick bat with the ability to adjust the barrel in the box for consistent hard impact through the middle of the field. His athleticism was really on display in the outfield where he covered a ton of ground with good reads and closing speed on balls to both gaps for East Cobb/ Padres ST Brown. A highly touted uncommitted prospect, Washington will lead the next wave of Georgia prospects from the powerhouse Parkview High School program.
Jonathan Griggs (’26, Atlanta, Ga.)- the 5-foot-10, 200-pound right-handed hitter was all over the barrel for Ghost National with seven hits in 11 at-bats over five games. The No. 2 ranked catcher in the Georgia state class used the whole field with barrel control and strength through the zone to finish with a 1.220 on-base plus slugging percentage. Griggs also showed solid defensive skills behind the plate with multiple runners caught stealing and agility to both sides while blocking. A talented uncommitted backstop that displayed the skills necessary to contribute at the next level on both sides of the ball.
Jace Riggan (’27, Tallahassee, Fla.)- the 6-foot-2, 185-pound primary shortstop was big on the mound for East Coast Sox 2025 Scout on their road to a runner-up finish. A talented two-way athlete and sophomore at North Florida Christian, he closed out two wins for the Sox with 2 and 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Riggan ran the fastball up to 91 mph during his outings and finished with four strikeouts while commanding the zone at nearly 65% strike rate. He finishes off the ’24 PG season with 25 strikeouts over 15 and 2/3 innings pitched and a miniscule .148 batted average against. Riggan is only breaking the surface as a two-way player and next wave of talented prospects from the 2027 Florida state class.
-Jason Phillips
’26 1B
AJ Curry
Curry was one of the better underclass performers in Jupiter and he finished up the event hitting .400 with a triple and three RBI. The approach is so mature, and he doesn’t expand the zone at all, drawing ten walks over six games. It’s a sweet left-handed cut with obvious barrel skills and he can spray the ball all over the yard with authority as well. The hit tool is polished, and he was one of the big winners of the underclass players in attendance.
’26 1B
Dylan Minnatee
Minnatee has been a big riser since the summer months and he showed all the reasons why we’re so excited about him as an underclass name. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound first baseman showed off the left-handed swing with high end bat speed in Jupiter through four games. He wrapped up the event hitting .400 with two doubles and eight RBI. The ball comes off the bat different with him and he just seems to be on the barrel at a super high clip.
’26 1B
Collin Bland
Bland strung together an impressive showing in 2024 and capped it with another strong performance in Jupiter as an underclassman. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound first baseman hit .364 with two doubles and four RBI. It’s a prototypical left-handed power bat and he hits at a high clip as well. There’s enormous strength coming off the barrel and he gets into it often. He’s a name that will certainly garner plenty of buzz in the coming years, especially if he continues to hit at this high of a clip.
’26 RHP
Matthew Sharman
Sharman continues to show every reason why he’s the #1 RHP in Georgia in a loaded 2026 class. The velocity only continues to trend up with Sharman and he ran the fastball up to 94 mph multiple times in the outing in Jupiter. The changeup is a real weapon with heavy fading action, and he sells it well. The Georgia commit rounds out the mix with a breaking ball that continues to take big strides as his third pitch. He’s only solidified himself more and more as one of the top right-handers in the class and is a name that scouts are extremely excited about in the 2026 class.
-Cam McElwaney
Kaden Wasniewski (2027, McHenry, Ill.) had a couple of appearances in Jupiter this year, totaling 2 and â…” innings of work where he allowed just 1 hit, and struck out 5 opposing hitters. He worked up to 92 mph on the fastball, with a feel for off speed that continues to develop. He shined on the circuit in the midwest and made some noise in Jupiter as a ‘27 with plenty to like down the line.
Joseph Mittiga (2026, Suwanee, Ga.) was flat-out dominant in his relief outing for the ECB/Padres Scout Team squad in Jupiter this year. Mittiga worked the upper 80s with a tougher low-slot release, a good slider that had quality lateral depth, and a changeup he mixed in. He threw strikes and pounded the zone. He threw 7 and 2/3 innings throughout the week, with just 3 walks, punching out 12 opposing hitters along the way. He’s someone to monitor in Georgia.
Brett Biondich (2026, Hartford, Wisc.) may already be committed, but that does not mean he’s going to be someone who’s part of the next wave with the 2026s. He’s going to make noise and get a lot of attention as someone with a two-way upside. He worked the upper-80s on the mound with feel to pitch and a really good feel for a breaker that he could land for strikes. He threw 3.0 innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and punching out 5 opposing hitters. He also picked up a few hits at the plate. The TCU commit is a name to know when coming out of the Midwest moving forward.
Chris Guillory (2026, Covington, Ga.) is another instance of someone who’s committed but will continue to carve out a place as part of the next wave. The Kennesaw State commit has a projection that leaves worlds of upside moving forward. It’s an uber-projectable 6-foot-4. 190-pound lean frame and build. He works in the upper-80s right now, but there’s reason to believe there’s more in the tank with an extremely live-arm action and projection moving forward. Guillory threw 3.0 innings, allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and punched out 5 in my look, and was one of my favorite arms from Jupiter this year.
Matt Meeker (2027, Waukee, Iowa) made noise all summer/fall on the circuit and has become a name to know in the Midwest. He grabbed a couple of hits this fall in Jupiter, but he’s only going to become more of a common name amongst the 2027 group in the years to come. It’s an uber-physical and strong frame with a ton of feel for the barrel, and the impacts are real loud. He produces on the circuit and is certainly part of the next wave of big-time talent.
-Tyler Kotila
Anthony Murphy (2026, Corona, Calif.) had a productive week at the plate with a batting average at .500 out of 2-hole. Murphy is an uncommitted guy with great tools and should be a good get at the outfield position for a lot of teams. Murphy has advanced bat to ball, along with some good speed on the bases.
Lawson McLeod (2026, Richmond, Va.) has some high-octane stuff for his class, running the fastball up to 96 mph with good life and run. He also uses a slider in the 81-84 mph range with late bite. He is dominant when in the zone, and if it’s there he will be a very intriguing guy as he progresses. The LSU commit has a large frame and should only continue to gain velocity.
Brock Rein (2026, Fayetteville, Ga.) is a Georgia commit with excellent strength, and he also displays a good hit tool. He hits well for both average and power, with good actions in the field as well. Rein projects as a third basemen as he continues to add size, but only time will tell as the hands are good enough to play up the middle. Rein didn’t show the power too much in Jupiter, but it is nice to see a younger guy getting on and spraying line drives the way he did.
-Jake Willis