John Hucko OF/LHP, Charlotte, North Carolina
The recent Auburn commit has as likely a chance as anyone to make a huge jump in the rankings. The outfielder has a ton of athleticism in the 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame with good bat speed from a compact swing and good feel for the hands. Has shown a feel to impact and drive the ball and as the frame continues to fill out the power should blossom as well. On the mound, the left-handed pitcher has been up to 89 at Perfect Game events and shows a feel for a three-pitch mix. Repeats the delivery well and has more velocity in the tank. Has shown all the tools and as the results start to follow, he’ll be primed to make a big jump in the rankings as well.
Grant Helms OF/1B, RHP, Harrisburg, North Carolina
The uncommitted outfielder has shown the tools and upside, in the box the right-handed hitter leverages well with plus bat speed and easy jump off the barrel. Elevates to the pull-side well and has shown feel to use the whole field with a flat bat plane. Defensively also shows good speed and a strong arm. As the athletic and lean, 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame continues to add on strength the power will continue to show. Has all the tools to be a plus offensive threat and as he starts to put it all together has a chance to continue to jump in the rankings.
-Marcus Thomas
Most Likely to Hit .500 at PG Events in 2026:
Christian Gomez, 2027, OF, Haymarket, VA
An advanced lefthanded hitter with a sweet stroke and the knack for finding the barrel, Gomez performs at the highest-level events. He batted .571 with 4 home runs and 14 RBI at the 16u WWBA this past summer and stood out at the PG Underclass All-American and PG All-Star Games. He is 6-2/170 with loose actions and plenty of room to add physicality in the coming months. At the plate, Gomez coils into his backside and unleashes easy bat speed with natural loft and plenty of power to come. The UNC commit had 45 at bats in Perfect Game events in ’25 where he put together a slash line of .444/.533/.889 with 6 doubles, those 4 home runs and 21 total RBI. He also walked more than he struck out while swiping 6 bags. With continued maturity and the consistency of his bat path, Gomez is a likely candidate to hit over .500 in the 2026 PG season.
-CC
Nico Moritz-Toledo OF/1B, Gainesville, Virginia
This feels like an easy answer as the plus runner just wrapped up an impressive 2025 that already saw him hit .500 in his 72 at-bats across Perfect Game events. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound left-handed hitter uses a simple swing that is able to pepper line drives to all field and has started to show the power with impact to the middle-of-the-field and the pull-side. The Virginia Tech commit also has plus speed that shows in game and allows him to create an impact on the bases and wreak havoc on defenses. He has shown the barrel feel and the tools to hit .500 already and there’s no reason he couldn’t repeat it again in 2026.
-MT
Most Likely to Make a Velo Jump Into the Mid-90s in 2026:
Alexander "Sasha" Quigley-Skillin, 2027, RHP, Stafford, VA
Physicality is a big part of projection as everyone knows and at 6-4/225 Quigley-Skillin fits the description. With broad shoulders and a well-developed base, he is a presence on the bump and works downhill with leverage. Using a medium inline arm path in the back he accelerates through a high-3/4 arm angle to release. There is still room for more extension at release which allows for the anticipation of more velocity in the near future. His fastball already reaches 90 mph, there is obvious arm strength but room to develop the delivery even more to allow for increased arm speed. Quigley-Skillin shows the makings of a plus slider in the mid-70s and a fading changeup that profiles long term. He put together a stellar PG season with a 1.14 ERA and averaged a strikeout per inning.
-CC
Connor Wells LHP/1B, Spartanburg, South Carolina
The LSU commit has already been up to 93 and behind the big, 6-foot-6, 210-pound frame the chances of Wells getting into the mid-to-upper 90s feels more likely than not. The fastball has a ton of ride and holds plane well. The left-handed pitcher shows a solid three-pitch mix with a slider in the low-80s and 2300+ RPM that creates swing and miss, and a change-up in the low-80s that he effectively kills spins on into the 1300 RPMs. Wells was also dominant in his 17 innings on the mound with 35 strikeouts to only seven walks and a 0.82 ERA across his events. As the frame continues to fill out and and the velocity continues to tick up, he could continue to see himself as a name to watch for the 2027 draft class.
Luke Samples RHP/1B, 3B, Durham, North Carolina
The Wake Forest commit has an easy frame to dream on, measuring 6-foot-7, 208-pounds and plenty of room to fill and add strength onto. The fastball is already up to 92 from a high three- quarter to over-the-top angle. The No. 1 RHP in North Carolina has an easy delivery and gets extended down the mound well with solid jump out of the hand. Samples collected 29 strikeouts in his 21.2 innings and had a 0.97 ERA this year. As the frame and mechanics continue to grow into the frame, the velocity and the curveball could take another big jump in 2026.
-MT
Most Likely to Back Up a Breakout in 2025:
Corbin Spillards, 2027, SS/RHP, Sunset, SC
Spillards made a profound statement with his performance in the 16u WWBA National Championship where he batted .391 with an OPS of .913 and really burst onto the scene with his showcase performance in May. He is a long, lean 6-0/180 athlete who is a plus runner and a stellar defender at shortstop. His arm strength stands out, ripping the ball across the diamond at 90 mph and shows all the skills desired for an up the middle glove. Spillards is a switch-hitter as well with quality barrel talent from both sides and projects power wise as he stands tall at the dish and creates easy loft. He also shows talent on the mound with a fastball that reaches the upper-80s and a tight slider with 2,500+ rpms. There is the potential to see him play both ways at the next level and he is a Wake Forest commit.
-CC
Mason McGill LHP/1B Martinsburg, West Virginia
The left-handed pitcher broke into the Top 500 nationally and looks poised to keep the momentum going into 2026. The West Virginia commit has a 6-foot, 185-pound frame has seen his velocity jump from mid-80s up to 90 since 2024 and features a good three-pitch mix with a slider with high-tilt and 1-7 shape and change-up with depth that he is able to get swing-and-miss on and misses barrels to collect 25 strikeouts in 13 innings on the mound and highlighted by a five inning 11 strikeout gem at the WWBA Underclass World Championship. Has shown the feel to pitch and miss barrels and there are no signs of him slowing down anytime soon.
Luke Danser 3B/1B, Charlotte, North Carolina
Made a huge jump both nationally and in-state in our latest rankings after posting a .478/.561/.826 slash line in 2025 with three home runs and 38 RBI in 33 games. The corner infielder has a 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame and has a short, clean stroke with good hand speed and feel to impact. Danser was all over the barrel in 2025 and as the frame continues to fill out and add strength there’s more power to be unlocked in the frame. The Dayton commit went 5-for-11 with a double and two triples at the WWBA Underclass World Championship and looks poised to keep it going into the years to come.
-MT
Most Likely to Lead the Region in Home Runs in 2026:
Jacob Seamon, 2027, OF, Waxhaw, NC
There may not be a more projectable lefthanded hitter in the nation than Seamon and at 6-5/200 he is long, lean and young for his class. He has only just begun to fill out his elite frame and while he has elite feel for hitting the power in his swing is still on the way. For as long as he has been on the circuit, he has been known for peppering line drives foul-line to foul-line but rarely pulled the baseball. His attack angle is direct to the ball, and it is scary to think about what will happen when he adds mass and starts to get the barrel on plane. The few home runs he has hit have come on a line, but he uncorks a swing here and there that allow you to dream on what’s to come. Seamon slashed .417/.477/.694 in 36 at bats in PG events in ’25 with 1 home run. Watch for the LSU commit to start getting some air under the ball this spring and that will set the stage for him leading the region in round trippers in 2026.
-CC
Christian Gomez OF/LHP, Haymarket, Virginia
The North Carolina commit has shown off the power all 2025 with four home runs and seven extra-base hits and as the long, lean and athletic 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame with plenty of physical projection remaining matures the power output will continue to trend up. The left-handed hitter has present plus bat speed and lift in the swing with twitchy, fast hands. Between a swing that is geared to do damage and a frame that can continue to put on more strength and an advanced look in the box, don’t be surprised if at the end of 2026 Gomez is the top power hitter in the region.
Jose Doubront 3B/RHP, Greenville, South Carolina
The uncommitted third baseman showed off the power all 2025 launching six home runs. The right-handed hitter has good bat speed and can impact the ball from gap-to-gap and more room to develop and get into the power. Strong, two-way player that has feel for the barrel that looks to do damage in the swing. The only thing that could stop him, would be that on the mound he has also ran the fastball up to 93 and posted a 2.08 ERA in 33.2 innings on the mound. Physical 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame that has everything that a hitter would need to lead the region in home runs.
-MT