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Tournaments  | Story  | 12/10/2024

Finest in the Field: Class of 2026

Vincent Cervino     
Finest in the Field: Class of 2025
The Class of 2026 has long been lauded for its depth of talent, overall athleticism, and top of the scale tools, so with that said, let's look at some of the premier defenders within the group. 





Catcher: Brady Murrietta, Orange Lutheran HS (Yorba Linda, CA)

Murrietta is a strong, physical backstop with all of the strength and physical tools to stick behind the dish long term. He can guide a pitching staff, block balls in the dirt, and throw out runners with comfort and frequency. The Texas commit checks all the boxes you’re looking for out of a catcher.

First Base: Dylan Minnatee, Franklin HS (Elk Grove, CA)

Minnatee has smooth, soft hands over at first base and offers a solid base and target at the position to help out his other infielders. He’s surehanded over there too, picking balls out of the dirt and nimbly maneuvering his footwork around the bag to be optimal and efficient.

Infield: Grady Emerson, Argyle HS (Argyle, TX)

The No. 1 player in the class, Emerson has pro actions already at shortstop with an excellent internal clock, timing, and comfort at the position. He’s got plenty of arm to stick at short and his ability to make the special play seem routine is fairly unmatched by his peers.

Infield: Jacob Lombard, Gulliver Schools (Miami, FL)

Lombard is a dynamic, quick twitch athlete with the ability to be explosive in either direction. The explosiveness and speed he shows on the dirt posits some serious upside and he’s shown the ability to make game changing defensive plays with the penchant and comfort for backhands.

Infield: Rookie Shepard, Faith Lutheran HS (North Las Vegas, NV)

Shepard played shortstop for large portions of the summer but has the versatility and athleticism to profile well at multiple infield positions. There’s comfort and softness to the glove hand with strong fundamentals and a consistent motor and clock to turn chances into outs.

Outfield: Wessley Roberson, Glynn Academy (Brunswick, GA)

Roberson has explosive tools highlighted by a 6.4 second 60 yard dash to go along with a 97 mph arm from the outfield. He’s fast and athletic with a real chance to play centerfield given his confident, accurate routes and base of strong tools.

Outfield: Brady Harris, Trinity Christian Academy (St. Augustine, FL)

Harris has real centerfield traits and tools as he ran a 6.6 second 60 this summer while also throwing in the low-90s. The routes are crisp and he gets a beat on batted balls almost immediately. The path is very clean to the baseball and Harris can also make the spectacular play look easy when he’s in pursuit.

Outfield: Kevin Roberts Jr, Jackson Preparatory (Meridian, MS)

Roberts Jr played a ton of centerfield this summer and looked really impressive doing so, cutting balls off in the alleys and showing off the arm strength too. He’s a 6.5 runner in the 60 so he has the pure speed to stick at the position long term and realistically he could profile all over the diamond if he wanted to.

Pitcher: Kaden Waechter, Tampa Jesuit HS (St. Petersburg, FL)

Waechter is a super intriguing prospect on the mound and his glove work is hard to get past as he’s also the starting shortstop for Florida powerhouse Tampa Jesuit. He’s a very good athlete and mover on the bump with the obvious arm strength and the defensive acumen to play the left side as well.

Utility: Luke Williams, Franklin Regional HS (Murrysville, PA)

Williams has major tools as he ran a 6.3 second 60 this summer and also threw 98 mph from the outfield. He fits into the utility role here as he played both the middle infield and outfield this summer. It’s major arm strength with very fast actions, specifically footwork, and his athleticism could lead him anywhere on the diamond.
 
 
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