By: Evan Furfaro – Director of Missouri, ScoutConnect

Throughout the summer, whether it be at our showcases, tournaments, or in other various looks, our ScoutConnect staff was able to get a high amount of valuable, in-person looks at several talented uncommitted ‘27s throughout the Midwest. 

In the piece below, our Missouri Director of Scouting Evan Furfaro provides his takes, and video, on 15 of his favorite uncommitted incoming seniors he saw throughout our summer circuit. 

+ INF Henry Ladenberger (Chaminade, 2027) has easily been one of the more intriguing uncommitted ‘27s in our looks this year. The right-handed-hitting infielder has shown more than enough capability to slot into a middle of the order profile at the next level with his present raw, and in-game power. He has registered multiple 100+ MPH exit velocities in our events this summer and has shown an ability to work to both sides of the field. Ladenberger uses a high leg kick that creates separation between the hands and front foot. Showed the ability to get on plane and lift the ball when needed. The premium bat has a chance to be an immediate impact wherever he ends up come fall of 2027. 

Henry Ladenberger

+ Another right-handed bat with middle-of-the-order make-up is Jaydon Burrage (Geneseo, 2027). The corner infielder has shown advanced strength in the swing with bat speeds averaging 75.7 MPH, and feel for the barrel at a consistent rate. There’s no shortage of in-game ability either as he has produced exit velocities in the mid-90s on balls in play, reaching 97 MPH. Hands work on plane early creating a level swing with present, high level hand speed. Burrage will surely be a bat for coaches to keep an eye on through the fall and into next spring.

Jaydon Burrage

+ INF/RHP Uriah Reardon (Veritas Christian, 2027) is another intriguing two-way prospect with plenty of athleticism in a 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. There’s already present strength as seen in his average exit velocity of 97.4 MPH, and his peak of 107.9 MPH, but there is still more to come. It’s a right-handed bat with easy juice, and feel to find the barrel at a high rate. Reardon also ran a 7.10 60-yard time, and showed clean actions on the infield with a chance to stick at a corner infield spot. On the mound, Reardon worked in-line and displayed a clean, effortless arm action working from a 3/4 slot and generating fastballs at 83-85 MPH. From an off-speed standpoint, he utilized a tight slider in the mid-70s, and flashed a change up with sink/dive action. Reardon has been a winner in our looks this spring and summer, and we’re looking forward to seeing him at our Fall Games event at SIUE on September 22nd. 

Uriah Reardon

+ INF/RHP Liam Decker (O’Fallon, 2027) will be one for coaches to keep an eye on as well. The two-way prospect has shown well in both the showcase, and in-game setting in our looks this summer. On the mound, Decker features a fastball that sits in the upper-80s, reaching 91 mph. Works from a short arm action and fires from a more over-the-top look. From an off-speed standpoint, Decker utilized two distinct breaking balls, one with more depth and bigger shape in the low-70s, and a tighter slider in the mid-to-upper 70s. There is present arm speed already and we believe there is a chance for even more on the mound for Decker. At the plate, Decker swings an athletic bat that stays more compact and simple. He has also shown an ability to rotate with the feel to lift the ball. There’s clear potential for a true two-way profile at the next level leading our staff to believe Decker is a top uncommitted arm and bat in the Metro East. 

Liam Decker

+ MIF Nolan Julseth (New Glarus, 2027) is an up the middle prospect that caught our eye in this year’s Main Event. It’s a scrappy, left-handed hitter with hands that can really work at the plate. Julseth profiles as your top-of-the-order bat with an ability to find the barrel consistently and get on base. To add on, Julseth features an advanced run tool that can be a true difference maker at the next level. On the other side of the ball, Julseth is a clean and athletic defender with a high-level arm capable of sticking on the left side of the infield. 

Nolan Julseth

+ LHP Anthony Farina (Lockport, 2027) was an arm that showed well at our Main Event this summer, up at Illinois State. What stood out the most for us in our looks was Farina’s pitchability. He utilized a three-pitch mix with swing and miss in and out of the zone while mixing tempo. It’s a delivery that works longer in the back while getting to a more over-the-top slot. From there, Farina’s fastball sat in the low-80s and paired with a big, 12/6 breaking ball in the upper-60s/low-70s. He also showed feel for a change up with arm-side run in the low-70s. 

Anthony Farina

+ From our time at the Midwest Scouts Association Showcase this summer, we were able to get eyes on Ty Holt (Greenwood, 2027), a backstop out of the state of Arkansas. Being one of the few uncommitted prospects at the event this year, Holt still looked the part of a top uncommitted bat from the Midwest while facing some of the top arms from the region. His in-game showing was impressive with clearly present bat speed from a twitchy, athletic swing. There’s plenty of strength on display from a 5-foot-11, 189-pound frame that generated an exit velocity of 100 mph on a single. 

Ty Holt

+ RHP Cy Craft (DuQuoin, 2027) has been an arm that consistently gives us intriguing looks with every outing this summer. Craft features an athletic frame with strength in the lower half. He repeats an in-line delivery while firing from a more over-the-top slot and works downhill. His long levers generated a fastball in the mid-to-upper 80s and paired with a slider/change up mix in the low-80s.

Cy Craft

+ OF Corde Gage (CBC, 2027) looks the part of a high-level premium position player in the ‘27 class. The center fielder comes off a very productive spring for a talented Christian Brothers team where he hit for a .404 AVG and recorded 30 RBIs. There’s plenty to like in the athleticism for Gage starting with his 60 time of 6.53 seconds and an advanced arm from the outfield reaching 93 MPH. It’s a strong, more compact swing with an ability to hit to further parts of the field. Gage is one of the top uncommitted bats in Missouri’s ‘27 class with a chance to compete at a high level.

Corde Gage

+ LHP Matthias Rudolph (Monticello, 2027) was a name that really came away from our Summer Games event, emerging from the day as the day’s MVP. It’s a long, lanky frame that stands at 6-foot-2, 170-pounds and showed present arm speed out front while working from a less-than-full circle in the back. His fastball sat 85-87 mph with a chance to tick up as he continues to add strength, and paired with a breaking ball in the mid-70s that he manipulated for more depth/tighter shapes. Rudolph is an arm that’s easy to dream on and we believe there’s a chance for more to come as he continues to fill out his frame. 

Matthias Rudolph

+ Another athletic defender that has shown well in our looks is MIF Abel Clark (Pinckneyville, 2027). Clark has been a true winner from our tournaments this summer, showing his ability to find the barrel repeatedly and use both sides of the field. He displayed a simple, right-handed swing that stayed through the zone for high impact. On the other side of the ball, Clark has shown clean and fluid actions up the middle.

Abel Clark

+ RHP Cody Baden (Fort Zumwalt West, 2027) attended our Summer Games event this year and walked away as one of the top arms of the event. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound right-hander carries a lean, athletic frame that can easily continue to add on strength. He showed an ability to get down the mound with a quick arm generating a fastball at 84-86 mph. His off-speed pitches included a sharp slider with depth in the low-70s, and a change up that he was able to throw to right-handed hitters in the mid-70s for swing and miss. With the current rawness in Baden’s profile, there’s a lot more to come over the course of this off season and in the coming year.

Cody Baden

+ OF Nick Miles (Roxana, 2027) has been a no-doubt winner from our events this summer after coming off of a successful spring for Roxana. The left-handed bat has posted advanced numbers across the board in our looks including a 60-yard time of 6.81 seconds and an exit velocity of 100.7 mph. Miles features a toe-tap stride with compact hands capable of producing above-average bat speeds up to 71.8 mph and hand speeds up to 22.7 mph. There’s plenty to like in the blend of gap to gap ability paired with a high-level run tool for the outfielder.

Nick Miles 

+ RHP Nathan Rutz (Eureka, 2027) was another arm that showed the makings of a top uncommitted prospect from this year’s events. With a highly projectable frame at 6-foot-5, 210-pounds, Rutz displayed control while getting down the mound and firing from a low-3/4 slot. He utilized a two-seam fastball with arm side action for weak contact, and went to a change up that featured traits capable of keeping hitters off balance at the next level with sink/dive action in the upper-70s. Rutz also flashed a slider at 74-76 mph that he threw for strikes throughout his outing. 

Nathan Rutz

+ Rounding out our top uncommitted arms for the summer is RHP Landon Dippel (O’Fallon, 2027). Dippel featured a physical frame that worked from a more up-tempo standpoint. His arm displayed a shorter arm action and got to a 3/4 slot. The fastball played in the low-mid-80s, topping 86 mph, and paired with a slider at 72-74 mph (2500+ RPM). He also flashed a change up with natural arm-side run at 77-79 mph.

Landon Dippel