AAU Baseball has reviewed the upcoming class of 2023 talent in New Jersey in preparation for these boys to take on the high school baseball season.  These young men are a talented group and have yet to take the field and some have yet to meet their high school baseball coach.  From the summer to the fall, we have evaluated their progress from some of the premier baseball events to produce our top AAU NJ Baseball Prospects.  This class is full of young talented ballplayers and today we will debut our initial NJ Class of 2023 rankings. This list features 16 of the top high school freshman in the state of New Jersey that have been selected for certain attributes. This list is sure to grow over the next four years as more and more talented players continue to stand out as these players mature both physically and mentally.  These wide-eyed freshmen are eager to make an impact at the high school level as well as the national stage as most already have done that at the Freshman Games. Year-in and year-out, New Jersey produces a ton of top tier national talent and we get to preview them here from across the state.

CATCHER:  JACE GILLIGAN

It is hard to argue against Gilligan as the top backstop in the 2023 class defensively. His skillset both with his flexibility and agile lateral movements, as well as his receiving skills, really stand out for his age. The New Jersey native has a very strong arm from behind the dish as well. Combining his catch-and-throw skills with his ability to receive and block, Gilligan is really a no-brainer for the catching spot in the 2023 class.

PITCHER / OUTFIELDER: RYAN POLANSKY

A lefty spot pitcher with great off speed and command had an ERA under 1.7. He showcased his skills well at the Freshman Games without giving up a run to some of the top hitters in the country. An athletic southpaw, Polansky has upside, as his body matures his velocity will strengthen making him even more of a threat on the hill. His combination of athleticism & ability to deal with pressure is one to watch this Freshman Year.  Polansky also plays centerfield & is one of best outfielders in the 2023 class - he reads the ball well, is explosive with his first step and takes efficient routes.

PITCHER / INFIELDER: JONNY GILLIGAN

A good year from Jonny with great velocity on the mound touching 84 MPH at the 2023 Freshman Games in the Summer with good command of his change-up, curve and fastball.  Jonny has some of the best hands as an infielder and is versatile as he has playing time at 3rd Base with a cannon of an arm as well as at Short Stope and 2nd. Base.  His flashy plays up the middle have been made at multiple premier events.  Gilligan’s offensive profile has really stood out as well as he hits from the left side with power and contact.

PITCHER / UTILITY PLAYER: AIDAN TEEL

with good family history in NJ.  Aidan is a talented player with great athleticism and smooth hands in the infield.  Teel has no issues firing a cannon across diamond with his live arm.  Teel commands an 83-84 MPH fastball with command along with a nasty breaking ball.  He also has great bat speed with solid contact to both sides of the field with fast speed down the line.  You will see this young man steel a lot of bags this season.  Teel will continue to grow and mature as a player and has room to grow physically, mentally and athletically.  Keep an eye out for Teel this year to make more headlines.

PITCHER / FIRST BASE: STANLEY CEDENO

Solid Lefty Pitcher with a fastball in the 82-83 MPH range. Cedeno lives down in the zone and challenges hitters and has good athleticism off the mound with his glove.  His time at first base has served him fielding while on the mound.  Cedeno also plays first base and covers some good ground with soft hands.  Will be an asset for St. Joes this upcoming Freshman year.

PITCHER: GRIFFEN SEIBEL

A solid year for Griffen on the mound.  He has electric stuff on the mound with a nasty curve ball and a fastball in the low 80’s.  Griffen displays great composure on the mound and projects to continue do well this upcoming year.  He performed well in national events as he dominated in those events against some of the top hitters, continue to keep Griffen on the radar during his upcoming Freshman year.

FIRST BASE: ELAN OFECK

A tall frame with a good stick. His versatility defensively as well as his advanced strength and size put him at the top of the class among players at the position.  Ofeck has good footwork around the bag and a clean funnel into his glove.  Elan continues to make strides at both his defensive position and at the plate.

UTILITY: RYAN JAROS

a 6 foot 3 inch frame with a strong arm.  Ryan can be seen primarily at 3rd and 1st base with good speed and can see him at the high school level taking some time in the outfield with his strong arm.

THIRD BASE: JUSTIN FORD

The third baseman on this list is a physical right-handed hitter at the hot corner, Ford has shown plenty of defensive skills to like including his hands, lateral quickness and ability to throw on the run charging in on slow rollers. Ford has a strong arm at the position as well with lots of carry to the first base bag. Ford can also show his arm strength on the mound with upper-70s velocity to go along with strong throws across the diamond.

OUTFIELDER: AJ GRACIA

The Duke Commit has had a great year.  AJ ranges very well in the outfield roaming center field with outstanding closing speed. His athleticism along with his outstanding instincts and fly ball reads lead to a good first step to the baseball allowing for his exceptionally advanced defensive skillset. Manning center field and a lefty pitcher with a good lefty stick shows why Duke made the commitment. Continue to watch AJ as Freshman in the upcoming year.  

SECOND BASE: KYLE HARD

Hard has great hands and has no issues with getting rid of the ball quick with excellent accuracy while turning two. Has excellent range in the field with a good sense of the game.  Contact hitter that can hit the gaps.  Kyle also excelled in premier events not only as an infielder but on the mound as well.  Kyle reaches in the upper 70’s with command of three pitches continues to challenge hitters on both sides of the plate.  Watch for Hard this Freshman year as he will be an all around asset on both offense and defense.

OUTFIELD: CONNER PRASCHIL

Tall Player with great range in the outfield with a good arm from left to home.  Communicates well in the field with excellent routes.  Praschil over 6 feet hits the ball hard and attacks the zone.  Excellent base running and aggressive leads and continued to rank high on stolen bases.  Praschil will continue impress the scouts on both offense and defense this year as a Freshman.

UTILITY PLAYER: ALLEN HERNANDEZ

Big Bat with excellent bat speed.  Hernandez coming in over 6 foot 4 has a big swing with good contact.  Solid pop off the bat and will be an offensive weapon for any team.  Hernandez can be used at either corner in the infield and shows the range across the diamond.  Hernandez also is used as a pitcher with fastball in the mid 80’s and showed his skills well in the premier tournaments last summer.  Continue to track Hernandez this year as a Freshman.   

MIDDLE INFIELDER:  GRIFFIN MILLS

Mills is a 6-foot + frame with good balance, speed and quick hands.  Fields the ball very clean and moves well on both sides of the glove.  Very athletic and competitive player and uses his tall figure to snatch those liners in the gaps with good range.  Mills also is a right-handed pitcher with velocity at 78-80 MPH.  Mills will continue to be a force on the hill and on the field with his great glove and speed.  Watch for Mills this upcoming Freshman Year.

CATCHER: CHARLIE TAUB

Solid backstop and frames well and has room to mature and grow.  At 5 foot 8 inches 160+ plus pounds, he moves and receives the ball well and has a lot of upside for his arm to get stronger and bat speed to climb.  Taub is a solid defender behind the dish and is an asset to any team, keep an eye on him in the years to come.

OUTFIELD: LUCA REYES

A recent commit to the University of Miami has excellent speed in the field, with excellent routes and a good arm.  Plays well in right field and is quick to gun a player from right to First Base with is good reaction time.  He plays Centerfield as well and communicates well out in the field.  Reyes has a solid bat and good speed on the base paths.  Bergen will have a solid defender in the field this year.