Top 2028 Prospects To Watch In Ohio

Ohio continues to showcase its deep well of talent, as the current class of first-year high school softball players is already making national waves.   As Prep Softball continues its deep dive into the next stars from the Buckeye State, here are some top softball prospects to watch from the class of 2028.    Widely regarded as the top softball prospect from Ohio in the class of 2028, Jayde is well on her way to an illustrious college softball career. With arm strength clocked at 65 MPH and a speedy profile on the bases, she is already ahead of most players in her class. She is currently playing on an 18U club team and is a two-time USA Softball All-American.   Jayde has visited Power 4 schools like Arkansas and has received attention from LSU, Kentucky, UCLA and Texas A&M. Depending on how she develops, Jayde—who last fall went 26-for-26 on stolen-base attempts in 26 games—can be the cornerstone of any infield. She profiles as a gap power hitter and is trying to utilize her lower body more this season to turn those gap doubles into home runs for the Avon Eagles.     At just 5-feet tall, Rylee has already demonstrated above-average arm strength and the ability to drive the ball into the outfield. She has raw talent that can develop throughout her time in high school and allow her to become one of the top defensive catchers in the state. Though her pop time is a tad slower than some of her other catching peers, her transition is smooth and her arm generates a ton of speed.   At the plate, Rylee has an incredibly fluid swing and utilizes her lower body well to drive the ball. For someone her size, it is clear that she can become a star as time goes on. Even in the infield, Rylee uses her talented glove and arm to play solid defense, particularly at third base.     Olivia has a slick glove at shortstop and is a speedy player on the base paths. She is already playing a year up in travel softball and is dominating at showcases. Earlier this month, Olivia batted .417 through five games at America's Premier Fall Showcase. Not only does she have good bat speed through the zone, but she also has a good eye in the box.   Olivia will hopefully become a steady leadoff hitter for the Ohio Thunderbolts and Kings High School, while also developing her power as she grows throughout high school.     It's clear from watching Savanna hit that she can become one of the top power hitters in the state of Ohio by the time she graduates high school. She uses a very open stance, loads aggressively with a big leg kick and explodes on the ball, driving it to all parts of the field like an upperclassman. Her exit velocity nears 70 MPH, and she just recently earned a spot on the Ohio Storm 16U Premier team.   Though her main position on the field is at third base, Savanna excels in the circle with the same ferocious approach that she has at the plate. Her fastball is nearly 60 MPH, and she has developed a curveball, changeup and screwball as well.     Mackenzie is a 5-foot-2 catcher and third baseman from Licking Heights High School. She uses a closed, modest stance at the plate and tries to keep everything she hits on a line. In the batter's box, Mackenzie can quickly turn on any pitch and has a compact swing that allows her to adjust on the fly to offspeed pitches.   Behind the plate, she has a powerful arm and is already showing signs of elite glove skills. Though her pop time is still around 2.4 seconds and her velocity at catcher is below 50 MPH, Mackenzie has the ability to grow into a backstop who can get runners out with ease.

Ohio continues to showcase its deep well of talent, as the current class of first-year high school softball players is already making national waves.