Northwest Herald baseball preview: 5 to watch in 2023

Here are five baseball players to watch for the 2023 season in the Northwest Herald area.

Brayden Bakes, Huntley, OF, sr.

Bakes was a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selection after hitting .444 with 10 home runs and 38 RBIs while helping the Red Raiders to the Fox Valley Conference title and a 31-5 overall record. Bakes scored an area-high 54 runs and took over in the leadoff spot when his twin, Ryan, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. He had on OPS of 1.504 and was selected to the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 4A All-State team. He signed with Indiana for college baseball.

Ryan Bakes, Huntley, OF-C, sr.

Bakes was tearing it up through 11 games when he suffered a left shoulder injury sliding headfirst into a base. Bakes was hitting .469, with a 1.655 OPS and five homers with 14 RBIs. Nine of his 15 hits were for extra bases. He was an All-Area first-team pick as a sophomore. With the Red Raiders’ Brandon Hanley graduated, Bakes may get more time at catcher this season. He is signed with South Carolina.

Lleyton Grubich, McHenry, P-OF, sr.

The lefthander recorded an outstanding junior season as one of the Warriors’ top two starters (with Kyle Kaempf) on McHenry’s first team to advance to the Class 4A state tournament. Grubich was 6-3 with a 2.66 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 58 innings. He was an All-Area first-team selection. He threw the Jacobs Sectional championship game, a 4-3 win over Huntley in which the Red Raiders got all their runs on AJ Putty’s three-run homer. Grubich will pitch at McHenry County College next year.

Ryan Skwarek, Crystal Lake South, 3B-P, sr.

Skwarek was the Gators’ top run producer with a .414 batting average, two homers and a team-high 34 RBIs. South put together a strong postseason run after tying for sixth in the Fox Valley Conference and made the Class 3A state tournament. Skwarek, an All-Area first-teamer, also contributed out of the bullpen with a 3.38 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 29 innings. He was an IHSBCA Class 3A All-State selection. Skwarek will play at McHenry County College.

Caden Vogt, Marengo, P-OF, sr.

Vogt was a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team outfielder, but also could have made it as a pitcher as one of the area’s best position players and pitchers. Vogt hit .402 with two homers and 23 RBIs for the Indians. He had a .518 on-base percentage and an OPS of 1.235. As a pitcher, the lefty was 8-1 with a 1.42 ERA in 64 innings and had an area-best 122 strikeouts. He will play at McHenry County College.