Mustangs’ Bruce takes top spot in MINK League’s 1st Top 30 rankings

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The MINK League has released its first-ever Top 30 player rankings that highlights the best of the best from the summer college baseball league.

In the first Top 30 rankings, Mustangs catcher Boston Bruce was the top-ranked player in the MINK League.

The Mustangs had nine players in the Top 30. Chillicothe had six players with Carroll and Nevada each having four.

North Missouri's squad had three in the rankings. For Clarinda and Joplin, they each had two.

LJ Hatch, a former professional baseball player with experience as a scouting director and player development, worked with league officials to create this Top 30 ranking with insight into each player.

Hatch said there are a lot of variables that went into creating the rankings system.

"This ranking directly connects raw on-field production with positional importance and the reality of college competition. Instead of relying on empty box-score stats, we built a model to compare everyone fairly on a single scale. Position players are graded on their run-creation ceiling using On-Base + Slugging (OPS), while pitchers are converted into a matching value based on run prevention.

To ensure this list translates to winning baseball, our formula factors in defensive premium and competition level. Players who handle high-value defensive positions, like premium catching or up-the-middle infielders and outfielders receive heavy prioritization. Furthermore, players facing elite Division I and premium Junior College pitching get a distinct bump over lower-tier programs. The result is a completely blended, data-driven power board that rewards defensive utility, high-stakes performance, and elite raw tools.

For the full Top 30 rankings, click here.