SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Moeller High School junior Matt Ponatoski, Ohio’s Mr. Footballthis past season, is ranked the nation’s No. 16 high school baseball draft prospect in the 2026 class by Baseball America.
Ponatoski, a shortstop and pitcher, is ranked Ohio’s No. 1 high school baseball player overall in his class by Prep Baseball, which is formerly Prep Baseball Report.
"What makes him great on the football field translates in ways on the baseball field you just don't see in a lot of high school players," said Kyle Weldon, Prep Baseball's Ohio Scouting Director.
"He's got a quick processor, his in-game decision-making is elite. Matt has tools that make him one of the best in the country, most notably the arm strength and the hit tool. And he wins. I think profile does a lot for his stock and has generated a lot of interest in him."
Ponatoski is ranked the nation’s No. 11 player overall in his class by Prep Baseball. What is most important is how Ponatoski continues to improve throughout his high school career.
“I think mentally I’ve just matured a lot,” Ponatoski told WCPO 9 Sports Tuesday afternoon. “The fact of knowing my game and knowing my swing. Just understanding the game of baseball more. Physically, I think I’ve just matured as far as getting stronger — moving a lot better. I don’t want to jinx myself but I think there’s big things to come this season — for not just me but the whole team.”
The Moeller baseball team (29-3 in 2024), ranked No. 2 nationally by MaxPreps this preseason, has seven returning starters and two returning pitchers. Moeller, which opens the season against visiting Lakota East March 29, has at least 14 college commitments in the 2025 class as of this past weekend.
“I like the experience that this team brings to the 2025 season,” Moeller baseball coach Tim Held said. Nearly all of them entered 2024 with no varsity experience and we started the year 24-0 and ended 29-3. They know what the expectations are every time they take the field and know what it takes to be successful.”
Ponatoski, a four-star quarterback by Rivals.com and the 247 Sports Composite, has taken dual visits to college campuses for football and baseball this winter. He would like to play both sports in college.
“I’m fascinated at the idea,” Ponatoski said. “I never want to be normal. The situation I’m in is not very normal. I’m embracing every second of it.”
The 16-year-old said he’s narrowed down his college recruiting options but wants to take time to schedule additional visits this summer. Ponatoski returned from a visit to Duke this past weekend.
“I will probably sit down with my parents within the next few days and kind of just talk about where I am and where I want to go potentially,” Ponatoski said Tuesday. “Haven’t narrowed it down too much but the schools that have my interest know that I have interest in them a lot.”
Ponatoski, who turns 17 on March 1, is being patient with the entire recruiting process.
“As far as playing both sports, letting the game come to me feels like the right thing to do because if I force myself to pick one and then I pick the wrong one, it’s going to be like, ‘Well I wasted opportunities,’” Ponatoski said. “Honestly, most schools have been open to letting me play both.”
More than 30 college football programs visited Moeller during the NCAA’s recruiting contact period in January. Ponatoski was able to throw a football for some of the college coaches who visited.
“It was really cool to be talking to people on the phone and then you got head coaches coming in here,” Ponatoski said. “You’re just chit-chatting with them. You’re like, ‘Oh, I see them on TV.'”
Every baseball program in the country has an interest in Ponatoski. His football scholarship offers include the likes of Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Purdue, Vanderbilt, University of Cincinnati, Duke, Maryland, Louisville, Arkansas and Texas A&M among others.
Ohio State has also shown interest in Ponatoski, who met Buckeyes coach Ryan Day for a 10-minute conversation prior to the Michigan game in late November. It’s all part of a recruiting spotlight that Ponatoski has embraced.
“I look at it like an opportunity that not a lot of people get,” Ponatoski said. “I know that there’s a lot of kids that would die to be in the position that I’m in. So I’m not taking anything for granted.”
Ponatoski has some 500 text messages on his phone. Although the attention is significant, he’s grateful for the people who assist him in this important process.
“It’s pretty insane,” Moeller football coach Bert Bathiany said. “It’s definitely something that’s not normal for the typical high school kid or the typical football player. He’s getting it on both sides. SEC baseball, Big Ten football, SEC/ACC football as well so all over the country. It’s been good validation to hear back from all these college coaches just how talented he really is.”
