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Wisconsin Class of 2024 Rankings: Newcomers

December 2, 2022
Wisconsin Staff

Every year, the fall circuit features more and more must-see events that host the top prospects in the region, creating some post-summer movement on the rankings just before the offseason. Because of this, we recently updated our Wisconsin Class of 2024 rankings with minimal movement towards the top. With the update, we also expanded our rankings list to 100 prospects, thus adding 25 new names to our board. 

On Thursday, we focused on players who've since committed at the top of the class in bewteen summer and fall updates, and also players who have added to their prospect stock during the fall in our update story, which can be found here. In this piece we will focus on a number of prospects that have joined our rankings list and are going into the off-season with a full head of steam. 

NOTABLE DEBUTS

Anderson Hayes RHP / 1B / Oconomowoc, WI / 2024

Rankings  StateRank: 48 / POS: 17

Hayes is a highly projectable 6-foot-6, 210-pound righty in this junior class, and this fall he broke out as a true pitching prospect. In the winter, we saw Hayes at the Madison Preseason ID, where he sat 79-81 mph with his fastball but it was packed with projection. This fall, we started to see this projection play out as he was able to run his fastball up to 86 mph with a clean and easy delivery. His breaking ball is also a suitable offspeed offering as it flashes late 11/5 break in the low-70s. With as much upside as Hayes brings to the mound, it wouldn’t be surprising if we start to see Hayes keep climbing in velocity as he continues his prep career. 

Tavian Ramos RHP / OF / Neenah, WI / 2024

Rankings  StateRank: 56 / POS: 20

Ramos is a high rising prospect who impressed at the Southern Wisconsin Open Event in October. Ramos is listed at a long and lean 6-foot-2, 167 pounds. His frame is built for more fill to come in the future. He has an athletic, repeatable delivery who drives the ball down hill with a quick arm. His fastball topped out at 86 mph and with more strength coming, it’s easy to predict more velocity in the future. Ramos also showcased a couple of hard biting breaking balls and feel for a change up with fade and depth to the pitch. Ramos is an exciting pitching prospect who we are looking forward to following this spring.

Beau Bloxdorf SS / 2B / Union Grove, WI / 2024

Rankings  StateRank: 71 / POS: 11

Bloxdorf is a player that impressed our staff during the summer tournament circuit and at the Southern Wisconsin Open Event in the fall. He is a dynamic, twitchy athlete in the field and in his at bats. His swing is short and compact with the ability to hit fastballs and adjust to off speed pitches. He’s a player who consistently gets big hits and has consistent quality at bats. Bloxdorf is a reliable defender in the middle of the infield who will flash the ability to make the great play up the middle and to the back hand. He’s a high character kid who works hard at his game and will likely reach his ceiling because of it. 

MORE NEWCOMERS

+ OF/RHP Broden Jackson (Milton) is a physically advanced prospect out of Milton who is also making his rankings debut in this update. Built at a strong 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, Jackson's physicality alone makes him stand out from his peers. His strength also helps him create max EVs of 98 mph, something we have seen in the past. Jackson also flashes some two-way potential as he has been up to 87 mph while on the bump. Overall, Jackson is a raw athlete with a high ceiling and if he continues to trend in the right direction he is a prospect who could make some noise inside this junior class. 

+ RHP/INF Landon Dessart (Union Grove) is another prospect with some two-way potential who is also making their rankings debut. On the mound, the 6-foot, 160-pound prospect throws a downhill fastball up to 84 mph and pairs it with a 11/5 breaking ball that occasionally flashes more horizontal break. Although we haven’t seen him in a showcase setting in quite some time now, we have seen Dessart tally multiple barrels across a couple of looks this summer.

+ INF/RHP Ian Dohms (Menasha) first caught our staff’s attention at the Fox Cities Preseason ID back in the winter. There Dohms started off his day by showing off a knack for the barrel as he registered a 100 percent sweet spot percentage and his hardest hit of the day came off at 91.5 mph. He then followed this up with an above-average ‘pen and topped at 82.4 mph on his hardest bullet to the plate. The impressive thing about his ‘pen was the feel he had for both of his secondary pitches, the first being a 2,100 rpm slider with 12 inches of horizontal movement and the second a true changeup with late fade. 

+ INF Seth Koci (Indian Trail) is another prospect to keep an eye on in Wisconsin’s junior class. Built at a athletic 5-foot-11, 175-pounds with a strong lower half, Koci’s athleticism aids him in many facets of the game. As a sub-7 runner in the 60-yard dash, Koci is easily able to move from side-to-side while on the infield dirt and pairs it with an arm that has topped at 83 mph in our looks. Offensively, he is a consistent hitter that creates low backspun liners up the middle repeatedly. 

+ INF Benjamin Volpe (Whitefish Bay) makes his rankings debut at No. 83 in this update. Listed at a projectable and lean 5-foot-10, 170-pounds, Volpe possesses a whippy bat that has seemed to flat out hit across the summer circuit. On the infield he is a clean mover and pairs it with an arm that has topped at 80 mph across the diamond in our looks, too. Overall, there is a lot to like from this young prospect and he is from a Whitefish Bay area that has created many next-level prospects recently. 

+ LHP/OF Tyler Wille (Kettle Moraine) is built at an athletic and strong, 5-foot-11, 185-pounds and is an intriguing southpaw in Wisconsin’s junior class. In our looks, Wille has ran his fastball up to 84 mph but what is special about this offering is nearly 21 inches of horizontal movement on it, making it a tough pitch to barrel up. As for his offspeeds, a changeup and curveball, they are still developing but they do flash potential. Nonetheless, Wille’s profile and athleticism make him a name to follow as he continues his high school career. 

+ C Ryan Dummer (Burlington) makes his rankings debut at No. 85 in this rankings update after a productive year. Starting in the winter, Dummer showcased the improvements he made behind the plate where he recorded pop-times as low as 2.15. He also seemed to have improved offensively, working an aggressive leg kick to generate hard contact to his pull side. He put this pull side power on display at The Rock during the summer when he sent a ball over the left-field fence in a back-and-forth semifinal game. 

+ RHP Cal Smith (Baldwin Woodville) is an upside arm out of the Northeastern part of Wisconsin that consistently produces some of the states top talent. Built at 6-foot-1, 178-pounds, Smith is an athletic mover while on the bump and has been up to 84 mph in our looks. As for his offspeed offerings, he features a developing 12/6 curveball and a running changeup. Overall, Smith is a raw prospect but definitely brings a ton to the table and is someone to definitely keep an eye out for as he progresses. 

+ C Brady Johnson (St. Thomas More) is a projectable backstop, listed at 6-foot-1, 180-pounds, who jumps inside our rankings with this expansion. Offensively, Johnson creates some lift within his swing, and has created max EVs in the high-80s but it wouldn’t be surprising to see these numbers rise after a full off-season of training. Defensively is where Johnson really shines as he is an above-average receiver and is quick to get the ball out of his glove on his throws down to second. 

+ INF/RHP Rory Dutton (Kenosha Tremper) made some noise during the high school season for the Trojans but up until the end of the summer our staff had not seen Dutton in a showcase setting. In August, Dutton made the trip to Sheboygan for the Eastern Wisconsin Open and there we saw why we have heard many positive things about this uncommitted prospect. This is what our staff had to say regarding Dutton’s performance during our time in Sheboygan… “Offensively, Dutton works from a narrow base and takes direct, handsy swings toward the ball to spray line drives to all fields. Dutton then moved over to infield defense where he impressed his ability to move well to the glove side and clean transfer, pairing it with accurate throws to the bag. To round out his day, Dutton then hopped on the bump where his projection remains apparent. While on the mound, Dutton is an athletic mover and reached highs of 77.9 mph with his fastball, pairing it with a two-seam that flashed hard sink. As for his offspeeds, he spun in a tight 11/5 type breaking ball for strikes and maintained arm speed on a straight changeup.”

+ RHP Jacob Lueptow (Elkhorn) is built at a compact 5-foot-10, 185-pounds and has been a name who has created some buzz for himself after a productive year. During the summer we saw Lueptow at the Badger State Games where he thoroughly impressed as he twirled a dominant game while sitting in the low-80s and reached highs of 84 mph. He also has major confidence in a sharp, horizontal moving breaking ball that we have seen earn many swings and misses. Lueptow is a fierce competitor and he backs it up with true feel to pitch, making him an intriguing arm inside this junior class. 

+ RHP Tyler Conger (Waukesha South) is a name who consistently performs well in front of our staff and this fall was no different. At The Rock during the fall, Conger twirled a complete game gem. Throughout his outing he sat in the low-80s with his fastball and utilized a three-pitch mix to tally seven strikeouts. Conger is a strike thrower and if he continues to add mass onto his 6-foot, 160-pound frame we could start to see more velocity from this uncommitted arm.

+ RHP Chase Watkins (Eau Claire North) is another name who popped at the Badger State Games this summer and despite playing older competition he did nothing but hold his own. Watkins is listed at a projectable 6-foot-2, 185-pounds and we have seen him up 82 mph and also features a curveball in the mid-60s that plays well off his fastball. After a full off-season of training it wouldn’t be surprising to see his velocity jump when we get our next look at this projectable arm. 

+ Back in August, RHP Garrett Shupe (Mosinee) popped at the Eastern Wisconsin Open after throwing one of the day's better ‘pens. Here is what our staff had to say about his performance… “The 6-foot-2, 175-pound right-hander ran his fastball in the 81-83 mph range with life through the zone. He showed the ability to spin both his 11/5 curveball and short 10/4 cutter at an above-average rate, reaching over 2,300 rpm on both offerings. To round off his arsenal, Shupe went to a changeup at 73-75 mph, fading slightly to his arm-side and thrown with arm-speed.”

+ Listed at an imposing 6-foot-4, 210-pounds, RHP Ethan Engelbrecht (Oak Creek) is making his rankings debut at No. 93. Despite his large stature, Engelbrecht surprisingly moves well on the bump and has created fastball velocities up to 83.4 mph in front of our staff before. Both his slider and changeup are developing pitches but they do flash some potential in their own right. 

+ We recently got an updated look at OF/RHP Sawyer Kowalkowski (Ozaukee) at our Southern Wisconsin Open in October. This is what our staff had to say regarding his performance… “Kowalkowski is listed at a projectable 6-foot-2, 145 pounds; an upside build. Kowalkowski showed well as a two-way prospect at the event. On the mound, Sawyer works with a full circle arm swing to a three-quarter slot and a quick arm out front. The fastball topped at 80 mph landing in the zone with some natural cut life finish to the pitch. The curveball, 68-70 mph, has two-plane break and 10/4 shape, flashed late bite. He also displayed a feel for a changeup, 74-75 mph. During BP, Kowalkowski consistently barrelled up balls showing hitability and strength in hands. From the outfield, the ball jumped out of his hand topping out at 87 mph during the defensive portion of the event.”

+ RHP/3B Andrew Halser (Marquette) is a quick armed righty to keep an eye out for in this junior class. Halser possesses some upside inside his 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame and already has some above-average offerings to pair. In our looks he has run his fastball up to 84 mph that features some late life through the zone. As for his secondaries he is able spin in a tightly spun 11/5 breaking ball for strikes and also kills spin a changeup, too.

+ Back during the winter circuit, INF/RHP Payton Miller (Neenah) came away a winner from the Green Bay Preseason ID and earned a No. 96 spot because of it. Here is our staff’s thoughts about Miller’s performance in the winter… “Miller put together a clean bullpen at the end of his workout, working with pace and tempo throughout. Miller controlled his body well on the mound and efficiently moved downhill to footstrike. His arm played long on the backside with above-average arm speed, finishing from a clean over-the-top slot. Miller threw his fastball with true four-seam backspin at 78-79 mph, and there’s room for him to grow into more velocity as he continues to physically develop. He landed a slurve-type breaking ball for strikes with some consistency and threw his changeup at arm speed, too.”

+ RHP/3B Jakeb Lequia (Chippewa Falls) came away a winner across multiple looks this summer. He first burst onto the scene during the Western Wisconsin Open early in the summer and here what we had to say about him regarding his performance… “Lequia is listed at sturdy/strong 5-foot-10 and he’s another two-way follow athlete exiting this event. Showing a hitterish look in the right-handed box from a short, direct path, and he showcased the ability to drive the ball to all fields. Defensively, he has rhythmic feet and hands in the infield and a strong arm across the infield from a ¾ slot. Lequia’s round of BP was among the day’s best, if not the standalone best, and he also managed to  impress on the mound, using a projectable fastball, 80-83 mph, that features both carry and hard arm-side life to it inside the zone, and he flashed the feel to spin a quality breaking ball, 67-70.”

+ RHP/C Donatello Badalamenti (Notre Dame Academy) is a rare 2-way prospect as a C/RHP who makes his debut in this update of the rankings. Currently stands at a sturdy 6-foot 205 pounds frame with present strength throughout. On the mound he has a clean arm action and features a cutting fastball that tops out at 81 mph. He also offers two offspeed pitches, a slider that plays with lateral action, and a fading changeup. Offensively, he swings a fast bat with a max bat speed of 76.1 mph which he uses to effectively drive the baseball to all fields. Defensively from behind the dish, Badalamenti possesses a strong arm which has been up to 78 mph out of the crouch to help throw out potential base stealers creating a lows of 2.08 pop-times.

+ INF/RHP Adam Suess (Deerfield) makes his debut on the rankings in this update. Suess stands at 5-foot-8 140 pounds, a frame that has room for growth. Offensively he uses fast hands to deliver the barrel and lift the ball through impact. In the field he shows up-the-middle type actions and plays under control with above average arm strength reaching up 82 mph on his throws across the diamond. He also flashed some intrigue on the mound with a clean arm action from a high ¾ slot and has run his fastball up to 79 mph.

+ Much like high school teammate and aforementioned Payton Miller, LHP/OF AJ Price (Neenah) came away a winner from the Green Bay Preseason ID during the winter. This is what our staff had to say regarding Price’s performance… “Price brought one of the best arms in attendance at just 5-foot-9, 135 pounds. Reaching an 89 mph high during outfield defense, he ventured onto the mound shortly after and showed disciplined restraint. From the rubber, he was very methodical in his delivery, and controlled in his move down the mound. The fastball came out at 81.1 mph at 2,200 rpm, indicating upside backed by his throws from the outfield. The curveball spun at 2,400 rpm, and he ripped off a couple individual ones that featured real bite and sweep as he gained confidence in it. The changeup projects, too, as another useful pitch to combine for a quality mix that makes Price a solid pitching prospect whose interest will rise as his velocity does.”

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