Inside The Rankings: Wisconsin 2020s
September 7, 2017
By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor - Wisconsin/Illinois
This week we launched the second update to Wisconsin’s 2020 Rankings and expanded the list to 25, adding 10 new prospects to the list, and several risers in the rankings. We touched on the biggest risers of the rankings on Tuesday, all of which were inside the top ten.
CLICK HERE for complete 2020 Wisconsin Rankings.
Today we’ll take a deeper look at some of the new additions to the Top 25.
RHP Tyler Chadwick (Marshall) and RHP George Klassen (Port Washington) were the two highest new additions and featured in our roll out on Tuesday. Both Chadwick and Klassen have the potential to keep their names in the top ten for a long time with present stuff and high upside.
Outside the top ten are several new names to the rankings, starting with SS Michael Seegers (Home School). Seegers is a highly athletic, above average runner and plus defender for his age. An athletic premium position defender like Seegers is hard to come by and shows the potential to stick at shortstop at the next level as well. His bat is still coming along but defensively is arguably the best shortstop defender in the state.
Similarly to Seegers, is left-handed hitting infielder Eric Erato (Sussex Hamilton). Erato has fluid actions both defensively and in the box with an easy feel to the game. As his tools are still progressing, Erato has the potential to be a high end left-handed hitting infield prospect.
Another premium position is catching and three were added to the rankings this update. Thomas Otto (Appleton North), Cameron Dupont (West De Pere) and Bryce Peth (Ripon) were all added to the 2020 rankings. Otto and Dupont both made their way into the top 20 and have showed well behind the plate this summer. Otto is a physically strong 6-foot-1 , 190-pounds and has the build to be durable behind the dish for a long time. His strength translates to his bat as well, where he shows well above average bat speed and pop in his right-handed bat. Dupont is more of a projectable frame with longer limbs but shows easy catch and throw skills and loose athletic actions. His above average arm flashes carry and looks to be an early candidate as one of the best defensive catchers in the class.
Rounding out the top 25 are RHP Chris Byhre (Catholic Memorial), LHP Riley Frey (Oshkosh West) and 3B/RHP Jess Ondell (La Crosse Aquinas). Byhre has plus arm strength for his age topping out at 87 mph late spring. Frey showed a highly projectable arm and frame sitting in the upper 70’s.
Jess Ondell finished off a big freshman campaign this spring tossing a shutout in the D3 State Title game. Ondell also garnered third team All-State honors compiling a 6-2 record and hitting .476 on the year.
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