Inside the Wisconsin 2021 Rankings: Just Missed
December 7, 2018
The Wisconsin Class of 2021 Rankings was recently updated and expanded for the first time since its initial release back in early September. Since then, we saw a number of players this fall, thanks to the likes of showcases, tournaments, games, and college camps. With that said, we were able to give the sophomore class a facelift and expanded it from 25 to 40 players.
There were 16 prospects along the way this fall who performed exceptionally well, forcing us to add them to the rankings in this update. We touched on all the new names and faces in our Newcomers story, published on Wednesday.
Today, we’re up to a different task. We’re going to be sharing notes on all of the prospects who did, in fact, make an impact on our staff this fall, but fell just short of landing on the top-40 board. Regardless, they still deserve some recognition.
It’s important to note that, within the first couple of editions of a list like this, the rankings can be fickle and unsettled. Prospects this young mature and develop at various speeds, the process is never linear. With that being said, as colleges are committing sophomore talents with more frequency, we’ll share our notes to-date on the prospects who have made impressions on us thus far but don’t currently see their names in the rankings.
As these prospects continue to grow, their place on the rankings is sure to fluctuate. Take a look below at some of the players who just missed this cut this time around.
POSITION PLAYERS
+ Boone Mathison, OF Tomah: Mathison impressed our staff in the limited looks we were afforded this summer at the Badger State Battle. He looks like an athletic right/right outfielder with above-average speed with top-of-the-lineup potential. He also has the makings of becoming an above-average defender in center field with his fleet feet.
+ Cal McGinnis, INF, Kimberly: The son of Kimberly head coach Ryan McGinnis, Cal looks to have the baseball gene, too. He’s a heady player with feel for the game. In the infield, he has soft hands and natural actions, paired with a left-handed bat at the plate. He caught our attention earlier in the year during pre-game warmups with the Papermakers in the state tournament.
+ Darryl Jackson, INF, Rufus King: Jackson is an athletic infielder with actions, excellent body control who projects as a next-level defender. He played varsity for King as a freshman.
+ Carter Stebane, INF, Brillion: He’s a raw athlete with strong frame that helps him in the right-handed batter’s box.
+ Carsen Stenberg, OF, Webster: Stenberg is a left/left outfielder who played a significant role on a Webster team that captured its program’s first-ever state title.
PITCHERS
+ Spencer Buskager, RHP, Oregon: At a projectable 6-foot, 180 pounds, Buskager sat 80-81 mph in a bullpen setting this fall. His frame and present stuff places him neatly into the list of follows.
+ George Henkel, RHP Appleton West: Henkel has a projectable, lean frame at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. He shows upside on the mound having touched 81 mph with his fastball. As his breaking ball firms up, he’s a candidate to climb up his class rankings.
+ Dylan Lapic, LHP, La Crosse Central: This wide-shouldered southpaw has a projectable frame, standing in at 6-foot-2, 155 pounds. Lapic sat 78-79 mph in a camp bullpen setting, asserting himself as a strong follow moving forward.
+ Kenny Schultz, LHP, Stevens Point: Schultz has a stronger build and frame and has shown best on the mound in our early looks. The Stevens Point lefty already sits 77-79 mph with a firm breaking ball at 70-71 mph.
+ Will Staviski, RHP, Brookfield East: The Brookfield East staffmate is presently at a thin 6-foot-1, 160 pounds and has been up to 80 mph. He has projectable long and loose limbs but lacks present repeatability.
TWO-WAY PROSPECTS
+ Carl Cano, RHP/INF, Bay Port: Cano has an athletic frame filled with present strength and has shown upside on both sides of the ball. On the mound, he’s sat 78-80 mph with a feel for his offspeed. While at the plate, he’s shown us a loose and repeatable swing.
+ Peyton Jenkins, RHP/INF, Sun Prairie: Walker’s (2017; Madison College) younger brother, Jenkins has a strong build with an arm that was up to 81 mph on the mound last spring.
+ Jaden Schwantz, LHP/OF, River Falls: A left/left two-way player, Schwantz sits 78-80 mph on the mound but and is also a 7.06 runner in the 60. At an event in Minnesota this fall, he topped 84 mph from the outfield.
+ Drew Stippich, RHP/INF, Kettle Moraine: Stippich is a 6-foot, 175-pound two-way prospect who has shown some quick twitch at the plate. On the mound, he’s sat 78-81 mph in front of our staff, most recently at the Summer Preseason I.D. in Waukesha.
With that, our coverage of the Class of 2021 Rankings concludes. Keep checking back next week as we break down where the seniors in the state are headed following their final seasons of prep ball in their respective careers.
For now, here’s the Class of 2021 Rankings in their entirety.