Wisconsin 2018 Rankings Updated

August 24, 2016

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor – Illinois/Wisconsin

The 2018 rankings were in need of some shuffling and after the PBR Future Games we’ve seen some big jumps in the 2018 class. We’ve expanded Wisconsin’s class to 80 of the top prospects in the state with more than 20 new additions.

CLICK HERE for complete Wisconsin 2018 Rankings.

Top prospect, OF Jarred Kelenic (Waukesha West) has been on a terror this summer solidifying his spot atop Wisconsin’s 2018 rankings and making a push for one of the top overall prospects in the country. Kelenic is a dynamic two-way talent who possesses an elite level bat and plus arm strength. At the Badger State Battle Kelenic put it all on display going 9-12 with five extra base hits and closing out a win on the mound pumping fastballs up to 92 mph from the left side. Prior to that Kelenic was one of three 2018 prospects to make the 40-man Team USA 18u Trials Roster. This September he will have a good chance to make the 20-man cut in Houston, TX. The left-handed hitting Kelenic also put on a display at the Underclass Area Code Games in Long Beach, CA. He hit a deep home run to right at the always pitcher friendly, Blair Field, proving he has the coveted combination of power and speed.

Arrowhead’s Jeff Holtz has seen a steady uphill trend in his game since bursting on the scene as a freshman. His right handed bat is turning into one of the top bat’s in the country and producing at a torrid pace. Along with left-handed hitting Alex Binelas (Oak Creek), the state of Wisconsin boasts three premium bats on par with some of the top in the country.

On the pitching side of things, RHP’s Dilon Nowicki (Stoughton) and Max Alba (Franklin) are the top two arms in the class, a class filled with high level position players. Both righties run their fastball up to 89 mph. Alba showed well at the Future Games this summer and is being courted by several of the country’s top programs.

The biggest jolt to the top ten came from Tanner Kohlhepp’s (Eau Claire Memorial) breakout performance at the Future Games. Kohlhepp has always been a projectable prospect with a ton of upside, and is realizing that this summer. Not only did Kohlhepp prove his left-handed bat can play at a high level, he was one of the more intriguing prospects all weekend on the mound. Sparingly used as a pitcher, the 6-foot-2, 165-pound right-handed showed a running fastball at 86-87 mph from a ¾ slot, complimented by a swing a miss wipe out slider at 75-77 mph.

RANK	NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
1	Jarred Kelenic	WI	Waukesha West	2018	OF	Louisville
2	Jeff Holtz	WI	Arrowhead	2018	C	Indiana
3	Alex Binelas	WI	Oak Creek	2018	3B	Louisville
4	Dillon Nowicki	WI	Stoughton	2018	RHP	Michigan
5	Max Alba	WI	Franklin	2018	RHP
6	Tanner Kohlhepp	WI	Eau Claire Memorial	2018	SS
7	Jacob Campbell	WI	Janesville Craig	2018	C	Illinois
8	Ty Olejnik	WI	Hamilton Sussex	2018	OF
9	Nate DeYoung	WI	Xavier	2018	3B	Wisconsin-Milwaukee
10	Stephen Lund	WI	Verona	2018	C	Gonzaga