Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Wisconsin Class of 2025 Rankings: First Look

August 31, 2022
By Wisconsin Staff

With the long summer circuit at its end, PBR Wisconsin is prepared to reveal its first look at the state’s Class of 2025 rankings. These incoming sophomores have been hard at work, and we were there to watch their progress as they acclimated to the high school scene in the winter and spring and transitioned into an important summer season. We’ve been collecting scout notes from our Preseason ID events that take place at the start of the calendar year, which leads us into the WIAA spring season, and eventually helps us identify the top players along the busy summer season that takes us across showcases and tournaments.

 Today, we’re rolling out our initial rankings, a top-25 overall. It’s atypical for the group to have zero commitments at this stage, but that’s where this group is at currently, even at the very top.

 Below, we’ll take you through the prospects at the top of the board, and we’ll share with you some of the talents living just outside the top who still demand attention moving forward.

AT THE TOP OF THE CLASS

Carter Kutz RHP / UTL / Hartford Union, WI / 2025

While this is our initial in-state rankings release, our national team has featured a couple editions of the top players nationwide, and Kutz has been on that list. We saw firsthand the kind of impact Kutz makes on the diamond in 2021 as a member of Team Wisconsin at the PBR Junior Future Games. There, Kutz looked one of the most productive hitters at the prestigious event, and he’s continued to generate that kind of offensive profile ever since. Listed at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Kutz swings an aggressive right-handed bat and is constantly looking to do damage – and it often does. This year, Kutz has also begun to pitch, and he’s flashed the signs of seamlessly making that transition work for real. He’s always had huge arm talent, and it plays naturally on the mound. At a tournament at Creekside, our scouts watched Kutz reach an 88 mph high while flashing a sharp curveball. 

Given his newness to the position and his present skill set at the plate, as well as his size and strength, Kutz is currently our top-ranked player in Wisconsin’s ‘25 class. 

Sawyer Deering RHP / Kimberly, WI / 2025

Not far behind Kutz is Deering, another prospect who represented Team Wisconsin at last year’s PBR Junior Future Games. Deering’s competitiveness was on display down there in a feisty start against Team Texas, and that bulldog mentality on the mound has stayed with him through the multiple starts we saw in 2022 – and his stuff has only continued to tick up. PBR Wisconsin Scouting Director Vinny Rottino saw Deering carve in the spring for Kimberly, going six scoreless, five Ks, as a freshman in a start against Hortonville. At the annual Badger State Battle in the Dells, Deering sat in the mid-80s in a six-inning no-hitter and featured his trademark 12/6 breaking ball that constantly earns whiffs. And a week later, Deering reached an 87 mph high at Creekside’s Midwest Premier Super 15 tourney during yet another dominant outing against one of the top programs in attendance, clearly dialed in and energized to face what was likely the most talented lineup he faced all summer. Deering’s competitiveness plays into the ways in which his rising fastball and swing-and-miss downer breaking ball play off one another.

(7/15/22)

ELSEWHERE ON THE TOP-10
RANK NAME POS. HIGH SCHOOL COMMITMENT
1 Carter Kutz RHP/UTL Hartford Union -
2 Sawyer Deering RHP Kimberly -
3 Peter Visconti II C/UTL Kenosha St. Joseph -
4 Greyson Zach INF/RHP Pewaukee -
5 Trevor Vande Hey OF Wrightstown -
6 Jaxon Clayton INF/RHP Brookfield Central -
7 Preston Yaucher INF Edgewood -
8 Nathan Schopf C/UTL Oak Creek -
9 Jack Poellot RHP/INF Lake Country Lutheran -
10 Peter Kussow RHP Arrowhead -

+ C/UTL Peter Visconti II (Kenosha St. Joseph) continues to perform in front of our staff, and over multiple looks in 2022. He’s an Illinois resident who was invited to attend the PBR Illinois Preseason All-State showcase where he averaged an exit velocity over 90 mph (97.3 max) back in February, all while showcasing above-average defense from behind the plate. Rottino saw Visconti for himself in the spring while playing for St. Joe’s and he broke him down in a mid-May ‘Rottino Report’ which highlighted his skill set behind the plate, as well as his short and powerful right-handed swing. And Visconti simply continued to hit in the summer at some of the area’s biggest events, capping the summer by homering at the inaugural PBR Illinois State Games earlier this month. His in-game juice, advanced athleticism for his position, and improving defense behind the plate combine to earn him a spot inside the top-five within our very first in-state update. 

+ INF/RHP Greyson Zach (Pewaukee) was the starting shortstop on the Pirates’ varsity team that went on to compete at state in the spring as just a freshman, though we were well aware of Zach’s two-way talents prior to the WIAA season. Zach is yet another prospect on this list who represented Team Wisconsin at the PBR Junior Future Games in 2021 and he’s asserted himself as one of the top players in the state since. He attended June’s Underclass Open at The Rock Complex in Franklin, Wis., where we published this regarding his performance:

 “... stands at an imposing 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, already with some maturity to his build. From the right-handed batter’s box, Zach works from a wide, open stance and uses a leg-lift trigger to showcase some pull side pop. Displayed quick first step burst in the infield with a strong arm with carry, up to 87 mph across the infield. Later on in the day, Zach jumped on the bump where his impressive arm strength transferred over nicely. Using a drop-and-drive type delivery, Zach’s hardest fastball during his ‘pen registered on the Trackman at 84.1 mph, which was just a tick slower than the event leader. As for his offspeed offerings, Zach showed more feel for fading changeup that was thrown all around the zone for strikes. As for his breaking ball, it seems like he is still developing consistency but it did flash some sharp 11/5 action low in the zone.”

Greyson Zach (6/22/22)

+ OF Trevor Vande Hey (Wrightstown) possesses some of the most substantial upside in the class, as a physical and athletic 6-foot, 180-pound prospect packed with tools. Vande Hey is an advanced runner for his physicality and age, and it plays on the bases. He ran a 7.03 in the 60-yard dash in the preseason and it’s not often you see a player with this kind of run tool also generate the kind of power he does in the right-handed box. Vande Hey hit all summer, and in front of us, and has registered exit speeds as high as 97.6 mph in a showcase setting. In game, we’ve seen him connect for power to all fields, including an opposite field home run at the Badger State Battle in early July, and a powerful showing at Creekside, too. The speed plays in the outfield, where he’s settled into center field well already, further lifting his ceiling as a need-to-know prospect on this list.

Trevor Vande Hey (7/3/22)

+ INF/RHP Jaxon Clayton (Brookfield Central) provided our staff with an upside two-way look at the Midwest Premier Super 15 this summer. He homered at the event, posting advanced run times out of the box and displaying that power potential attached to his projectable frame. He hopped on the mound later, pumping his fastball in the mid-80s and featuring a sharp swing-and-miss slider to pair.

Jaxon Clayton (7/15/22)

+ INF Preston Yaucher’s (Edgewood) defensive prowess up the middle may ultimately be his biggest asset and he’s capable of truly impacting the game defensively. He proved that at Creekside, making difficult plays look routine and ranging laterally to both sides with ease. Yaucher’s smooth, savvy actions have him pegged  to stick on the infield dirt moving forward – something that only further enhances his value as a prospect. He also appears to have added strength to a simple right-handed swing that’s already shown an aptitude to spray line-drives to all fields.

Preston Yaucher (7/14/22)

+ C/UTL Nathan Schopf (Oak Creek) swings one of the loudest right-handed bats on this list. The powerful 6-foot, 185-pound prospect takes violent hacks with real bat speed attached, though he’s demonstrated the ability to sync up frequent on-the-barrel contact despite the effort in the swing. Because of this, we’ve seen Schopf unwind on some hard and far batted balls for ourselves in game, swinging an adjustable and dynamic barrel that allows him to launch baseballs in any direction. While he’s still a work-in-progress defensively, Schopf’s right-handed bat can take him far, as is. 

Nathan Schopf (7/2/22)

+ RHP/INF Jack Poellot (Lake Country Lutheran) has been on the radar for some time now, as a competitive right-handed pitcher with up-the-middle actions on defense. He, too, was featured on Team Wisconsin at last year’s PBR Junior Future Games, and his development is coming along nicely, especially on the mound. He repeats an athletic delivery well and is often cruising in the low-80s while mixing in a swing-and-miss slider he’s long shown the feel to spot. Poellot has been ticking up in velocity, reportedly, which stands to enhance his presently effective stuff.

+ RHP Peter Kussow’s (Arrowhead) stuff ticked up since we saw him in March, touching 86 mph with his fastball at Creekside in a brief look, pitching in the low-80s. He’ll spin a sharp curveball with depth and bend on occasion, an offering that can develop into an out-pitch at the next level. Built at a long and lanky 6-foot-4, 175-pounds, Kussow’s upside on the mound is amongst the highest in the class. 

KEEP AN EYE ON... 

Loren Georger RHP / Appleton West, WI / 2025

Georger is a projectable 6-foot-1, 170-pounds who hopped on the bump to finish off the Eastern Wisconsin Open event earlier this month and it did not disappoint, as he arguably put together the day's top ‘pen. While on the mound, Georger stays inline with home plate and couples it with some easy/clean mechanics. As for his repertoire, Georger sat 83-84 mph (T84.8 mph) on a fastball that had some considerable ride and spin (2,425 rpm avg.) through the zone. Georger paired this with a sharp, late-breaking curveball that averaged 2,470 rpm, and it played well off of his fastball with downer 12/6 bite. He rounded out his three-pitch mix with a firm changeup that had some hard running action to his arm side. Georger is one of the top Class of 2025 arms we’ve seen in the state to date, and he’s earned success this summer at tournaments elsewhere in the region, like at the Creekside complex near Kansas City.

(7/14/22)

Bradley Filippis C / Indian Trail, WI / 2025

Standing in at 6-foot, 160 pounds with an athletic frame, and room for more fill, Filippis has present strength throughout his advanced build. He stood out at June’s Underclass Open with the best pop time (1.93), displaying a quick transfer and quick release from short arm path to over the top slot creating carry and accuracy on the bag. Filippis possesses soft hands and an authentic feel for the catching position, and we’ve seen it for ourselves in-game, both as a freshman at Indian Trail as well as during the summer’s tournament circuit. At the plate, he has a short, quick, handsy path from the right side, with good balance and the ability to spray line drives to all fields.

(6/22/22)

Eli Bryant RHP / INF / Beaver Dam, WI / 2025

Bryant is one of this list’s top two-way talents, and his athleticism is on display this fall while he took over at quarterback for Beaver Dam. Listed at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Bryant showed big potential on the bump at Creekside where he sat in the low-80s on an easy, projectable fastball that leaves a low slot and flashes late run and carry through the zone. Additionally, the Beaver Dam product is a right-handed hitter with an adjustable barrel capable of backspin, and the athleticism works well on the infield defensively.

(7/14/22)

Brayden Steinbecker INF / Manitowoc Lincoln, WI / 2025

Steinbecker is another prospect to watch this fall and in the early parts of next year, as he has some substantial upside to his game. He’s an athletic 6-foot-1, 165-pound infielder and he creates a projectable right-handed-hitting profile from a short and simple path that could one day feature middle-of-the-order production as he begins to add strength to a frame that can support it effectively.

(2/27/22)

Jacob Haughton INF / RHP / Racine Case, WI / 2025

Haughton is a highly intriguing athlete, listed at 6-foot, 185 pounds. He’s a multi-sport athlete who looked like he’s capable of jumping up this list over the course of his prep career, following a stand-out showing at July’s Badger State Battle. There, Haughton showed off a right-handed bat that projects to make middle-of-the-order contact as he continues to hone his offensive skill set, and he also looked like a follow prospect on the mound. On the bump, he was up to 80 mph with a loose, easy arm action and he showed the feel to spin an aggressive breaking ball, too. He’s a raw player overall, but he’s also in possession of some of this list’s largest upside.

(7/1/22)

Luke Lehnen OF / Sussex Hamilton, WI / 2025

Lehnen is a compact athlete in a 5-foot-11, 175-pound build who we’ve seen impact the game time and time again – and for over a year now. He’s simply an easy player to like as he displays a knack for the clutch hit, and he swings a balanced and dynamic right-handed bat that allows him to use the whole field well. His natural instincts on defense help him cover ground out in center field well, and he projects as an all-around, well-rounded contributor at the next-level.

(7/3/22)

For a complete look at the state’s top-25 players in its Class of 2025, click here.

RELATED CONTENT