Prep Baseball Report

Wisconsin Class of 2026 Rankings: Update


By Andy Sroka, Isaiah Glidden & Maddox Durst
PBR Wisconsin Staff

Today, as part of Prep Baseball Report’s rankings week, our PBR Wisconsin staff is unveiling an update that doubles the state’s freshman class rankings, which have been expanded to a top-25 overall.

In the piece below, we’ve broken down how the top-10 is shaped following this past Preseason ID showcase spanning the winter, and our takeaways from the WIAA season so far. Throughout the rest of this week, we’ll continue to break down this rankings update, spotlighting other rising freshmen and a handful others making their debuts on this list.

Note: The No. 1-ranked prospect on the first edition of this list, OF Aiden Arnett (Trinity Christian, FL; Florida commit), has been added to the PBR Florida '26 board, the state in which he now attends high school.

AT THE TOP OF THE CLASS

Ben Kuglitsch SS / RHP / Muskego, WI / 2026

Kuglitsch is a 6-foot-2, 165-pound two-way athlete who’s made a loud impression already – and on a national scale. Kuglitsch cracked the everyday lineup for Muskego this spring, swinging a simple, quick right-handed bat that he leverages into lofted contact well, and he’s shown us the ability to use the whole field capably, too. He’s an excellent mover on the infield, with athletic actions to his forehand and backhand alike, and he’s equipped with huge arm strength, measured at an 89 mph high this past March at the Milwaukee ID. While we’ve not seen him pitch in a showcase setting, Kuglitsch’s upside might be even greater on the mound. His aforementioned athleticism and arm strength play exceptionally well on the bump. He’s got all kinds of tools, and an upside build on top of it all, and he’s the state’s No. 1 prospect as a result. 

Dominic Santarelli 1B / Kenosha St. Joseph, WI / 2026

Santarelli is building a reputation as one of the top hitters the state has produced in recent years, as a middle-of-the-order force with bat strength and barrel feel alike, attached to a strong 6-foot-1, 190-pound stature. He put on a show in batting practice at the South MKE ID where he averaged an exit speed over 91 mph (98.5 max) and a max batted distance of 378 feet. He generates advanced bat speed, not just for his age, and he’s shown us an in-game ability to spread the ball around the diamond, and a mature approach that allows him to pick and choose his spots to tap into his pull-side juice. Santarelli is an above-average defender at first base as well, and he moves well for his size. But he’s obviously this high up the rankings because his feel to hit is arguably the best we’ve seen in some time.

Calvin Moreau RHP / INF / Monona Grove, WI / 2026

Listed at 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, Moreau’s tools are off-the-charts interesting. He’s a 6.61 runner who swings a free, easy, repeatable right-handed bat that really projects as he begins to tack on strength and reps. Defensively, he’s a reliable defender who moves well laterally too. But it’s the mound where his ceiling is especially exciting. Given his size and athleticism, Moreau’s upside as a pitcher is obvious. It’s a short, fast arm that we saw live in the 83-84 mph range (84.6 max) in the winter, and the four-seamer carries well through the zone. The curveball is thrown with conviction, spinning at 2,332 rpm on average, at 70-72 mph. Overall, it’s just a very quick arm that he repeats well, in low effort, with athleticism throughout that helped him make the climb into the top-three this update.

Calvin Moreau (3/12/23)

ELSEWHERE IN THE TOP-10

+ RHP/3B Caleb Johns (New Berlin Eisenhower) is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound two-way player who was excellent in his first start of 2023 in late April, where he sat in the low-80s for us, reaching an 84 mph high, spinning a tight breaking ball that he showed excellent feel and confidence in, too. He pitches with a competitive edge on the mound that’s palpable, and he works at a quick pace, owning the rhythm of the game. We’re eager to see how he progresses from here as he really starts to warm up ahead of the summer, but the sky’s the limit on the mound. Meanwhile, he swings a fast, loose left-handed bat with strength, and he can handle the third base position comfortably.

+ OF Matthew O’Grady Jr. (Badger) settles in at the No. 5 spot in this rankings update after yet another impressive performance this winter. At the West Milwaukee ID, O’Grady showed up boasting a more filled out, muscular 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame. This added mass didn't negatively affect the overall athleticism that he has shown previously, as he still recorded a sub-7.00 time in the 60-yard dash and he reached a top speed of 19.9 mph, an elite metric for someone his age. At the plate, he swings a quick right-handed bat that has produced EVs in the low-90s. His aforementioned athleticism is really put on display, as he has already shown that he can hold down all three of the outfield positions, and we've seen him peform well in center field. Despite this being his first WIAA season, he has proved that he can perform on the varsity level as he has been a mainstay atop the order for his Badger squad this spring. After an impressive performance down at LakePoint to end last summer that earned him national recognition, O’Grady has continued to impress our staff, and this could be just the start of how high his ceiling could ultimately be.

Matthew O'Grady Jr. (2/18/23)

+ MIF Jake Cummins (Milton) remains at No. 6 in the 2026 Wisconsin rankings, continuing to emerge as one of the top middle infielders in the class. Cummins, entering Milton at 5-foot-9, 160-pounds, took over the shortstop position and the leadoff spot for the Red Hawks’ varsity team, and it was an especially huge role to fill, succeeding top-ranked '22 prospect Gavin Kilen, who's now thriving at Louisville. After standing out as a high-end defender and competitive batter at the 2022 PBR Junior Future Games, Cummins was back at it during the South Milwaukee ID, and didn’t miss a beat. His smooth hands and fluid movements on the infield were noted, as he reached 82 mph during his fielding session. At the plate, where improvement continues to be showcased, Cummins sprayed line drives to all parts of the field. He has quick hands and impacts the baseball with more authority than you'd initially expect. Cummins presents control of the barrel and the ability to repeat his swing, profiling as a bat-to-ball lead-off type, and his above-average speed helps project in that profile as well.

Jake Cummins (3/5/23)

+ RHP/1B Brett Biondich (Kettle Moraine Lutheran; TCU), among the other top prospects in this class, is arguably having one of the largest impacts on their varsity teams this spring after performing well in the winter. Biondich, at 6-foot-1, 185-pound hits in the middle of the Kettle Moraine Lutheran order, most recently hitting his first home run in WIAA play. This was foreshadowed in the winter, as the righty took a noteworthy BP, including a max EV of 95 mph in Green Bay. His repeatable swing allowed him to have a recoded 70 percent of his swings on the barrel, which he showcased on the varsity stage in his freshman season. The TCU commit reached 84 mph on the mound with the fastball, displaying quality life and slight horizontal movement. His curveball may be a separator though, as he displayed a mature feel for the pitch, spinning it at 2,570 rpm, the highest among all 2026 prospects at the Green Bay ID. Throughout his bullpen session, the pitch was continually thrown for strikes and paired with a changeup, solidifying his arsenal and shaping him up to be a two-way prospect to continue to keep an eye on as the 2023 summer kicks off.

+ OF/RHP Cameron Carter (Arrowhead) enters the rankings for the first time at No. 8 after impressing at the South Milwaukee Preseason ID in February, where his two-way abilities separated him from most. As a prospect, Carter presents projectability throughout with one of the highest ceilings in the class, standing at 6-foot-3, 165 pounds. As a pitcher, Carter is a twitchy athlete with a whippy arm motion and a three-pitch mix. His fastball maxed out at 82.5 mph, showing life and carry through the zone. The firm changeup is thrown with fastball intent from an up-tempo motion, speeding up the bats of opponents. His curveball continues to develop as a third pitch, but has flashed the ability to be thrown for strikes. At the plate, he recorded a max EV of 91 mph from an easy, loose right-handed swing. The athlete is one of the highest risers in the 2026 class heading into the summer circuit, debuting at No. 8 overall on this list.

Cameron Carter (3/5/23)

+ OF/LHP Ezra Liggon (Madison West) inserts himself at No. 9 in the newest update, as he continues to develop as one of the top outfield prospects in his class. In attending the South Milwaukee Preseason ID this past winter, Liggon showed growth at the plate and as a steady defender. Offensively, from the left-handed batter's box, Liggon stands with a long and lean frame at 6-foot-4, 175 pounds. With projection and room to grow, the lefty will continue to have the opportunity to strengthen an already aesthetically pleasing swing. Liggon matches incoming pitch plane well, showing hand/eye skills, from a simple, projectable left-handed swing. With the glove, Liggon reached 85 mph during his outfield session with a clean over-the-top arm motion, and he moves around athletically for his size, as a 7.25 runner.

Ezra Liggon (3/5/23)

+ OF Luke Schaning (Nathan Hale) is one of the most physical prospects in this class, boasting an advanced 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame, and he finds himself up to No. 10 in this update. During the winter, Schaning authored one of the loudest rounds of BP from an underclassman we saw all winter long, as he recorded EVs up to 96.5 mph, averaging 86.6, from a strong, quick right-handed swing. Despite his physical stature, Schaning is also a 7.09 runner, which allows him to roam around the outfield with ease, and he pairs it with an arm that has topped at 87 mph in our looks. Not only has Schaning impressed during showcase looks, he has consistently been a top performer during our in-game looks, highlighted by a solid showing at the PBR Junior Future Games just last summer. The right-handed bat strength is impressive, matched only by his elite bat speed and rotational acceleration metrics, measured by Blast.

Luke Schaning (3/18/23)

Click here to view Wisconsin's Class of 2026 rankings in full.


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