On Tuesday, July 16, the PBR Wisconsin and Illinois staffs gathered in Franklin, Wis., at The Rock Complex to host this important perennial showcase: Top Prospect - Milwaukee. Every year, many of Wisconsin’s top-ranked uncommitted prospects who are entering their senior years, with a select group of Illinois incoming seniors among them.

With a roster of over 90 uncommitted prospects, this 2021 group should garner some serious attention during this atypical summer, which has left many high-profile prospects still seeking homes at the next level.

After breaking down the day’s highlights inside of our Quick Hits post, at length, we’re spending the day looking at the stat leaderboards to analyze even further the names who made the biggest impacts.

MAX FASTBALL VELOCITY

It isn’t often that a left-handed paces the group atop a max velocity board following a PBR event, especially at a showcase filled with the kind of talent rostered at Top Prospect MKE, so that goes to show just how impressive LHP Jackson Kent (Lake Park, IL; uncommitted) was last week. Up to 88 mph, while sitting 84-87, Kent’s fastball jumped through the zone and it alerted the college recruiting community in the process, as he’s still uncommitted. Uncommitted righties Noah France (Union Grove) and Jacob Kisting (Verona Area) tied each other for next best top velocity at 87 mph, though the two are built completely differently. France is a 5-foot-10, 165-pound athlete with a live arm with a big spinning sweeping slider. Kisting is listed at a highly projectable 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, and he, too, utilizes a firmer breaking ball, though its movement is more vertical, as opposed to France’s. Another projectable athlete, RHP Thomas Ellisen (Kimberly; uncommitted), put together a big day. Ellisen has come on late in 2020 and should be among the high-follow uncommitted prospects left on the state’s 2021 board. He was up to 86 mph at this event, sitting 82-84.

And another southpaw is worth mentioning here: Dylan Lapic (La Crosse Central). Built at a lanky, long-levered 6-foot-2, with square/strong shoulders, Lapic sat 83-86 mph with live arm-side action through the zone.

TOP 60-YARD DASH

From ‘Tosa East, OF Zach Ortner (uncommitted) possesses some follow tools, including his obvious foot speed that comfortably had him at the top of this leaderboard, with a 6.57 mark in the 60-yard dash. OF Anthony Gross (Catholic Memorial) has shown time and time again that he has a lot to offer a program at the next level, and he’s still in search of that home. His speed and strong right-handed bat are interesting top-of-the-order tools. An uncommitted trio trailed these two for the next quickest times (6.85): OF Wolfgang Kalz (Appleton West), OF Boone Mathison (Tomah), and OF Ethan Rothbauer (Bloomer).

MAX EXIT VELOCITY

Trett Joles (Boyceville; uncommitted) has a hulking, muscular build and he efficiently applies it to his right-handed swing, one that produced the top exit velocity mark at this event (98 mph). Joles’ strength and toolset from behind the plate have him of high interest among uncommitted backstops from the area. OF Cole Luckey (Glenbrook South, IL) just committed to Bradley a week ago, a day prior to this showcase, and he’s proved multiple times to be one of the most tooled-up prospects along the summer circuit. He’s all over leaderboards from this event, including this one. Something similar can be said about OF Braden Mullen (Loyola Academy, IL), though he remains uncommitted. Mullen is a physical 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, who showed off his wide range of tools last Tuesday. He recorded a 94 mph high at this station and ran a 7.13, a great mark for someone of his stature. C Brigs Richartz (Menomonie; uncommitted) is very young for the class, though he looks advanced within it regardless, making loud contact both in BP settings and in live game action. He, too, recorded a 94 mph best in this category, and it came from the left side.

MAX INFIELD VELOCITY

RHP/3B Thomas Hunt (Almond-Bancroft; uncommitted) has two-way appeal, and his arm strength from the mound – as well as in the infield, obviously – is his best tool. He tied 2B Nicklas Williams (Union Grove; uncommitted) for the top spot here, at 87 mph. Williams is an interesting uncommitted case as a right-handed bat who just knows how to connect his barrel to the baseball, and on repeat. He’s athletic, with the noted arm strength, and he can play a reliable second as his bat carries him to success at the next level. SS/RHP Austin Bestul (Elkhorn Area; uncommitted) is a shortstop through and through, with easy and smooth actions and the big, athletic arm strength to keep to the left side of the diamond. SS Gabe Roessler (Hononegah, IL; uncommitted) had a strong day that should help him earn more looks the rest of this summer. Inside an athletic and projectable frame – at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds – he moves gracefully at shortstop and he was up to 85 mph across the way.

MAX OUTFIELD VELOCITY

More familiar faces here. Luckey’s a toolshed prospect, so his arm strength helped him place at the top of this leaderboard with an 88 mph high to home. Left/left OF Angel Rades (Oak Creek; uncommitted) has strength in his compact frame, and he makes accurate throws home with arm strength, up to 87 mph. The brawny Mullen also made his presence felt here. Again, he moves around well for his size and he has plenty of arm to thrive in a corner, where his bat can help him enhance his overall profile. Gross’ tools shined through here as well; though he has the footspeed to cover tracks in center, the arm gives him yet another usable tool in game.

MAX CATCHER VELOCITY

Everything Joles does is with an aggressive, physical demeanor. His throws through the infield carried at 83 mph, a couple ticks above the day’s next best, C Jack Snyder (Manteno, IL; uncommitted). That shouldn’t sell Snyder short, either, an 81 mph high to second is an impressive number, and he’s an all-around athlete which helps him nimbly cover ground in the crouch and on balls in the dirt. C Blaine Guthrie (Baldwin-Woodville; uncommitted) has a physical 6-foot, 190-pound frame, featuring arm strength. He topped 79 mph on his catch-and-throws.

TOP POP TIMES

Reiterating again that Richartz is especially young for the 2021 class helps emphasize how impressive when compared to peers who are so much older than him, some up to a year. Still growing into some strength, he topped 75 mph to second but showed that he’s exceptionally quick and efficient to the bag, as he averaged the lowest pops of the day. Not far behind is Joles, whose big arm helped him record average pops in the low 2.00s, nearly the same as Snyder. Nick Nowak (Waukesha South; uncommitted) has some twitch and quickness that shows itself across his profile, including here. He makes the absolute most of his arm strength, with consistent pops under 2.10, with accuracy.

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