Top Prospect - Milwaukee: Quick Hits

In the second annual hosting of PBR's Top Prospect Milwaukee, nearly 90+ prospects have given this event plenty of promise for many years to come. The event was hosted at The Rock Sports Complex in Franklin, Wis., on Tuesday, July 24 and began with a pro style workout giving the areas top 2019 player a platform to showcase their abilities in front of nearly 30 college programs. The roster saw a majority of players from Wisconsin as well as a handful from the greater Chicagoland area.

After the morning workout, the players were divvied up into six teams and participated in one of three games in the afternoon. This provided the players with yet another opportunity to see if their showcase abilities translate immediately to game play.

Per usual, the first part of the event analysis is taking a look at some of the top performers at the event in our Quick Hits.

QUICK HITS

FLEET FOOTED, ATHLETIC OUTFIELDERS

+ 5-foot-10, 185-pound, physical, muscle-bound outfielder John Nett (Kimberly, WI) ran the event-best 60-yard dash clocking in at 6.69.

+ Athletically-built with projectable frames, Chance Larson (Elkhorn, WI) and Jared Heinzen (Tremper, WI) both ran well with sub-7.00 60s and had arms that play from a corner outfield position. Where they really left their mark was at the plate. Larson and Heizen possess bat speed and easy swings, posting 90+ exit velocities.

+ The pair of Garret Cook (Plainfield North, IL) and Collin Kovnesky (Mukwonago, WI) ran impressive 60’s with respectable exit velocities from the left side. Cook ran a 6.74 60 and hit 89 mph from a tee, while Kovnesky sprinted a 6.91 60 and topped 84 from a tee. Both have shown that their abilities translate well to game play.

+ Lanky, athletically-built outfielder Tanner Hurley (Kenosha Bradford, WI) was a total package showing well on both side of the ball during the game. Hurley showcased his ability to play through the baseball with a loose, easy arm action. His throws carried from the outfield at 87 mph with accuracy, while he also looked to attack the ball at the plate.

TWO-WAY PLAYERS

+ C/RHP Ben Harris (Prairie Ridge, IL) showed a live arm out of the crouch in the morning position player workout, but took it to another level on the mound in afternoon game play. Harris sat 85-87 mph, touching 88 mph with an above average slider at 75-76 mph. Harris tied for the event best pop at 1.97 to second with a respectable 7.04 laser-timed 60.

+ OF/RHP Luke Blaha (Mukwonago, WI) impressed on the defensive side of the ball playing with bounce and utilizing his athletic actions. At 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, Blaha ranged well for his strong frame playing through with fluid footwork and hitting 84 mph to home. He kept his swing simple with hard contact at the plate repeatedly hitting 88 mph on the exit velocity testing.

+ INF/RHP Nick Brazelton (Oconomowoc, WI) tied with the event best exit velocity at Top Prospect Milwaukee hitting 99 mph from a tee. Brazelton also saw the gun read 86 mph when he took the mound in game play.

LEFT-HANDED ARMS

+ A trio of left-handed arms impressed on the day, those being Johnny Beck (Rochelle Township, IL), Jace Kressin (Menomonie, WI) and Tyler Denu (Mount Horeb, WI).

+ Beck possess a daunting, XXL 6-foot-8, 220-pound frame with a loose and quick arm action and had some of the best ‘stuff’ on the day. He pushed his heater up to 89 mph with signs of a wipeout, swing and miss breaking ball and flashed ability to fade a changeup out of the zone.

+ Kressin stands at 6-foot-3, 170-pounds and has plenty of room for continued physical development. The lanky lefty has a loose, whippy arm action that sat his fastball at 83-86 mph with a sharp slider that shows playable upside at the next level.

+ Denu had a thick, physical frame with strength throughout at 6-foot-1, 220-pounds. He mixed his tempo well in-game and tacked onto his pitchability with a short, powerful arm. Denu sat his fastball at 85-87 mph with run/sink in the zone and  attacked with it repeatedly.

CATCHERS

+ C Ethan Toone (Brookfield East) was near the top in workout pop times, but it was an in game base stealer that he gunned down that caught our attention. Toone showed an accurate arm that carries while handling a tough pitch to chalk up the caught stealing. Toone’s athleticism behind the dish showed with an agile setup and running a sub 7.0 60 (6.98).

+ C/OF Jack Fentress (Eau Claire Memorial, WI) ran an impressive 6.89 in the 60 out of a 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame. Fentress’s top end speed could profile him best at a corner outfielder coupled with the right-handed pop that he flashes in BP.

+ OF/C Max Bruff (Indian Trail, WI) led the day with the top exit velocity at 99 mph and showed it in game by juicing a triple to right-center.

+ C Trevor Gustafson (Webster, WI) was one of the higher ceiling catchers in attendance. At 6-foot-2, 190-pounds he carries a strong, athletic frame. Gustafson creates hard contact that jumps off his bat and profiles as an offensive catcher at the next level.

+ C Kameron Laskowski (Sussex Hamilton, WI), tied for the event best pop at 1.97. His acumen behind the dish is at higher level than most, and really stands out in game. Laskowski also showed he can do it with the bat ripping a pair of singles through the six hole in game.

PHYSICAL CORNER INFIELDERS

+Three prospects that posses physicality in their game were Jacoby Endreas (Sheboygan Falls, WI), INF Logan Mantz (Slinger, WI) and Joe Georger (Appleton West, WI).

+ Endreas had one of the best rounds of batting practice at the event translating his physically imposing 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame to the field with ease. He repeatedly showed hard contact to both gaps as well as hitting 93 mph in the exit velocity testing.

+ Mantz also showcased hard, line drive contact with strong hands at the plate topping a 92 mph exit velocity. The ball repeatedly found his barrel and he also flashed signs of being able to stick in the middle of the field.

+ Georger has a durable, strong frame at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds. Of the three listed, Georger posted the higher exit velocity at 94 mph off a tee. He had definite bat strength and back spun balls to the outfield in his BP session flashing gap to gap power potential in his game.

MIDDLE INFIELDERS

+  Reese Dutton (Tremper, WI) is a rangy defender with good hands and fluid feet that can stick at shortstop. Offensively he’s a gap to gap hitter, with feel for the barrel.

+ One of the better set of hands at turning the double play go to Brendon Herrin (Andrew, IL). Herrin is a slick fielder with excellent hands and a quick exchange that can release from any slot.

+ Riley Garczynski (Marquette University, WI) had one of the better arms of the day on the infield at 87 mph across. His arm carried well and clearly enough for the left side of the infield.

+ Marcus Cline (Fall Creek, WI) is about as versatile as it gets on a diamond. Cline can play multiple positions, and plays them well. He plays the game fast with a strong arm that can play from SS or RF, and enough range to play in centerfield. His left-handed bat consistently competes in the box, and profiles as a spray contact hitter who will hustle for extra bases.

POWER RIGHT-HANDED ARMS

+ Top Prospect Milwaukee saw a crop of right-handed arms with pitchability that saw their fastballs sit comfortably in the mid to high 80’s.

+ RHP Trent Turzenski (Burlington, WI) has a highly-projectable 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame that he used to work down the mound with conviction in his sole inning of work. The wide-shouldered righty topped his fastball at 87 mph, sitting 85-86 mph with a sharp slider at 68-70 mph. He fanned two batters and induced a weak ground out to second.

+ RHP Bailey Banaszynski (Brookfield East, WI) filled the strike zone and did so on both sides of the plate with all pitches. At 6-foot-2, 215-pounds, Banaszynski has a durable frame with a short, quick arm action pushing his fastball up to 88 mph, sitting 85-87 mph. His breaking ball was a slurve type pitch with depth, 67-69 mph.

+ Grant Ver Voort (Appleton North, WI) is a strong, muscle-bound RHP at 6-foot, 195-pounds. Ver Voort had a deceptive arm action with above average arm speed sitting his fastball at 85-87 mph. The righty had the ability to flip his breaking ball in for strikes and also struck out two in his inning of work.

+ Two Illinois natives round out this group of RHP's in Ryan Klainos (Libertyville, IL) and Pete Burnside (New Trier, IL). Klainos stood at a well-proportioned 6-foot-1, 175-pounds and showed signs of a three-pitch mix with feel. He hid the ball well in his delivery and sat his fastball at 84-86 mph with late run. Burnside has the size advantage with an XL 6-foot-5, 180-pound build and also utilized his frame to hide the baseball. Utilizing a quick, under control tempo Burnside’s heater sat at 80-83 mph, topping 86 mph with a feel for a curve at 74-76 mph.