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Milwaukee Preseason I.D.: Quick Hits

March 23, 2021
By Wisconsin Staff

On March 21, the PBR Wisconsin team hosted the Milwaukee Preseason I.D., at the brand-new MOSH Performance Center in Franklin, Wis. This was an open event for all high school classes (2021-24), and gave our staff an ample look at the area's top players as over 170 players were in attendance.

Today, in our first post-event piece from this event, we’ll publish our biggest takeaways and highlights from Sunday’s showcase within this Quick Hits story. Throughout the rest of this week, we’ll be taking diving deeper into all of the data we collected, too, with the help of our Blast Motion and TrackMan devices.

For now, check out our notes and findings from Sunday’s event at the MOSH Center. Each of the players below are uncommitted unless stated otherwise.

CLASS OF 2022

+ OF Michael Lippe (Whitefish Bay; Louisville commit) remains one of the top prospects in the Midwest, and a name area scouts have circled ahead of the 2022 MLB Draft. The physical 6-foot-2, 220-pound athlete has defined strength in his upper and lower halves, though he’s still an explosive runner, having clocked in at a 6.77 in the 60-yard dash on Sunday. Offensively, Lippe generates easy, advanced bat and hand speed scores, measured at 77.0 and 25.5 mph on average, respectively, according to the Blast sensor, both of which were either at or near the top of the event leaderboards. He also hit a pair of the event’s hardest batted balls, and was the only batter to record several 99-plus mph exit speeds. Lippe’s physicality and foot speed seamlessly translate to the outfield, where he flows to the baseball in rhythm and confidence – and he reached a 98 mph high throw to home, tying for the event’s lead.

+ A member of Team Wisconsin’s roster at last summer’s PBR Future Games, C Will Johannes (Mukwonago) has only continued to improve in the time since. Built at a premium 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Johannes is both a strong, upside right-handed hitter, and an advanced catcher with quick catch-and-throw skills complemented by big arm strength, topping 82 mph to second on Sunday. He hit the day’s farthest ball that left the barrel at the single highest exit speed, measured at 385 feet and 99.5 mph. Still uncommitted, Johannes is increasingly one of the top on-the-market junior backstops in the region.

+ RHP Brayden Marks (Elkhorn Area) was responsible for one of the day’s most impressive overall performances. Built at a sturdy/strong 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Marks has genuine feel for four pitches, showcasing the ability to spot each at times, while the fastball and breaking balls feature high spin. He really gets down the mound, working on line, to produce an upper-80s fastball that sat 88-89 mph exclusively, reaching 90 max with natural arm-side run. The separators for Marks are his two breaking balls, a slider and curve, that each work a little differently and both break sharply with advanced spin rates, measured at an average of 2,305 and 2,441 rpm on average, respectively. The curve is 12/6 with tight/short action under the zone, while he demonstrates greater confidence in the slider, at more of an 11/5 shape that he was landing for strikes with frequency, still with biting action. He also utilizes a quality changeup, thrown at arm speed, that looks like a viable fourth pitch to round out a mix that should make Marks a high-follow uncommitted junior to know in the state.

+ RHP/OF Nate Snead (South Milwaukee) generated a ton of pre-event buzz, as he’d been rumored to have taken some huge strides developmentally over the offseason. He’s a quick-twitch athlete and it showed right away, running one of the fastest 60s of the day at 6.77, and hit 98 mph four straight times from the outfield. His bat works too, with loose wiry levers working a balanced gap-to-gap round of BP, with above-average bat speed. On the mound, the wiry 6-foot-2, 180-pound righty sat exclusively 91-92 mph, reaching a 93 mph at the end of his ‘pen.

Snead attended All-State Games in late June of 2020 where he reached an 83 mph high, so this 10 mph climb is substantial, and arguably was the biggest takeaway of the day. Snead generates live arm speed from a high slot and release that jumps down a steep plane to home, exploding through the strike zone with late run. His breaking ball is aggressive and improving, and his changeup projects well as he fine-tunes it to better match his natural arm speed. Regardless, this was an exciting look at one of the state’s rising juniors, who’s still uncommitted.

+ A member of Team Wisconsin’s PBR Future Games squad last summer, LHP Taylor Kilps (Whitnall) has clearly been hard at work in the time since. He’s added some wiry strength to his 6-foot-2, 185-pound build, and he’s refined what was a raw, live arsenal and molded into a more competitive mix. The southpaw has a quick arm that produces mid-80s velocity with a general ease, and more in the tank, as he eventually reached 89 and 90 mph highs at the end of his session. Kilps’ slider feel is improving, showing more action and feel to spin. His best offspeed, currently, is a unique mid-70s knuckleball. He does well to limit its spin without altering his typical arm speed/slot much, and the pitch features late action that he spotted at the bottom and under the zone well.

+ OF/RHP Adam Balcerak’s (Muskego) athleticism especially plays up in the outfield, where he comfortably covers ground with ease – he ran a 6.82 earlier in the day to underscore this point. His arm strength has improved since our last look, as all five of his throws clocked in above 90 mph, with an accurate 92 max as his best. He translated that to the mound as well, running his fastball up to 87 mph and consistently pumping it in at 84-86. Additionally, he hit one of the day’s farthest balls (382 feet) that left the bat at 98.1 mph. He’s among the top uncommitted athletes in the state.

+ Just prior to announcing his commitment to St. John’s, INF Anthony Lausten (Hartford Union) continues to solidify himself as one of the top middle infield defenders in the state. He showed all the actions necessary to stick as a shortstop at the next level, particularly on the move, and his loose whippy arm topped out at an accurate 89 mph to the bag. Lausten’s also added a little strength to enhance his batted-ball profile. He sprayed line-drives around the field, topping an exit speed of 92.7 mph.

+ LHP Willard Peterson (Evansville) was one of the stand-outs at the West Milwaukee I.D. almost exactly a month ago, and he reasserted himself as one of the top uncommitted left-handers in the state after this performance. A durable/powerful 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, Peterson has an eccentric mix, as he cuts both his fastball and changeup, spotting both well in and around the zone. He added a tick to his fastball high in between looks, reaching an 88 mph max on Sunday. Peterson also showcased what was, very possibly, the best breaking ball in attendance – a 2/8 curve that averages a spin rate of 2,650 rpm, with sharp action and the feel to land it for strikes. Peterson’s profile is unique enough to be a tough at-bat on its own, and his pitch metrics only add to his upside, as he’s still uncommitted.

+ RHP Ryan Roehl (West Bend West) showed off a quick and athletic arm on Sunday, sitting 87-88 mph, touching 89, while showing flashes of arm-side run. A 12/6 curveball showed depth at 72-74 mph with a sinking changeup. 

+ It’s hard to miss OF/INF Cade Honkamp (Brookfield East), a strong/physical 6-foot-1, 195-pound right-handed hitter who makes loud impact inside the box. We’ve seen it in-game and in showcase settings, and it was more of the same on Sunday. He reached a 96.2 mph max exit speed, and hit one ball an estimated 368 feet, per TrackMan. Honkamp’s arm strength translates to his defense, as he recorded a 90 mph high from the outfield and threw a strike across the diamond at 88, too.

+ RHP Jared Hanson (Escanaba, MI) is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander with a hard finishing fastball that flashed arm side run at 86-88 mph to go along with an 11/5 breaking ball that showed sharp action and depth.

+ The 6-foot, 190-pound INF/RHP Carson Flugaur (Franklin) continues to improve and build off previous looks, particularly on the infield. He topped at 85 mph on the diamond a few weeks ago at our Fox Cities Preseason I.D. and added five mph to his best bullet since then, reaching back for 90 mph on his first infield throw on Sunday – tying for the event-high. His added strength over the offseason has helped improve his batted-ball metrics, too, and his overall athleticism has made him a follow athlete in the state.

+ INF Jalen Gellings (Campbellsport) has shown on several occasions that he’s a strong, athletic prospect in the state’s 2022 class, and he did so again on Sunday. His right-handed bat generates fast hand speed (24.5 mph on average, per Blast) and bat speed (71.2 mph on average) which produces hard-hit contact on repeat. Gellings’ confident demeanor in the box is notable, as he has an advanced feel for the barrel inside a rhythmic and balanced swing. He averaged an exit speed of 87.3 mph and recorded a 97.2 max at the MOSH.

+ Built at a lanky and projectable 6-foot-4, 190-pounds, RHP Jaxson Easterlin (Franklin, 2022) strung together a polished bullpen, showcasing a strong three-pitch mix and landing them all for strikes. His fastball consistently sat at 84-85 mph and both his off-speed pitches showed well, particularly a tumbling changeup that plays best off that fastball down in the zone.

+ Built at a premium 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, OF Carson Hansen (Pewaukee) stands out amongst the crowd instantly. His physicality is made even more intriguing by his left/left handedness, and ability to clock a 7.02 time in the 60-yard dash. Offensively he’s got a grown-man look in the box with a quiet confident approach and generates above-average bat and hand speed, making hard line-drive contact on repeat to his pull-side. He averaged an exit speed of 84.5 mph, with a 91.4 high.  Defensively, he was 88 mph on his throws home, too, comfortably moving around the outfield.

+ INF/RHP Evan Iwinski (Franklin) is another uncommitted 2022 arm who’s stuff has considerably ticked up since our last look. Iwinski topped out at 83 mph in October, and the 6-foot-1, 180-pound right-hander reached an 88 high on Sunday, comfortably cruising at 86-87 throughout his bullpen. He’s still consistently harnessing feel for his secondary pitches, but the upside and athleticism on the mound are noteworthy. Iwinski also swings a loose righty bat that’s trending upward; he recorded a max exit speed of 91.4 mph, averaging 84.8, from a really smooth, fluid swing that peppered the middle of the field with line-drive contact. His athleticism works on the infield, and he reached an 85 mph high to first as well.

+ An arm likely to make a jump into our 2022 rankings come the next update: RHP Benjamin Kasten (Whitnall). Kasten has tacked on approximately 20 pounds of strength since we last saw him in June, now standing at a physical 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. That and added athleticism, particularly on his lower half drive, has led to a significant uptick in Kasten’s stuff. He routinely attacked the zone for strikes with a straight-arrowed 84-86 mph fastball, touching 87 twice. He’s still fully harnessing his secondary pitches, although his curveball did flash sharp spin and the potential to be his out-pitch when he worked on top of it. Kasten emerged from this event as a follow uncommitted arm in the state’s junior class.

+ A reliable up-the-middle defender, RHP/INF Cristiano Ramirez (Muskego) continues to solidify himself as a true two-way uncommitted follow inside Wisconsin’s 2022 class. He defends with an innate rhythm and comfortable internal clock, all while firing an 85 mph accurate strike to the bag. His athleticism translates to the mound where he showed a short, quick arm action working from an over-the-top slot. Ramirez ran his fastball up to 85 mph, with a max spin rate of 2,229 rpm, and an impressive average of 21.6 inches of induced vertical break. Ramirez paired the fastball with an aggressive 12/6 downer curveball at 74-76 mph, topping 2,059 rpm, and an upper-70s changeup at the bottom of the zone that flashed sink and fade. His loose, athletic right-handed swing is another upside element to his game, creating a follow mix of tools.

+ Right-handed-hitting OF Cameron Jackson (Ashwaubenon) is a follow bat in the class. He’s got a pull side power profile from a strong 6-foot-3, 195-pound build. With present bat strength, he keeps his path under control and in rhythm, all of which showed in his hitting metrics.

CLASS OF 2023

+ Left-handed-hitting INF Max Hennemann (Oak Creek) has an easy, athletic swing that played well in BP. It’s a line-drive, gap-to-gap approach that keeps things short and simple with little effort. An above-average athlete, he ran a 6.95 in the 60 as well.

+ Few sophomores left the MOSH Center having done as much for their prospect stock as INF Vidal Colon (University School of Milwaukee) did. The compact 5-foot-9, 180-pound athlete creates premium bat speed, measured at 76.3 mph on average, with an innate feel for the barrel that repeated hard-hit line-drive contact into his pull-side gap. He can drive the ball hard and far, especially for his size, as he recorded one batted-ball at a 92.9 mph exit speed that travelled 355 feet. Defensively, Colon’s arm has ticked up significantly since our last live look in July. His on-target 90 mph high across the infield tied for the hardest throw of the day, and he ran a 6.99 earlier in the workout. His athleticism paired up with above-average foot speed allow him to cover ground laterally, and his up-the-middle actions have improved, too.

+ INF Parker Wyatt’s (Marquette University) spray chart tells an impressive story, as he laced his best contact all up the middle of the diamond, repeat line-drive contact recorded at a 95.2 mph high off the barrel. Wyatt is a 5-foot-10, 180-pound athlete and 7.03 runner who also looked the part on the infield. Wyatt showed improved, sure-handed actions on defense, with above-average foot speed on the move. His loose arm continues to play accurate to the bag, topping out at 82 mph across.

+ Few 2023s impressed in the way that OF Keith Williams (Catholic Memorial) did on Sunday, and in his PBR event debut, no less. Williams is an advanced athlete in a 6-foot-1, 220-pound build. His highly aggressive hacks work with a pull side approach that also recorded the event’s most impactful contact of the day – as each and every one of his recorded batted balls left the barrel at a 94.9 mph speed at minimum, with a 98.3 mph max, having hit one ball 368 feet, estimated. Also a stand-out football player, Williams can be considered one of the state’s strongest left-handed hitters among his 2023 peers.

+ 1B Anthony Rieck (Catholic Memorial) is another one of the state’s best bat strength sophomores. The right-handed hitter is a solid 6-foot-2, 205-pounds and showed next level bat speed with serious intent. He’s a pull side power hitter, and why wouldn’t he be with the type of bat strength on display. Rieck recorded a 95.0 mph max exit speed in BP and hit one ball an estimated 370 feet as evidence. Rieck isn’t just selling out for power, either, as he showed a natural feel for the barrel, and that’ll allow him to better utilize his inherent power potential long-term.

+ INF Connor Olson (Arrowhead) is a multi-sport athlete who’s made some big gains on the baseball field, as he took among the day’s simplest and best rounds of batting practice. His easy, simple right-handed swing allowed him to land barrel after barrel. Olson’s flat path makes for sound line-drive contact, and his surprising wiry strength – listed at 6-foot, 175 pounds – mustered an average exit speed of 90 mph, with a 95.8 max. The Arrowhead sophomore also ran a 6.92 and reached an 80 mph high across the infield, looking like a follow name to know in this class moving forward.

+ A big winner from last week’s Madison Preseason I.D. from an offensive standpoint, RHP Quinn Falish (De Pere) continues to solidify himself as a high-follow name in the state’s sophomore class. The upside attached to Falish’s 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame on both sides of the ball is fairly high and he showed out on the mound this weekend. Falish pumped his fastball in at 83-85 mph and primarily spotted it up towards the glove-side of the plate. His breaking ball projects as a swing-and-miss offering; a sharp curveball thrown with fastball intent at 70-73 mph that breaks late off an 11/5 plane.

+ RHP Noah Musolf (Franklin) continues to be a follow name on the bump inside Wisconsin’s sophomore class. We’ve gotten multiple looks at the 6-foot, 155-pound lanky right-hander over the last year, and his performance Sunday was his best to date. Musolf consistently pumped his heater in at 82-84 mph and it played with natural horizontal ride, averaging 18.7 inches of horizontal movement, per TrackMan. He showed off an improved changeup as well; an offering that plays well off his fastball, albeit from a lower average release angle.

+ 6-foot-1, 185-pound INF Carson Faust (Grafton) had an impressive day at the plate with barrel after barrel to the middle of the field. A highly repeatable and consistent swing, Faust will be a follow with the bat in his hand.

CLASS OF 2024

+ INF/RHP Colton Angell (Oshkosh North) has twitchy strength inside an advanced 6-foot-1, 190-pound build for a freshman. After breaking out in the fall, Angell has maintained his momentum into 2021, showing as one of the top freshmen hitters we’ve seen along the winter circuit. Angell swings a short, fast right-handed bat that works off an inclined plane through impact, creating an upside power profile aided by his natural feel to hit and use the field. His best batted-ball left the bat at 92 mph and travelled nearly 300 feet, though his ability to create this kind of contact repeatedly was the biggest takeaway. Angell was also up to 82 mph on the mound from an easy, clean delivery, so his upside is multi-faceted.

+ LHP Robert Barrera (Union Grove) emerged as an upside left-handed arm to follow in the 2024 class. Barrera – listed at 6-foot, 165 pounds – has a clean arm action that plays with some quickness from an over-the-top slot. The fastball comes out of the hand clean and played at the bottom of the zone, sitting 79-82 mph, with a max spin rate of 2,003 rpm. His 71-72 mph changeup is currently his best secondary offering; mostly straight action with above-average feel for the bottom of the zone.

+ RHP Donatello Badalamenti (Pulaski) has shown previously as both a follow right-handed hitter and catcher, though his upside may be best on the mound. On Sunday, Badalamenti sat 80-82 mph with both a two- and four-seam fastball, and his four-seamer projects particularly well, as it features true backspin and a heavy profile that he spotted well at the bottom of the zone. His slider feel is raw, but there’s a lot to work with, as he throws it aggressively, 75-77 mph, and it spins at an average of 2,250 rpm with short action that improved throughout his ‘pen. The changeup projects well, too, as he mimics his typical arm speed well, giving the pitch deception.

+ Cal Casper (Pulaski) is a wiry 5-foot-8, 170-pound backstop who showed particularly well on defense Sunday, especially as a freshman. He’s a confident receiver unfazed by velocity, capable of catching older/stronger pitchers comfortably, and his quick, athletic feet and transfers helped him pop in the low-2.00s on target. There’s upside in his loose right-handed swing, too, and he hit one ball on a shallow line to left at 92.0 mph.

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