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Wisconsin Class of 2024 Rankings: Update

May 10, 2023
By Andy Sroka & Isaiah Glidden
Wisconsin Staff

Today, as part of Prep Baseball Report’s rankings week, our PBR Wisconsin staff is unveiling this substantial update to the state’s junior class rankings, which have been expanded to a top-150 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. We’ve also highlighted players who’ve made the most significant movement up the board, climbing into the top-25 overall. Throughout the rest of this week, we’ll continue to break down this rankings update, spotlighting juniors rising on the board, as well as those making their debuts altogether.

AT THE TOP

JD Dix SS / Whitefish Bay, WI / 2024

Rankings  State Rank: No. 1 | National Rank: No. 8

Dix, an Alabama commit, is yet again staying atop our state rankings in this update and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him stay here for the remainder of his prep career. In our last rankings update, in September of last year, Dix was one of the biggest risers in our National Rankings as he made the jump all the way up to No. 8 after a stand-out performance at the Underclass Area Code Games – and he may rise more yet in Friday's latest national rankings update. Dix is a premium athlete on the diamond, which allows him to be a graceful defender at the shortstop position. Offensively, the switch-hitter has proved to show bat-to-ball skill from both sides of the plate and has added more and more power with each look we have got on him, and inside his athletic 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame, there is still even more room for him to add even more pop in the future. There really is no telling how high Dix’s ceiling is, and he's already shown as the next high-end shortstop prospect out of the Badger State, something that Wisconsin has become quite known for over the last decade or so, especially.

Noah Wech RHP / INF / Manitowoc Lincoln, WI / 2024

Rankings  State Rank: No. 2 | National Rank: No. 234

Wech, an Oklahoma State commit, has one of the liveliest arms in the state, and he remains locked in at No. 2 overall in this state update. We just saw him a few weeks back at a start for his high school team where he reached a 92 mph high with the fastball, one that exhibits carry traits that helps it really explode through the strike zone. The breaking ball feel is developing, and it flashes sharp action at times, and is capable blossoming into a go-to secondary. He's a two-way athlete right now, but his upside on the mound is currently keeps him projecting there best, long-term.

Brock Lulewicz 3B / SS / Muskego, WI / 2024

Rankings  State Rank: No. 3

While Lulewicz’s, who's now a Wichita State commit, climb up to from Nos. 4 to 3 may not seem like a massive jump, he had to make some big strides to his game to do so. Back in July, Lulewicz represented Team Wisconsin at the PBR Future Games, and he was arguably one of the top performers both during the event's showcase day, and it translated well to the live gameplay portion of the event. Our most recent look at Lulewicz came at March’s massive Milwaukee Preseason ID event, and despite it being our largest event of the winter, Lulewicz stole the show. On the infield, Lulewicz has all the talent and actions to stick at either of the left-side positions, and his arm that has topped at 89 mph across the infield asserts that notion even more. From the left-handed batter's box, he features a smooth swing that's continued to gain impact strength off the barrel, producing consistent mid-90s exit velocities in front of our staff, and attached to a dynamic barrel that can hit for both average and the occasional in-game pop. While his rounds of BP are impressive in their own right, Lulewicz really shines during live gameplay as we have seen him tally a multitude of barrels, and he has been a huge reason why Muskego is now inside our Power 25 rankings.
(3/18/23)

ELSEWHERE IN THE TOP-10

+ RHP Nolan Buss (Arrowhead; Kansas State commit) is a unique right-hander who also made the trip down to Georgia to represent Wisconsin at the PBR Future Games. Listed at a strong, 6-foot, 185-pounds, Buss features a funky delivery with a lower ¾ slot that can make for a tough at-bat to both right and left-handed hitters. Despite the unique delivery, Buss repeats it and we have seen his hard-running fastball up to 91.1 mph earn a plethora of swings-and-misses on its own. As for his offspeeds, he features a sweeping upper-70s slider that plays well off of his fastball and a changeup that makes for a potential third whiff-inducing offering in his arsenal. Back on the bump recently for his high school squad, Buss appears to be pitching very well. His unorthodox delivery and arm slot contribute to his overall appeal as a prospect, but they can also create some inconsistencies start to start. Thankfully for Buss, as well as Arrowhead, he appears to be in the midst of a dominant stretch that should have him ramping up at the right time, headed into the stretch run of the WIAA season as we transition into the summer.

+ RHP Nate Langbehn (D.C. Everest; Wichita State) is a projectable 6-foot-3, 210-pound pitching prospect who has continued to impress since his stand-out performance at the PBR Future Games. During the winter circuit, Langbehn was in attendance at the Madison Preseason ID where he boasted a more filled-out frame, and his added strength seemed to aid him during his ‘pen. Langbehn’s heavy fastball was one of our biggest takeaways of the event, as he ran it all the way up to 92 mph, a solid uptick over the offseason. As for his secondaries, he spins in a two-plane breaking ball with sharp 11/5 action and a changeup with fading, arm-side movement. Langbehn’s upside is mixed with his true feel to pitch, which allows him to profile as a starter at the next-level. We saw him even more recently, about a month ago, pitching for his high school where he sat in the upper-80s, touching 90 mph, attacking the zone with three pitches, as he's prone to do.

+ 1B/LHP Jackson Brewer (Homestead) is the top uncommitted talent on the state’s 2024 rankings. Around this time last year, Brewer looked like an excellent left-handed pitching prospect who could swing it, where as he's reversed his profile since. Nowadays, Brewer's authoritative left-handed bat is becoming too good to take out of his hands, at any point, even if he's limited to first base positionally. During this most recent winter circuit, Brewer made it up to the Madison ID where he arguably took one of the cleanest, and loudest, rounds of batting practice at the talent-laden event. He works short to the ball and uses his strong 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame to create EVs up to 99.3 mph, at an average of 90.7, with an authentic knack for the barrel. It also is worth mentioning that we have seen Brewer up to 88 mph on the mound in the past, with feel for both a slider and a changeup. With as much noise Brewer has generated for himself since the his stand-out performance at the PBR Future Games last July, he's truly one of the best uncommitted '24 prospects in the nation.

+ OF Logan Dunn (Wautoma; Missouri State) has long been regarded as one of the top talents in the state’s 2024 class and in this update, he finds himself up one spot, at No. 7 overall. Listed at an athletic, strong 6-foot, 185 pounds, Dunn features a smooth left-handed stroke that has produced a multitude of barrels in front of our staff in live gameplay, and at the Madison ID in March, he registered max EVs up to 93.1 mph with a dynamic barrel that allows him to use the entire field without reducing the strength off the barrel. While in the outfield, Dunn has twitchy speed that plays up past its 7.14 time, to effortlessly range from side to side, and he pairs it with a strong arm that we have seen up to 91 mph from the outfield. Since the inception of this class' rankings board, Dunn has never been on the outside of the top-10, and he certainly has the talent to stick inside of it from start to finish.

+ MIF Eddie Rynders (Wisconsin Lutheran; Kent State) moves up to No. 8 spot in this update after stringing together multiple strong performances in front of our staff, something that we have become familiar with seeing from Rynders. Listed at an exceptionally projectable, athletic 6-foot-2, 190 pounds,  Rynders' athleticism promotes some added upside on the left side of the infield as he continues to polish up his skill set on the diamond, but it's his left-handed bat that's made the most noteworthy gains over the most recent offseason. At the massive Milwaukee ID showcase in late March, Rynders launched baseballs from a lofted barrel with EVs as high as 97.1 mph, at an average batted distance of 248 feet. His offense is making real strides while his upside positionally pushes him up to No. 8 overall in this update.

Eddie Rynders (3/18/23)

+ RHP Jack DeTienne (Verona Area; Xavier) may have some of the highest upside on the mound in the state’s talented 2024 class, and he finds himself at No. 9 in this rankings update. Listed at a projectable 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, with long levers, DeTienne is a clean and athletic mover on the bump with a loose, quick arm. He features a lively fastball up to 91.3 mph at the recent Madison ID, with carry and run through the zone. As for his offspeed offerings, he spins in an aggressive 12/6 breaking ball with sharp, late life that plays exceptionally well off of his fastball, spinning at 2,574 rpm on average at that event. He rounds out his three-pitch mix with an aggressive changeup, featuring run and some late arm-side action, that adds another element to an already impressive repertoire. Over the course of the past year and a half, DeTienne has elevated his prospect stock to a whole different level, and there are some indications that he is only just beginning to scratch the surface of his true potential on the bump.

+ OF Cade Palkowski (Oak Creek; North Carolina) is inside the top-10 this update and is one of the state’s top athletes. He’s a muscular 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, equipped with 6.82 speed and he recorded a top speed of 19.9 mph at this year’s Milwaukee ID. Offensively, he’s a competitive left-handed hitter with real sweet spot feel in the batter’s box that helped him generate an average exit speed of 88.2 mph, and a 94.8 max. He squares up line-drive contact efficiently, and to all fields, and Palkowski’s innate strength makes him capable of launching balls over the fence, too. He’s certainly armed with the skill set to occupy center field as he further hones his feel for the position out there, though he could be a true asset in a corner outfield spot as well, underscored by the ability to reach 90 mph on his throws home.

Cade Palkowski (3/18/23)

+ It’s also worth highlighting this committed trio ranked just outside the top-10, who showed well, yet again, at March’s Milwaukee ID: LHP Tannis Lange (Waukesha South; Ohio State), RHP/INF Kyle Alivo (St. Thomas More; Iowa), and OF R.J. Thomae (Hartford Union; Valparaiso).

Lange remains one of the top left-handers in the state, listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, who sat 86-87 mph in March on a lively fastball that heads home on a steep plane. His curveball and changeup are reliable weapons still, and he has some of the best pitchability that we’ve seen in the class as whole.

Alivo has a quick, loose, live arm, now listed at 6-foot-1, 160 pounds. He climbed all the way up to a 91.1 mph at the Milwaukee ID on an efficient four-seamer that carries through the zone at 2,324 rpm on average. He’s weaponized the changeup, turning into a go-to secondary for himself in-game, and the slider is a short sweeper that flashes late bite too.

Thomae’s bat-to-ball skills are among the best in the state, and he’s also one of the class’ most athletic prospects. He’s a 6.82 runner with 20.0 mph top speed, and he routinely averaged an exit speed of 87.3 mph at March’s showcase, with a 93.1 max.

CRACKING THE TOP-25

+ There were few prospects who've added as much buzz to his prospect stock over the course of the past few months than RHP Avery Duncan (Notre Dame Academy), and he made one of the biggest jumps up our rankings board as result, now ranked at No. 15 overall. Back in February, Duncan made it out to the Green Bay Preseason ID where he showed off some tremendous gains to pitch mix. Standing at an upside and athletic 6-foot-2, 183 pounds, Duncan twirled one of the most impressive ‘pens of the entire winter circuit, in which he ran his lively fastball up to 89.9 mph from an easy, clean delivery. One of the biggest takeaways was the improvement he made to his secondaries, the first is a sharp 11/5 breaking ball, as well as a changeup with arm-side run and fade. This time last year, Duncan's feel to spin was crude, but it's exciting to see just how far its come since.

We have also gotten the chance to see Duncan’s new and improved skills in live gameplay recently and he made it clear that his skill set translates from 'pen to the game mound seamlessly. For his Notre Dame Academy squad, he sat in the 89-90 mph in his start, and quieted a formidable opponent while striking out 10 batters, emphasized by his slider spin feel and action that he located well. Duncan now enters the top-15 in this rankings update as one of, if not the, top uncommitted pitchers in the state. 

+ RHP/OF Payten Jibben (Oak Creek) is another 'Riser' in this rankings update, after putting together one of the cleanest ‘pens during the winter circuit, all while continuing to show real two-way appeal. Listed at a physical, athletic 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Jibben made it out to the Milwaukee ID back in March where he elevated his prospect stock a level. During his ‘pen, Jibben ran his fastball up to 90 mph out of an easy, controllable delivery. The fastball is a vertical, carry type of four-seamer, and it works effectively alongside his breaking ball, which is a mid-70s curveball that also plays best off a vertical plane. Jibben also utilizes legitimate changeup, gripped as more of a vulcan or split-finger iteration, that he's able to generate hard arm-side bite while maintaining arm speed for added deception.

Jibben presents some upside off the mound too, as a middle-of-the-order threat in the right-handed box. Working from a stock setup, we have seen Jibben record EVs up to 93 mph and we have also seen his hit-tool play out in game, too. It's too early to tell where Jibben projects best long-term – but that only underscores his talent level on both sides of the ball.

Payten Jibben (3/18/23)

+ LHP Brady Koester (Kimberly; Notre Dame) cracks the top-25 in this update after showing off some massive gains he has made on the mound at the Green Bay ID this winter. Inside of Koester’s long 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame there's huge upside to unlock to an already impressive present skill set on the mound. In our looks, we have seen Koester reach highs of 89 mph with his fastball that plays with big carry through the zone, at roughly 16.1 inches of IVB on average. He also features a true 12/6 curveball that he spins in the 2,100 rpm range on average, and a slider that still plays with some downer action but features a more sweeper-type movement. He rounds out his well-above-average four-pitch mix with an an aggressive changeup with late fading action that offers some versatility when facing opposite-handed hitters. Throughout the winter circuit, Koester really made a name for himself, and he arguably is only scratching the surface of what his ultimate ceiling could be on the bump.

Brady Koester (2/25/23)

+ MIF C.J. Trask (Oak Creek) has been a name who has steadily rose up our rankings board in recent updates, and in this one Trask makes his largest rise yet. He's a strong, broad-shouldered 5-foot-11, 190-pound prospect who has loud tools across the board. On the infield, he is quick and clean mover with sure-handed actions, and a strong arm that points to him sticking up-the-middle at the next level. As for his bat, he utilizes a short, compact swing to drive the ball with authority to all different parts of the field, and he has reached EV highs of 97.5 mph, most recently at the Milwaukee ID. At that event, Trask's average exit speed surpassed 92 mph, and his furthest batted ball traveled 364 feet, and each metric was among the best of the huge event. While Trask has performed well in showcase settings, he really shines during live game settings where our staff has seen him take over games, most recently this spring when he homered and doubled for Oak Creek squad from a confident, mature approach in the box that helps him maximize his strength and bat-to-ball skills.

CJ Trask (3/18/23)

+ RHP Tavian Ramos (Neenah) has, arguably, the highest upside in the class. While raw as prospect and new to the travel ball scene, etc., Ramos possesses elite arm talent. He's a 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete who showed live mid-80s velocity last October, and then burst out from the offseason at February's Green Bay ID sitting 90-91 mph during an entire 'pen. Ramos generates natural, if currently inefficient, spin on all of his pitches. The fastball has a raw spin rate of 2,391 rpm on average and his slider has exceeded 23 inches of horizontal movement while spinning at over 2,800 rpm on average. The changeup is a work in progress, like his repertoire overall, and we've not yet seen Ramos find a consistent rhythm and arm slot to live inside the strike zone in his outings, but there are very few, if any, Wisconsin juniors who are equipped with his kind of skill set. We're eager to see how he's able to mold it as the spring and summer roll on, especially considering how far he came over just one offseason.

+ LHP/OF Tyler Wille (Kettle Moraine) is an excellent 6-foot, 185-pound athlete and his offseason gains helped him erupt up the board, all the way to No. 25 overall in this update. He's been thriving this spring season for a young, fun Kettle Moraine squad as one of its top pitchers and hitters, though it's his stuff on the mound that appears to grant him the brightest future, as it stands. Wille's come a long way in developing a greater control over his fastball, curve, and changeup, and he showed it off most recently for us at the Milwaukee ID, where he sat 88-89 mph during his 'pen, reaching a 89.9 max. The fastball is a ride/run kind of heater, generating some carry through the zone while also running arm-side at over 17 inches on average, spinning efficiently in the 2,200-2,300 rpm range. Wille showed the utmost confidence in a swing-and-miss circle change at this event, with large arm-side action, thrown aggressively. The mid-70s curveball has made progress over the last year, with above-average short, vertical action that he's flashed the ability to locate usefully as a third pitch. He offers left-handed bat strength as well, offensively, though he's certainly trending best as a must-see left-handed pitcher to monitor, as he remains uncommitted as we veer into the summer.

Tyler Wille (3/18/23)

+ Click here to view Wisconsin's Class of 2024 rankings in full.

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