Prep Baseball Report

Milwaukee Preseason I.D.: Statistical Analysis


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.

On Tuesday, we published our biggest takeaways and highlights from Sunday’s showcase within our Quick Hits story. Today, we’ll dive right into the statistical side of things, analyzing the event’s top performers from several different statistical categories. 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.

TOP 60-YARD DASH

Headlining this crop of prospects is OF Evan Becker (Sussex Hamilton, 2022), a 6-foot, 165-pound athlete who ran a 6.64. His athleticism helps create some bat and hand speed from the right-handed batter’s box, and he’s capable of some surprising hard-hit contact, too. The athletic improvements that INF/RHP Carson Flugaur (Franklin, 2022) has made this winter are impressive, as he’s now run two sub-6.75 times in the 60-yard dash this month. Several high-follow outfielders in the state’s junior class find themselves on this leaderboard, including Michael Lippe (Whitefish Bay, 2022; Louisville commit), Nate Snead (South Milwaukee, 2022) and Adam Balcerak (Muskego, 2022). There were also six sophomores who recorded sub-7.00 times, led by South Milwaukee’s Nic Maldonado (2023), at 6.83.

MAX FASTBALL VELOCITY

This was probably the deepest group of the day, as our staff was able to pull several high-follows from this group, several of whom will be jumping up the state’s 2022 rankings, like Snead, mentioned above. You’ll find his name on multiple of our statistical leaderboards, including at the top of this one, where the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Snead pumped in a 93 mph fastball one of his final pitches, sitting at 91-92 mph throughout.

Two more arms that showed improved sustained velocity in their ‘pens, each topping out at 90 mph: RHP Brayden Marks (Elkhorn, 2022) and LHP Taylor Kilps (Whitnall, 2022). These two uncommitted arms have vaulted themselves into a group of top uncommitted juniors to know in Wisconsin.

Standing at a physical 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, RHP Braydon Cooper (Catholic Memorial, 2022) is another uncommitted arm who’s made strides since last summer. He consistently sat at 86-88 mph with his fastball, reaching back for an 89 mph high – tying for the third highest max fastball velocity on the day, with RHP Ryan Roehl (West Bend West, 2022). Roehl is a loose-bodied 6-foot, 170-pound athlete with a quick, whippy arm and athletic actions on the mound. He, like Cooper, sat in the high-80s with his heater before firing an 89 mph strike. Both of these prospects remain uncommitted.

Three other arms topped out at 88 mph on Sunday, each of them showing off consistent improved velocity since last year: RHP Evan Iwinski (Franklin, 2022), LHP Willard Peterson (Evansville, 2022), and RHP Jared Hanson (Escanaba, MI, 2022).

Sophomore RHP Quinn Falish (De Pere, 2023) led his classmates with an 85 mph high, enhancing an already glowing, rising profile as one of the 2023 winners along this winter showcase circuit. He previously showed well as a position player at the Madison Preseason I.D., and his premium 6-foot-2, 195-pound stature is strong, athletic, and highly projectable.

MAX EXIT VELOCITY

Uncommitted junior C Will Johannes (Mukowonago, 2022) is one of the top uncommitted catchers in the region, following an excellent all-around showing in Franklin on Sunday. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound backstop has sturdy, proportional strength in his stature, translating to an impactful batted-ball profile that recorded the day’s single hardest-hit ball.

Lippe, one of the top ‘22 players in the Midwest, has a tremendous toolset that pushes him near the top of every category he participates in. His explosive right-handed bat is probably his greatest asset, and he easily created the most consistently loud, on-the-barrel contact at this event.

OF Joel Kraus (Bradley Tech, 2022) is a strong 6-foot, right-handed hitter who recorded one of the top exit speeds of the day at his first-ever PBR event. OF Keith Williams (Catholic Memorial, 2023) led all sophomores and left-handed hitters with a 98.3 mph max exit speed, and every ball he barreled left the bat in a hurry, as he averaged an exit velocity of nearly 95 mph.

OF/RHP Adam Balcerak (Muskego, 2022) has twitchy bat speed and he was among the most athletic players in attendance. This combo helps produce some surprising bat strength, as he topped an exit speed of 98-plus mph, and hit one ball over 380 feet, estimated.

1B Jack Baretz (Franklin, 2022) has a premium, strong 6-foot-3, 215-pound stature, and he naturally found himself near the top of this leaderboard, only a tick ahead of another uncommitted junior: INF Jalen Gellings (Campbellsport, 2022), a high-rank ‘22 in the state.

MAX OUTFIELD VELOCITY

This collection of outfielders produced some head-turning throws home, as four players crossed the 90 mph mark, and two tied one another for 98 highs. Aforementioned juniors Snead and Lippe each harbor advanced arm strength, obviously, and both ran 6.77s in the 60, too.

Balcerak’s athleticism and arm strength, in addition to his upside right-handed bat, make for one exciting profile. In mid-August he topped 87 mph to home, and on Sunday, he reached a 92 high. He sat in the mid-80s on the mound later in the day, up to 87 as well, showcasing added two-way appeal.

OF/INF Cade Honkamp (Brookfield East, 2022) has a brute strength right/right profile, and his powerful right-handed-hitting profile now also includes an arm that topped 90 mph to home, working out as an outfielder for the first time in front of our staff. It’s worth referencing Carson Hansen (Pewaukee, 2022) here, as he profiles somewhat similarly, only in a left/left profile. Hansen ran a 7.02 inside a 6-foot-3, 205-pound build, topping 88 mph on his throws home.

OF/INF Tyler Clark (West Allis Hale, 2022) has some positional versatility, and he showed well throughout Sunday’s event. He ran a 7.09, recorded a max exit speed of 94.9 mph, and topped 89 mph to home (as well as 81 across the infield).

OF Owen Sullivan (Oak Creek, 2023) is a follow athlete in the sophomore class, as he ran a 6.96 and reached an 88 mph high from the outfield, which led all ‘23s.

MAX INFIELD VELOCITY

Two arrow-up prospects in their respective classes lead this infield bunch, each of them recording 90 mph highs across the diamond: Vidal Colon (University School of Milwaukee, 2023) and INF/RHP Carson Flugaur (Franklin, 2022). Colon came away from this event as one of the clear-cut winners, showing improvements in nearly every aspect of his game. His first throw during his infield workout topped out at 88 mph to the bag, and he one-upped himself by firing over a 90 mph strike on his next throw – a 7 mph improvement since we saw him last July. Flugaur’s infield velocity jumped up five ticks since he worked out in the infield on March 6 at our Fox Cities Preseason I.D. The two are uncommitted follows in their respective classes.

Recent St. John’s commit Anthony Lausten (Hartford Union, 2022) took what was likely the most impressive infield round of the day. Lausten’s reputation, to this point, centered around his excellent defensive actions that look like a natural, next-level fit at shortstop – and his loose, whippy arm reached an 89 mph high to first. He took a step forward offensively on Sunday as well.

The aforementioned Honkamp improved his throwing velocity by 11 mph, topping out at 88 across, while RHP/SS Noah Musolf (Franklin, 2023) set a new personal record by hitting 87 mph on the infield multiple times. He also showed particularly well on the mound, as he sat at a loose 83-84 mph.

MAX CATCHER VELOCITY

TOP POP TIMES

Johannes continued to assert himself as both a true backstop on Sunday, which only enhances his upside offensive profile. His big arm strength and quick catch-and-throw traits helped him cruise atop both leaderboards above. Oak Creek’s Evan Calderon (2023) has previously shown as an efficient catcher and he’s lowered his average pop times over the past year, showcasing quick/athletic actions that produced a pair of on-target 2.01 and 2.00 times.

For a freshman, Cal Casper (Pulaski, 2024) is truly advanced defensively. He’s athletic back there and a natural blocker, with quick feet and transfers that helped produce some of the day’s lowest pop times, and not just for his age. Up to 74 mph from the chute already, there’s extra upside here to monitor.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound, uncommitted Alec Campbell (Milton, 2022) continues to demonstrate improving defensive actions from behind the plate. He ran a 7.31, a new personal PBR event low, and he also decreased his average time in between showcases a month apart.

And consider Ryan Santi (Oak Creek, 2022) a junior to follow. Built at a sturdy 6-foot, 195 pounds, Santi has some blossoming bat strength from the left-handed batter’s box, and he’s also an efficient backstop who popped in the 2.07-2.11 range while capably handling some of the biggest arms of the day during the pitching session

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