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Wisconsin Class of 2025 Rankings: Update

November 29, 2023
By Andy Sroka, Josh Fields, & Isaiah Glidden
Wisconsin Staff

Today, as part of Prep Baseball Report’s Class of 2025 rankings week, our PBR Wisconsin staff is unveiling an updated set of rankings for the class of juniors after a small, but eventful, fall.

Highlighted in the story below is an analysis of some of the top-15 prospects within Wisconsin’s 2025 class. Throughout this week, we’ll continue to break down this rankings update, shining a light on the newcomers and notable risers in the class as we head into the offseason.

+ To read about Wisconsin's Class of 2024 rankings update, click here.

AT THE TOP OF THE CLASS

Carter Kutz 3B / RHP / Hartford Union, WI / 2025

Nebraska commit: Kutz finds himself back up to No. 1 in the class after putting together an impressive fall, statistically, at the plate. Kutz constantly looks to do damage, taking aggressive hacks and, more often than not, creating loud contact that can travel very far. We saw this at September's PBRT Fall at The Rock Championships, where he was dominant on both sides of the ball and against talented opposition, typically aged a class above his. Offensively, Kutz arguably had one of the better performances of the weekend, as he consistently drove the ball with authority, resulting in a number of extra-base hits as well as a home run. As for his pitching performance, it was equally impressive. Out of the ‘pen, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound right-hander ran his fastball up 88 mph from an athletic delivery and also mixed in a short breaking ball when needed. His two-production at The Rock Complex, and throughout the remainder of the fall, was nothing new for this future Cornhusker, and it catapulted him back to the No. 1 overall spot in the state’s 2025 class.

(PBRT Fall @ The Rock Championships; 9/24/23)

Trevor Vande Hey OF / Wrightstown, WI / 2025

Iowa commit: Vande Hey possesses arguably the state’s loudest tools, regardless of class, and he comes in at No. 2 in this update. Despite his strong 6-foot, 195-pound frame, Vande Hey has marked 60-times as low as 6.57, which speaks to just how athletic he is. His loud tools don’t stop there as he put up exit velocities up to 103.1 mph in front of our staff from an aggressive but controlled right-handed swing. This swing is not just loud during BP sessions, it works in game, too, as we have seen him collect a number of hard contact over the years, highlighted by a loud showing at this year's Future Games. His aforementioned athleticism, strong arm which has been up to 91 mph from the outfield, and innate ability to track down fly balls, allow Vande Hey to be a legitimate center fielder at the next level, too. It is tough to find a prospect who has as advanced of a toolset that Vande Hey does in the state, maybe even the region and with still two prep seasons left, there is no telling what his ceiling could ultimately be.

Peter Kussow RHP / Arrowhead, WI / 2025

Louisville commit: After dealing with injuries for a majority of 2023, Kussow seemed almost back to full health during his brief outing at The Rock Fall Championships. There, the long-limbed 6-foot-5 right-hander cruised in the mid-to-high-80s during his stint. Despite missing some time during the year, Kussow’s breaking ball still profiled as one of the classes best during the fall, playing with sharp 11/5 action and averaging over 2,700 RPM, too. If that wasn’t enough, Kussow also possesses a fading changeup that he is able to spot up, as well. There is still plenty of upside inside of his projectable frame and he headlines the talented group of sophomore arms in the Badger State.

(PBRT Fall @ The Rock Championships; 9/24/23)

Sawyer Deering RHP / Kimberly, WI / 2025

Tennessee commit: The gap at the top of this class is much more narrow than years past, which is to say that it'd be completely reasonable to consider Deering the top prospect in the state at this stage. Sure, he's ranked No. 4 overall, but the Kimberly prep has, debatably, been this group's most dependable performer – and the stuff keeps ticking up ahead of schedule. Listed at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Deering has a fluid, athletic delivery that helps him get the most out of his budding strength. At the summer's Future Games, while representing Team Wisconsin, he cruised in the low-90s on an efficient four-seamer that really carries through the zone. It plays especially well against his 12/6 biting breaking ball, 77-80 mph, that reached spin rates that were a shade under 3,000 rpm. All the while, he introduced a firm changeup on the fly this summer with swing-and-miss life to his arm-side that looks totally serviceable as a third pitch.

A recent Tennessee commit, Deering's demeanor fits into the SEC well, as a competitor who demands the ball against the best of the best. He keeps exceeding expecatations while hitting checkpoints sooner than expected, so who's to say where the ceiling's capped, at this point.

(Prep Baseball Future Games; 7/26/23)

RISING IN THE FALL

+ RHP/INF Greyson Zach (Pewaukee, 2025) is the top uncommitted prospect in Wisconsin's junior class, as it stands, and there's quite a bit of talent here that should excite next-level programs seeking the type of player who can significantly raise his own ceiling further once he hits campus. While he might be looking more enticing as a pitching prospect in college, watching Zach perform as a position player underscores his athleticism at least, and could be another reason why there's big potential here if/when he focuses on pitching full-time.

(Prep Baseball Future Games; 7/26/23)

Here’s a report from The Rock Fall Championships: Upperclass Takeaways: “... was another member of Team Wisconsin at the Future Games and over this weekend, provided our staff with the first look at him since. Despite his physical 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, Zach is an impressive athlete as he is a 6.84 runner in the 60. At the plate, he swings a strong-right handed bat that is quick and direct to the ball. In his first game of the day, Zach’s power potential was on full display as he blasted a walk-off homerun over the center field wall to get GRB-STiKS off to a 1-0 start.”

+ LHP Brolan Frost (Elkhorn Area, 2025; Iowa) is on the outside edge of the top-10 now, holstering one of the highest ceilings in Wisconsin. Here’s a report from The Rock Fall Championships: Upperclass Takeaways: “...at a long and lean 6-foot-4, 165-pound frame, utilized a three-pitch mix to navigate through his opponents. He retired all 10 batters he faced, highlighted by an 83-85 mph fastball with some sink. The Iowa commit kept everything low in the zone and welcomed contact, forcing roll-over ground balls with the help of a deceptive changeup and quality breaking ball.”

(PBRT Fall @ The Rock Championships; 9/24/23)

The ceiling that Frost currently possesses may be the highest in the state, arguably. The overall ease and simplicity, paired with his left-handedness make him one of the most intriguing arms in the class and he cracks the top-15 in this update at No. 11.

+ RHP Loren Georger (Appleton West, 2025; Baylor) missed a portion of the summer navigating injury, but returned to the mound in time for the Prep Baseball Future Games, where he impressed greatly. He's been into the upper-80s previously, so we're excited to how he looks early next year now that he gets to head into the offseason healthy, and now committed to Baylor.

In between now and his outings at LakePoint, here’s a report from September: The Rock Fall Championships: Upperclass Takeaways: “... was dominant in his lengthy start on Sunday, filling the strike zone and generating swings and misses on a consistent basis. Standing at strong 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, Georger continued to fit the mold of a quality right-handed pitching prospect after his showing at the 2023 PBR Future Games with Team Wisconsin. Georger was efficient in this one, spotting fastballs in the mid- to upper-80s and utilizing his tumbling breaking ball to keep hitters guessing.”

+ After a standout performance for Team Wisconsin at the PBR Future Games, uncommitted 2B Jack Zeller (Indian Trail, 2025) continued to impress across a couple of looks this fall. Starting at the Grand Park Fall Championships, Zeller was all over the barrel from an easy and controlled left-handed bat; and he showed off some intriguing power as he blasted a solo home run there, too. Then at The Rock Fall Championships, he continued to do his thing as he collected a number of hits to all fields. Zeller is a controlled athlete on the diamond who continues to flat-out perform in front of our staff and he now finds himself moving up to No. 14 because of it.

(Prep Baseball Future Games; 7/26/23)

BIG TEN-BOUND

In addition to the aforementioned to the outfielder Vande Hey and the left-hander Frost, who are each Iowa recruits, the following three top-10-ranked prospects are also bound for the Big Ten in the fall of 2025:

+ RHP/ATH Ethan Bauerschmidt (Tremper, 2025; Penn State) is an exciting prospect and one who could rocket even further up this list at some point in 2024. He's one of the top athletes in Wisconsin, and that shows itself most often on the mound, where he flashes premium characteristics that could even attract pro scouts one day – like a fierce slider backed by advanced spin metrics.

(PBRT Grand Park Fall Championships; 9/17/23)

Bauerschmidt athleticism is not only obvious from the mound though, it is a position player as well. He is a sub-7.00 runner who is able to play all over the diamond defensively. With the bat, his quick hands and compact swing have the ability to spray line drives all over the field. His two-way abilities have been noteworthy for some time now and after rising throughout 2023, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him continue that trend. Here’s a report from The Rock Fall Championships: Upperclass Takeaways: "The 6-foot-3, 178-pound right-handed hurler battled through bloop hits that affected his stat line, but for the majority of the game we were watching Bauerschmidt release from a high ¾ arm slot at 86-89 mph. He was also not shy to pitch backwards with his sharp 11/5 slider at 73-75 mph. LHHs and RHHs seemed to have a tough time finding a plan to deal with the slider that Bauerschmidt possesses.”

+ MIF Preston Yaucher (Edgewood, 2025; Penn State) has been one of the state’s more consistent performers throughout the calendar year and we saw more of that this fall. Across multiple looks at the Grand Park Fall Championships, Yaucher was a dynamic presence on the field making his presence felt on both sides of the ball. At the plate, Yaucher has an advanced approach and is able to use the entire field to pair with some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the class. In the field at shortstop, Yaucher is a smooth defender who has shown us some elite glove-to-hand skills, as well as far-reaching range to both his forehand and backhard, and he can make throws on the move from multiple slots. Yaucher is an easy-to-like, reliable prospect who's tracking to be teammates with Bauerschmidt once again come his first fall on campus in Happy Valley.

+ RHP Adam Urban (Wauwatosa West, 2025; Minnesota) maintains his spot at No. 7 in this update after two strong showings this past fall. The athletic 6-foot-1 right-hander was dominant across both of his outings at the Grand Park Fall Championships, and the Rock Fall Championships against strong competition where he was able to showcase his swing-and-miss stuff. Urban ran his fastball up to 87 mph while sitting in the mid-80s through both outings, his sharp mid-70s breaking ball was able to generate swings-and-misses across both outings and was able to locate it to different parts of the zone. Urban has taken strides on the mound throughout the past year and will be an arm to monitor throughout his last two prep seasons.

(PBRT Grand Park Fall Championships; 9/16/23)

MORE NOTES FROM THE FALL

+ LHP Ryan Brennecke (Oconomowoc, 2025; South Carolina) comes in at No. 9 overall, maintaining his spot as the state’s top left-handed pitching prospect. The recent Gamecocks recruit was a standout over the summer, equipped with a combination of premium present stuff (especially for a southpaw) and remaining projection. He's a sturdy/strong 6-foot-2, 189 pounds with room to tack on even more mass and muscle. Brennecke has feel for all three of his pitches and is confident to throw them in any count. Playing off of his mid- to upper-80s fastball, he is confident in his tight breaking curveball and a heavy fading upper-70s changeup. It's easy to envision several scenarios in which he makes trips further north up this board in 2024.

+ MIF Jack Lutz (Whitnall, 2025; Indiana State) was among a plethora of 2025 prospects who committed in the past few months. He sparked quite a bit of buzz at LakePoint while playing for Team Wisconsin, and he was a popular name throughout the fall as a result, ultimately committing the competitive mid-major Indiana State earlier this month. Also, earlier this week, he scored 30 points in Whitnall's varsity basketball opener against West Allis Hale.

(PBRT Fall @ The Rock Championships; 9/22/23)

He, too, excelled in front of us at The Rock Fall Championships: Upperclass Takeaways, and here's that report: “... since his notable performance at the Future Games back in late July and it definitely did not disappoint. At the plate, Lutz works with rhythm and utilizes a quick, simple load that creates a whippy left-handed barrel. Throughout the weekend, Lutz’s offensive abilities were on full display, highlighted by a 3-for-4 performance on Friday night, which included a double and two singles. On the infield, Lutz locked down shortstop for the entirety of the tournament; there he continued to show as a sure-handed and athletic defender that certainly looks the part of sticking up-the-middle at the next level.”

+ LHP/1B Adam Kudronowicz (Mukwonago, 2025; Central Florida) is an upside, left/left two-way prospect in the state who represented Team Wisconsin at the Future Games in July, and he committed to UCF soon after the event. Kudronowicz is a fluid mover despite his size standing in at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, which shows up on the mound with his low-effort delivery that contains serious upside, as he's really only just starting to use his lower half. He ran his fastball up to 85.7 mph with arm-side life out of the hand and is able to generate swings-and-misses, as well as weak contact, consistently. He also showed feel to throw both of his offspeed pitches, a slider and a changeup, for strikes. At the plate, Kudronowicz looks to do damage from the left side and is able to drive the ball consistently, something he showed across multiple looks. While the brightest parts of his future shine most on the mound, there aren't too many left-handed hitters with this kind of physicality in the state either.

+ C Marek Bolson (Oconomowoc, 2025; Kent State) is the top catching prospect in the state once again in this update. The recent Kent State recruit offers plenty of upside in his 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame, along with a smooth left-handed-swing. Bolson routinely takes quality at-bats, which pairs well with his present bat-to-ball skills that are already above-average, and added strength to a build that can support it should create an even more impactful offensive profile one day. Defensively, Bolson is one of the more advanced prospects in the area in all facets, a smooth receiver that is capable of handling a staff and a natural blocker to pair. Bolson has also showed off his catch-and-throw abilities in gameplay where he’s shown the ability to throw out runners. Bolson is an upside left-handed-hitting catching prospect in the state and he's a name to monitor as he matures in the coming years.

** Click here to view the Wisconsin Class of 2025 Rankings **

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