Prep Baseball Report

Kenosha Preseason I.D.: Quick Hits


By Wisconsin Scouting Staff

PBR Wisconsin’s first event of 2019 was held over the weekend on Jan. 26 at Fielder’s Choice Training Academy, the Kenosha Preseason I.D., from Kenosha, Wis. Over 70 prospects made it to the showcase, from both Illinois and Wisconsin, and we’ll begin our event coverage today by sharing some of our instant analysis.

Today, we’ll quickly share with you the event’s biggest winners, some juniors to keep an eye on, high upside athletes, and more.

We’ll continue our coverage tomorrow by laying out the top statistical performers from the showcase. And, in the next couple weeks, we’ll publish reports on each of the prospects who made it out to Kenosha last Saturday.

Below, you’ll find notes and highlights on more than a handful of the day’s best performers.

BIGGEST WINNERS

+ Jacob Bimbi (Crystal Lake South, IL; 2020) was arguably the biggest revelation of the day. At 5-foot-11, 148 pounds, he poses as a rather unassuming frame, but he’s an above-average athlete with a plus arm for his age. Bimbi first showed his hand cannon with at 91 mph arm from the outfield and then made 86-87 mph look easy on the mound while touching 88 mph. His slider showed best out of the stretch flashing feel and sweeping action at 73-76 mph. Look for Bimbi to make a splash in Illinois’ 2020 rankings next update.

+ C Thomas Kenney (Warren, IL; 2020) put on an eye popping display in BP. Easily the most impressive hitter on the day, Kenney is a physical 5-foot-11, 190-pounds that packs a compact punch in the right-handed box. His quiet setup yields excellent plate coverage and the ability to make easy loud contact to all fields. For this scout, in a short BP look, he draws similar comparisons to Danny Oriente (Downers Grove South, 2016, Louisville) at that age.

+ OF/LHP Jack Heiring (Christian Life, 2020) looks the part of a high ceiling prospect in the outfield, and is potentially a fit to stick in center field as well. His frame really projects at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, and he runs exceptionally well for his size. His length and athleticism move well in the outfield and down the line (4.32) while possessing a well above-average arm at 89 mph on defense. A right-handed hitter, Heiring took BP with bad intentions, a purposeful presence in the box, he looked aggressive and locked in while consistently finding the barrel.

+ Possibly the biggest winner of the day goes to RHP Alex Windey (Wrightstown, 2021). He’s an extra-large 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, with a still young-looking build. His arm plays just as big, it’s loose and easy out of a high ¾ slot producing heavy finish at 82-85 mph, and appears hotter than that. His changeup showed presently better than his slider, using deceptive arm speed, and getting swing-and-miss type action, but the slider is not far off. Thrown aggressively with intent, it sat 72-74 mph and flashed sharp action on a 10/4 plane. Windey will likely make some big noise in the Class of 2021 Wisconsin Rankings come next update.

JUNIORS TO FOLLOW

+ Logan Pye (Wilmot, 2020) showcased well on Saturday. Pye showed next-level abilities in all facets of the game. He’s a barrel control type of hitter with a line drive, gap-to-gap approach that should play well at the top of a lineup as an above-average running middle infielder who likely fits best at second base.

+ Evansville commit Tyler Swanson (Burlington Central Catholic, 2020) showed off some gains he’s made over the winter, looking even more physical than he has before. Swanson still has the same quick-twitch athleticism he’s known to show, while making it look easier on the infield and with the bat.

+ The best arm out of the crouch goes to Jonah Wronski (Marquette University, 2020). Wronski posted the top velocity at 79 mph during pop times using a short, over-the-top stroke that provides carry and accuracy.

+ 2020 LHP Ayden Spykstra (Cedarburg) showed improved fastball velocity since last seeing him in May. Spykstra worked 80-81 mph from a lower slot that could prove highly deceptive for left-handed hitters.

+ OF/LHP Adam Pottinger (Deerfield, IL; 2020) displayed an intriguing profile. A 6-foot, 170-pound left/left outfielder, Pottinger runs well (4.19 down the line), has an advanced arm (89 mph from the outfield) and showed an easy repeatable stroke that generates above average bat speed and contact (87 mph exit velocity from the tee).

+ Another 2020 bat to keep an eye on is right-handed hitting C Mason Hege (Marian Central, IL). Hege has a simple approach that generates advanced bat speed and contact out of a physical frame at 6-foot-2, 210-pounds. Hege posted an 88 mph exit velocity from the tee.

LOOKING FOR A LHH?

+ Left-handed hitting infielder, Gianni Passarelli (Indian Trail, 2021) caught our attention with his loose, repeatable swing from the left side. He’s a short swing, line drive contact guy that swung a loose bat and creates bat speed with ease. He showed similar bounce and confidence on the infield with his defensive actions, likely a candidate to become a top-of-the-lineup second baseman at the next level.

+ Another 2021 left-handed bat that showed well was Muskego’s Corey Plahuta. Plahuta hits with a pull-side approach but that contact is hard with lift and power potential. He’s a strong 6-foot, 175-pound first baseman that could be a potential middle-of-the-lineup threat.

+ Add Nolan Hodgins (Case, 2021) to the list of left-handed-hitting infielders to follow. Hodgins sticks out right away with his projectable frame at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. The left-handed bat also keeps your attention as he showed strength and bat speed while using wood, with an ability to find the barrel. His defensive actions may be presently behind his bat, but his arm already plays at 80 mph across the diamond.

+ 2022 infielder TJ Williams (Horlick) plays the game at a different pace than his peers. As just a freshman, Williams has a confident bounce and presence to his game. He projects as a heady and savvy middle infielder with plus foot speed for his age (4.29 home to first) and a short barrel control swing with a high contact rate that sprays foul line to foul line.

+ Will Vierling looks to be one of the top catchers in Wisconsin’s 2022 class. Vierling showed well again at the Kenosha Preseason I.D. His arm is advanced for his age at 74 mph and he put it on the bag rather consistently to post a couple sub-2.20 pop times, also well above-average at his age. His left-handed bat is icing on the cake of his profile, it's a fluid gap-to-gap approach that gets hard line drives to all fields.

+ And though he might not be a left-handed bat, Warren’s (IL) product Kyle Smith (2022) deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Vierling. Again, Smith’s a righty, with a compact swing with power potential. He made some of the hardest contact of the day and posted a 89 mph exit velocity from the tee.

ATHLETE UPSIDE

+ Leo Falletti (2021) is another Wilmot product who stood out. Falletti, a C/INF, is a quick-twitch type athlete. He ran a 4.37 down the line and used quick feet out of the crouch. His swing is loose, and creates bat speed with a short handsy stroke, also posting one of the best exit velocities at his age (88 mph from the tee).

+ Remmi Sweet (Union Grove, 2022) showed off his trademark speed with a 4.18 down the line, coupled with a 90 mph exit velocity and 82 mph arm from the outfield. Sweet’s game continues to polish up, and with that kind of natural athleticism, will likely remain one of the more sought after commodities in the 2022 class.

PROJECTABLE CEILINGS

+ Indian Trail’s Noah Reeves (2021) looks to be a high ceiling prospect on the mound. A wiry 6-foot-1, 145-pound righty, Reeves has clean and loose arm action that should garner a big spike in velocity as he gets stronger. He currently touches 80 mph with ease, but look for this arm to hit bigger numbers in the not-too-distant future.

+ We saw a lot of projection on the day, but Ethan Clark (Lakes Community, IL; 2022) might have highest ceiling of the group. Clark is a live wiry body at 6-foot-2, 150-pounds and showed well above-average tools across the board for his age. A 4.51 runner down the line, 80 mph across the infield, 84 mph from the outfield, 85 mph exit velocity and maybe most intriguing a 77-79 mph fastball. His arm action is live and loose, and it's his long whippy levers that will raise the eyebrows of most scouts.

+ OF/RHP Kyle Mitchell (Westosha Central, 2021) showed some intriguing, low effort arm strength for his age. Mitchell threw it 85 mph from the outfield (best in his class at that position) and was up to 81 mph on the mound.

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