Prep Baseball Report

PBR Announces Vinny Rottino as New Wisconsin Scouting Director


PBR Staff

Prep Baseball Report is proud to welcome Vinny Rottino as our new Wisconsin Scouting Director.  A Wisconsin native with a long track record as a professional player, scout and media personality for his hometown Milwaukee Brewers, Rottino’s roots run deep throughout the state.

A high-level talent evaluator with 14 years of professional playing experience, including parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball, Rottino brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for Wisconsin baseball to the Prep Baseball Report.

“Vinny Rottino has achieved at a high level for a long time, and I couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to our family,” said Prep Baseball Report President Sean Duncan. “I couldn’t think of a better person to lead Wisconsin. His unique baseball experiences - 14 years as a professional player, pro scout, color analyst for the Brewers - Vinny has been there, done that at high levels. Above all, Vinny has an enormous amount of pride in Wisconsin baseball, and I think his passion will resonate and, ultimately, benefit players, parents and coaches all across the state.”

Rottino’s circuitous path - going from a lightly recruited player out of Racine St. Catherine's HS to Division 3 UW-LaCrosse to playing in the big leagues - is something every player in Wisconsin can appreciate.

“I am extremely grateful and excited for the opportunity to become the scouting director for PBR Wisconsin,” Rottino said. “As a person who was born and raised in Racine, and who is currently raising a family in the community, I’m grateful to be an integral part of Wisconsin amateur players’ path to college baseball and beyond. I was recruited by very few schools out of high school. I played four years at Division 3 baseball at UW-La Crosse. I hit .240 my sophomore year. Despite my lack of success that year, I was determined and believed I was going to play professionally. 

“After I found success my junior and senior seasons, I signed out of a tryout camp with my hometown team, the Milwaukee Brewers. I actually begged the scout to give me a shot. He agreed. I was almost released a couple weeks into camp but stuck around long enough to work tirelessly on the things I needed to improve. I ended up playing for 14 seasons professionally and parts of five in the big leagues. My journey as a player was challenging at times but I felt lucky each day that I put the jersey on. I cannot wait to help players in Wisconsin play college baseball as the scouting director for PBR Wisconsin.” 

Rottino, who also currently serves as the Bally Sports Wisconsin pre- and post-game Brewers analyst, played parts of three years between 2006-2008 with the Brewers, and was part of Milwaukee's first playoff appearance since 1982. He also played with the Marlins (2011) and Mets and Indians (2012). Additionally, Rottino played in Japan (2013), Korea (2014) and in the Chicago White Sox organization (2016).

Following his 14-year professional playing career as a super-utility player, Rottino went on to work for the Texas Rangers as a professional scout for four years (2017-2020).

After graduating from Racine St. Catherine's in 1998, in which he helped lead the school to a state semifinal appearance, Rottino went on to have a decorated career at UW-La Crosse, including earning Division 3 First-Team All-America and runner-up Player of the Year honors. Eventually he signed with the Brewers as a non-drafted free agent.  

"My career was no different than many amateur Wisconsin players,” Rottino said. “I was a late bloomer physically and my only option to play college baseball was at the Division 3 level.  Coming into my senior year of high school I was totally off everybody's radar. I was lucky enough to have a network in place with former UW-L head coach Mike Stuhr. I was recruited and ended up making the decision to play at La Crosse. Playing in the WIAC ended up being a great fit for me to develop.  I'm excited to help similar players get more exposure to help them find a program that best fits them." 

Now Rottino will bring his baseball experiences, connections and passions for scouting to Wisconsin’s amateur baseball scene. Working alongside former Wisconsin director Steve Nielsen, who has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Baseball Operations, and Andy Sroka, Rottino will work tirelessly to bring to you the most comprehensive high school baseball information Wisconsin has ever seen, and provide scouting coverage to all corners of the state. 

Prep Baseball Report’s flagship state, Illinois, was launched in 2005. Over the last 17 years, the Prep Baseball Report has evolved into one of the country’s biggest and most respected independent scouting services, with a singular focus of providing comprehensive coverage in every state we are in. More than 800 colleges and pro scouts now subscribe to the Prep Baseball Report multimedia services.

Thanks for your continued support.

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