Wisconsin Class of 2021 Rankings: Newcomers

Last week, our staff published its updated and expanded state Class of 2021 Rankings. We broke down the board’s top-10 and detailed the prospects who climbed the charts inside the busy end-of-summer update, in our 'Risers' post.

Today, we’re going to share some insight into some of the names appearing on this board for the first time.

NEWCOMERS

+ No prospect landed at a higher spot on the board than 2B/SS Cal McGinnis (Kimberly), who ended his summer earning a commitment to Bradley. It was very apparent that McGinnis deserved a high debut onto the ‘21 rankings after we caught some looks of his twitchy left-handed bat and smooth middle infield actions. He’s a wiry player who sprays line-drives to all fields while defending in confidence up the middle. McGinnis is an exciting player to watch, and we’re looking forward to viewing his senior spring under his dad and Papermakers head coach.

Cal McGinnis (7/24/20)

+ A pair of upside frames and right-handers debuted near each other in the latest update: Jacob Kisting (Verona Area; Bradley commit) and Walker Retz (Boyceville; uncommitted). Kisting was an obvious winner this summer who we were able to see first-hand on multiple occasions. At 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, Kisting offers a special combination of both upside and present stuff. He topped 89 mph this summer, more often in the 84-87 range, with a live fastball and paired with a biting slider. He can manipulate a couple different kinds of breaking balls, too. Like McGinnis, Kisting landed a commitment to Bradley to cap his huge summer.

Jacob Kisting (7/14/20)

Retz’s story is similar this summer. It had been some time since we’d seen the 6-foot-2 righty in action, and he impressed upon three PBR Wisconsin-hosted tourneys this summer. One of the biggest takeaways from Retz’s stellar work this season was his ability to pitch and maintain his mid-80s velocity with general ease – showing that he could dial it up to 88 mph when warranted. He was a strikeout artist as well, with the fastball that leaps from the hand on a steep plane home, backed up by a sharp slider that earned some seriously ugly swings and misses. He’s proving to be one of the most interesting uncommitted prospects in the state’s ‘21 class.

Walker Retz (7/18/20)

+ Just a little further down the board is another sizable righty: Ryan Schneider (Fond du Lac; Evansville). He popped up late last summer and maintained the momentum through this one, while ultimately landing a spot inside the state’s top-50 rankings. Schneider generates some hard arm-side action with his mid- to upper-80s fastball, while also throwing a tight slider aggressively. Don’t let Schneider live under the radar, as there’s still another level to unlock as he adds weight to his thin 6-foot-2 stature.

Ryan Schneider (7/26/20)

+ 3B James Rae (Verona Area; uncommitted) just knows how to land the barrel. There’s an instinctual feel for hard-hit contact, inside of a middle- to opposite-field approach, and he makes good use of his big size to create a power profile down the road. Listed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Rae is raw but exciting and he brings the actions that could keep him at third base long term, including some arm strength.

+ Debuting just outside the top-100 is the versatile Parker Knoll (Fox Valley Lutheran; uncommitted). Knoll has quick feet and raw infield actions, so his athleticism might play best in the outfield long-term. One thing is for sure, however: Knoll has a knack to hit. In multiple looks this summer, Knoll recorded timely knocks with a feel to redirect contact to all fields.

+ RHP Will Staviski (Brookfield East; uncommitted) has an aggressive, quick arm from a tough overhand slot that really makes him tough to square up. We had him up to 85 mph this summer, though the frame suggests there’s more in the tank to unlock. The breaking ball might be a little inconsistent right now, but its 12/6 action pair effectively with his fastball.

+ Now committed to Bryant & Stratton JC, RHP Thomas Hunt (Almond-Bancroft) made the most of his summer, earning some attention throughout. He’s a durable, strong 6-foot, 190-pound righty with a feel to pitch. He topped 86 mph this summer while showing the ability to land the breaking ball in for strikes.

+ In a couple viewings this summer, SS/2B Bradon Ahn (Marquette University; uncommitted) showed off some slick defense and a top-of-the-order type of bat. He’s a sub-7.00 runner with athleticism and a spray right-handed swing.

+ RHP Gavin Theis (Lake Country Lutheran; uncommitted) popped up late this summer at our tournament at The Rock Complex where he was up to 85 mph complemented by an upside breaking ball. Theis is another 6-foot-2 arm to know who could make the most of his offseason to gain some ground on this board.

+ OF/RHP Cole Fialco (Menomonee Falls; uncommitted) is a competitive player with the ability to contribute in a multitude of ways. He’s an athlete with a loose, rhythmic left-handed bat with natural actions in the outfield. And while he won’t blow anyone away with velocity from the mound, he has an excellent feel to pitch and can spin a breaking ball where he wants.

+ Everything C Blaine Guthrie (Baldwin-Woodville; uncommitted) does, he does with an aggressive strength. He swings a loose right-handed bat from an approach that’s looking to loft his contact, and Guthrie has the size to generate some viable power potential. He also moves pretty well from behind the plate and his inherent strength works well through the infield, too, where he topped 79 mph to second at July’s Top Prospect MKE event.

+ A pair of big-bodied righties recently committed to area JUCOs are next up: Tyler Upp (Hortonville; McHenry County JC) and A.J. Hamilton (Sussex Hamilton; Rock Valley JC). Upp utilizes a sinking low-80s fastball with feel that he pairs with a changeup that features similar action. Hamilton was effective all summer as another pitchability, low-80s right-hander, paired with an above-average breaking ball.

+ Four uncommitted outfielders are listed right next to each other to round up the top-125: Wolfgang Kalz (Appleton West), Dayton Rozinski-Hicks (Milwaukee Reagan), Jacob Kleemann (Bay Port), and Luke Wroblewski (Sussex Hamilton). All four have noteworthy athleticism, underscored by their above-average footspeed. Kalz and Wroblewski have each run a 6.85 at events, while Kleemann and Rozinski-Hicks bring left-handed follow bats.

+ Lanky left-hander Mitch Fassbender (Wauwatosa West; uncommitted) lands the No. 122 overall spot after an impressive pitching performance at the PBR at The Rock 17U tournament. There, he demonstrated innate feel for his fastball-curveball combo, attacking the zone with both pitches. His 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame and feel to pitch offer some unique upside at the next level.

+ Neenah’s Chase Hanselman (uncommitted) has some follow tools. He’s a sub-7.00 runner with fluid infield actions who also swings a simple right-handed bat. Hanselman can add some strength yet to his 6-foot, 170-pound size, too.

More debuting names to know: RHP Noah Reeves (Indian Trail), OF Will Brust (Greendale), RHP/INF Preston Piranio (Mukwonago), 3B Adam Bretsch (Marquette University), 2B Matthew Perry (Bay Port), OF/RHP Bailey Prevost (De Pere), OF Derek Weber (De Pere), OF Jack Vozel (Wilmot), C Colten Schillinger (Stratford), C Jason Van Den Langenberg (Seymour), OF Jourdon Schuyler (West De Pere), and INF Jaden Hackbarth (Neenah; McHenry County JC).

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