Prep Baseball Report

Wisconsin 2021 Rankings Updated


By Steve Nielsen & Andy Sroka
Wisconsin Staff

At the start of September, our PBR Wisconsin staff released the first edition of the state’s Class of 2021 Rankings. We’ve had ample opportunities since then to update and expand upon the state’s sophomore board, including a handful of fall showcases as well as the PBR Fall Championships tournament.

With that, we’re releasing the second edition of the Class of 2021 Rankings and expanding the board by 15 prospects, to a top 40. There are also a couple of high-profile commitments among these top-ranked sophomores to report on today.

Let’s get started by re-introducing you to the state’s brand-new No. 1 sophomore prospect: SS Noah Miller (Ozaukee; Alabama commit). The switch-hitting shortstop is smooth in all phases of the game, which we got to see first-hand while Miller suited up for the underclass squad Chicago Scouts Association brought with them to Westfield, Ind., for the PBR Fall Championships. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound middle infielder is a savvy defender who plays well beyond his years at shortstop. His on-field IQ, coupled with his strong, accurate arm make him a high-follow prospect in the region. Miller only just committed to Alabama at the start of November, capping off a dynamite 2018 that has him ranked as the state’s top 2021 prospect headed into the offseason.

His ball handling skills on the Ozaukee hardwood will keep him busy this winter, but the conversations will soon heat up again in the spring on how high his stock can go in the national landscape, especially given the early success his brother Owen (Ozaukee, 2015; Illinois State; 2018 MLB Draft, Padres, Round 3) is earning at the professional level.

TOP 10 BOARD

RANK   NAME STATE SCHOOL CLASS POS COMMITMENT
1 Noah Miller
WI Ozaukee 2021 SS Alabama
2 Vincent Trapani
WI Eau Claire Memorial 2021 RHP  
3 Joey Spence WI West Bend East 2021 C Notre Dame
4 Mason Ruh WI Wisconsin Lutheran 2021 RHP  
5 Liam Moreno WI Sun Prairie 2021 3B  
6 Tyler Peck WI Oak Creek 2021 RHP  
7 Owen Washburn WI Webster 2021 INF/RHP  
8 Tanner Marsh WI Mondovi 2021 OF  
9 Benjamin Loyd WI Tremper 2021 SS  
10 Q Phillips WI Brookfield East 2021 OF  

 

Through no fault of his own, RHP Vincent Trapani (Eau Claire Memorial; uncommitted) moves down a spot to No. 2. At 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, Trapani has the strongest arm in the state, running his fastball into the upper 80s. Trapani has entertained several suitors over the summer and is still mulling over his college prospects after a strong showing this past August at the PBR Future Games.

Joey Spence (West Bend East; Notre Dame) is the next top-10 prospect to make a climb, up one spot to No. 3 in this update. Spence continues to prove he’s the best catching prospect in the state and can do it on both sides of the ball. His left-handed swing is strong and compact, showing continual feel for the barrel at the PBR Fall Championships. Spence has been so highly touted this fall, he made a verbal commitment to Notre Dame in early November.

RHP Mason Ruh (Wisconsin Lutheran; uncommitted) holds on to a top-five spot, and has arguably the highest ceiling in the class. Ruh has easy arm speed out of a durable 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. Already up to 85 mph, don’t be surprised to see Ruh make a jump at one of our Preseason I.D. events in 2019 after he puts in the time this offseason.

Sun Prairie’s Liam Moreno (uncommitted) stands firm at the No. 5 slot. The strong, stocky, compact righty is a natural in the batter’s box. Moreno packs a lot of punch despite his 5-foot-9 frame, and it was on display at the PBR Fall Championships where he blasted a pair of home runs on the weekend. Defensively, there are still questions surrounding his future position at the next level, but there’s little doubt his bat will seamlessly slide into a college lineup. And even then, Moreno has plenty more athleticism than it might seem at first glance. He’s a sub-7.00 runner that plays even quicker out of the box and down the line. His athleticism could help him cling to third base as he grows.

Liam Moreno (9.15.18)

Coming in at No. 6, and entirely new to the top 10, is RHP Tyler Peck (Oak Creek). Peck is a projectable right-hander at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with a clean and easy arm. The Oak Creek product has been poised to make another leap since we saw him this summer at the Underclass Games in Chicago – and that jump came this fall. Peck has taken that same clean, easy, repeatable delivery and added two or three ticks, now up to 85 mph with a hard, sharp breaking ball to go with it.

In this update, the left-handed-hitting middle infielder Benjamin Loyd (Tremper; uncommitted) makes his debut in the top 10, jumping into the No. 9 spot. Loyd is a silky smooth defender with excellent feel for the barrel in the batter’s box. The only thing he’s lacking is present strength, and as he further fills out and develops, he’s an obvious candidate to continue rising up this list. Once Loyd tacks on muscle, balls should be jumping off his barrel, given his early feel for the zone at the plate. Loyd is just the latest Tremper standout with next-level aspirations, slotting in after predecessors like Mitchell Buban (2017, Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Noah Jensen (2015, Wisconsin-Whitewater), Garrett LaBreche (2017, Mesa CC), and Justin Lavey (2016, Louisville), as well as senior infielder Reese Dutton (2019, Heartland CC).

Benjamin Loyd (7.23.18)

CLICK HERE for the complete Wisconsin Class of 2021 rankings.

Stay tuned over the coming days for a look at the top newcomers to the updated top-40 board and some players who just missed the cut but should be followed moving forward.

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