Wisconsin Class of 2027 Rankings: Update

December 11, 2024
By Wisconsin Staff

Wisconsin’s Class of 2027 is going to be an exceptionally fun one to follow, considering it looks very deep already. It has several candidates to earn pro looks eventually, and until then, it’s simply a class with depth that extends far down the list – which has made it easier to expand it to a top-50 overall in this update.

With that being said, it’s still very early, and this update doesn’t feature much movement following the fall, though our previously ranked No. 1 prospect did move up a grad class which did make for a new-look top-10 overall, which we’ll get into below.

THE NEW TOP-5

Jack Spielmann C / OF / Milton, WI / 2027

This is an athletic and versatile left-handed hitter with the ability to stick behind the plate long-term, and the athleticism to shine elsewhere on the diamond, need be. Spielmann moved into the No. 1 spot this update after the previous No. 1-ranked player in the class, Maddux Lessard, moved up a grade over the summer, though that undersells how Spielmann performed this year. He played like the top-ranked player in the state, and he's deserving of his place here. At the plate, Spielmann has advanced barrel skills making loud contact with ease at a frequent rate. Already with feel to hit and impact the baseball, once Spielmann adds to his 6-foot, 165-pound frame the production should tick up. Defensively, Spielmann is an advanced defender at multiple spots, his ability to stick behind the plate long term stands out though.

Cooper Schaefgen 3B / Oconomowoc, WI / 2027

This is one of the top hitters in the state, regardless of class. The 6-foot, 189-pound infielder is a confident hitter in the box and a tough out for any opposing pitcher, right or left handed. The right-hander has shown repeated feel for the barrel, rarely whiffing in our looks and spraying hard contact to all fields. Defensively at third, Schaefgen is a capable defender that is developing more feel for the position with an accurate arm across the diamond.

Kyle Rogosienski SS / 2B / Muskego, WI / 2027

Rogosienski is a high-upside, left-handed-hitting middle infielder who stands at 6-foot, 160 pounds. At the plate, he has taken strides throughout the year increasing his status as a prospect inside the state with a swing that actually resembles a Wisconsin prep who was just selected in the MLB Draft this year, Eddie Rynders. Defensively Rogosienski plays with athletic actions with a live arm that plays on the left side of the diamond. Further refinement of his overall toolset for the rising sophomore would firmly cement his status as a name-to-know in the Midwest amd beyond.

Logan Hagman C / OF / Hudson, WI / 2027

Hagman swings one of the heaviest barrels in the region, known for making loud contact already only in the fall of his sophomore year. Hagman broke out in loud fashion over the year, the physical right-handed hitter has shown overall feel to hit and impact the baseball now. Defensively, Hagman has seen time both in the outfield and behind the plate and is athletic enough to play either spot. Another top bat in the Midwest, Hagman will look to build off his freshman campaign this upcoming season.

Ryan Rose SS / 2B / West Bend West, WI / 2027

Rose is one of the top athletes in the state, and arguably its best runner, and he showed improved feel for the game as the year went on. The left-handed-hitting shortstop was a standout at the first Wisconsin State Games while being one of the youngest players in attendance. Defensively, Rose is a rangy and athletic defender with enough arm strength to stick at short. Also a 6.66 runner, Rose has burner speed that translates in game on the basepaths making him an asset in that regard. The twitchy left-handed hitter plays a premium position and has an equally impressive ceiling as the rest of our top-five.

RECRUITERS' CHEAT SHEET

On Aug. 1, this Class of 2027 will be eligible to be in contact with college coaches to help them determine where they’ll play their baseball upon graduation. This ever-changing landscape can be tough to comprehend, even for us and the coaches themselves. But really, college coaches are restricted from communicating with student-athletes until the Aug. 1 preceding the player’s junior year.

So, these now-sophomores are entering a critical year for their recruitment, though the recruiting calendar for college coaches has transformed as a result of these rule changes. Coaches will have very little experience with this class by Aug. 1, so it’ll be up to us to help introduce this group to them after they return from their trips scouting collegiate summer ball leagues in June and July.

Here’s a quick look at what’s on the menu for recruiting coordinators with Wisconsin’s ‘27s.

UP-THE-MIDDLE ATHLETES

This is always one of the groups of players first to go, and we’ve touched on several who fit this description in our breakdown of the top-five – Rose comes to mind, specifically – but there’s more where that came from in our state, ranked not too far behind.

Grady Cheever C / SS / Germantown, WI / 2027

Cheever has been stapled to our top-10 ever since we first released the class’ rankings. He’s a multi-sport standout, which makes a lot of sense because he’s a natural on the diamond in all sorts of ways. He’s a true switch-hitter, he can really defend at catcher as well as up the middle of the infield, and he has some arm strength that looks like it’ll become an asset once he gains some more physicality as he matures. Cheever is a sound receiver at catcher with easy catch-and-throw actions, and the swing is pretty from both batter’s boxes. It’s not hard imagining multiple scenarios in which Cheever rises way up this list in 2025.

Three other prospects that fit this category, among others: OF Chace Staude (Kettle Moraine), MIF Cooper Sievert (Wisconsin Lutheran), OF Carter Fry (Wisconsin Lutheran), and Jonny Deets (La Crosse Aquinas).

Staude offers both a high floor and a high ceiling as a prospect, which isn’t so common. He’s shown to be, across several looks, a true center fielder defensively (6.94 runner) armed with substantial arm strength (88 mph), and his left-handed swing showed promise in 2024.

WISCO has been churning out talent recently, and this pair of sophomores can help keep the Vikings competitive throughout their prep careers. Sievert has been a major arrow-up prospect in 2024, as a sub-7.00 runner with middle-infield actions and arm strength fit for the left side. The right-handed swing is easy and balanced too, and he’s got a shot to be the top shortstop in the class.

Cooper Sievert (7/30/24)

Fry flies on the basepaths as a 6.85 runner in a thin 5-foot-11 frame, for now. A right-handed hitter, he’s got a real knack for the barrel, spraying liners around the field which allows him to reach at a high clip where his speed becomes a greater asset.

Deets is a slick middle-infielder with actions and arm strength. His glove and his foot speed are presently his best traits, but he’s a competitive right-handed hitter who can raise his stock even more so if he’s able to generate more strength off the barrel.

TWO-WAY FOLLOWS

There’s several players on this top-50 who are still two-waying at this level, and thriving, but here’s a few players who fit this category in a way that makes it hard to project which position they’ll be better at as they develop.

OF/RHP Ira Hilbelink (Cedar Grove-Belgium) is one of the most versatile players on this list, ranked at No. 8 overall in this update. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound prospect is proportionally strong, and his natural strength shows itself across his entire tool set. Offensively, a right-handed bat, Hilbelink has bat-to-ball skills that benefit from the impact he’s able to create off the barrel. He moves well for his size too, which gives him positional versatility on the left side of the infield as well as in the outfield. On the mound, he reached an 86.4 mph high all the way back in early March, and there are reports of even more velo on its way, and he has multiple go-to secondaries as well.

RHP/CIF Eli Bauler (Monona Grove) is built at a physical 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, and he puts his prints on the game on both sides of the ball. On the mound, he has a mid-80s fastball that he wields with low effort, suggesting he could throw much harder down the road given his size – though his ceiling might be even higher on offense. Bauler swings a fast left-handed bat and he generated some substantial EVs this summer at our inaugural Wisconsin State Games, including a 98.1 mph max (85.8 mph avg.). He looks the part of a natural middle-of-the-order slugger who slots in a corner infield position defensively.

Eli Bauler (7/30/24)

And then there’s LHP/OF Kingston Grisolono (Kewaskum), who has an edge as a coveted left/left prospect, and he’s also fresh off a summer in which he was one of the best performers on a talented travel squad. It’s not clear where his future lies positionally, but that’s only a good thing in Grisolono’s case. He threw strikes this summer while venturing into the mid-80s from the left side, with feel to spin a breaking ball, and the fastball’s peripherals are interesting as well. Positionally, he’s an outfielder with a smooth left-handed swing geared for contact, and he shows strength in a compact 5-foot-11, 180-pound stature.

Don’t forget about 1B/OF/LHP Zachary Steichen (Brookfield East) either. A really competitive, strong left/left two-way talent who has really hit for us. It's a simple, direct swing that lands barrels aided by bat strength, and he’s capable of using the whole field well. The bat looks like his most promising trait, but the southpaw has also hovered around an 80 mph high on the mound with strikes. Steichen forced his way into playing time as a freshman at B’East last spring as well, underscoring how bright his future is.

POWER PITCHING PROSPECTS

We recently touched on the depth and the quality of the right-handed pitching in the state’s senior class, and there’s a group of rising sophomores emerging now that’s somewhat reminiscent of that group’s development. Right-handers Carter Gordon (Germantown), Jacob Coisman (Luxemburg-Casco) and Dylan Schreiber (Waukesha West) have each separated themselves among their peers as pitching prospects with unique pitch traits who’ve also been performing at a high level as is.

Gordon is the No. 7-ranked player in the class, and he hardly needs an introduction. He is an imposing 6-foot-3, 280-pound mound presence, armed with an expectedly powerful heater that reached a 90 mph high as a freshman this spring, complemented by a quality breaking ball and a knack for throwing strikes. With obvious strength to the frame, Gordon has a clean and repeatable delivery with a loose arm, and he moves especially well for his size. He’s already got a lot going for him, so refining his strength and arsenal will help him make use of all of the physicality still on its way.

Jacob Coisman RHP / OF / Luxemburg-Casco, WI / 2027

Coisman was one of the biggest winners over the summer circuit. It's a frame that stands out among any age group, lean, athletic 6-foot-3, 165-pounds with obvious room for fill. The arm talent stands out, clean and the baseball jumps out of the hand working up to 86 mph with feel to spin. After debuting at No. 16 overall last update, another velo jump helped push him into the No. 10 spot headed into the offseason.

Schreiber’s frame also stands out, at a spindly 6-foot-6, with some wiry strength. With that, he has a true three-pitch mix with strikes and a fastball that plays beyond its mid-80s velocity (T87 mph) with the ability to extend (6.4 feet) while releasing the ball from a 5.0-foot release height, which stands out given his frame. He’s more athletic than you might anticipate out of a tall, lanky pitcher too, considering he swings a pretty clean, on-the-barrel left-handed bat as well. He’s got some of the best upside in the state.

Dylan Schreiber (7/30/24)

UPSIDE LEFT-HANDERS

The quality and depth of pitching in Wisconsin’s ‘27 class extends to its left-handers as well. It’s not so common to find this many emerging southpaws in the state at such a young age, and yet here we are, led by Joey Shaw, who actually spent this fall guiding Muskego’s football team to a runner-up finish at state as the program’s QB1.

Shaw’s athleticism at quarterback really just emphasizes his gifts on the diamond. He’s a lean/strong 6-foot, 165 pounds, with an easy, repeat delivery that earned him starts as a freshman right away with the Warriors. As the No. 6-ranked player in the state, Shaw lives in the mid-80s mostly (87.8 mph max) on a carry fastball that spins at an above-average rate, paired with a sweeping breaking ball he has confidence in as well. His on-mound competitiveness stands out when you watch him pitch as well.

After Shaw, it’s still a deep group, and each of these prospects bring something different to the table: Mark Susa (Hudson), Cal Schneider (New Berlin Eisenhower), Mason Horn (Muskego) and Mason Robertson (St. Thomas More).

Mark Susa LHP / OF / Hudson, WI / 2027

Susa passes the eye test as a lean 6-foot-3 lefty with broad shoulders and a clean delivery with a loose and whippy arm. Fastball jumps, averaging 18 inches of IVB from a 4.9 release height with a quality breaking ball to pair. His performance at a showcase this fall pushed him up to No. 13 in the state’s rankings.

Schneider has advanced feel to pitch and can locate his entire arsenal throughout the zone. Projectable 6-foot, 139-pound frame Schneider will add velo as he matures into his frame, which will only enhance his prospect stock, given his competitive nature and strike-throwing abilities.

Horn and Robertson are each smaller-framed but very athletic, quick armed left-handers with upside as they mature physically. Horn cruises in the upper-70s with a fastball that jumps out of the hands and a tight breaking ball. Robertson has been up to 84 mph from a loose, athletic, easy delivery.

Mason Robertson (9/21/24)