For the first time in its history, the Prep Baseball Wisconsin Player of the Year award is going to the same player twice in his prep career and in back-to-back fashion. OF Dominic Santarelli (St. Joseph Catholic, 2026; LSU commit) has been named the this year's Wisconsin POTY, one year after claiming the honor as a junior, making him the first multi-time winner our state's award has ever had.

Santarelli closed out his prep career by leading St. Joseph Catholic back to the WIAA state finals for a third consecutive season, this time at the Division 2 level, where the Lancers fell just short and finished as runners-up against Pewaukee. Still, it capped a three-year run that started with a runner-up finish as a sophomore before he and the Lancers won it all at the D3 level in 2025. 

He also added a new layer to his game this spring, moving from first base, where he’d spent the bulk of his prep career, into center field. The transition didn’t take long to look natural. Santarelli played comfortably and naturally in center field quickly, and much quicker than evaluators anticipated. All of a sudden, this was a 6-foot-1, 224-pound slugger with a chance to play the outfield profesionally, even if it might not be in center field down in Baton Rouge or in pro ball.

None of that came at the expense of the bat. Santarelli slashed an absurd .562/.717/1.125 with a 1.842 OPS over 127 plate appearances this spring, piling up 45 hits that included eight doubles, five triples, and nine home runs. He had to overcome a unique approach to how opposing coaches and pitchers took on Santarelli, who hit lead-off for the Lancers. Santarelli was often pitched around and it wasn't common for him to see a fastball anywhere near the strike zone, which surely added some pressure to his at-bats in front of the MLB scouts when he did finally get a pitch he could drive.

Despite an audience of pro scouts and higher-level MLB decision-makers in attendance at his games all spring long, Santarelli played unwavered, loose, and calm which resulted in 40 walks and helped him reach safely in nearly 75 percent of his plate appearances this spring. When he did land a barrel, Santarelli often made it count. He tallied 22 extra-base hits this year, nine of which were home runs, and he made teams pay for walking him intentionally or not, regularly swiping second base as soon as a touched first. An increase in athleticism and speed helped make his transition to the outfield seamless, and it led to 46 steals as a senior this season as well.

2026 Season: Dominic Santarelli (32 games)

PA	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
127	80	45	8	5	9	33	68	40	46	.562	.717	1.125	1.842

He capped last summer with an appearance at the 2025 Prep Baseball All-American Game in Miami, then opened this year at the Prep Baseball Super 60 Pro Showcase on Feb. 1 in Chicago, where he posted a 102.7 mph average exit velocity (110.1 max), a 72.0 mph average bat speed and 19.5g of average rotational acceleration. His arm stood out early in the outfield transition as well, with throws up to 88 mph from the turf to home.

Just three days following the state championship game, Santarelli traveled to Arizona for the 2026 MLB Draft Combine on June 23, Santarelli led the entire event in average exit velocity at 110.9 mph and topped out at 115.1. Needless to say, fans of the MLB Draft and onlooking scouts got to witness what Santarelli had been doing in Wisconsin since he first stepped foot onto the field for St. Joe's. His final high school home run came in the semifinals at state this year, and it was a clutch bomb drilled something like 420 feet into the deepest part of the park at Neuroscience Group Field, where the Single-A Wisconsin Timberattlers play.

(WIAA D2 State Semifinals; 6/17/26)

With that, it's fair to think of the moment above as a preview of what's to come from Santarelli the next time he steps foot on a professional baseball field.

The exit velo gets the most attention, but the run times tell their own story about the kind of worker Santarelli is. He ran a 7.32 in the 60-yard dash back in 2024, then 6.74 the following March, then 6.70 last September at the All-American Game, and 6.83 this February at Super 60 – consistently elite range for a player his size, and a long way from where he started. His most recent testing also included a 1.58-second 10-yard split, a 3.69-second 30-yard split and a 27.4-inch peak vertical jump. Those gains in pure athleticism are a big part of why the outfield move worked as well as it did this spring.

“There was, once again, no shortage of effortless power on display as Santarelli belted balls up to 110.1 mph with a 102.7 avg. Featuring a max distance of 404 ft., it was almost a routine performance from one of the class’ preeminent power prospects, but one that came with hardly a drip of sweat and an inherent professional feel. The one adjustment that stood out from the summer circuit and Prep Baseball All-American Game in September, was a less pronounced drift to the front side. That small accommodation might (incredibly) unlock even more power from the imposing 6-foot, 225-pounder. While he showcased more of a below average arm in the outfield portion, the fact that he moved around at a position outside of first base was important to see, and his potential to add a corner outfield possibility might, ultimately, help raise his already high stock.”

— Prep Baseball’s Shooter Hunt, following the Super 60
(Feb. 1, 2026)

Santarelli will enter the MLB Draft on July 11 as the No. 1-ranked player in Wisconsin and No. 32 overall nationally by Prep Baseball. The résumé behind those rankings is about as complete as it gets: an 1.842 OPS, 46 stolen bases, a defensive conversion to center field that scouts watched happen in real time, and exit velocities that would stand out at any level, high school or otherwise. Just as notable to the people who’ve coached and played alongside him is the leadership. Santarelli has drawn praise from teammates, opponents and coaches alike across his four years at St. Joseph Catholic, and he leaves the program as one of the most decorated players in Wisconsin high school baseball history.

A year ago, Santarelli became just the second non-senior to win this award, joining Max Wagner (Green Bay Preble, 2020) as the only underclassmen to do so since the award’s inception. Now, as a senior, he stands alone as its first-ever two-time winner.

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PREP BASEBALL WISCONSIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR,
PAST WINNERS:

+ 2025: Dominic Santarelli, 1B, St. Joseph Catholic
+ 2024: Logan Dunn, OF/LHP, Wautoma
+ 2023: Alex Alicea, SS, St. Thomas More
+ 2022: Mitch Voit, 3B/RHP, Whitefish Bay
+ 2021: Owen Washburn, RHP/SS, Webster
+ 2019: Max Wagner, 3B/RHP, Green Bay Preble
+ 2018: Jack Washburn, RHP/OF, Webster
+ 2017: Ryan Hoerter, RHP, Kenosha Indian Trail
+ 2016: Gavin Lux, SS, Kenosha Indian Trail
+ 2015: Logan Wonn, RHP/1B, Oconomowoc
+ 2014: Jeren Kendall, OF, Holmen

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