This update to Wisconsin’s 2028 rankings is a modest one, with minimal movement at the top as we head into the winter. While the board remains stable for now, the class as a whole continues to round into form, and this update gives us a clearer view of the types of prospects who are emerging as high-end prospects.

Broadly, this 2028 group is shaping up differently than what we typically see in Wisconsin, trending more bat-first this cycle. In fact, 8 of our top 10 prospects, it’s a unique identity for this group, and it gives the class a different feel as we head into an important developmental winter.

BATS AT THE TOP

C Braedon Paczocha (Mukwonago) and MIF Maddex Welzien (West Bend West) were identified before beginning their prep careers as advanced defenders at their position with upside both in the frame but also offensively. The bats have continued to tick up during the start of their prep careers, Paczocha is developing some real strength and impact from the right side while Welzien continues to make contact at a high rate, spraying line drives across the field.

Continuing the theme of upside bats, a pair of athletic outfielders with the potential to play center field round out the top-5 at four and five. OF Camden Jeske (Oak Creek) is a bat-to-ball outfielder that has taken consistent quality at-bats in front of our staff, even against some of the best arms in the state. Confident defender in the outfield, natural and confident routes with arm strength to pair. OF Ian McClure (Reedsburg Area) may be the top athlete in the class, the frame also stands out standing at 6-foot-3, 198-pounds. The combination of size, strength and speed with some history of performing now drives the profile to pair with upside defensively as a potential center fielder.

INF Eli Hart (Bay Port), CIF Benjamin Smet-Cooper (Westosha Central), INF/OF Kallen Magli (Sun Prairie West) follow up the trend of bats. Hart and Magli swing smooth and strong right-handed bats with clean and reliable actions in the infield to pair. Hart is a clean mover and the athlete has been steadily improving across our looks. Magli is a straight gamer and has been one of the top hitters our staff saw this past summer in the state's 2028 class, also a versatile defender that can provide steady defense at a number of spots including the outfield.

Smet-Cooper is one of the top left-handed bats in the class with top of the class power potential. All fields power that he gets to in game with advanced bat speed and strength at the plate, the actions and arm play on the left-side and can even provide quality defense at the next level with added range.

C Thomas Check (La Crosse Logan) and C Toay Ragatz (Lancaster) add onto the depth of catchers inside the state. Check is a gamer with an advanced catch-and-throw skillset and bat-to-ball traits that have consistently stood out in game from the left-side. Ragatz is an explosive athlete with advanced bat speed/strength from the right side. The defense stands out as well with a strong arm and a ceiling behind the dish.

OF/LHP Braxton Thiede (Jefferson), INF/RHP Jacob Madlung (Arrowhead), MIF/RHP Tate Hagen (Lake Country Lutheran), 1B/RHP Tyson Resch (Menomonee Falls) finish off the trend of bats inside the top-15, however each also provide intrigue and upside on the mound as well.

Thiede is a bat-to-ball right handed hitter with the ability to play a high-end outfield with the potential to stick in center field. Also a strike throwing left-hander with feel to repeat on the mound, carry fastball in the low-80s with a sweeping breaking ball.

Madlung is a physical athlete standing at 6-foot-4 188-pounds and is another prospect with a unique size, strength, speed combination. An athlete with a smooth and easy right-handed swing with feel to leverage the ball in the air, clean actions to pair in the infield with arm strength. On the mound the arm plays clean flashing feel for three pitches including a lively fastball (T84 mph) with some feel to locate throughout the zone.

Hagen is a projectable and twitchy athlete with a ceiling at shortstop with a smooth right handed swing and feel to find the barrel. The athleticism translates to the mound, moving efficiently throughout his delivery with feel to locate a mid-80s fastball and spin a sharp breaking ball.

Resch is a physical and explosive right-handed hitter that consistently takes quality at-bats no matter the competition. There’s also some impact presently in the swing with feel to drive the ball to multiple parts of the field. Feel for two-pitches on the mound from a unique slot, a heavy mid-80s fastball with a sweeping slider in the mid-70s to pair off of it.

RISING ARMS

RHP Carter Unger (Kewaskum) could potentially be the top prospect in the class, a long levered and athletic 6-foot-2 frame with more room to fill out with feel to repeat both a clean delivery and his arm action. The fastball sits in the mid-70s (T87 mph) with life out of the hand flashing feel to locate to each side of the plate, there's feel to spin a bigger low-70s breaking ball in the zone while flashing a fading changeup to left-handed hitters.

RHP Maxwell Webb (Port Washington) athletic right-hander with feel to throw four different pitches in the zone. The polish and touch and feel for his arsenal in game has stood out for some time, not often is there a sophomore that not only has four pitches but also has feel to locate all four in the zone. There’s still upside to each pitch as well as the frame standing at 6-foot-1, 175-pounds.

RHP Ben Schultz (Milton), RHP/INF Brady Lauer (Germantown) and RHP Nicky Vittucci (Whitefish Bay) are also trending upwards heading into the winter, all showing flashes of improved command and feel to spin with upside from a velocity standpoint.

VIEW THE COMPLETE WISCONSIN 2028 RANKINGS HERE

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