WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. — Whitefish Bay High School is one of the top teams in the Midwest this season, boasting a lineup headlined by five Division I commits. On Monday, the undefeated Blue Dukes suffered a surprising defeat, falling to Homestead High School, 6-5.
It was a marquee matchup with numerous major-league scouts in attendance to watch the six Division I commits between Homestead (8-3) and Whitefish Bay (11-1).
MLB Draft Notebook
Below is a look at the players who are drawing MLB draft interest this year or are on the radar of professional scouts for the next couple of years.
Will Vierling, C, Homestead (2022 grad)
Vierling, a Lousiville commit, is one of Wisconsin’s top high school seniors. The 6-foot, 195-pound backstop made loud, hard contact, barrelling up two baseballs deep into the outfield. Although both resulted in flyouts, the strong left-handed hitter shows the potential to be an impact bat in the future.
Defensively, Vierling is athletic and showed a strong and accurate arm on throws to second base.
Vierling is a quality player who shows potential scouts seek. He is eligible for July’s draft but likely will head to Louisville, where he will receive quality instruction and development.
Michael Lippe, OF, Whitefish Bay (2022 grad)
Lippe has been on scouts’ radars since his freshman year. He has five-tool potential, and it’s easy to see why scouts believe he could be an impact player in pro ball.
Lippe started on the mound against Homestead, showing his above-average arm strength. He ran into some trouble in the second inning when he struggled to throw strikes.
While Lippe shows potential on the mound, his future is in the outfield. After pitching, he moved to center field and displayed his athleticism when he had to react quickly, run in and catch a line drive. Later in the game, he showed off his strong arm by throwing a bullet to the catcher to keep the baserunner from rounding third base.
Offensively, the right-handed hitter is short to the ball. He uses a smooth swing and shows plenty of power potential. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound outfielder is drawing draft interest but likely will benefit from attending Louisville in the fall.
Mitchell Voit, RHP, Whitefish Bay (2022 grad)
Voit, a Michigan commit, didn’t have a loud performance on Monday. But he showed his strong arm at third base and displayed potential at the plate. He barrelled up a breaking pitch that went to deep center field in the later innings of the game.
Voit is a highly talented two-way player. Based on previous games, it wouldn’t shock me if Voit’s future is on the mound due to his clean delivery, big arm and overall potential.
DJ Kojis, RF, Whitefish Bay (2022 grad)
Kojis, a Milwaukee commit, has a simple step up at the plate with a quick swing. The right-hander hitter laced a pitch into right-center field for a double in his first at-bat. He had quality at-bats and consistently made hard contact the entire game.
Kojis showed athleticism on the bases and in the outfield. He also has the big-time arm strength to play in center field and right field.
Kojis is an underrated player in the 2022 class. He has potential and likely will play right away as a freshman for Milwaukee. There is a lot to like about Kojis’ skill set, and I’m intrigued to see how he develops in college.
Jack Counsell, 2B, Whitefish Bay (2023 grad)
Counsell, a Michigan commit, is a gamer. He isn’t a flashy player, but he has the skills to impact the game in many ways.
On Monday, Counsell laced a line drive over the left-field wall for a home run. The right-handed hitter uses an upright stance with simple mechanics. He repeats his swing well and has notable bat-to-ball skills.
Defensively, Counsell is athletic and has a strong arm at second base. He also is smooth and shows confidence in the field. One play that stands out is when he fielded a ground ball to his right and then made a strong throw to first base, despite his momentum carrying him away from the base.
JD Dix, SS, Whitefish Bay (2024 grad)
Dix is only a sophomore, but he is a name to watch moving forward. The prep shortstop has an extremely exciting toolset and will likely be one of the top prospects in the 2024 high school class.
The switch-hitter hit both ways on Monday. I prefer him from the left side, but he has a smooth swing and makes hard contact from both sides of the plate.
Dix looks like a premium defensive player with the tools to stick at shortstop. He is athletic, moves well laterally and possesses a strong arm to make all the necessary plays at shortstop. He made a nice play early in the game when he went to his right to field the ball and then sent a throw on a line to first base.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Alabama commit has impressive skills for his age and will only get better as he matures physically.
Read more in-depth stories on top 2022 MLB draft prospects at Baseball Prospect Journal.
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Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for seven years. He has interviewed 356 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com and The Arizona Republic, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
