HARTFORD, Wis. – Carter Kutz threw a seven-inning shutout to lead Hartford Union past Homestead on Monday night. The Hartford junior right-handed pitcher notched nine strikeouts and allowed three hits, three walks and one hit batter against Homestead.
Kutz, a Nebraska commit, is the top prospect in Wisconsin in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound righty ran into some trouble in the third and fourth innings, facing six batters in each inning. He escaped the third inning with a line out to right field and a three-pitch strikeout of Jackson Brewer, a top 2024 hitter in Wisconsin, to end the frame. He then had a strikeout and flyout with runners on the corners to end the fourth inning.
Kutz was efficient and effective in the final three innings to preserve the shutout.
Monday’s game wasn’t the sharpest performance I have scouted of Kutz. But he showed a quality four-seam fastball and flashed a solid curveball. It also looks like he has bulked up a bit since last year.
Hitters were consistently behind Kutz’s fastball, which has sat in the high 80s this spring. His curveball is a solid strikeout pitch. It wasn’t as consistent as I have witnessed in the past, but it still fooled plenty of hitters on Monday. His circle changeup features fading action, and he worked on a slider in the offseason.
Kutz works extremely quickly and uses a simple delivery that features some deception. He does a nice job of hiding the baseball until it’s close to leaving his hand. Kutz is explosive through his delivery, and his fastball velocity will only increase as he matures physically.
Kutz is a two-way player and catches and plays the field when he isn’t on the mound. At the plate, the right-handed hitter uses an upright stance with a slight knee bend. His mechanics are simple but highly effective. He is aggressive and hits the ball hard.
I have covered Kutz since his freshman season. He has made notable strides throughout high school, adding strength while remaining extremely athletic. Kutz is a quality athlete with a ton of potential remaining. He’s a really intriguing prospect and someone to watch closely over these next two years.
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for nine years. He has interviewed 518 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
