HARTFORD, Wis. — Carter Kutz showed exactly why he’s one of the top prep players in Wisconsin on Monday. The Hartford Union sophomore right-handed pitcher was nearly unhittable against Homestead High School, dominating hitters with his quality fastball, curveball combination.
Kutz is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound two-way player. He received the start on the mound and pitched all five innings against Homestead. He notched 10 strikeouts and allowed two runs on one hit and three walks in Hartford’s 12-2 five-inning victory.
On the mound, Kutz works extremely quickly and uses a simple delivery that features some deception, as he does a nice job of hiding the baseball until it’s close to leaving his hand.
Hitters were consistently behind Kutz’s fastball, which typically is a high-80s offering. Kutz is explosive through his delivery, and his fastball velocity will only increase as he matures physically. He also mixed in his tight-breaking curveball.
At the plate, Kutz, a 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. On Monday, he hit a fly-ball out off the end of the bat to left-center field. The left fielder caught it on the warning track in front of the 347 feet sign. Kutz also hit a ball hard down the third base line for a three-run double.
Kutz is a quality athlete with a ton of projection remaining. Besides pitching, Kutz also catches, where he has displayed a well-rounded toolset.
Kutz is the top player in Wisconsin’s 2025 class and is drawing NCAA Power Five recruiting interest. I was high on Kutz last year, and he’s only improved since his freshman season. He’s a name to watch over the next two years.
Jackson Brewer, OF, Homestead
Brewer was the lone Homestead player to register a hit off of Kutz. The left-handed hitter squared up a pitch and hit it hard to right field.
Brewer is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and started in right field on Monday. Offensively, Brewer is short to the ball and didn’t look overmatched by Kutz. He also has respectable speed and ran the bases well.
Defensively, Brewer looked comfortable in the outfield. He tracked down two fly balls and showed solid arm strength on a throw into the cutoff man on a ground ball to right field.
Brewer has experience playing first base and the outfield. The lefty thrower also pitches. Brewer is a junior and the top uncommitted player in Wisconsin. He is an intriguing player to watch and boasts plenty of potential.
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for eight years. He has interviewed 433 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.
