Nation's best high school baseball players heading to Milwaukee for inaugural showcase

JD Dix isn't going to have time to play tour guide, most likely, when the nation's top high school baseball talent descends on his hometown this weekend for the inaugural Prep Baseball Report All-American Game. It's a pity, because the kid has some culinary knowledge.

"I would just give people food advice; I love food," said Dix, the Whitefish Bay High School senior who's among the top recruits in the nation. "I don't know if they have the time for that."

It is, after all, a loaded docket. Players will arrive Thursday for the Saturday competition at American Family Field between the best players in the Class of 2024 and the best of 2025. Before that, they'll participate in a home run derby that starts with preliminary rounds Friday at The Rock in Franklin, plus a banquet at the Harley-Davidson Museum. The derby finals (1:30 p.m.) and the game itself (3:15 p.m.) run Saturday at the home of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Prep Baseball Report, which (as the name suggests) focuses on scouting prep baseball talent, has been around since 2005, founded in Illinois by Sean Duncan. He said he was attracted to the idea of hosting an event like this near the organization's Midwestern base.

"We've run every type of event under the sun, and we have the biggest pre-season draft event (of any scouting site) and a big college recuriting event with 350 colleges there," Duncan said. "This was something in our portfolio of events that we haven't done. It really came together quite easily. As you can imagine, when you're in the industry for pretty much 20 years, you can get things done pretty quickly."

Curious fans can get a seat at the game for $10.

Given the location, it's less stressful than a typical summer week on Dix's travel baseball schedule. He said he's out of town every weekend once school is out; he figures with a little vacation thrown in, he was home for five days in the summer of 2022.

"I've been to a lot of these events and they're really sweet, with the best of the best, all good dudes," Dix said. "It's a little bit surreal that people kind of know you at these huge events and that you have these friends that are as celebrated and known that way."

Dix will be one of two Wisconsinites in the showcase, with Verona Area pitcher Jack DeTienne also invited. DeTienne is committed to Xavier, whereas Dix remains uncommitted; he said he's narrowed his lengthy list of offers to five possible schools. He had previously chosen Alabama and decommitted.

But even after he chooses a destination, he'll be a highly coveted player in the 2024 Major League Baseball draft, and numerous pro scouts will be on hand to watch the new showcase in Milwaukee.

"The reason why this is unique is we have some of the best draft prospects in this coming draft class, and they're playing a team of next year's draft class," Duncan said. "For the pro-scouting community, it gives a look at this year and next year, all the while we have a tournament going on at The Rock, too, where they can go look at some travel teams. It's kind of a one-stop shop scouting smorgasbord, if you will."

American Family Field also happens to be the venue where Brewers manager Craig Counsell has guided the Brewers to first place in the National League Central. Counsell's two sons, Brady and Jack, also played for Whitefish Bay. Jack and JD batted first and second in the lineup when Bay won the WIAA Division 1 state championship over Hortonville in June.

"(Counsell) gives me a little (advice), but he kind of wants me to go through the process alone and not as much tell me what to do," Dix said. "It's an individual process for everybody."

Dix said winning the state title outshined the things he's already accomplished on the travel circuit.

"It's not like you're going out to play a weekend in Iowa and play in five games; it was nothing like that, the intensity was totally different," Dix said. "Being around guys you go to school with and you see 260 days a year, it's definitely different and way cooler."

Among those on hand will be Ethan Holliday, PBR's No. 1-ranked player in the 2025 class and the son of former big-leaguer Matt Holliday, whose older son Jackson is with the Baltimore Orioles organization and the No. 1 prospect in Major League Baseball. Matt Holliday will be part of the coaching staff on hand, a group of mentors that also includes former Brewers top prospect Corey Ray, who spent this past season as bench coach with Class A Myrtle Beach in the Cubs organization.

THANK YOU: Subscribers' support makes this work possible. Help us share the knowledge by buying a gift subscription.

DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee hosting best high school baseball players in United States