Kenosha St. Joseph's senior Dominic Santarelli is the top-rated high school baseball player in Wisconsin, drawing the attention of Major League Baseball scouts at every game.
The 18-year-old outfielder, who stands 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 220 pounds, will continue his baseball career at Louisiana State University.
Santarelli was voted the prep Wisconsin Player of the Year as a junior. One of his career highlights includes winning MVP at an MLB High School All-American game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles when he was 17.
"It was surreal playing in Dodger Stadium at the time I was 17. It’s a dream come true to play on that field," Santarelli said. "In one of the historic big league stadiums in the world was just unbelievable, but to win that award in front of the best players in the country—amazing."
Watch: Wisconsin's top baseball prospect Dominic Santarelli enters his senior year with major league dreams
Santarelli trains daily to elevate his game, working closely with personal trainer Matt Gifford.
"A lot of talented kids came through here, Jarred Kelenic, Gavin Lux, some big names, and no one looked like Dominic Santarelli. He looks like Mike Alstott with a Ken Griffey swing," Gifford said.
Gifford noted that improving Santarelli's speed was a priority for catching the eyes of scouts.
"He just needed to be polished up, so we realized a gap from a speed standpoint," Gifford said. "The 60-yard dash is imperative to catch the eyes of scouts. So Dominic dropped five-tenths of a second off his 60-yard dash. Crazy drop. High-quality kid from a high-quality family."
The attention from scouts brings cameras to his games, a situation Santarelli embraces.
"It’s awesome. Once in a while, I’ll step out in the box at an at-bat, and I’ll look up in the crowd, and I’ll see a lot of cameras on me, which is awesome. It’s a blessing," Santarelli said. "I see it as an opportunity, not as pressure. I just go out there and be myself, it will take care of itself."
Santarelli models his game after Major League Baseball player Kyle Schwarber, whom he had the opportunity to train with during the winter.
"My favorite player is Kyle Schwarber. I got to hit with him this winter and learned so much; it was surreal," Santarelli said. "A little kid watching him grow up and then being able to be in the same cage as him, it was a dream come true. Hopefully, I can be doing that with more big leaguers for years to come."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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