2021 Future Games: Team Utah Preview

TEAM UTAH

2024 Luke Taylor, C/1B, 6-0 170, R-R (Skyline HS/SL Gulls/USA Prime National)

“LT” has become one of my favorite players in the state. The kid has a demeanor that creates a leadership type attitude, and is a good teammate, along with being very talented. The arm has a ways to go, and he does run like a catcher, but the receiving and mechanics for a 15 year old are advanced and the metrics are out on this part of the game, as the eye test is used. He sticks pitches and works underneath the ball and steals K’s. He blocks and recovers well for his age. But the bat is advanced for a freshman with 88 mph EV’s and his longest drive of the day was at 347 ft. He shows a demeanor and aura about him in the box and behind the plate and exudes confidence and has an engaging personality. All qualities that will make him a next level college player. 

2024 Austin Ellis, C, 5-11 185, R-R (Westlake HS/USA Prime National)

Another young player that I like in November at our Fall Prospect ID and invited to the Preseason All-State event and didn’t disappoint, as he improved his hitting metrics across the board, while showing the same slightly uphill approach and path to the baseball, that will lend itself to hit and hit for power throughout his HS career and into college. The EV of 87, improved to 90 this go around, and his max distance from 303 to 330. Still young and raw behind the dish, but has tremendous potential with the bat and also just came out of the gym basically with limited time to get ready, as he was a contributing member of the 6A State Championship Hockey Team last week. Look forward to following Austin and his HS career moving forward.

2023 Billy Bird, LHP/1B, 6-3 200, L-L (Timpanogos HS/RA Baseball Academy)

A 6-3 200 with a MLB LHP build. A youth phenom and had some issues with his left shoulder that didn't require surgery, yet didn't throw in a live game for over a year. Has made 4 appearances since President's Day weekend. Just rounding back into form, but does flash some very intriguing potential with A FB 82-87 and sits right now at 84-85 and I fully expect by the end of summer to see him touch 88-89. Big upside and just needs time and experience as he gets further from his health issues. Had a very good spring ‘21 season while performing as a two way leading force in the Timpanogos lineup and on the mound. Has a chance to be a stud! 

2023 Grant Scholzen, SS/2B, 5-9 155, L-R (Hurricane HS/CBA Summit 16U)

Another strong game player with a baseball background and natural feel and instincts for the game. A high baseball IQ type, had a very good showing at the Top Prospect Games, as he had a couple of walks and a liner to RF, and with the ball in front, legged out a sliding 2B with a late throw. Playing both middle INF spots, he made several on the move plays with K’s across the diamond from SS. At 2B, he made a play coming in and to his left and glove flipped the ball to the 1B’man to get the runner at first. Now healthy after playing through a grade one hamstring strain in the spring, that turned into a much worse reoccurrence that shut him down half way through the region season, but was able to hit .314 while playing as a shell of himself. Is having a big summer with the bat, hitting in the 2 hole, while playing on a club that has 4 Future Game participants. One of the sweetest and soundest swings in the state. The bat is a high next level type, that translates well! Has garnered a lot of college interest since his freshman year. 

2023 Ryder Robinson, 2B/SS, 6-2 165, B-R (American Fork HS/Mountain West)

Only a sophomore, but hits out of the leadoff spot for one of the powerhouse teams in the state. Brother of Crew Robinson, who is a stud hitter at College of Southern Idaho. Father Darek was a MIF and All-American at CSI in the early 90’s and played in the Cardinals system. Is a high contact hitter and puts the ball in play and squares up pitches on a line. Switch hitter like his father and has a really good feel from both sides of the plate. Has a silky smooth hitting stroke with abv avg hand/eye. Defensively he has educated feet and plus hands. Has SS range at 2B and his hands are really soft. Has committed only one error through the first 13 games of the season. Can really pick it and will be a Future Games attendee. Big future and legit D1 prospect. 

2023 Cole DeCastro, SS/2B, 5-11 155, R-R (Desert Hills HS/CBA Summit 16U)

Also not a metrics type player and is a sum of all his parts type, that knows how to play and does it gracefully. A smooth fielding defender with soft hands and gets into position to make throws with above avg accuracy. Doesn’t sell out for arm velo in showcase or game conditions, but shows a low heartbeat, which I call a slow game clock. A line drive hitter that uses the whole field, but it’s the defense that’s steady Eddy and makes all the plays. An All-Region 9 selection and HM All-State honoree as well for powerhouse Desert Hills HS. 

2023 Petey Soto Jr, SS/3B/OF, 5-10 145, R-R (Crimson Cliffs HS/Team Utah ‘23)

Soto can handle 3 INF spots along with CF and makes all look as if it’s his primary spot. A quick twitch live lower allows for graceful defensive actions and his feet/hands have a chance to play abv avg in time. His hands are smooth/quick and he plays from the ground up, while syncing his hands and feet, in getting off strong accurate throws across the diamond. The arm is avg by MLB standards now and will definitely be plus in the near future. The bat has some Latin type flair in that he can be a free swinger and then also grind out an AB and spray LD’s to all fields. Does have some swing and miss and needs to cut down and put the ball in play more. With a young immature body now, Soto can lift it out to the pull side when he squares it up. A conventional RH even props square stance, he gets quality separation and takes an aggressive, but lengthy pass at the baseball, with a fast bat. It will be fun to see where the versatile, athletic, flashy INF takes his game in the future.

2023 Jacob Faust, OF/RHP, 6-1 185, R-R (Olympus HS/Mountain West)

A two way player with 3 years of development and has a solid ceiling and while it’s too early to tell whether he’s gonna be a bat or an arm on the mound, he does possess next level college ability with the bat and the arm. As a hitter, he stands upright with a slight crouch and his feet together and open, and brings his front foot back to square, then loads the bat at a solid 45 degree angle. He does drift with his hips somewhat, but keeps his hands in the ready position and fires the hands inside the baseball and shows a fast bat for his age at 72.7 mph, with a 95.06 EV. What’s intriguing is that he also ran a 6.94/60 and touched 83 with a semi quick arm from the mound. The FB in the spring and summer is now reaching the upper 80’s and he’s coming quickly. Definite one of the top ‘23s in the state. 

2023 Ryker Schow, OF, 6-0 165, R-R (Pleasant Grove HS/Team Utah ‘23/Mountain West)

Not a big metric guy, but a really good baseball player, who plays hard, shows a solid baseball IQ and plays the right way. Had a really good spring with the bat for the #2 ranked team in the state. Knows how to work a count and take his walks. Needs to cut down on his K outs, but it didn’t affect his overall numbers as they were solid. Started the spring at 2B, and after making a permanent move to RF about a ⅓ of the season in, his bat took off and he was leading force for the 6A state runner ups. Keep his name handy, as he is having a really good summer with the bat and drawing some college attention.  

2023 Sam Lindsey, OF/C, 6-0 185, R-R (Snow Canyon HS/Mountain West)

Have seen this kid since he was 12 years old, as we used to be next door neighbors. A Future Games invite and a strong game player, that’s been advanced for his age. The same has continued as he entered his sophomore season for the Warriors, who routed the competition at 28-4 enroute to the 4A state title. Lindsey put up 99 mph EV with 77 mph bat speed and was the metric leader at the Top Prospect Games event. A versatile defender who has caught moving through the ranks, but with a potential draft pick at catcher this year, Lindsey may have found a home in RF. Shows solid movement patterns on approach to the baseball and has a fringe to avg arm, that will project nicely as he continues to lengthen out in the OF. A 7.03/60 is plenty enough and is a heady base runner with instincts for the game. A strong season catapulted Sam to All-Region and All-State honors this past season, as he hit .371 with 22 RBI, 9 2B’s, 2 3B’s and 3 HR’s. Look for this kid to make a name for himself moving forward. 

2024 Trey Evans, OF, 6-0 160, R-R (Crimson Cliffs HS)

One of the better hitters in the state statistically regardless of age and class. Evans played LF for second year Crimson Cliffs and Coach Justin Abbott, and hit in the 3 hole for a 15-12 squad. A consistent threat week in and week out and faced some of the better arms in the state, in Region 9 play, as there's 5 arms in the region that touch 88/90 or even higher with a couple in the low to mid 90’s. Has some jumpiness to his feet and gets his whole body into his swing, rather than getting under his hips and using his legs. What he does do, is he has really good timing and the ability to square balls up and hit them hard to the pull side. One for college coaches to definitely follow moving forward.  

2024 Easton Davies, RHP, 6-1 180 (Orem HS/RA Baseball Academy)

A really good showing and performance for Easton at the Top Prospect Games, as he received his first D1 offer after this last weekend. It’s my belief this will be the first of many in his young HS career. A very talented young athletic lean build with plenty of room to grow and add size and strength in the coming years. Only 15 years old and armed with a 86-88 mph FB that sat between those numbers. Kids this age fluctuate vastly with their velocity, but the FB remained tight in its numbers and jumped at the plate with ease. It wouldn’t be going out on a limb, to say that if he remains healthy over the next 3 years, this is a mid 90’s arm waiting to happen. The SL 72-75 has CB velocity now, with late biting SL action. A 80 mph pitch type in the future. Accepted an invite to the PBR Future Games and will be fun to see what he can do at a young age on that type of college recruiting stage! 

2023 Myles Topham, RHP, 6-3 185 (Cedar HS/CBA Summit 16U)

Topham has the type of frame and build to highly proj on, at 6-3 185, as his grandfather is a JUCO Head Basketball Coach, and has been in the same role at the D1 level as well. Lean and athletic, the arm speed and quality of the arm stroke, lends itself to further development and future velocity to come. With a med to high kick of delivery, Myles needs to repeat his delivery better, as he tends to misfire and can pepper the K zone, but is raw and with further quality coaching, he should be able to improve vastly. With a FB 82-85 (Spin 2064) at the event, he showed the arm speed to be a 90 in time guy by his senior year. The CB 68-72 has more sweep and horizontal action over depth and just needs some tweaks to getting his fingers on top of the baseball, which will aid in his CB development. An athlete with a proj build, loose arm and loose wrist to finish pitches and only a sophomore, lends itself to proj nicely into a solid arm at the next level.

2023 Brayden Marx, RHP, 6-0 165 (Pleasant Grove HS/Team Utah ‘22)

One of the top 10 prospects in the ‘23 class and will be playing for Team Utah in the PBR Future Games at LakePoint coming up. Also plays for the powerhouse travel team, Team Utah ‘22 and is making his mark there. Played JV mostly for Pleasant Grove and made some late spectacular appearances late in the season as they played for the 6A state title and he made an impact in the state tourney. Most likely will be the frontline starter in 2022 as the ace of a very good and nationally ranked program. Marx has the type of stuff to impact a D1 program down the road and drawing attention this summer from college coaches at many levels. Has an athletic build and though only 6’ foot tall, he has a high pitching IQ and has an idea on the mound. Armed with a loose EZ arm that shows a loose wrist to finish pitches and as he continues to mature and fill out, he could be a 92-93 mph arm as early as next spring. Brayden was consistently 88-90 at this event and threw K’s couple with a feel for two secondary offerings. The CB showed shape and depth with lower velocities, but I see some added power to the pitch with work and proper instruction. The CH in the mid to upper 70’s is an interesting pitch as it has a parachute type effect with some sink at the end. Look for continued improvements and added power to the FB moving forward as it has steadily climbed over the past 4 months and I saw him pitch in the Vikings state title run, and was impressed by his poise and ability to pitch. Defined next level arm! 

2023 Cameron Nielson, RHP/SS, 6-0 160 (Cottonwood HS/Canes North ‘23)

One of the more intriguing arms and athletes in the class, as he hit over .450 in part-time duty as the starting SS late in the spring season, and has really come on with his arm on the mound this summer. The FB is 84-86 with a 2400+ spin rate and the makings of a future avg CB at the next level. A slight, twitchy build that has projection and will be a 90 mph arm as he continues to fill out, gain weight and add strength. The FB velo may jump sooner than some think. Plays for former MLB 1B-Chris Shelton at Cottonwood HS and will definitely be a name college coaches will want to have on their radars. 

2023 Nolan Miller, RHP, 6-2 180 (Salem Hills HS/Mountain West Navy ‘23)

A highly recommended arm that came from a couple credible sources and after viewing a lot of video of the mid to upper 80’s arm with late life to the FB and a top to bottom shaped OH CB, we will be getting our first look a the strong bodied RHP, who plays for one of the top HS coaches in the state in Scott Haney at year in and year out state playoff contender Salem Hills.

2024 Easton Barrett, LHP/OF, 5-11 160 (Springville HS/Mountain West)

Barrett had a very good freshman season, hitting .359 in the everyday varsity lineup with 22 runs scored, 15 RBI with 7 2B’s and 5 3B’s. On the mound he served primarily in late relief to lock down wins, sporting a 2.78 ERA in 13 apps, with 46 K outs in 27 IP! One that impressed at the Preseason All-State in March. Easton is a top 10 ranked player in his class with PBR Utah and shows a deceptive closed front side, with a late shoulder turn and the FB now has jumped to 82-85 in a 3 month span and the breaking ball sweeps away from LHH and he is a tough out, as hitters don’t pick him up. More to come over the next 3 years!

Game Times for Team Utah

Wed July 28th - 7:00 pm (Workout Day) at Field 11/12

Thur July 29th - 5:00 pm - Game 1 - vs Team Oklahoma. (Field 9)

Fri July 30th - 5:00 pm - Game 2 - vs. Team Select (Field 9)

Sat July 31st - 10:15 am - Game 3 - vs. Team Colorado (Field 9)