Utah 2021 Top 10 Rankings Released

The wait is over! After transitioning from the MLB scouting world to Prep Baseball Report, I brought my follow list with me, and after hosting our first ever PBR event (Utah Fall Prospect I.D.), we’re ready to unveil the first edition, from the class of 2021 Top 10 Prospects list. The list is put together, through subjective and objective (data/metrics) means. After 2 years of following this class as a professional scout, as well as scouting various tournaments, area code tryouts, fall in-game looks, talking with coaches, viewing video and taking into account the college commitments of this class, this list is as thorough as one gets. You that follow @PBR_Utah, have seen our posts of various players on our social media platforms with this class, but now there’s some meat and potatoes to dive into. Enjoy!

Janzen Keisel, RHP, Gunnison Valley HS / BYU

Have seen this young man since his sophomore year. A small town kid with a big arm and oozes proj strength and weight gains with maturity. A XL frame at 603 180 that’s long and lean with a streamlined athletic build. Features long arms and big hands with a loose wrist to spin the ball. Pitching out of the stretch at the moment, due to coming back from TJ surgery, his velo hasn’t missed a beat. The delivery is simple and controlled with a high flexible kick to delivery while getting into his legs and shows leverage and plus arm speed. The FB 90-94 comes out clean with riding life. The CB 78-79 spins with solid shape and tight biting life. The CH 85 is still a work in process, yet he projects two above average pitches with S/M tendencies. Committed to BYU.

Cameron Day, RHP, Layton HS / U Utah

Day is a recent U Utah signee, who has a very bright future and a potential big arm, when all is said and done. With a FB up to 93-94 all summer/fall, Day didn’t disappoint at the Fall Prospect ID. A loose, flexible NWU med kick delivery that’s online and his arm is above his back shoulder at foot strike, getting into a power slot. With good ext. out front and a near “flat” back to finish, Day’s FB 90-94 with a spin rate high of 2219 on his best bolt at 93.6 MPH. The CB 71-73 had tight sweeping horizontal action vs vertical depth. The CH 79-81 had solid arm speed and the variation of his 3 pitch speeds, creating a lot of ground for a batter to cover. With good size, arm speed/strength and a FB up to 94 w/solid hand, eye to hit the mitt, Day’s 3 pitch mix has a starter’s role written all over him. He is not as squarely on area scouts radar as of yet, but based on talent throughout the region, he should and will be in time. This is the kind of arm that would’ve been my type in my past MLB scouting career, to take and watch him exceed expectations.

Colton Sundloff, RHP, Stansbury HS / CS Fullerton

Has come on since the last time I saw him in February at a workout in southern Utah. He was up to 88 with abv avg life and threw K’s. Has taken the next steps in his development during the pandemic. A member of the Reds area code team and has had a successful summer and threw well at LakePoint. A tall lean 6-4,195-pound muscular, athletic build with room for another 15-20 Lbs at man strength, with the ability to carry another foot to the FB in short order. The delivery is a slow methodical gather up top and then rides down into his legs through the slope with avg timing and needs to repeat better, yet has some base things to write home about. The arm is loose, like a bullwhip and comes at hitters with deception from a LTQ almost sidearm slot with a rotational finish, that the slot produces. The FB 89-94 has arm side life with run and sink below the belt. Rare mix of S/M type life to also induce tons of GB’s. The SL 82-84 has late tight frisbee sweep and can yank a few and land a few. The CH 79-83 has plate sink and hitters swing over the FB/CH combination. Look for big things over the next year from the Cal State Fullerton commit.

Chandler Reber, CF, Desert Hills HS / BYU

The most recent Blast Motion Player of the Week, the quick twitch Reber, a recent BYU signee, is built like a mini Mike Trout, with thick defined quads and chiseled calves. A powerfully built upper body w/thick well defined forearms, Reber has present and future strength. There’s some Brett Boone physically in him, as he displayed an event best 101 exit velo, as well as a 6.54/60 yard dash! With a power/speed combo and the ability to get on base, and pressure the defense, Reber is a multi faceted player, that has well above avg big league speed with base stealing pot, as well as being able to drive the ball to the big part of the field and leave to the pull side with ease. Covers ground in the OF and ranges in all directions, the only part of his game that doesn’t project to avg is his BA arm strength. Reber will be fun to watch develop in the spring and it will be interesting to see the kind of attention he attracts from scouts.

Mason Strong, C, Snow Canyon HS / BYU

A local St. George, UT product, that’s a well traveled player, while playing with LVR (Las Vegas) on a very successful team and playing good competition. Is playing for the Nevada/Utah Braves Scout team this fall and has been all-tournament in many events, while being named MVP in a big tourney of late. At 505 125 entering his freshman year, Mason is now 601 180 and still has room to fill out and get stronger. A Lg lean streamlined build with broad shoulders, He projs another 15 Lbs at maturity. A tireless worker that lives for the game. Plays all around the diamond, but stands out behind the plate. Sits low and gives a good target and shows continued improvement with his receiving. Comes out of the shoot with quick feet, and gets off online throws with a fringe to avg arm at times. The carrying tool is the bat! Hits velo from a classic square even prop stance with some rock to his lower 1/2 to time his load and foot strike. The ball jumps from a short compact stroke with extension into a two hand full finish. Shows some strength to hit for avg type power down the road. Has hit everywhere he’s played. Solid kid with a good baseball IQ. Committed to BYU.

Traton Staheli, RHP, Pine View HS / BYU

Staheli is oozing with physical projection with the best is yet to come type w/the FB velocity. A recent BYU signee w/a tall loose and lanky build Staheli has broad shoulders with long arms and legs, with a pitchers rear, which lends to added lower leg development in time. At 6-6 190, the frame suggests 25-30 more Lbs. in due time, and it’s easy to see the FB climbing into the mid 90’s in the near future. The second best arm at the Fall Prospect ID, Traton showed a compact high kick from a NWU delivery. The delivery stretches out with some length, and his arm action from a HTQ slot is loose and live. With a FB up to 92 all summer/fall, Staheli was 88-90 at the event with a CB 74-78 and a CH 78-82. There’s solid spacing of his 3 pitch mix, and with another foot added to the FB in time, his spacing will be ideal.

Micah Ashman, LHP, Jordan HS / U Utah

Ashman at 6-7 200, is a long lanky proj LHP that oozes physical projs with added size and strength with maturity. A late bloomer type, with a “best is yet to come” type, that is staying home to play his college ball at a Power 5 school. The tall LH’er has a loose, flexible high kick to delivery with a long stride and gets out front, and shows a loose wrist to spin the ball and add velocity to the FB in time. With a FB up to 90 and sitting 87-88, the angle and release height, create a downhill plane of attack, with a long wingspan, he reaches out and releases pitches out front, to create added perceived velocity, allowing his FB to play up. The CB spins with solid shape and definition, though it can be thrown harder. Will be interesting to see the development come springtime, as he took off this past summer, dominating the Salt Lake CC Summer League against college competition as a rising HS senior.

Cayden Clark, OF, Stansbury HS / Dixie State U

One of the best pure hitters in the state, with a EZ fluid crisp hitting stroke, Clark was off to a player of the year type season this last spring, before CoVid wiped out the season. In 8 G’s, Clark hit .577 with 5 2B’s, 3 HR’s, 13 R’s and 15 RBI’s! The two sport standout, who also plays WR on the football team, was a big time recruiting coup for the Trailblazers. With an avg arm from the OF and 6.8/60 type speed, Clark has the kind of bat to slot into the middle of the order in time at the St. George based school. What he does have is the ability to hit and it will be interesting to see where his senior year takes him, and he should be an immediate impact player for Dixie State as early as his freshman year.

Landon Frei, SS, Snow Canyon HS / U Utah

The 2 sport Snow Canyon star, is the prototype HS lead man, as he plays SS on the baseball team, and is the starting QB on the football team. Where he excels and shines the brightest is on the baseball field. The RHH SS has EZ pull power and can hit’em high and deep to the pull side and drives balls on a line to the big part and pull side of the field. With hand speed and a fast bat, Frei is a polished HS hitter, that creates instant offense and plays a steady if not abv avg HS SS. The arm plays and is avg by big league standards, and he is a fringe runner. A college profile as an offensive minded 2B at the next level, Frei should contend for Region 9 Player of the Year honors this coming spring.

Jaden Harris, RHP, Ridgeline HS / U Utah

Profile: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. Developed build with a strong lower half. One of the few Utahns to make their presence known at the Nevada Top Prospect with a quality performance on the mound from an above average arm that may have more in the tank with continued polish of his delivery.

Delivery: Starts tall and narrow to the far left side of the rubber. Compact delivery with little wasted movement. Drop and drive type. Chest high peaking leg kick, hands raise up to head high followed by an on line stride. Throws over a high front side creating some downhill action on his pitches. Finishes balanced after extension.

Arm Action: RH. Long, loose arm action. High 3/4 arm slot. Gets extended well. Repeated slot on both his FB and CB.

FB: Max 90 mph. Sat 88-90 mph. Avg. Spin Rate - 1944 RPM. Some downhill action. Jumps out his hand.

SL: 75-78 mph. Avg. Spin Rate - 2367 RPM. Tight, late sweeping action. Comes out on the same plane as FB. Flashes some back up action. Strikeout pitch. Tends to slow arm down.