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Super 60 Utah Recap: Marx, Robinson, McChesney

February 11, 2023
Jeff Scholzen
Utah Scouting Director

 

The PBR Super 60 is the #1 Preseason pro showcase event in the MLB scouting industry. In the previous 20 year history of the event, 400+ players have been selected in the MLB First Year Player Draft, with 26 players selected in the 1st Rd. A number of high profile names over the years have displayed their tools at the event, such as Dodgers young 2B/SS and former 1st Rd pick Gavin Lux, as well as the 2021 #1 overall pick, former Louisville catcher Henry Davis. The event counted 108 MLB scouts at this last weekend's event.

 The vast majority of scouts were of the regional and national cross checker variety, mixed in with the Los Angeles Angels scouting director and his national crosschecker, both of whom I worked in Milwaukee with for a number of years. The Brewers were well represented as well, with one front office exec, a special assignment scout and their Midwest Crosschecker, who was my regional supervisor for a year. The Padres were well represented with 5 of their top scouts in attendance and were there to lay eyes on American Fork SS-Ryder Robinson. Now this doesn’t expose their interest or thoughts on players, but it does say a lot about their fervor for what Prep Baseball Report brings to the table in securing 70+ of the top players in the country to “The Max” in Chicago every 1st week of February. 

Utah has been well represented over the last 3 years, with players such as Oklahoma RHP-Colton Sundloff, a former Stansbury star, along with the U of Utah Friday night ace, RHP-Cam Day and Oklahoma State flamethrower, RHP-Janzen Keisel, all attending in 2021. Keisel was a BYU starter for the first half of his freshman year a year ago, when he was being clocked at 92-97 and was 91-94 at the Super 60. Keisel as Utah HS baseball fans will remember was the 2A Player of the Year and is now driving his FB from 95-100 mph as he prepares to become the Saturday starter for the Cowboys as a transfer by way of the transfer portal.

Last year Utah was repped by 2021 Gatorade Player of the a year, American Fork SS-Fisher Ingersoll, who is a freshman now at TCU, also attending was former Olympus star CF-Mic Paul, who is now a part of the OF at preseason #1 ranked LSU and last but not least RHP-Payton Gubler, the former Desert Hills star two way performer, who is now a freshman focusing on pitching alone at BYU, with his 91-96 mph FB. So to say that any top player from the state can be invited is an understatement! The top of the top players are invited to the Super 60, as the top 3 players in the Utah rankings of the 2023 class were invited. PBR lead sponsor Mizuno hooked the players up with uniforms and gear that can be displayed or kept for safekeeping in the future, as they look back with fond memories of their once in a lifetime experience in Chicago. 

Making their way to Chicago this year, as PBR Utah has chronicled was the top 3 players in the state, with Pleasant Grove RHP-Brayden Marx, American Fork SS-Ryder Robinson and Lone Peak CF-Crew McChesney. All three turned heads and many were buzzing as to why Robinson and McChesney were not included in last August’s Area Code Games. That is a topic for another day.

Utah is not looked upon by scouts as one to find future MLB players, and there are reasons for that of which are valid to a point, but with most recruits who live and play in many of the so-called “hotbeds” of baseball, location bias is a real thing. But tooting a horn to some degree, when Utah players have been included in the national spotlight to test their tools vs perceived famous players, heads turn and conversations begin as to why they are not being viewed as equals to other “famous” players. The narrative and perception has been formed, before the evaluation has started.

When I was hired by Prep Baseball Report, my goal with exposing Utah talent was rooted in 4 years as a D1 Head Coach, followed by 20 years as the Four Corners Area Scouting Supervisor for the Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee Brewers. My goal was to provide quality events and let the players who have the talent and want to reach out and choose to form a relationship with myself, the opportunities to be exposed to the "underground" world of baseball that I was so blessed to live for 30 years.

Now going into our 3rd year as a PBR state, we’ve now created a “culture” of trust with parents and players alike, that have formed those relationships, to put the college and professional recruiting/scouting industry on notice that there is top talent to be mined in the Bee Hive State! With as few as a handful of players on any given year, being able to commit to out of state programs, we now have 24 players from the classes of 2021-2024 now attending or committed to out of state D1 programs and we are just getting started! 

With some background information being shared above, we now break down the 3 top Utah players in the 2023 class that attended this prestigious event…

Crew McChesney OF / Lone Peak, UT / 2023

Rankings  State Rank: 3 / POS: 1 Overall Rank: 268 / POS: 48 

 Signed NLI: Brigham Young U

  • 2022 1st Team All-Region 4
  • 2022 6A 1st Team All-State

A name that MLB scouts had not heard of, or were not familiar with, except on social media, McChesney raised his profile, by turning in the 5th best 10 yard split, 3rd best 30 yard split and an event best 6.56/60. As you can see, McChesney is not a fast starter, but a very good closing speed type runner that can close the gaps in CF and run balls down with ease. As a two sport star on the football field, as a WR, once Crew got going, he could blow past defenders and get deep and was one of the best on the gridiron in yards per catch. It’s only baseball from this point forward and the BYU commit, also checked in with 90 mph throws from the OF and turned in two really solid rounds of BP. Scouts bent my ear at the Super 60, wanting to know more about the Lone PEak star, and what my thoughts of him were. It’s always fun to see someone of Crew’s ability get the recognition he deserves, while there are more “famous” players, not too many have 4-5 tool potential if all things click. This is a kid at 5-11 180, who has pull side “juice” and is fleet footed, which profiles a fly catcher in CF, with a potential power and speed package. Crew is on people’s radar now and one of my former employers at the big league level, is squarely on him!

  


Ryder Robinson SS / American Fork, UT / 2023

Rankings  State Rank: 1 / POS: 1 Overall Rank: 130 / POS: 30

 

 Signed NLI: Texas Christian 

  • 2021 1st Team All-Region 4
  • 2021 6A 1st Team All-State
  • 2022 1st Team All-Region 4
  • 2022 6A 1st Team All-State
  • 2022 Region 4 Player of the Year

Robinson arrived in Chicago ready to prove a point, and show why he should be included among the best HS players in the country. As a rising junior at the PBR Future Games, Robinson was coming off a .440 1st Team All-State season as a sophomore, and checking in at 6-2 165, Robinson was a high contact bat over power at that point in his development, but after turning in another 1st Team All-State campaign as a junior, hitting a the top of a loaded American Fork lineup, Ryder followed up with a .436 average to go along with 6 Hr’s, and his second 50+ run scored season. Now a still lanky 6-2 190, Robinson has the frame and structure to reach 6-2 205 and is now showing big power potential, along with the high contact rates. At the Super 60, Robinson showed off a smooth and easy mirrored hitting stroke from both sides of the plate, with big sweet spot contact. With Blast Motion capturing his hand speed at 25.4 and the max bat speed at 78.4 and an EV of 99 from Trackman. Now remember this event was a pro style event using wood, and if this was a standard showcase style event in a home state, aluminum bats would be used and the EV could have been measured in the 100-102 range. Robinson also showed off educated feet and hands at SS with twitchy actions, along with range and agility. The big improvement to his game, was his increase in arm strength, as Robinson was 79-80 mph in 2021-2022, and was clocked at 85 mph at the Super 60, giving promise that the arm will continue to trend towards 90 mph at maturity, giving him a chance to remain in the dirt, on the left side of the INF at the next levels of play. To say that Robinson was a name that scouts may or may not have known, but do now, would be an understatement. 


  

Brayden Marx RHP / Pleasant Grove, UT / 2023

Rankings  State Rank: 2 / POS: 1 Overall Rank: 128 / POS: 40

 

 Signed NLI: Hawaii 

  • 2022 1st Team All-Region 4
  • 2022 6A 1st Team All-State
  • 2022 Area Code Team - Reds (Four Corners) 

Marx has been a fixture at PBR invite only events before starting his sophomore year. The state’s #1 ranked player in the 2023 class, has been a staunch supporter of PBR Utah and dazzling at every event he’s attended, Marx has been a 2-time Preseason All-State attendee, along with being selected to the prestigious Future Games in Atlanta,GA at our state of the art LakePoint facility, as well as the West Coast Games in Las Vegas, NV. Marx has also attended the Top Prospect Games at his home school of Pleasant Grove. All these events were springboards to Brayden’s recruitment opportunities.

In what was potentially his final act as a “PBR Kid”, Marx was exceptional under the bright lights of the Super 60, as his calm and focused demeanor were on display. Marx is also a Reds Area Code Game alum and is used to pitching in front of high profile decision makers. Marx has long been known for his CB/SL Trackman spin rates as he has reached a high of 2990 rpm’s at last summer's Top Prospect Games with his CB and took to a SL last spring and its spin has come to equal his CB. The FB that was 83-85 in March of 2021, when he was 5-11 160, has grown steadily with each passing year of HS, as he is a solidly built 6-0 185 and looks the part of a frontline next level arm. The FB now carries 90-94 with a T95, last June at the Area Code tryouts. 

Marx as mentioned was lights out with the secondary pitches, but the FB was 90-93.5 and was firm! But the CB/SL combo was filthy. To give proper perspective of where the MLB avg spin rates are for the world’s best arms are, the avg MLB spin for a FB is 2300 rpm’s and Marx FB spin was 2408. The avg spin for a CB/SL is 2350-2450. Marx CB 75-77 was 2960 as the SL 78-80 was 2854, both well above average on the MLB scale. Marx CB/SL was the 2nd and 3rd best of the event, causing PBR Sr VP of Scouting and former 1st Rd pick Shooter Hunt to tab Marx as a “King of Spin!”

   

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) UT 03/04 Hurricane High School
Northern Utah Rising Stars ID UT 04/22 American Fork High School - American Fork, UT
Southern Utah Rising Stars ID UT 05/06 Hurricane High School

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JEFF SCHOLZEN (BIO)

Scholzen was brought on as the Utah Scouting Director for Prep Baseball Report after serving 9 years as the Four Corners Scouting Supervisor with the Milwaukee Brewers (2011-2020). Prior to his run with the Brewers, Scholzen worked for the Los Angeles Angels for 11 years (1999-2010), serving in a similar capacity as the Four Corners Scouting Supervisor. In all, Scholzen served as a full-time scout for 20 years. Scholzen also received a 2002 World Series ring for his contributions as a scout. 

With the Angels, Scholzen created an Angels Scout Team, in which he coached the likes of current and former major league players: Kris Bryant, Kevin Gausman, Greg Bird, Tyler Wagner, Aaron Blair, Joey Rickard, Donn Roach, Johnny Field, Taylor Cole and Paul Sewald to name a few. During his run with the the Angels, Scholzen served as the hitting coach for the Angels rookie ball affiliate with the Pioneer League Orem Owlz, helping guide the Owlz to the 2005 and 2007 Pioneer League titles.

Prior to becoming a professional scout, Scholzen served as the head coach at Southern Utah University between 1993-1997. At the time, Scholzen was the youngest Division I head coach when he was first hired at 24 years old. The Southern Utah baseball program was dropped after the 2012 season. While coaching at Southern Utah, Scholzen served as the hitting coach for the Alaska Goldpanners in 1995, as they won the Alaska League Championship. 

A native of Utah, Scholzen played at Hurricane HS and was twice named 1st team All-State and an AAU HM All-American, before moving on to Utah Valley CC and Eastern Oregon University, earning All-Conference honors on three separate occasions. Scholzen played in the Angels’ organization from 1991-1992.