The ‘Hotlist’ is a series that provides weekly insight into the high school baseball scene spanning the country, curated by Prep Baseball’s state directors who are situated nationwide, with vital intel on the prospects who are in their own backyards. Each week, we’ll publish our ‘Hotlist’ on varying topics that are timeliest to the national baseball calendar at that point in time.

This week’s topic: Identify the player from any grad class who wielded the nastiest pitch of the year, according to our state directors. Anything was fair game – a dominant four-seamer, splitter, sweeper, changeup – whatever they deemed to be the filthiest of 2023.

+ Learn of our directors stationed nationwide by visiting the staff directory.
+ View which Prep Baseball events are headed your way next at this page.
+ Read about previously published ‘Hotlist’ topics here.

🔥The ‘Hotlist’ (12/20):

Utah

+ Brayden Marx, RHP, Pleasant Grove HS (2023), Hawaii commit:
“Marx was dubbed 'The King of Spin' throughout his decorated high school career. One of the nation's nastiest spike-grip curveballs, at 78-80 mph, reached a spin rate as high as 2,990 rpm, and consistently over the 2,800 mark. He's also armed with a nasty, true sweeping TQ tilt slider, 80-82 mph, that sat in the spin range of 2,700-plus rpm. Marx grew over time, from an 83-85 mph fastball as a rising sophomore – he went on to become a Future Games alum followed by an invitation to the 2023 Super 60 where he sat 90-94 mph (T95) as a senior. His last pitch of the seventh inning of game one in Utah's 6A state tourney was 94 mph. Marx is now on campus as a freshman at The Big West's Hawaii.”

– Jeff Scholzen, Utah Scouting Director