Utah Class of 2024 Rankings Update: Top-10 Breakdown
August 22, 2023
This post-summer rankings update of the Class of 2024 will primarily focus on the top-10 prospects in the state's senior class, along with an extended look at prospects ranked in the Nos. 11-20 range, giving pro scouts and college recruiters an in-depth sightline of the players to continue to follow. The list also includes the top handful of players that will be considered for the 2024 PBR Super 60 Pro Showcase next February.
The following is a breakdown of the top-10 and beyond, of who are alums of the signature regional and national PBR showcase events, with the regional West Coast Games, the West Coast ProCase and the national Future Games. As many are aware, when a player from the Beehive State is recruited and invited to play in the West Coast Games, the West Coast ProCase, the Future Games and the Super 60 events, Jeff Scholzen, the Utah Scouting Director dubs those players in social media posts with the hashtag of #SwarmingBees! This signature tag, indicates these players have earned the right to be honored as "special talents" among their peers in the state.
Breakdown of Signature Events:
+ PBR Future Games: The first nine players on the rankings were members of Team Utah at the Future Games, three more ranked in the top-20 overall.
+ PBR West Coast Games: Eleven of the top-20 players in the class participated at this event.
+ PBR West Coast ProCase: Seven players on this list participated at the early June showcase, hosted in Los Angeles on USC's campus.
THE TOP-10 PROSPECTS
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Luke (LT) Taylor C / 3B / Olympus, UT / 2024Committed: U of Southern California6/04/23
West Coast ProCase
A former PBR Future Gamer and 2-time Area Code team alum, Taylor went into the ProCase with lots of fanfare from a monster 2023 HS season in which he hit .532 10 44 with 9 2B’s and 3 3B’s. One of the top 5 statistical seasons in the state, as he led Olympus to a stellar 22-3 season and a 5A Region 6 title. Taylor was the first catcher to showcase behind the plate and he didn’t disappoint! With EZ clean actions and an advanced setup, Taylor showed a professionally sound round of throws to 2B with crisp throws on the bag every time! He was 1.87-1.90 and showed little effort in doing so. At the plate, Taylor showed his clean fluid slightly uphill hitting stroke in sending balls all over the field with backspin carry at 98.5 exit velos with wood after showing a max of 103.6 at the Preseason All-State with metal. Max distances of 386 with metal, Taylor also drove his best shot 382 with wood and with the thick air of Southern California, 382 would have been closer to 400+ in the thin air of Utah! Luke is squarely on the radar of MLB scouts now for the 2024 draft! 5/11/23 Luke has thrived since his transfer to Olympus HS, as he is surrounded by friends, supporters on and off the field, as well as hitting in a potent lineup that scores runs and provides protection, in getting pitches to hit, out of the two hole, in the lineup. Currently sitting at over .550 with the batting average, Taylor has also contributed 7 HR’s and is among the top 3-4 in the state with 38 RBI. Taylor has blasted 4 HR’s in the past 5 games, with one HR, a two run shot with one out in the bottom of the 7th vs Brighton in a 4-4 tie, in hitting a 2-run walk off shot, to give Olympus the Region 6 title. Taylor has worked his tail off this past year, to quiet any doubters as to his transfer and his #2 individual player ranking. It goes without saying, that when talented players are around other talented players of like mindsets, players will thrive in those conditions and Taylor has done just that. Also an accomplished receiver behind the plate, Taylor has improved his pitch framing and blocking, while also controlling the running game to establish himself as the states top all around catcher and one of the states top all around players as well. USC is his college destination, but SC can wait, as Taylor has state title hopes on his mind, as well as finishing strong over the next year of his HS career. 10/30/22 Taylor has been one of our mainstays at our invite only events and was a breakout prospect at the Future Games in 2021. A toolsy player over skill right now, but soaks up instruction and lives and breathes the game. Once Taylor stepped in the box for the BP portion of the workout, it got quiet, as he launched a few high and deep to straightaway left and LCF, that brought rain on a couple. A fast bat that can produce bat speeds from 73-79 mph, with a slight uphill path and HR type stroke. Spreads out in an even prop square stance with his hands held deep and over his back foot to get his bat into a ready position, to just turn the barrel as he loads into his backside. Gets to quality separation and explodes his hands into the baseball with very projectable strength and future big raw power. The defense continues to improve. Still young and just turned 17, Taylor, still with two years left in HS, the best is yet to come.
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Naulivou Lauaki Jr. RHP / 1B / Springville, UT / 2024
Committed: U of Oregon6/04/23
West Coast ProCase
A mountain of a man and built like a nose guard, Lauaki strikes a true intimidating presence on the mound and at the plate. A threat at the plate with ++ raw power and can leave the park in any direction. When he “hits” it, it stays hit. Junior was on pace to lead the state in HR’s, but opponents stopped pitching to him late in the season, as he was walked intentionally 10 times over a 3 game span in the 5A regional playoffs. The one time he was pitched to in the 3 game series, he belted a 2-run HR and the IBB came at an alarming rate. On the mound, I’ve seen Junior up to 95 and he comfortably sits 91-93 with 2444 spin at the ProCase. A breakout star at last year's Future Games, Lauaki was offered on the spot and committed to the U of Oregon a week later. The SL 80-83 with 2426 spin is hard and late with tunneling effect off the FB. Another 2 pitch power type, that needs to incorporate the CH to complete a starters mix, but with the development of the bat and the power arm, a legit two way type in a lineup with the bat and coming out of the pen, is a real possibility at the PAC 12 level. An engaging, fun loving personality, Lauaki keeps things loose and light on and off the field and in the dugout. A great teammate and friend to all, Junior has the makeup and competitive drive to feature success. 5/11/23 Junior came out of the shoot this spring firing 90-94 for the mound in the preseason St. George tourney with his 82-84 mph SL w/late tilt and biting TQ depth, however as with that day and throughout the spring, his control has been off and has had issues with the BB and going deep into games with pitch counts. One thing that hasn’t changed and has taken an even higher step forward has been the bat. Lauaki has been crushing baseballs at an alarming rate and putting up state player of the year numbers. A .580 hitter through the regular season with 8 HR’s and 27 RBI, with 40 total hits, has been pitched around as of late, and for the life of me, pitchers continued to challenge him up to this point and he made them pay. ++ type raw power, that can hit it out, to any part of the ballpark, Lauaki is showing legitimate D1 type hitting ability and it remains to be seen what he will be at Oregon, but one thing is for sure, is that a massive individual with the ability to touch the mid 90’s with his FB and drive balls out of the park, lends to a good problem to have, as Lauaki could be an intriguing two way type, with the ability to hit in the middle of a lineup and come out of the pen, using two weapons in a power FB/SL combo on the mound. Has been fun to watch thus far! 8/02/22 Three days after returning home from the PBR Future Games, Lauaki made the commitment to play for the Oregon Ducks. Junior should jump to the top in the 2024 Ducks recruiting class. With an arm and bat, but more so the arm, Junior should be an immediate impact type rotation piece right away. Although with two years of HS remaining, Lauaki will jump to the #2 spot in the class of ‘24 rankings when they are released in 2 weeks. Lauaki made his presence felt right away on workout day with a couple of long HR’s during BP, as he launched an event best 404’ shot to deep LCF and threw EZ bullets across the INF from 1B. But it was on the mound that sealed the deal for his college choice, as he showed his best stuff to date. Lauaki has been 86-88, 88-91 T92 this summer, as he’s played all around the country. But it was in the humidity of Atlanta that he featured one of the two best FB’s recorded at the Future Games. Lauaki displayed an EZ effort, med kick to delivery with a fluid arm stroke, the FB sat 90-92 and topped out at 93.1 on the Trackman system and held his velocity in his 3 innings of work vs a very good hitting Team Kentucky. But the secondary pitch was just as lethal, with his SL coming in at 80-82 with late sharp tilt, that bottomed out. The pitch is a put away pitch, as he has abv avg feel to land and bury beneath bats for swing/misses. With an imposing 6-3 260 Lb build, Junior is not even close to gaining his man strength at 16 yrs old, it’s easy to dream of a mid to high 90’s heater as he reaches campus. The sky's the limit for the incoming junior at Springville HS.
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Jaxson Reiser RHP / Mountain Ridge, UT / 2024
Rankings State Rank: 3 / POS: 2
6/04/23
West Coast ProCase
A PBR Future Games alum and Utah commit, Reiser received his offer due to his potential on the mound as a year ago, Reiser was sitting 86-88 T89. Reiser committed shortly after the Future Games. After a rocky go of it this past spring on the mound, Reiser hit in the middle of the Mountain Ridge order and held down CF and produced a state line of: 400 7 33 with 10 2B’s and 2 3B’s and hit 3 of his 7 HR’s in the 6A state tourney. I was on hand as he belted 2 long HR’s in one game, and now Reiser may get a shot to show which way he will go at the college level of both? A raw athlete on the baseball diamond, Reiser was also the QB1 on the gridiron, but will forgo his senior year of football, to focus strictly on baseball and shortening the learning curve, to get ready for the PAC 12. At the plate, Reiser can get a bit jumpy and wants to go get the ball and attack out front, instead of staying back and taking a more conventional approach in landing on his front foot and staying behind the baseball and spinning through contact. On the mound, Reiser shows his truest potential, he just needs innings and the leash to fight through his struggles. But one thing is for sure, with a tall flexible compact delivery, the arm comes through from a slightly lower TQ slit and because he finds his hand inside the baseball, a now 89-91 mph FB with 2400+ spin, takes off in the zone with late life and arm side run with sink life down for GB’s. There is much more on his tank as far as velocity goes, and the farther he’s removed from football, reps and innings should aid in gaining additional feel for the K zone. The SL 74-76 has lateral sweeping life and spins at 2400+ as well, giving him two pitches that show avg to solid avg carry with the two seam FB and late tight breaking action with the SL to miss bats. All that is needed to take his arm to the next level is consistency in his delivery and the ability to repeat more often. The athleticism is there and the drive and work ethic to do so. I will get a chance to see him pitch for the MGF Marshalls this summer, as he is teammates with my son. The best is yet to come on the mound, but even with some tweaks needed offensively, the numbers and eye/hand coordination is there to make hard contact and impact a lineup at the next level.
8/04/22
(PBR Future Games) At 6-3 185, Reiser has a lean athletic and filled out look w/even more room for added weight and strength gains to come. Features a flexible high compact kick to delivery, with a downhill plane of attack. Stretches out into a soft landing out front, by landing on the ball of his foot w/a bent front leg and then locks out at release. The arm action is of the LTQ variety and creates late life to the FB w/arm side run/tailing life. Does break his hands late and at foot strike, his arm is down and hasn’t reached the upward arm swing into the throwing window, creating some torque and shoulder restriction in getting his arm up. This makes it a challenge to repeat and throw quality K’s. I’d like to see him stay over the rubber longer and break sooner, to get into the slot sooner, to see if this restriction goes away? Blessed with arm strength and the ability to work his FB in the 86-89 range and with 2 years of HS remaining, there’s a chance he's working in the 90-93 range and will be a top notch D1 pitcher. The SL has late tilt and when caught right, tilts with TQ shape and bottom. The CH 77-78 is his best secondary pitch, with his hand inside the baseball from his low slot, the pitch fades w/late turnover sink and misses barrels for swing/misses. Was cruising through 2 innings at 27 pitches, until laboring in the humid weather of Atlanta in the 3rd. But his first 2 innings were quality. An athlete that looks the part of a next level body and arm w/an intriguing 3 pitch mix and base to build from. If the mechanical tweak mentioned above is ironed out, this kid could really take off!
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Easton Davies RHP / Orem , UT / 2024
 Committed: Arizona State U6/04/23
West Coast ProCase
A Future Game alum like the rest of his ProCase teammates, Davies has matured physically and blossomed over the past two years, from a 6-1 185 build to a physically imposing 6-2 210 and looks the part of a stud D1/Pro Prospect. With a 85-88 mph high spin 2600+ FB two years ago, Davies now clocks in at 89-93 and with his up tempo style flexible delivery and late shoulder turn, the delivery has deception and his FB jumps with the high spin at the plate for late reads by hitters with swing/miss tendencies. The SL 77-82 is hard and sharp and can flatten out at times, yet when he catches it right, it can be tough to get a barrel on. The SL spins at 2556, which is abv avg on the scale and takes a hard left turn and tunnels off his FB, making for a two pitch reliever profile. The CH is the pitch that needs development and use to fill a starters role, but at his current level, he can get by with two pot power pitches that have the makings of solid avg to plus offerings. A competitor with a deep passion to compete and expects success.
5/12/23
Another Future Game alum with 8 of the 10 players in this Top 10 Prospect ranking, Davies an Arizona State commit, flashes a 89-94 mph FB with ride and carry through the zone, in part because of a 2500-2600+ spin rate, that allows his FB to maintain its plane through the zone and miss bats and play up, in the upper part of the zone. A tight late breaking SL is his best secondary out pitch and routinely misses bats. The question has always been can he repeat his delivery and throw consistent K’s, to utilize his power stuff, that has big ceiling potential. As of late, during Orem’s big turn around to their season, that saw them lose 8 of their first 10 games, brings weren’t going right for the Tigers or Davies, but Davies caught a tail wind and has started to dominate hitters with K’s and thus Orem has reeled off 14 of the last 15 games in the win column. A physical build with stuff and the desire to learn and improve, set Davies up for success, as he wants to be good and knows he can be really good as well.
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Easton Barrett LHP / Springville , UT / 2024
Committed: Arizona State U5/12/23
A top 2024 HS draft prospect, took a sad turn as Barrett who was touching 93 early in his first start of the year vs Dixie HS in his opening start of the year, learned that elbow pain a few days later, would require season and potentially HS career ending Tommy John surgery! Surgery to repair his UCL in mid-April, could potentially end his pitching at the HS level, as a 12-15 month recovery time, would peg Barrett at a summer 2024 return, just months before entering Arizona State. One thing that is of utmost importance, is Barrett’s health and return to form in college, once he recovers from the surgery. Healthy Barrett flashes an avg FB that touches 93 with a TQ tilted hammer CB that frequently misses bats and flashes of a plus CH that he shows feel, to bury down in the zone and below hitters swing paths. 3 solid avg to plus pitches across the board, suggests that if Barrett comes back better or the same as before, the Sun Devils are getting an impact weekend starter in the making.
6/23/22
Another Future Games standout that is improving so fast, it’s hard to know where the ceiling is at this point?! A year ago, Barrett was the talk of the Future Games, showing an interesting 3 pitch profile to throw K’s w/a FB ranging from 84-86 and showing the + feel to spin the ball and also kill spin w/a pot + CH. Fast forward a year now and the Arizona State commit had a 5A 1st Team All-State season with 110 K outs as a sophomore. His outing this past week in a tourney in SoCal was a potential pre-cursor, not only as a legit D1 talent, but a potential high Rd draft talent in 2024. With a FB now registering 88-92 and recording 11 K outs over 6 innings vs a very good hitting lineup, was pretty impressive. His CB 76-78 was dialed in w/impressive spin, shape and change of direction. It was virtually un-hittable! The CH 79-82 was used sparingly, but the 3 pitch mix is there to fill a starters role and a potential front end of the rotation role.
7/31/21
A Future Games participant and did he ever make the most of his time at LakePoint! Barrett was the most talked about arm from Team Utah as we got a late start to the game, due to rain and he was matched up vs another quality LHP, so there was a good size crowd of coaches in attendance. Showing a quality delivery with the ability to repeat and pound the mitt, Easton has a high kick to delivery and turns his front shoulder and releases it late as he clears the path for this HTQ arm stroke. The late shoulder turn creates deception and better perceived velocity than his 84-86 mph FB suggests. Hitters get late reads and swings and he was tough to pick up. The CB 69-72 has quality break and shape and can start it in the other batters box to the arm side and it finishes with bit in and through the zone. The CH 75-78 is a plus pitch and he’s able to kill spin and throw it with FB arm speed and the pitch has plus deception and late bottom. The ability to throw 3 pitches with command at such an early age (15 Yrs Old) leaves an evaluator to dream on a 92-93 mph arm in a few years. He attracted P5 and major college internet and received 9-10 offers after the event. Was fun to watch!
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Ridge Erickson C / Dixie, UT / 2024
Committed: Brigham Young U6/04/23
West Coast ProCase
A former PBR Future Games member and the #3 ranked player in the Utah class of 2024, Erickson is a defensive specialist and one of the better defensive catchers I’ve seen come through Utah since MLB catcher Payton Henry from Pleasant Grove in 2016. Erickson has an advanced feel for footwork, framing and blocking balls, where he rolls his shoulder forward to create a funnel in keeping balls in front. Not only does he block well, he can pick balls clean off the dirt or turf in front, which allows him to get a difficult clean exchange in catching runners off guard when they look to advance on balls in the dirt. Always looking to throw, Erickson can back pick with the best of them. His quick feet, clean exchange and quality hand/eye coordination, allows for the ball to exchange from glove to hand in the blink of an eye. With pop times abv avg on the MLB scouting scale, routinely Erickson is in the 1.85-1.90 range and between innings on the throw down to 2B, he gave me a clean effortless 1.93. At the plate, Erickson hit .400+ as a sophomore, but finished below at .293 as a junior in large part to missing 3 weeks of action, due to a concussion that left him less than 100% health wise. But the swing is clean, efficient, short and direct to the ball with sweet sour contact on a line with backspin. An abv avg grade on the MLB scale as a defender right now, Erickson is committed to BYU and should walk onto campus as the odds on favorite to play everyday right away. Reminds me of Buster Posey and former big league defensive specialist Jeff Mathis as well. Bright future for this young man.
5/12/23
The state’s top defensive catcher, Erickson has taken a bit of a step back with his offense, but that is common, when a team also takes a step back offensively as well. A .400+ hitter a year ago, Erickson is not seeing the type of pitches he could get, as he is the one providing the protection for others to improve their offensive production. But one thing that has been a constant is top shelf receiving and blocking ability, to go along with a 1.9 consistent in-game pop times in cutting down over half of the runners or more that dare to run on him. A Buster Posey type look and feel to his game, as the offense comes around, Erickson could be a D1 star at his college of choice BYU, as he doesn’t K out and puts the ball in play, taking his walks and working deep counts in the majority of his AB’s. 8/08/22
(Shooter Hunt - PBR Future Games Top 25 Position Player Prospects) Ridge Erickson (UT) Erickson's ability to receive at a high level is matched only by the catch-and-throw capability, and he turned in workout pop-times at a 1.92-1.97 clip. Quick on the transfer with a strong, 80mph arm, the defend-tool is advanced, and he looked the part of a leader on the diamond, even in a quick look. Compact and athletic at 5-foot-11, 185-poundswith some natural strength throughout, the right-handed hitter showcased a simple stroke that promises more power on the way with an easy gap-to-gap approach presently. With so many programs desperate to find elite defenders behind the plate, Erickson stands out as one to follow, and with a strong right-handed stroke, there is also potential that he may develop into a run-producer at the next level.
8/04/22
This has been the one player that has climbed the board the fastest since the start of the summer. A glove over bat right now, but the bat is not that far off. The defense is just that good! A lean athletic Buster Posey type build and look right now at the same age! Ridge caught really well at the Future Games, as well as all summer. The setup behind the plate is really good w/a balanced athletic base, moves well side to side and can shift his hips to the corners, to stick pitches. Works underneath the ball and shows a low target, while dropping to block abv avg. He can pick balls to the backhand side, as well as glove and scoop balls on the short hop that others would block. Smothers balls in front and prevents base runners from moving up. Is adept at back picks to both corners and has picked a large number of runners off this summer. With a twitchy lower ½ and fast feet, Erickson gets off throws to 2B in times of 1.87-1.96 at the Top Prospect Games and 1.92-1.97 at the Future Games. The bat shows power potential and has a conventional semi crouched stance, with the bat held at a 45-degree angle with rhythm in loading the bat and driving his hands to and through the baseball with a short to/long through swing pattern. There is some slight uphill path to project lift and carry into an extended one hand follow through. Is gaining a following with a couple D1 offers on the table and others to come. This kid is the best catch/throw kid in the state and should develop into a premium next level defender as he has two years of HS remaining!
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Tualau Wolfgramm C / OF / Pleasant Grove, UT / 2024
Rankings State Rank: 7 / POS: 3
Committed: Brigham Young U6/04/23
West Coast ProCase
Another athletic backstop who is a unicorn and Swiss Army knife type player, Wolfgramm can play all over the field and make it appear that position is his natural position. Behind the plate, owing to a arm velo of 83, Wolfgramm has lightning quick feet and a fast exchange that produced 1.84-2.01 pop times at the ProCase. From the OF he shows educated footwork and gets into a proper position to throw and get something on it, as he led the event with an arm velo of 95 after producing a 93 last summer at the PBR Future Games. The bat is an EZ effortless strike to hit. He cocks the barrel in a slight turn or tips the barrel towards the pitcher. Drives his hands inside the baseball and lets the ball travel to stay in the big part of the field and doesn’t look to pull the ball exclusively. A quick twitch athlete that also plays football for fun and is a performer on the gridiron as well. Oddly enough the summer of 2021, Wolfgramm was running a 7.42/60 and a little pudgy at the time, Tua transformed his body into a tightly wound lean and ripped look and his twitch was unlocked. Clocked at 6.68 on turf at the Future Games, Tua clocked in at 6.84 at this past spring’s Preseason All-State on grass. An athlete blessed with an engaging personality, Wolfgramm is a vocal and energetic leader in the dugout and on the field and draws his teammates in and gets the best out of them.
5/12/23
The BYU commit has had another quality offensive year, after his coming out party as a big contributor as a sophomore, playing in the Future Games. Currently sitting at a batting average of .415, Tua has also generated 14 extra base hits with 5 2B’s and 5 3B’s, to go along with 4 long balls. The Swiss Army knife is a 6.6-6.7/60 runner which is unusual for a catcher, but to keep his speed, Wolfgramm will also play RF and take his turn in the pitching rotation as well, touching 89-90 mph with his FB. A vocal leader and high energy personality, Wolfgramm makes others around him better and has been a reason why the Vikings after a sluggish start to their season, has been hot of late, due in large part to Tua’s big presence and energy he brings everyday to the park. 8/02/22
Dubbed the Swiss Army Knife by yours truly, Tua is a coach's dream as he can play all 3 OF spots, the MIF, and is his HS team's starting catcher, along with taking his strong right arm to the mound as well. A line to line hitter with left side pull power, Wolfgramm has cut his 60 time more than any player in the state from a 7.45 to an incredible 6.68, through diet, nutrition and tightening up his lean athletic build over the last year in the gym. This is almost unheard of, but he accomplished it with a relentless work ethic and high baseball IQ and passion for the game. Tua also displayed 1.93-2.06 pop times and squared balls up in BP for an outstanding showing in Atlanta. Not to be out done, Tua also showed a plus arm in the OF as he put up a 93 mph reading!! A team leader and instant plus personality in the dugout, make for a high caliber teammate and the club responds to his enthusiasm and energy. A very bright future lies ahead!
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Zach Carlson OF / Juan Diego Catholic, UT / 2024
Committed: Northwestern U6/04/23
West Coast ProCase
A standout throughout his HS career at all PBR invite events. A mainstay before his freshman year and has now been a Future Game and West Coast Games alum and now on the ProCase side of things. An athlete that doesn’t have loud tools, but has the hitter's hands and looks to do damage with each swing. Has solid tools overall and does things in all facets of the game well. Shows an avg arm on the MLB scale and runs avg, as well as tracks fly balls and gets good jumps and reads. His baseball IQ stands out and has played high quality summer competition and made numerous trips to PBR’s LakePoint complex playing in high profile tournaments. Playing for such clubs as the Scottsdale Dirtbags, USA Prime and the Canes American 17U. Carlson drove balls hard to the pull side in BP at the ProCase-West and also hit a 2B in game action to the RF corner. Carlson also produced a stat line in ‘23 of: .378 6 24 with 9 2B’s and 3 3B’s, while scoring 36 runs in 30 games to propel his team to a 3A state runner-up finish.
5/12/23
Has really come on since getting off to a slow start in the early season St. George tourney’s, where Carlson saw his avg hovering around .200 through his first 15-20 plate appearances. As the weather has warmed up, so has Carlson to the tune of hitting .400 now 8 2B’s, 3 3B’s and has launched 6 HR’s and driven in 24 runners. A smooth LH stroke that uses the whole field and can really impress, when he’s on his “A” game. The Northwestern commit also shows the ability to make adjustments and not panic, as is the evidence of his season turnaround! A baseball player that exudes confidence and has the look of a good baseball player. 8/04/22
Carlson is an athletic CF that put up really good hitting metrics on workout day at the PBR Future Games. Running a 6.93/60, Carlson also had hand and bat speed marks of 24 and 75.3 on Blast. He also recorded an EV of 93.8 with a 75% hard hit rate on Trackman! Zach had a solid first game vs Team Arkansas as he barreled a shot into the LCF gap that was run down and later in the game, he hit a smash through the 6 hole for a 2-RBI 1B. Zach played a flawless CF in running balls down frequently. Blessed with an athletic frame, Carlson has really good mechanical movement patterns with a short, quick LD stroke into a whippy two handed follow through. A Future Game invite a year ago, Carlson had ACL surgery and missed all summer/fall, but came back healthy w/o any problem as the catalyst at the top of the order in leading Juan Diego Catholic to the 2022 Utah 3A state title! Zach will also be attending the PBR West Coast Games, August 12-14 at UNLV with many schools in attendance!
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Dax Watts 1B / OF / American Fork, UT / 2024
Rankings State Rank: 9 / POS: 2
Committed: Utah6/04/23
West Coast ProCase
Another Future Game alum, Watts makes his noise with a loud hit tool and + raw power. A consistent 100 mph EV bat, that put up 6 of the 8 top scores in all hitting data categories at last summer's Future Games. Watts was only one of a handful to record 5 hits over the 3 games at LakePoint. Registering a 104.4 EV with metal at the Preseason All-State, which is the #2 high marks in the state. Watts put up one of four 100 mph EV’s at the ProCase, with a 101.4 mark with wood. Watts also drove the ball for a max distance of 390, which was an event best. 400+ foot shots are on the very near future as Watts is still 17 years old and when he reaches his man strength, look out. A BP machine in driving shots deep to the LCF gap and straightaway left, Watts finds the barrel and makes loud contact. In games Watts is a .400 hitter over the last two years and found the gaps for 14 2B’s during the 2023 season with 2 HR’s. A noticeable lay back with the barrel as he loads in games vs a controlled load and driving his hands inside and through the baseball, Watts needs to find the consistent load in games, which as of now, with this needed tweak, his hand/eye to do the things he’s doing now is unique. An athlete who plays a solid 1B and shows soft hands and an avg big league arm across the INF, with fringe to avg speed as well, playing an OF corner is there as well. Watts is an under the radar type that is quiet in nature and leads by example, but whoever makes the investment at the next level is gonna be really happy to have this kid!
5/12/23
Watts has as much raw power as anyone in the state during workout/showcase type settings and led Team Utah last summer at the Future Games in 6 of the 8 measured data points. Big bat speed and EV’s for a 17 year old, Watts has shown EV’s with a max of 104.5 and has hit over .400 over the last two seasons. Watts fires his hands inside and through the baseball and the ball explodes off his bat with ease. He can leave the park in any direction, but it just hasn’t shown up as frequently in game situations yet, but as any seasoned evaluator will tell you, power, especially in-game power, is the last thing to show up in a hitters tool box. The raw power is there and I believe it’s gonna become big in game situations as he continues to learn his swing and gain a better feel for when to drive balls, based on count situations and what pitchers are trying to do with him. An abv avg athlete, who also ran for over 600 yards on the gridiron as the Caveman's primary half back. It’s all baseball though for Watts, as he is talking to a couple of D1 schools and has a top JC offer on the table earlier in the spring. Look for Watts to continue to develop as a hitter, as he puts the ball in play and will be an extra base type, as he gets out of the box well and runs a 6.8-6.9/60 and looks for the extra base after the ball is put in play. 10/30/22
2022 PBR Future Games One of the better athletes in the state and led #TeamUtah in 6 of 8 hitting data categories (Trackman/Blast Motion) at the Future Games. Watts took a very impressive BP on Sunday with missile after missile on a line to LCF and cleared the yard a handful of times. Watts has consistently maxed out between 100.8 and 102.8 all year. A flatter setup from a semi crouched open stance, Watts gets and coils back into square and then just drives his hands inside the baseball with impressive hand and bat speed. Consistently in the low 80’s, the bat speed remained 83 with an affinity for finding the barrel during game play. Able to spoil pitches and take pitches, while making pitchers work. Watts looks the part of a hitter, but does some things in a crude way, yet has abv avg hand/eye coordination w/natural twitchy strength. Some four year school needs to jump on this guy!
8/04/22
A two sport baseball/football star, Watts was a standout on workout day at the PBR Future Games, as he led Team Utah in 6 of the 8 metrics recorded by Trackman and Blast Motion. At 6-0 190, Watts looks the part of a next level player! Built like a halfback w/broad shoulders, and tapered into a small waist, w/a well defined lower half. Powerful and strong with twitchy movement patterns, Watts ran a 7.09/60 for a CIF, but he showed light feet at 1B w/proper angles in working through balls out front and from the ground up. He showed a strong arm at 83 mph across the INF with online accurate throws. The bat was on point all week, as Watts was spotlighted by LakePoint Sports on social media, as he led the Future Games event with 5 hits in 3 games. Watts had a 2 hit game with a 2B vs Team Arkansas in game one and followed it up in game three w/a 3 hit affair as well. Playing for one of the best HS programs in the country, American Fork HS had half a dozen D1 signees, ranging from BYU, Utah and TCU. Watts was a member of the 30-1 6A state champions in 2021 and the state runner up in 2022! Colleges, you don’t want to miss out on this one, as it’s hard to find a 1B that not only can hit, but is athletic and can pick it at 1B defensively!
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Easton Jones RHP / Stansbury, UT / 2024
Rankings State Rank: 10 / POS: 4
Committed: Utah8/04/23
West Coast Games A virtual unknown, until a recommendation by a fellow Dad of a D1 player from the same HS, recommended a 3B and went to see Stansbury play and came away with a Future Games 3B and this young man came in relief and caught my attention. A tall 6-2 175 that oozes physical projection with a quick arm. Gathers well up top w/a solid hip turn and gets into his back hip to create leverage and lower ½ use of his legs. Arm is loose and whippy with a loose wrist to finish pitches. FB jumps from his hand at 86-89 T90 with more in there with high spin at 2463. The SL 78-81 tilts with late dive and spins at 2183. D1 potential with a high ceiling and big velo to come on time, if not not sooner!
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Extended Top Prospects 11-20
| RANK | NAME | POSITION | HIGH SCHOOL | COMMITMENT |
| 11 | Ike Pickle | 3B/2B | Skyridge | - |
| 12 | Remington Edwards | OF | Mountain Ridge | - |
| 13 | Tyler West | OF | Crimson Cliffs | - |
| 14 | Trey Evans | OF | Crimson Cliffs | - |
| 15 | Jaxon Fox | SS/C | Olympus | - |
| 16 | Makaio Swensen | OF/RHP | Snow Canyon | - |
| 17 | Hayden Smith | C | Snow Canyon | Glendale CC |
| 18 | Owen Miller | RHP | Orem | - |
| 19 | Andrew Lombana | LHP | Juan Diego Catholic | - |
| 20 | Braxton Yates | LHP | Dixie | - |
UPCOMING EVENTS
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| Northern Utah Open | UT | 09/16 | Ridgeline High School |
| 2023 PBR Scout Day: GBG Utah | UT | 09/30 | The Hive - Juab High School Fieldhouse |
| 2023 PBR Scout Day: RA Baseball Academy | UT | 10/07 | Juan Diego Catholic HS |
| Utah State Games (Invite-Only) | UT | 10/29 | Snow Canyon High School |
| 2023 Utah Winter Update | UT | 12/02 | The Hive - Juab High School Fieldhouse |
RECENT NEWS
- UT2023 West Coast Games: Team Review 8/13/23
- UT2023 Future Games: Quick Hits 8/08/23
- UT2023 West Coast Games: Team Utah Preview 8/03/23
- UTTeam Utah Future Games - Team Preview 7/22/23
- UTTeam Utah Future Games - Pitching Rotation 7/21/23
- UTUtah Commitment Board: 2023 Class 7/20/23
- UTUtah Top Prospect Games: Positional Data Dive 7/19/23
- UTUtah Top Prospect Games: Pitching Data Dive 7/18/23
- UTUtah Top Prospect Games: Quick Hits (Class of 2025) 7/17/23
- UTTop Prospect Games: Statistical Analysis 7/17/23
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 1991-1999.