2023 Top 10 Prospects + More (Spring Edition)

Super 60 Report

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. 

SUPER 60 Report

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!”

     

Super 60 Report

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!

Positional Profile: SS/2B

Body: 5-9, 165-pounds. Small frame with proportioned V-Shaped structure. Pound for pound strong with defined musculature relative strength.

Hits: LHH. Even prop square stance w/his toes slightly turned in and balances on the inside part of his feet, which keeps him centered. Holds his hands above his back shoulder in a flat setup. Starts his bat in a timed manner with a slight rock back and a lift of the front foot. Soft at foot strike and then lays his bat open, similar to Jeter, and then takes his hands inside the baseball w/a tight flat compact stroke. Barrel gets into the hitting zone early and stays in the zone long. Gets quality extension out front w/an overall fluid swing path thru and into his finish.

Power: 94 max exit velocity, averaged 86.2 MPH. 348' max distance.
Arm: RH. INF (75-79 mph)

Defense: Plays with fluid educated feet with "dance" and bounce to the lower 1/2. Works out front and from the ground up. Bends at the waist/knees, in getting low to the ground with his back as flat as a table top. Plays low and out front. Plays through the ball and is adept at leaving his feet to make the horizontal play, in any direction. Upper body strength, allows him to pop to his feet in completing plays.

 
Run: 7.16 runner in the 60. 7.1/60, yet looks and plays quicker in game action. Tight turns with proper angles and strikes the bag with his right foot, which tightens his turns and puts him on a quicker path to the next bag.

Vizual Edge: 80.83 Edge Score

The Utah Tech commit is one of, if not the smoothest defender in the state, regardless of class. I have seen this young man play since he was 10 years old. Gifted with "Dancy", educated feet with plus movement patterns to allow for his glove to be in the right place at the right time. Also can play CF, and shows off an avg arm at 92 from the OF and 86 from the INF. Soto doesn’t sell out for metrics, but just plays catch and throws K’s in all directions. Throws from multiple arm slots and does it EZ. From the plate, Soto has a quick twitch well synced up hitting stroke with good use of his lower ½ and looks the part of a young Francisco Lindor. A fringe to avg runner at 7.06 in the 60, yet his lateral quickness and instincts at SS, belies a player that moves within a circle of range, rather than a straight line runner. With an additional 15-20 lbs at maturity, this kid has a very high ceiling. 

2021-2022 Time 1st All-State (6A / 5A)

2021 6A Triple Crown Leader

Last but not least, the loudest bat in the ‘23 class belongs to Kershaw. Alum of the Power Showcase HR Derby, the U Utah commit has ++ raw power and displays it almost immediately walking into the box in a BP setting. But he does it in games as well. The 2021 6A triple crown statistical leader as a sophomore, Kershaw has lift in a very powerful stroke to hit with a max EV of 102.6. He also shows big hand and bat speed metrics at 28.2 and 82, which are elite data points. Nicknamed the “Baby Bull” by yours truly, it’s caught on across the state, and he also reminds me of former big league hitter, Rusty Staub. For a big kid he can really whistle the bat and drive high and deep shots to the pull side. Look for Kershaw to contend for player of the year honors before his HS career cones to a close in 2023. 

2022 Region 15 Player of the Year

2022 3A Utah State Champions!

The physically imposing corner bat, and future power arm, had a really good showing as he stung balls in the BP portion of the workout, with a powerful, quick and slightly uphill path to elevate and lift the ball. Has present avg raw power and is in line, with his man strength to come, to develop into plus raw. Showing a max EV of 100, with a 75% rate of sweet spot contact. During game action, Harris got a FB middle-middle and crushed it, high and deep to LCF and out of the park. On the mound, Harris has been working on  staying back and separating out of the glove earlier and over the rubber. This helped him stay back as he kept his front side closed and drove the slope and plane of the mound. Lands sound and the arm is a HTQ whippy arc, with a loose wrist to finish pitches. The FB was 86-89 with late finish and hop. The CB 73-74 had an avg MLB spin of 2451, and as his velo climbs, so will the spin. The SL 77 takes on quick lateral action, though can blend at times with the CB and create a hybrid look. A definite two type talent at the next level with a commitment coming in the next two weeks. Stay tuned…

Murdock has burst on the scene with some impressive showings of late. Since his junior '22 season, where he was ineffective on the mound, he has completely turned the corner and is a different kid. This summer, Murdock attended the PBR Top Prospect Games where his FB showed 84-86 T87 and sat 85-86. The SL was 75-78 and took on some hybrid SLV type action w/depth. Since that day on July 12th, Murdock has been 87-91 T92 sitting 87-90 and the CB is 74-75, but the best secondary pitch has been a very effective biting SL 78-79. Murdock recently went up against a local JUCO and pitched very well, missing bats and racking up K's. The delivery is flexible and loose w/added tweaks and overall physical maturity, he could reach the mid 90's in 12-18 months. He shows proper glove side direction and is using his front side much better, which pulls his backside through more effectively. The arm path is HTQ to OH with his shoulders tilted to clear the path for the arm. The arm accelerates through the slot and shows a loose wrist out front to finish pitches. Is getting close to committing, as he has a few schools showing real interest and we should here some good news real soon. 

Side note as a hitter, Murdock put up a 99.3 EV in BP, during the Top Prospect Games and was the highest clocked OF arm at 92 mph!.