2024 Utah Top 10 Prospects (Winter Update)

Luke (LT) Taylor C / 3B / Olympus, UT / 2024

6/04/23
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!

Naulivou Lauaki Jr. RHP / 1B / Springville, UT / 2024

6/04/23
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.

Jaxson Reiser RHP / OF / Mountain Ridge, UT / 2024

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.

Easton Davies RHP / OF / Orem , UT / 2024

6/04/23
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.

Easton Barrett LHP / OF / Springville , UT / 2024

5/12/23

A top 2024 HS draft prospect, took a sad turn as Barret 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.

@ASU_Baseball commit | @eastonbarrett11 | 2024 Easton Barrett, LHP, 5-11 175 (Springville HS/‘24 Trosky National)

‘21 PBR Future Games

#1 ranked ‘24 | #79 PBR overall | FB 88-92 w/EZ velo. 3-4 left in tank ?| + CB 76 w/nasty TQ tilt/shape & depth!@prepbaseball @ShooterHunt pic.twitter.com/hLG6x4imY0

— PBR Utah (@PBR_Utah) March 10, 2023

Ridge Erickson C / SS / Dixie, UT / 2024

6/04/23
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.

Tualau Wolfgramm C / OF / Pleasant Grove, UT / 2024

6/04/23
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.

Zach Carlson OF / LHP / Juan Diego Catholic, UT / 2024

6/04/23
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.

Dax Watts OF / 1B / American Fork, UT / 2024

6/04/23
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!

Easton Jones RHP / 3B / Stansbury, UT / 2024

7/16/23

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!