Prep Baseball Report

PBR Utah 2022 Top 10 Rankings (Update)


Jeff Scholzen
Utah Scouting Director

           PBR UTAH TOP 10 PROSPECTS UPDATE

We announce our UPDATED March 2021 edition of the Top 10 prospects in the state for the class of '22. After transitioning from the MLB scouting world to Prep Baseball Report, I brought my follow list with me, and after hosting our first ever PBR event (Utah Fall Prospect I.D.), and then the invite only Preseason All-State event recently on March 6th, which was loaded with talent, we’re ready to unveil the second edition, from the class of 2022 Top 10 Prospects list. The list is put together, through subjective and objective (data/metrics) means. After 2 years of following this class as a professional scout, as well as scouting various tournaments, area code tryouts, fall in-game looks, talking with coaches, viewing video and taking into account the college commitments of this class, this list is as thorough as one gets. You that follow @PBR_Utah, have seen our posts of various players on our social media platforms with this class and these players will make some noise at the next level, with 3-4 becoming possible MLB draft pick either out of HS or the college level. ENJOY!

Mic Paul CF / Olympus , UT / 2022

Paul was our standout at our last event and showed at the All-State why he is highly ranked and thought of so highly. The U of Arizona commit posted the 3rd highest 60 of the event at 6.61 and was 87-88 mph from the OF with a clean fluid fast arm stroke and good ext. Was worked away in BP and didn’t get the type of pitches to drive straight away to the pull side to get the kind of exit velo and distance he showed last event. What he did was take what was given and lined balls over the SS head into the LCF gap with a controlled fluid stroke. He showed a 25 mph rotational acceleration score, which was the 2nd best in that metric, despite not being able to pop his hips fully, as he worked the opposite field gap. Looks the part of a high next level table setter playing CF. With 2 seasons of HS ball left, it will be fun to see where this all ends up!

Garrison Sumner RHP / Westlake , UT / 2022

An XL frame with a lean athletic build with long arms and a strong lower 1/2, Sumner has the type of frame, arm action and arm speed to carry a bit more. With a tall address, then taking a simple side step to start a flexible high kick delivery, he shows a drop and drive style, while getting into his legs in pounding FB’s downhill and into the bottom portion of the zone. The arm action that was over the top and producing FB’s in the 84-87 range last spring, took a jump in the summer as he lowered his arm slot to a TQ and his velo jumped to 86-89 and 88-91 at times. After seeing Sumner recently in a early preseason tourney, the FB has jumped to 88-93 and will continue to trend up in time. The CB 74-76 shows TQ tilt and proper spin. At times it backs up on him to LHH, but when he catches it right, it has tight late depth and is a swing and miss pitch. With 2 years of HS remaining, it will be interesting to see where his development takes him. For now it was enticing enough to receive an offer and commit to the U Utah. MLB Draft Prospect


Luke Anderson OF / Snow Canyon, UT / 2022

Anderson didn’t show the big exit velos and distance metrics that he put up at the last event, but still showed top 10 exit and distance data at the All-State. The BYU commit did however produce the 2nd best OF velo of 89 mph and ran a personal best 6.95/60 yard dash. A small in stature OF, who is a strong game player and has consistently produced and has been named MVP at a couple of high level national events. Also a pitcher that didn’t throw at the event, Anderson has touched 89-90 at times coming out of the bullpen for state power Snow Canyon HS. 


Payton Gubler SS / RHP / Desert Hills, UT / 2022

A two way multi faceted “baseball player” that can beat you 3 ways as an amateur, with his glove, his arm and the bat. The Desert Hills SS also takes his turn in the rotation and has created a name for himself over the past year, playing for the powerful Team Utah ‘22, and the Mets Scout Team ’22 in AZ. Gubler showed at the Fall Prospect ID, why he will be a very strong player at the next level. A recent BYU commit, Payton had the 2nd best exit velo in his class at 95.4, and produced another at 95.1 and 94.3. A strong BP session, with a classic RHH stance and starts with the bat at a 45, and rocks back to load and fires his hands in a short compact manner, with length out front and whips the bat into a strong and high one hand finish. At SS, he showed dance to his educated feet, and showed actions and is fluid in his approach to the baseball. As he gathers and separates the hands, he gets his arm up quick and gets off a strong and accurate throw across the diamond. An all around player that also produced 90 MPH FB’s in his pen session, Gubler profiles in the MIF, but could be a strong two way type at BYU and provide roster flexibility for a nationally ranked program. Doesn't show big tools, but is schooled in the fundamentals and knows how to play the game. A sum of all his parts type, which is what a “baseball player” is. Plays the game the right way!


Isaac Lyon RHP / SS / Snow Canyon, UT / 2022

12/22/20

Previously written up as a RHP, we got to see the offensive/defensive part of his two way profile, as he was taking a break from the mound due to getting ready for basketball season. Isaac the son of longtime MLB RHP, Brandon Lyon shows the same build as his Father at the same stage of development. As a SS, there's athleticism and some educated feet and fields from the ground up. The feet are active and live, with plenty of forward momentum in shortening his throws. The arm plays and the ball exits his hand clean with something on it, while hitting the 1B’man in the chest. Able to throw from multiple arm angles with accuracy. From the offensive end, he’s made big strides, and he’s added strength with the bat. Gets separation with a short stride and soft landing, while hitting off a firm front side. The stroke is online with some uphill, yet is compact and short to the ball with some one and two hand finish, depending on where the pitch location is and what he’s trying to do with the baseball. He does need to get loaded into his back hip and utilize his backside better, which will even increase what he brings to the table with an EV of 95.7. A definite two way type that has two years of HS left to make some noise and the belief is that he will do both with the bat and his arm.

10/03/20

A med lean even prop athletic build that has bloodlines. Isaac is the son of former MLB RHP-Brandon Lyon (13 Yrs). Was off to a fast start on the mound with 11K’s thru 9 inns of work before the shutdown in the spring. Plays for the highly competitive Team Utah 2022, and has really taken a step in a year, going from the upper 70’s with the FB, to the mid 80’s at present. Features a NWU med balanced kick to delivery and repeats for the most part and has an idea. The arm action is short, quick and has proper arc and acceleration through a HTQ slot. The FB 84-86 has mild late arm side life and is around the plate. The CB 72-73 is slvy with TQ tilt with flashes of solid avg at times. Chance to be a weapon in time, as his body matures and gains added velo to the FB. CH 78-79 shows abv avg potential with feel and late sink. A pitcher now, as his father was at the same stage, before the velo came in college. Uncommitted at present, yet has D1 interest. One to definitely follow with bloodlines, pitchability, a proj build and quick arm.


Dane Thorpe C / UTL / Dixie, UT / 2022

12/01/20

The top uncommitted bat in the state. It won’t be long before Thorpe is committed and schools need to jump on this kid, as he is a brute strong 6-1 190 and can frame and receive the ball well. With an arm velo of 80 and have seen better, Thorpe shows off an avg arm in the OF, and produced exit speeds as high as 95.6 in BP and there I’ve seen better as well. The bat has been on fire all summer/fall, and at the Fall Prospect ID, he showed a semi wide open stance, and his front knee/foot is synced well with his hands as he lifts his front foot and from a flat set of the bat, he turns the barrel to a 45 into the load phase, then softly lands the front foot and takes a short powerful compact stroke into a powerful two hand around the back shoulder finish. Athletic for a catcher and can play multiple positions, to get him out of the crouch and keep him athletic. The bat is the carrying tool and one to watch as I believe he’s gonna have a big junior year for the Flyers of Dixie High. 

10/03/20

UNCOMMITTED - A lean athletic strong 601 190 with a defined muscled overall look w/some twitch behind the plate and can run for a catcher. The bat and the arm play and carry to the next level. Projects confidence in the box w/a semi wider than shoulder width, slightly open stance and carries the bat over his back shoulder at a semi flat angle. Has flex to his knees and takes a short synced up stride as the hands load at a 45 w/good separation and balance. Has hand speed and can hit velocity. Takes a short, quick compact stroke thru the plane of attack into a whippy two hand finish. The ball jumps line to line and can leave the big part of the field. Is a bit raw mechanically in his setup behind the plate and needs to improve his receiving, but has twitch in his lower ½ and is quick to drop and keeps balls in front. Can pick tough pitches and spring to back pick. His throws have carry through the bag and at times flashes a slightly better than avg arm w/avg pop times. A 7.03/60 that’s plenty enough. A versatile defender that also plays 1B and can hold down LF with work. Plays for CBA Summit (UT) in the summer and the NV/UT Braves Scout Team in the fall. Has also played over the past 2 summers with the Ohio Warhawks. Won’t be uncommitted for long. 


Fisher Ingersoll SS / 2B / American Fork , UT / 2022

Ingersoll is probably the best athlete in the ‘22 class, as he is a two sport star, committed to BYU as a LHH SS, playing for one of the top 6A programs in the state. What is also interesting is that he is one of the best HS football players in the state as well. As a WR on a powerhouse football team as well, the ultra projs Ingersoll put up big numbers as a receiver with 74 catches, 1,142 yards, 19 TD’s, 50 tackles, 1 sack, 6 INT’s and 4 defensive TD’s! On the baseball side, Fisher has a physical 6-3 185 lean athletic build and looks to be able to pack on another 15-20 Lbs of muscle as he physically matures. A LHH with a fluid fast bat and solid hitting stroke, drives balls gap-gap and uses his speed and also is an aggr defender with educated feet and fields out front and makes accurate throws across the diamond. With 2 years to go in HS, there’s no telling where he could go and if the football part takes on a life of its own. For now he’s committed to baseball at the next level, but what he does on the gridiron, can only enhance his profile and translate to the diamond moving forward.


Logan West OF / Crimson Cliffs, UT / 2022

Lg frame with a wiry lean athletic build and has some twitch. Logan is one of the better ‘22 players in the state. Was off to a superb start to his sophomore season when the season was shut down. A former catcher that’s made the move to the OF with his athleticism and speed. Plays for the elite Team Utah ‘22s and faces good competition and excels. With 6.9/60 speed and long galloping strides, he fits well in the OF. The offensive side is his calling card, as he took a really good round of BP. He starts with a slightly wider than shoulder width square stance and rocks back into his back hip with his back knee flexed and lifts his foot and strides into a soft foot strike. The bat is flat and then lifts to a 45 and has quality hand and lower 1/2 separation. He fires the hands inside the baseball and takes a short path with contact out front and whips the bat through the zone with a one hand high high finish. In the OF he fields out front and then takes his body toward his target and his arm stroke is long and arching, which he needs to find a happy medium between a longer vs short stroke he once had behind the dish and blend to the two. This is fixable as the arm action is in there to correct, which isn’t easy. But he brings speed, athleticism, proj size and strength with the ability to hit potentially at the D1 level.


Kaden Carpenter LHP / OF / American Fork, UT / 2022

XXL tall frame at 6-5 215 with a physical good look in a uniform. Country strong with big feet and hands. Still room for added weight and strength at manhood. Plays for one of the 6A powerhouse programs in the state, and with 2 years of HS to go, he could break out and do big things. Offensively, he has a semi crouched even prop stance and holds the hands at the shoulder with a vertical bat and close to the body. With an already flexed back knee, he rocks back slightly and softly picks up the foot and lays it down, with a slight turn of the knob and dropping below his shoulder for his load, Carpenter then takes a simple EZ fluid short compact stroke into the baseball with length out front, into a high one hand finish, and the ball jumps off his bat with easy power. Makes all the plays at 1B/OF and will man a corner, as speed is not part of his game. The LH power bat is the carrying tool, to go along with his left arm on the mound. The arm was a brief look and will need more to go off, but the velo (up to 88), build, easy proj power from his LH bat, place him in the conversation among the state’s best players.


Jace Carroll RHP / Stansbury, UT / 2022

A tall drink of water that reminds me of former MLB pitcher, Brandon McCarthy at the same age and with the same velocity. When McCarthy was in JUCO, he was topping at 89 and when he was fully mature in the big leagues, he would sink the ball at 94. I believe this kid has the same type ceiling. An eye test type arm, that had an event best 87 mph max FB with a CB 67-71 and an event best CB spin rate of 2457. The FB needs added spin, but he doesn’t create all that is wanted, as it doesn’t need to be as high as one would like, as his FB sinks, thus the lesser spin. He has some deception with a tall, steep plane of attack and angle to the plate, making for a ground ball type pitcher that will be tough for hitters to elevate and get the ball in the air.