Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PLEASANT GROVE — Pleasant Grove High baseball coach Darrin Henry received a text message Wednesday with six words in all caps from one of his former players that sent chills down his spine.
“I AM A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER,” the text read.
And the proud father just smiled.
Former BYU baseball signee Payton Henry signed with the Milwaukee Brewers, electing to postpone college in favor of a professional baseball career with a projected signing bonus of at least $300,800, according to the sliding scale for MLB draft picks, along with a significant investment in his future college education.
Like many like-minded teenagers in America, he celebrated the moment by posting about it on Twitter.
Congratulations to @paytonhenry1515 who indeed signed his pro contract this afternoon. (Photo is from his Twitter.) pic.twitter.com/P07NJxH1Ao
— The Brewer Nation (@BrewerNation) June 15, 2016
For Henry, the signing capped a whirlwind journey of high-level scouting for the past year. The Deseret News’ 2016 Mr. Baseball saw as many as 20 scouts at every game, most of them at every practice, and a few of them at lunchtime batting practice on 200 South in Pleasant Grove many afternoons. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 MLB draft a week ago.
It was all worth it when he signed on the dotted line Wednesday.
“It’s everything you dream of as a kid,” Payton Henry said. “It’s an awesome opportunity to have this, and to actually get the title ‘professional baseball player.’”
The former Pleasant Grove High catcher and relief pitcher posted a photo of him signing on his Twitter account Wednesday afternoon before Milwaukee flew him to Arizona to begin his career in the Arizona summer league Wednesday night.
The AZL Brewers’ rookie squad plays through the end of August, but there also remains a chance that Henry could be promoted to the Brewers’ Pioneer League affiliate in Helena, Montana.
If that happens, he is guaranteed to have a large contingent of locals fans if he appears in the Helena Brewers’ games in Ogden July 16-19 and in Orem Aug. 4-7.
“I’ll start out (in Arizona), and if I play good, I’ll keep moving up,” Henry said. “From what I hear, (Helena) is a little better competition and you’ve got to play well to get up there.
“I’m hoping to get all the stuff I need to do done, and hopefully move up there.”
But that’s a consideration for the future; for now, Henry starts work with the AZL Brewers on Monday, and he spoke glowingly of working with former Brewers catcher and current field coordinator Charlie Greene in his new assignment as full-time catcher, with some designated hitter and potential at first base thrown in.
It’s everything you dream of as a kid. It’s an awesome opportunity to have this, and to actually get the title ‘professional baseball player.’
–Pleasant Grove alum Payton Henry
“It’s a whole different ballgame in professional baseball,” said Henry, who mentioned getting quicker behind the plate among improvements he wants to make in Arizona. “I’m going to have to improve in a lot of things and learn a lot.
“There is always something you can improve on.”
Henry helped the Vikings win the Class 5A state baseball title in 2015 en route to winning his first of two Gatorade Utah player of the year awards. But the drive to do so started a year earlier, when Pleasant Grove lost to Jordan 4-3 in the 2014 state final.
“He’s a goal-setter and good kid, and I’ve loved watching him achieve some goals,” coach Henry said. “After his sophomore year against Jordan, he set some goals. He wanted to be Gatorade player of the year. He wanted to be all-state. Now he really wanted to play in the pros. I just love seeing him set and accomplish goals; that’s the main thing.”
As a senior in 2016, Henry batted .519 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs for the Vikings. He was heavily recruited by Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Utah Valley and others before signing with BYU in November.
Cougar baseball coach Mike Littlewood voiced his support of Henry’s decision in an interview with ESPN 960 radio host Ben Criddle earlier this week. Henry wasn't the only former Cougar drafted last week, but he is likely the only incoming recruit who will sign with their MLB team.
“I had a great talk with him, and I’m really proud of him for the way he’s handled things,” Littlewood said. “It’s pretty pressure packed when you’re a high school senior and there are 20 scouts at the game. I’m happy for Payton — the last thing I said to Payton was ‘love you,’ and he said ‘I love you, too.’
“It’s a great family, and I’m happy for him.”
His Brewers contract includes a stipend for four consecutive years of college tuition, in addition to his signing bonus, to be exercised once his career is completed.
The additional clause in his contract represents the best of both worlds for the Henry family; both of his parents are college graduates, and father Darrin teaches driver’s education at Pleasant Grove in addition to his coaching responsibilities.
“I was stoked when they got college in (the contract); it’s one thing I really wanted,” Payton Henry said. “If none of this works out, I want to make sure I have college to go back to. That was really cool for me.”
For now, the former Utah County prep standout who worked all summer with the Utah Marshalls will continue to work through the hot summer days in Phoenix.
This summer, though, that work comes with an additional title: professional baseball player.
“I worked my butt off to get here,” Henry said. “I’m really excited to start playing.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the team, the coaches and starting to play.”
