Picture this: the ultimate dream job you’ve had since before you can remember — the end goal of all your years of hard work — comes knocking at your door.
For BYU pitcher Garrison Sumner, that end goal always included a glove, a ball cap, and the big leagues.
As he recalls, “Ever since I was a little kid, all I ever wanted was to get drafted and play professional baseball.”
Young Sumner would have been ecstatic to see that dream become a reality on July 14, 2025. The sole BYU Cougar selected in the 2025 MLB Draft, Sumner’s name was called in the 20th round by the Boston Red Sox.
“It was one of the greatest experiences, one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had,” Sumner said in response to that phone call.
Congrats to @GarrisonSumner for being selected in the 20th round by the @RedSox 🤙 pic.twitter.com/W4pn7JLBrD
— BYU Baseball (@BYUBaseball) July 14, 2025
Knowing that, you think he would now be somewhere on the East Coast and pitching in the Red Sox organization.
But he isn’t; Sumner is toeing the rubber for the Cougars once more for his senior season.
Why, when he saw his dream unfolding right in front of him, choose to turn it down and come back to BYU?
“It’s everything. The people, the school, the culture: BYU is like a family,” he said simply.
A two-time transfer, Sumner started his collegiate career at Utah before transferring to Salt Lake Community College and ultimately making his way to BYU.
That was the goal all along. In his words, “everything I ever wanted was to play at BYU.”
After getting a year to experience it, that love for Provo extends beyond just the baseball field. He mentioned feeling that BYU genuinely wants their student-athletes to succeed, saying, “If there's anything they could possibly do to help us out, they'll do it.”
Sumner’s decision was rare, as he was in the minority when compared with his drafted peers. Nearly 94% of players taken in the 2025 MLB Draft ended up signing a contract, the highest in MLB history (excluding the COVID-19-shortened 2020 draft). He was one of ten players in the 20th round to not sign.
It also marked the second year in a row that Boston had selected a BYU hurler in the 20th round, as right-handed pitcher Ben Hansen was taken in almost the same spot the year before. Hansen did sign and spent his first year in the Red Sox organization with their Single-A affiliate Salem Red Sox.
Sumner had parlayed a successful two years at Salt Lake Community College and an up-and-down junior year at BYU into some big league interest, but wasn’t sure if that was enough to earn him a call on draft night. He was in Hawaii on an offseason vacation with a friend when the call from the Red Sox came in.
Despite the welcome surprise, it didn’t take Sumner long at all to make the decision to stay home.
“It was kind of right away; I was like, man, I don't think I'm ready to give up on BYU. You know, I only spent one year here, and I loved it so much,” he said.
On the field, he felt that he “had more in the tank.”
As mentioned earlier, Sumner’s junior season had its ups and downs: he finished the year with an 8.32 ERA over 14 appearances. But his 6-foot-3 frame and potential to tick up the velocity were the factors that brought the most MLB eyes.
“I knew I could throw harder, I knew it was in there. Last year I topped out around 93-94 mph. Now I consistently sit around 93-94 and I’m topping out around 97,” Sumner said.
A big piece of that massive jump, and Sumner’s decision to come back overall, was the addition of new pitching coach Adrian Dinkel and director of pitching development Brandon Zastrow.
Dinkel joined the Cougars’ staff after having spent a year in the New York Yankees organization and six years as a head coach at Southeastern University.
“He had the major-league experience, and that was exactly what I wanted,” he said.
While Dinkel has been a nice addition for Sumner’s development and the Cougars as a whole, no player-coach relationship was as influential to his decision as was Sumner’s relationship with head coach Trent Pratt.
“He’s our head coach, so you respect him. But he’s also super approachable,” he said about Pratt. I
t was that level of approachability that allowed Sumner to have a conversation with his head coach after being drafted, where Pratt encouraged him to “follow what you got” and believe in his ability to get even better.
“I trusted Trent and it’s worked out for me so far,” Sumner said.
Now back in Provo for one more ride, Sumner still plans on playing professionally and wants to be drafted again. But his biggest goal for this final ride in the Royal Blue and White? Winning.
“Number one is just to win. I want to go out there and give my team the best chance to win,” he said. “I really don’t have much in the way of numerical goals. I know if I go out there and pitch my best, if I put a good start together, the numbers will follow.”
Now with his senior season in full swing, Sumner is looking to use that team-first mentality and his love for the game to make that childhood dream come true again.