We’ve published countless videos, conducted several interviews, completed a lengthy podcast with a full breakdown and now we’re completing the final part of our comprehensive coverage of Area Code Games. Beginning with the underclass event, we’re going to provide a breakdown and scouting notes for each of the eight teams that participated in the event. Let’s continue with one of the most all-around impressive teams in the event – the Texas Rangers.  

(All prospects are in the 2025 class unless otherwise noted.)

RANGERS
Named the Player of the Week, which is effectively the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, Kayson Cunningham did what he’s always done – he hit. In 11 plate appearances, the Texas Tech commitment hit .556/.636/1.222 with two walks and zero strikeouts. Sure, his slugging percentage was boosted by an inside-the-park homer (he nearly caught Hogan Nelson, who was at first base, and made it around the bases in 14.8 seconds) when the center fielder missed a diving catch, but Cunningham also drilled a double and a triple. I’ve learned not to be surprised when Cunningham is on time against good velocity/stuff with impressive bat-to-ball skill and barrel feel, but it’s still remarkable that for the second year in a row at Area Code he was phenomenal in the batter’s box; a good case can be made the Claudia Taylor Johnson (San Antonio) product was the best pure hitter in the event. Behind the scenes scouts raved about his skill, hitting ability and the way he carries himself on the diamond; he’s never overmatched, and his talent is so natural that it stands out consistently. 

If there was one thing to nitpick, it would be Cunningham’s infield defense and arm weren’t as crisp and good as he’s shown in the past and I think he's a better defender than he showed; his feet and hands work fine on the dirt, and he has the foot speed and bend/athleticism to have a shot at being a shortstop long-term with enough arm for the position. But during next year’s Area Code games, scouts will be focused on the defense because they’ll already know the hit tool is future plus; it’s a treat to watch how efficiently and quickly his barrel gets into the zone and works through it. Like Cunningham, Prosper’s Luke Billings is an Area Code veteran despite being a 2025 prospect. A true do-it-all talent who is committed to Tennessee, Billings has a knack for rising to the occasion in bigger moments or against better competition, which is what he did in San Diego. 

From the right side, Billings, listed at 6-2, 190 pounds, hit .429/.636/.857 with three walks and two strikeouts. If not or Omar Serna, who we’ll get to in a minute, Billings would have had maybe the loudest swing for the Rangers when he turned around a fastball and sent a screaming liner over the left field fence. Billings does an impressive job of using his front leg to slightly close his stance and build up energy to release as he times pitches and his back leg in particular – watch how quickly his back knee bends and rotates – showcases the rotation he’s able to generate, which leads to some big juice and the type of swing and bat speed that can time good velocity. 

Defensively, Billings played in the outfield, including some time in center field. Long-term he might profile best in a corner outfield spot where his athleticism would boost his defensive ability, but it’ll be interesting to see if he gets a lot of time in center field. He’s so uniquely skilled that he could realistically play all over the diamond, including catcher. On the mound, Billings pitched one inning in two separate appearances and was up to 91 MPH both times with a power curveball, what looked like a slider and perhaps a splitter around 88 MPH. While he’s a slightly better position player prospect because of his hitting ability and power potential, Billings is a true force on the mound too with natural feel for throwing a deep arsenal and manipulating breaking ball shape. 

Serna began the event with the most incredibly efficient performance imaginable. I’m still in slight disbelief it happened because it was so absurdly awesome. The LSU commitment sent the first pitch he saw, a fastball, off the scoreboard in left-center field for a loud homer that was 105 MPH off the bat. During his next at-bat, Serna, who saw how Billings was pitched from the on-deck circle and anticipated a first-pitch breaking ball after he mashed a fastball, hit the first pitch he saw into the trees beyond right-center field for another homer. Incredible. And the next day, Serna nearly hit the first pitch he saw in his third at-bat of the event out to right field but it was caught near the warning track. 

A strong, 6-2, 225-pound right-handed hitter who carries his strength well, Serna had some of the best hitting hands at Area Code. Don’t mistake how active his hands are for any issues getting to velocity because Serna certainly doesn’t have a steep path to get the bat into the zone; and his hands did an excellent job of clearing through with a powerful barrel getting into the zone early and staying through to create loud impact. So, he isn’t just a power hitter; he’s going to be a guy who hits for quality average and probably will have a solid or better whiff rate, too. Defensively, Serna has a strong arm – future plus – behind the dish and will have good pop times. But like all catchers on the Rangers roster, his receiving will need to continue to progress. 

To be frank, the receiving aspect of the Rangers’ catching trio was often rough and at times negatively impacted the confident of pitchers on the mound. Switch-hitter and Second Baptist product Wes Baker played really hard and held his own at the plate but needs his skill behind the dish to improve. His long-term outlook is promising because he competes like a player who is definitely going to put the work in. Texas A&M commitment and New Braunfels prospect Clayton Namken stood out physically with major hitting potential even at a loaded event like Area Code, but he too needs to continue putting in the extra hours simply receiving and catching the baseball.

While Billings, Cunningham and Serna were the brightest stars in the batter’s box, there were several others who really stood out, too. For an Area Code prospect, Hogan Nelson (Liberty Christian) arrived in San Diego slightly under the radar and certainly not as famous as many of his teammates. But by the time he left, Nelson made a name for himself as one of the best position player prospects in the state. In fact, a couple of scouts were extremely impressed with his plate skills, the consistently of his at-bats, and his ability to make hard contact consistently from the right side. On the big stage, Nelson treated the environment and competition like just another game, and while the game sped up for some of his peers, he looked totally comfortable. Currently uncommitted, Nelson’s phone undoubtedly blew up during Area Code and certainly after because of his performance - .286/.615/.429 with a team-high six walks and just two strikeouts. 

Nelson hits with a simple, repeatable approach – see ball, hit ball. He’s one of those hitters who takes the knob towards the baseball before the barrel eventually comes through and keeps a very steady head through contact. An outfielder at Area Code, which looked like a good long-term fit, Nelson threw out a runner at home plate with a perfect one-hop throw. Sharing the outfield often with Nelson was Kentucky commitment and Mansfield prospect Braxton Van Cleave. After seeing Van Cleave, an impressive, 6-3, 200-pound prospect physically with room to continue filling out, at the TSA All-Star Game and coming away very impressed, I saw more of the same at Area Code. He made quality contact from the left side consistently, didn’t look overmatched, played hard and has a high ceiling as a left-handed hitter who will grow into more power. Van Cleave hit .600/.667/.800 in 12 plate appearances. 

Nico Partida had just five plate appearances because he was a starting pitcher for one of the four games, and if he had more trips to the plate, he would have been right up there as one of the best bats on the team. Deep in counts, Partida did a good job of cutting down the intensity of his swing and controlled the barrel to cover the plate and smack a couple of singles. Even on the big stage, it was easy to see that Partida is truly a ballplayer who is good at everything and plays with a natural ease and joy. On the mound, I was extremely impressed with the way he bounced back from a tough first inning. Keep in mind that Partida barely gave up any runs during his outstanding season at Pearland. So, giving up four runs in the first inning might have been more than he gave up for an entire month in the playoffs. 

The 6-0, 190-pound righty bounced back and ended up striking out five batters in 3.0 innings. He issued three walks, but he was and is a much better strike-thrower than that suggests. After searching for some velo in the first inning, which caused his fastball to play down, Partida stayed within himself his final two innings and beat hitters with a 89-92 MPH fastball, threw a 71-74 MPH curveball for a strike easily and showed a promising 76 MPH changeup. While most pitchers, especially juniors, would have let struggling and the environment get to them, Partida showed strong mental makeup. As for the top pitching performance for the Rangers, the team didn’t lack options. 

Marcos Paz cemented his status as an elite prospect in the 2025 class with a strong outing. He threw 3.0 no-hit innings, walked one and struck out five. Like Partida, Paz, who is uncommitted, does an excellent job of staying within himself on the mound and keeping a stoic presence, but make no mistake, there’s a fire burning in his engine room. Fresh and ready to put on a show, Paz’s fastball sat comfortably at 90-93 MPH, and he hit his glove side while also working up the latter for whiffs late in counts. The Hebron prospect threw an 80-83 MPH slider with spin just above 2800 RPM at times and he knows how to change the shape when he wants to. Paz also used a quality 85 MPH changeup against both lefties and righties, which included a right-on-right whiff. His execution was very impressive. 

Good luck to hitters in Hebron’s district next year because Paz wasn’t the only pitcher at Area Code from the school who racked up five strikeouts in 3.0 innings with just one walk. Minjae Seo, a longtime Vanderbilt commitment, was up to 94 MPH with his fastball and racked up whiffs with a strong three-pitch mix. While his curveball really flashed at 74-76 MPH with some two-plane shape and spin around 2700 RPM, I really liked the changeup Seo showed because he toyed with lefties by hammering the arm side with his fastball before using his changeup in the same spot. The pitch features some late fade to the arm side at 76-80 MPH and had a true circle look. While Seo did have several arm side misses (his breaking ball sometimes popped out the side of his hand instead of out front) to drive his pitch count up some, he was often able to regain his feel and release on the mound. 

Paz and Seo have been household names for over a year. Aiden Barrientes hasn’t, but soon will be. The Katy prospect, who is poised to be unleashed on the Houston area this spring after not throwing a ton for the veteran team last year, followed Seo with similarly dominant stuff. At times, Barrientes, who committed to TCU just before Area Code, had stuff so good that he seemingly was going for the strikeout and perfect pitch a little too much, which led to four walks in 3.0 innings. He’s going to be a quality strike-thrower in the future with a promising delivery and he had one of the event’s best breaking balls – a 77-79 MPH curveball with spin around 2800 RPM that he sometimes changed to act as more of a shorter, slider-type breaker against lefties. Barrientes’ changeup showed future plus potential at 81-83 MPH with spin around 1400 RPM. 

Speaking of good breaking balls, Ridge Point lefty and longtime Texas commitment Jack McKernan made a strong case for best left-handed slider at Area Code underclass. He racked up countless whiffs with the 82-85 MPH pitch (around 2500 RPM) against both righties and lefties, who in particular had no chance. Up to 93 MPH with a quality heater, McKernan does feature a bit of deception with his arm path because the ball isn’t as visible to hitters for as long as they’re typically used to seeing. He didn’t get many bites at his changeup, but I liked the look of the 82-83 MPH pitch with spin around 1200-1300 RPM and late arm side tumble. It would have been easy for McKernan to get mad on the mound or lose confidence in throwing his slider because of some receiving and defensive issues, but he relentlessly attacked and struck out five in 3.0 innings with just one hit and two walks. 

Like Hebron, Ridge Point is going to be a team that hitters in the district dread facing because big Mason Murphy will be firing heaters on the same pitching staff that features McKernan. Listed at 6-5, 240 pounds, Murphy is a fascinating prospect because there is still so much room for growth. At times, his fastball was up to 92 MPH with spin as high as 2846 RPM; sometimes it showed what looked like some carry and other times it featured more run. Regardless, he should throw really hard in the future. The breaking ball looked like a type of spike-slider (could see the finger sticking up in the arm swing) at 81-84 MPH. I wonder if Murphy is a young pitcher with massive hands who simply hasn’t found the best way to throw and spin a breaking ball yet because he didn’t land many for strikes or get whiffs with the pitch, but there’s the makings of a really hard slider or cutter in there. He’s still growing into his body and gaining skill on the mound, which does lead to some inconsistent control. But there is a ton to work with and Murphy committed to Oklahoma immediately after Area Code. Skip Johnson has a long track record of getting the most out of big, hard-throwing righties like Murphy. 

He didn’t have the performance of Barrientes, Paz, McKernan and Seo, but I’ll say this about Cooper Fulbright – his final stretch on the mound, when he settled in and stopped overthrowing – featured arguably the best pure stuff of any pitcher in the event. Up to 95 MPH with his fastball, Fulbright, a righty from Strake Jesuit who is committed to Texas A&M, showed an 82 MPH hammer curveball that had spin up to 3110 RPM and also a true slider at 84 MPH with 2900 RPM. If at this time next year he’s showing those pitches more consistently, he’s going to have the attention of every scouting director in attendance. 

Trey Rangel might be the Fulbright of the 2026 class because the righty from The Colony spun a future plus, maybe plus-plus curveball at 77-79 MPH with spin up to 3207 RPM and also touched 94 MPH; when he let go of the ball out of a 6-1, 165-pound frame, it was like a brief flash of lightning each time. Electric. I thought Allen 2026 prospect and major left-handed pitcher Chander Hart fell victim to pitching tentatively on the mound because his stuff proved hard to catch. Up to 91 MPH from the left side with a 75-77 MPH slider that showed major promise, Hart punched out five in 3.0 innings but also walked four and gave up four hits. 

A true two-way prospect, Brody Walls threw 2.0 innings and gave up four runs – all unearned – with three walks, two hits and four strikeouts. He ran his fastball up to 92 MPH, put it on both corners and can really spin a 78-82 MPH slider with feel for manipulating the pitch. As a right-handed hitter, Walls went 2-for-6 with run times consistently in the 4.4 range and has room for growth as a hitter by tapping into his lower half. Cinco Ranch’s Lucas Franco had some of the brightest flashes in the batter’s box with a smooth left-handed swing that showed some pop. The most obvious projection candidate on the roster with his long, lean, 6-3 frame and loud future tools, Franco showed smooth, confident actions on the dirt and immense all-around potential. He’s going to continue growing into power and is a good bet to improve defensively as his reps increase because of the actions he plays with and a future plus arm. 

As the event progressed, Liberty Christian outfielder Brady Janusek began to settle in and displayed some promising all-around potential while holding his own in the batter’s box. There’s a pretty big gap between where Janusek (4.38 and 4.51 down the line) is currently and where he could be, which excited scouts because the all-around growth that will occur when the multi-sport athlete gets more reps and eventually focuses only on baseball in a couple years is really exciting. I thought Cayden Mitchell swung the bat much better than his stats indicated and just missed a couple of pitches, which resulted in high, deep fly outs. At times, the speed of the game was a little quick for Matt Boughton, but behind Franco, he might have been the most obvious candidate on the infield to tap into his immense potential as he matures, gets more reps and gets stronger. His all-around future tools (4.22 down the line from the right side) were apparent and his swing decisions were solid.

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor