In just over a couple of weeks after Santa Claus has delivered his gifts and joy, we’ll wave goodbye to 2023 and welcome in 2024. December is one of the rare months in Texas when the baseball calendar almost comes to a complete halt. I say “almost” because I’m sure somewhere there is a workout, a game being played, something happening on a field. I use a lot of this time to work on our rankings, plan for the upcoming spring season and write, which is why you’re here. 

The 2023 baseball calendar was packed: spring high school season beginning the first week of February with scrimmages and ending in early June with the THSCA All-Star Game; Five Tool summer schedule kicking off in late May and running through early August; two weeks at Area Code in August; fall Five Tool schedule, scout team games and prospect workouts after the summer. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I saw a ton of baseball during 2023. December is also a time to think back about the best of the best: best players, performances, games, moments and more. I saw a lot of really good players of all ages, teams, games, events and more. Before we move to 2024, I wanted to share some “best of” stories from my in-person looks while also emptying my scouting notebook and publishing a lot of reports that have been hanging out in my hard drive. And for fun, because the Five Tool Podcast almost always includes food discussion, some “best of” eating, too. Here are the five best pitching performances I saw live:

No. 1
James Ellwanger (Magnolia West) vs. Lake Creek (2023 high school season)

When I arrived at Magnolia West, I had tempered excitement. I heard about Ellwanger throwing 95 or 97 MPH, depending on who you talk to, and making major strides in his few starts since dominating on the hardwood as a high-motor, athletic, undersized five that could throw down dunks, grab rebounds and block shots. And I say “tempered” because if I had a dollar for every text about a guy throwing 95 MPH only to be 88-91 MPH when I show up, I’d be driving to games in a Porsche. Plus, Ellwanger is a player I saw for years in the summer and typically it was always the same thing - 88-92 MPH, inconsistent breaking ball that flashed occasionally, control and command that would come-and-go and no real third pitch. But the ingredients were always there for a huge jump and good, 6-5 athletes with arm strength and arm speed are good bets to make a jump. Well, the jump happened. Heck, he went from jumping over puddles to leaping over skyscrapers this night.

Against one of the top lineups in Texas, Ellwanger came out pumping gas. He touched 98 MPH in the first inning with a slider up to 88 MPH and had the look in his eyes of a guy who was going to demolish anything in his path. After all, this is a pitcher affectionately nicknamed “Big Game James” by his Texas Twelve teammates and coaches. But no one had ever seen “Big Game James” with BIG-time stuff like this. Even when we try to pick the best games to go to or the best players to go see, you’re never guaranteed a memorable performance, especially on the pitching side. I knew in the first inning Ellwanger was about to deliver an unforgettable performance that would create a buzz throughout the state. When I tweeted out a clip from the first inning with a report on Ellwanger touching 98 MPH, my phone immediately lit up like a Christmas tree. Scouts who weren’t there wanted to know if this was real. Yeah, buddy. It was real. And it was spectacular. 

Once he found his timing around the third inning, Ellwanger carried 95-96 MPH the rest of the way and began to throw two distinct breaking balls - a curve (76-80 MPH) and slider (83-88 MPH). On this night, I saw the slider as the better breaking ball with true shape and better feel for executing to the glove side against right-handed hitters. But talk to scouts back then and they’ve seen times when the curveball is better, and there was some present feel for spinning the pitch that was a short, tight breaker with power characteristics when Ellwanger was able to keep it from coming out the side and backing up on him; at times, the pitch had more depth and break with lower velocity and other times it was a harder, sharper pitch with later break. While the curveball was more inconsistent than the slider, there were times when both pitches flashed - the slider future plus and curve future above average. Then, there was the splitter. Splitters are fun. Well, unless you’re hitting. Ellwanger threw his with a very low spin rate that combined with fastball conviction/arm speed to create a legitimate weapon at 84-88 MPH that should help him neutralize lefties at the next level. He didn’t throw the pitch a ton, but when he did, it often showed the shape desired in the pitch and I’m very comfortable projecting it as a definite piece of his arsenal moving forward. 

In the end, Ellwanger went the distance and gave up just one run on two hits, three walks and struck out 14 batters. On the final pitch of the game, the 6-5 righty and future DBU pitcher touched 96 MPH. He dominated his district rival and showed the type of competitiveness his summer coaches raved about – a quiet but intense fire burning inside him to challenge and dominate his opposition. After Five Tool colleague Nick Thames and I finished up our videos, I energetically walked back to my car with a gleeful bounce in my step. Heck, the two-and-a-half-hour drive back to Austin wouldn’t even require coffee this time. I was high on premium velocity and pitching dominance. And then I thought… how the heck do I rank this guy?

Up to that point, Ellwanger was outside the 2023 Five Tool Texas 55. Now, he was going to be near the top. But how high? And what kind of pro prospect was he? In the end, he finished No. 6 on our list, but I still wonder (To be fair, I think the same thing about Kendall George, too.) if he should have been as high as second, especially after an all-time elite performance in the 5A state semifinal when he didn’t give up his first hit until there were two outs in the seventh inning and struck out 17 hitters. Yes, 17. Major FOMO missing that outing. Ellwanger ended up making it to DBU, likely a combination of setting a price tag too high because if he had been as signable as Barrett Kent for around $1 million, there is zero doubt in my mind someone would have taken the chance. 

No. 2
Jack Brady (Westlake) vs. Round Rock (2023 high school playoffs)

Round Rock’s Travis Sykora was magnificent during the first game of this playoff series, but his pitching performance wasn’t the best of the Westlake-Round Rock battle. Junior right-hander Jack Brady, a Five Tool Academic Team alum, pitched the game of his life in the biggest game of his life. We’ve had the pleasure of being around Brady a lot since he was a member of our Arizona Fall Classic team in 2022 and pitches about 15 minutes from my house. So, there were a few aspects about Brady’s scouting report I was fully convicted about even prior to his unforgettable performance at Concordia University in a winner-take-all. He has some of the best control, command and pitchability/execution in the state and he has an outstanding, singular focus and competitiveness from pitch-to-pitch with a good delivery that he can repeat deep into outings. And make no mistake, even though he doesn’t feature a big fastball, he carries himself on the mound like he’s in a boxing match and wants to deliver a bunch of gut punches with the occasional haymaker before knocking a team to the turf. With everything on the line, everything clicked for Brady.

Brady, a tall, long, skinny right-hander with big shoulders who continues to build arm strength and has projection remaining, went the distance in extremely impressive fashion. He gave up just one run on four hits, two walks and struck out 10. When it was all clicking, Brady, who committed to McLennan this fall, commanded a fastball up to 87 MPH that created whiffs up in the zone and used his heater on both sides of the plate. And his slider was a bat-missing weapon all seven innings. At 79-81 MPH, Brady’s true slider featured tight shape and late, short diving action to his glove side. He commanded the pitch very well, often burying it with two strikes. He didn’t use it much, but the Westlake right-hander also flashed a true hook at 70-74 MPH and when it came out of his hand the right way, it had an overhand appearance with spin and depth. Once Brady found his changeup feel, he began to baffle lefties with it at 79-81 MPH because he threw it with complete conviction and its spin created a four-seam look while also dying as it approached the batter’s box. 

Westlake fed off Brady’s demeanor. In a setting that can and did rattle some players, Brady wasn’t going to be denied. For those of you who aren't from Texas, understand this was a very charged atmosphere between crosstown rivals and fans in the packed seats were audibly living and dying with each pitch. And as the game progressed, his teammates sensed that, took advantage of some sloppy Round Rock pitching and defense and pushed across enough runs for Brady, who ended the game by fielding the final ball in play and underhand tossing it to first before turning towards the Westlake faithful with celebratory arms raised. Teammates sprinted out of the dugout to tackle him, and the crowd began chanting, “JB!”. Westlake went on to reach the state semifinal game and set a school record with 40 wins. Brady will be back again to anchor the pitching staff and will lead the charge towards some unfished business. 

No. 3
Bryce Navarre (Yankees) vs. Nationals – Area Code

Entering Area Code, I knew left-hander Bryce Navarre could show one of the state’s best curveballs and possessed the best ability to create breaking ball spin of anyone in Texas. I saw him at Minute Maid Park at the Texas Scouts Association All-Star Game and left very excited about his long-term ability. Then, his outing in San Diego, on the biggest stage for high school prospects, happened. 

Against the Nationals, Navarre threw 4.0 shutout innings and gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out nine. It earned him Pitcher of the Week honors at the event and his breaking ball was so extremely good that it allowed him to dominate despite less-than-ideal fastball command and a changeup he showed but didn’t ever truly need. His breaking ball was that good with spin up to 3270 RPM. He could spin a big one in for an early strike and show a similar one that could dive into the dirt for whiffs. And he also could change the shape of the pitch with shorter breaking balls with a hint of sweep that he sometimes purposely used versus left-handers to his glove side. Calm and collected on the mound with good rhythm and an easy, repeatable delivery, Navarre put himself on the map at Area Code as a high school pitcher every area scout will want an early look at this spring. He’s a very strong commitment to Texas A&M, but coming out of the gates with a slight velocity bump from his 87-90 MPH heater in San Diego could put that to the test because we simply don’t see many prep lefties who can spin this type of breaking ball. 

No. 4 
Cooper Williams (Rangers) vs. Brewers – Area Code

In 4.0 innings at Area Code, the Alvin product gave up just two hits and punched out eight against a loaded Brewers lineup with no walks. Heck, loaded is an understatement because it was the best of the best from Southern California. Working quickly and easily – I’m not sure his breath or heart rate ever elevated - with a good demeanor, the lanky, 6-4, 175-pound lefty attacked with his fastball (88-94 MPH and around 2300 RPM), effectively mixed in his “sweepy” curveball (73-78 MPH) and showed a plus changeup (81-84 MPH) that eliminated possible platoon splits. Williams didn’t touch 94 MPH in the first and then work at a lower velocity; he was able to get to it in the fourth inning, too. Of his 58 pitches, 37 were strikes and Williams pitched fearlessly with a good tempo that put hitters on the defensive from pitch one of at-bats. I like the delivery, the way the arm works, the makeup and the fastball played up. 

Speaking of the makeup, Williams tried to talk his way into another inning, but Area Code outings almost never exceed four innings. There isn't a doubt in my mind he could have easily thrown at least seven quality innings against the best lineup he ever faced up to that point. As impressive as his results were, and specifically how easily he overwhelmed a loaded lineup with his fastball-changeup combination, I think scouts coaching the Rangers team were even more impressed with his mound makeup. I can’t overstate the Area Code setting for pitchers – all they see beyond home plate are people holding radar guns who ultimately decide whether to draft them or not. But Williams had tunnel vision and pitched like he was back in Alvin facing an overmatched high school lineup. The only thing preventing him from being a truly elite, slam dunk day one MLB Draft prospect is feel for spinning a breaking ball. However, he’s able to get the pitch to break in a way that can still get called strikes and occasional whiffs. If the spin improves and the velocity continues to tick up, he is going to be one of the most heavily scouted pitchers in Texas and maybe the country because scouts were buzzing about his performance and makeup at Area Code.

No. 5
Jaquae Stewart vs. Smithson Valley (Keith Tuck Memorial Tournament at Dripping Springs)

We all know Jaquae Stewart as a big-time left-handed hitter and a future middle-of-the-order bat at Houston Christian. But he’s quite the dude on the mound, too. Stewart threw a complete game, one-hit shutout against a very, very talented Smithson Valley squad that features one of the deepest, best lineups in the state. For an early-season tournament game, this matchup between two loaded squads felt like a playoff game. And I suppose Sinton coming off a state title when it was arguably one of the best teams in recent Texas baseball history adds gasoline to the fire. Tension was high. Each out was enormous. There was no shortage of intense, loud smack talk between teams. 

There’s some deception in Stewart’s left-handed arm path, allowing his 84-88 MPH fastball play up a tick and he carries himself with immense confidence and competitiveness on the mound. Stewart manipulated the shape of his curveball, showing a slower pitch with more depth and a harder pitch with shorter break. He was unafraid to challenge hitters all game and ended up striking out 10 batters with just two walks. In that same game, he provided the only RBI in a 1-0 victory when he hammered a laser to right-center field. 

HONORABLE MENTION: There are a long list of Area Code performances that could fit, but the event usually limits starters to just one three-inning outing or a couple of two-inning appearances. Levi Sterling (Notre Dame; California) established himself as one of the best right-handed pitching prospects in the country with an electric outing that included six strikeouts in 2.0 innings. Boston Bateman (Adolfo Cmarillo; California) was nearly unhittable during 3.0 innings had one of the best fastball-curveball combos out of a big frame with some angle. After Joey Oakie (Ankeny Centennial; Illinois) left the mound at Area Code, I wondered if I just watched the best right-handed stuff in the nation. Teammate Ryan Sloan (York; Illinois) asked the same questions after he recorded whiffs with all three pitches and ran his fastball up to 96 MPH. In 3.0 no-hit innings with seven strikeouts, William Kirk (Ramsey; New Jersey) proved he's one of the best quality strike-throwers in the nation with a good fastball-changeup combo. Lefty Cole Gibler (Blue Springs; Missouri), who pitched for the Royals at Area Code, used a sharp, angry 79-81 MPH curveball with spin around 2800 RPM to throw 3.0 one-hit innings with seven strikeouts. A trip to see Zane Adams (Porter) during the Texas high school season certainly didn't end up a disappointment... he was extremely good in 5.0 innings with 12 strikeouts and impressive strike-throwing. 

Let’s eat…

Oscars Mexican Seafood (San Diego, CA) – If you like fresh ceviche that hits all the right flavor and texture notes, this is your spot. I’ve never tasted a better grilled octopus taco and the taco especial (smoked fish, shrimp, scallops) was divine. The vibe is chill, hole-in-the-wall restaurant like, but the décor and art delivered a mix between authentic San Diego beach spot and sophisticated Southern California. Just steps from picturesque Pacific Beach, you’re probably going to have to wait because it’s clearly a popular spot both for locals and tourists. The wait will be worth it. Trust me.