In just over a week 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’s my latest problem: I got carried away with the pitchers. At Area Code, I was often in charge of capturing video of the pitchers. So, I often left with a better feel for those prospects than the position players, although I have about 20 pages of handwritten notes on those guys, too. I say “problem” because this project ended up being just over 10,000 words, but my hope is that it’s the opposite of a problem for readers. I went back and ranked the best 55 high school pitching prospects I saw during the 2023 calendar year. Was it difficult to slot these guys in order especially since I saw almost all of them only one time in person? In my best Stone Cold Steve Austin voice… hell yeah. But the exercise was fun, and I think a creative way for me to publish a ton of leftover scouting reports that weren’t published. Let’s get to the list and the reports, which will be broken down into five parts to keep one story from being War and Peace. Here are pitchers ranked 34-44.

No. 34
Houston Tomlinson – Grand Oaks (TX) – RHP – Texas A&M commit

Tomlinson has one of the best right-handed fastballs I saw during the 2023 season and my educated guess is it checks a lot of Trackman boxes that makes it play up. It doesn’t help hitters that the ball seemingly jumps out of a 6-0 frame with carry from what looks like bit of a lower angle/release. With a very steady head through his low-effort delivery, Tomlinson easily generates velocity and seemingly has a natural understanding of how to create efficiency on the mound. He can throw his slider as hard as 87 MPH and while the pitch doesn’t rack up whiffs at a notable rate, there’s no reason why he can’t have a really good breaking ball in the future with a hard, firm changeup that’s plenty good enough project as an average third pitch in the future. While Tomlinson’s first relief appearance at Area Code was one to forget, he bounced back with a better one his second time and we saw him routinely dominate quality competition in the summer. Betting on good fastballs is always smart.

No. 35
Chris Levonas – Christian Brothers (NJ) – RHP – Wake Forest commit

Wake Forest knows pitching and Levonas showed a distinct four-pitch mix at Area Code that performed well and created whiffs at a good rate. In addition to a fastball in the 90-94 MPH range, Levonas mixed in a 74-78 MPH curveball, 85-87 MPH slider and 80-83 MPH changeup. The slider is the future standout offering because when it’s right, he can spin a really tight, high-spin breaker that plays well off his fastball that can feature some horizontal run. With the curveball and changeup, Levonas is one of the rare high school pitchers who can work both East-West and North-South with his arsenal and also possesses some of the best spin feel in the country. With present arm/hand speed, scouts can project his stuff with confidence because of the way the arm works. I don’t think he develops into a physical specimen as a starting pitching prospect, but he should carry some more muscle in the future. 

No. 36
Cade Townsend – Santa Margarita Catholic (CA) – RHP – Ole Miss commit

Townsend spun one of my favorite breaking balls of the year – a picturesque, overhand hammer at 75-80 MPH with spin up to 3001 RPM. Part of the reason why the pitch took that shape was because of Townsend’s shoulder positions at release – his left shoulder tilted towards the mound and first base giving a true three-quarters slot an over-the-top appearance. With good gather and bend in his delivery, Townsend showed a lot of athletic traits on the mound in addition to really interesting spin feel; I thought he flashed what looked like a slider as well. Additionally, Townsend’s 83-86 MPH changeup with spin around 1600 RPM featured very late arm side run. 

He touched 93 MPH early in his 3.0 innings (five runs, one earned; three hits; four walks; six strikeouts) and was down to 88 MPH in the third inning. While his shoulder positioning helps his breaking ball, I think it might lead to his fastball playing down a tick and some surprising control issues too given what kind of athlete he is. That said, there are so many positives that wherever Townsend ends up – pro ball or Ole Miss – is going to have a lot to work with. Most of his control issues I attribute to simply needing more strength because his athleticism is good.

No. 37
Andreas Alvarez – Northside Christian (FL) – RHP – Auburn commit

A smooth mover on the mound who touched 94 MPH with his fastball, Alvarez impressively dominated at Area Code with six strikeouts in 3.0 innings. He created timing and rhythm on the mound well and his overhand curveball with spin around 2600 RPM was a swing-and-miss pitch. Alvarez used a changeup that he really turned over to create some atypical life and looked like a funky pitch against both righties and lefties. With a strong base and quality delivery, Alvarez has the ingredients to hold his velocity unlike most shorter right-handers. 

No. 38
Jack DeTienne – Verona (WI) – RHP – Xavier commit

Here it is. Try to hit it. That’s how DeTienne approaches his work on the mound and with a lively fastball that touched 96 MPH at Area Code, it’s a wise approach. I don’t know how famous DeTienne was when he showed up to Area Code because there was an element of, “who the heck is THIS guy?” in the scout section when he started firing heaters towards home plate. But he certainly put himself on the map. With long arms and a lean frame that will add some more good mass in the future, the righty is a candidate to throw even harder in the future. That might come in the bullpen because while he’s always on the attack, his approach is more control-over-command right now and he did walk three batters in 3.0 no-hit innings with primarily a two-pitch mix. But there’s some lightning in this bottle and plenty of opportunity for development. He’s kind of like the right-handed version of Blake Larson.

No. 39
Kade Durnin – Camdenton (MO) – RHP – TCU commitment

Armed with one of the best sliders at Area Code, Durnin punched out three in 2.0 scoreless innings and ran his fastball up to 95 MPH, which appeared to have a hint of extra giddy-up through the zone. A big recruiting win for TCU just ahead of signing day, Durnin’s slider featured noticeable depth at 80-82 MPH (spin up to 2624 RPM) and he also showed an 84 MPH changeup. Durnin, who is also a good high school quarterback, is on the attack when on the mound and confidently challenges hitters with a simple delivery and stays anchored to the rubber well. What has to excite TCU even more is there is room for Durnin to really improve with a stronger lead leg that should come naturally as he matures and spends time in the weight room. What might not excite TCU is Durnin is a candidate to blow up this spring as a draft prospect because of the combination of stuff, physical outlook/projection, and arm/hand speed.

No. 40
Dylan Hansen – Downingtown East (PA) – RHP – Coastal Carolina commit

Among the hardest throwers at Area Code with a fastball that reached 96 MPH, Hansen was a ton of fun to watch. He might have featured the most notable shoulder flexibility of any pitcher I saw in San Diego. So, it wasn’t a surprise to see him create premium velocity, and I think there is more in the tank as he continues to fill out and gain reps. His fastball featured some natural life through the zone and overpowered hitters. His control was scattered and although he bounced off the mound with notable athleticism, there is a little bit of a raw, relief-type feel to the operation currently. However, I’m optimistic that can be refined as he progresses and gains more reps. Hansen didn’t need it, but he can kill the spin of his changeup and it plays well off his fastball. His slider flashed with some sweep. Like the changeup, he didn’t need it much because the fastball bullied a really good lineup.

No. 41
Ryan Ashford – Lake Mary (FL) – LHP – Miami commit

He didn’t rack up a ton of strikeouts, but Ashford, in 2.0 scoreless innings at Area Code, filled up the strike zone easily with fastball and slider command. His 75-78 MPH slider was one of the best left-handed sliders I saw in 2023 thanks in large part to his ability to put it where he wanted. Ashford also mixed in an 81 MPH changeup that is a true piece to the arsenal and my educated guess is this pitch is much more of a consistent weapon than he showed in a short outing. His near sidearm slot plays into his fastball/slider well and his heater attacked wooden bats with the type of weight that led to weak grounders.

No. 42
Sal Valenzuela – Nogales (AZ) – LHP – Reds – Arizona commitment

In 3.0 innings, Valenzuela gave up just one hit, walked three and struck out seven. In particular, hitters really struggled with the skinny lefty’s changeup, a future plus pitch at 72-74 MPH that hits the brakes just as it gets to home plate and featured spin as low as 1460 RPM. The Arizona prospect throws the pitch with fastball conviction, and it plays well off his fastball, which was often in the 88-90 MPH (around 2300 RPM) range and to his glove side easily. Valenzuela, who appeared to be around 6-2, 200 pounds and lacks physical projection, also featured a 72-74 MPH curveball he could throw for strikes. His arm path does have some depth/plunge but his stuff came out of his hand well out in front.

No. 43
Tommy Bridges – Harvard Westlake (CA) – RHP – TCU commit

Across 4.0 impressive, shutout inning at Area Code, Bridges showed some of the best execution in the event and some of the best I saw all of 2023. Basically, he can really, really pitch. He lives comfortably in the 87-91 MPH range with his fastball that he can move around the zone. Since he can command both his slider and changeup at an advanced level, it helps his fastball punch above its weight class. With a smooth, easy delivery and natural ability to create rhythm and timing, there’s no reason to think Bridges’ pitchability is a fluke. He might not have long-term ace upside because the stuff isn’t as loud as some others on this list. However, he’s among the best bets in the country to show up to campus and immediately contribute as a starter.  

No. 44
Nic Abraham – Franklin (CA) – RHP – A’s – Oregon commitment

With some of the best control and command in the event, righty Nic Abraham threw 3.0 impressive, scoreless innings and gave up just one hit with five strikeouts. From a low three-quarters slot, Abraham showed he has the ingredients to neutralize lefties with a fastball commanded to his arm side (87-91 MPH) and a future plus changeup at 80-81 MPH (1464 RPM) that comes out of a similar look and features some late, circle-like dive. The righty also commanded his 79-81 MPH slider effectively. A high-waisted pitcher with some room to keep filling into his 6-4, 200-pound frame, Abraham isn’t a particularly explosive or quick mover on the mound, but he bends well with a good delivery and can flat out pitch with some room for growth.

Let’s eat…
Chef Chan’s (The Original) – (The Woodlands, Texas) – About 25 minutes from Houston Tomlinson’s high school is my favorite sesame chicken dish on the planet – Chef Chan’s. Yeah, there is a bit of nostalgia influencing this inclusion because I grew up near the Spring location, and I’m sure I’ve yet to taste other amazing sesame chicken dishes in Houston, NYC, LA, etc. But Chef Chan’s always delivers. Classic, neighborhood-style restaurant and rather than being lathered with so much sauce to mask the average preparation of the chicken and dish, Chef Chan’s perfectly balances a light amount of sauce with a hint of crispiness making for a delightful bite. 

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor