#DudeWatch is back. The purpose? To shine a brighter light on a few uncommitted 2023 prospects we think colleges should take a closer look at. This edition includes a lot of Five Tool Academic team flavor after the Arizona Fall Classic, an intriguing pitcher from South Texas and an underrated outfielder from the Houston area. 

Brady Englett - C/2B - Katy

Englett went the entire Arizona Fall Classic without getting out. Okay, slight exaggeration. But he was outstanding with the bat, repeatedly making hard contact, covering the plate and tracking pitches well. An undersized catcher, Englett makes up for his lack of size with impressive agility, athleticism and speed.

Early in the summer, he looked like he could stick at catcher and even if he doesn’t at the next level, he’d profile fine at second base. This was our breakdown from our Sam Houston State event in June:

“I didn’t know anything about 2023 catcher/utility player Brady Englett when he squatted down and started warming up his pitcher. Over the next two hours or so, I learned the uncommitted prospect from Katy can play. He’s not a traditional catcher from a physical sense. His listed height and weight - 5-9, 165 pounds - looked accurate, but don’t let it fool you. He can catch and he can throw thanks to a quick transfer and quick arm action.

Englett showed impressive agility and skill behind the dish, and brings a unique twitchy athleticism to the position. He also played with outstanding energy. When he caught strike three to end an inning, he popped out of his stance and was into the dugout before the opposing batter could even lead the batter’s box. That quickness showed on the bases, too. Englett ran 4.2 seconds from home to first and moves very well for a catcher. According to the Twelve Baseball program, Englett has one of the best vertical jumps on the team and ran a 6.64 60-yard dash.

After I saw him, Englett later homered in another game. College coaches looking for 2023 catchers need to put eyes on Englett and soon.”

A member of the Five Tool Academic team, Englett has excellent credentials in the classroom making him an even more impressive prospect because of the potential to qualify for academic aid and stay off a program’s 11.7 scholarship limit. Regardless, D1 programs need to take a look.

Tanner Jackson - RHP - Round Rock

Another Five Tool Academic team member, Jackson touched 89 MPH at the Arizona Fall Classic and has an intriguing profile with a deep arsenal - including a true splitter that flashes as a weapon versus lefties - and physical, right-handed presence. Jackson spins his curveball well, has present arm strength and strength throughout his frame and is a candidate to unlock some more velocity at the next level.

Braden Smith - C - Frisco Memorial

Smith is an uncommitted senior that will have some options due to his physical abilities as well as his classroom success. Coming in at 6-2 and 215 pounds, Smith has a college-ready body and can generate exit velocities in the triple digits. Behind the plate, he has experience catching elite stuff having spent an entire summer with the 2023 UBC National team. The right-handed hitter has shown the ability to handle both catcher and first base at a high level and still possesses some potential to improve. In the classroom, Smith sports a 3.96 GPA, a 1310 SAT and 29 ACT.

Justin Blancaflor - OF - John Paul II

If Blancaflor looks, moves and competes like a football player on the diamond it’s because he is a football player. And a good one. On the diamond, Blancaflor, playing for the Five Tool Academic team thanks to his stellar work in the classroom, tracked down baseballs very well in center field at the Arizona Fall Classic, has impressive speed, and his quick twitch and strength show in his impactful swing. A productive player for a long time, Blacaflor has a well-rounded skill set that can impact a game in a variety of ways. His tryout prior to the Arizona Fall Classic was so strong he made the Academic All-Star Game.

Tre Broussard - OF - Clear Brook

I’m scratching my head on this one. Broussard just turned 17 years old a few weeks ago. He was outstanding during the AABC Don Mattingly World Series and has performed elsewhere this summer and fall. He has a pretty left-handed swing with some bat speed and barrel feel. He’s a very athletic runner who runs 4.2 seconds down the line and plays faster than the watch because his swing gets him out of the box a tick slow. He has a future 60 arm from the outfield and can cover ground. And he likes to compete.

There’s a lot to like about what kind of player he is currently and the projection is obvious.

Alex Paniagua - RHP - Eagle Pass

I first saw Paniagua pitch in one of our San Antonio fall events in 2021 and came away intrigued by the advanced ability to spin a quality breaking ball (have seen both curve and slider and like the curve as a weapon), a promising changeup thrown for a strike and the future velocity and command potential with the fastball. I still believe in all three of those things.

There’s a lot to like about Paniagua’s arm speed, shoulder rotation, and his hip-to-shoulder separation is another indicator there’s more velocity in the tank. I think he’s going to throw strikes with three pitches, fill out physically and is an underrated gym for the right program. If a college scouts with just the radar gun, it’s going to miss on a quality pitcher like this.

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor
Five Tool Baseball

Drew Bishop contributed to this story