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Five Tool 55: 2022 Texas Follow List
09/03/2021

Five Tool 55 Follow List: Interesting talents to track in 2022

Our initial Texas 2022 rankings coverage ends with our Follow List. The Lone Star State is consistently among the best states in producing a deep crop of high school baseball talent each cycle. The 2022 class is no different and we wanted to highlight nearly 100 other talented players that we evaluated closely and noticed this summer.

Adam Troy – RHP – Summer Creek
Adam Vaughn – RHP – Cedar Park
Aidan Kuni – UTIL – Flower Mound (Texas Tech commit)
Aiden Beumann – UTIL – New Braunfels
Andrew Tellia – INF/RHP – Rockwall (Weatherford commit)
Antonelli Savattere – MIF – Rowlett
Armando Rocha – MIF/RHP – Jersey Village (Houston commit)
Arrington Eason – OF – Tomball (Lamar commit)
Blaine Palmer – RHP/SS – Jim Ned (Abilene Christian commit)
Braedyn Cunningham – RHP – Denton Guyer (Houston commit)

Troy’s control was very inconsistent when I saw him multiple times, but he doesn’t lack intrigue with a fastball up to 87 MPH, flashes of an above average overhand hook with bite and an athletic, projectable frame. Vaughn finished the summer on a high note pitching for the Canes National team and punching out seven across 3.1 innings; fastball up to 89 MPH with a promising overhand hook and signs of a changeup. 

Palmer shows his infield actions and athleticism on the mound with a simple delivery and quick, clean arm; the fastball can play down some, but there’s some feel for spin and a lot of physical projection remains. Rocha is an intriguing two-way talent; Cunningham is a very physical RHP with some present arm strength and Eason an undersized outfielder with an all-around skill set that should show more often with added strength.

Brodie Daniel – OF – A&M Consolidated (Tulane commit)
Brody Ticer – RHP/IF – Central Catholic
Brooks Gay – RHP – Abilene Wylie
Caleb Castle – IF/RHP – Clear Lake (Northwestern State commit)
Canon Chester – 1B – Sinton (Alabama commit)
Carson Courtney – MIF/RHP – Hudson (Sam Houston State commit)
Carson Laws – RHP – Antonian Prep
Charlie Bower – LHP/1B/OF – Lake Travis (Baylor commit)
Charlie Feris – RHP – Cy Ranch
Chase Davis – LHP – Montgomery (Texas A&M commit)
Christian Bates – OF – Prestonwood Christian Academy

Daniel just tossed seven touchdowns as a quarterback and his bat stood out loudly this summer. Sam Houston State has enjoyed a lot of success with players like Courtney, who really compete at a high level and are skilled. In hindsight, Bates should have received more serious Five Tool 55 consideration because he’s added a lot of physicality over the last year and his bat speed and tools really stand out. 

Christian Salazar – MIF – Cy Ranch (Rice commit)
Cody Templeton – LHP – Johnson
Colby Diaz – RHP/1B/3B – Rouse – Texas State
Cole Tabor – MIF – Reagan (Temple College commit)
Colin Huspen – RHP – Allen
Collin Coker – IF/OF – Sweeny (Texas State commit)
Collin Valentine – LHP – Highland Park (Texas commit)
Connor Cox – 1B – Longview
Cooper Schneider – IF/OF – Cleburne
Dante Cano – LHP – Abilene Wylie (Texas Tech commit)

After showing quick, strong hands and hammered a homer at Reckling Park, Salazar committed to Rice a few days later. He might be undersized, but the bat has a chance to stick out in college. Templeton’s fastball shape proved working 81-84 MPH from the left side can still be effective as he tossed a complete game shutout against Texas Twelve Maroon. 

Valentine has a lot of physical projection remaining and should add more velocity as he fills out; presently, he projects as a pitchability lefty with some signs of spin, command and a future four-pitch mix. A couple looks at Cano showed an inconsistent breaking ball, but he’s a physical left-handed arm with room for more velocity and development to get the most out of his breaking stuff. 

Derek Hernandez – MIF – Moody (Wharton commit)
Ethan Bourg – INF – Magnolia West
Ethan Garcia – RHP – Canyon (Incarnate Word commit)
Gabriel Watson – RHP/OF – Midway
Garrett Baumann – RHP – Cornerstone Christian (Texas Tech commit)
Garrett Coiner – RHP – Pearland (Incarnate Word commit)
Garrett Stratton – RHP – Strake Jesuit (Rice commit)
Grayson Murray – RHP – Brook Hill
Holden Rook – OF – The Woodlands College Park (Abilene Christian commit)
Jacob Caraway – OF – Boerne Champion 

Watson is very raw but also very talented, and recently touched 92 MPH at Oklahoma’s camp; on the mound, he’s probably more on the relief end but a college would be wise to grab him quick. Caraway ran a 6.4 60-yard dash. Although he shows a bit of an unorthodox finish to his left-handed swing, there’s also some feel for the barrel and pop. Coiner and Garcia were both up to 90 MPH, and Rook might have plus-plus speed.

Jacob Rogers – RHP – Friendswood (Texas Tech commit)
Jaime Montemayor – RHP/INF – Sterling
Jake Tatom – INF – Porter (Sam Houston State commit)
Jake Weaver – OF – Midway (Temple College commit)
Jax Traeger – RHP – Concordia Lutheran (TCU commit)
JC Gutierrez – LHP – La Joya (Texas Tech commit)
Jhaeden Bowers – RHP – Milby (Jackson State commit)
John Mateer – RHP/INF – Little Elm
John Michael Ramirez – RHP/1B – Brandeis
Jonathon Gonzales – INF – Milby

I think Rogers is a prime candidate to experience a huge developmental jump in college. He was up to 92 MPH when I saw him with an athletic delivery and frame and quick arm. But his fastball played down because of spin; he’s some developmental tweaks away from unlocking more stuff. On the other end of the spectrum, Montemayor was only up to 81 MPH but had some of the best ability to spin two different breaking balls I saw all summer. 

Bowers is raw on the mound and his arm action needs work, but he’s already shown low 90’s velocity before and has physical upside. On the mound, Mateer showed some fastball angle and projection. At the SBC Elite 17U event, Gonzales was a big performer with the bat and the ball jumps off his bat.

Jordan Shepherd – OF – Mansfield Lakeridge
Joshua Hoover – RHP/UTIL – Rockwall-Heath (Indiana football commit)
Kain Sanchez – C/UTIL – Caldwell (McNeese commit)
Kayden Voelkel – RHP/1B – Legacy (Weatherford College commit)
Kody Gibbs – RHP – Needville (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi commit)
Kyler Winkler – LHP – St. Pius X (Incarnate Word commit)
Landen Yorek – RHP – Klein Oak (Houston commit)
Lathen Buzard – 3B – Fort Bend Travis (Northwestern State commit)
Mark Zapata – LHP – Pearland 

Shepherd did show some swing-and-miss in the hit tool, but he has good size, athleticism, some raw power, solid defensive actions and has a chance to really develop. I think Gibbs is a great snag by TAMUCC because he has an easy delivery with a quick, clean arm. Like Gibbs, Zapata shows similar things but from the left side on the mound with easy upper 80’s velocity already showing.

Mason Ruiz – 1B – Bryan (Texas A&M commit)
Matthew Houston – C/UTIL – Hallsville (Navarro College commit)
Matthew Whitting – C/UTIL – Lamar (Blinn commit)
Michael Benzor – LHP/1B/OF – North Shore (Oklahoma State commit)
Owen Cansler – C/UTIL – West Brook
Owen Peck – INF – Lone Star
Rashaad James – 3B – Kinkaid
Ryan Black – SS/INF – Lake Ridge (UT Arlington commit)
Ryan Franden – INF – Seven Lakes (Sam Houston State commit)
Ryland Urbanczyk – RHP – College Station (Rice commit)

Ruiz showed impressive plate discipline and pitch recognition. He finished the Five Tool Houston College Championships with 10 walks and zero strikeouts. Behind the dish, Whiting plays with high energy and his compact swing is built for high contact rates currently. 

At 6-4 with length and enough athleticism to try him as a starter in college, Benzor has a lot of upside and already touched 91 MPH. Cansler is an undersized catcher and utility player who routinely barreled the ball during the Five Tool World Series to all parts of the field. In Houston at the College Championships, James posted some big exit velocity numbers and showed some ability to play third base. 

Franden looked impressive after recovering from a leg injury and Black showed a pretty swing with some leverage from the left side.

Ryne Rodriguez – LHP – Trinity Valley (UT Arlington commit)
Sam Flores – INF – Lufkin
Sam Letz – RHP/INF – Tivy
Thomas Lyssy – INF/RHP – Harlingen (Houston commit)
Thomas Marquardt – RHP – Harlan (Incarnate Word commit)
Tim Arguello – RHP – San Antonio Christian (Wichita State commit)
Trent Baker – OF – Klein Cain
Trevor Sebek – 3B/RHP – Cy-Fair
Trey Acreman – MIF – Montgomery (Sam Houston State commit)
Tyler Betts – OF – Round Rock 

From the left side, Rodriguez showcased the best sinker I saw this summer, competed well, and pitched with noteworthy control. Flores showed some pop from the left side with a positive attack angle and some signs of impacting the baseball. 

Acreman has loose actions and a frame that should easily add some good mass to it and is another one of those ballplayer-types with skill on the diamond. He’s a two-way talent, but should make an impact as a position player at Sam Houston State. Betts made hard contact the entire weekend I watched him, tracked the ball well in center field, and showed some wheels.

Tyler Brautigam – RHP – The Woodlands (TCU commit)
Tyler Sudderth – RHP – Granbury (Tarleton State commit)
Will Bush – C – Birdville (Texas Tech commit)
Will Croft – RHP – Bridgeland
Xavier Hirsch – RHP – Mansfield
Zachary Fields – OF/RHP – Tomball Memorial
Zachary Spradling – 3B/1B/RHP – Hays
Zane Petty – RHP – Corsicana (McLennan commit)
Zeke Velazquez – C – Woodrow Wilson (UTRGV commit)

Bush is an impressive physical athlete with an unorthodox left-handed swing and raw power. He moves pretty well for his size – around 6-3, 200 pounds – but might have to move out of catcher in the future. Regardless, how much Texas Tech can bring out of the bat will determine his value. Croft showed a three-pitch mix, was up to 87 MPH and has physical projection. 

Fields hammered the ball with some big exit velocity numbers from a short, simple right-handed swing, has a plus arm from the outfield and also has some intrigue on the mound. McLennan wisely snagged a commitment from Petty, a skinny right-hander who should fill out and is already touching 88 MPH with legit feel for spinning two different breaking balls.

Dustin McComas – Follow me on Twitter
Senior Editor
Five Tool Baseball

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