Baseball season is here, and that means the Five Tool staff is out there working, evaluating and filming. If you know anything about Five Tool, you know we capture a lot of baseball video. A LOT. And that means we see a lot of amazing plays and excellent performances. 

Each week, we’re going to share with readers, fans and baseball junkies 10 of the best plays and performances we recorded and covered from across the nation during the previous week. Now that we’re off and running in Texas, California, Arizona and beyond, we’ll undoubtedly be forced to leave some recognition on the bench to keep this to 10. 

This week’s list includes a top MLB Draft prospect making a loud statement in a big game, catchers throwing out runners, impressive pitches and impressive defense and walk-off bombs. 

10) Nico Partida created some buzz, especially this fall, with his bat. This past week, he showed some of the best stuff for the 2025 class with an electric performance against Alvin, which included 6.1 innings of one-run baseball with seven strikeouts and just three hits. While his lively heater with carry up to 92 MPH will garner the most attention, Partida’s changeup looks like a future plus pitch; it hits the brakes just before it gets to the box, and created some ugly swings from lefties. Beautiful. 

9) Does Zane Adams have the best curveball in the state? In front of our camera, it sure did look like it this past week against Huntsville. He tossed 5.0 shutout frames and gave up just two hits, didn’t issue a walk and punched out 13. The curveball was the star of the show and completely overwhelmed opposing hitters with its sharp, late break. 

8) It almost looked like Josh Simanton planned this play: he blocked a pitch in the dirt, which then popped into the air for him to grab. Then, the Gilbert (Arizona) catcher fired a perfect strike to second base to catch a runner trying to steal, which ended the game for a run-rule victory. 

7) Keeping with the catcher theme, this play by Cody Cashon might not have been as impressive as Simanton’s, but it occurred during a crucial spot of the game. With Southlake Carroll clinging to a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning against rival Keller, Cashon’s caught stealing ended the sixth and put his team back in the dugout with its lead. The 2024 Houston commitment continues to have a strong season. 

6) Adrian Montoya, a 2025 prospect, put his team on the scoreboard by… hitting the scoreboard. The Valley Vista (Arizona) prospect boasts some impressive pull-side pop for a sophomore and looks like a future physical, power hitter that is going to make some noise. 

5) Following a defensive miscue, Westwood loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh inning as UTSA signee and Vista Ridge ace Hank Howard attempted to finish an impressive complete game. Cole Russom saved the day. With Westwood’s best hitter at the plate, a deep fly ball in foul territory - Vista Ridge’s field has a lot of foul territory - looked like it might fall in, but Russom tracked it down and made a really tough, over-the-shoulder catch to seal the 2-1 victory. 

4) In Oklahoma, Bishop Kelley was a part of a wild, back-and-forth affair that included a ton of highlights. Tanner McMurray, an uncommitted 2024 prospect, tied the game at eight in the sixth inning when he blasted a two-run homer to left-center field. That set the stage for extra innings and more highlights… 

3) Choctaw was the other part of that wild game with Bishop Kelley an Drake Fittro, a Five Tool summer favorite, kept his team in the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with an excellent defensive play. He charged in to catch a shallow fly ball and threw out a runner tagging from home and trying to score the game-winning run. Clutch. 

2) Unfortunately for Choctaw, Fittro’s effort wasn’t enough because in the bottom of the ninth inning, Bishop Kelley’s Grayson Smith ended a wild game with a walk-off homer. The Seminole State signee knew it off the bat and joyfully glided around the bases before his teammates met him near home to celebrate. 

1) In a huge matchup against Mountain Pointe, Hamilton’s Roch Cholowsky proved, once again, he’s not just a famous name because of his tools. He’s a top performer on the big stage. The UCLA signee, who looks like a surefire day one MLB Draft selection if he’s signable, blasted two homers and strutted his stuff down the baseline. He finished 4-for-4, which included a walk-off single to complete the run-rule victory. 

Five Tool Staff