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 features an unbelievably dominant pitching performance from Texas’ top 2024 player, excellent defense in clutch situations and big power from around the nation. Let’s take a look:

10) Nathan Bayus mashed a two-run homer and it wasn’t a cheap one. The 2024 left-handed hitter, who is uncommitted and also is a standout football player, unloaded on a pitch and hit a towering blast to center field that resulted in the center fielder hanging on the top of the fence to track the ball’s flight over his head. A physical prospect from Sandra Day O’Connor (Arizona) with a very strong, compact frame, Bayus looks like he has to be one of the top power hitters in the area. 

9) Casey Borba, who signed with Texas, was often so good in the Boras Classic that you can take your pick of videos. The power hitter from Orange Lutheran (California) turned on this pitch and smoked a two-run homer over the wall in left field. Watch this swing and it’s no surprise Borba is one of the top prep hitters in the nation. 

8) Andrew Padova showed that pitchers are athletes, too. The 2024 right-hander from JSerra (California) came off the mound to field a shopper, and made the quick, fearless decision to dive and tag the runner before he touched home plate. Impressive. 

7) Down in the count 1-2 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, sophomore Kaemon Cantu (Canyon) came up clutch when he kept his hands back against a breaking ball and pulled a walk-off single to left field. Soon after, his teammates chased him into center field. Cool moment. 

6) Navarro signee and Allen infielder Lathan Van Ausdall made an incredible play at shortstop when he reacted quickly, dove, and snagged a screaming one-hopper. Known for his impressive athleticism, Van Ausdall jumped to his feet and fired to first in time. 

5) Is Aidan Smith the best outfielder in Texas? The Lovejoy standout and Mississippi State commitment continued his strong case with an awesome display this past weekend, which included going 4-for-4 with multiple triples. 

4) Allen’s Caden Young is turning into one of the top uncommitted catchers in Texas for the 2024 class. In addition to blasting a two-run bomb, Young made a clutch catch in foul territory with bases loaded and two outs. While the catch might not seem that difficult, tracking the ball from the catcher position towards the fence in foul territory is awkward and more difficult than it looks. 

3) He’s known for his special ability as a hitter in the 2025 class, but don’t overlook Kayson Cunningham’s work with the leather. Johnson was trailing 3-2 with two outs and two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth inning when Cunningham made this incredible stop with a diving backhand and throw from a knee. The next inning Johnson scored nine runs to win. Momentum shifted. 

2) Bridgeland outfielder and 2024 Texas commitment Miles Syptak possesses a great blend of athleticism and bat speed in the batter’s box. He unloaded on a couple of pitches against Cypress Woods and blasted two homers, including this three-run no-doubter to left field. 

1) Performance of the year? Casan Evans, the No. 1 player in the 2024 Five Tool 55 for Texas, threw a no-hitter and struck out 17 batters. He touched 95 MPH in the seventh inning. Dominant doesn't even begin to describe how good Evans was. In addition to his elite stuff, the athletic righty and LSU commitment can truly pitch, too. When it all comes together, which it often does for Evans, it’s a beautiful thing for observers and a very, very long night for hitters. Wow. 

Five Tool Staff