In what might be one of the busiest weeks on the Five Tool summer schedule, we have events going in California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas City, Utah, Colorado… you get the point. There’s a lot going on. Here’s a look at some of the standouts from across the Five Tool network:

1) In addition to having much better weather than we dealt with in the Houston area Thursday, one of our SoCal events hosted one of the pitching performances of the year. Giovanni Guariglia is a 2026 right-hander from Silverado High School (Nevada), and he didn’t just touch 92 MPH. He threw 6.0 innings and struck out 18 (!!!) batters; yes, every out recorded was a strikeout, and it wasn’t because hitters were wildly chasing balls out of the strike zone. 

In addition to pounding the zone with an overpowering heater that featured some angle, Guariglia, who is uncommitted, snapped off some good, sharp sliders up to 81 MPH that looked like future plus offerings as he refines his feel and command. He carried his stuff the length of the outing and his build features some lower half strength that he leverages in his delivery. 

2) Sticking with the theme of hard-throwing young prospects, Oklahoma right-hander Cole Dunlap, who will attend Carl Albert High School, ran his fastball up to 89 MPH and showed two different breaking balls. Already a physical prospect, especially for the 2027 class, Dunlap utilizes a unique takeaway that is on the shorter side without much depth and his present arm strength is advanced. 

3) It’s always a treat when Hawaii teams make their summer trips to the DFW area, and Hawaii Elite 2G Toro arrived this week ready to compete with some impressive talent. Kory Chu (Maryknoll; Hawaii) is a definite 2024 two-way prospect to follow closely. In addition to blasting a two-run bomb at TCU with an impressive, athletic right-handed swing and good rotation, Chu looked like a possible dude on the mound, too. 

Although his delivery featured a long takeaway with a very visible arm swing in the back, his arm really worked quickly and well out front and he does a beautiful job of using his natural arm slot to fire lively stuff from a sidearm look. Nothing Chu throws is straight, and his athleticism gives him an opportunity to carry his stuff and throw strikes. In particular, his changeup really flashed with its late tumble. 

4) Sticking in the DFW area, Southwest Christian right-handed pitcher and 2024 Texas Tech commitment Jackson Burns continues to make a strong case for the top right-handed pitching prospect in Texas behind current No. 1 on the 2024 Five Tool Texas 55, Casan Evans. 

Burns was up to 93 MPH with a heater that overpowered hitters and pounded the glove side with relative ease. DFW Twins 17U Black teammate Will Jordan, a Weatherford product, is yet another 2024 right-handed pitcher throwing hard on the mound and looking impressive. Jordan did a good job of creating some angle to his heater and his slider and fastball played well off each other out of the same window down in the zone. 

5) Out in Louisiana at the inaugural Alex Bregman World Series (National), a Utah prospect was on fire offensively. Cole Ybarra, a two-sport athlete from Lehi High School (Utah), used a smooth right-handed stroke to go 4-for-4 for Mountain West Baseball 2026. Also a pitcher who has performed well in Five Tool events this summer, Ybarra is an interesting two-way prospect with advanced skill. 

6) At the Houston Classic, I watched GPS Legends 16U Montgomery for the third time this summer, and once again came away very impressed with four players: Joseph Sandusky (McNeil), Conner Helms (Dripping Springs), Hudson Hartgrove (Cedar Park) and Colby Fowler (Lago Vista). All four are middle-of-the-diamond players with Fowler being a leadoff-type bat from the left side who tracked balls easily in center field. Helms, Hargrove and Sandusky all have promising swings, future ability to impact the baseball and bat speed. 

7) Navasota 2024 infielder and Nebraska commit Devin Nunez looks to me like a player who could be a sneaky good pro prospect for scouts to track closely the rest of the summer and 2024 spring. At the Twelve Baseball Scout League on Thursday, he ran down the line in 4.11 seconds from the left side, hammered a double to the wall and has really strong forearms/wrists. Nunez has an elite 5-10-5 time and the skill to play all over the field defensively. 

8) Out in California, 2026 prospect Jacob Madrid has been so good he was named Player of the Game and Pitcher of the Game on different days in the same event. And he’s caught the attention of our staff as a catcher, too. With loose, relaxed, strong hands, he mashed a majestic bomb with a short swing that created some loud impact off the bat. 

As a right-handed pitcher, he threw a ton of quality strikes but based on some of the work behind the dish…. He might be best as a catching prospect. Regardless, powerhouse Notre Dame High School cold be listing Madrid as one of its next stars if this week is an indication. 

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor