We continue our coverage of the 2024 Five Tool 55 for Texas with reports, video, analysis and more from the rest of the list… (you can view PART I of the list HERE) 

A couple of right-handed pitchers who are good bets on projection/potential: No. 31 Jackson Burns (Southwest Christian School) and No. 35 Tristan Bristow (Harlan). Burns is a tall right-hander with a quick, clean arm who finished Five Tool summer events with an absurdly good 1.18 ERA across 29.2 innings with 41 strikeouts. He also hit .442, but profiles as a possible weekend starter at Texas Tech, a program who likes the projectable, physical, future power arms like Burns. Don’t be surprised when he’s throwing much harder sooner than later.

I saw Bristow during the high school season and again at Area Code where he showcased maybe the biggest gap between present ability and future projection. And that’s not a bad thing because he’s a good prospect now who has so much more he can tap into and develop because of his quick, clean, loose arm, athleticism and physical projection. Currently, he’s a two-pitch pitcher with a four-seam fastball I’ve seen up to 88 MPH and a curveball with promising feel for spin at 69-72 MPH.

At No. 36 on the list is Guyer right-hander and Baylor commitment Jack Hickerson. The slender righty threw in the low 90s repeatedly this summer with a curveball that ducked under bats all summer. He racked up strikeouts at an extremely impressive rate and while his future role might be best suited for the back of the bullpen, there’s nothing preventing him from emerging as one of the top starting pitchers in the DFW area.

On the hitting side, Elbert ‘Trey’ Craig, a Texas A&M commitment, reminds me a ton of 2023 Lake Travis slugger and Five Tool 55 member Cole Johnson. They both have bat-first profiles and are future first basemen or designated hitters, but they’re both light on their feet for big guys and aren’t just power hitters; they can actually hit, too.

Speaking of power, No. 37 on the list, Naaman Forest’s Jason Flores, has the type of power that’s kind of becoming the stuff of legends in baseball circles. There’s video of the infielder smashing a rocket off the batter’s eye at Texas State and his exit velocity data would rate up there with anyone in the class. Plus, he’s a solid football player and touched 90 MPH off the mound at the Pudge Rodriguez World Classic.

I saw Bridgeland outfielder Miles Syptak twice, which included a 3.8 time down the line on a bunt. He has an exciting blend of athleticism and tools with a chance to stick in center field and boasts some of the best bat speed I’ve seen.

Flower Mound catcher Zane Becker’s all-around ability and strong summer led to powerhouse Arkansas locking up his commitment this August. From the right side, he’s a strong bet to continue hitting as he progresses and has promising skill behind the dish. Physical left-handed hitter Ryan Jones, a third baseman committed to Texas Tech, looks like a future power hitter at the next level and also ran a 6.8 60-yard dash at the DFW Twins Scout Day with a throw across the infield at 88 MPH.

I’m not afraid to admit we didn’t really know much at all about Flower Mound’s Adrian Rodriguez before he committed to Texas A&M recently, but I don’t feel as bad because there were powerhouse programs in the region who didn’t know who he was either. Rodriguez, who doesn’t turn 17 years old until next May and debuts at No. 40 on the list, showed up to a Texas A&M camp, hammered balls from both sides of the plate in scrimmage action and might have as much upside as anyone in the state given his age and hitting skill. It’s likely going to be a bat-first, corner infielder profile, but he has legitimate ability with pop from both sides of the plate and actually throws from both sides, too.

While we’re on the subject of under-the-radar players or former under-the-radar players, allow me to plant my flag for Tomball’s Coleman Ryan. That infielder I mentioned in the open that I saw by accident? It was Coleman after Chase Mora left with an injury. He proceeded to run from home-to-first in 4.01 seconds on a full swing and made 10/11 defensive plays at shortstop, including this sensational play from the hole:

A good athlete who was one of the best players for Adam Dunn’s loaded Marucci Elite 2024 team, Ryan is a high-waisted athlete with projection, some promising bat-to-ball ability and what I think is a true chance to be a plus defender at shortstop. Ryan also played center field at a high level this summer and could be a standout defensively there, too. Evidently, he’s not receiving a ton of recruiting attention, which is baffling.

Let’s continue the run of impressive athletes with Frisco two-way talent Michael Catalano. A summer commitment to Oklahoma who checks in at No. 39 on the list, I think I like the right-hander’s upside most on the mound, which isn’t an easy thing to say because he can swing it and make plays on the dirt. He was known for consistently competing and performing all summer for a Dulins Dodgers team that nearly went undefeated all summer. Up to 88 MPH with a quick, loose arm and a tight-spinning breaking ball, Catalano profiles as a future strike-thrower with an easy, repeatable delivery supported by plus athleticism. There’s a hint of natural deception that helps the fastball play up a tick.

Catalano’s summer teammate Jonathan Van Eerden was also a main piece of the Dulins Dodgers pitching puzzle and became a TCU commitment this summer. At No. 46 on the list, Van Eerden was up to 89 MPH at the Pudge Rodriguez World Classic with a hard curveball that created whiffs and a changeup that neutralized lefties with some split-like tumble. Like Catalano, people that were around the Dulins Dodgers this summer raved about Van Eerden’s competitiveness. He swung the bat very well, too.

Jake Neely from Clark in San Antonio is another uncommitted right-handed pitcher. I saw Neely twice during the high school season and liked the simple, easy, compact delivery, true hook, true slider and promising changeup. Evidently, he’s now throwing a sinker with some seam-shifted wake properties, too. He looks like a good bet to eventually sit in the low 90s with at least four distinct offerings and has all the ingredients to rise up the list in the future.

Sticking south on I-35, I’m a huge fan of Kutter Gage Webb. A Texas State commitment from nearby San Marcos High School, Webb has a simple, repeatable left-handed swing that boasts impressive natural feel and bat-to-ball ability and plate coverage. The son of San Marcos Head Coach Bryan Webb, this athletic infielder, who plays football, has pull-side juice present already and is a good bet to hit for average and some power at the next level.

There are several football standouts on this list as well and JD Crisp (Second Baptist), Jordan Ballin (Boerne Champion) and Braden Regala (Wylie) have big-time stats and performances on the gridiron this season. Crisp is a physical, athletic, switch-hitting outfielder with a strong arm and intriguing future power if he can tap into it more. He’s a good competitor and a surefire D1 prospect.

While Crisp is a do-it-all playmaker who gets handoffs and receptions, Ballin is a standout quarterback who stars as a shortstop in the spring with a chance to stick. At the plate, he uses a short-armed, quick swing and all-fields approach that is boosted by his plus wheels.

Ballin’s Texas Angels summer teammate Regala might have been the fastest 2024 prospect I saw last summer, has some monstrous performances as a receiver and defensive back this season and also runs track. It’s very difficult to get any player’s true feel defensively off a few games if they don’t receive much action and don’t take in-and-out in the summer. That said, I think Regala is a future above-average defender at worst in center field with a future above-average arm. Even if he hits just a little bit, and I like the bat from both sides, that’s a really impressive profile because he’s a plus-plus runner and good athlete.

We’ve reached the second most difficult part of putting together the first 2024 list. This is applicable to every Five Tool 55 that will be published, but it’s especially relevant for the inaugural list for a class that has yet to play its junior season: there are probably around 50 prospects who are deserving of making the final portion of the list. As we work our way down, talent and skill levels become harder and harder to separate and there are players left off who could have easily been No. 45. As always, we’ve dedicated a separate content piece to strictly discuss those players and highlight why they were strongly considered and deserve recognition.

Hagen Shedd (Canyon Randall) debuts at No. 49 and is an exciting athlete who can do a lot of things well. At Area Code, he played in the outfield and had a short appearance on the mound. During the summer, I was intrigued by his ability on the dirt and noted his bat speed from the right side. The right-handed pitcher throws hard from a very low slot, creating a look not many high school hitters see. And while his control has been inconsistent in the looks we’ve seen, his athleticism is worth betting on. It’ll be fun to see which direction the game takes his all-around skill.

After seeing him in the playoffs late last season, I saw why everyone was so high on Rockwall’s Pearson Riebock, who committed to Oklahoma this summer. He hit at or near the top of one of the state’s best lineups as a sophomore, wasn’t shy in huge moments in big games, confidently played third base with quality instincts and can really hit from the left side. Don’t be surprised if Riebock, like his brother, fills out considerably in the future and packs on some muscle to his projectable frame. Regardless, he’s going to be one of the top hitters in the state.

Rounding out the position players on the list with Frisco Memorial’s Reece Lunsford (No. 50), an uncommitted prospect, Texas State commitment and Cy Creek standout Braylon Mitchell (No. 51) and DBU commitment Hudson Ellis (No. 52), a stud defender at shortstop from Round Rock. Lunsford was outstanding during the AABC Mickey Mantle World Series, where he won MVP and put on a show with the bat from both sides of the plate. There’s a lot to like about the bat paths he creates, the ability to make quality contact and the future gap-to-gap power with pull-side juice. A standout safety for his football team, Lunsford has the skill to play all over the diamond defensively, but is carried by his hitting profile currently. Later in the summer, he ran a 6.41 (might have been a slightly friendly stopwatch) at UBC’s Scout Day.

Mitchell has been a longtime favorite after seeing him during the 2021 summer and he’s continued to progress since. He’s an excellent and exciting athlete who flies around the diamond like a track star or defensive back. I’ve timed him at 4.11 seconds down the line from the right side. With gap-to-gap power presently and future ability to drive some pitches over the fence, Mitchell’s offensive tools are among the best in the class. Adding consistency on defense could really take him to the next level.

As for Ellis, some people I’ve spoken with believe he might have the best shortstop glove in the state, which is boosted by an impressive baseball clock and instincts. From the right side, he didn’t strike out a single time in 13 Five Tool plate appearances this summer, which accurately speaks to his bat-to-ball ability and contact over power approach in the batter’s box.

The final couple spots on the list were awarded to two right-handed pitchers who really stood out this summer and boast notable future upside: Rockwall-Heath’s Jack Sharp and Davenport’s Tobin Eschief. I’m perplexed about Sharp’s lack of major recruiting attention. Although he’s a two-way player, I really like his future on the mound because he takes the infielder athleticism and quick, loose arm onto the rubber and it translates into an exciting pitcher worth betting on. According to a Five Star Performance coach, Sharp was up to 90 MPH this fall. He also spins a sharp hook that profiles as a future bat-missing pitch and has a promising changeup that will be an average or better third offering.

But it’s the way he looks on the mound that makes him stand out. Sharp utilizes a quick, compact, easy delivery with a steady head and good posture. Fastballs come out of his hand easily with zip and it doesn’t require much dreaming to see a projectable athlete who is going to naturally add at least a few more MPH in the future with the makings of control and command. As for Eschief, he had a strong performance at the Pudge Rodriguez World Classic and was excellent at the Arizona Fall Classic as a member of the Five Tool Academic Team.

He’s a skinny, lanky 6-6 that should fill out some and add impact strength throughout his frame. While his rising velocity, he was up to 90 MPH in Arizona, fairly received attention, I’ve always been impressed with his ability to execute multiple pitches. Typically, young pitchers with his height and length can battle their control because they haven’t grown into understanding their body on the mound. The future Texas State Bobcat executed a swing-and-miss cutter around 80-82 MPH to his glove side, can spin multiple breaking balls for strikes, and also showed execution of a changeup against lefties. His pitch-to-pitch focus is advanced for his age and adds to his exciting upside at No. 55 on the list.

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor