High school tournament season is in the rear-view mirror, and baseball is now in full swing in states besides Texas, like Arizona, Nevada and California. We’re bringing the focus back to Texas and discuss five 2023 prospects who are poised to either join or move up in the Five Tool 55 when it's next updated.

What is the Five Tool Five? The short, succinct definition: it’s simply a look at five players who recently caught our attention. The long-winded, more detailed explanation: showcasing our coverage from around the United States and highlighting noteworthy baseball talent, skill, performances, news, uncommitted players who colleges should pay attention to and more.

I bet Skip Johnson is going to like this list... 

Jacob Gholston - RHP - Flower Mound (Current ranking: Unranked)

Gholston, who signed with Oklahoma, entered the season among a small group of arms we simply needed to see more of. There was a lot to like about what he did in the summer and fall, but for no fault of his, we just didn’t see a good, extended look. That changed recently. 

Gholston was excellent in front of Five Tool Texas. He threw 5.0 shutout innings and gave up just one hit and punched out seven. The stuff included a good fastball up to 93 MPH and a sharp, swing-and-miss slider at 79-81 MPH. Obviously, that’s impressive on its own, but it’s not the primary reason why Gholston will join the 2023 Five Tool 55 during the next update. His delivery includes a lot of positive traits that suggest his control, command and long-term outlook as a durable, impact starter are good bets. 

A good, high-waisted athlete, Gholston shows impressive balance and repeatability in his delivery with a steady head and a strong base with an east foot plant/land and finish. He rotates his shoulders well with a quick arm from a three-quarters slot that often includes the type of hand finish and positioning to keep him on top of his fastball and slider. 

So, we’re discussing a right-hander who can throw quality strikes consistently, has strong stuff, and already has a good delivery. Pro scouts have kept a close eye on Gholston for these reasons and will probably stay on him throughout the season. 

Kannon Kemp - RHP - Weatherford (Current ranking: 40)

A lot of what I wrote above about Gholston could be repeated for Kemp, who also signed with Oklahoma and gives Skip Johnson and company another tall, very talented right-handed pitcher with big upside. We wanted to see Kemp get more extended in an outing, and he delivered in late February with 10 strikeouts in 5.0 dominant innings. 

Kemp utilizes a short takeaway out of the glove and exhibits a lot of “layback” during his arm action/rotation. He profiles to be more physical and stronger than Gholston, but also possesses the type of finish through his delivery that should support strike-throwing in the future. His standout trait is he’s been known for a while for his spin rate data and his ability to create the type of pitch shapes that could lead to a lot of strikeouts in the future. 

Chase Morgan - LHP - Cypress Woods (Current ranking: Unranked)

Early in the season, there was a lot of buzz building at Cypress Ranch surrounding two senior players - left-handed pitcher Chase Morgan and third baseman Ethan Farris. Both entered the year slightly under-the-radar compared to well-established stars Tristan Russell and Sam Myers. Farris could have made this list too, but I plan to get an in-person look soon. As for Morgan, the buzz was warranted. A few weeks ago in front of Five Tool Texas, he was magnificent against Brenham. 

In 5.1 innings, the Louisiana signee struck out 12 batters and only gave up three hits against a good lineup. Morgan has been a classic projection bet for a while - tall, loose lefty who has shown signs of a future velocity jump down the road. The jump arrived this season because he’s been in the low 90s consistently and was up to 93 MPH in front of us. I’ve heard whispers of him throwing a tick harder, too.

As good as the fastball has been, it’s the appetizer for this pitching party because the curveball is the main course. And it’s spicy, sharp hook with 1-6 break and good bite late in the zone; it’s the type of pitch right-handers are going to swing over the top of. He’ll show a changeup, too, which has the makings of at least being an average pitch. I'm not comparing him to this player from a pure projection-sense, but his delivery and visual look of his stuff remind me some of current Padres lefty Blake Snell. 

Kendall George - OF - Atascocita (Current ranking: No. 9)

Among the few consensus things I’ve heard from scouts about the current senior high school class in Texas: Kendall George is performing like a top prospect who could get paid. It might seem a tad odd to include a player ranked No. 9 in a story about players moving up or joining the list, but every report we’ve seen or heard about George is he’s been that good; like best in Texas behind Blake Mitchell in Travis Sykora good. 

George, an Arkansas signee, has been a famous name in the 2023 class for a long, long time because of his legendary, 80-grade speed, his plus-plus athleticism and how tough he is to strike out. On the summer circuit, he’s always been a top performer. He’s always hit. He’s always impacted the game. My in-person summer looks have always been strong. Sure, you watched the bat and wondered how much extra-base impact and exit velocity there would be, but he’s gotten stronger with noticeably better bat speed and the impact is growing. I admit my in-person high school look last season, which was not good, probably swayed my opinion too much along with what looked like a well below average arm in center field at Area Code. 

But he’s a good example of trusting the tools and valuing the ability to make contact, get on base and avoid striking out. And he's also a good example of getting it right in the end. Plus, there aren’t many high school prospects who are truly elite athletes with the strongest 80 there can be as a runner. He can change the game dynamically in a variety of ways and should turn into a strong center fielder whose speed can help make up for the lack of arm strength. And with the way baseball is shifting with the pitch clock and bigger bases at the pro level, players like George are more valuable. I guess this is a long way of saying he’s positioned himself to be in the mix as a day one MLB Draft selection and will definitely move up from No. 9 into the top five, barring a completely unexpected collapse in performance the rest of the season. 

RJ Ruais - LHP/UTIL - Celina (Current ranking: 44)

Ruais is a good example of the changes a player can make over an offseason and when you see players to keep context in mind. For example, immediately after Celina lost in the State Tournament against Sinton, Ruais was among several players who were on the field with their summer team the next day. Understandably, he looked fatigued throughout a long summer with velocity that was down. In the fall with the Blue Jays scout team, Ruias, who was down at 83-86 MPH when I saw him prior, was back up to 89 MPH on the mound from the left side with his future plus changeup. This was from our fall report:

“RJ Ruias looked like a new man on the mound. When I saw him in the state tournament and then again in the summer, he was clearly fatigued. But the Baylor commitment is a gamer. He was, literally, playing with the Dallas Tigers the next day after Celina was eliminated in the playoffs. 

At DBU last Wednesday, the left-hander touched 89 MPH with his fastball and showed a changeup at 77-78 MPH that was easily his best offering and a true bat-missing pitch against right-handers. Ruias’ curveball is thrown hard at 77-78 MPH but has inconsistent shape and looks like a re-work at the next level. That said, he’s an intriguing arm and a true two-way talent because I’m a believer in Ruias’ bat. Later in the game, he ripped a 92 MPH fastball the other way for a double, again showing that timing velocity is a strength.”

He’s always been able to throw strikes with the heater with some sink and kill the spin of his changeup, a true bat-missing weapon. During his season, he’s looked noticeably stronger and has been better able to hold that strong stuff he showed during the fall. 

Ruias is undoubtedly a true two-way talent, too. I’ve always been a fan of the left-handed swing. Against Blake Mitchell in the State Tournament last year, he was the only player capable of consistently timing a good fastball, and he showed that trait again against JUCO arms this past fall. Even in the Don Mattingly World Series, Ruias swung the bat much, much better than his numbers. Now, his bat has more bat speed and is being swung by a stronger player who still possesses that pretty, quick left-handed swing with the type of angle that can hit majestic, pull-side homers. At Baylor, he could realistically be an immediate bullpen option or an everyday hitter. 

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor