In this edition of the Five Tool Five, we’re going to talk about rankings. Because no one loves debating, dissecting and discussing anything more than rankings. As the high school season nears its exciting conclusion and the summer season waits on deck to enter the prep baseball spotlight, we’ll be updating our 2023 and 2024 Five Tool 55 rankings for the state of Texas. 

First up will be hitting the refresh button with an update to the 2024 class ahead of Area Code Underclass tryouts in early June and the players’ final summer season when they become the primary focus of professional scouts and college coaches. I say “refresh” because the list will see another update following the summer and fall, which, believe it or not, is only about four months away. 

Let’s take a look at five players poised to make their first appearance on the list or have proven they need to make a big move up the list:

Kadyn Leon – RHP – Lake Travis

The first of a couple of pitchers who are moving from the “Just Missed” portion of the rankings into the updated Five Tool 55 and closer to the top than bottom. After flashing some definite upside as a sophomore who barely pitched on a loaded varsity roster and during the summer that included balancing 7-on-7 football at a powerhouse program, Leon took the step I expected him to during the spring. Following back-to-back electric appearances out of the bullpen versus rival Westlake, Leon emerged as one of the best starting pitchers in the area, which included a no-hitter at Dripping Springs. 

I saw Leon five times during the spring, and each time he had and carried his fastball velocity – 88-93 MPH with a couple 94s – deep into his outings and the pitch routinely created whiffs even in fastball counts when he challenged hitters in the zone. Leon, who is uncommitted but already in high demand, has toyed with a cutter/slider to add to his arsenal but his curveball and changeup are his primary secondary options. Against Westlake, I saw more of a true, high-spin curveball with depth that flashed plus and later in the season the pitch was harder with more of a power breaking ball look; personally, I preferred the former and its long-term upside compared to the latter, but the feel for spin is present. His changeup is thrown with fastball conviction and should be a future average offering at worst. 

A very impressive competitor and future QB1 who used to play basketball in addition to football and baseball, Leon thrived in hostile atmospheres during rivalry games and seemingly elevated his effectiveness with runners on base. In 57.0 innings this season, Leon had a 1.74 ERA with 92 strikeouts. The next step? Cutting down the walks. He issued 34 of them and is a good bet to improve that rate in the future because of his delivery, arm action and athleticism. 

Jaden Barfield – LHP – Pearland

Another uncommitted pitcher who made the “Just Missed” list last time and emerged this spring as a major prospect, Barfield is still pitching for Pearland in the playoffs thanks to… himself. Against Cinco Ranch, the lefty entered a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the second inning and he didn’t just do his best baseball Houdini to escape without giving up a run; he ended up pitching the rest of the game and gave up just two hits and struck out 11.

And this wasn’t the first time Barfield has been called upon for a long, clutch, playoff relief outing. A couple weeks earlier, he punched out 13 across 5.2 relief innings against Atascocita. The Five Tool staff saw an electric relief appearance from Barfield during district play, when he flashed a very promising three-pitch mix (fastball, slider that racked up whiffs versus righties and a promising changeup). Ultimately, that was a preview of bigger, better things to come. Barfield’s operation on the mound is a good one that is repeated with good chest positioning. 

The only way to truly know this is with Trackman/Hawkeye data, but my guess is Barfield’s hand placement out of his slot creates a good VAA (vertical attack angle) that, with the hint of deception (the ball is barely visible to the hitter in his delivery) in his arm path, allows his fastball (88-92 MPH) to play up. Or maybe I’m wrong and it’s something else, but something about the way the ball comes out of his hand makes life difficult for hitters. Barfield routinely fires strikes and works down in the zone with all his stuff 

Jason Flores – RHP/INF – Naaman Forest

Flores’ bomb at Texas State last summer was the stuff of legends – 105 MPH off the bat and off the batter’s eye in center field. A year later, he has some of the loudest tools in the state and it goes beyond his present plus raw power. A two-sport standout who plays tight end and safety during the fall, Flores is a big, physical presence (around 6-1, 215 pounds) who makes a bat look small in his hands before unleashing impact bat speed. And his swing keeps the barrel through the hitting zone an extended time with a steady heat through impact and he taps into his strong lower half. This past season, he hit .561 and led DFW in batting average while also winning district offensive player of the year for the second-straight time. 

Ranked No. 37 on the most recent list, Flores will move up because he’s one of the most intriguing two-way talents in Texas and perhaps the nation. If I’m going to trust the tools, it’s impossible to ignore Flores. He’s been up to 96 MPH in a recent workout with a slider that will flash plus and the operation is easy; Flores has a natural, instinctive ability to use his physical gifts to make things easier on his body both in the mound and in the batter’s box. And he moves around the infield well; Flores’ game isn’t just built on strength and raw ability because he has true baseball skill, too. Oh, he’s also an average to above-average runner on the scouting scale.  

Ultimately, I think he outgrows shortstop in the future, but he can play it at the high school level and has more than enough arm to move to the hot corner where his combination of skill and jumbo athleticism should fit fine. Flores reminds me a lot of MLB Draft prospect and 2023 Five Tool 55 member Nehomar Ochoa, Jr. But at this stage, I think Flores is a bit ahead of where Ochoa was on the mound and is probably in a similar place offensively. 

Sam Erickson – OF – Flower Mound

The current list of “most feared hitter in Texas” might start with Erickson, who has been almost impossible to get out during the playoffs. Perhaps it’s the bodybuilder-like build and compact frame with quick bat speed from the right side and plus wheels, but Erickson gives me some Tyler O’Neill vibes. But he isn’t just a power hitter. Erickson has proven able to cover the plate and has shown some of the best bat-to-ball skill of anyone in Texas during the playoffs. Flower Mound has been in some very tough back-and-forth battles and Erickson’s star has repeatedly shined during the biggest moments. 

It might seem silly to put a guy in this column who ranked 15th in the last rankings, but that’s how good Erickson has been. He’s looked like a top five talent during the playoffs. 

Pearson Riebock – OF/INF/RHP – Rockwall

Riebock entered the season noticeably stronger, and it showed in the way he impacted the ball from the left side. My ears are still ringing from a mammoth homer he hit during the early-season tournament schedule at Dripping Springs and he repeatedly racked up extra-base hits to all parts of the field when I saw Rockwall, which included one of its final games against The Woodlands in the regional semifinals. After hitting leadoff as a sophomore, Riebock did it again as a junior. But he did so with much more of a power presence. 

Unlike last season, Riebock didn’t play infield. After Micah Kendrick transferred to Rockwall and freshman Dylan Cheek emerged as a good third base option, Riebock manned center field. I saw him make a trio of phenomenal catches in the Hill Country Classic and was very impressed with his reads, routes, and advanced feel for playing the difficult position, especially for a career infielder. Although he is usually in the 4.2-4.3 range down the line, Riebock plays faster than the stopwatch, especially on defense. 

Then, he stepped onto the mound and was really impressive there, too. I’ve seen him touch 92 MPH with command of his fastball all over the plate and impressive feel for spin; his fastball was up to 2,497 RPM and his curveball, which takes the shape of a power hook, routinely was in the 2,300-2,400 RPM range at 74-75 MPH. Riebock didn’t feature his changeup much at 81-82 MPH with spin around 1,500 RPM, but it looked like a definite third offering he’ll use against lefties in the future. 

Think about this: in one playoff series against great competition, he smacked the ball for extra bases, touched 91 MPH without warming up in the bullpen, played center field well, stole bases and threw out a runner at home from center field. I’m sure he could catch if Rockwall needed him too. He can do it all and his baseball skill is among the best in the state. At No. 48 on the last list, the Oklahoma commitment will be making a big move up. 

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor