Continuing our coverage of the updated 2024 Five Tool Texas 55 with thoughts, analysis and more on the players ranked No. 11-55…

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(Note: Analysis and evaluation discussion is delivered from a scouting perspective; meaning, tools/talent/skill/physical traits are discussed with the MLB scouting scale and draft in mind. Obviously, each player on the 55 and the next 55 is an outstanding player and prospect. The discussion isn’t meant to be in any way negative, but realistic and honest as it relates to being evaluated as a top prospect. Many players at or near the top of the list could ask for over a million dollars to sign – the final 2023 Five Tool Texas 55 included well over $10 million in signing bonuses for players in the top 10 - and those types of players are dissected endlessly by scouts.)

Since he plays high school baseball about 15 minutes from my house, when MoPac wants to cooperate, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Austin Westlake standout Theo Gillen a lot. And I think he has the best left-handed swing in the class with bat-to-ball ability and future impact. My hope is that next spring we see Gillen fully healthy because the combination of shoulder surgery long ago and late-season knee injury has made things unfairly difficult for the Texas commitment. He’s faster than he showed this summer as he worked back from his knee injury and more explosive, too.

But I do think his professional/college long-term outlook is now as a second baseman and perhaps an outfielder where his foot speed and bat should profile well. The bar to be projected as a professional shortstop prospect is extremely high, and right now I think Gillen is more likely to end up at those other positions. However, I do think a fully healthy spring and an offseason to take a break, catch his breath, and get stronger/healthier could lead to the best left-handed hitter in the state-type of season where he again is a surefire top 10 prospect. Pros value left-handed hitters more than right-handed hitters because of the platoon splits and Gillen has big league ability with the bat, especially when you consider his physical outlook and the added strength that’ll come; this might be the first time in a while he’ll have a normal offseason, which could do wonders and makes me especially excited for his senior season. Among the most consistent pieces of feedback from scouts this summer: Gillen’s left-handed swing being really, really good.

An oblique injury slowed Brayden Bergman, a Baylor commitment from Plano East, this summer, but he was recently back on the mound at the Baseball Factory All-American Game with his usual premium velocity and strong stuff after opening the summer touching 96 MPH in June at our Connie Mack World Series qualifier. Speaking of premium velocity, Texas Tech commitment Jackson Burns, who is No. 14 on the list, regularly touched 93 MPH at Area Code and there is a lot more in the tank. If the strike-throwing improves, he could emerge as one of the most heavily-scouted pitchers in the state because of his big, physical frame, fastball that plays up with spin and ability to spin a breaking ball. 

While we’re on the subject of spin, no one in the state can spin a breaking ball like Montgomery’s Bryce Navarre, a Texas A&M commitment. He created a buzz among scouts at Area Code with a plus curveball – he also flashed some feel for using a breaker with more sweep - with spin up to 3270 RPM that led to nine strikeouts in 4.0 innings. With a fastball that sits 87-90 MPH and enough of a changeup to project it as a viable, future average-or-better third pitch, Navarre emerged this summer as one of the top lefties in the state. If his velocity ticks up and the No. 12 prospect improves his fastball command, he’s going to have a crowd watching each of his district starts. 

Another lefty who helped himself at Area Code after not pitching much this summer is No. 15, Dasan Hill (Grapevine). I think scouts would have him higher on the list because he’s a tall, lean lefty with a fastball up to 93 MPH and a high-spin breaking ball. We’re excited about the upside and some added consistency with a quieter head in the delivery/better strike-throwing could shoot him up into the top 10 this spring. The final arm in the top 20 is Grand Oaks right-hander Houston Tomlinson, a recent Texas A&M commitment like his teammate Marc Barnhard (No. 24 on the list). Tomlinson’s first Area Code outing was a struggle, but he bounced back and showed his future plus fastball, which plays above its 90-94 MPH reading. Still relatively new to pitching on the big stage without an extensive high school track record, Tomlinson is a good candidate to develop more consistency and a better breaking ball. 

Klein Oak outfielder, and recent Texas commitment, Matt Scott II is No. 16 on the list and remains one of the best right-handed power hitters in the state with room to continue adding to his frame. A.J. DePaolo put together some impressive at-bats to end Area Code and we remain optimistic about his long-term outlook at catcher, which is boosted by 55-grade speed and impressive athleticism for the position. 

Rockwall two-way prospect and Oklahoma commitment Pearson Riebock wasn’t as visible in the summer as many other players on this list, but don’t forget what he did in the spring. He was among the best left-handed hitters in the state who is growing into more power; the righty was up to 92 MPH off the mound with solid feel for commanding and executing; the first-time center fielder showed good instincts and played the position much quicker/better than his average run times would suggest. There are faster outfielders on this list, but Riebock is a better defender than many of them and is a good bet to hit for power and average at the next level. 

Rounding out the top 20 is V.R. Eaton left-handed hitting outfielder Nathan Tobin. The Texas A&M commitment is an impressive athlete with plus speed, and he’s added a noticeable amount of strength to his frame. He also has one of the best left-handed swings in the class and his ability to create extra-base impact improved this summer. While he didn’t have an elite spring and summer, we’re betting on the tools, which flashed very brightly at the TSA All-Star Game. Following a state championship at Flower Mound, Zane Becker had a solid summer, although his arm strength/shoulder weren’t quite 100%. The right-handed hitter and Arkansas commitment drilled three homers in the AABC Don Mattingly World Series and was a TSA All-Star Game standout with the bat. 

Some might be surprised to see Navasota’s Devin Nunez this high (No.23) on the list because he’s not a very famous name in the state. He’s one of my favorite “sleeper” pro prospects this spring once scouts dig in on how impressive of an athlete he is. His Texas Twelve Baseball testing results were outstanding (by far the best 5-10-5 time among all 17U players) and he’s a uniquely skilled ballplayer with good instincts and competitive, quality makeup. Don’t let the 5-10 frame and long, flowing hair fool you: he can drive the baseball out of the yard with a good left-handed swing boosted by strong hands/forearms and there are a lot of future 5s on his scouting report. He might not have a future plus carrying tool because the in-game run times bounce between 50 and 60-grade, but he does a lot of things well and might be pound-for-pound the strongest player in the state with a 6.53 60-yard dash time on his resume. 

We’ve covered Barnhard at length this summer and I’m excited to see what a full offseason does to his fastball because he’s a really good athlete. We’re also excited to see what another offseason does for John Paul II right-hander and uncommitted pitcher Jack Frankel, who showed a quality, deep arsenal this spring and was recently up to 91 MPH. Clark right-hander and Arizona State commitment Jake Neely (No. 21) possesses some of the best pure stuff in the class and had no issues racking up strikeouts when I saw him in the spring and again at Area Code. If his strike-throwing improves, he’s going to attract plenty of pro scouts this spring. 

Park Prater (Argyle), a left-handed pitcher and hitter who checks in at No. 28 on the list, didn’t throw much, if at all, this summer but is coming off a strong spring with immense upside on the mound and at the plate. Among the biggest risers this summer is Texas commitment Carson Luna (St. John’s). Luna now possesses one of the best right-handed swings in the state and his added strength/physicality showed in his ability to impact the baseball with some notable, in-game exit velocity. A good athlete who runs well, Luna boasts a strong arm that would be plus on strength alone, but his throwing accuracy needs to improve; it could push him to the outfield long-term, where his speed, hitting profile and arm strength would profile well. Regardless, Luna (No. 26) established himself as one of the state’s best hitters and his physical traits stand out. 

St. Thomas right-handed hitter and pitcher Donte Lewis (No. 27) recently committed to Kansas State and could legitimately end up as an impressive infielder, outfielder or pitcher. He’s more advanced right now as a hitter because his operation on the mound is raw. But that makes him an even more intriguing pitcher because we’ve seen him up to 95 MPH in the past despite some obvious signs in the delivery that could improve to leverage his athleticism and gifts even more and become more efficient. And although his arm slot tipped his breaking stuff, the standout quarterback also showed natural feel to spin breaking balls. 

Boerne Champion shortstop, quarterback and UTSA commitment Jordan Ballin showed improved bat speed this summer and hardly ever whiffed in multiple Five Tool events. A fresh spring look revealed an advanced baseball mind defensively; Ballin, No. 29 on the updated list, is seemingly one step ahead of his peers and sees plays on the diamond others don’t. He’s definitely on the shorter side, but he has a compact, athletic and strong frame with a true chance to stick at shortstop. His Texas Angels summer teammate Zach Gingrich (Smithson Valley) had the summer breakout I anticipated. It was only a matter of time before Gingrich’s impressive physical traits and tools turned into loud production and that time was this summer after a strong spring. He’s been up to 89 MPH on the mound as a right-handed pitcher, but Gingrich, who debuts at No. 33 on the list, is undoubtedly a left-handed hitting outfielder in the future because he has a good left-handed swing that creates the type of angle to hammer deep homers to the pull side and smack liners into the gaps. He’s not a quick-twitch standout, but he’s strong, runs well in a straight line and is a threat to steal second each time he’s on first. 

Like Gingrich, Isaiah Castaneda (No. 35) is a two-way prospect, but unlike Gingrich, there isn’t a clear consensus on where he ends up long-term. I think I like the 6-2 right-handed hitter and thrower most as an outfielder because it’s one of the best outfield arms I’ve ever seen in Texas. Offensively, he has more of a contact-over-impact approach that can get a little too opposite-field oriented at times, but he’s yet to add a lot of strength and mass to his frame, which will come over time, and there is some notable barrel feel (hit a homer out to dead-center field at the AABC Don Mattingly World Series.). His run times in the spring were closer to the plus range than the ones in the summer and his actions are both smooth and athletic. On the mound, his loose, whippy arm stands out and can fire fastballs up to 90 MPH along with intriguing feel for spinning a curveball and a changeup that can get whiffs against lefties. There is a ton of untapped upside on the mound. An uncommitted prospect, Castaneda has been in high demand for a long while.

Caleb Hoover, a Rockwall-Heath multi-sport standout who is committed to Oklahoma State for baseball, is also a two-way standout. A physical, strong prospect, Hoover deserves credit for putting in the work in the weight room last year to improve his physical outlook and he packs some notable left-handed power with a full understanding of who he is as a hitter: a pull, power hitter. He has a bat-first profile that’s likely limited to first base in the future, although his arm strength and excellent makeup give him a shot to see what he’d look like at third or a corner outfield spot. On the mound, he has a quality right-handed operation that might look raw initially but actually works well when you dissect it. Hoover (No. 37) has been up to 92 MPH recently with a four-pitch mix that is built more on attacking with guts – another word that rhymes is probably more accurate – than spin/stuff. Coming out of Area Code, he left with a reputation as an outstanding competitor with future leadership intangibles and is the type of player you want on the mound in a tough spot or at the plate late in the game, like when he blasted a grand slam in the AABC Don Mattingly World Series with his team fighting to avoid elimination. 

If Flower Mound prospect and Texas A&M commitment Adrian Rodriguez had a more defined defensive profile, he’d be a surefire top 20 prospect in the state because he can flat out rake from both sides of the plate with impressive barrel feel, bat-to-ball skill and he creates some loud, hard impact. There aren’t many guys in the state who are more enjoyable to watch hit. Expect another big spring from him. Another hitter who good feel who really stood out during our look this summer: Pleasant Grove’s Brenton Clark. A skilled player who could fit in the infield or outfield, the Arkansas commitment carried himself with a calm, natural, confident feel in the batter’s box and had no issues putting the bat on the ball. Kyle Branch (Lovejoy; Oklahoma commit) might be a tick more athletic than older brother Kyle, who is now at Georgia after an outstanding freshman season at Baylor, but the elder Branch is a better pure hitter. Still, the younger Branch can rake, too. 

After coming out early in the spring guns blazin’ with big-time stuff, Matthew Millett (Mansfield Lake Ridge) dealt with a minor injury by the end of the high school season and didn’t pitch this summer. The Texas commitment, No. 31 on the list, is gearing up to get back on the mound this fall and is a prime candidate to make a big jump if the stuff and performance return. Pearland’s Jaden Barfield (No. 36) was solid at Area Code where his feel for spinning a promising slider with depth and competitive strike-throwing showed. I’m especially excited for him because I felt like he never got the break he needed after a deep run to the state title game and a long season he’s never experienced before. We never saw the velocity in the summer we did in the spring, but it’s in there. And an offseason should be great for one of the best uncommitted pitchers in the state. He was one of the best performers on the mound in all of Texas last spring.

Barfield’s high school teammate Ryler Smart checks in at No. 40 on the list and is followed by Highland Park left-handed pitcher and Texas commitment Jordan Stribling. Both are similar: they’re big and strong; they can throw hard and at times overpower opposing hitters with their stuff when it’s in the zone; but both need to become better strike-throwers and to unlock their immense upside. If it all clicks for those two lefties, the upside is immense. It was encouraging to see Stribling’s stuff/velocity return this summer after missing a lot of the spring. 

Sticking with the lefties: Cooper Powell (Colleyville Heritage) makes his debut at No. 51. Following a good spring, Powell, a very athletic lefty with a unique, low three-quarters slot and look, racked up strikeouts everywhere he went with a promising three-pitch mix. Recently at a University of Texas camp, Powell touched 93 MPH. He’s poised for a major breakout. Kade Irons (No. 54 on the list and Powell’s Stix Scout teammate) is a different type of lefty: he is more of a pitchability strike-thrower, but his curveball has flashed as a bat-missing weapon with spin/depth and he profiles as an easy strike-thrower in the future with promising changeup. Irons is committed to Houston. 

Brady Coe is a true two-way prospect from Allen High School who should get a chance to compete as both a position player and pitcher at ACU. He has a feel for hitting from the right side and is a gamer whose makeup/instincts boost his athleticism on the dirt. But after seeing him in the AABC Don Mattingly World Series, I’m all-in on Coe as a right-handed pitcher. He showed a legitimate four-pitch mix, along with a good operation and hand speed, with a fastball up to 91 MPH, overhand curveball at 75 MPH with spin up to 2800 RPM, feel for a distinct slider and a changeup with 1400 RPM. Plus, he’s a winner and competitor. He went out to the Connie Mack World Series and shoved there, too, after a good spring for one of the state’s best teams. 

Sticking with undersized right-handers, Kadyn Leon (Lake Travis) is a personal favorite after seeing him blow up this past spring. We’ve covered him extensively (up to 94 MPH multiple times) and this summer showed what we saw in the spring: a competitive athlete (QB1 at one of the most high-profile programs in the state) with a fastball that plays up; an overhand curveball that flashes with good spin; and now an interesting, improved changeup. Considering Leon balanced 7-on-7 and football practice with pitching, it wasn’t a surprise his velocity was a tick down this summer after a lot of innings in the spring. Combine another offseason with some possible mechanical tweaks to unlock more strikes, and Leon could reach another level of performance this spring. 

Tall, lean right-hander Brooks Roberson did what many expected in the spring and summer after he emerged in 2022 as a promising, projectable righty with good feel for pitching: he threw harder. But he also showed an improved slider that looked like a future above-average or better offering to go along with his quality changeup. Roberston is committed to Louisiana Tech and is ranked No. 39 on our updated list. The list features four more right-handed pitchers: Zack James (No. 46 - Flower Mound), Aiden Sims (No. 48 - Forney), Tristan Bristow (No. 49 – Harlan) and Ridge Morgan (No. 52 - Westwood). 

James has noticeable effort through release, but has repeatedly proven he can pitch deep into games at a very high level. He was among the state’s top performers for the eventual state champs and is committed to TCU. Sims, committed to Texas A&M, was in the running as the top right-handed pitching prospect in the state before Tommy John surgery. Bristow, a longtime Vanderbilt commitment, showed a deeper arsenal at Area Code with intriguing feel for spin and a fastball up to 92 MPH. Morgan has a bit of a unique operation/look but has repeatedly thrown a high-spin slider and we’ve seen him easily carry his stuff an entire high school start with ability to manipulate his breaker, execute a quality changeup and even show a hint of a true four-seamer in the 90s. 

Back to hitters: left-handed hitting first baseman/outfielder/catcher Caden Miller (No. 45) hit all summer for 2024 Texas Twelve Red Sox, won MVP honors at the AABC Don Mattingly World Series. He hits with an unorthodox setup, but it doesn’t prevent him from making quality contact repeatedly. Kendyl Johnson (Little Elm) is short, but don’t let that fool you. He’s both twitchy and strong, especially through the lower half, and his barrel whip creates some surprisingly loud pop. A good runner with a reputation as a strong defender in center field, Johnson is committed to Texas Tech. South Grand Prairie’s Austin Phillips plays third base in the summer for Stix Scout, but I’m intrigued by his ability at shortstop. A right-handed hitter, Phillips is fearless in the batter’s box and has proved in the past he can time velocity. David Hogg II (Mansfield) has made strides defensively and the LSU commitment has all the hitting ingredients to improve on his junior season with a big one as a senior. He’s been on the biggest of stages for over two summers now. 

A longtime Five Tool favorite, Dawson Park makes his debut on the list (No. 53) after being the starting shortstop and all-state performer for state champion Magnolia West. He has a plus arm, moves well and athletically, and has some notable right-handed bat speed. But Park also showed this summer he might be a sneaky good pitching prospect with an easy delivery; loose, quick arm with a fastball up to 92 MPH; and a power curveball with impressive spin. The Texas State commitment will likely be asked to be a key pitcher for Magnolia West this season. Future college teammate Braylon Mitchell has been timed 4.0 down the line in the past and the right-handed hitter performed well with the bat this summer. His gap-to-gap power should continue to grow. 

Finally, the updated list ends with Rockwall’s Jake Overstreet. We simply couldn’t keep him off the list. He’s hit every time we’ve seen him, has a true chance to stick at catcher, showed impressive movements at third base, left field and second base to boost his catching outlook and possesses leadership ability/quality makeup. 

READ: Unveiling the updated 2024 Five Tool Texas 55 with the top 10
READ: The "Just Missed" list and next 55

Dustin McComas
Senior Editor