Houston Preseason ID Quick Hits: Position Players

Marcus Cantu SS / OF / Lutheran South Academy, TX / 2026

I was excited to get my 1st look at Cantu in person, and he didn’t disappoint.  The UT commit plays the game with a lot of energy, confidence, and you can tell he likes to compete.  He started his day by running a 6.91 60.  He did both Outfield and Infield drills and looked comfortable in both.  He was 89 from the OF with an accurate arm.  He really shined on the infield where he showed smooth actions in all directions.  He presents the glove early and has a quick release.  He showed more than enough arm strength, throwing 85 across the diamond.  At the plate, Cantu is a LHH and showed some juice in his compact build.  He has some loft in the swing and showed the ability to drive the ball pull side and the backside gap.  Cantu is an exciting player who can do a lot of different things to help his team win on the field.  

Trenton Buckley SS / RHP / Magnolia West, TX / 2024

Buckley has some of the best tools in the state for the ‘24 Class. He is a good athlete, who can play all over the field.  He has elite arm talent that he showed off on Saturday.  He was 98 from the OF with an accurate arm, and was 90 across the diamond.  He didn’t pitch on Saturday, but Buckley has also been in the low 90’s on the mound.  Buckley has good bat speed and plenty of power potential in the bat. As he continues to get into his power more consistently in the box, Buckley’s stock will continue to rise. 

Chase Bradley C / OF / Grand Oaks , TX / 2026

The ‘22 JFG member continues to make strides everytime we see him.  The broad shouldered freshman can really defend behind the plate. He has quick feet and strong wrists making him a good receiver and blocker of the baseball.  His feet are also evident on his throw downs as he has a really quick transition and delivered a couple 2.0 pop times.  At the plate, Bradley continues to flash.. He still has a lot of strength to gain, but he showed some pull side power  and above avg. bat speed.  Bradley is part of a very talented ‘26 group of catchers in state and it will be fun to watch them over the next 4 years. 

John Dolan C / 3B / Hargrave Huffman, TX / 2026

Another one of the ‘26 catchers that stood out was Dolan.  He is a physical kid for his age, and has the build to hold up behind the plate.  He has electric bat speed in the batters box that plays in game.  He has good rhythm and starts his swing with a slight leg kick.  There is some natural loft in his swing, and he has above average power for his age.  Behind the plate, Dolan is a good receiver of the baseball and can really stick it with his strong wrists.  He has a good arm and solid footwork that allows him to register 2.0 pop times regularly. Dolan is currently ranked #11 in the state, and he looked the part of a high end prospect on Saturday.

Collin Martin C / 1B / Grand Oaks, TX / 2026

Caden Baker SS / OF / Houston Stratford, TX / 2024

The recent George Mason commit showed up Saturday, noticeably stronger from when we saw him in the Fall at State Games.  Baker turned in another solid day all the way around. He ran a 6.77 60 to start his day. He threw 89 from the OF and 84 across the diamond.  Baker has good actions and could play multiple positions at the next level.  At the plate, the LHH showed more power potential. The strength gains were evident on balls he was driving the other way during BP.  Baker is a high energy player who offers a lot of versatility, and can help his team win in multiple ways.  

Jaime Lopez SS / RHP / PSJA, TX / 2024

One of the better all around days for position players belonged to Lopez. The Jr. middle infielder did everything well and still has plenty of projection left in the frame.  He ran a 6.72, showing the athleticism to stay up the middle. Defensively, he has a quick 1st step and showed good range at SS. He did a good job of coming in and getting the ball and has enough arm strength to make all the throws from the left side of the infield. At the plate, Lopez doesn’t have a lot of wasted movement in his swing. He has a flat swing through the zone, and really worked on staying in the big part of the field. He has above average bat speed, handles the bat well, and can do a lot of different things to help his team win.  Lopez performed with a lot of energy and bounce, and really stood out on the day.  

Wyatt Clewett 3B / RHP / Montgomery, TX / 2026

Clewett is ready for his first year in Texas as his family moved in from California this fall.  This was the 1st time the Texas Staff got to see him, and there were a lot of things to like. He has an ultra projectable frame at 6’4 170, but moves well for his size and age. He ran a 7.04 60 which will continue to improve.  He looked good in the infield, with clean glove work and enough arm to play on the left side.  As his body continues to mature, he is most likely a LHH 3rd Baseman.  At the plate, Clewett drove the ball consistently all over the field with authority.  He has a traditional lefty swing with some natural loft.  He uses his long levers to impact the baseball, and as he gains strength there could be a big power jump.  He also hopped on the mound and sat in the low 80’s. It was a simple operation with minimal effort. 

Judson Dowell 3B / RHP / Houston Lamar, TX / 2026

Cody Ford OF / OF / George Ranch, TX / 2024

The most physically imposing player at Saturday’s event was Ford.  The 6’3 235 lb. 2 sport athlete plays Defensive End for George Ranch. The short space quickness from football was on display as he ran one of the better 10 yd. Splits on the day at 1.67 and his 60 at 7.16. Both of those numbers are impressive for his size.  In the batter box, Ford had the 2nd highest exit velo at 99.0 mph and hit the 2nd farthest ball at 358 ft.  There is some obvious strength there, but Ford also has plus bat speed and is fairly short to the ball for his size.  Ford projects best as a power hitting Corner Outfielder at the next level.

Gunner Greene RHP / 1B / Pearland Dawson, TX / 2024

Greene was another one that I got my 1st look at, and he was impressive in all facets.  We will talk about his pitching tomorrow, but there were plenty of offensive highlights as well.  He had one of the highest exit velocities at 98.5 mph.  He tested well with + bat speed and + rotational acceleration.  There is some length in the swing, but when it is on time he showed above average raw power to the pull side.  Greene is a high energy player who gets after it in the box and on the mound. He has a chance to open some eyes this spring.

Walker Hurst OF / OF / Clear Creek, TX / 2025

It was my first time seeing Hurst, and he is one to follow this upcoming spring.  The Soph. started his day by running a 6.92 60.  He took good angles in the OF and showed an accurate arm.  At the plate, Hurst had a good round of bp with consistent hard contact.  He showed plus bat speed and rotational acceleration with a repeatable, short swing.  Hurst has some present strength, but a frame that will allow much more.  Hurst had a really good day, and I am excited to see him in game action this spring/summer.

Adam Alvarez SS / RHP / Hebron, TX / 2026

The freshman from Dallas had a solid day overall. The actions on both sides of the ball stood out.  On defense, Alvarez played with confidence and was an effortless mover to both sides.  He has an accurate arm, and as he gets stronger, should have enough arm to stay on the left side.  At the plate, Alvarez swings from the left side, and has good rhythm in the box.  He has some loft in his swing and showed the ability to drive the baseball. Only a freshman, as he gets stronger, his profile will continue to evolve and I could see him developing some power.  Alvarez also hopped on the mound and showed the ability to fill it up with his fastball and breaking ball.  

Jake Baskin OF / C / St Thomas, TX / 2025