Director's List: Hunter Pence Scout Weekend

November 18, 2024
Brandon Gowins
Texas Scouting Director

TEXAS - We spent the weekend with Hunter Pence Baseball Academy at University of Houston on November 9th and 10th, and they continue to roll out deep teams for each age group every year. I felt like this year was really impressive, led by senior arms and then a lot of exciting young players. Today I write about the Top 10 that stood out to me, and then 11 more who had good weekends as well.

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1. Tanner Ball RHP / OF / Houston Christian, TX / 2028

While Ball was one of the youngest players at the event, there wasn’t anyone there with the upside he possesses. Every bit of 6 ‘3 already and doesn’t look like he is stopping anytime soon. Still growing into his body, he displayed good athleticism for his age and size. He topped out at 92 mph from the OF and ran an impressive 7.26 60, but Ball stood out on the mound. He has a long way to go still, but it is an easy upper 80’s fastball that projects for so much more. It is all knees and elbows right now, and as he gains strength the strike throwing and velo will really take off. If we look up in 3 years and Ball is one of the top pitching prospects in Texas, that would be no surprise to me. It is all there. Ball goes to Houston Christian High School.

2. Evan Mihaly LHP / OF / Clear Lake, TX / 2026

Rankings StateRank: 53 / POS: 6 OverallRank: 480 / POS: 41

Anyone that knows me, knows I have been a big fan of Mihaly since last HP Scout Day. Fast forward a year, and I am even more convicted that he is one of the top lefties in the state. While a little undersized, he is a strong kid who moves well and uses minimal effort in his delivery. He has a super low release height that can get under 4’ and knows how to pitch with that. He dominates at the top of the zone with his mid to upper 80’s fastball that hitters continually struggle to get on top of. His changeup has serious ASR and sink, and his sweeper can make lefties and righties look bad. It is easy to envision his role at the next level, and to me he is one of the top uncommitted arms in the state.

3. Braden Klug LHP / Cypress Ranch, TX / 2025

Rankings StateRank: 168 / POS: 25

Klug has always had a big arm, and we always knew he was going to throw hard, but strikes weren’t always Klug’s thing. But at HP Scout Day, it was hands down the best I have ever seen him. He was in the zone with his low 90’s fastball from a low ¾ crossfire delivery. His fastball will generate horizontal movement over 20 inches, making it extremely difficult to square up. It is an uncomfortable ab with a lot of tough angles and the slider has really started to flash as well. If Klug continues to find the zone more, he will have a monster senior season, and be a major steal for Galveston JC.

4. Kade Johnson RHP / OF / Woodlands Christian, TX / 2025

Rankings StateRank: 135 / POS: 36

Johnson and Klug have always been similar to me, big arms with erratic command at times. Well, like Klug, Johnson has put in the work and looked fantastic at HP Scout Weekend. The future San Jac Raven was in the low 90’s with his fastball and threw a mid 70’s breaker that had a lot of side to side. He showed the ability to really sink his fastball, and if he can continue to pair that with the breaker that will give him a nice 2 pitch mix out of the same window. Been fun to watch Johnson’s progression.

5. Ayden Collier OF / LHP / George Ranch, TX / 2027

Collier has quickly turned into one of my personal favorites of the ‘27 class. He was a star at Underclass State Games and he carried it over at U of H at HP Scout Day. He plays with a quiet confidence that a coach wishes every kid had. He ran a 6.9 but it plays even faster in CF. He gets great reads on the ball and is an easy glider in center, and he has plenty of arm as well, topping out at 87. At the plate, Collier followed up a HR at A&M a couple weeks ago with another home run, this time at U of H. He has strong wrists and above average bat speed, allowing him to get into some power in the game. Collier also shows moxie on the mound with his low to mid 80’s fastball from the left side.

6. Isaiah Salas LHP / 1B / The Woodlands, TX / 2025

Rankings StateRank: 70 / POS: 13

The San Diego State recruit is really fun to watch operate on the mound. He operates with pace and intention. He knows exactly what he is trying to accomplish and more times than not, he executes his plan. The lefty topped out at 90 in his outing, with spin just south of 2,600 rpm’s. He had an IVB max of 18.8 giving his fastball some life at the top of the zone. He has the ability to just live under the RHH’s hands and generate k’s or weak contact. He followed the fastball up with a slider that really flashed. He can spin it well and it has the shape to be a put away pitch for both sides of the plate. Really impressed with the Lefty.

7. Max McCraray LHP / OF / The Woodlands, TX / 2025

Rankings StateRank: 96 / POS: 15

The 3rd lefty of the 2025 class to make the list, the future Houston Cougar showed a starter profile and an athletic delivery. The 6 ‘2 southpaw sat 87-89 during his outing and showed the ability to work it to all quads of the zone. He gets to both sides of the plate with the fastball, and the secondaries come out of the same window. The slider was really impressive, showing the ability to back foot it to righties for his put away pitch. There is some projection left to the frame, and I could see him having another velo jump before his senior season.

8. Jose Arteaga RHP / 1B / Porter, TX / 2025

Rankings StateRank: 186 / POS: 49

Probably the biggest surprise on the weekend to me was Arteaga having the highest fastball velo on the weekend. The uncommitted senior topped out at 94, hitting it 3 times. It is an athletic delivery that he repeats. He holds his angles well as he is moving down the mound, allowing him to generate some easy velo. He throws a slider and curve as well, to go with a changeup. The slider was the best secondary for me. Arteaga has some real arm speed and there is room to get stronger, so I could see his velo continue to tick up. He will be fun to go see in the spring.

9. Brody Fortunato 2B / SS / Klein Oak, TX / 2027

Rankings StateRank: 53 / POS: 4

Another player who really made a name for himself at State Games and continued to build on it was Fortunato. He is just a really good baseball player whose tools continue to get better each time I see him. He is a hitter first for me, with a swing that plays and one he can repeat. He does a good job loading the wrist allowing him to really get the barrel through the zone. He is a good defender, and his arm has really gotten stronger over the year. Will need to get faster to be a shortstop long term, but he will be an above average defender at 2nd or 3rd. Fortunato also showed well on the mound. He topped out at 87 with his fastball with an average breaker in the low 70’s. A really good way to end the year for Brody, who has really put the work in this year and it shows.

10. Clyde Williams III OF / OF / Magnolia, TX / 2027

Rankings StateRank: 18 / POS: 4 OverallRank: 120 / POS: 28

Williams is another one that really made an impression on me at A&M and it carried over to HP Scout Weekend. The Magnolia product is one of the youngest kids in the class and has a frame to dream on. He already shows good athleticism by running at 6.83, a number that will continue to improve as he gets stronger. He has the arm to stay in CF, topping out at 85 mph. At the plate, Williams shows elite Blast Motion numbers and the ball jumps off his bat. As he continues to mature and get stronger, Williams has a chance to really impact the baseball. Williams is a fun one because his best baseball is way down the road, and it is already pretty good.