TEXAS - On January 6th, we continued our 2024 Preseason with the San Antonio Preseason ID at Cornerstone Christian HS. The day started off by the players running a 60, then throwing from their defensive positions, followed by each player a round of batting practice. Following BP, Pitchers threw bullpens, where TrackMan data was recorded. Today, we take a look at some of the standouts from the day.

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Jordan Albarado C / 3B / Uvalde, TX / 2027 Rankings  StateRank: 23 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 226 / POS: 28 The talented freshman from Uvalde showed well in all areas on Saturday. The RHH catcher has a natural feel for the game and it shows up in all aspects. He can really catch and throw and moves well behind the plate.  He has a pop time right in the 2.0-2.05 range and that will continue to improve as he matures and the arm strength continues to improve. In the batter’s box, Albarado has good rhythm and can drive the ball to all fields. It is a short but powerful swing and he does a really good job of being on time.  Albarado is poised to make a name for himself during his freshman campaign.

Ryan Mason RHP / O'Connor, TX / 2025 It was my first time to see Mason on Saturday and he definitely opened some eyes. The 6’ 3’’ righty showed a good fastball that topped out at 88.4. He throws from a high slot and buried the fastball at the bottom of the zone, making it tough to barrel up. He showed a big breaking ball as well that had good depth to it. Mason is just now transitioning to just baseball, and I expect him to gain some attention this spring.

Graeson Register RHP / OF / Greenwood High School , TX / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 43 / POS: 8 I had heard a lot of good things about Graeson, and on Saturday I was finally able to see the projectable righty from Midland. He is ultra athletic moving down the mound and showed really good hand speed. The fastball topped out at 87.4 and there is plenty more to come.  He showed feel for spin, and his breaking ball had the right shape. The command is a work in progress, but it shows swing and miss potential. The change up was a nice pitch for him. He threw with the same arm speed as his fastball, and showed pretty good command of the pitch. Register should continue to gain more and more attention as the year rolls on.

Bode Allan RHP / SS / San Antonio Christian School, TX / 2025 Allen was another arm I wasn’t too familiar with who really stood out on Saturday. The righty from San Antonio Christian showed a good fastball and projects for much more. The 6-2 Jr. topped out at 87.3 mph. It is a longer arm stroke and wasn’t always on time, but the hand speed was really good. As his sequencing continues to improve his fastball numbers could take some big jumps. He showed the making of a good slider. He threw it with conviction and when he threw it out front, it showed potential for a swing and miss pitch. Allen has a projectable frame to go with a super quick arm, and he will be one to follow this spring/summer

Aiden Shreve RHP / 1B / Pieper Ranch, TX / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 64 / POS: 17 Shreve is another projectable righty from this past weekend. The 6-4 righty from Pieper Ranch HS continues to flash high end stuff. Shreve sat in the mid 80’s with his fastball, and I have seen him higher in the past. The fastball has a lot of life, and can move a few different directions. When it is right, he does a good job of sinking it, making it tough to barrel up. His best secondary pitch is his change. He shows good confidence in the pitch and has good command of it. He could get righties or lefties out with that pitch. The slider has made a jump since the fall, and it was tighter and he landed it for a strike more often. I am excited to see him later this year when he is in mid season form, as I think he has some big jumps coming.

Cole Johnson LHP / 1B / Pieper , TX / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 91 / POS: 7 I have always been a big fan of Johnson, and he continues to put in the work as he looked more physical on Saturday.  The LHP from Pieper can really pitch and he has gained more than 4 mph on his fastball from last year.  And i suspect his velo will make some big jumps throughout this calendar year. Johnson is a strike thrower, and he can get to both sides of the plate with his fastball. He has a lot of run on his fastball, but can still get under righties hands. His breaking ball looked tighter, and he is throwing it harder than he used to. It plays to both righties or lefties. The change is a good pitch, and should give RHH’s fits.  Johnson is an intelligent pitcher, who knows how to maneuver his way through a lineup. The physicality is starting to show up, and I expect Johnson to make some noise in ‘24.

Grant Kinzel 1B / 3B / La Vernia, TX / 2025 Kinzel put on a show during the BP portion of the showcase. The 6-3 RHH from La Vernia had the best exit velo on the weekend, tipping out at 100 mph. He averaged over 90 mph for the round. He hit multiple balls out and did while using the whole field. He didn’t waste a lot of movement, but showed off elite bat speed that measured north of 80 mph. Kinzel profiles best at one of the corners on the dirt. I am excited to see Kinzel hit in a game, as I think he could do a lot of damage this spring.

Austin Shreve OF / 3B / Pieper Ranch, TX / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 162 / POS: 36 The other Shreve, Austin, had a really good day in the field on Saturday. The 6-2 Outfielder showed well in all areas. He is a sub 7 runner and shows off an above average arm from the outfield. He could play Center, but profiles as an athletic RF at the next level.  He had a max exit velocity of 92.8 mph and he hit a couple balls out during bp. He does a good job of using the big part of the field and can do it with authority thanks to his elite rotational acceleration. He can impact the ball to all fields. Shreve is a good looking athlete who continues to get better.

Brody Cole SS / RHP / Salado, TX / 2025 The fastest 60 time on the weekend belonged to Cole. The Jr. from Salado ran a 6.55 60, showing off his plus speed. Cole also showed a good arm off, topping out at 87 mph, giving him all the necessary tools to play centerfield. Cole also took some work on the dirt and showed his positional versatility. At the plate, Cole showed off a short, compact swing from the left side. He stayed in the big part of the field and did a good job of trying to work back thru the middle. He had a max exit velo of 91.4 mph. Cole is a good athlete, who offers positional versatility and continues to get better each time we see him.

Aaron Castillo C / RHP / Veterans Memorial, TX / 2028 Castillo was the youngest player there on Saturday, but he performed at a high level. The first thing that sticks out is his natural feel for the game. He has good hands in all aspects, and just looked comfortable at every task he was given.  The 8th grader had an impressive round of bp, having a max exit velocity of 92 and drove multiple balls out of the yard. He showed plus bat speed, topping out at 81.2 mph. Defensively, Castillo showed well behind the plate and on the dirt. He is a really good receiver for his age behind the plate. Strong wrist and showed the ability to block. His pop times ranged from 2.02-2.14 and should continue to improve. He also moved well on the infield with soft hands and more than enough arm for 3rd. To end his day, Castillo hopped on the mound and topped out in the low 80’s. He used mostly all arm, and as he learns to sync it up and get his legs involved, Castillo will see a big jump. Overall, a really good day for Castillo.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE	STATE	DATE	LOCATION
Waco Preseason ID	TX	01/13	McLennan CC
North Dallas Preseason ID	TX	01/14	Lake Dallas High School
Houston Preseason ID	TX	01/15	Rice University - Reckling Park

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