DFW Underclassmen: Who's Next?!
March 6, 2025
In Texas, the next big thing never stays hidden for long. This season, underclassmen are making sure of that. From the mound to the plate, young players are already showing they are ready to make an impact.
Whether it is a pitcher with electric stuff or a hitter putting on a power display, these underclassmen are not waiting their turn — they are out there turning heads and proving they belong. Scouts are taking notice, and the buzz around these players is only growing. The talent pool in Texas runs deep, and as the season unfolds, there is always the question: “Who is next?”
The future of Texas baseball is already here, and these young stars are just getting started.
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Cole Koeninger SS / RHP / Keller, TX / 2026The ‘26 class has few who hold a ceiling quite as high as Koeninger’s. At 6-foot-2, 205-pounds with wide, broad shoulders and defined, lean strength throughout, there might not be a better athlete in the class, and his five-tool potential as a position player is nearly matched with regards to the upside on the mound.
Still raw with regards to the operation with a short, efficient takeaway that almost elicits a catcher-like arm action, the big right-hander pumped in a hoppy-fastball at 93-96 for much of his outing against a potential state championship lineup. Downhill with explosive attributes from a more drop-and-drive operation, he tunneled the fastball (at times) with a vicious, north/south curveball at 78-82 with more than 2800 rpm. The pitch holds considerable plus potential, and though it backed up at times, even then it was effective. The unteachable attributes that Koeninger brings to the mound will only serve to drive even greater buzz around his pitching ability in the future.
While the arm talent and upside that the Tennessee recruit displayed on the mound is alluring, his impact as a position player prospect might be that much more. On the barrel throughout the weekend, there is freaky power potential that unites with a willingness to cover the plate to all fields in presenting a dynamic player. A premium defender at shortstop, his plus-arm pairs well with confident hands and uber-athleticism to present must-follow if only because of the defense. However, the bat also brings plenty of excitement with groundforce swelling from his lower-half use from the right side, and compact, two-handed stroke delivers eye-opening thunder in the barrel. Maintaining keen awareness of his long limbs through a concerted effort to stay tight to the frame, it hardly sacrifices outputs, and instead the exit velocities continue to jump off the page. A 6.5-runner with elite metrics across the board, Koeninger will tantalize analytics departments and have area scouts monitoring bat-to-ball and swing decisions closely over the next 18 months. |