Vote now: Who was the best Texas high school baseball player in 2023?
Editor's note: Magnolia West senior pitcher Caylon Dygert was voted the Texas baseball high school player of the year by readers with more than 21,000 votes cast in his favor. Dygert led Magnolia West to its first UIL Class 5A state title with a save and a win in the 3-2 championship over Argyle to cap a season where he went 14-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings pitched. Scroll down for the final vote tally and to read more about the rest of the finalists.
Since the end of the Texas high school baseball season, SBLive has taken an in-depth look at the top players in the Lone Star State during the 2023 season.
After a long season that ended with dramatic finishes across classifications, we released our SBLive All-Texas baseball teams and postseason awards, headlined by SBLive Texas State Baseball Player of the Year Blake Mitchell, the star Sinton catcher who was drafted 8th overall in the MLB Draft early in July.
Now, we turn to readers to weigh in on who their player of the year selection is, spanning all classifications and regions of Texas.
Who was the best baseball player in the state of Texas in 2023, regardless of position? Scroll down to cast your vote in the poll and read up on the finalists below. Voting stays open until Wednesday, July 26 at 11:59 p.m. Central time.
SBLive Texas Baseball Player of the Year finalists
Blake Mitchell, Sinton, catcher, sr.
Hit .452 with 41 RBI and six homers and backed up his high first round MLB Draft projections behind the plate, where he had a 1.000 fielding percentage. Two-time Gatorade Texas Baseball Player of the Year was drafted 8th overall to the Kansas City Royals. Led Sinton to the Class 4A UIL state semifinals this spring after leading a title run in 2022.
Travis Sykora, Round Rock, pitcher, sr.
The Texas commit went 7-0 on the mound in 58 innings and led Round Rock to a district title. Zykora touched 100 at the Perfect Game All-American Classic and has continued to fill out a 6-foot-6 frame that has impressed MLB scouts and is expected to be chosen in the first round of the MLB Draft. Round Rock lost to Class 6A semifinalist Westlake in the regional quarterfinals.
Ethan Farris, Cypress Woods, sr.
The Texas State commit and all-Great Houston hitter of the year was tremendous at the plate, posting a .477 batting average, .532 on base percentage, 61 hits and 47 RBI and seven home runs on the season as Cy Woods' cleanup hitter, helping the Wildcats sweep their District 16-6A Region II slate and reach the state tournament before losing to Flower Mound in the semifinals.
Cade Arrambide, Tomball, catcher, jr.
The LSU-committed catcher is the a projected first rounder in 2024 and would be the state's top catcher — if not for Gatorade National Player of the Year Blake Mitchell. Arrambide hit .543 on the season for Tomball (26-13). He was clocked at 99 miles per hour on a throw from outfield.
Grady Emerson, Argyle, first base, fr.
TCU commit had already played with USA Baseball's under-15 national team before his freshman season. Then he asserted himself among the state's top players with a breakout season that netted the 6-foot-1, 16-pound Argyle sophomore a Class 5A first team all-state selection as a first baseman, but is also an effective middle infielder and pitcher.
Caylon Dygert, sr., Magnolia West
Led Magnolia West to its first state title with a save and a win in the 3-2 championship to cap a season where he went 14-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings pitched.
Ty Zahradnik, Keller, pitcher, sr.
District 4-6A MVP went 10-0 in a dominant season: 0.60 ERA, 117 strikeouts and turned it up in three shutdown postseason appearances.
Carson Riley, Liberty Hill, catcher
District 25-5A Defensive Player of the Year boasted a .992 fielding percentage and threw out 20 attempted stolen bases. Mary Hardin-Baylor commit.
Adrian Rodriguez, Flower Mound, first base, jr.
6A state tournament MVP uncorked a two-run homer run that changed the game in a Class 6A title win over Pearland. Texas A&M commit is a switch-hitter.
Colton Roquemore, Argyle, second base, jr.
Dallas Baptist commit hit .401 with 39 RBI and 14 stolen bases with a stout .977 fielding percentage on defense.
Dylan Schlotterback, Austin Lake Travis, short stop, sr.
Paris JC signee hit .421 with a .503 on base percentage, 27 RBI and 27 runs while leading Austin Lake Travis to the regional quarterfinals.
Boots Landry, Friendswood, third base, sr.
Texas A&M commit hit .455 on the season with a .550 on base percentage and .871 slugging percentage with 46 hits and nine home runs.
Nehomar Ochoa, Galena Park, outfield, sr.
Houston commit hit .602 with a.685 on base percentage and 1.277 slugging percentage with 50 hits, 50 RBI, 11 home runs and 55 runs.
Caden Sorrell, Marcus, outfield, sr.
A projected top-80 MLB Draft pick, the 6-foot-4 Texas A&M commit was District 6-6A Offensive Player of the Year.
Aidan Smith, Lovejoy, outfield, sr.
Hit .491 with a .582 on base percentage and seven home runs. Mississippi State commit was a first team Rawlings All-American.
Bennett Fryman, Frisco Lone Star, outfield, sr.
Arizona State commit and District 9-5A MVP hit .363 with 36 RBI and seven home runs at the plate and a 7-1 record with a 1.84 ERA and 90 strikeouts on the bump.
Nico Partida, Pearland, middle infield/third base, soph.
Led Pearland to the Class 6A championship game. Line at the 6A state tournament: 10 for 20 at-bat and went 13-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 77 1/3 innings pitched and 82 strikeouts.
Nathan Duvall, Westlake, shortstop/RHP, sr.,
Austin Statesmen's CenTex Player of the Year logged 31 hits and 19 runs while accruing an 8-1 record including 3-for-3 on save opportunities.
Mason Kirk, China Spring, utility
THSBCA All-State selection was a strong presence in the infield for the Class 4A state champions, holding firm for two 12-inning wins back-to-back in the semis and championship.
Duncan Bowles, Randall, pitcher, sr.
Amarillo college signee was 13-0 on the season with 116 strikeouts, a 1.23 ERA and his district's pitcher of the year.
Zane Adams, Porter, pitcher, sr.
Alabama signee went 9-0 on the season with 142 strikeouts, a 0.63 ERA opposite 19 walks in 79 2/3 innings pitched. Was a projected high-round draft pick but opted for college.
Zane Becker, Flower Mound, catcher, jr.
Arkansas commit received the honor as the catcher for the All-Tournament team for the Class 6A state tournament as he helped the Jaguars claim the 6A title. He was also first-team All-District 6-6A catcher and Academic All-District selection. Batted .259 during the Jaguars’ run to state. In his sophomore season, he hit .411 and drove in 20 runs.
Luke Billings, Prosper, catcher, soph.
A Tennessee commit, Billings batted .366 with five home runs, 15 doubles and 26 RBIs this past season for Prosper. Billings was also selected as the Class 6A first-team All-State catcher by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association.
Caden Ferraro, first base, Pearland, sr.
Texas A&M signee posted a .389 batting average with 49 hits, 14 extra base hits, 27 RBI and 24 runs scored for UIL Class 6A state runner-up Pearland.
Hudson Ellis, second base, Round Rock, jr.
Round Rock standout hit .410 with a .500 on base percentage and 25 RBI on the season.
Ashton Beaird, Reagan, shortstop, sr.
District 28-6A’s Offensive MVP hit .420 with a school-record 38 steals, scored 38 runs and hit eight doubles. THSCA All-State selection is signed with New Mexico Junior College.
Ryan Alexander, Frisco Reedy, third base, sr.
Leadoff hitter in Frisco Reedy's first state tournament run in program history. Posted a .414 batting average with 35 RBI, eight extra base hits and 30 stolen bases and ramped his BA up to .512 in 12 postseason games.
Isaac Yruretagoyena, Comal Canyon, outfield, sr.
District 26-5A MVP after hitting .432 with six home runs, nine doubles, 28 RBIs and recording 22 steals. Also served as the Cougars’ closer with four saves, two wins, a 0.00 ERA and 23 strikeouts. THSCA All-State selection is signed with Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Kendall George, Atascocita, outfield, sr.
Speedy outfielder slashed .445/.581/7.14 with 53 hits, 19 extra base hits, 34 RBI, 45 runs and 32 stolen bases. Was taken 36th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft to the L.A. Dodgers.
Sam Erickson, Flower Mound, outfield, jr.
His .421 batting average, nine home runs, 43 runs scored and 30 RBI helped Flower Mound on its way to a 6A title. Hit the game-defining home run against Pearland to win the state championship.
Jackson Rooker, Celina, utility, sr.
Tenessee Tech signee hit .443 with 11 extra base hits and proved his value all around, winning District 11-4A utility player of the year. Went 5-0 with a .98 ERA, 25 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings pitched.
Carson Wallace, Harleton, utility, soph.
Left-handed pitcher was the UIL Class 2A state tournament MVP, going 73 1/3 innings pitched with 146 strikeouts and a .19 ERA in 13 appearances on the year.
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Lead photo by Angela Piazza, Caller-Times/USA TODAY NETWORK
