Lou Gehrig, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez among retroactive high school baseball players of the year going back to 1920

The 2025 MaxPreps All-America Team will be unveiled Thursday along with the MaxPreps National Player of the Year. The selection marks the 17th year that MaxPreps has selected a POY for high school baseball, but who would be the selections prior to the first pick in 2008?

As MaxPreps has done with retroactive selections of national POYs in basketball and football, we have gone back in time to identify baseball's best going all the way back to 1920. Players were selected as if they were chosen in real time based on the honors they received at that time, not through the use of hindsight.

The players listed below begin with the actual MaxPreps National Player of the Year honorees dating back to 2008. Prior to that season, we chose from an assortment of sources, including Gatorade, USA Today and Baseball America back to 1986. Prior to 1986, the Major League Baseball draft and the Rawlings All-American teams were the main sources for determining the players of the year. Prior to 1965, the first year of the MLB Draft, MaxPreps used information from the Baseball Almanac regarding "bonus babies" along with MaxPreps' own retroactive list of mythical national champions published in 2021.

Many of the top players prior to the 1950s could be found in San Diego, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco and Boston, all metropolitan area that were the main producers of baseball talent during the first half of the 20th century. San Diego High School had four selections while Lane Tech (Chicago) had three.



The list goes back to 1920 and begins the with the selection of first baseman Lou Gehrig of Commerce (New York), one of seven future Hall of Fame players on the list.

MaxPreps National Player of the Year


2023 — Christian Rodriguez, Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.)
While leading Stoneman Douglas to a No. 2 overall ranking, Rodriguez had a 12-0 record with 117 strikeouts. He also batted .359 with six home runs.

2022 — Brock Porter, St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)
The Eaglets went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country behind the play of Porter. He had a 9-0 record with a 0.36 ERA and 115 strikeouts. He also batted .459 with four home runs.

2021 — Jack Walker, Barbe (Lake Charles, La.)
In leading the Buccaneers to the MaxPreps No. 1 ranking, Walker went 13-0 with three no-hitters and 121 strikeouts in 83.2 innings pitched.

2020 — None (Pandemic)

2019 — Bobby Witt Jr., Colleyville Heritage (Texas)
The No. 2 player picked in the MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals, Witt ranked among the national leaders in home runs, with 15 and runs scored with 65. He also had 55 RBI, 14 doubles and nine triples while batting .482.

2018 — Nolan Gorman, O'Connor (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Drafted No. 19 overall, Gorman batted .421 with 10 home runs and 42 runs scored. He also led the nation in walks with 46.



2017 — Jordon Adell, Ballard (Louisville, Ky.)
With 25 home runs in 2017, Adell has the highest home run total in the nation since the 2012 season. He batted .562 with 53 runs, 61 RBI and nine doubles. He was drafted No. 10 overall by the Angels.

2016 — Kyle Muller, Dallas Jesuit (Texas)
Muller excelled on the mound and at the plate. He batted .398 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI. On the mound, Muller went 9-1 with 142 strikeouts in 83 innings. He had a streak of 33 straight strikeouts while leading the Rangers to a state championship.

2015 — Joe DeMers, College Park (Pleasant Hill, Calif.)
Racking up 44 wins in his four-year varsity career, DeMers was 13-1 as a senior with a 0.51 ERA and 103 strikeouts. He also had three no-hitters, one of them a perfect game. He had 332 strikeouts in his career. He batted .447 with 44 RBI and six home runs as a senior.

2014 — Jack Flaherty, Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.)
Repeated as MaxPreps National Player of the Year after going 10-0 with 125 strikeouts in 78 innings. He pitched a no-hitter in his final game and ended his career with 324 strikeouts.

2013 — Jack Flaherty, Harvard-Westlake
In leading the Wolverines to the Southern Section Division 1 championship, Flaherty went 13-0 with 112 strikeouts and a 0.63 ERA in 89 innings pitched.

2012 — Joey Gallo, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Led Bishop Gorman to the No. 1 ranking, batting .509 with 21 home runs and 80 RBI. He finished his career with 67 home runs and 249 RBI.



2011 — Dylan Bundy, Owasso (Okla.)
Drafted No. 4 overall by the Orioles, Bundy had an 11-0 record and 0.20 ERA with 158 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched. He also batted .457 with 54 RBI, 50 runs and 11 home runs.

2010 — Stetson Allie, St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)
The two-way standout batted .500 with three home runs, 32 RBI and 14 doubles while on the mound he was 9-1 with 134 strikeouts and a 1.40 ERA in 60 innings pitched.

2009 — Matt Hobgood, Norco (Calif.)
Tied for the national lead in home runs with 21, Hobgood batted .475 with 55 RBI. He also went 11-1 on the mound with 101 strikeouts and a 0.92 ERA.

2008 — Jake Odorizzi, Highland (Ill.)
Went 14-0 on the mound with a 0.08 ERA and 146 strikeouts. He also had a .409 batting average with 15 home runs and 41 RBI. He was drafted No. 32 overall by the Brewers.

2007 — Mike Moustakas, Chatsworth (Calif.)
The Baseball America National Player of the Year, Moustakas led Chatsworth to a national No. 1 ranking. He had 52 career home runs including 24 as a senior. Played 13 seasons and was a three-time All-Star.

2006 — Clayton Kershaw, Highland Park (Dallas, Texas)
The national POY by USA Today, Kershaw was 13-0 as a senior with a 0.77 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched. He has won three Cy Young Awards and is a 10-time All-Star.



2005 — Justin Upton, Great Bridge (Chesapeake, Va.)
Earning USA Today All-American honors as a junior and senior, he was the national player of the year in his senior season. He batted .519 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft.

2004 — Homer Bailey, La Grange (Texas)
The USA Today National Player of the Year was taken No. 7 overall by the Reds in the 2004 draft. He played 13 seasons and had a pair of no-hitters as a pro. In high school, Bailey was 15-0 as a senior with 201 strikeouts in 92.2 innings pitched. He had a 41-4 record in his career with 536 strikeouts.

2003 — Delmon Young, Camarillo (Calif.)
Drafted No. 1 overall and selected by USA Today as the National Player of the Year, Young batted .541 as a senior with 28 RBI and seven home runs. He also had 17 home runs as a junior and 35 in his career. Played 10 seasons as a professional.

2002 — B.J. Upton, Greenbrier Christian Academy (Chesapeake, Va.)
Named the USA Today National Player of the Year, Upton was prized as a defensive shortstop. However, he could also swing a bat as he hit .614 as a senior with 10 home runs and 47 RBI. He was taken No. 2 overall in the 2002 draft and played 12 seasons.

2001 — Joe Mauer, Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.)
USA Today National Player of the Year in football and baseball, Mauer batted .600 with 53 RBI and 15 home runs as a senior. Played 15 seasons and was American League MVP in 2009.

2000 — Matt Harrington, Palmdale (Calif.)
Named the Baseball America National Player of the Year, Harrington had an 11-0 record with a 0.54 ERA. He was drafted No. 7 overall in 2000 and was eventually drafted five times without ever signing a Major League contract.



1999 — Josh Beckett, Spring (Texas)
The No. 2 overall draft pick was the Class 5A Player of the Year in Texas. He went 13-2 with 178 strikeouts as a senior and had nearly identical numbers as a junior at 13-2 and 179 Ks. Was named World Series MVP with the Marlins in 2003.

1998 — Drew Henson, Brighton (Mich.)
National POY by both Gatorade and Baseball America, ironically Henson was second team All-America by Rawlings. He broke the national record with 70 career home runs including 22 as a senior with 83 RBI and a .608 batting average. Also went 14-2 on the mound. Played quarterback in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys.

1997 — Darnell McDonald, Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.)
An All-American in football and baseball, McDonald slipped to the No. 26 pick in the first round due to the possibility of him pursuing a college football career. Gatorade and Baseball America both named him national Player of the Year after he batted .606 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI. He had 35 career home runs. He played seven seasons in the Major Leagues.

1996 — Matt White, Waynesboro (Pa.)
Earned POY honors from Gatorade, USA Today and Baseball America and was drafted No. 7 overall. He went 10-1 with a 0.63 ERA as a senior, but shoulder and back injuries prevented him from making the Major League level.

1995 — Kerry Wood, Grand Prairie (Texas)
The Class 5A POY in Texas, Wood went No. 4 overall in the 1995 draft and was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1998. He went 12-0 as a senior with 139 strikeouts in 72.1 innings pitched.
 
1994 — Doug Million, Sarasota (Fla.)
Honored as the Gatorade and Baseball America Player of the Year, Million was the No. 7 overall pick in the 1994 draft. He posted a 12-2 record with 149 strikeouts and a 1.21 ERA in 87 innings. He died at the age of 24 of an asthma attack before reaching the Major Leagues.

1993 — Alex Rodriguez, Westminster Christian (Miami, Fla.)
Named USA Today National Player of the Year and a Rawlings All-American, Rodriguez batted .505 with nine home runs and 36 RBI as a senior. Had 696 career home runs in the Major Leagues with 3,115 hits and 2,086 RBI.



1992 — Derek Jeter, Kalamazoo Central (Mich.)
Named USA Today POY and a Rawlings All-American, Jeter batted .508 with 23 RBI and four home runs as a senior. Drafted No. 6 overall by the Yankees and was a 14-time All-Star.

1991 — Brien Taylor, East Carteret (Beaufort, N.C.)
The No. 1 pick in the 1991 draft, Taylor was a Rawlings All-American and the Baseball America National Player of the Year. He had 213 strikeouts in 88 innings, but he never played at the Major League level due to an injury.

1990 — Todd Van Poppel, Martin (Arlington, Texas)
The USA Today National Player of the Year, Van Poppell went 11-4 on the mound as a senior and had a career record of 25-6. He struck out 170 batters his senior season. Would likely have gone No. 1 overall, but told teams he was going to be attending the University of Texas. He went No. 14 overall to the Athletics and played 13 seasons in the league.

1989 — Tyler Houston, Valley (Las Vegas, Nev.)
The first prep player chosen in the 1989 draft, Houston earned All-American honors by Rawlings. He led Valley to a state championship while batting .466 with 13 home runs and 66 RBI.

1988 — Mark Lewis, Hamilton (Ohio)
Lewis reportedly broke national records for career hits (222) and RBI (212) during his four-year career. He also had 43 doubles and 42 home runs. Named the Gatorade National Player of the Year, Lewis was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1988 draft and played 11 seasons in the pros.

1987 — Ken Griffey Jr., Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Although Willie Banks of St. Anthony's (Jersey City, N.J.) was the Gatorade National Player of the Year, we will go with Griffey as our choice. He batted .478 with 23 RBI and seven home runs after hitting 10 home runs as a junior. In the Hall of Fame with 630 career home runs.



1986 — Gary Sheffield, Hillsborough (Tampa, Fla.)
The first Gatorade National Player of the Year, Sheffield was the second high school player chosen in the 1986 draft. He batted .500 as a senior with 14 home runs and 30 RBI. Played 22 seasons and was a nine-time All-Star.

1985 — Tommy Greene, Whiteville (N.C.)
Greene was a prolific strikeout pitcher in high school, fanning 270 batters in 124 innings as a senior while posting a 15-2 record. He had a 43-5 record overall in four seasons and threw eight no-hitters. He added another in the pros with the Phillies. A shoulder injury limited his pro career to eight seasons.

1984 — Shawn Abner, Mechanicsburg (Pa.)
Picked No. 1 overall, Abner batted .561 as a senior with seven home runs, eight doubles and eight triples and 28 RBI. Also a Rawlings All-American. Played five pro seasons with three teams.

1983 — Kurt Stillwell, Thousand Oaks (Calif.)
The Southern Section player of the year and a Rawlings All-American, Stillwell was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1983 draft. He batted .552 with 27 RBI, six home runs and 30 runs scored. Played nine season in the pros.

1982 — Shawon Dunston, Thomas Jefferson Campus (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
The Cubs tabbed Dunston as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1982 draft. Known as a power-hitting shortstop in high school, Dunston hit 25 home runs in his career including one in his first high school at-bat. Dunston hit a phenomenal .790 as a senior and was 37-for-37 in stolen bases. He played 17 seasons in the Major Leagues, mostly with the Cubs.

1981 — Dick Schofield Jr., Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.)
The son of a Major League ballplayer, Schofield Jr. was a Rawlings All-American and the No. 3 overall selection in the 1981 draft by the Angels. He batted .475 as a senior and went on to a 13-year professional career.



1980 — Darryl Strawberry, Crenshaw (Los Angeles)
The 1980 season was a tough one since many of the highly-drafted players were not MVPs of their area or state and the state MVPs were not highly drafted. Our pick is Strawberry, who was not a Rawlings All-American and was not the MVP of the All-City team, but was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and batted .400 for the season.

1979 — Al Chambers, Harrisburg (Pa.)
Selected No. 1 in the 1979 draft by the Mariners, Chambers was a Rawlings All-American after batting .484 with four home runs and 28 RBI. He played two seasons in the Major Leagues.

1978 — Lloyd Moseby, Oakland (Calif.)
The Northern California player of the year and a Rawlings All-American, Moseby was the No. 2 overall pick in the MLB Draft by the Blue Jays. He batted .470 as a senior with nine home runs.

1977 — Bill Gullickson, Joliet Catholic (Joliet, Ill.)
The Rawlings All-American went No. 2 overall in the MLB Draft to the Expos after posting a 12-0 record with 158 strikeouts and a 0.48 ERA in 87 innings.

1976 — Pat Underwood, Kokomo (Ind.)
The No. 2 overall selection of the Detroit Tigers, Underwood led Kokomo to a state championship by striking out 22 batters in 10 innings of a doubleheader at the state tournament. He finished his senior year as a Rawlings All-American and struck out 165 btters in 65 innings with a 0.42 ERA.

1975 — Clint Hurdle, Merritt Island (Fla.)
Although he had a signed to play football at the University of Miami, Hurdle switched to football after being selected in the first round by the Kansas City Royals. He batted .567 in high school and was a Rawlings All-American.



1974 — Lonnie Smith, Centennial (Compton, Calif.)
The third overall choice in the 1974 MLB Draft by the Cardinals, Smith was a Rawlings All-American and an All-CIF Southern Section pick after batting .426.

1973 — David Clyde, Westchester (Houston)
The No. 1 overall pick by the Texas Rangers, Clyde set numerous national records in high school and won his very first start with the Rangers just a couple of weeks after his high school graduation. He had 53 career pitching wins with 29 career shutouts, 55 consecutive shutout innings and 10 career no-hitters.

1972 — Rick Manning, La Salle (Niagra Falls, N.Y.)
Drafted as an infielder out of high school, Manning became a Gold Glove outfielder with the Cleveland Indians during a 13-year career. He batted .615 as a senior and was a Rawlings All-American. He was the top high school player taken in the 1972 draft, going at No. 2 overall.

1971 — Danny Goodwin, Peoria (Ill.)
The only player to ever be selected No. 1 overall in the MLB draft twice, Goodwin went to the Chicago White Sox in 1971 after batting .469, .427 and .495 in his three seasons at Peoria Central. Selected No. 1 overall by the California Angels in 1975, Goodwin played seven seasons in the Major Leagues.

1970 — Mike Martin, Olympia (S.C.)
The fifth overall selection in the 1970 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, Martin earned All-American honors by Rawlings after posting a 13-0 record with 224 strikeouts, just eight walks and no earned runs in 83 innings pitched.

1969 — J.R. Richard, Lincoln (Ruston, La.)
A tough choice for Player of the Year between Jeff Burroughs of Long Beach Wilson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1969 MLB Draft, and Richard, the No. 2 overall pick by the Houston Astros. Richard had the more impressive resume, however, as he had an 11-0 pitching record and a 0.00 ERA. He once hit four home runs in a single game while striking out 18 batters. Went 7-0 as a senior with 89 strikeouts in 43 innings. Posted a 21-0 career pitching record. Played 10 seasons with the Houston Astros.



1968 — Tim Foli, Notre Dame (SO) (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
An All-CIF quarterback, Foli was Southern Section player of the year as a senior and was also drafted No. 1 overall in 1968 by the New York Mets. Foli played shortstop and batted .562. Played 16 seasons in the Major Leagues and won a World Series with the Pirates in 1979.

1967 — Ron Blomberg, Druid Hills (Atlanta, Ga.)
A three-sport star at Druid Hills, Blomberg was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1967 MLB draft by the New York Yankees. He batted .472 with 45 RBI and five home runs while also drawing 50 walks. Played nine seasons in the Major Leagues.

1966 — Kenneth Brett, El Segundo (Calif.)
The CIF Southern Section player of the year, Brett had a 33-3 career pitching record and a .484 batting average. As a senior, he was 13-1, throwing  no-hitter in the postseason. The older brother of Hall of Famer George Brett, Ken played 14 seasons for 10 different teams in the Major Leagues, earning All-Star honors in 1974.

1965 — Ray Fosse, Marion (Ill.)
Selected with the No. 7 overall pick by the Cleveland Indians in the first Major League baseball amateur draft, Fosse batted .465 as a senior at Marion with four home runs. According to SABR.org, he also batted .475 as a sophomore and .535 as a junior.

1964 — Jim "Catfish" Hunter, Perquimans (Hertford, N.C.)
With a career record of 26-2, including 13-1 as a senior, Hunter signed a $75,000 contract with the Kansas City Athletics upon graduation. He led Perquimans to a state title as a junior in 1963 and it made the state finals in 1964. He once struck out 29 batters in a 12-inning game.

1963 — Steve Spurrier, Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.)
A three-sport athlete, Spurrier was All-American in football and all-state in basketball. He also pitched Science Hill to the state championship in baseball two straight seasons. He had a 7-0 pitching record and batted .400. Chose football in college and won the Heisman Trophy.



1962 — Al Stanek, Chicopee (Mass.)
After leading Chicopee to the state championship with an 11-0 record, Stanek signed a bonus baby contract with the San Francisco Giants. He had a 37-5 career record for the Pacers and he played one season in the Major Leagues.

1961 — Bob Bailey, Woodrow Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.)
Bailey signed the richest bonus baby contract in MLB history when he signed with the Pirates for $150,000. He batted .471 as a senior shortstop while earning CIF Player of the Year honors. Played 17 seasons in the Major Leagues, winning a World Series with the Reds in 1976.
 
1960 — Sam McDowell, Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Reportedly pitched 40 no-hitters during his career as a high school, Colt League and Little League pitcher, nine of those coming as a prep at Central Catholic. A highly-prized recruit, McDowell went 8-1 as a senior with 152 strikeouts in 63 innings with no earned runs.

1959 — Dean Chance, Northwestern (West Salem, Ohio)
No-hitters were Chance's forte as he threw eight as a junior in 1958 and eight more as a senior in 1959 (he had 17 in his career). He finished his career with a 52-1 record and won 32 straight games at one point. He played 12 seasons in the Major Leagues with a Cy Young award in 1964 and a no-hitter in 1967.

1958 — Dick Ellsworth, Fresno (Calif.)
The 1958 Fresno team is considered by Cal-Hi Sports as the greatest high school team in California history. Ellsworth was the top pitcher on that team with a 15-0 record as a senior. He played 14 seasons in the Major Leagues.

1957 — Bob "Hawk" Taylor, Massac County (Metropolis, Ill.)
Hailing from the Southern Illinois town of Metropolis, Taylor was a bit of a Superman in the spring of 1957. En route to signing the richest "bonus baby" contract in MLB history ($119,000), Taylor batted .650 with 12 home runs in 14 games. Played 11 seasons in the Major Leagues.

1956 — Mike McCormick, Mark Keppel (Alhambra, Calif.)


1955 — Kenny Kuhn, Male (Louisville, Ky.)
At the time, Kuhn was considered the greatest all-around athlete to ever come out of Louisville. He earned all-state honors in football, basketball, baseball and track and was considered the best baseball prospect in the state since Pee Wee Reese. Signed with the Cleveland Indians after graduation and played several years in the Major Leagues.

1954 — Bobby Ledford, Lanier (Montgomery, Ala.)
Ledford led the Poets to their fifth straight state championship in 1954 as a junior with a 9-0 record. He tossed a no-hitter against Anniston in the championship game and then shut out Pepperell (Lindale, Ga.) a week later to win the Alabama-Georgia interstate series. 

1953 — Al Kaline, Southern (Harwood, Md.)
A four-time all-scholastic choice by the Baltimore Sun, Kaline earned All-American status by Hearst several times during his high school career, earning game MVP honors as a sophomore. He batted .488 as a senior and had a career average of .427. He also had 13 home runs in his career, including one in his very first at-bat as a freshman. Played 22 years for the Detroit Tigers and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1980.

1952 — Billy Consolo, Dorsey (Los Angeles)
While leading Dorsey to 41 straight wins, Consolo was twice named the player of the year in the Los Angeles City Section (1951, 1952). He batted .422 as a junior and topped that with a .489 average as a senior. Played 10 seasons in the Major Leagues, mostly with the Red Sox.

1951 — Ed Cereghino, Jefferson (Daly City, Calif.)
Selected to play in the Hearst sandlot All-American baseball game, Cereghino reportedly had five no-hitters and struck out 180 batters in his career including 20 in one game. Signed with the New York Yankees at the age of 17 after graduation.

1950 — Bob Schmitt, Peoria
Peoria (25-0) is ranked by MaxPreps as the top team in the nation for 1950. Schmitt won 13 of those games, including a one-hitter with 17 strikeouts against LaGrange in the state final. For his senior year, Schmitt struck out 162 batters and allowed only 23 hits, five runs and 25 walks in 80 innings pitched.



1949 — Paul Pettit, Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.)
One of the most hyped players in baseball history, Pettit became the first player to sign a six-figure signing bonus. He was a three-time All-City player in Los Angeles. According to SABR.org, Pettit struck out 390 batters in 140 innings during his high school career with six no-hitters. He also had 27 strikeouts in a 12-inning game. An arm injury in his first season in the Major Leagues brought an early end to a promising career.

1948 — Dick Groat, Swissvale (Pa.)
A basketball and baseball standout, Groat earned selection to the Heart Sandlot All-American game as a senior. He went on to earn NCAA player of the year honors as a basketball player at Duke, but he ultimately played 14 seasons in the Major Leagues and was the National League MVP in 1960 when the Pirates won the World Series.

1947 — Harry Agannis, Lynn Classical (Lynn, Mass.)
Perhaps the most accomplished high school athlete in prep history, Agganis was a two-time All-American in baseball and was national player of the year in football by the Wigwam Wiseman in the Fall of 1947. He led Lynn Classical to a mythical national championship during his junior year in 1947 and was named to play in the Hearst Sandlot All-American game that summer. Played in the Major Leagues with the Boston Red Sox before dying in his second season of a blood clot in his lung.

1946 — Harold "Tookie" Gilbert, Jesuit (New Orleans, La.)
Playing  on Jesuit's state championship basketball and baseball teams in 1946, Gilbert earned all-state honors in both sports. He was a two-time state player of the year and was all-state three times. He hit three home runs in one game, including two grand slams, and was twice named to the Esquire All-American baseball game. Played briefly for two seasons in the Major Leagues with the New York Giants.

1945 — Irv Medlinger, Lane Tech (Chicago, Ill.)
Lane Tech won the state championship on the pitching of Medlinger, who signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox upon graduation. He won two games at the state tournament, striking out 20 batters in the championship game.

1944 — Eddie Miksis, Burlington Township (Burlington, N.J.)
Arguably the best player on a very talented Burlington team that is listed as the mythical national champion in 1944 by MaxPreps, Miksis was a two-sport star. He led the state of New Jersey in scoring during basketball season and was the top hitter for the baseball team. The Dodgers signed him the day after he graduated and he debuted in the Major Leagues 10 days later and spent 14 years in the league.



1943 — Herb Gorman, Balboa (San Francisco, Calif.)
Gorman holds the distinction of having just one Major League at-bat (0-for-1), although he had a very solid nine-year minor league career. In high school, he was the top player in the San Francisco area, batting .615 with four home runs. He signed with Brooklyn in June of 1943.

1942 — Paul Bard, Muskegon (Mich.)
Big Red was 26-0 during Bard's final two years on the varsity, earning MaxPreps mythical national champions honors for 1942. A three-sport star, Bard excelled in baseball as he batted .439 in his career

1941 — Billy Sams, Trinity (Washington, Pa.)
Sams led Trinity to back-to-back WPIAL championships and went 20-0 over two seasons. He struck out 15 batters in the championship game in 1940 and had back-to-back no-hitters in 1941. Played for the Reds and Dodgers at the minor league level in a career interrupted by his service in World War II.

1940 — Pete Galindo, Escondido (Calif.)
All-Southern Section as a junior first baseman in 1939, Galindo repeated in 1940, earning Southern California player of the year honors while batting .370.

1939 — Clint Hartung, Hondo (Texas)
Only a junior in 1939, Hartung led Hondo to an undefeated season (19-0) and the Texas state championship. He pitched 15 innings in the playoffs, getting wins in the semifinal and final game. Played for the New York Giants and won a pennant in 1951.

1938 — Bob Lemon, Woodrow Wilson
The very first player of the year award winner by the CIF Southern Section, Lemon excelled as a hitter and pitcher at Long Beach Wilson. A seven-time All-Star in the Major Leagues, Lemon was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1976.



1937 — George Sexton, Watertown (Mass.)
A five-sport star (hockey, tennis, basketball, soccer, baseball), Sexton excelled as a pitcher at Watertown. The top player on the All-Scholastics team by the Boston Globe in 1937, Sexton was 8-0 with 132 strikeouts in 78 innings. He was 15-0 in his career.

1936 — Bob Feller, Van Meter (Iowa)
Feller played high school baseball at Van Meter and for a local semi-pro team in 1935 and 1936 before joining the Cleveland Indians the summer of 1936. In his first career start in August of that year, Feller struck out 15 St. Louis Browns at the age of 17. Two weeks later he tied the Major League record with 17 strikeouts against the Athletics.

1935 — Lou Briganti, Textile (New York)
Textile dominated PSAL baseball in the early part of the 1930s, going 20-1 in 1935 and earning mythical national champion status by MaxPreps. Briganti was the top hitter on the team and earned a spot on a national amateur all-star team sponsored by Wheaties that toured Japan in the fall of 1935.

1934 — Phil Cavaretta, Lane Tech
Considered one of the greatest players in Lane Tech history, Cavaretta signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs the day after pitching a no-hitter for Lane Tech during his senior year. Two weeks later, in his first game for Cubs farm club Peoria, Cavaretta hit for the cycle. He was called up to the Major League that September as an 18-year old and played 22 years in the Major League. He was the MVP of the National League in 1945.

1933 — Elwood Esmay, Phoenix Union (Ariz.)
One of the top athletic programs in the nation during the first half of the 20th century, Phoenix Union went undefeated in 1933 and is the No. 1 team in the nation for that year by MaxPreps. Esmay overcame an arm injury to pitch the Coyotes to the state championship.

1932 — Earl Evans, Bradenton (Fla.)
Bradenton, now called Manatee, had the top team in Florida and has been retroactively selected by MaxPreps as the top team in the nation for 1932. Evans was the star player on that team, earning all-state honors and getting pitching wins in the semifinals and finals with a combined 22 strikeouts.



1931 — Johnny Messina, Medford (Mass.)
Boston English was one of the top teams in the nation in 1931 but it was Messina from Medford who earned Player of the Year honors by the Boston Globe. He was known for his uncanny fielding ability and his quickness on defense. He was killed in action during the Battle of Sicily in 1943 during World War II.

1930 — Athos Sada, San Diego (Calif.)
San Diego is named as the mythical national champion by MaxPreps four times between 1921 and 1930 with the latter team considered the most powerful by newspapermen of the day. Sada was the top player on that Caver team, batting .611 on the season. He later became Deputy Police Chief of San Diego in the 1950s.

1929 — Roy Alpert, Jamaica (N.Y.)
San Diego had one of the top programs in the nation during the 1920s and Dobranski was the team's top pitcher three years running. He lost just three games in three seasons and struck out 91 batters in league play as a senior, leading the Hilltoppers to the Southern California championship.

1927 — Ben Chapman, Phillips (Birmingham, Ala.)
A four-sport star at the Birmingham school, Chapman played three years on the varsity baseball team (he graduated in the Fall of his senior year) and signed a contract with the New York Yankees. He was a four-time All-Star in the Major Leagues and led the league in stolen bases four times.

1926 — Paul Richards, Waxahachie (Texas)
The sparkplug behind Waxahachie's 65-game win streak that stretched from 1924 to 1928, Richards led the Indians to four state championships during his time on the team. He later played in the Major Leagues, winning a World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1945. He also managed to the Baltimore Orioles, among other teams, in the 1950s. As a prep, Richards pitched left and right-handed during a state championship series against Austin.



1925 — Alf Thorp, Lane Tech
Thorp was the ace pitcher for a Lane Tech team that defeated Flushing for the Inter-City Chicago-New York championship, striking out 14. He also had a no-hitter in the Public League playoffs against Lake View. A picture in the newspaper during the Inter-City game showed Thorp shaking hands with MLB Commissioner Kennesaw "Mountain" Landis.

1924 — Joe Cronin, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (San Francisco, Calif.)
After Mission High School burned down in 1923, Cronin transferred to Sacred Heart and led it to the SFAL championship. The shortstop was deemed the top player in the league and went on to a Hall of Fame career, mostly with the Boston Red Sox.

1923 — Gus Nemechek, San Diego
Nicknamed "Stubby" like his half-brother Frank "Stubby" Mack of the Chicago White Sox, Nemechek was the ace pitcher for San Diego and led the Hilltoppers to the Southern California championship. In the final against Covina, Nemechek struck out 13 and had a pair of triples.
 
1922 — Wally Berger, Mission (San Francisco, Calif.)
Batting right behind Joe Cronin in the Mission lineup, Berger was the top hitter in the San Francisco Athletic League and led his team to a tie for first place with Polytechnic. He was a four-time all-star during his 11-year Major League career.

1921 — Syl Pappert, San Diego1920 — Lou Gehrig, Commerce (New York)
The future Hall of Fame first baseman led Commerce to a 12-6 win over Lane Tech (Chicago) in the very first inter-city game between schools from Chicago and New York. The Manhattan school won, in part, due to Gehrig's grand slam home run in the ninth inning.