Buxton, Gallo among national MVP candidates

The 2012 high school baseball season is coming to a close and a number of candidates have emerged to claim the title of MaxPreps National Player of the Year.

Many of the top candidates are among the top players on the MaxPreps Top 100 player list and others can be found playing on the teams that populate the top 10 teams in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25.

Here's a look at the top 10 candidates as the baseball season heads into its final month.

Byron Buxton, Appling County (Baxley, Ga.), OF
Some mock drafts have Buxton as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft. He hasn't disappointed on the field this year, leading Appling County to a 31-2 record and a semifinal appearance in the Georgia 2A state playoffs. He is batting .533 with 59 runs scored, 17 doubles, three triples and three home runs, 26 RBI and 35 stolen bases. On the mound, Buxton is 8-0 with 113 strikeouts in 60.2 innings pitched and a 1.85 ERA.

Lance McCullers, Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.), RHP
Despite his team's loss to American Heritage in the Florida 5A state semifinals, McCullers had a fantastic season on the mound. He posted a 13-0 record with 140 strikeouts, just 30 walks and a 0.11 ERA in 77.1 innings pitched. Also batted .292 with six doubles and two home runs.

Joey Gallo, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), 3B
Gallo got off to a slow start this year but he has been on a tear the last month. He's now batting .514 with 80 RBI, 8 doubles and 21 home runs. He also had four home runs in one game.

Kyle Carter, Columbus (Columbus, Ga.), RHP
Carter has Columbus in the Georgia AAA semifinals. He's batting .370 with 14 home runs and 28 RBI while posting an 8-2 record with a 0.72 ERA on the mound.

Matt Olson, Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.), RHP/1B
Olson has led Parkview to the semifinals of the Georgia AAAA state playoffs with his arm and with his bat. On the mound he is 11-1 with 74 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched. At the plate, the big first baseman is batting .385 with 47 RBI, 13 doubles and nine home runs.

Taylor Hawkins, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.), C
Hawkins led Carl Albert to the Oklahoma 5A state championship, capping a spectacular season with a home run in the championship game. That blast gave him a national-leading 28 home runs for the season. He also batted .391 with 81 RBI. He finished his career with a near national record of 74 career home runs.

Ty Moore, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), P/OF
The Monarchs are ranked No. 2 in the Xcellent 25 and Moore is a big reason why. The returning Orange County Player of the Year is batting .409 with 20 RBI, 5 doubles and 2 home runs. However he has also been extremely valuable on the mound, where he is 9-1 with 47 strikeouts and a 0.82 ERA in 51.1 innings pitched.

Addison Russell, Pace (Pace, Fla.), SS
Russell has Pace back into the state championship game for the second time in three seasons. The four-year varsity standout is one of the top shortstop candidates for the MLB draft. This year he is batting .371 with 37 RBI and 10 home runs.

Courtney Hawkins, Carroll (Corpus Christi, Texas), OF
Hawkins is one of the top outfield prospects for the MLB draft, showcasing both power and speed. He is batting .452 with 10 home runs, 50 runs scored, 34 RBI and 16 stolen bases for the No. 5-ranked Carroll Tigers. He also has a 3-1 record on the mound with 44 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched.

Wyatt Mathisen, Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas), P
Mathisen has led the Wildcats to the No. 4 spot in the Xcellent 25 rankings. Besides batting .443 with 39 home runs, 14 doubles and three home runs, Mathisen is also the team's top pitcher with a 10-0 record that includes 86 strikeouts and a 1.08 ERA.