With his outstanding performance against Enid (Okla.) in the regional finals, Owasso's Dylan Bundy appears to be the favorite to capture MaxPreps National Baseball Player of the Year honors when they are announced in early July.
However, Bundy certainly does not have the award locked up and will get a tough challenge from within his own state by Broken Arrow's Archie Bradley.
Meanwhile the state of Florida boasts three viable candidates on our list and Arizona also has a pair. California, Nevada and Texas have one each.
Here's a look at the top 10 Player of the Year candidates.
Dylan Bundy, Owasso (Owasso, Okla.), P, Sr - In leading Owasso to a 34-1 record and No. 1 national ranking, Bundy has posted a 10-0 record and struck out 147 batters in just 64 innings pitched. He has a 0.22 ERA and has given up only five walks all season. He's also batting .494 with 10 home runs.
Henry Owens, Edison
Photo by Heston Quan
- The 6-foot-7 senior has been the top pitcher in the state of California, posting an 11-0 record with double-digit strikeouts in nearly every game this year. He also had four straight shutouts for the Chargers. Edison is ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section and No. 4 in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Baseball Rankings.
Kevin Cron, Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.), C, Sr - Cron has helped guide Mountain Pointe into the state championship game and has broken several state home run records along the way. He's hit 26 home runs on the season and 59 for his career.
Archie Bradley, Broken Arrow (Broken Arrow, Okla.), P, Sr - One of the hardest throwers in the country, Bradley is 10-1 and has led Broken Arrow to a 31-2 record and a No. 5 ranking in the Xcellent 25. He struck out 16 last week in a win over Edmond Memorial and he has fanned 115 batters in 61.1 innings this year.
Joey Gallo, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), 3B, Jr - The top slugger for the Gaels, Gallo has belted 21 home runs and has two games with three home runs. He also has 64 RBI and is batting .455 for Bishop Gorman, which is seeking its sixth straight Nevada 4A state championship.
Jose Trevino, John Paul II (Corpus Christi, Texas), C-P, Sr - Until Cron hit his home run on Friday, Trevino was the national home run leader with a Texas state-record 25 round trippers. He also leads the country in RBI with 84 and he has an impressive mound record with a 7-0 mark that includes a perfect game.
Dante Bichette Jr., Orangewood Christian (Maitland, Fla.), 3B, Sr - The Orlando Sentinel player of the year as a junior, Bichette is having an even better senior seasons as he is batting .647 (55 for 85) with 39 RBI, 14 doubles and 10 home runs. His efforts have helped boost the Florida 2A school into the Xcellent 25 this week at No. 24. He's also helped his team set a Florida state record for home runs in a season with 81.
Andres Sanchez, Flanagan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), Jr - A force for the defending 6A state champions, Sanchez is batting .493 and is slugging 1.324 on the season. He has 49 RBI, five doubles, three triples and 16 home runs on the year for a team ranked No. 2 in the latest Xcellent 25 rankings.
Zach Davies, Mesquite (Gilbert, Ariz.), P, Sr - Besides posting an 11-0 record on the season with 58 strikeouts, Davies also is batting .408 with 21 RBI, eight doubles and three home runs for a team challenging for the Arizona 5A Division I state championship.
Jose Fernandez, Alonso (Tampa, Fla.), P, Sr - If Alonso is able to win the next two rounds and capture its second Florida 6A state championship in three seasons, Fernandez will likely be the reason why. He is 11-1 on the season and has struck out 121 batters in 79 innings pitched. He's also batting .407 with 30 RBI and eight home runs.
