High school baseball: 2026 MaxPreps Player of the Year in every state

Each year since 2008, MaxPreps has recognized outstanding performers in high school baseball. We continue the tradition this spring by naming the best player in each state during the 2026 season.

The MaxPreps Player of the Year will be announced following the conclusion of championship events in each state.

Jace Riggan, Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville)
6-2 | 195 | Shortstop/Pitcher | Junior
Alaska
Rilen Niclai, Service (Anchorage)
6-2 | 185 | Shortstop | Junior
The top prospect in the state by Perfect Game, Niclai batted .509 for the Division 1 runner-up. He blasted seven home runs with 38 runs, 27 RBI and five doubles. On the mound, Niclai was 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 27 innings.

Arizona
Kellan Tom, Corona del Sol (Tempe)
6-2 | 210 | First Base | Senior
The two-way standout earned Conference 6A player of the year honors after leading the Aztecs to the final. He batted .440 with 43 RBI, 29 runs, 10 doubles and 10 home runs. On the mound, Tom was 7-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 67.1 innings pitched.

Arkansas
Keaton Mathis, Valley View (Jonesboro)
5-11 | 190 | Catcher | Senior
A repeat selection as MaxPreps POY, Mathis led Valley View to another state championship as one of the top catchers in the nation. He batted .422 with 37 RBI, 26 walks, nine doubles, four home runs and just four strikeouts. After winning 10 games a pitcher last year, Mathis was used less on the mound as a senior but still went 2-0 with 14 strikeouts.

California
Julian Garcia, St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
6-3 | 210 | Pitcher | Senior
The Trinity League Pitcher of the Year, Garcia pitched a 2-0 shutout against Norco in the Southern Section Division 1 championship game. He also had league wins over Santa Margarita, Orange Lutheran, Servite and Mater Dei in going 9-1 on the season with a 0.84 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 70.1 innings.

Colorado
Cooper Vais, Arvada West (Arvada)
6-0 | 180 | Pitcher/Outfielder | Junior
In leading the Wildcats to the Class 5A championship game, Vais handed eventual champion Regis Jesuit its only loss in the tournament with a 10-strikeout performance. For the season, Vais was 13-0 with a 0.62 ERA and 113 strikeouts, walking just 15 batters in 68 innings pitched.

Connecticut
Jules Cicero, Staples (Westport)
6-0 | 160 | Second Base | Senior
Broke a school record with 50 basehits while batting .514 as the leadoff hitter for the Class LL state champions.

Delaware
Dylan Grise, Indian River (Dagsboro)
6-0 | 187 | Shortstop | Senior
Posted 0.26 ERA and had 93 strikeouts with only 14 walks in 53 innings pitched.

Florida
Coleman Borthwick, South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach)
6-6 | 260 | Pitcher/Infielder | Senior
A potential first-round draft pick in July, Borthwick dominated on the mound and at the plate for the Class 3A state champions. He batted .460 with 34 RBI, 16 doubles and nine home runs. He posted a 10-0 record as a pitcher with a 0.21 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 65.2 innings.

Georgia
Matthew Sharman, Etowah (Woodstock)
6-3 | 218 | Pitcher/First Base | Senior
Sharman led the Eagles to the Class AAAAAA championship with a pitching win over North Paulding in the first game of the best-of-three series. He then added three RBI in the second game to lead the offense. Batted .419 with 42 RBI, 27 runs, 10 doubles, four home runs and two triples. On the mound, Sharman had a 10-0 record with a 1.22 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 74.1 innings pitched.

Hawaii
Josyah Napoleon-Umeda, Honoka'a
5-6 | 150 | Pitcher/Outfielder | Senior
The two-way player was dynamite all-season long for the undefeated Division 2 champions. He led the state in home runs (6), wins (7) and batting average (.577). He had a 0.42 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 33.2 innings and added 22 RBI, seven doubles and three triples at the plate. In the final, he pitched a complete game, three-hit shutout to defeat Damien.

Idaho
Sage Medeiros, Sandpoint
6-5 | 185 | Pitcher/Outfielder | Senior
Nearly untouchable on the mound for the Bulldogs, Medeiros went 10-0 and gave up just six earned runs in 55 innings for a 0.76 ERA. He struck out 84 and walked just 11. In the state final, Medeiros went 3-for-4 with a double and two home runs with five RBI. He finished the season batting .346 with 33 RBI and three home runs.

Illinois
Brady Cunningham, Brother Rice (Chicago)
6-2 | 210 | First Base | Junior
One of the top juniors in the nation, Cunningham led the state in home runs with 17 while batting .554 with 62 RBI, 52 runs, nine doubles and five triples.

Indiana
Sean Dunlap, Crown Point
6-3 | 205 | Catcher | Senior
Finished in the top 10 in the state in home runs, slugging percentage and RBI while playing for one of Indiana's top 4A programs. He batted .473 with 45 RBI, 32 runs, 11 doubles, nine home runs and three triples.

Kansas
Grey Sanders, Mulvane
6-0 | 205 | Pitcher | Senior
Sanders allowed just one run all season and finished with a 0.162 ERA. He went 7-0 with 88 strikeouts in 43 innings. Pitched a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts against McPherson. He led Mulvane to the Class 4A state championship with a crucial 1-0 win over Bishop Miege in the quarterfinals.

Kentucky
Grayson Willoughby, Trinity (Louisville)
6-2 | 185 | Pitcher | Senior
The Shamrocks won their second straight state championship on the arm and bat of Willoughby. He won the state championship game against Boyd County on a one-hit shutout. He finished the season 12-0 with a 0.67 ERA and 96 strikeouts. He also batted .467 with 39 RBI, 11 doubles, four triples and two home runs.

Louisiana
Mills Richardson, Catholic (Baton Rouge)
6-2 | 177 | Pitcher | Senior
The Bears won their third straight Select Division 1 championship on the arm of Richardson, who led the team with a 10-1 record and 1.66 ERA. He added 68 strikeouts and 20 walks in 67.2 innings pitched. The state tournament MVP batted .301 with 15 RBI and three home runs.

Maine
Hunter Finck, Gorham
6-1 | 205 | Pitcher/Third Base | Junior
Headed to play at Alabama, Finck led Gorham (19-1) to its first Class A state championship with an RBI in the 11th inning to beat Bangor. Batted .545 for the season with 24 RBI, five doubles, five triples and a home run.

Maryland
Joey Coudon, John Carroll (Bel Air)
5-8 | 165 | Shortstop | Senior
Coudon batted leadoff for John Carroll and scored 46 runs with 31 RBI while batting .491. He also had 12 home runs, nine doubles and a triple.

Massachusetts
Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan (Attleboro)
6-9 | 250 | Pitcher | Senior
The MaxPreps Male National Athlete of the Year piled up 108 strikeouts on the season thanks in large part to a 100 mph fastball. He posted a 6-0 record and is considered a potential MLB first-round draft pick.

Michigan
Luke Crighton, St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake)
6-4 | 190 | Shortstop/Pitcher | Senior
Crighton went 10-0 with 83 strikeouts and a 1.19 ERA in 59 innings for the Division 2 state champions. He also made a huge contribution at the plate, batting .464 with 57 runs, 41 RBI, eight doubles, seven home runs and three triples.

Minnesota
Connor Finn, Mahtomedi
6-3 | 202 | Pitcher/Outfielder | Senior
Headed to Texas Tech, Finn led the Zephyrs to a Class AAA state championship for the second straight year. He posted a 7-0 record with 102 strikeouts in just 47 innings pitched.

Mississippi
Cole Prosek, Magnolia Heights (Senatobia)
6-1 | 195 | Shortstop | Senior
In leading the Chiefs to a MAIS Class 4A championship, Prosek was among the leading hitters in the nation. His 79 RBI are No. 1 nationally while his 18 home runs ranked second. He cranked out 76 hits, 62 runs and 19 doubles while batting .585 with a 1.177 slugging percentage.

Missouri
Grayden Seuferling, Blue Springs South (Blue Springs)
6-1 | 185 | Pitcher | Senior
The pitching and hitting sparkplug for the Division 6 state champions, Seuferling started on the mound and hit a home run in the title game. He ended the year with an 8-1 record, 2.44 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 60.1 innings. At the plate, Seuferling batted .433 with 55 RBI, 38 runs, nine home runs, four doubles and two triples.

Montana
Paxton Prill, Billings Central Catholic (Billings)
6-3 | 215 | Pitcher | Senior
Prill was nearly untouchable this year for the Rams, who advanced to the Class A consolation finals. He gave up just five hits in 27 innings and allowed only one run while posting a 0.00 ERA. He threw three no-hitters and struck out 55 batters with six walks in 27 innings.

Nebraska
Collin Driffill, Millard North (Omaha)
6-1 | 200 | Pitcher | Senior
Ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the state by Perfect Game, Driffill was the ace of the Millard North staff while leading the Mustangs to a Class A championship. He went 8-1 with a 0.93 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 45.1 innings pitched.

Nevada
Giovanni Guariglia, Silverado (Las Vegas)
6-0 | 220 | Pitcher/First Base | Senior
The Skyhawks reached the Class 4A championship game thanks in part to Guariglia, who was the top power hitter in the state. His 18 home runs nearly doubled the No. 2 hitter in the state and he had three games with two home runs. He batted .323 with 44 RBI and seven doubles. He went 6-1 on the mound with 74 strikeouts in 40.2 innings pitched.

New Hampshire
Tristan Lucier, Trinity (Manchester)
5-11 | 180 | Outfield | Junior
Led Trinity to a Division 1 state championship, batting .456 with 33 runs, 25 RBI, six doubles, five triples and three home runs.

New Jersey
Selden Kolkebeck, NV-Old Tappan (Old Tappan)
6-4 | 215 | Pitcher/First Base | Senior
In leading Old Tappan to a Group 2 state championship, Kolkebeck posted a 12-0 record with 126 strikeouts and just 15 walks while posting a 0.72 ERA. He had at least 10 strikeouts in 10 outings with a high of 17. He also batted .468 with 20 RBI.

New Mexico
Anthony Del Angel, Cleveland (Rio Rancho)
6-4 | 205 | Shortstop | Senior
Del Angel is rated by Perfect Game as the top recruit in the state and he has a shot at being drafted in July. The shortstop batted .500 for the Storm, which finished as the Class 5A runner-up. He scored 59 runs and drove in 43 to go with 13 home runs, 12 doubles and six triples.

New York
Preston Woodworth, Medina
5-10 | 160 | Pitcher | Junior
Woodworth helped Medina reach the Class B championship game, leading the state in strikeouts with 132 while posting a 10-1 record with a 0.61 ERA. He also batted .400 with 29 RBI, 25 runs and 14 doubles.

North Carolina
Logan D'Amico, Marvin Ridge (Waxhaw)
6-2 | 190 | Outfielder | Senior
Marvin Ridge won the Class 7A state championship behind the power hitting of D'Amico, who was one of the national leaders with 13 home runs. He had four games with two home runs and had six games where he drove in at least four runs. He batted .444 with 50 RBI, 47 runs, six doubles and a triple.

North Dakota
Alex Seaver, Red River (Grand Forks)
6-3 | 200 | Pitcher | Senior
The Eastern Dakota Conference Player of the Year, Seaver went 6-2 on the mound with 65 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched. He also batted .390 with 25 runs, 14 RBI, five doubles, a triple and a home runs.

Ohio
Parker Van Engelenhoven, Olentangy Liberty (Powell)
6-5 | 220 | Pitcher/Outfield | Senior
Went 6-3 as a pitcher with a 1.72 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 53 innings. He also opened the season with a no-hitter against South Lakes. At the plate, he batted .396 with 31 RBI, eight home runs and seven doubles.

Oklahoma
Hunter Watson, Tuttle
6-1 | 205 | Pitcher/Catcher | Senior
Although he missed six games with an injury, Watson came on strong down the stretch and led Tuttle to a Class 4A state championship. He batted .505 with 45 RBI, 30 runs, 13 doubles, two triples and eight home runs – including three in the state tournament. He also had a 6-0 record with a 0.24 with 55 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched.

Oregon
Grady Saunders, Thurston (Springfield)
6-2 | 185 | Pitcher | Senior
Considered the top pitching prospect in the state by Perfect Game, Saunders also had a huge year at the plate for the Class 5A runner-up. He batted .531 with 32 RBI, 23 runs, 14 doubles, four triples and four home runs. On the mound he posted a 7-3 record with 84 strikeouts and a 1.89 ERA in 59.1 innings.

Pennsylvania
Keller Bradley, Pennsbury (Fairless Hills)
6-6 | 200 | Pitcher | Senior
Bradley led Pennsbury to the Class 6A semifinals, posting a 9-2 record with 82 strikeouts and a 2.16 ERA. He finished his career with 24 wins and 263 strikeouts.

Rhode Island
Braylon Guilbeault, Woonsocket
5-8 | 165 | Pitcher | Senior
The Villa Novans went undefeated (24-0) and captured the Division 3 championship behind the play of Gilbeaut. He batted .423 with 28 RBI, 40 runs, five doubles and eight triples. He also went 7-0 on the mound with a 1.20 ERA and 73 strikeouts.

South Carolina
Taj Marchand, James Island (Charleston)
6-2 | 190 | Shortstop | Senior
For the second straight year, Marchand led James Island to a state championship and earned MaxPreps state POY honors. He batted .531 with 57 runs, 45 RBI, 13 home runs and 11 doubles. As a relief pitcher, Marchand struck out 32 batters in 19.2 innings and had a 0.00 ERA.

South Dakota
J.D. Prorok, Madison
6-3 | 270 | Pitcher | Senior
Named the Class B player and pitcher of the year, Prorok gave up just three earned runs in 46 innings and had a 0.46 ERA with 94 strikeouts. He also batted .426 with 15 RBI and eight doubles.

Tennessee
Michael Teasley, Oak Ridge
6-0 | 190 | Pitcher/Third Base | Senior
Teasley earned Mr. Baseball honors from the state coaches association for Class 4A. He batted .397 with 39 runs, 36 RBI, 13 doubles and five home runs. He was also lights out on the mound with an 11-0 record that included 138 strikeouts and a 1.17 ERA in 72 innings pitched.

Texas
C.J. Sampson, Tomball
6-3 | 215 | Pitcher/Third Base | Senior
Led Tomball to its second state championship in three years as the team’s leadoff hitter and top pitcher. Sampson finished second in the nation in wins with a 13-1 record including a victory in the state championship game. He had 106 strikeouts and just 10 walks with a 1.01 ERA. At the plate, Sampson batted .488 with 62 runs, 32 RBI, 21 doubles, six home runs and three triples.

Utah
Harmon Skeen, Desert Hills (St. George)
6-4 | 215 | Shortstop | Senior
The state leader in home runs with 16, Skeen led Desert Hills to a runner-up finish in Class 4A. He batted .451 with 49 runs, 44 RBI, four doubles and a 1.110 slugging percentage. He got four wins on the mound with 19 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA.

Vermont
Samuel Bent, Essex (Essex Junction)
6-3 | 210 | Pitcher | Senior
Bent led Essex to a 17-0 record and a Division 1 state championship. He earned Metro League MVP honors after posting a 6-0 record with 56 strikeouts and a 0.40 ERA in 35 innings pitched. He also batted .372 with 25 RBI, 13 runs, five doubles and a home run.

Virginia
Aiden Gallagher, Paul VI (Chantilly)
6-4 | 200 | Pitcher/Catcher | Senior
Earned player of the year honors in the WCAC and VISAA Division 1. Gallagher had 57 strikeouts in 48 innings on the mound while throwing out 13 of 25 base stealers from behind the plate. He also had 42 hits and 28 RBI.

Washington
Wyatt Plyler, Sumner
6-2 | 185 | Pitcher | Junior
Sumner claimed the Class 4A championship behind the pitching of Plyler. He won a semifinal game against Kamiakin with 10 strikeouts and one hit. He finished the season with a 10-0 record, 100 strikeouts and a 1.43 ERA in 53.2 innings. He also batted .383 with 28 runs, 25 RBI, eight doubles, three triples and a home run.

West Virginia
Eli Smith, George Washington (Charleston)
5-11 | 190 | Pitcher | Senior
Smith got a shutout win over Jefferson in the semifinals of the state tournament en route to the Patriots winning the Class AAAA championship. Smith went 9-1 on the season with 94 strikeouts and a 0.33 ERA. At the plate, he batted .402 with 33 RBI, 25 runs, 11 doubles and five home runs.

Wisconsin
Dominic Santarelli, St. Joseph (Kenosha)
6-1 | 225 | First Base/Outfield | Senior
Repeat selection led St. Joseph to the state final again this spring. He batted .565 with 57 runs, 30 RBI, nine doubles, seven home runs and four triples. Also compiled a 1.116 slugging percentage to go with a .702 on-base percentage.