MaxPreps National Baseball Player of the Year watch list: Juniors

The National Player of the Year honors don't always go to a senior. Here's a look at 10 of the nation's top juniors in this week's MaxPreps National Player of the Year Watch.

Kyle Muller, Dallas Jesuit (Texas)
While Dallas Jesuit has one of the nation's top seniors in Darius Hill, it also has an outstanding junior in Muller. On the mound, Muller is 6-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 40.1 innings pitched. He is also strong at the plate with a .435 batting average (40-for-92) with 22 runs scored, 27 RBIs, 11 doubles, two triples and seven home runs.

Cole Ragans, North Florida Christian (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Ragans is one of the top left-handed pitchers in the junior class. North Florida Christian is still in the Class 3A state playoffs and Ragans has helped his team with a 6-1 record that includes a 0.52 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched.

Jason Groome, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Groome went undefeated for IMG Academy this year, posting a 5-0 record in eight starts with a 0.98 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched. His best outings were back-to-back one-hitters against Palmetto and Hewit-Trussville in which he struck out 19 and 14 batters, respectively.

Austin Bergner, Windermere Prep (Fla.)
Regarded as the top recruit in the Class of 2016, Bergner certainly proved it this year. Although Windermere Prep lost in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs, Bergner had an outstanding year with a .469 batting average that included 28 RBIs, nine doubles, two triples and five home runs. He also posted a 6-1 pitching record with a 0.40 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 52.2 innings pitched.

Spencer Steer, Millikan (Long Beach, Calif.)
Steer is one of the top players in the Long Beach area, which has produced a number of professional baseball players over the years. Steer is batting .309 with 18 RBIs, four doubles, three triples and two home runs.

Herbert Iser, Killian (Miami)
One of the top catchers in the Class of 2016, Iser finished the season with a .342 batting average (25-for-73) with 18 RBIs, seven doubles and three triples. Iser also threw out 10 runners trying to steal bases.

Micky Moniak, La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.)
Moniak, a 6-foot-2 outfielder, has been outstanding for La Costa Canyon this year, batting .481 with 20 RBIs and 22 runs scored. He also has five doubles and two triples in helping La Costa Canyon post a 20-4 record.

T.J. Collett, Terre Haute North Vigo (Ind.)
One of the top home run hitters in the Class of 2016 (he had 17 last year), Collett has gotten off to a slow start in 2015, as he hit his first home run of the season Wednesday against South Vermillion. Part of the reason for the power-hitting slump is that Collett has been walked 23 times on the season, including at least twice in eight of North Vigo's games. He is still hitting .314 with a .593 on-base percentage.

Blake Rutherford, Chaminade (West Hills, Calif.)
Ranked No. 3 in the MaxPreps list of the Top 50 Juniors, Rutherford is batting .400 for the season (20-for-50) with four home runs and two triples. Teams have also been careful not to give Rutherford anything to hit, as he has been walked 18 times on the season.

Drake Fellows, Joliet Catholic Academy (Ill.)
Joliet Catholic is one of the top 3A teams in Illinois and Fellows has been a big part of that success with his pitching and his offense. Fellows has posted a 5-0 record with a 0.65 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched for Joliet Catholic, which is 17-6-1 on the season. He also has 12 RBIs in 47 at-bats to go with three doubles, a triple and a home run.