As the 2026 high school baseball season gets underway, MaxPreps is shining a spotlight on the game’s brightest young stars by selecting the top player in every state – a preseason roll call that reads like a preview of the sport’s future.
Headlining the list is 2025 MaxPreps National Player of the Year
Gio Rojas of
Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.), whose dominant all-around game set the standard last spring. He is flanked by elite infield talents such as
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) shortstop
Tyler Spangler and
Fort Worth Christian (North Richland Hills, Texas) shortstop
Grady Emerson, both expected to be selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft in July.
Players were selected based on recruiting rankings, MLB draft ranking, junior year statistics as well as local, regional and national honors. All players selected are seniors.
Alabama
Height: 5-9 |
Weight: 165 |
Position: Shortstop
Earned all-state honors with eight home runs and a .376 batting average.
Alaska
Rilen Niclai, Service (Anchorage)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 185 |
Position: Shortstop
Led Service to the state final with a .389 batting average and 19 RBI. Also went 5-1 on the mound with a 0.49 ERA and 58 Ks.
Arizona
Ryan Harwood, Casteel (Queen Creek)
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 205 |
Position: Outfield
Blasted five home runs while batting .333 with 35 RBI and 21 walks.
Arkansas
Trystan Newberry, Russellville
Height: 6-4 |
Weight: 220 |
Position: Pitcher
Pitched 54.2 innings last year and struck out 100 batters with just 14 walks and a 0.77 ERA.
California
Tyler Spangler, De La Salle (Concord)
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 195 |
Position: Shortstop
The San Francisco Bay Area player of the year boomed 10 home runs with eight doubles and six triples.
Colorado
Hudson Alpert, Regis Jesuit (Aurora)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 200 |
Position: Pitcher
Led Regis Jesuit to the state final and went 12-3 with 94 strikeouts and a 2.12 ERA.
Connecticut
Bryce Hill, Greenwich Country Day (Greenwich)
Height: 6-5 |
Weight: 220 |
Position: Pitcher
Two-way standout batted .345 with 3 home runs and also had 31 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched.
Delaware
Osiah Kelley, Sussex Central (Georgetown)
Height: 6-0 |
Weight: 170 |
Position: Pitcher
Central was ranked No. 1 in the state at points last year thanks to Kelley, who earned all-state honors.
Florida
Gio Rojas, Stoneman Douglas (Parkland)
Height: 6-4 |
Weight: 190 |
Position: Pitcher
The MaxPreps National Player of the Year went 12-0 with a 0.72 ERA while leading Stoneman Douglas to a state title.
Georgia
Malachi Washington, Parkview (Lilburn)
Height: 6-1 |
Weight: 195 |
Position: Outfield
Washington has turned into one of the nation's top power hitters after belting 15 as a junior.
Hawaii
Judah Ota, 'Iolani (Honolulu)
Height: 6-5 |
Weight: 210 |
Position: Outfield
The centerfielder led the league in RBI with 19 and batted .361 with three home runs.
Idaho
Caleb Zawadzki, Eagle
Height: 6-1 |
Weight: 190 |
Position: Shortstop
A two-way player, Zawadzki batted .292 with 17 RBI and six doubles. Also had 58 strikeouts in 42 innings.
Illinois
Ethan Bass, Glenbrook North (Northbrook)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 185 |
Position: Shortstop
Made second team all-state as a junior with a .402 batting average, 11 doubles and nine home runs.
Indiana
Sean Dunlap, Crown Point
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 205 |
Position: Catcher
Boasted a .429 batting average with 36 runs, 35 RBI, nine doubles and six home runs.
Iowa
Ryan Stedman, Valley (West Des Moines)
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 200 |
Position: Pitcher
Posted a 5-1 record with 56 strikeouts and a 1.68 ERA in 33 innings.
Kansas
Beau Peterson, Mill Valley (Shawnee)
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 210 |
Position: Third Base
Hit four home runs, five triples and nine doubles last year with a .467 batting average. Won the MLB high school home run derby in July with nine.
Kentucky
Grayson Willoughby, Trinity (Louisville)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 185 |
Position: Pitcher
Went 5-1 with 54 strikeouts for state champions while batting .500 with 19 RBI.
Louisiana
Braylen Montgomery, Walker
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 213 |
Position: Outfield
Batted .424 last year while earning all-state honors. Also had six home runs, 29 RBI and 19 stolen bases.
Maine
Alex Allain, Fryeburg
Height: 5-11 |
Weight: 180 |
Position: Shortstop
An all-state selection as a junior, Allain batted .484 with eight doubles and five home runs. He also went 3-2 on the mound with a 1.57 ERA.
Maryland
Pierce Quinn, John Carroll (Bel Air)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 210 |
Position: Pitcher
Went 4-2 on the mound as a junior with 42 strikeouts in 34 innings including an 11-strikeout outing.
Massachusetts
Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan (Attleboro)
Height: 6-9 |
Weight: 255 |
Position: Bishop Feehan
Possibly the tallest pitcher in the nation, Bumila is up to 96 miles per hour on his fastball.
Michigan
Dylan Fairchild, Catholic Central (Novi)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 185 |
Position: Shortstop
Earned all-area honors as a junior and is headed to play at Cincinnati.
Minnesota
Andrew Gette, Mounds View (Arden Hills)
Height: 6-5 |
Weight: 215 |
Position: Pitcher
The Star-Tribune player of the year as a junior, Gette was 6-2 with a 0.98 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.
Mississippi
Kevin Roberts Jr., Jackson Prep (Jackson)
Height: 6-5 |
Weight: 220 |
Position: Outfield
A three-sport standout (baseball, basketball, track), Roberts batted .406 for the Patriots with 17 RBI and 3 home runs.
Missouri
Brody Crane, Neosho
Height: 6-0 |
Weight: 215 |
Position: Pitcher
A pitcher for Team USA that won the 18U gold medal at the world championships in Japan last fall.
Montana
Louis Musial, Gallatin (Bozeman)
Height: 6-0 |
Weight: 185 |
Position: Shortstop
Musial hasn't played high school baseball since this is Gallatin's first year fielding a team, but he has earned all-state honors in the summer for American Legion.
Nebraska
Collin Driffill, Millard North (Omaha)
Height: 6-1 |
Weight: 200 |
Position: Pitcher
Top returning player for the Mustangs, who reached the state finals. Pitched mostly in relief with 24 strikeouts in 13.2 innings pitched.
Nevada
Rookie Sheppard, Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas)
Height: 6-0 |
Weight: 190 |
Position: Shortstop
An All-Southern Nevada selection, Sheppard batted .424 with 34 RBI and seven home runs.
New Hampshire
Alexander Turant, Concord
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 185 |
Position: Pitcher
Among the state strikeout leaders as a junior with 58 in 37 innings pitched.
New Jersey
Jason Amalbert, DePaul Catholic (Wayne)
Height: 6-0 |
Weight: 185 |
Position: Shortstop
Made all-state second team after batting .470 with 9 home runs and 32 RBI.
New Mexico
Anthony Del Angel, Cleveland (Rio Rancho)
Height: 6-4 |
Weight: 205 |
Position: Shortstop
Cracked seven home runs and batted .534 with 28 RBI for the Storm.
New York
Aiden Ruiz, Stony Brook
Height: 5-10 |
Weight: 165 |
Position: Shortstop
Slick fielding shortstop might be the best middle infielder in the Class of 2026. Could be a first-day MLB draft pick.
North Carolina
Gunnar Alm, Polk County (Columbus)
Height: 6-0 |
Weight: 175 |
Position: Outfield
A Small Town All-American last year, Alm batted .544 last year with 10 doubles and eight home runs.
North Dakota
Hudson Dinger, Sheyenne (West Fargo)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 210 |
Position: Pitcher
Led Sheyenne to a state championship last year after entering the postseason as the tournament's No. 7 seed.
Ohio
Matt Ponatoski, Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 200 |
Position: Shortstop
One of the top quarterbacks in the country, Ponatoski batted .462 with 37 RBI and four home runs last year.
Oklahoma
Josiah Kemp, Choctaw
Height: 6-1 |
Weight: 185 |
Position: Outfield
The transfer from Westmoore batted .327 with 4 home runs and 16 RBI last year. He is the nephew of former Dodger outfielder Matt Kemp.
Oregon
Grady Saunders, Thurston (Springfield)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 185 |
Position: Pitcher
Named Class 5A pitcher of the year as a sophomore when he led Thurston to a state championship.
Pennsylvania
Luke Williams, Franklin Regional (Murrysville)
Height: 6-0 |
Weight: 180 |
Position: Shortstop
Talented fielder with a strong arm, Williams batted .306 as a junior with 22 runs, 16 RBI and two home runs.
Rhode Island
Anthony Burt, West Warwick
Height: 6-1 |
Weight: 200 |
Position: Pitcher
Went 8-1 with a 0.55 ERA and 91 strikeouts including a 19-K performance.
South Carolina
Carson Bolemon, Southside Christian (Simpsonville)
Height: 6-4 |
Weight: 210 |
Position: Pitcher
The 3A player of the year in the state last year, Boleman was 11-0, 135 Ks and three no-hitters.
South Dakota
J.D. Prorok, Chester
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 230 |
Position: Pitcher
Made the all-state team last year with a 4-0 record and 67 strikeouts in 28 innings.
Tennessee
Will Brick, Christian Brothers (Memphis)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 195 |
Position: Catcher
Reclassified from Class of 2027, Brick blasted 15 doubles and five triples as a sophomore.
Texas
Grady Emerson, Fort Worth Christian (North Richland Hills)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 180 |
Position: Shortstop
The No. 1 player in the Class of 2026 by Perfect Game since his freshman year, Emerson transferred from Argyle where he was a perennial all-district pick.
Utah
Mason Henry, Pleasant Grove
Height: 6-8 |
Weight: 230 |
Position: Pitcher
One of the more imposing pitchers in the Class of 2026, Henry went 4-2 last year with 35 strikeouts. Also had six home runs at the plate.
Vermont
Jackson Pecor, ColchesterHeight: 5-9 |
Weight: 175 |
Position: Pitcher
The pitcher of the year in the Metro Division as a junior, Pecor struck out 58 batters in 41 innings with a 0.68 ERA.
Virginia
Will Yow, St. Anne's-Belfield (Charlottesville)
Height: 6-1 |
Weight: 175 |
Position: Shortstop
One of the quickest players in the Class of 2026, Yow was 22 of 22 on stolen bases attempts while batting .351.
Washington
Bryce Collins, Kelso
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 190 |
Position: Pitcher
Collins earned Greater St. Helens League player of the year honors as a sophomore and pitcher of the year as a junior.
West Virginia
Slade Barton, George Washington (Charleston)
Height: 6-3 |
Weight: 200 |
Position: Pitcher
Posted an 8-0 record with a 1.96 ERA and a no-hitter in the postseason.
Wisconsin
Dominic Santarelli, St. Joseph (Kenosha)
Height: 6-2 |
Weight: 230 |
Position: Outfield
The MaxPreps Wisconsin Player of the Year as a junior, Santarelli batted .429 with 57 runs, 40 RBI, 10 doubles and 11 home runs.
