Kyle Molnar, following an outstanding freshman campaign last season, has been selected as the top sophomore of 2013 by MaxPreps.
File photo by Rob Carmell
Pitchers dominate on the MaxPreps list of the Top 50 baseball sophomores in the nation, led by a pair of California throwers in
Kyle Molnar of
Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) and
Joe DeMers of
College Park (Pleasant Hill, Calif.).
Molnar holds down the No. 1 spot as he has been tabbed by several publications, including the Los Angeles Times, as the next big thing in high school baseball in Southern California. Already this season Molnar has 13 strikeouts in 13.1 innings pitched. Last year he was 5-3 with 27 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched. At 6-foot-2, Molnar is already throwing 91 mph.
Joe DeMers, College Park
File photo by Dennis Lee
DeMers, meanwhile, was the
MaxPreps Freshman Player of the Year after posting a 9-2 record for College Park. He has yet to see the diamond this spring, however, as he has been instrumental in leading his team to the Division II Northern California basketball championships. DeMers ranks No. 3 on our list of top sophomores.
Other pitchers in the top five include
Cole McKay of
Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas) and
Thomas Szapucki of
Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.).
McKay is ranked by Diamond King Tournaments as the top sophomore in the southwest. McKay, ranked No. 4 by MaxPreps, pitched only 24.1 innings last year, but he struck out 26 batters in those frames with a 1.91 ERA. McKay's big frame (6-5, 195) makes him a very projectable player. This year he already has 14 strikeouts in only 11 innings.
Szapucki, meanwhile, has thrown as hard as 93 mph and was named by the MLB Prospect Guide as the top high school pitcher for the 2015 amateur draft. He's the No. 5 player on the MaxPreps list.
The only non-pitcher in the top 5 is
Dazmon Cameron, an outfielder for
Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.). Cameron had a huge summer, performing well in showcases sponsored by Perfect Game. The MLB Prospect Guide ranks Cameron as the No. 1 overall pick for the 2015 draft while Perfect Game lists Cameron as the potential No. 3 overall high school selection.
Others in the top 10 include shortstop
Nicholas Schumpert of
Highlands Ranch (Colo.) at No. 6, pitcher
Lucas Herbert of
San Clemente (Calif.) at No. 7, outfielder
Kyle Dean of
Poway (Calif.) at No. 8, catcher
Chris Betts of
Woodrow Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.) at No. 9 and pitcher
Jacob Bukauskas of
Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) at No. 10.
| Rank | Name | Position |
|---|
| 1 | Kyle MolnarAliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo, CA) | RHP, LF |
|---|
| 2 | Dazmon CameronEagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, GA) | OF
|
|---|
| 3 | Joe DeMersCollege Park (Pleasant Hill, CA) | RHP, SS |
|---|
| 4 | Cole MckaySmithson Valley (Spring Branch, TX) | INF, P |
|---|
| 5 | Thomas SzapuckiDwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) | P |
|---|
| 6 | Nicholas SchumpertHighlands Ranch (CO) | SS |
|---|
| 7 | Lucas HerbertSan Clemente (CA) | C, INF |
|---|
| 8 | Kyle DeanPoway (CA) | OF |
|---|
| 9 | Chris BettsWoodrow Wilson (Long Beach, CA) | C |
|---|
| 10 | Jacob BukauskasStone Bridge (Ashburn, VA) | RHP, OF |
|---|
| 11 | Brendan IlliesPuyallup (WA) | C, RHP |
|---|
| 12 | Austin MooreMarina (Huntington Beach, CA) | RHP, INF |
|---|
| 13 | Christopher CullenWest Forsyth (Cumming, GA) | C |
|---|
| 14 | Kyle TuckerPlant (Tampa, FL) | RHP, OF |
|---|
| 15 | Kep BrownWando (Mt. Pleasant, SC) | OF |
|---|
| 16 | Solemon BatesSerra (Gardena, CA) | 3B, P |
|---|
| 17 | Jordon MyrowNotre Dame (Sherman Oaks, CA) | OF |
|---|
| 18 | John AielloGermantown Academy (Fort Washington, PA) | SS, 3B |
|---|
| 19 | Nico HoernerHead-Royce (Oakland, CA) | SS, RHP |
|---|
| 20 | Chris AndritsosThe Woodlands (TX) | P |
|---|
| 21 | Kyle HattonNorco (CA) | P, 1B |
|---|
| 22 | Bailey FalterChino Hills (CA) | LHP, 1B |
|---|
| 23 | Dominic DicaprioDouglas (Parkland, FL) | C, OF |
|---|
| 24 | Luken BakerOak Ridge (Conroe, TX) | RHP
|
|---|
| 25 | Nick MadrigalElk Grove (CA) | SS, 2B |
|---|
| 26 | Michael HickmanSeven Lakes (Katy, TX) | C, OF |
|---|
| 27 | Jarrett MontgomeryLawrence Central (Indianapolis, IN) | RHP |
|---|
| 28 | Jonathan IndiaAmerican Heritage (Delray Beach, FL) | SS |
|---|
| 29 | Jahmai JonesWesleyan (Norcross, GA) | INF, OF |
|---|
| 30 | Daniel ReyesMater Academy Charter (Hialeah Gardens, FL) | OF |
|---|
| 31 | Mitchell HansenPlano (TX) | OF |
|---|
| 32 | Brandon PerezMater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) | SS |
|---|
| 33 | Andreus FaltesekPearland (TX) | RHP |
|---|
| 34 | Jonathan OlsenDamien (La Verne, CA) | RHP, SS |
|---|
| 35 | Jio OrozcoSalpointe Catholic (Tucson, AZ) | RHP |
|---|
| 36 | Danny CasalsSouthwest (Miami, FL) | INF |
|---|
| 37 | Jagger RusconiWest Ranch (Valencia, CA) | SS, 2B |
|---|
| 38 | Nick AndersonFort Bend Kempner (Sugar Land, TX) | 2B, SS |
|---|
| 39 | Kyle RobeniolLos Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) | P |
|---|
| 40 | Cole SandsNorth Florida Christian (Tallahassee, FL) | RHP, 3B |
|---|
| 41 | Coby WeaverHallsville (TX) | P, OF |
|---|
| 42 | Charlie DonovanWestmont (IL) | SS |
|---|
| 43 | Parker KellyWestview (Portland, OR) | SS |
|---|
| 44 | Tyler WilliamsKellis (Glendale, AZ) | OF |
|---|
| 45 | Jake WoodfordPlant (Tampa, FL) | RHP, 3B |
|---|
| 46 | O'Neal LochridgeSt. Thomas More (Lafayette, LA) | 3B, SS |
|---|
| 47 | Logan CrouseBloomingdale (Valrico, FL) | P, OF |
|---|
| 48 | Shane TuckerUnion Grove (McDonough, GA) | RHP |
|---|
| 49 | Ashe Brenton-RussellIndianapolis Cathedral (Indianapolis, IN) | RHP |
|---|
| 50 | Logan TolbertMauldin (SC) | SS, RHP |
|---|
