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HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. - As a freshman, walking onto the campus of Huntington Beach High School, CJ Weinstein was unsure of what the future of his baseball career was going to look like.

“My freshman year I knew I was good, but I didn't know what my opportunities were like playing wise. Every day I wanted to learn something new from either our head coach, hitting coach, or even our pitching coach.”

Flash forward to today, Weinstein is the starting shortstop for the number three ranked team in all of California, excelling at his new position.

“I got my feet wet a little bit my freshman year and now I am able to lead by example both on and off the field.”

Weinstein, the former All-American and Future Games participant, will be taking his talents to LSU in the fall of 2026.

The fifth-ranked player in the state of California is part of an already loaded recruiting class for the Tigers, joining the likes of highly touted prospects hailing from the Golden State such as OF Anthony Murphy (Corona HS), 1B/OF Dylan Minnatee (Franklin HS), RHP Cooper Sides (Red Bluff HS), and SS Sammy Kane (Jesuit High).

Louisiana State University was the first official visit for Weinstein. The bar was set high and was not surpassed.

“The process was unbelievable. The preparation and the organization of the visit had made the experience really cool. I love how organized it was and it was easy to tell that Coach Johnson and his staff care about their players.”

Weinstein’s ultimate goal is to become a major league player, following in the footsteps of former teammate Ralphy Velazquez, a first round pick for the Cleveland Guardians in the 2023 MLB June Amteuer Draft.

As for when the two were teammates together in high school, Velazquez was a big helping hand in the development of Weinstein.

“Ralph was great to me. He taught me everything when it came to hitting. He really took me under his wing and being able to watch him lead by example was awesome. I’m just trying to do the same thing he did for me when I was a freshman to the freshmen now.”

As a freshman with limited playing opportunity, Weinstein was able to grow into his skillset during the summer before his breakout sophomore season. At the 2023 Prep Baseball Future Games, Weinstein was thrust into the spotlight – and shined.

Weinstein at the 2023 Future Games at LakePoint

At LakePoint, the middle infielder ran a 7.12 second sixty, hit for a max exit velocity of 97 mph, and had a max distance off the bat at 345 ft.

“My first time at LakePoint was at the Future Games," said Weinstein. "I had a couple buddies go before and they had told me it was an insane atmosphere, but I didn't think it could get much crazier than Huntington. Once I got there, I saw what they were talking about. All the coaches watching was crazy and being able to walk by all the SEC coaches was so cool as a west coast kid.”

This past summer, Weinstein’s full talents were put on display for all to watch in Miami at the 2024 Prep Baseball All-American Games.

“Getting the invite to the All-American Game in Miami was awesome. I worked really hard for it and it was a ton of fun. Hanging around all the California guys was awesome and got to meet a ton of coaches and other great players.”

At the event, Weinstein stood 6’0’’ and weighed just under 180 lbs. Viewed as potentially undersized for the shortstop position, Weinstein made it a priority to become bigger and stronger before starting his junior season campaign. 

“At the start of the year, my goal was to gain weight and make swing changes.” 

Currently, the shortstop stands 6’1’’ and weighs 190 lbs. In his sophomore year, Weinstein slashed for a .322 batting average, tallying 7 doubles, 3 triples, as well as 3 home runs. With the gain of muscle and size, Weinstein is eager for an even more impressive junior season.

“I’ve always wanted to play shortstop. This season, I saw an opportunity to play and I worked really hard over the summer to get to where I needed to be. Now in season, the goal is to do anything I can to help the team win. If that means hitting a jack in the third inning and laying down a bunt in the seventh inning- that’s what I’ll try and accomplish.”

Weinstein is surrounded by heaps of talent, as the Huntington Beach roster boasts ten other division one program commits.

Around the horn goes ‘25 C Trent Grindlinger (Mississippi State), ‘25 C/1B Jayton Greer (USD), ‘25 2B Cole Clark (UC Irvine), and ‘25 3B/OF Ethan Porter (Oregon State).

“With our infield, I don’t have to do much. It’s less leading and more getting everyone in a group. For me, it’s all about communicating what I’m seeing to the rest of the infield.”

Senior outfielders Trevor Goldnetz (Long Beach State) and John Petrie (Oregon State) provide both lineup depth and sound defense to the Oilers squad.

‘25 RHP Tyler Bellerose (Oregon State) and ‘25 RHP Otto Espinoza (University of California, Berkeley) are pivotal pieces in the rotation.

Two-way players ‘26 Dane Cunningham (Cal Poly Slo) and ‘27 Tanner Brown (TCU) give immense flexibility for Coach Benji Medure and his staff.

“We’re a really close knit group. We push each other really hard and everyone wants to compete for a starting spot. Once the jersey comes off, we’re all friends playing ping pong and listening to music. Our big thing this year has been passing the baton. Jacks are awesome, but it’s all about having unselfish at-bats.”

As for being a team to watch out for, Weinstein and his teammates know the responsibilities that come with being a team that other squads want to take down real bad.

“Coach told us at the beginning of the year that we can’t be the one [team] getting hunted down, we have to be the one hunting down other teams.”

At the dish, Weinstein’s approach has not changed, even with his growth and recognition as a player.

“My main approach is to hit fastballs hard and take my best swing every time, trusting myself that I can cover all seventeen inches of the plate, no matter the type of pitch. I’m not getting many fastballs anymore, but it’s all about not missing them when I do get them.”

With the recognition and hype that comes with elite, raw talent at a young age, so does the pressure. Even with the spotlight on Weinstein, the mentality both on and off the field does not hasn’t altered.

“Everything I’ve worked for is to be this player and have the hype. It’s pretty cool to be in this spot, but I don’t want to forget that it’s a game that I love. I do what I know I can do, slow the game down, and focus on my performance.”

As for goals, Weinstein understands what it takes to be successful at the next level. 

“My goal isn't to be a good high school baseball player; it's to be a good college player and beyond.”

Weinstein and the 14-1 Huntington Beach Oilers are in North Carolina competing in the National High School Invitational, hosted by USA Baseball.

“I love the big moments and I work really hard for them. I try to remember to not put added pressure onto myself. When the big moments come, you don't rise to the level of fame, you fall back to the level of your preparation.”

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Showcase	State	Date	Location
Los Angeles Rising Stars ID (2029-2030 Grads)	CA	04/27	O'Malley Field - Sepulveda Basin, CA
2025 Future Games Tryout: Fullerton	CA	05/31	Fullerton College
2025 Future Games Tryout: Los Angeles	CA	05/31	Loyola Marymount University
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2025 Future Games Tryout: Central California	CA	06/07	Antelope Valley College - Lancaster, CA
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