2026 DE Pitcher of the Year Watchlist
March 9, 2026
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We continue our spring high school previews and projections with a look at 12 arms across Delaware that we believe are in contention for "Pitcher of the Year" across the state. Players are listed in alphabetical order by grad year.
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Garrett Bohn RHP / 3B / Caravel Academy, DE / 2026Of all the candidates for pitcher of the year, Garrett Bohn may be the most under-the-radar option on the list. Orvy Potts was one of my favorite arms to watch last spring, and Caravel brings back another arm I’m excited to see. In my previous looks, he hasn’t been scared to attack hitters and always maintains control of the game. The righty has been slowly working his way atop the rotation, and now is his time to shine as he’ll be battle-tested from the jump.
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Jack Bujnowski RHP / 3B / Salesianum, DE / 2026An extremely recent look solidifies this choice, as I saw him in a bullpen on Sunday afternoon. Even with a loaded Salesianum pitching staff last spring, it felt as if they continued to rely on Bujnowski out of every arm on the staff, giving him the ball in highly-ranked matchups. It’s a funky delivery, throwing hitters off balance. Bujnowski had multiple shutouts last spring, and in the games he didn’t have as much success, it seemed to be when he was forced to work in deep counts, raising his pitch count and limiting him to 4-5 innings. If he can find that true strikeout pitch, I expect the 1-2 punch of him and Emig to shine.
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Julian Christman RHP / 1B / Lake Forest High School, DE / 2026When it comes to senior arms in the First State, nobody put their name on the map last summer more than Julian Christman, who committed to Longwood in the fall. Christman missed the first half of the spring last year, so we haven’t seen much of him in a high school setting since he transferred over from Dover. Sitting at 6’4” 210-lbs, Christman’s frame allows him to unlock some untapped velocity, paired with a curveball that he’s shown extensive success with. I wouldn’t be surprised if Christman is into the mid-90s as we transition into the warmer months.
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Nicky Dello Buono RHP / OF / Conrad Schools of Science, DE / 2026Right up there with Christman as breakout arms, Nicky Dello Buono saw a spike in interest following a standout summer with DCP, especially his two shutdown performances at the Prep Baseball National Championship in Georgia. We know he can compete at the high school level, he cemented himself as a #2 behind Brady Wardell that ignited Conrad to the state title game, which he got the start in. With Wardell gone, Dello Buono looks to be the identity of the pitching staff and lead them back to the state championship.
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Alex Gannon RHP / SS / Sanford, DE / 2026Gannon’s breakout junior campaign makes him a prime candidate to repeat his success into his senior season. A two time Future Games alum (2024, 2025), this athletic righty works a three-pitch mix, highlighted by two breaking balls, both consistently thrown in the correct situation to steamroll through hitters. Consistently sitting upper-80s, I would expect Gannon to be into the lower-90s this spring. Gannon does have the advantage of an easier overall schedule, so he will need a truly shutdown spring in comparison to others. There is no doubt though that he’ll get the ball for the powerhouse teams north of the canal.
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Dylan Grise RHP / SS / Indian River High School, DE / 2026The multi-sport athlete enters 2026 with a real opportunity to do something special. This Indian River team has seen repeatable results year-over-year. Make the playoffs, win a couple games, and then fall to a powerhouse school, last year being Conrad. I firmly believe Grise’s ability on the bump can allow for Indian River to make a deep run to the state title if the surrounding cast mimics their previous output. I expect Grise to also be in contention for Player of the Year.
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Osiah Kelley RHP / SS / Sussex Central, DE / 2026After missing his entire junior season with a shoulder injury, the number one ranked player in the state returns with a mission. With the departure of Joaquin Rodriguez-Costa and Pete Onuschak, Osiah’s ability to return to his former self will have a heavy influence on the Golden Knights’ success in 2026. The truth is, however, nobody has seen Kelley throw off a mound in nearly two years, dating back to the 2024 Future Games. Entering the spring, expectations are pretty unknown, making his return much anticipated.
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Ayden McCauley RHP / OF / Delmar, DE / 2026McCauley’s high school resume is certainly strong. On the other hand, it has the potential to be even stronger. Consistency has always been a significant factor for the Old Dominion commit. His best games are up there with any arm in the state, however, oftentimes he gets his pitch count up too high early in games and opposing lineups start to string hits together. With the departure of Ryder Kiedel, McCauley will lead this rotation and the consistency will need to be there, especially since he will face the toughest lineups across the state on a weekly basis.
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Cameron Allen RHP / SS / POLYTECH High School, DE / 2027When compared to Emig, Cam Allen presents quite the opposite framework headed into the spring. He may not be as polished, however, he has been one of the more electric arms the state has seen in recent years. At his lean 6’3” frame, he possesses an explosive two-pitch mix that makes him a prime candidate to sit low-90s this spring. Control has been a minor issue in recent years, so if he can limit walks and fill up the zone, the arsenal should do the rest.
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Brandon Emig RHP / 2B / Salesianum, DE / 2027The highest ranked junior arm in the state enters 2026 looking to build on an already impressive sophomore campaign, concluding with a strong performance at the Future Games, leading to his commitment to Pittsburgh in the fall. One of the more polished arms in the state, you know what you’re going to see when going to watch him. It’ll be a low-90s arm with the ability to throw three pitches for strikes, limit walks, and limit hard contact. In a highly competitive metro area that is Wilmington filled with talent, Emig looks to cement himself as the top arm in the area.
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Brody Fleming RHP / SS / Appoquinimink High School, DE / 2027The First State has done a phenomenal job at developing Future Game level arms over the previous three years, and Fleming is another name added to the list. The Delaware commit was utilized primarily as a reliever/closer for Appo last spring before transitioning to a starting role in the summer, a role in which he thrived in. His crossbody delivery makes him extremely difficult to face, and now he returns to the Jaguars as the ace of the pitching staff, looking to use his upper-80s fastball and a slew of secondary pitches in order to solidify his name as one of the top arms in the state.
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Dom Mangini RHP / 1B / Cape Henlopen High School, DE / 2027Dom Mangini is towards the top of the list when it comes to arms I’m excited to see this upcoming spring. The physical righty made it a priority to clean up the body, and his work certainly shows, now sitting at 235 lbs at 6-foot-5. The slider/splitter combination worked wonders for him at the bottom of the zone in the summer, so I expect to see much of the same over the next few months. The only “knock” with Mangini is that he’s seen extremely limited action at the varsity high school level due to the depth of Cape’s rotation the last two years. With all three of those arms headed to college, Mangini looks to lead the pack in their quest for back-to-back titles.
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