2026 Oregon Player of the Year Watchlist
January 14, 2026
With high school baseball around the corner, Prep Baseball Oregon unveils our Preseason POTY Watchlist. Prep Baseball Oregon's Player of the Year has been awarded to several premier talents over the years, including Noble Meyer, Mason Guerra and Dylan MacLean. The POTY will have a new winner in 2026 after Sunset LHP/1B Kruz Schoolcraft secured it in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
This year's watchlist features four names at the top with decorated prep careers to this point. In addition to the top four, we also include the next tier of clear contenders, as well as several dark horses for POTY if everything clicks.
Stay on the lookout for more high school preseason coverage in the coming weeks, including Power 25 Rankings, Team Previews, and much more...
Player of the Year Watchlist
4 front-runners for our Player of the Year award heading into the spring...
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Sawyer Nelson SS / 3B / South Salem, OR / 2026In nearly any other year, Nelson would have likely been the POTY in Oregon in 2025. The LMU commit and Future Games alum had a massive offensive output in his junior campaign, slashing .543/.639/.1.109 with 13 HR, 63 RBI and 50 hits in 30 games played. Nelson returns for his senior season as the favorite for the POTY and a prospect gaining some buzz in the pro scouting community after an MVP performance at the PNW Scout Games. Nelson will be the lone PNW representative at Prep Baseball's Super 60 event this February, another high profile event for MLB draft hopefuls, and will have plenty of eyes on him come the spring. |
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Grady Saunders RHP / SS / Thurston, OR / 2026The top-ranked prospect in Oregon's 2026 class is coming off of a 5A co-Pitcher of the Year performance in his junior season for Thurston. Saunders impressed mightily on the mound in summer looks at Area Codes and PNW Scout Games, featuring an athletic delivery with a fastball touching the mid-90's at its best. How productive Saunders is with the bat may go a long way in determining his POTY case, and the righthander was hitting in the three-hole for the Colts by the end of last season, meaning more offensive output could come this spring. Expect the Oregon State commit to be right in the mix for POTY by year's end. |
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Trenton Hertzog 3B / C / Tualatin, OR / 2026Another Future Games alum, Hertzog surprised some with his impact as a pitcher in his junior season. The righty carried a heavy bulk of the Timberwolf innings and will likely be asked to carry a similar role this spring. Hertzog's bat will be his carrying tool at the next level, with a smooth lefthanded stroke and a nice blend of power and contact ability. Few teams will lean on a player more heavily than Tualatin will for the Oregon commit, and his ability to post is a proven comodity to this point. |
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Teagan Scott C / OF / South salem, OR / 2026South Salem returns their two best bats from their 29-1 side a season ago, and Scott was certainly no slouch in terms of his final output by the end of last spring. The backstop hit .447 with 7 HR, 14 2B and 31 RBI. Scott has also been long known as one of the best defensive catchers in the region for some time, with a strong ability to frame, block and limit the run game. Though the lack of pitching may hinder a POTY case by season's end, Scott's game changing ability with the bat may still propel him to POTY status. |
Contenders
5 Candidates with a clear path to the award
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Joe Mendazona Jr. C / RHP / Central, OR / 2027Mendazona took over the top spot in Oregon's 2027 ranks this past year and possesses the two-way talent that could put him over the top in a POTY race. The Central HS junior features plenty of power with bat-to-ball skills from the left side that have resulted in success in his underclass high school seasons. Mendazona's arm talent is equally proficient, whether he is at the catcher position throwing out baserunners, or toeing the mound, where he has run his fastball up to 90 MPH in previous looks. The TCU commit is a part of a dynamic duo of juniors and could easily put up numbers that could rival any player in Oregon. |
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Manny Ehinger SS / 3B / Sherwood, OR / 2027One of the higher upside players with some unknown heading into 2026, Ehinger will be a name to watch this spring. A new transfer to Sherwood HS, Ehinger's high-waisted 6'4 frame and long levers resulted in exit velocities up to 101.7 MPH last winter at PNW Preseason All-State. Ehinger's well-rounded skillset also includes a 7.1 run time with throws up to 87 MPH across the infield. The Oregon commit can flat out do it all at the high school level. Though an injury limited his 2025 at times, expect Ehinger to bounce back in a big way. |
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JT Girod SS / 3B / Central, OR / 2027The other half of the dynamic duo at Central HS, Girod had one of the best statistical years of any player last HS season. The shortstop hit .494 with 5 HR, 20 XBH and 45 RBI, highlighted by a Prep Baseball National Hitter of the Week award last April. Girod carried over his strong high school season to productive Future Games and State Games showings, earning a commitment to the University of Oregon late in 2025. The junior could be right in the mix for POTY if he matches his production from last season. |
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Graeme Warner-McGee OF / RHP / Lincoln, OR / 2026Rankings StateRank: 10 / POS: 2
One of the most "tooled up" seniors in Oregon, Warner-McGee left a loud impression at PNW State Games and West Coast Games, showing the two-way ability needed to potentially secure high school Player of the Year. The 6'3, 185 pound prospect is a 6.8 runner with triple digit exit velocities from the right side and a profile fit for a corner OF spot. He also sat 86-88 T89 MPH on the mound in his latest look with a high-spin 4-seamer and a 2600 RPM slider to pair. The tools could play in a big way this spring for a Lincoln side that should compete well at the 6A level. |
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Sam Smith OF / LHP / Central Catholic, OR / 2028The top-ranked 2028 grad in Oregon made an incredible impact in his freshman spring for Central Catholic and looks to be a dominant two-way talent in the area moving forward. Offensively, Smith slashed .378/.459/.996 atop the CC batting order, providing 6.71 speed with 9 stolen bases. The lefty also threw 45.1 innings on the mound, limiting hard contact with a 1.54 ERA and 47 strikeouts to just 10 walks. An incredible athlete and talent, Smith should be right in the mix for POTY for the next several years. |
Darkhorse Candidates
______ could enter player of the year talks IF _______
'26 RHP/OF Caden Klouda, West Linn HS - IF he leads West Linn back to the top of 6A baseball. The Lions won the 6A title in 2022, 2023 and 2024 before finally falling short last season. The program welcomes back Klouda both on the mound and as their three-hole hitter from last spring. The Seattle U commit offers intriguing upside on both sides of the baseball andcomes off of a Prep Baseball Second Team All-State award in 2025.
'26 LHP Zach Hankins, Taft HS - IF he matches his production from last season. Hankins put up otherworldly numbers for formerly 3A Taft High School last season, striking out 160 batters in 72 innings with a 0.09 ERA, in addition to hitting over .400 with 13 XBH and 33 RBI. Despite Taft moving up to 4A this spring, Hankins will likely have to vastly outperform his competitors statistically to enter POTY talks, simply due to the lower HS classification. The lefty offers plenty of talent and picked up a commitment to the University of Oregon last summer.
'26 OF Cameron Hyder, McMinnville HS - IF he plays like he did at the 2025 West Coast Games. The McMinnville product put together one of the best showings at any event this year, both in the workout and gameplay portions of the event for then-uncommitted seniors. Hyder posted a 6.76 60-time and exit velocities up to 99.2 MPH. In-game, he went 3-5 with two triples, a double, and a walk, displaying his speed and power to all fields well.
'26 INF Brock Johnson, Thurston HS - IF he builds on his stellar junior high school season. The Thurston product and Bushnell commit hit .490 with 49 H, 26 RBI and 37 runs scored in his Second Team All-State season. The infielder will be leaned upon heavily again for one of the best 5A sides heading into his junior spring, and can carry a team with his bat at any time.
'26 LHP August Ware, Glencoe HS - IF he continues to trend upward. The 6'5, 225 pound lefty has continued to elevate his status on the mound in the last calendar year or two, earning a commitment to Oregon State last year. Ware was seen in the low-90's on the mound and presents an uncomfortable at bat with a high-70's CB and low-80's CH as well. The senior has a real chance to be the best pitcher in the state this year if everything clicks.
'27 RHP Harrison Buckingham, South Salem HS - IF his pitching leads South Salem to a 6A title. The Saxons return some major pieces from their 29-1 season, and Buckingham will have to once again shoulder a bulk of the innings on the mound. The Oregon State commit flashed at Future Games and has been seen up to 91 MPH with a wipeout slider. If the righthander can hold his velocity deeper into games and miss bats like he can, he can compete with anyone and be a force for a HS team with 6A championship aspirations.
'27 LHP/1B Ben Foglio, Clackamas HS - IF he provides two-way impact for a talented side. We could have just as easily inserted D1 arms Jaxon Wetzler or Cade King here, but we'll go with Foglio, who also played first base and hit in the middle of the Cavalier order last season. Clackamas' pitching rotation could lead them deep into the 6A playoffs, and Foglio is a strike throwing lefthander that can be a steadying force. Foglio was seen at last winter' PNW Preseason All-State and is committed to pitch at the University of Washington.
'27 RHP Mason Christian, Willamette HS - IF Willamette take a step forward. Chrisitan is a 6'3 righty with high upside on the mound, seen working his fastball into the upper 80's with a sharp slider at this summer's PNW State Games. Christian was leaned upon heavily on the mound by the Wolverines down the stretch and can hit in the middle of the order as well. If Willamette can improve upon their 14-13 record from a season ago, Christian will likely be a big reason why.
'27 OF Chase Austin, Beaverton HS - IF he can dominate in all facets of the game. Austin broke on to the scene with a strong performance at last winter's Corvallis Preaseason ID before picking up a commitment to Oregon State late last year. In high school action, the lefty hit in the three hole and manned center field for the Beavers when he was not on the mound. Austin will once again have to impact the game by getting on base, utilizing his speed, and throwing up zero's on the mound if Beaverton are to improve upon their 2025.
UPCOMING EVENTS
| SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
| Corvallis Preseason ID | OR | 02/14 | Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR |
| Pacific Northwest Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) | OR | 02/16 | NW Sports Hub - Centralia, WA |
| Pacific Northwest Preseason ID | OR | 02/17 | NW Sports Hub - Centralia, WA |
| Eugene Preseason ID | OR | 03/01 | University of Oregon, PK Park - Eugene, OR |
RELATED CONTENT
- OR 2026 Oregon Player of the Year Watchlist 1/14/26
- OR PNW State Games Spotlight - '26 LHP Alexander Lopez 1/14/26
- OR Oregon Uncommitted Spotlight - '26 1B Brody Whitcomb 1/12/26
- OR Future Games Spotlight - RHP Jack Brauckmiller 1/09/26
- OR PNW State Games Spotlight - '26 1B Joaquin Luna 1/07/26
- OR Oregon Uncommitted Spotlight - '27 1B/LHP Kye Leenders 1/05/26