Earlier this week, Prep Baseball named its ninth all-time National Player of the Year and we’re finally closing the book on the 2026 spring baseball season by naming our 2026 All-Prep Baseball Team, a roster of 25 of the country’s most productive and decorated prospects. With the immense help of our state directors stationed across the nation, we’ve been hard at work assembling this robust list of performers from the high school season.

Covering the high school baseball season as diligently as we can embedded in the foundation of our work at Prep Baseball, and this list represents all of our hard work put into covering the 2026 spring across the nation.

2026 HIGH SCHOOL SEASON HEADLINES

• Final Top-50 National Program Rankings
• National POTY: Coleman Borthwick
• 2026 National Players of the Week

Beneath the All-Prep Baseball Team reveal, we’ve also highlighted each state’s Player of the Year from this past spring.

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CATCHERS

Sean Dunlap C / Crown Point, IN / 2026 TENNESSEE The 2026 Prep Baseball Indiana Player of the Year enters this fall as the second-highest ranked player in the country headed to a college campus, and the spring he authored at Crown Point explains why. Dunlap hit .473 with a .554 OBP and a 1.500 OPS, piling up 44 hits, 11 doubles, two triples, and nine home runs en route to 45 RBIs, and he added 15 stolen bases for good measure. The offensive production is the headline, but Dunlap’s work behind the plate is what makes him one of the most complete backstops in this class, armed with massive arm strength.

Mickey Gilligan C / Passaic Tech, NJ / 2026 RUTGERS Baseball runs in the family for the Prep Baseball New Jersey Player of the Year. Mickey’s father, Larry, was a Pirates draft pick out of Lakeland HS (NJ) in 1988 before heading to Brookdale CC (NJ) and being selected again by the White Sox in the 17th round in 1990. The younger Gilligan just turned in a senior season for Passaic Tech that few in the country could match, hitting .639 with 46 hits, 13 home runs, nine doubles, and three triples, good for a 1.417 slugging percentage. He drove in 48 runs, scored 54 times, and drew 31 walks, which speaks to both the damage he did and the respect opposing staffs paid him. He’ll stay home in the Garden State and head to Rutgers.

FIRST BASEMAN

Kellan Tom 1B / RHP / Corona del Sol, AZ / 2026 ARIZONA STATE The Prep Baseball Arizona Player of the Year did just about everything for Corona del Sol this spring, helping lift the Aztecs to a runner-up finish at 6A state. At the plate, Tom went 45-for-104 (.433) with 10 home runs, 10 doubles, and a triple, driving in 43 runs and scoring 29 more while slugging .837 with a 1.324 OPS. He also became the program’s ace along the way, going 7-1 with 71 strikeouts across 69.2 innings. Arizona’s head coaches took notice too, naming him the AIA 6A Conference Player of the Year. He stays in the valley for Arizona State after graduating.

INFIELDERS

Grady Emerson SS / Fort Worth Christian, TX / 2026 TEXAS; MLB Draft, No. 2 Overall (Rays) Prep Baseball’s No. 2-ranked player in the country came off the board with the No. 2 pick in the MLB Draft, and Tampa Bay wasn’t done, taking fellow All-Prep Baseball honoree Taj Marchand 31 picks later. Emerson hit .532 this spring for Fort Worth Christian with nine doubles, four triples, and seven homers, driving in 42 runs and scoring 39. He also became just the second high school player ever named a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist, joining Bobby Witt Jr. in that exclusive company. Emerson spent his senior year playing for mentor and former big leaguer Rusty Greer, the head coach at Fort Worth Christian.

Taj Marchand SS / James Island, SC / 2026 OLE MISS; MLB Draft, No. 33 Overall (Rays) The Prep Baseball South Carolina Player of the Year signed with Tampa Bay on July 16 after coming off the board at No. 33 overall, and he leaves James Island having helped the program to three straight state titles. Marchand hit .538 with 56 hits, 12 doubles, and 14 home runs this spring, driving in 49 while posting a .653 OBP, a 1.077 slugging percentage, and a 1.730 OPS. He was also clutch on the mound, spinning 23 scoreless innings with 39 strikeouts and six saves. Athletic bloodlines help explain the two-sport background: his father, Hugo, was a professional hockey player drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997 before becoming a firefighter in Charleston, where Taj was raised. Marchand also starred on the ice himself before committing fully to baseball entering high school.

Cole Prosek 3B / C / Magnolia Heights, MS / 2026 OLE MISS; MLB Draft, No. 41 Overall (White Sox) The Prep Baseball Mississippi Player of the Year put together one of the best offensive seasons in the country and signed with the White Sox on July 16 for $3.25 million after going 41st overall. Prosek hit .595 with 18 home runs and a 1.899 OPS, driving in 79 runs and scoring 62 while helping lift Magnolia Heights to its eighth straight state title. The bat is what pro scouts ultimately bought, giving the White Sox one of the most productive prep hitters available in this class.

Landon Thome SS / Nazareth Academy, IL / 2026 FLORIDA STATE; MLB Draft, No. 34 Overall (White Sox) The bloodlines here need little introduction. Landon is the son of MLB Hall of Famer Jim Thome, who hit 612 career home runs and spent parts of four seasons with the White Sox (2006-09), the same organization that just selected his son with the 34th overall pick. Thome made his own case this spring at Nazareth Academy, hitting .532 with a .628 OBP, collecting 16 doubles, nine triples, and eight home runs while driving in 35 and swiping 54 bases. It’s familiar ground for the White Sox at Nazareth, too. Thome was teammates with OF Jaden Fauske (2025) a season ago, whom Chicago took in the second round just last year.

James Tronstein SS / Harvard-Westlake, CA / 2026 VANDERBILT; MLB Draft, No. 451 Overall (Astros) The Prep Baseball California Player of the Year closes out a legendary prep career at one of the preeminent programs in the country, slashing .548/.600/1.000 this spring with 10 home runs, 28 RBIs, and 45 runs scored for Harvard-Westlake. Houston selected him at No. 451 overall, but with a Vanderbilt commitment in hand and the pick coming beyond the 15th round, it’s likely he winds up in Nashville this fall, though that’s not yet a done deal. Either way, Tronstein’s spring was one of the most productive of any shortstop on the West Coast.

Brady Cunningham 3B / Brother Rice, IL / 2027 TEXAS A&M One of just two ’27s to earn a place on this list, Cunningham is the top-ranked player in Illinois’ incoming senior class and the Prep Baseball Illinois Player of the Year. He slashed .539/.638/1.148 for a 1.785 OPS at Brother Rice, launching 17 home runs with nine doubles and five triples, driving in 62, scoring 52, and stealing 13 bags, all while walking 21 times against just 16 strikeouts. He was invited to the MLB High School Home Run Derby earlier this week and Cunningham advanced to the final round at the official 2026 Home Run Derby in Philadelphia and won the whole thing, hitting nine homers in one minute. He starred as a two-way player for the Crusaders, but the power is what helped him make national news.

OUTFIELDERS

Trevor Condon OF / Etowah, GA / 2026 TENNESSEE; MLB Draft, No. 13 Overall (Cardinals) Condon went 13th overall to St. Louis and signed on July 16, capping a senior spring in which he hit .504 with 17 doubles and nine home runs, driving in 42 and helping lead an historic Etowah senior class to the 6A state championship. He owns one of the draft’s best power/speed combos, though what separates him from that peer group is a left-handed swing that’s built for contact just as much as damage. The intensity and swagger he plays with are unmistakable, as is the signature hoodie under the jersey.

Martin Shelar OF / Marist, GA / 2026 MISSISSIPPI STATE; MLB Draft, No. 274 Overall (Red Sox) The No. 107-ranked player in the nation led the entire country this spring with 19 home runs while at Marist, hitting .506 with seven doubles, two triples, 53 RBIs, and 42 runs scored. Boston took him at No. 274 overall, so it's likely that he's set to begin his professional playing career imminently. Shelar offers another one of the best combinations of power and speed in this draft class, a profile that plays in center field and one that fits what Mississippi State has recruited, even though it looks like he might not make it to Starkville.

Dominic Santarelli OF / St. Joseph Catholic, WI / 2026 LSU; MLB Draft, No. 550 Overall (Mariners) Santarelli became the first player to win Prep Baseball Wisconsin Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons since the award’s inception in 2014, and he did it with a spring that led all Wisconsin hitters in OPS. Over 127 plate appearances, he slashed .562/.717/1.125 for a 1.842 OPS with eight doubles, five triples, and nine home runs, driving in 33, scoring 68, and stealing 44 bases, all while drawing 40 walks against just 13 strikeouts. Seattle selected him at No. 550 overall, but Santarelli announced he intends to bypass the draft and honor his commitment to LSU, making him one of the top-ranked players in the country to reach a college campus this fall. He leaves St. Joseph Catholic after helping the program to three straight state finals appearances and the 2025 WIAA D3 title, finishing as one of the most decorated prep careers Wisconsin has ever produced.

Malachi Washington OF / Parkview, GA / 2026 LSU; MLB Draft, No. 518 Overall (Pirates) A repeat honoree from our 2025 All-Prep Baseball Team, Washington closed his Parkview career with another big spring, hitting .466 with 15 doubles, five triples, and 12 home runs, driving in 33 and scoring 55. Pittsburgh selected him at No. 518 overall, but he appears set to join the aforementioned Dominic Santarelli at LSU, too. Washington is the definition of twitch, and he met the daily challenge of the extra gear opposing teams bring when they see powerhouse Parkview on the schedule. He hit 27 home runs across his last two varsity seasons all while playing center field.

PITCHERS

Gio Rojas LHP / Stoneman Douglas, FL / 2026 MIAMI; MLB Draft, No. 16 Overall (Rangers) Maybe the most decorated player on this entire roster, the 2025 Prep Baseball Florida Player of the Year and repeat All-Prep Baseball honoree went 16th overall to Texas after helping lead Stoneman Douglas to an unprecedented sixth consecutive state championship, and he was a key part of the last three. Rojas went 11-1 across 72.2 innings this spring with a 0.58 ERA, 124 strikeouts, and just 17 walks. He’s simply one of the best big-game pitchers in the country, and he's as competitive as they come.

Blake Bryant RHP / Citizens Christian, GA / 2026 CLEMSON; MLB Draft, No. 31 Overall (D-backs) Raised in a small town in south Georgia, Bryant turned in an absolutely overwhelming senior spring, throwing 64 innings with a 0.22 ERA and 141 strikeouts while helping lead Citizens Christian Academy to back-to-back GIAA Class A state titles. Arizona took him at No. 31 overall, and it’s easy to see the appeal. Listed at 6-foot-6, 182 pounds, Bryant is the quintessential definition of the word projectable, pairing a premium fastball with multiple secondaries that project to miss bats as he continues to fill out.

Jack Slightom RHP / Lyons Township, IL / 2026 CINCINNATI; MLB Draft, No. 56 Overall (Royals) A quarterback all throughout his high school years, Slightom gained real pro traction on the mound as a junior and fully actualized it this spring, dominating Illinois’ largest classification. He went 7-0 across 45.1 innings with a 0.31 ERA and a 0.49 WHIP, allowing just 13 hits and nine walks while punching out 87. Three pitches, a prototypical quarterback’s build, and budding mid-90s velocity added up to a second-round selection by Kansas City at No. 56 overall following a special senior season at Lyons Township.

Brody Bumila LHP / Bishop Feehan, MA / 2026 TEXAS; MLB Draft, No. 89 Overall (Rangers) A 6-foot-9, 255-pound athlete, and not just in baseball, Bumila helped lead Bishop Feehan to a state title in basketball last winter before exploding into first-round caliber talent on the mound in the spring, occasionally touching triple-digits with the fastball. He threw 44 innings with a 1.02 ERA, a 0.43 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts, allowing just five hits all spring in one of the best statistical seasons in the country. He also hit .375 with four homers and 20 RBIs. Texas took him at No. 89 overall and he appears likely to sign, which would give the Rangers two of the very best prep left-handers in the nation alongside first-rounder Gio Rojas.

Grayson Willoughby RHP / Trinity, KY / 2026 KENTUCKY The Prep Baseball Kentucky Player of the Year aced the 2026 Prep Baseball National Champions, helping lead Trinity to back-to-back KHSAA state titles, the state’s first successful title defense since 1998. Willoughby went 12-0 over 62.1 innings with a 0.67 ERA, a 0.67 WHIP, and 96 strikeouts, and he capped his senior year with a one-hit shutout in the state championship game. He beat a murderer’s row of competition along the way, including Brother Rice (IL), Floyd Central (IN), Carmel (IN), and Kentucky’s Nos. 4, 9, 15, and 19 programs. He’s got upper-90s stuff and touched the 100 mph mark at the MLB Draft Combine last month, and he heads to Lexington as one of the top arms to reach a college campus this fall.

Carter Cox LHP / Venice, FL / 2026 FLORIDA Cox anchored the rotation for one of the best teams in the country this past spring, finishing 13-0 with 125 strikeouts across 79.2 innings against just 14 walks and a tiny 0.35 ERA. The signature outing came in Venice’s regional quarterfinal, where Cox threw a 17-strikeout no-hitter that tied the program’s single-game strikeout record, set by Mark Guthrie in 1983. That overpowering spring earned him the attention of Florida, where he announced his commitment a couple of weeks after the season ended.

TWO-WAYS

Coleman Borthwick RHP / 3B / South Walton, FL / 2026 AUBURN; MLB Draft, No. 21 Overall (Padres) The 2026 Prep Baseball Florida Player of the Year ended his prep career by winning South Walton’s first-ever state title, an especially remarkable moment considering his dad, Nick, is the program’s head coach. A four-year starter for the Seahawks, Borthwick saved his best for last with one of the country’s most productive two-way seasons. He went 10-0 with a 0.21 ERA, 121 strikeouts, and seven walks across 65.2 innings, plus a .460 average with 46 hits, 16 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, and 34 RBIs. San Diego took him 21st overall, and he appears destined to focus solely on pitching once he officially enters pro ball.

Jensen Hirschkorn RHP / OF / Kingsburg, CA / 2026 LSU; MLB Draft, No. 84 Overall (Braves) A 6-foot-7 right-hander from the Fresno area, Hirschkorn has been well known as one of the West Coast’s best two-way players for much of his high school career, and he signed with Atlanta on July 16 for $3,997,500 which became the MLB record bonus for a player selected in the second round. He went 9-1 with a 0.71 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 59 innings this spring while also hitting .568 with 46 hits, 11 doubles, a triple, and eight home runs, driving in 32 with a .711 OBP, a 1.025 slugging percentage, and a 1.736 OPS. He was drafted as a pitcher, but those 20 extra-base knocks for Kingsburg are what lifted him into this two-way section.

AJ Rice RHP / SS / Pickens, GA / 2026 AUBURN; MLB Draft, No. 203 Overall (Rays) The Prep Baseball Georgia Player of the Year claimed that honor amidst a crowded and historically talented Class of 2026 in the state, and he did it by leading Pickens to its first state championship in any sport since 1974 as the Dragons’ two-way star. Across four years at Pickens, Rice went 41-3 on the mound with 458 strikeouts in 253 innings and a 0.99 career ERA. This past spring, he outdid himself. Rice finished 14-0 across 79 innings with just four earned runs total (0.35 ERA) and 162 strikeouts, plus a .365 average with 10 doubles, two triples, two homers, and 33 RBIs.

Cole Koeninger RHP / INF / Keller, TX / 2026 TENNESSEE Prep Baseball’s top-ranked player headed to college from this recently graduated Class of 2026 was the Prep Baseball Texas Co-Player of the Year alongside Lucas Nawrocki, who shares a spot on this list as well. Koeninger hit .436 with 14 doubles, three triples, and 10 home runs, driving in 32 and scoring 49, while going 12-1 across 73.2 innings with a 1.14 ERA and 130 strikeouts. He tossed a one-hit shutout with 16 punch-outs in a playoff elimination game, then got the win in the Class 6A Division I state championship game against Lake Travis, gritting out eight Ks and 110 pitches in a narrow ballgame that earned both Keller and head coach Rob Stramp their first-ever state title. There was a real chance Koeninger heard his name in the first round of the MLB Draft last weekend, but he’s ultimately headed to Knoxville to honor his commitment to the Vols.

Lucas Nawrocki OF / LHP / Aledo, TX / 2026 LSU A left/left athlete and the Prep Baseball Texas Co-Player of the Year, Nawrocki guided Aledo to a 5A Division I state title this spring with some of the best two-way numbers in the country. He hit .532 with a 1.600 OPS as one of the toughest outs in Texas, and one of its most clutch, while posting a 0.63 ERA with 134 strikeouts on the mound. He went 4-for-4 in the state championship game and battled through a long weather delay during his start in that same run. He’s one of several prospects on this list who will wind up at LSU this fall despite entering July with heavy MLB Draft interest.

Gaven French INF / RHP / Heritage, TN / 2027 TENNESSEE The Prep Baseball Tennessee Player of the Year is one of just two players on this list who got here as a junior. French hit .463 with 16 doubles, a triple, and 17 home runs, driving in 56 while posting a 1.575 OPS and a .598 on-base percentage. On the mound, he went 9-1 with two saves, working 65.1 innings with a 1.17 ERA, a 0.980 WHIP, 109 strikeouts, and a .160 opponents’ batting average. He helped lead Heritage to its first-ever TSSAA state tournament appearance, tossing a complete-game shutout in the Class AAA sectional clincher after slugging two homers in game one of that same series. That sectional performance about sums up the year he had.

STATE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

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