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2026 Prep Baseball Player of the Year

July 15, 2026
By Andy Sroka
National Managing Editor, Scouting

Coleman Borthwick's legendary prep career at South Walton got its storybook ending while playing for his dad, Nick, the team's head coach. In the winner-take-all state title game, Borthwick got to conclude his high school career as a state champion, finally, giving his dad's South Walton program its first-ever title, alongside his fellow Class of 2026 teammates that made up a memorable senior core that got to experience what it's like to graduate on top.

From there, Borthwick turned his attention to the fork in the road that could take him up north to Alabama to join the Auburn baseball program where he was committed, or into the professional ranks byway of the MLB Draft. Last Saturday, his decision came into focus after the San Diego Padres made him the No. 21 overall pick in the 2026 Draft.

Today, we’re adding one more trophy to a shelf that’s already crowded, naming the South Walton two-way powerhouse the 2026 Prep Baseball Player of the Year.

Coleman Borthwick RHP/3B / South Walton, FL / 2026

"Borthwick brought a massive power arsenal to the mound, turning in a dominant five-inning performance where he allowed just one hit and zero runs while striking out seven. The Auburn recruit utilizes an imposing 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame that translates directly to easy, high-end velocity. Operating on a cool, breezy night, Borthwick noticeably heated up in the middle innings as his velocity continued to climb.

"His fastball sat in the low-to-mid-90s, touching 97 mph twice, backed by impressive spin rates up to 2,648 rpm. He paired the premium heater with a devastating 79-85 mph slider (2,697 rpm) that flashed plus, showcasing varied shape and sharp, late two-plane bite to put hitters away. To round out his mix, he effectively utilized an 81-84 mph changeup (1,852 rpm) that profiles exceptionally well off his fastball."

– South Walton Showdown (March 16, 2026)

Coleman Borthwick - (03/12/2026)

Borthwick is actually the first player from the state of Florida to win the award, which we’ve handed out every season since 2017. He joins a pitching lineage that includes Jackson Jobe (Heritage Hall HS, OK) in 2021, Mason Englert (Forney HS, TX) in 2018, and MacKenzie Gore (Whiteville HS, NC) in 2017.

Ranked No. 7 in the country by Prep Baseball and the No. 1 right-handed pitcher in the Class of 2026 National Rankings, Borthwick will most likely begin his journey in pro ball focusing on his skillset on the mound exclusively. That’s probably the correct call, but it’s also a small tragedy for anyone who watched him hit. He was one of the most powerful right-handed bats in the country, a four-year varsity presence who hit cleanup on opening day of his freshman spring and he had ace-caliber stuff from the moment he took the mound for the Seahawks.

“Coleman has been a pleasure to follow and to get to know since the first day we saw him at a Scout Day event in 2022," said Rocco Iervasi Jr., Prep Baseball Florida's Director of Florida Operations. "Always respectful and he carried himself well, which will continue to lead him to future success."

That freshman year set the tone for everything that followed. Borthwick opened as an ace reliever before earning his first start on March 14 against West Florida High, where he spun five shutout innings with no walks, three hits, and seven strikeouts. His first varsity home run came a couple of weeks later in a one-run loss to Mosley High. By May, he was starting a regional semifinal, striking out six in 5.2 innings and allowing one earned run on two hits and no walks. A seventh-inning rally from Bishop Kenny ended the Seahawks’ season that day, but it also lit a fire that ignited Borthwick to help lift this program to a state title one day.

"With the spotlight on and bullseye present, Borthwick answered the call at every turn," said Shooter Hunt, Prep Baseball Vice President, Scouting.

Borthwick represented the Class of 2026 at both the 2024 and 2025 Prep Baseball All-American Games in Miami, recognized as one of the best talents in the country early on and throughout his prep career and especially just before he started this historic senior season. 

"He has been consummate performer throughout his entire high school career, and his dominance in a state championship run for South Walton in his senior campaign only served to close the book on a fairytale ending." Hunt said. "Beyond his utter dominance on the bump, the right-handed slugger was a force in the box that brought the whole community out for each place appearance. For Padres fans wondering about their first-round pick, Borthwick has the potential to become a workhorse ace and he's sure to excite the organization’s fans just like he did in the Panhandle."

A SENIOR SEASON FOR THE BOOKS

In his last chance to become a state champion, Borthwick captained a special senior season at South Walton.

He threw 65.2 innings this spring and allowed just two earned runs total. He went 10-0 with a 0.21 ERA, struck out 121 batters, and walked a mere seven, good for a strikeout-to-walk ratio north of 17-to-1 while playing against the best competition in Florida, and thus the country.

And he did all of that while hitting .460 with 16 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and 30 runs scored.

This senior campaign didn't come out of nowhere either. As a junior he hit .471 with 51 RBIs and 10 doubles, four triples, and six homers, with a 0.21 ERA and 55 strikeouts against four walks in 33 innings. And as a sophomore he hit .435 with 21 RBIs and 11 extra-base hits while throwing 59.2 innings with 91 strikeouts and a 1.99 ERA. And his freshman year was equally as impressive with a .475 average nine extra-base hits and 68 Ks in 55 innings.

Across his four varsity seasons, Borthwick struck out 335 batters in just over 213 innings and allowed only 30 walks all while launching 20 career home runs, as part of 68 career extra-base hits, with 145 RBIs.

But it was this past postseason is where it all crystallized. In the best-of-three quarterfinals against Suwanee, Borthwick took the ball in a tight game one and threw a complete game, allowing one unearned run on four hits with no walks and 13 strikeouts. In the semifinal against Miami Springs, the final start of his high school career, he went five innings with 11 punchouts, allowing seven hits and two walks and a single run – a run that accounted for half of the earned runs he surrendered all season.

Then came the championship game against heavyweights North Broward Prep, a winner-take-all contest that wound up being a dramatic ballgame ending in a walk-off suicide squeeze in the bottom of the seventh with Borthwick watching from the on-deck circle.

Borthwick doubled and scored earlier in that game, some of his final contributions to helping the program his father oversees to its first-ever state championship. Two months later, he got to hear his name called in the first-round of the MLB Draft by the Padres, and interestingly enough San Diego called his South Walton teammate's name, Denton Lord (Mississippi State commit), in the 17th round the next day. It was more evidence of just how talented this Seahawks program, ending as the No. 12-ranked team on our National Top-50 too.

While it certainly looks like Borthwick is bound for pro ball, no matter what comes next, his four years in Santa Rosa Beach culminated in this special senior season that had it all, and we think it's deserving of the ninth all-time Prep Baseball Player of the Year Award too.

PREVIOUS PREP BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

PLAYER High School (ST) YEAR
Ethan Holliday Stillwater (OK) 2025
Konnor Griffin Jackson Prep (MS) 2024
Max Clark Franklin Community (IN) 2023
Jackson Holliday Stillwater (OK) 2022
Jackson Jobe Heritage Hall (OK) 2021
Brett Baty Lake Travis (TX) 2019
Mason Englert Forney (TX) 2018
MacKenzie Gore Whiteville (NC) 2017

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