2026 VA/DC Midseason Momentum: High School Standouts

May 1, 2026
Staff
Prep Baseball Virginia/DC

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Every year there is a group of players that separates themselves from their peers as the season progresses. While these players are not the only players having a good year, or they are not the only players up for Player of the Year or postseason honors consideration, but they are players who we have been following closely from the production they have been providing. In addition to noticing their success in person, on social media, and through coach conversations, they are also players whose stats are mostly visible and easily accesible in order for us to take notice of them. Hidden stats are very difficult to sort, and extremely time consuming. All ten of these players, as well as a handful of others mentioned at the bottom of the story, are all worthy of the recognition for their big output this season.

MIDSEASON MOMENTUM

*Players are listed in alphabetical order.*

Player	Class	Pos.	School	Commit
Colt Bradshaw	2027	IF	Cape Henry
+ Click here for notes & video Bradshaw got off to a blistering start to the season, and while he has certainly cooled off a touch, he is still crushing his 2026 spring season. In 27 games, Bradshaw has 104 plate appearances, 75 at bats, 25 singles, 9 doubles, 1 triple, and three homeruns. Combined, Bradshaw is 38 of 75, hitting .507 with a triple slash line of .507/.615/.773 and an OPS of 1.389. The Future Games alum has combined to account for 73 runs (37 RBI & 36 Runs), has nearly a 3:1 BB/K rate and in just over 100 plate appearances, he has struck out only nine times. The offense was up and down in 2025, but he has stayed the course and has been much more consistent with his production in 2026. He is certainly the highest rated infielder still remaining in the 2027 VA/DC class.

Player	Class	Pos.	School	Commit
Mandela Browman	2026	OF	Miller School
+ Click here for notes & video While playing the most difficult schedule in the state would be a challenge for most, the Miller School star has handled it with ease. Browman is hitting .474 on the year, has reached base nearly 57% of the time, and has a 1.464 OPS. The North Carolina commit has 7 doubles, one triple, and 8 homeruns on the year while scoring 41 runs on the season, from what we can tell is second in the state to Bishop O'Connell's Bryant James. Browman has also stolen 20 bases and has a 100% success rate on his steal attempts. He handles the bat as well as or better than any player in the state, offering the ability to bunt and slug for hits. In addition to his offensive output the Future Games alum is quite possibly the best outfielder in the state when it comes to taking away hits and shutting down extra bases. At the top of the order, his value to this Miller School team has been paramount as it relates to their success.

Player	Class	Pos.	School	Commit
Easton Butts	2026	C	Manchester
+ Click here for notes & video Butts, along with fellow seniors Asher Blalock and Judah Parks, is a massive reason that the Lancers are off to a 12-1 start to the season. Butts has a slash line of .552/.658/1.241 for the season. The Lynchburg commit adds to that with a 1.899 OPS. The senior backstop has more doubles (6) than singles (5), almost as many homeruns (4) as singles, and has a 7:1 BB/K rate, striking out only one time so far this year. His run and run production totals are a bit skewed against him. Butts hits from the leadoff spot so he does not have as much opportunity to drive in runs, while also assuming he receives a courtesy runner the majority of times when he gets on base so he does not have as many runs scored or stolen bases. Regardless of those numbers, everything else suggest that the left handed hitting catcher is a key part of this team's surge through the spring and will certainly be a player in contention for a Prep Baseball postseason award.

Player	Class	Pos.	School	Commit
Michael Gambone	2026	LHP/1B	Centreville
+ Click here for notes & video While there do seem to be some missing games from MaxPreps in comparison to GameChanger, from everything we can gather, Gambone has been as dominant as we anticipated. It appears as though the App State commit has thrown just north of 30 innings on the mound, striking out around 50 hitters and carrying nearly a 5:1 K/BB ratio. Opponents are hitting around .175 off of Gambone and he currently has roughly a 2.0 ERA. Most of the run damage came in one outing versus Oakton, where he righted the ship just a few days later with a much stronger performance. While his future calling certainly seems to be on the mound, his offensive contributions for his Power 25 ranked Centreville team put him on a shortlist of Player of the Year candidates. At the plate he is hitting north of .475, but the exact run production numbers and more detailed stats are tougher to figure because stats are closed and we are only able to see a smaller sample on MaxPreps. Regardless of that, Gambone has been a fixture in the Wildcats program since he was a freshman and seems to be taking it up a notch this season.

Player	Class	Pos.	School	Commit
Jake Gunning	2026	OF	Highland School
+ Click here for notes & video While the batting average alone is not at the top of the heap, the offensive output and in game power certainly is top of the line. The William & Mary commit is slashing .389/.521/.889 with a combined OPS of 1.410. He has 2 doubles, 2 triples, and ten homers to go along with his 14 singles. Working mostly out of the three hole in the lineup, Gunning has driven in 27 and scored 34, while also walking 20 times on the season. The Player of the Year candidate also has 12 stolen bases. While there is some firepower in the Highland offense, he is certainly the straw that stirs the drink, without Gunning, that offense is drastically different than it's current status.

Player	Class	Pos.	School	Commit
Bryant James	2026	SS	Bishop O'Connell
+ Click here for notes & video James has produced a massive season for the Knights and is a major reason they find themselves in great position as they approach the postseason. James is hitting .494 with a 1.488 OPS. The UVA commit has 10 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 24 RBI, and has scored a staggering 42 runs. While he does have 22 singles, with his high end speed, they are essentially doubles. James has swiped 29 bases, including 11 stolen bags last week. The Bishop O'Connell star has a 91% stolen base success percentage. In addition to all of the hitting numbers that look great, he has walked or been hit by a pitch on 26 occasions, only adding to the number of times he is on base. Those 26 times on base give him a 2:1 BB-HBP/K rate on the year. If the Knights are going to win a WCAC or VISAA title, he is an absolute must for this DJO offense.

Player	Class	Pos.	School	Commit
Tristan Lange	2026	RHP	North Cross
+ Click here for notes & video Arguably one of the most dominant arms in Virginia high school baseball over the last four years. While the team record and sometimes even his own personal W/L record do not stand out amongst the crowd, it is hard to quantify and explain how dominant Lange has been over his high school career. This season is yet another notch in his belt on the way to cementing himself in VA/DC high school baseball history. Lange is approaching 400 strikeouts for his career, with 248 of them coming in the last two seasons alone. While his strikeout numbers more than likely will not be the same as his last two seasons, neither will his uasge rate. With just a few games left in the season, Lange's usage rate has nearly been cut in half, but the production has not slacked off whatsoever. The VCU commit has thrown 30 innings so far this season, allowed only two earned runs, and holding a 5:1 K/BB ratio. Lange has a -0.172 FIP, which is unheard of and for context, anything below 2.5 or so is considered elite. We could go on and write a book on the numbers that he is producing that has proved him more than deserving to be mentioned in this story, but long story short, Lange is one of the most dominant arms in recent memory and is more than likely the one arm that has had to do all of the lifting on his way to success.

Player	Class	Pos.	School	Commit
Corey Overmeyer	2026	1B	Walsingham
+ Click here for notes & video Overymeyer is undoubtedly having the biggest spring of any uncommitted hitter in the state. The Walsingham senior is slashing .529/.640/1.029 while also bolstering a 1.670 OPS. The slugging numbers are extremely strong, putting up ten homeruns on the season and is tied for the high school lead (from everything we can see). Overmeyer has walked more than he has struck out, has driven in 37 runs, and also scored 33 runs, accounting for more than 25% of the Trojans' offensive run output this spring. In addition to the bat to ball skills. he is an above average athlete, especially considering his size and physical makeup. He has used that athleticism to swipe 13 bases and has stolen 100% of the bases he has attempted to steal.

Player	Class	Pos.	School	Commit
Judah Parks	2026	RHP	Manchester
+ Click here for notes & video The Lynchburg commit has been on a mission this spring and is establishing himself as one of the top pitchers in the state. He has put up staggering numbers and has been a big contributor to Manchester's hot start this spring. Through 39.2 innings of work, he has racked up 66 strikeouts, 9 walks, and zero earned runs. The strikeout numbers speak for themselves, but not allowing a single run, neither earned or unearned, is taking it to another level. He is competitive in the zone with three well above average high school pitches and consistently misses bats. Throughout the course of the season, is averaging under 4 pitches per hitter faced, meaning that hitter is on base or out in less than four pitches, and with the numbers he is producing, they are more than likely out. When he gets the ball, he gives you comfortablity and a chance to win against any lineup in the state.

Player	Class	Pos.	School	Commit
Ryan Waddell	2028	RHP	Western Branch
+ Click here for notes & video Waddell has made a massive splash this spring, trending up as much or more so than any other sophomore arm in the state. The Western Branch standout has accumulated 34 innings of work as of April 30th and bolstering .824 ERA and a 2.247 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching). Both are ELITE metrics indicating his dominance when he is on the mound. Waddell has 37 strikeouts in his 34 innings on the mound compared to his 14 walks. While the walk rate could come down a touch, about 30% of those walks came in one deeper outing at the beginning of April. Waddell has been up to 90 in front of our staff and has a competitive edge that you do not see very often at this level.