Vandy commit Eli Herst ready to hit the mound at the All-American game, again.

RHP Eli Herst will be a familiar face at the All-American game on September 20, but is he the same player? Certainly not.

Herst is currently ranked as the number one 2026 grad out of Washington and No. 7 RHP in Prep Baseball's national 2026 rankings, as he continues to showcase why he is so impressive on the mound and why there is no doubt in anyone's mind to have him as an All-American.

Herst is a strong 6’6” righty out of Seattle Academy committed to Vanderbilt who has a fastball that's been up to 93.4 MPH this summer, with an overall skillset and upside to be a starter moving forward.

Herst was thrilled to get the chance to attend his second straight Prep Baseball All American Game.

“It's a dream come true. It's such a special opportunity, so I just really wanna be present and take it all in and really enjoy it, cause it really is a special opportunity that we get. Definitely don't wanna take it for granted and take it all in, and make some new friends, and have a great time,” Herst said.

With goals to make it to the majors one day, Herst takes it day by day, month by month.

“I'm super excited for Vanderbilt, but for me, it's like, what can I do in the next 10 months leading up to the draft to get myself in the best shape I possibly can. Whether it be to compete in the SEC or to get drafted. I'm just really focused on working hard the next 10 months to put myself in the best position for either scenario. Just doing the little things right every day, just get a little bit better every single day,” Herst said.

Herst shows zero signs of slowing down, while sustaining a range of 87-93 MPH on his fastball in various looks this year. Herst has also kept tinkering on the mound in the past year, adding a sinker to his toolbox. Paired with a changeup and slider, Herst's arsenal now features four pitches. The sinker allows Herst to get quick outs, attacking hitters left and right at the plate by jamming them and gaining weak contact.

“I'm also playing around, getting better using it (the sinker) backdoor to a right-handed hitter or a front door to a lefty, where I could yank a slider in the dirt off the plate and I get a take and then come back with a freeze sinker on the outside part of the plate. I think it really opens up a lot of like tunneling options for me as a pitcher against both right-handed and left-handed bats,” Herst said.

Being from Seattle means that Herst is and grew up a Mariners fan, and as a Mariners fan, he classifies Bryan Woo as “super special,” and someone he admires, having been compared to him for their similar arm slots and pitching arsenals.

“I love watching that guy (Woo) pitch... It's pretty cool to watch him go at it. He just goes right after the hitters, attacks them right over the plate with fastballs, and just has a mentality of you have to come and hit me, and he's not gonna avoid a challenge. He's been incredibly successful this year, so that's been really, really cool to watch, and it's someone who I try to model my pitching after in a lot of ways,” Herst said.

For the second straight year, Herst will be teaming up with V.S. Cancer, the official charter partner for the Prep Baseball All-American game, and all support will be directed towards fundraising for the program.

The 2025 Prep Baseball All-American Game has teamed up with @PBTF's @VS_Cancer program for the third year in a row.

Join the cause and support @EliHerst fundraising effort ahead of the big event. #PBAAG25 #VSCancer

𝗘𝗟𝗜 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧: https://t.co/5cKG9QKVGi@prepbaseball pic.twitter.com/KxVLI85xri

— Prep Baseball Washington (@PrepBaseballWA) September 11, 2025

“I think that we get to have a stage where we can try to help other people is so important and so crucial. I've reached out to some friends and trying to raise some money for that cause,” Herst said.

When it comes down to it, Herst brings a lot of talent to the table. When preparing to take the mound, Herst has taken pieces from professional arms such as Bryan Woo to get his body ready in some unique ways. Herst likes to warm up with a football as a way to get his body loose and warm up the arm with fond memories of throwing a ball around with his brother.

On the other hand, when things get serious on the mound, Herst brings the competition with both himself and the hitter he faces.

“I love the one-on-one competition with the hitter. I think just getting to go up on the mound and going after the hitters and challenging them is so cool. Really focusing on what's in my control... Regardless of the hitter, regardless of things that are out of my power, and just challenging myself to make the best pitch every single time and try to record a lot of outs,” Herst said.

Herst is excited to take a major league mound once again in Miami this weekend.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE	STATE	DATE	LOCATION
2025 West Coast Super Sophomore Games (Invite-Only)	WA	09/26	University of Oregon/Bushnell University
2025 West Coast Games	WA	10/03	Loyola Marymount University - Page Stadium
Pacific Northwest Fall Games	WA	10/12	Ridgefield Recreation Complex - Ridgefield, WA
Central Washington Fall ID	WA	10/18	The Six Athletic Training Facility - Moses Lake, WA

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