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High School  | Rankings  | 6/22/2018

High School Players of the Year

Vincent Cervino     
Photo: Jeremiah Jackson (Perfect Game)

 


Final 2018 National High School Top 50

Listed below are the 50 players honored as the Perfect Game/Rawlings Players of the Year in their respective states. We also named a National Player, Pitcher and Two-Way Player of the Year. You can learn more about these three players below under their state capsules.


2018 Perfect Game/Rawlings National High School Player of the Year:
Jeremiah Jackson, St. Luke's Episcopal HS (Ala.)

2018 Perfect Game/Rawlings National High School Pitcher of the Year:
Matthew Liberatore, Mountain Ridge HS (Ariz.)

2018 Perfect Game/Rawlings National High School Two-Way Player of the Year:

Ryan Weathers, Lorretto HS (Tenn.)


2018 Perfect Game/Rawlings High School Players of the Year

STATE NAME
ALABAMA Jeremiah Jackson
Looking at Jackson's stats can be a fairly vivid experience, as some of those numbers simply jump off the page and earned him the honor of being selected as the Perfect Game Player of the Year. The second round selection of the Angels, and a PG All-American last summer, hit a scorching .644 on the season with 15 home runs and even earned three saves in relief. Jackson's tools jump off the board and its easy to see why he was valued so highly as the production lived up to the hype as well to be named the top player in Alabama. 
ALASKA Stephen Trujillo
The starting catcher for Lathrop high school in Fairbanks, Alaska, Trujillo did very well offensively hitting over .500 with a couple of home runs. The Dean College signee totaled more extra-base hits than singles all while batting in the middle of the lineup and being in a good position to both drive in runs and score them for a potent offensive squad. 
ARIZONA Matthew Liberatore
The first round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays, 2017 PG All-American Liberatore had a dominant season in Arizona en route to earning Pitcher of the Year honors. The 16th overall pick in this year's draft, Liberatore went 8-1 with a 0.93 ERA on the season all while striking out 104 batters in 60 1/3 innings. The southpaw has a chance to be extremely successful with the combination of future plus curveball and fastball to go along with good feel for a changeup and a recently developed slider.
ARKANSAS Connor Noland
A two-sport star, Noland stated his intent to go to college before the draft, so he wasn't selected in the draft two weeks ago, but the Arkansas signee still had a spectacular season. Noland is signed on to play quarterback for the football team but is also a talented righthanded pitcher who can run his fastball into the mid-90s and will pitch for the Razorbacks next spring as well. 
CALIFORNIA Cole Winn
After transferring in to Orange Lutheran High School from Colorado, Winn is an extremely polished prep righthander with a clean delivery and three potential plus pitches. The first round pick by the Texas Rangers, Winn is a high-end athlete who put up extremely good numbers in one of the toughest regions in the country, the Trinity League. Winn went 8-2 with a 0.20 ERA, striking out 120 batters in 70 innings while only walking 11 batters all season. 
COLORADO Justin Olson
Kentucky signee and lefthanded slugger Justin Olson had a monster season for Pine Creek High School en route to an undefeated league season. Olson has some pretty significant lefthanded pop and that resulted in an above .500 batting average to go along with a state-high 14 home runs. Olson also showed a very patient approach in the box with a 20-to-7 walk-to-strikeout ratio and should be an immediate contributor next season for the Wildcats. 
CONNECTICUT Patrick Winkel
In a class that sometimes seemed light on prep catching prospects, Winkel rose above the others with some fairly significant draft buzz toward the end of the spring. Winkel had a monster season for Amity Regional with an over .500 batting average, six home runs, and a very large number of extra-base hits that resulted in a slugging percentage that totaled over 1.000 on the season. He was selected in the 31st round by the Yankees. 
DELAWARE Zack Gelof
Gelof was another Northeast prospect who attracted some high level looks as the season got going and was eventually selected in the 38th round by the Indians. Gelof is an athletic, middle-of-the-field prospect who most scouts feel can comfortably stick at shortstop while providing value with the bat. The bat was certainly alright this spring as he hit around .450 with good on-base skills. 
FLORIDA Carter Stewart
The owner of the best breaking ball in this year's draft, the 2017 PG All-American comes away with the honor of Florida Player of the Year in one of the most contested states. The righthander was selected eighth overall by the Braves in this year's draft and put up huge strikeout numbers with 118 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings pitched. Stewart posted an ERA under 1.00 and pitched well in a number of high-profile matchups throughout the spring. 
GEORGIA Anthony Seigler
Seigler almost single-handedly willed his team to a state championship, and though Cartersville High School came up just short, the first round selection by the Yankees put up very impressive offensive numbers. Seigler hit .421 on the season to go along with 14 home runs, while switch-hitting, and slugged around 1.000 while stealing 16 bases and striking out only six times. Seigler, yet another PG All-American, had one of the more advanced hit tools in the class with one of the more polished prep offensive profiles. 
HAWAII Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa
Hoopii-Tuionetoa was one of the most valuable assets in the state during the season for state champion Baldwin and impacted the game in all facets. He was a strong defender in center field while hitting in the middle of the lineup and also posted a sub-1.00 ERA on the mound. Hoopii-Tuionetoa was drafted in the 16th round by the Minnesota Twins, and after a stellar season in Hawaii, he looks to have a strong professional future ahead of him. 
IDAHO Loren Wright
Wright had a very strong season for Rocky Mountain High School that allowed him to function as one of the leading run creators in the state. Wright hit a very strong .441 average with an over .500 on-base percentage all while totaling nearly identical numbers of 23 RBI and 21 runs scored. Wright is one of the top pure hitters in the state and his strong senior campaign was an excellent way for him to cap off his high school career. 
ILLINOIS Hayden Juenger
Juenger had a very strong senior campaign for nationally-ranked O'Fallon High School. The senior Missouri State signee saw his draft stock improve steadily throughout the spring, including at the PG Pre-Draft Showcase in Iowa. Juenger typically works in the 90-93 mph range with a tight-spinning slider and went 9-1 on the year with a 1.55 ERA that included 75 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings pitched. 
INDIANA Nicholas Schnell
The former PG All-American took the Midwest by storm with his lanky, power-projecting frame and outstanding feel to hit. The Roncalli High School star was drafted in the first comp round by the Rays and crushed the baseball all spring that resulted in a .522 batting average with 10 home runs on the season. Schnell eventually became one of the most sought after hitting prospects in the draft and looks to have a bright future ahead of him. 
IOWA Connor Van Scoyoc
Though some of Iowa's high school season takes place during the summer, Van Scoyoc is one of the more talented arms in the state and has electric stuff to boot. The 11th-round selection by the Angels features a very lively fastball that has significant running action and a high-spin breaking ball that he can locate for strikes. He has an ERA under 1.00 on the season and has struck out more batters than innings pitched. 
KANSAS Blake Bevan
A three-sport athlete from Bluestem High School, Bevan put forth a strong season on the mound that culminated in a ton of strikeouts. Bevan went 6-4 on the season with an ERA of around 2.00 while striking out 92 batters in 54 innings pitched. The strikeout stuff would lead to thinking that he is effectively wild, however, that's not the case as Bevan had only eight walks allowed on the year. 
KENTUCKY Drew Rom
Rom was always very polished as a pitching prospect, and thanks in part to a big spring he was selected in the fourth round by the Orioles in the MLB Draft. The Michigan signee offers a lot of projection on the mound and the numbers matched the stuff this spring. The Highlands High School product struck out an absurd 116 batters in 66 2/3 innings pitched while posting a 2.42 ERA and batting over .300 at the dish. 
LOUISIANA Will Ripoll
John Curtis Christian finished the season as the top team in the state and that was no doubt thanks to the efforts of Will Ripoll. The Louisiana State signee went 10-0 on the season with a 0.98 ERA that saw him strikeout 102 batters in 71 1/3 innings pitched. Ripoll showed his stuff on the national stage as well with a dominant start at the NHSI that saw him take down nationally-ranked opponent American Heritage (Fla.). 
MARYLAND
Ryan Archibald
Archibald had one of the more memorable home runs last summer as his walk-off sent his Canes American squad to the final four, and Archibald took that momentum into the spring for John Carroll High School. The Arizona signee hit a scorching .538 on the season with seven home runs. Archibald slugged 1.000 on the year with an over .500 on-base percentage as well while showing off some of the best hitting tools in the state. 
MASSACHUSETTS Steve Hajjar
The lefthanded pitcher signed on to play at Michigan, Hajjar made for one of the best batteries in the country with starting catcher Dominic Keegan at Central Catholic High School. The southpaw runs his fastball into the mid-90s with good feel for spin and he tossed 41 innings on the year while possessing a minuscule ERA of 0.17. Hajjar also had really impressive strikeout stuff as he racked up 67 on the season while on the mound. 
MICHIGAN Gabe Sotres
Sotres was a big part of the offense for traditional power Brother Rice High School as the Michigan State signee was one of the more productive players in the state. Almost 50 percent of Sotres' hits went for extra bases as he totaled nine home runs on the season and got on base at around a .500 clip while slugging around .700 for the year. 
MINNESOTA Seth Halvorsen
After closing out the 2017 PG All-American Classic, Halvorsen was one of the more dynamic two-way talents in the class as the Missouri signee put together a big season for Heritage Christian Academy. Halvorsen can run his fastball up to 95-96 mph and pounds the strike zone with good secondaries. He had an ERA of 1.22 on the season and totaled 54 strikeouts. He is also a very talented offensive talent and hit around .400 on the season. 
MISSISSIPPI JT Ginn
The only back-to-back winner on this list, Ginn has some of the best pure stuff in the country on the mound and basically did it all for Brandon High School. The former PG All-American hit .419 on the season with nine home runs, but the reason the Dodgers selected him in the first round was because of his pitching talents. While touching 99 mph and featuring a potential plus-plus breaking ball, Ginn went 5-1 with a 0.36 ERA and punching out 78 batters over 39 1/3 innings pitched. 
MISSOURI Luke Mann
Leading the charge for his top 10-ranked Vianney squad, Mann was a key member of the rotation and was nearly unhittable en route to Vianney's eventual state championship. A Missouri signee, Mann was a workhorse for his squad with a handful of complete games that highlighted his ability to carry the team. Mann had an ERA under 1.00 on the season and he struck out 88 batters as he has a chance to make an immediate impact next spring in college.
NEBRASKA Colby Gomes
A Nebraska signee, Gomes had a very strong season for Millard West that featured a 7-0 record and a 1.06 ERA for his senior year. Gomes can run his fastball up to 92 mph while showing the ability to fill up the strike zone and to induce ugly swings-and-misses. Gomes totaled 68 strikeouts on the season while tossing 53 innings pitched while giving a glimpse of his high ceiling. 
NEVADA Austin Pfeiffer
It's not easy to lead the entire state in home runs but that's exactly what Pfeiffer did for Arbor View High School. The righthanded hitter batted .430 on the season with an absurd 17 home runs and drove in 50 runs. Pfeiffer is listed as a primary righthanded pitcher and he also impressed on the mound with a 2.35 ERA while striking out 61 batters in 56 2/3 innings pitched. 
NEW HAMPSHIRE Grant Lavigne
Lavigne was a revelation this spring putting up absurd numbers in the Northeast that culminated with his second round selection by the Colorado Rockies. The lefthanded slugger put up incredible numbers with a batting average around .600 and six home runs on the year, and even showed off the athleticism with double-digit stolen bases. Lavigne has one of the best combinations of hit and power tools in the draft and the Rockies showed exactly how much that can be valued at the professional level. 
NEW JERSEY Max Dineen
A 35th round selection by the Reds in the draft, Dineen kept the theme of absurd Northeast seasons going as the Pennsville High School star hit .560 with 15 home runs. The Virginia Tech signee also notched 34 walks with 18 stolen bases while he produced a significant number of runs in the form of 47 RBI and 61 runs scored. Dineen crushed the ball all spring and has the offensive skill-set that translates nicely to the next level. 
NEW MEXICO Mitchell Parker
A San Jacinto commit and Manzano High School star, Parker had a very good season in the Southwest region as an ace lefthanded pitcher. Parker can run his fastball up into the mid-90s at times while pounding the zone in the low-90s and features a legitimate out pitch in his swing-and-miss breaking ball. The raw numbers were wildly impressive with a 1.87 ERA and an absurd number of strikeouts with 126 punchouts in 60 innings pitched. 
NEW YORK Henry Davis
A Louisville signee and Fox Lane High School star, Davis has some of the best catch-and-throw tools in the country with a cannon for a right arm that has registered 86 mph with a best pop time of 1.75 at the PG National last summer. Davis has serious righthanded bat speed and raw pop and that culminated in a very strong season out of New York with an average of .441 to go along with seven home runs and 32 RBI. Davis also displayed a very good eye at the plate with a 17-to-4 walk-to-strikeout ratio.
NORTH CAROLINA Owen White
One of the best pure athlete's in the 2018 draft class, White was selected by the athletic-favoring Rangers in the second round. White is a very impressive two-way prospect as he hit .333 with two home runs on the season but the pitching numbers are what really makes him stand out. White has a fastball in the 90-93 mph range with potentially two plus secondaries and he went 10-1 with a microscopic 0.22 ERA while striking out 101 batters in 63 2/3 innings pitched. 
NORTH DAKOTA Jake Faircloth
A graduate of West Fargo High School, Faircloth had a very strong year to earn Player of the Year honors in the state of North Dakota. The starting shortstop hit a blistering .634 on the season with a good number of extra-base hits. He also shows a lot of still-projectable tools, especially with his contact skills in the batter's box. 
OHIO Nick Thwaits
The 15th round selection by the San Diego Padres, Thwaits has a lot of impressive tools on the mound and was the star of the season for Fort Recovery High School. The Kent State signee was a big part of his team's 18-4 record as he went 3-1 with a 0.99 ERA. The righthanded pitcher struck out an absurd 65 batters on the season despite tossing only 35 1/3 innings pitched. 
OKLAHOMA Jace Bohrofen
The only sophomore on this list, Bohrofen had a remarkably impressive season on the year with an over .500 batting average in over 100 at-bats on the season. The Westmoore High School sophomore sensation recently impressed at the PG Junior National and showed off his impressive combination of speed and power this spring with 18 stolen bases, as compared to only one caught stealing, with 10 home runs and he walked twice as many times as he struck out. 
OREGON Jake Dukart
Dukart is the rare high school athlete who is a two-sport star, but does not plan on advancing his baseball career should he get to campus at Oregon State. Dukart was selected in the 36th round by the Red Sox and the numbers make it easy to show why: he hit .372 with an over .500 on-base percentage, swiping 17 bags while striking out only four times. Dukart could be on the gridiron next spring for the Beavers or in professional baseball later this summer.
PENNSYLVANIA Kyler Fedko
Fedko keeps the theme going with absurd high school seasons as the senior from Vincentian Academy had an extremely strong statistical resume. The UConn signee hit a blistering .661 and tallied eight home runs, 14 doubles, 40 RBI and 46 runs scored. The shortstop is physical with lots of strength and bat speed to the profile and represents a very high offensive ceiling.
SOUTH CAROLINA  Geoffrey Gilbert
Gilbert is not only the top player in the state, but he put together one of the top two-way statistical seasons in the country. The Clemson commit recently impressed at the PG National but was otherworldly as an underclassman for the nationally-ranked state champion Bishop England team. Gilbert runs his fastball up into the upper-80s on the mound while putting up big offensive numbers too. Gilbert struck out 73 batters in 53 1/3 innings pitched while having an ERA of 0.33 while batting over .400.
TENNESSEE Ryan Weathers
The son of former big leaguer David Weathers, the former PG All-American was the highest selected high school arm as Ryan Weathers went seventh overall to the San Diego Padres. The southpaw was one of the most polished prep arms in recent memory with elite strike-throwing ability, a hammer curveball and the ability to run his fastball up to 96 mph. The Vanderbilt signee put up incredible numbers with a miniscule ERA of 0.11 to go along with hitting near .500, which culminated in Weathers being awarded the Perfect Game Two-Way Player of the Year. 
TEXAS Jordan Groshans
Groshans prep resume is longer than most high school players, and the Magnolia High School star can now add the Texas High School Player of the Year award. The 12th overall pick in the draft has some of the best raw power in the class as evidenced by his 12 home runs and a .444 batting average on the season. The former PG All-American walked more times than he struck out and Groshans was exceptional all year long.
UTAH Austin Deming
Deming put up very loud numbers this year for Snow Canyon High School, a team that was nationally ranked earlier in the year. The offensive tools are very impressive for the Brigham Young commit as he hit .516 while notching nine home runs. Deming also saw some time on the mound where he recorded an ERA under 2.00.
VERMONT Seth Balch
Windsor High School ace Seth Blach had a very strong year in Vermont, and he comes away with the state Player of the Year honors as a result. Blach batted over .400 in some offensive looks, but the primary righthanded pitcher absolutely dominated on the mound. Blach notched a 6-1 record with a 0.62 ERA while the strikeout stuff was fairly impressive, resulting in 66 K's in 45 1/3 innings pitched.
VIRGINIA Adam Hackenberg
The 39th round selection by the Royals, Hackenberg was outstanding for the Miller School this spring as the primary catcher continued to show loud tools behind the dish. The Clemson signee showed a lot of righthanded power in the batter's box with 13 home runs and a batting average of .421. Hackenberg racked in 42 RBI, and the power along with his pure catch-and-throw skills really stood out this spring.
WASHINGTON Jayson Schroeder
Schroeder saw his draft stock rise as much as any prep prospect this spring, and the ace of traditional Northwest power Juanita High School put up big numbers en route to a second round selection by the Houston Astros. Schroeder won six games with a 1.51 ERA while putting up huge strikeout numbers with 110 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings pitched. The righthander also tossed two complete game shutouts and was exemplary all spring.
WEST VIRGINIA Chase Delauter
Hedgesville High School slugger Chase Delauter put forth a very impressive resume this spring and resulted in some pretty loud numbers across the board. The hitter posted a batting average of .514 on the season with four home runs and tremendous gap-to-gap power with 15 doubles. Delauter scored 29 runs and drove in 23 and was a reliable run producer for the squad. 
WISCONSIN Jeffrey Holtz
Arrowhead High School catcher and Indiana signee put together a very strong season to earn Wisconsin Player of the Year. Holtz showed off his tools last summer at the PG National and put together a very strong campaign with a .463 batting average and displaying the impressive power potential with nine home runs. Holtz has a chance to be a very impressive player at the next level and he proved it during the entirety of the high school season.

**With the state of Wisconsin it's important to note that Jarred Kelenic became the highest prep pick ever out of the state when he went sixth overall to the Mets. Kelenic doesn't play high school baseball, but was impressive in the PG Iowa Spring League nonetheless and had a good spring.