THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION

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High School | General | 2/6/2025

Pacific Region Dream Team & Top Tools

David Rawnsley

Regional Previews: Florida | Georgia

The 2025 Pacific Region has a good argument for being the most talented region ever since Perfect Game began these reviews. All 14 members of the positional All-Region team save one are Perfect Game All-Americans and the exception, first baseman Jared Grindlinger, is the second ranked player in the 2027 class. The 11th ranked player in the 2025 class, Quentin Young, isn’t on the All-Region team but gets recognition for his power, and fellow California All-Americans shortstop Diego Velazquez (Crespi Carmelite HS), catcher Brayden Jaksa (Irvington HS) and outfielder/left-handed pitcher Brock Ketelsen (Valley Christian School) don't have spots.

And while Hawaii is often an after thought in this region, they also have one of their most talented high school groups in memory, highlighted by All-American shortstop Bruin Agbayani (St. Louis HS), shortstop Malosi Mata’afa-Alferos (Mililani HS) and corner infielder Mana Lau Kong (Iolani HS).

Not surprisingly, the region also features the top ranked high school team in the PG pre-season rankings in Corona High School, which is led by perhaps the top pair of two-way players in the country in Seth Hernandez and Ethin Bingaman, and star middle infielders Billy Carlson and Brady Ebel. All told, there are nine California schools in the Top 50, with Huntington Beach (3rd), Valley Christian (13th) and Orange Lutheran (17th) also gaining Top 20 status.

C – Trent Grindlinger (Sr., Huntington Beach HS, Calif.)

Grindlinger is the second highest ranked catcher in the 2025 class and was a starter on the USA 18U National Team. He’s a defensive standout with a big 6-3/210 build but his bat will determine his ceiling. The right-handed hitter posted some of the best exit velocities at the PG National Showcase and PG All-American Classic but has surprisingly hit no home runs in two years as Huntington Beach’s catcher. Don’t be surprised when another California catcher, Landon Hodge (Sr., Crespi Carmelite HS), starts appearing on national draft lists soon. The LSU signee has been outstanding in pre-HS season play.

1B - Jared Grindlinger (So., Huntington Beach HS, Calif.)

It’s rare but not unprecedented for a pair of brothers to be named All-Region but younger Grindlinger brother Jared is the second ranked player in the 2027 class nationally. He’s a primary first baseman who has hit .493 and .480 with a 44:10 walk to strikeout ratio in PG play the last two years, but might have a higher ceiling as a left-handed pitcher, where he has already hit 92 mph as a 15-year old. He came off the bench at both positions as a freshman at Huntington Beach, earning more time on the mound.

MIF – Brady Ebel (Sr., Corona HS, Calif.)

Ebel has the classic 6-3/190 left-handed hitter’s build that often gets Corey Seagar comps, especially appropriate given Seagar’s years with the Dodgers and Ebel’s own close connection to the Dodgers, with his father, Dino, having been the Dodgers third base coach since 2019. Ebel is ranked 10th in the current PG 2025 class rankings and is signed with LSU.

MIF – Billy Carlson (Sr., Corona HS, Calif.)

Carlson is considered the best defensive player in the 2025 class, with all the physical tools and actions to be a Gold Glove candidate eventually. The right-handed hitter carries some pop at the plate, too, hitting .412-3-19 in 16 PG games in 2024 along with .367-4-21 during the spring. Although Carlson rarely pitches, he’s been up to 96 mph on the mound with plus control. The fifth ranked player in the 2025 class, Carlson is signed with Tennessee.

3B – Gavin Fien (Sr., Great Oak HS, Calif.)

Fien is one of the top pure hitters in the 2025 class and a potential first round pick as a result. He’s hit .411-3-20 and .410-3-22 the past two springs at Great Oak High School and has been the most impressive hitter in the SoCal ranks early in 2025 according to scouts. Fien has some defensive versatility as either a third baseman or corner outfielder with big raw arm strength. His brother, Dylan, signed with the A’s in the seventh round in 2024 as a switch-hitting catcher.

OF – Anthony Pack (Sr., Milikan HS, Calif.)

Pack is a very quick twitch athlete with center field/top of the order tools and skills. He’s run a 6.46 sixty and thrown 93 mph to highlight his physical tools and has enough left-handed bat speed that it’s easy to dream that he’ll develop some real power as he matures as well. The 15th ranked player in the 2025 class, Pack is signed with Texas.

OF – Josiah Hartshorn (Sr., Orange Lutheran HS, Calif.)

Hartshorn is an exceptionally strong 6-2/225 athlete with 6.65 speed and some of the best power in the 2025 class. Maybe the most impressive part about his 2024 summer was that the switch-hitter, who is a natural right-handed hitter, was forced to swing left-handed all summer due to a shoulder injury and was still a standout with his power. A Texas A&M signee, Hartshorn is ranked 20th overall in the 2025 class rankings.

OF – Brock Sell (Sr., Tokay HS, Calif.)

Sell is more of a projectable and toolsy athlete than most of his teammates on the All-Pacific Region team with some Pete Crow-Armstrong vibes as a left-handed hitting center fielder with outstanding speed and defensive instincts. He’s hit .402-3-37 as a three-year starter at Tokey High School with 46 stolen bases and shown more power actually with wood bats in the summer than he has with metal bats in the spring. Sell has signed with Stanford.

RHP Ethin Bingaman (Sr., Corona HS, Calif.)

Bingaman has been getting plenty of well-deserved attention as a two-way prospect but is really only the second best such prospect on his own high school team behind Seth Hernandez. Bingaman was a 2024 PG All-American as a right-handed pitcher, with a riding fastball in the 93-95 mph range to go with an upper 70’s power downer curveball that plays very well off his high spin fastball. With the bat, he hit .439-4-37 in 25 games in PG play in 2024. Bingaman is signed with Auburn.

RHP Angel Cervantes (Sr., Warren HS, Calif.)

Cervantes is very young for the 2025 class and will still be 17 years old on draft day in July, a fact that makes him even more interesting to scouts. He currently works 90-94 mph with a riding fastball and has two outstanding off-speed pitches in a 78-81 mph sweeping curveball and a change up that has huge fading life. Due to his age and overall athleticism, the 6-3/200 Cervantes may be the most projectable arm in the Region. He is signed with UCLA.

RHP Reagan Ricken (Sr., Great Oak HS, Calif.)

The 6-5/220 Ricken is a multi-sport, two-way athlete who really blossomed as a pitcher in 2024 and is still very projectable physically, especially as he concentrates on baseball. He worked in the 92-94 mph range at the 2024 PG All-American Classic after topping out at 95 at the PG National Showcase to go with a low 80’s slider and mid-80’s change up. Ricken also hit .325-1-24 as Great Oak High School’s starting catcher when not on the mound and threw for 1,596 yards as their starting quarterback. He is signed with LSU.

RHP Zach Strickland (Sr., Maranatha HS, Calif.)

Strickland has been on the national map since he was the PG 14U Pitcher of the Year and has a three-year record at Mananatha High School of 21-3, including 8-0, 0.40 with 88 strikeouts and only 11 walks in 53 innings as a junior. The UCLA signee has a full four-pitch mix that includes a fastball up to 96 with both two-seam and four-seam options. The 6-2/190 Strickland is also a quality athlete who hit .394 as an infielder when not on the mound last spring.

RHP Dylan Wood (Sr., Franklin HS, Calif.)

Wood as a 90-94 mph fastball that he throws for strikes but he makes his mark is with his curveball, where he has a very advanced ability to change speed and change shapes on the pitch, especially when he’s ahead in counts. He went 7-3, 1.28 with 78 strikeouts and only 9 walks in 54 innings last spring for Franklin High School and pitched very well, including getting the win in the Gold Medal game, for the USA 18U National Team. Wood is signed with Arizona.

UT – Seth Hernandez (Sr., Corona HS, Calif.)

Hernandez is the top ranked pitcher in the 2025 class and ranked third overall, but is such an accomplished two-way standout that he’s an obvious pick for the Utility spot. He posted a 9-0, 0.62 record on the mound as a junior with a fastball that tops out at 100 mph to go with outstanding secondary pitches and command. But Hernandez also hit .352-8-34 for Corona High School and was named the MVP of the 17U WWBA National Championships after hitting .538-3-19 in 11 games.

Pacific Region Top Tools

Best Hitter for Average: Gavin Fien (Sr., Great Oak HS, Calif.)

Fien lives on the barrel and is always on time against the highest-level pitching, or so it seems. He has a simple and strong swing that produces very high exit velocities but really hasn’t developed real loft in his swing yet, although this is likely to come eventually. Fien is a Texas signee.

Best Hitter for Power: Quentin Young (Sr., Oaks Christian HS, Calif.)

The infield depth in the California prep ranks is so incredible that Young, the 12th ranked player in the 2025 class, couldn’t crack the starting lineup despite having one of the highest ceilings in prospect memory. The 6-5/215 Young, who was originally in the 2026 class, has enormous right-handed power to go with a 100 mph arm and 6.62 speed in the sixty. An LSU signee, Young is the nephew of former MLB hitters and first round picks Delmon and Dmitri Young.

Best Runner: Anthony Pack (Sr., Milikan HS, Calif.)

Pack’s speed and quickness impacts the game at all levels and watching him play defense in the outfield and run the bases, especially on extra base hits, makes one wonder why he only runs in the 6.4’s instead of the 6.1-6.2 range.

Best Defensive Catcher: Trent Grindlinger (Sr., Huntington Beach HS, Calif.)

Grindlinger is arguably the top defensive catcher in all of high school baseball right now, with very good agility for his size, outstanding arm strength and accuracy from a simple release and the polish of receiving many of the best pitchers in the country for years.

Best Defensive Infielder: Billy Carlson (Sr., Corona HS, Calif.)

Carlson won the Rawlings Gold Glove award at the 2024 PG All-American Classic as the best defensive player in the country and there really wasn’t much debate about it. He has all attributes of a future standout big league defender at a young age.

Best Defensive Outfielder: Brock Sell (Sr., Tokay HS, Calif.)

Sell’s 6.48 speed gives him plenty of ability to cut off the gaps and he has shown outstanding instincts and route running ability. While he doesn’t have a true plus arm, Sell has also been up to 91 mph off the mound and makes very accurate throws.

Best Defensive Arm: Mason Greenhouse (Sr., Aquinas HS, Calif.)

As good as Carlson’s 99 mph infield arm is, it’s hard to ignore Greenhouse, who threw 102 mph from the outfield at the 2024 PG National showcase. The 6-4/200 athlete also runs a 6.43 sixty and has overall elite level defensive tools.

Best Fastball: Seth Hernandez (Sr., Corona HS, Calif.)

Hernandez rarely dials back for his peak level velocities, working more in his 93-95 mph comfort zone, but can reach back for 97-98 mph when he wants it and has even touched 100 mph. Just as importantly, he throws his fastball to spots with good life.

Best Off-Speed Stuff: Angel Cervantes (Sr., Warren HS, Calif.)

Cervantes change up is one of the best in the high school ranks nationally and can make left-handed hitters looked over matched with its deception and fading life up to 18”. Cervantes throws the pitch both firmly at 80-84 and with more spin that most change ups feature. His sweeping curveball is also a quality pitch with big depth in the opposite direction as his change up and 2800+ rpm spin.

Best Pitchability: Seth Hernandez (Sr., Corona HS, Calif.)

Hernandez’ raw stuff stands out but he just isn’t a pitcher who can touch 100 mph with little idea where its going. He has a four-pitch mix with the ability to manipulate his breaking ball shape and velocity and often pitches in the 93-95 mph range without needing to reach back for his best velocity. He posted a 15:73 walk to strikeout ratio in 56 innings last spring at Corona High School and has a 11:53 ratio in 30 innings the past two years in PG play.

Best Multi-Sport Athlete: Alec Blair (De La Salle HS, Calif.)

The 6-6/180 Blair is the 86th ranked player nationally in the PG 2025 class rankings, with huge left-handed power as his primary tool, but that is surpassed by his talent on the basketball court, where he’s a four-star prospect who is ranked 58th in the country by 247 Sports. Blair plays point guard for De La Salle and averaged 19.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game as a junior in being named first team All-State. He’s signed to play both sports at Oklahoma.

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