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High School  | General | 2/6/2026

California All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
The 2026 class is one of the best in recent memory for the state of California, with 18 players ranking among the top 100 in the Perfect Game national rankings.  Three PG All-Americans, IF Trey Ebel, OF Isaiah Hearn and RHP Logan Georges were all edged out of places on the California All-Region Team as a result.  And although the 2027 class doesn’t look as deep, it does feature three Top Six players in SS Dylan Seward, LHP Jared Grindlinger and SS Carter Hadnot.

Not surprisingly, California high schools are very well represented in the Perfect Game Pre-Season Top 50 rankings, particularly with 2025 Trinity League champion St. John Bosco beginning the season as the top ranked team in the country.  A very deep Orange Lutheran squad holds down the third spot in the rankings, with 12th ranked De La Salle being the top team from Northern California.  Corona (17th), Huntington Beach (19th), Harvard-Westlake (21st), Mater Dei (23rd), Aquinas (37th), Norco (39th) and Cathedral Catholic (50th) give the state 10 teams among the top 50 in the nation. 



C -- Brady Murrietta (Sr., Orange Lutheran HS, Calif.)

Murrietta has been starting at the powerhouse Orange Lutheran program since he was a freshman and has always been known for his very advanced defensive tools and skills even though he has hit over .300 in all three of his high school seasons.  The word in the scouting community is that Murrietta has made significant progress this off-season with the bat and is ready for a big spring.

1B -- AJ Curry (Sr., University City HS, Calif.)

A Perfect Game All-American, Curry is the top ranked first baseman in the 2026 class nationally and checks in at 34th overall.  The 6-3/205 left-handed hitter regularly generates 100+ mph exit velocities at the plate and is the kind of athlete who will make an impact on defense as well.  Curry could have easily filled the utility role on this All-Region team, as he also went 8-4, 1.14 with 111 strikeouts in 61 innings as a junior with a fastball that will touch the low 90’s.

MIF -- Tyler Spangler (Sr., De La Salle HS, Calif.)

The 6-3/190 left-handed hitting Spangler is the highest ranked 2026 player in California, checking in at sixth overall, and is regularly mentioned as a potential Top 10 pick in the 2026 draft with his overall profile.  A Perfect Game All-American, he hit .430-10-40 as a junior at De La Salle HS.

MIF -- Dylan Seward (Jr., Norco HS, Calif.)

Seward is the second ranked player in the 2027 class nationally and it’s very easy to see him being in contention to be the top player selected in the 2027 draft.  He’s a true five-tool talent with outstanding speed (6.22), pure middle infield tools and plenty of power in his bat.

3B -- James Clark (Sr., St. John Bosco HS, Calif.)  

Clark was named the Trinity League Most Valuable Player as a junior after hitting .411 with 14 extra base hits and 15 steals to go with outstanding defense for the third ranked nationally St. John Bosco team, which enters 2026 as the top ranked team in the country.  Clark has been outstanding in winter play according to scouts and has added significantly more power to his already standout tool set.

OF -- Anthony Murphy (Sr., Corona HS, Calif.)

While Corona’s star-studded senior class got national attention in 2025, their best hitter was arguably a junior in Murphy, who hit .415-11-35 while also playing center field.  The Perfect Game All-American runs a 6.54 sixty and has a 96 mph outfield arm in addition to his right-handed power and bat speed.

OF -- Blake Bowen (Sr., JSerra Catholic HS, Calif.)

Bowen is a former standout football player and looks the part with a chiseled 6-3/215 build.  He’s a speed/power player who is a 6.43 runner and can simply overpower balls at the plate with his bat speed and strength.  In addition, the Oregon State signee has a 96 mph outfield throwing arm.  Bowen is the top ranked outfielder in California and the fifth ranked outfielder nationally in the 2026 class.

OF -- Eric Zdunek (Sr., Orange Lutheran HS, Calif.)

Few players in the country improved more last summer than Zdunek, who is also one of the youngest top prospects in the 2026 class.  The 6-4/200 right-handed hitter performed at every event, including be named Most Valuable Player at the WWBA 17U National Championships, and finished the year hitting .420-4-34 in 29 games with CBA Marucci.  He has transferred to Orange Lutheran after starting for three years at Maranatha HS.

LHP Logan Schmidt (Sr., Ganesha HS, Calif.)

Schmidt re-classified from the 2027 class in time to be named a Perfect Game All-American in 2025 and has continued to improve since then.  He’s now topping out at 96 mph with his fastball to go with a breaking ball he can manipulate and a nice mid-80’s change up.  Even with his top shelf stuff, Schmidt’s best tool might be his command and feel; he only walked 2 hitters in 16 PG innings in 2025 while striking out 29 hitters and throwing 70% strikes.

RHP  Jensen Hirschkorn (Sr., Kingsburg, Calif.)

The 6-7/205 Hirschkorn has as high a ceiling as any pitcher in the 2026 class and is a scout favorite in discussions about the 2026 draft.  Aside from his outstanding size, Hirschkorn is a plus athlete who throws effortlessly and lives in the strike zone with all his pitches.  He’s been up to 97 mph with his fastball to go with a short bullet slider and a change up.

RHP Striker Pence (So., Santiago HS, Calif.)

Pence became a national sensation in 2025 as a 6-6/195 16-year old who was regularly hitting triple digits with his fastball while showing significant improvement in his ability to throw strikes and the quality of secondary pitches.  The fact that he’s the cousin of former MLB All-Star Hunter Pence (his father also played professional baseball) didn’t hurt the story, of course.

RHP  Julian Cazares (Sr., Los Banos HS, Calif.)

Cazares is a Perfect Game All-American with one of the most electric fastballs in the 2026 class.  The 6-2/190 Stanford signee can run his fastball up to 97 mph with a very fast and loose arm action and it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him throwing harder this spring and into the future.  Cazares went 9-2, 0.95 with 114 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 66 innings for Los Banos HS as a junior.

LHP Jared Grindlinger (Jr., Huntington Beach HS, Calif.)

Grindlinger has always been considered one of the top prospects in the 2027 class nationally and has progressed nicely both on the mound and as a position player, although his future seems most likely to be as a left-handed pitcher.  Grindlinger works in the 91-94 mph range as a 16-year old and that velocity range seems sure to go up as he continues to fill out his 6-3/185 frame.  He went 5-0, 0.87 in 32 innings as a sophomore at Huntington Beach HS while also hitting .343-2-17.

UT -- Archer Horn (Sr., St. Ignatius Prep, Calif.)

Realistically, Horn is a left-handed hitting shortstop with a great profile as a power hitter with the athleticism to stay in the middle of the field as he develops.  But he’s been an active pitcher throughout his high school career and can run his fastball up to 94-95 mph to go with a power curveball and change up and has proven to be a strike thrower as well.  But Horn’s All-American status and 26th slot in the national rankings is based most on his bat; he hit .386-4-18 in 21 games of PG play in 2025 after hitting 7 home runs in the spring for St. Ignatius Prep.


California Region Top Tools


Best Hitter for Average: Tyler Spangler (Sr., De La Salle HS, Calif.)

Spangler has the type of swing that scouts break out their favorite adjectives for, whether it is “fluid” and “smooth” or just “beautiful”.  He can drive the ball to all fields and is going to have plenty of power as well.  Corey Seager comps would be a natural step.

Best Hitter for Power: Blake Bowen (Sr., JSerra Catholic HS, Calif.)

Bowen’s top of the scale strength translates well into his swing and his ability to drive the ball and some of his best power is to the middle and opposite field.  He doesn’t have much lift in his swing at present but that will come.

Best Runner: Dylan Seward (Jr., Norco HS, Calif.)

This might be the fastest group of prospects ever for the state of California as the state is full of 6.3-6.4 runners who play in the middle of the field.  But Seward’s speed stands out and he’ll probably get faster as he gets stronger.

Best Defensive Catcher: Taytum Reeves (Sr., Vista Murrieta HS, Calif.)

Reeves gets high marks from scouts for his receiving and blocking ability and has plenty of arm strength as well. 

Best Defensive Infielder: Dylan Seward (Jr., Norco HS, Calif.)

There are plenty of scouts who feel that Seward is the top prospect in the 2027 class, or at least will be by the end of his senior year.  Much of that is based on his athletic ability and tools at shortstop on defense.

Best Defensive Outfielder: Anthony Murphy (Sr., Corona HS, Calif.)

Murphy’s high-level athleticism should enable him to play center field at the highest levels and he has the instincts to do it as well.  He has some Eric Davis in his overall actions and athletic ability.

Best Defensive Arm: Hamilton Friedberg (Sr., Orange Lutheran HS, Calif.)

Friedberg has a hand cannon despite his muscled up 5-10/180 build, throwing 98 mph from the outfield and 93 mph off the mound.  He’s an Air Force signee, which makes one recall a recent SoCal athlete who went to Air Force before transferring to LSU and ending up with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Best Fastball: Striker Pence (So., Santiago HS, Calif.)

The 2026 class in California is loaded with power arms but 101 mph is 101 mph so there is no question Pence gets the nod in this category.  With his size, arm speed and age, who knows what will happen this spring.
Best Off-Speed Stuff:   Cooper Sides (Sr., Orange Lutheran HS, Calif.)

Sides will touch 94-95 occasionally with his fastball but is more of a four-pitch hurler than a power pitcher.  A transfer to Orange Lutheran for his senior year, Sides can sequence his pitches in every way and is a strike thrower.

Best Pitchability: Logan Schmidt (Sr., Ganesha HS, Calif.)

Schmidt sequences his pitches and hits spots like a big leaguer instead of a 17-year old who should still be a high school junior.  

Best Multi-Sport Athlete: Grady Long (Jr., LaSerna HS, Calif.)

Long went 6-3, 2.62 as a sophomore at LaSerna with a mid to upper 80’s fastball and a ton of projectability to his 6-4/190 frame.  But his baseball talent is surpassed by his football talent at quarterback, where he’s thrown for 45 TD’s the past two years and is receiving Power 4 scholarship offers.   Jensen Hirschkorn is also a dominant athlete on the basketball court in Northern California.

 
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