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High School  | General  | 6/23/2017

High School Players of the Year

Vincent Cervino     
Photo: Perfect Game

 


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 and Pitcher of the Year that were released with our final National High School Top 50 team rankings.


2017 Perfect Game/Rawlings National High School Player of the Year:
Jordon Adell, Ballard HS (Ky.)

2017 Perfect Game/Rawlings National High School Pitcher of the Year:
Mackenzie Gore, Whiteville HS (N.C.)

2017 Perfect Game/Rawlings National High School Two-Way Player of the Year:

Tanner Burns, Decatur HS (Ala.)


2017 Perfect Game/Rawlings High School Players of the Year


STATE NAME
ALABAMA Tanner Burns
The star player of the Decatur High School team was two-way talent Tanner Burns. He was drafted in the 37th round by the New York Yankees but announced his intent to honor his commitment to Auburn. Burns has an electric arm that has shown his fastball touch 96 mph and a slider that has flashed plus throughout the spring. His pitching stats included a 10-1 record with a 0.88 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 64 innings. Burns also showed some pop with the stick as he launched 16 home runs and hit .467.
ALASKA Jonny Homza
You don't play much baseball during the season in Alaska, but when he was on the diamond Homza was the best player in the state as evidenced by his fifth round (138th overall) selection by the San Diego Padres. It's a bit of a jump to go from Alaska to sunny San Diego, however Homza certainly put up the numbers during his senior season, hitting .560 with 19 stolen bases to go along with a 1.15 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched. 
ARIZONA Jacob Gonzalez
Perfect Game All-American and Chaparral High School infielder Jacob Gonzalez has shown huge power numbers in the past. The son of former Major Leaguer Luis Gonzalez, Jacob showed some of the best raw power in the class as his line ended up with an average of .489 with seven home runs and 48 RBI. Gonzalez was selected by the San Francisco Giants with the 58th overall pick in the draft. 
ARKANSAS Paxton Wallace
The third baseman for Greenbrier High School put up huge power numbers this spring and has earned himself state player of the year honors. The Wichita State commit knocked 10 home runs while hitting .533 with 49 runs scored and 49 RBI. Wallace projects for more power as he mature physically, and as Perfect Game's second-ranked player in the state of Arkansas for the class, he has a good chance to produce at the next level. 
CALIFORNIA Royce Lewis 
The first overall pick of the 2017 MLB Draft, selected by the Minnesota Twins, has been a top level player for nearly his entire career and his selection in last week's draft seemed to tie a nice bow on his high school career. Lewis is an outstanding athlete and projects for one of the best hit tools in the entire class. Lewis batted .377 this season with four home runs but had immense value on the base paths as well with 25 stolen bases and 32 runs scored.
COLORADO Liam Eddy
The senior righthander from Brighton High School put together a strong season for his team and has earned the Perfect Game Colorado Player of the Year. The second-ranked player in the state and a Wichita State commit hit .657 with 11 home runs and knocked in 43 runs with 44 runs scored. Eddy is a primary pitcher and excelled there as well, finishing the season with a 6-1 record and a 2.54 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched.
CONNECTICUT Benjamin Casparius 
Casparius is the player that pops to mind when most college coaches in the area are asked about the top player in the state, and he caps his high school career with Connecticut Player of the Year honors. The Staples High School shortstop and North Carolina commit hit .456 with seven home runs and 29 RBI. The No. 1 ranked player in the state has a good feel for hitting and has a chance to stick at shortstop at the next level. 
DELAWARE Austin Elliot
The top arm for a talented Cape Henlopen High School team is junior righthander Austin Elliot. A PG National Showcase participant, and a North Carolina commit, Elliot is a very talented pitcher and impressed this past week in Fort Myers, Fla. He has a very lanky and projectable frame with a fastball that will top out at around 92 mph. Elliot has three pitches he can go to with a solid feel to spin the ball. 
FLORIDA Logan Allen
With perhaps the best command and pitchability in the high school class, the former Perfect Game All-American had a season for the ages in a very competitive Florida region. The Florida International commit – and 16th round selection by the Baltimore Orioles – was simply masterful for state runner-up University High School. Allen finished the year with a 13-0 record and a 0.35 ERA to go along with 150 strikeouts in 81 innings pitched. Allen only allowed a miniscule 29 hits and four earned runs all season and his final start of his career was a no-hitter in the state semifinals. 
GEORGIA Drew Waters
The top prep outfielder from the state of Georgia was selected by the hometown Atlanta Braves with the 41st overall pick in the draft. Waters was a huge piece of the state champion Etowah High School team and showed big power from both the right and left side of the plate. Waters finished the year batting .510 with 15 home runs and 35 RBI and showed plus arm strength to go along with excellent defense in center field.
HAWAII Joseph Cantillo
The best player out on the Pacific island of Hawai'i was Kentucky commit Joseph Cantillo, who was selected in the 16th round of the draft by the San Diego Padres. The Kailua High School two-way player did it all for his team, racking up numbers at the plate and on the mound. Cantillo finished the season with a 1.24 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings pitched and he also finished with a .512 batting average.
IDAHO Jacob Pfennings
One of the best high school prospects from the state of Idaho in recent memory, Pfennings had a strong year on the mound for Post Falls High School. The junior Arizona State commit has a very high ceiling as a pitcher with a fastball that will work in the low-90s and pairs well with his hard slider. Pfennings went 3-1 on the year and racked up 34 strikeouts in 31 innings pitched. 
ILLINOIS Brendan Murphy
The 114th selection by the Milwaukee Brewers had an excellent season to close out his high school career. Murphy has always had a clean arm and delivery with good angle to the plate and projects very well professionally. The numbers he put up during his final season at Mundelein were nothing short of fantastic: he went 8-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings pitched to go along with a .511 batting average with four home runs. 
INDIANA Chandler Ferguson
A 25th round selection by the Cleveland Indians, and a Northwest Florida State College commit, Ferguson had a very strong year as a two-way player for Jefferson High School. He worked a 2.01 ERA with 93 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings pitched at his primary position of righthanded pitcher. He also hit well at the plate batting .355 with three home runs, and should he get to college will most likely be predominantly seeing time on the mound. 
IOWA John Swanda
The top prospect in the state of Iowa went off the board in the fourth round the the Angels. The primary righthanded pitcher features a fastball that currently peaks at 93 mph with very heavy actions to the plate. The Des Moines Roosevelt product also shows promising two-way potential with very good bat speed while at the plate and smooth, fluid actions in the infield. 
KANSAS Conner Vancleave
The Holcomb native and University of Kansas commit was stellar on the mound this year. Vancleave consistently over matched hitters posting a 9-1 record with a 0.29 ERA. The 2017 Central Region PG Honorable Mention struck out an incredible 101 hitters in only 48 2/3 inning pitched, and he was also stellar at the plate, posting a .768 batting average while driving in 53 runners. 
KENTUCKY Jordon Adell
One of the most exciting players in this year's draft – he was selected 10th overall by the Los Angeles Angels – Adell finished the season with a ridiculous average of .562 with 25 home runs and 61 RBI. The 2016 PG All-American has one of the highest ceilings of any prep prospect of recent memory, and all of the tools came together during his final season with Ballard High School to come away with Perfect Game/Rawlings High School Player of the Year honors. 
LOUISIANA Jacob Pearson
One of the biggest risers in terms of draft stock, and one of the most valuable players for his specific team, was former Perfect Game All-American outfielder Jacob Pearson. The 85th overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels joins fellow PGAA outfielder Jordon Adell in the system. Pearson batted .551 with 10 home runs and 16 stolen bases to add to the excellent season that West Monroe High School had overall. 
MARYLAND
Harold Cortijo
A member of the ninth-ranked Riverdale Baptist squad, Cotrijo has very high two-way potential and had an outstanding season overall. The Seminole State College commit impressid in all facets and finished the season hitting .537 with four home runs. On the mound, the 14th round selection of the New York Yankees went 11-0 with a 0.55 ERA and struck out 86 batters in 63 1/3 innings pitched. 
MASSACHUSETTS Matt Tabor
The top prospect out of Massachusetts impressed throughout the year while on the mound. The Elon commit works in the low-90s and posted a 4-0 record while striking out 65 batters over 35 innings pitched. Tabor was a third round selection of this year's MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. 
MICHIGAN Bryce Bush
Recent PG National Showcase participant and a Michigan high school junior, Bryce Bush had an amazing season for De Le Salle Collegiate Prep. Bush put up insane numbers that included a .541 batting average with 16 home runs and 51 RBI, products of his excellent raw power and bat speed. The numbers include very good plate discipline as he walked 33 times as compared to only seven strikeouts. 
MINNESOTA Sam Carlson
The top prep talent out of the state of Minnesota was also the most dominant player this season. Carlson is a physically well-built righthander and was the second round selection of the Seattle Mariners in this year's draft. Carlson works in the mid- to upper-90s on the mound and really rose up draft boards during the spring. 
MISSISSIPPI J.T. Ginn
A talented junior from Mississippi, Ginn consistently posted huge numbers, both at the plate and on the mound, during the entire season for Brandon High School. The Mississippi State commit showed huge power numbers by batting .483 with 16 home runs over the year and was also 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA on the mound, striking out 69 batters in 39 1/3 innings. Ginn also showed an increase in velocity with reports of him touching the upper-90s and will be a very intriguing name to watch for the 2018 MLB Draft. 
MISSOURI Jacob Weirich
The senior lefthander from the Missouri state champion Jefferson City High School, Weirich put together a strong season on the mound. He is a primary lefthanded pitcher who also saw time at the plate where he batted .280 on the season. The big stats came from the mound where Weirich went 8-0 with a 0.72 ERA to go along with 108 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings pitched. Weirich and fellow pitcher Grant Wood made a formidable duo near the top of the Jefferson City rotation. 
NEBRASKA Jamie Young 
Young backed up his No. 1 rank of lefthanded pitchers in the state of Nebraska by posting an impressive 1.33 ERA while striking out 67 batters over 42 inning of work. The 2017 Rawlings/Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American finished the year with a 4-1 record and will continue his pitching career at Iowa Western Community College.
NEVADA Austin Wells
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound catcher, Wells was a vital run producer for Bishop Gorman High School throughout he year. The Arizona Wildcat commit and recent National Showcase participant hit .500 for the year, driving in 47 runs including eight home runs. Wells' mix of athleticism and raw power as a catcher will make him an intriguing option for teams heading into the 2018 MLB Draft. 
NEW HAMPSHIRE Alec Burns
A Junior two-way player for Souhegan Coop, Alec Burns had an outstanding season to earn the honors of Perfect Game New Hampshire Player of the Year. The Fairfield commit hit .469 with four home runs and 24 RBI all while going 4-1 with two saves and 29 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched. He did not allow many runs throughout the entire season and finished with an ERA of 2.31.
NEW JERSEY Devin Ortiz
The 2017 Rawlings/Perfect Game Second Team All-American turned in an outstanding season for St. Joseph Regional. Ortiz, a Virginia recruit, posted a 2-1 record while on the mound and stuck out 30 batters over 21 innings featuring a fastball that sat in the low-90s. Ortiz was also a vital part of the offense finishing the year with a .541 batting average with five home runs. 
NEW MEXICO Trevor Rogers
The former Perfect Game All-American was recently selected with the 13th overall pick by the Miami Marlins, and for good reason. The 6-foot-5 lefthander features a mid-90s fastball that helped produce video game-like numbers for Carlsbad High School this season. Rogers finished the year at 11-1 with a 0.33 ERA and struck out an amazing 134 batters over 63 1/3 innings pitched. Opposing hitters managed to scatter only 14 hits all year over those 63 1/3 innings of work.  
NEW YORK Quentin Holmes
Holmes, another Perfect Game All-American, has the game-changing speed and athleticism to cause headaches for opposing teams. The Cleveland Indians didn't wait long to snatch Holmes, taking him in the second round of the MLB Draft. The top prospect out of New York posted a .463 batting average, drove in 24 runners, stole 21 bases and hammered seven home runs for Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School this season. 
NORTH CAROLINA Mackenzie Gore
Another Perfect Game All-American, Gore had an outstanding season and was named the Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Year nationally. Gore was selected with the third overall pick in the 2017 draft by the San Diego Padres and was downright unhittable this season with absurd numbers. The future Padre finished his high school career by going 11-0 with 158 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched. Gore had a microscopic ERA of 0.19 and only allowed three earned runs all season. 
NORTH DAKOTA Brock Reller
The pride of Grand Forks, North Dakota, lefthander Brock Reller has been named the Perfect Game North Dakota High School Player of the Year. Reller is a lefthanded pitcher for Grand Forks Central High School and had a strong junior season before leading Grand Forks Central to an over .500 record during his senior season. 
OHIO Seth Lonsway
Lonsway, a 6-foot-2 lefthanded pitcher, led the way for the Celina High School pitching staff. The top-ranked prospect of Ohio posted a 7-1 record with a 1.31 ERA and struck out 92 over 48 innings of work. Lonsway produced at the plate as well hitting .486 while driving in 21 runners and stealing 10 bases. The Celina, Ohio native has an opportunity to be a future hometown hero after being selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 19th round of this year's MLB Draft. 
OKLAHOMA Tanner Sparks
An Oklahoma State commit, and a former PG Jr. National Showcase attendee, Sparks proved to a cornerstone for state champion Shawnee High School. Sparks ended the year with a 10-0 record and a 0.82 ERA and struck out 68 batters over 51 1/3 innings. At the plate, Sparks hit .504 while driving in an incredible 81 runners and slugged 12 home runs. 
OREGON Kevin Watson Jr.
Watson was the top-ranked prep outfielder out of Oregon stood out for Beaverton High School and stood out at top level tournaments throughout the year thanks to his pure athleticism and knack for finding the barrel. He's also an Oregon State commit that finished the high school season with a .387 batting average, showing the barrel skills to work to all fields with ease. Waston, a former Perfect Game Honorable All-American, was recently selected in the 18th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. 
PENNSYLVANIA Joe Lancellotti
Lancellotti, a North Carolina commit, is one of the more explosive athletes of the class and has excellent two-way potential. The Bensalem, Pennsylvania native has raw bat speed with some raw power as well at the dish. On the mound he features a low-90s fastball that has occasional life that he mixes with a sharp slider. 
SOUTH CAROLINA  Bryar Johnson
Another big riser on this list, Johnson was selected in the 20th round by the Kansas City Royals and was the first prep player selected in the state as his excellent season helped raise his draft stock. Johnson has an excellent frame for a pitcher and his strong season for Carolina Forest High School saw him record a 1.56 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings pitched. 
TENNESSEE Spencer Strider
Yet another power righthanded arm on this list is Clemson commit Spencer Strider. The Knoxville, Tennessee native had an outstanding season for the Christian School in Knoxville with a dominant season on the mound. Recorded as high as 96 mph via Perfect Game, the 35th round selection of the Cleveland indians had an 8-0 record with a 0.68 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched. 
TEXAS Alex Scherff
The power-armed righthander from Colleyville Heritage High School, and a former Perfect Game All-American, put together an outstanding year for the state runner-ups. Scherff was drafted in the fifth round by the Boston Red Sox and features a fastball that reaches the mid-90s and was reportedly up to the upper-90s this spring. He finished the year with an 8-0 record with a 0.44 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched. 
UTAH Seth Corry
Former Perfect Game All-American Seth Corry was the third round pick of the San Francisco Giants after turning in a dazzling season for Lone Peak High School. The athletic two-way player is primarily a pitcher but he is athletic and talented enough to play both ways, playing in center field on his off days from the mound. Corry launched 11 home runs with a .300-plus batting average while going 8-1 with a 2.39 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched. His fastball sat at 91-95 mph this spring and he tossed a no-hitter. 
VERMONT Jordy Allard
The senior two-way player from Hartford High School in Vermont, Allard had an outstanding season in nearly every facet of the game. He went 6-0 on the mound with a miniscule ERA of 0.28 and added 59 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched. Allard also batted a robust .463 with 12 RBI on the season. 
VIRGINIA Andrew Abbott
Lefthander Andrew Abbott had a very strong summer tournament season in 2016 and took that momentum into an outstanding senior season for Halifax County. Abbot is a primary pitcher and worked a 0.27 ERA with 123 strikeouts in only 51 1/3 innings pitched. The command was outstanding as he only walked three batters, and he also showed two-way potential for the next level as a Virginia commit, hitting .487. 
WASHINGTON Jesse Franklin
A Michigan commit and the 37th round selection by the Seattle Mariners, Jesse Franklin had an excellent season in the Pacific Northwest and comes away with Perfect Game Washington Player of the Year honors. The Seattle Prep outfielder is an excellent athlete with a chance to stick in center field and showed excellent bat-to-ball skills all spring. Franklin finished the season hitting .570 with four home runs and 21 RBI. 
WEST VIRGINIA Drew Hefner
One of the top players in the state of West Virginia, Hefner had an excellent season for Bridgeport High School. The primary catcher had previously been seen at the 2016 Ohio Valley Showcase where he performed well and was named to the event's top prospect list. Hefner finished the year hitting .455 with four home runs. 
WISCONSIN Ryan Hoerter
The lone Wisconsin prep player selected in this year's draft was Hoerter of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Hoerter features a strong three-pitch mix with a fastball that works in the upper-80s and touches low-90s. Hoerter was selected in the 36th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitched 12 scoreless innings this season while striking out 24 batters to give him a K/7 of 14.00.