High school baseball has been woven into the storied fabric of America’s pastime for decades, with the stars of today creating the origin stories of collegiate and MLB dreams tomorrow. And that classic baseball storyline still holds true today, where the talent at the high school level has seemingly increased from the West to the East, the North and the South.
This spring has been no exception, with individual performances on the baseball diamond creating plenty of conversations and recognition — of which one standout player will eventually receive a grand tip of the cap in August, when the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards showcases top athletes from across the U.S.
The HSSA is the country’s largest high school athletic recognition program, with 20 regional programs and a national awards program that honors athletic achievement. Part of that spotlight shines on the talented baseball athletes, which includes this impressive group who have landed on the 2024 watchlist for the HSSA Baseball Player of the Year.
Daniel Arambula — SR, 3B | Yucaipa High School | Yucaipa, California
Cade Arrambide — SR, C | Tomball High School | Tomball, Texas
Charlie Bates — SR, SS | Palo Alto High School | Palo Alto, California
Alec Blair — JR, OF | De La Salle High School | Concord, California
Caleb Bonemer — SR, SS | Okemos High School | Okemos, Michigan
Mason Brassfield — SR, LHP | Bakersfield Christian High School | Bakersfield, California
Bryden Bull — JR, OF | Las Vegas High School | Las Vegas, Nevada
Slade Caldwell — SR, OF | Valley View High School | Jonesboro, Arkansas
Cam Caminiti — SR, LHP | Saguaro High School | Scottsdale, Arizona
Levi Clark — SR, C | Walton High School | Marietta, Georgia
Bryce Clavon — SR, SS | Kell High School | Marietta, Georgia
Derek Curiel — SR, OF | Orange Lutheran High School | West Covina, California
JD Dix — SR, SS | Whitefish Bay High School | Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Casan Evans — SR, RHP | St. Pius X High School | Houston, Texas
Theodore Gillen — SR, SS | Westlake High School | Austin, Texas
Cannon Goldin — JR, OF | Buford High School | Buford, Georgia
Trey Gregory-Alford — SR, RHP | Coronado High School | Colorado Springs, Colorado
Konnor Griffin — SR, UTL/RHP | Jackson Preparatory School | Jackson, Mississippi
Jack Haferkamp — SR, OF | Santa Fe Christian Schools | Carlsbad, California
Owen Hall — SR, RHP | Edmond North High School | Edmond, Oklahoma
Josh Hammond — JR, RHP | Westchester Country Day High School | High Point, North Carolina
Seth Hernandez — JR, RHP | Corona High School | Corona, California
Ethan Holliday — JR, SS | Stillwater High School | Stillwater, Oklahoma
Teagan Kuhns — SR, RHP | Chambersburg Area Senior High School | Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Kaiden Lopez — SR, OF | Oviedo High School | Oviedo, Florida
Burke Mabeus — SR, C | Bishop Gorman High School | Las Vegas, Nevada
Chase Mobley — SR, RHP | Durant High School | Plant City, Florida
PJ Morlando — SR, OF/1B | Summerville High School | Summerville, South Carolina
Michael Mullinax — SR, OF | North Cobb Christian School | Kennesaw, Georgia
Xavier Neyens — JR, 3B | Mount Vernon High School | Mount Vernon, Washington
Dante Nori — SR, OF | Northville High School | Northville, Michigan
Sebastian Norman — JR, 3B | Glendale High School | Springfield, Missouri
Joey Oakie — SR, RHP | Ankeny Centennial High School | Ankeny, Iowa
Owen Paino — SR, SS | Roy C. Ketcham High School | Wappingers Falls, New York
Erik Parker — SR, SS | North Gwinnett High School | Suwanee, Georgia
Braylon Payne — SR, OF | Lawerence E. Elkins High School | Missouri City, Texas
Marcos Paz — JR, RHP | Hebron High School | Carrollton, Texas
Ty Peeples — JR, OF | Franklin County High School | Carnesville, Georgia
Fabio Peralta — SR, OF | Miami Christian School | Miami, Florida
Bryce Rainer — SR, SS | Harvard-Westlake High School | Los Angeles, California
Drew Rogers — SR, C | Hamilton High School | Chandler, Arizona
William Schmidt — SR, RHP | Catholic High School | Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Anson Seibert — SR, RHP | Blue Valley Southwest High School | Overland Park, Kansas
Trey Snyder — SR, SS | Liberty North High School | Liberty, Missouri
Levi Sterling — SR, RHP | Notre Dame High School | Sherman Oaks, California
Tate Strickland — SR, RHP | Harrison High School | Kennesaw, Georgia
Zach Swanson — SR, RHP | Toutle Lake High School | Toutle Lake, Washington
Landon Victorian — SR, RHP | Barbe High School | Lake Charles, Louisiana
Carson Wiggins — SR, RHP | Roland High School | Roland, Oklahoma
Quentin Young — JR, 3B | Oaks Christian High School | Westlake Village, California
From the HSSA
Nominees for both the regional and national programs are posted as they are selected. Regional nominees represent the best in their respective areas, while national nominees are recognized as the top high school athletes nationwide.
Sign up for email updates for your region or nationally to keep up with nominee selections, the awards programs and special announcements.
Follow our main Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and Threads pages for more.
