August 15th, 2024
Jonathan Mayo
@JonathanMayoThe time of year may have changed, but the excitement hasn’t.
Since 2019, Major League Baseball has been putting on a show for the future with the High School All-American Game. It started in 2019 in Cleveland and continued post-pandemic in the All-Star host city through the 2023 season. The game is back, a bit later this time, but it’s still a must-watch if you want to see the top high school talent in the country and get to know players who could fill up the early rounds of the 2025 Draft.
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This year’s showcase took place on Wednesday, Aug. 14 from Petco Park. The broadcast will re-air on MLB Network on Aug. 17 and a stream of the action is located at the top of this story. MLB, along with USA Baseball and Area Code Baseball, announced the rosters for the game, which will be called by Gregg Caserta, former big leaguer Ryan Rowland-Smith, MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo and Sande Charles.
The game will feature players from 15 states across the country, including those who have participated in MLB’s Breakthrough Series, last week’s Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., and members of USA Baseball’s 18U National Team, which just competed in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Panama.
There are some serious family bloodlines running through this year’s participants. Many feel Ethan Holliday, brother of Jackson and son of Matt, could very well be the No. 1 pick in next year’s Draft. Eli Willits is the son of former big league speedster Reggie Willits, and Quentin Young can count both Dmitri and Delmon Young as his uncles. All three played for Team USA.
Josiah Hartshorn will be on hand and he’s no stranger to a national stage. He and Jacob Parker tied in the final of this year’s All-Star High School Home Run Derby. After the pair advanced to the final on the Saturday before the All-Star Game, Hartshorn and Parker got to take their final swings in between rounds of the Major League Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas.
Other potential first-round talent to watch in San Diego is slugger Xavier Neyens, shortstops Brady Ebel, Sean Gamble and Kayson Cunningham, as well as two-way player Kruz Schoolcraft.
Just how much is this game a glimpse into the future of professional baseball? The inaugural event in 2019 included players like Pirates right-hander Jared Jones, Giants lefty Kyle Harrison and Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker, along with current top prospects like the Nationals’ Dylan Crews. When the game returned in Colorado in 2021, it featured prospects like Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony, Pirates infielder Termarr Johnson and White Sox left-hander Noah Schultz.
The 2022 game was no different in Los Angeles, as current Top 100 prospects like the Tigers’ Max Clark and the Phillies’ Aidan Miller got to show off their stuff. Last year in Seattle showcased players like Konnor Griffin, the No. 9 overall pick taken by the Pirates, and Bryce Rainer, who went No. 11 overall in this year’s Draft to the Tigers. So there’s no question that all of baseball will be talking about the players on the field in San Diego at next July’s Draft and beyond.
“Being on the field with that much talent at one event was a blessing,” said Clark, the Tigers’ No. 1 prospect. “To be surrounded by future Major League Baseball stars is something that not everyone gets to experience, and I was blessed to be selected. There is nothing better than being surrounded by the best players, with elite level coaching, on the biggest stage, showcasing your talent. It was definitely a highlight of my 2022 season.”
Here's a look at the complete list of players who will be participating, along with their college commitments:
Clayton Armah, RHP, St. John's College HS (Great Falls, Va.) - Auburn
Caleb Barnett, 3B, Mountain Brook (Ala.) HS - Alabama
Alex Barr, LHP, Kankakee Valley HS (Demotte, Ind.) - Indiana
Luke Billings, UTIL/RHP, Prosper (Texas) HS - Texas A&M
Grayson Boles, RHP, Saint Augustine HS (San Diego, Calif.) - Texas
Billy Carlson, INF/RHP, Corona (Calif.) HS - Vanderbilt
Angel Cervantes, RHP, Warren HS (Lynwood, Calif.) - UCLA
Kayson Cunningham, INF, Lady Bird Johnson HS (San Antonio, Texas) - Texas
Brady Ebel, INF, Corona HS (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) - LSU
Jaden Fauske, OF/C, Nazareth Academy (Willowbrook, Ill.) - Uncommitted
Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS (Temecula, Calif.) - Texas
Sean Gamble, OF, IMG Academy (Des Moines, IA) - Vanderbilt
Trent Grindlinger, C, Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS - Mississippi State
Landon Harmon, RHP, Eastern Union Attendance Center (New Albany, Miss.) - Mississippi State
Josiah Hartshorn, 1B, Orange Lutheran HS (Anaheim, Calif.) - Texas A&M
Ethan Holliday, INF, Stillwater (Okla.) HS - Oklahoma State
Brayden Jaksa, C, Irvington HS (Fremont, Calif.) - Oregon
Jack McKernan, LHP, Ridge Point HS (Missouri City, Texas) - Texas
Peter Mershon, C, East Side HS (Taylors, SC) - Uncommitted
Dean Moss, OF, IMG Academy (Atherton, Calif.) - LSU
Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon (Wash.) HS - Oregon State
Anthony Pack, OF, Robert A Millikan HS (Lakewood, Calif.) - Texas
Mason Pike, RHP/INF, Puyallup (Wash.) HS - Oregon State
Reagan Ricken, RHP, Great Oak HS (Temecula, Calif.) - LSU
Quinn Schambow, C, Libertyville (Ill.) HS - Oklahoma State
Kruz Schoolcraft, 1B, Sunset HS (Beaverton, Ore.) - Uncommitted
Minjae Seo, RHP, Hebron HS (Carrollton, Texas) - Florida
Brock Sell, OF, Tokay HS (Stockton, Calif.) - Stanford
Miguel Sime, RHP, Poly Prep Country Day (Queens Village, NY) - LSU
Myles Upchurch, RHP, St. Albans School (Odenton, Md.) - Alabama
Aaron Watson, RHP, Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, Fla.) - Virginia
Reid Worley, RHP, Cherokee HS (Canton, Ga.) - Kennesaw State
Eli Willits, INF, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (Fort Cobb, Okla.) - Oklahoma
Quentin Young, 3B, Oaks Christian HS (Camarillo, Calif.) - LSU
This year’s teams will be coached by former Major League players, notably managed by Howie Kendrick and Brian Hunter, and MLB Club Scouts. The full list of coaches is as follows:
- Howie Kendrick (Manager)
- Brian Hunter (Manager)
- Tye Waller (Coach)
- Reggie Williams (Coach)
- Carlos Muñoz (Coach)
- Kirk Champion (Pitching Coach)
- Will Ohman (Pitching Coach)
- Corey Rodriguez (Scout – MIL)
- Matt Hyde (Scout – NYY)
- Eric Robinson (Scout – BAL)
- Brent Mayne (Scout – LAD)
- Darin Vaughan (Scout – TEX)
- Buddy Gouldsmith (Scout – KC)