Top 20 California high school baseball prospects from the Class of 2025

Versatility, multi-positional players make up this list of seniors heading into the 2025 season

Corona's Seth Hernandez is SBLive's 2024 CIF Southern Section baseball Player of the Year. / Heston Quan

It's no secret that California is a hotbed for Major League baseball talent. Combine the ideal weather with the massive population and the Golden State has proven golden for professional scouts to find talent in droves.

The high school class of 2025 appears to be another landmine for both pro and college scouts to unearth the future standouts of the game.

According to Prep Baseball Report, 20 of the top 108 high school seniors in the country make California home. The versatility is striking from the class as nine of the 20 are listed as both pitchers and position players. Great Oak's Reagan Rickens is the only player on the list designated strictly as a pitcher.

Here is that list with supporting statistics from MaxPreps and scouting data by MLB.com.

Top 20 California baseball prospects from Class of 2025

1. RHP/OF Seth Hernandez, Corona

The No. 2 ranked prospect in the nation put his name on the map as a junior last season, ending the year with a 9-0 win-loss record with a 0.62 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts), while batting .352 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs. His fastball max velocity is 97mph. Hernandez is committed to Vanderbilt, but could be an MLB draft pick after this season.

2. SS/3B Brady Ebel, Corona

Primarily manning the hot corner for Corona, Ebel has evolved into one of the program's marquee players. An multi-faceted player, with good contact and power skills to go along with a strong glove and good speed (7.06 60-time), Ebel could see himself as a key piece to Corona once again this season. He is committed to play college baseball at LSU.

3. RHP/SS Billy Carlson, Corona

The 6-foot-1, 180 pound prospect had a strong junior campaign both on the mound and at the plate. As a pitcher, he possessed a 2-0 win-loss record with a 0.60 ERA in 10 appearances while as a hitter, he hit .367 with four home runs and 21 RBIs in 98 at-bats. Carlson is committed to Tennessee.

4. C/3B Brayden Jaksa, Irvington

The No. 8 ranked prospect in the nation returns for one final ride with Irvington, looking to build off of his junior campaign that saw him hit .437 with six home runs and 19 RBIs in 71 at-bats. The 6-6, 210 recruit primarily plays behind the dish, where his 1.94-2.00 pop time range has helped him become one of the state's best catchers. Committed to Oregon, Jaksa could be another player that gets looks from MLB teams over the summer.

5. RHP/1B Angel Cervantes, Warren High

Cervantes, while seeing limited action as a junior, is back for what will be the grand finale to his high school career. In three appearances last season, Cervantes compiled a 2-1 win-loss record and a 0.00 ERA. His fastball can reach up to 94mph but it is his spin rate that makes him extra hard to face, recording a 2519 fastball spin rate. Committed to UCLA, Cervantes is listed as the 45th best MLB draft prospect available according to MLB.com.

6. SS/3B Quentin Young, Oaks Christian

Originally in the class of 2026, Young, who is the nephew of former MLB star Delmon Young, reclassified to this year's class in order to get a headstart in the next level. Larger than your average infielder, standing at 6-5, Young brings some solid athleticism while also having good bat speed. The LSU commit is rated as the 37th best prospect heading into the MLB Draft.

7. SS/3B Gavin Fien, Great Oak

The 6'2, 192 prospect hit .411 as a junior in 2024 with three home runs and 20 RBIs. A strong defender, with an infield throwing velocity of 88mph, Fien can make any throw, with some even projecting he could end up at third base at the next level. His brother, Dylan, was drafted by the A's in the seventh round last year and now, it could be Gavin's turn to join his brother in the pros. Committed to Texas, Fien is No. 27 ranked MLB draft prospect.

8. OF/1B Josiah Hartshorn, Orange Lutheran

As a junior, Hartshorn hit .313 with four home runs and 30 RBIs, and despite being a strong switch hitter, he batted primarily from the right side of the plate throughout his first three seasons of high school. Able to produce an exit velo of 102mph off the bat, Hartshorn hits the ball hard and with his ability to drive in runs, he could be a big help to any team. Hartshorn is committed to Texas A&M, but could use this season to raise his draft stock and go straight to the pros out of high school.

9. OF/RHP Brock Sell, Tokay

The Stanford commit hit .413 with two home runs and 18 RBIs last season, also contributing six doubles and five triples in 63 at-bats. On the mound, he possessed an 0-4 win-loss record with a 3.68 ERA in nine appearances. With good speed, running a 6.93 60-yard dash time, Sell fits the prototypical outfielder build and could be key once again to Tokay's success this spring.

10. OF/LHP Brock Ketelsen, Valley Christian-San Jose

Valley Christian's loaded squad last year that included current Stanford freshman, Tatum Marsh, may have caused Ketelsen to go a little less noticed, but his skillset certainly makes him one to watch ahead of his senior season. At the plate last spring, he hit .270 with a home run and 16 RBIs while on the mound, he recorded a 1-0 record with a 3.00 ERA in seven appearances. The Stanford commit currently has a fastball that tops at 85mph while his exit velocity off the bat clocks in at 95.4mph.

11. OF/LHP Alec Blair, De La Salle

In addition to his stardom as a basketball player, where he has led the Spartans all season long, Blair excels on the diamond, where his .377 batting average with four home runs and 21 RBIs from last spring helped him become one of De La Salle's marquee players. Blair is committed to Oklahoma, where he is expected to play both baseball and basketball for the Sooners.

12. RHP/1B Grayson Boles, St. Augustine

The 6-4, 216 pound prospect compiled a 7-1 win-loss record with a 2.54 ERA in 10 appearances (10 starts) last spring on the mound while batting .250 with a home run and seven RBIs. His fastball max velocity has been clocked at 92mph with a spin rate of 2411. His reportoire also includes a curveball, slider and a changeup, the latter of which has been clocked at 85mph. Boles is currently committed to Texas.

13. C/OF Trent Grindlinger, Huntington Beach

Capable of playing in the outfield as well, the 6-2, 196 recruit primarily plays catcher for Huntington Beach, where his average pop time of 1.91-2.01 seconds has made him a reliable force behind the dish. At the plate last spring, the Mississippi State commit hit .333 with 30 RBIs, also adding 13 double and three triples.

14. OF Anthony Pack, Milikan

The 5-9, 160 prospect hit .393 with a home run and 19 RBIs last spring, also hitting three doubles and three triples while walking 19 times and striking out seven. Committed to play college baseball at Texas.

15. 3B/OF Ethan Porter, Huntington Beach

The 6-2, 199 Oregon State commit batted .291 with four home runs and 21 RBIs for Huntington Beach last season in 103 at-bats. Porter is known for his ability to make hard contact, with a bat exit velocity topped at 101mph. Despite playing both infield and outfield, Porter's arm could make him a strong outfielder at the next level, with his velocity in the outfield being recorded to be around 90mph.

16. SS/3B Josh Proctor, Maranatha

The 6-5, 215 recruit returns for his final high school campaign where he could look to build off his junior season that saw him hit .393 with a home run and 15 RBIs, also hitting four doubles and a triple as well. Ranked No. 5 in the state at his position and No. 26 nationally at his position, the Oregon State commit could look to raise his stock this season.

17. RHP/3B Vaughn Neckar, Vista Murrieta

In 11 appearances on the mound last season, the 6-3, 215 recruit recorded an 8-2 win-loss record with a 1.74 ERA, striking out 65 batters in 48.1 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .286 with four home runs and 28 RBIs, also hitting three doubles and a triple. His pitching reportoire includes a four-seam fastball that has topped at 95, a 75-79mph curveball and an 85mph changeup. He is currently committed to Oklahoma.

18. SS/2B Tyler Dunning, JSerra Catholic

The 6-2, 188 UCLA commit has built the reputation of being a very strong fielder for JSerra, with an infield throwing velocity of 84 mph. At the plate, Dunning's exit velocity is 95.7mph with a bat speed of 73.1mph. Entering his final season in high school, Dunning could be a big piece for JSerra this spring.

19. RHP Reagan Ricken, Great Oak

As a junior last spring, the LSU commit compiled a 3-2 win-loss record with a 1.40 ERA in 10 appearances (seven starts) and struck out 43 batters in 30 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .325 with a home run and 24 RBIs, also hitting five doubles and three triples. The 6-5, 220 prospect is committed to LSU, where he could look to be a star at once his prep career comes to a close.

20. RHP/OF Zach Strickland, Maranatha

Last spring, the UCLA commit compiled an 8-0 win-loss record with a 0.40 ERA in 10 appearances (10 starts), including two complete games and two shutouts. He also struck out 88 batters against only 11 walks in 53 innings. At the plate, he hit .394 with two home runs and 19 RBIs, also adding on five doubles and four triples. His pitching reportoire includes a 69-73mph curveball, a 76-79mph slider and an 81-84mph changeup but his fastball can reach up to 96mph with a 2403 spin rate.