Top 20 high school pitchers in the country entering the 2023 baseball season

Expect these 20 hurlers to excel on a national level this season

Dylan Lonergan photo by Jamie Spaar

Yes, winter is still here, but spring is coming.

As the weather warms and the high school basketball playoffs approach, reviewing the lyrics to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" starts to feel like a good idea.

As high school baseball returns to diamonds across the nation in the coming weeks, we're featuring 20 pitchers expected to be among the best in the nation in 2023. The top hitters will follow later this week at scorebooklive.com.

It's a senior-heavy list, with several expected to be first-day picks in the MLB Draft in July.

Zane Adams, sr., LHP, Porter (Texas)

Despite missing the second half of his junior season with an ankle injury, Adams was among the 60 players invited to the Perfect Game All-American Classic over the summer. The 6-foot-4 throws his fastball in the mid-90s and has a fantastic breaking ball. He's committed to Alabama, but a big senior year could send him skyrocketing up MLB Draft boards.

Garrett Baumann, sr., RHP, Hagerty (Florida)

Baumann doesn't look like a high school kid. The UCF commit stands 6-foot-9, 240 pounds and throws his fastball in the upper 90s, making him one of the most imposing pitchers in the nation. And if that isn't scary enough, his changeup is his best pitch. He struck out 100 batters in 73 1/3 innings last season.

Alex Clemmey, sr., LHP, Bishop Hendricken (Rhode Island)

After leading Bishop Hendricken to the state championship game last season, Clemmey over the summer helped Team USA win the U18 World Cup. The 6-foot-6 Vanderbilt commit throws high 90s out of the stretch and is a nightmare against lefties.

Steven Echavarria, sr., RHP, Millburn (New Jersey)

Echavarria knocked a run off his ERA from his sophomore to junior year, finishing last season with a 1.79 ERA. He boasts one of the best breaking balls in high school baseball. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder has signed to play college baseball for Florida.

Bryce Eldridge, sr., RHP, Madison (Virginia)

The 6-foot-7 Eldridge is one of the most physically imposing players in high school baseball both on the mound and at the plate. A prodigious power hitter from the left side, it’s his pitching from the right side that projects as his major league position if he chooses the draft over the University of Alabama. Or could he be the next Ohtani?

Ryan Geraghty, sr., RHP, Mundelein (Illinois)

Geraghty has a near-sidearm delivery and boasts a slider that's very tough for right-handed batters to hit. The 6-foot-2 Wichita State commit went 8-0 last season, striking out 118 batters in 64 2/3 innings in helping Mundelein reach the state championship game.

Dylan Goff, sr., RHP, Etiwanda (California)

Goff put the cherry on top of a great junior season in Etiwanda's 6-1 Division 2 championship win over Torrance when he threw a complete game, striking out nine. On the season, Goff went 12-0 with a 0.73 ERA. He had 93 strikeouts.’

Adam Hachman, sr., LHP, Timberland (Missouri)

Heat is Hachman's specialty, as he sometimes hits triple digits with his fastball. The 6-foot-5 flamethrower pitched alongside Clemmey for Team USA over the summer and is coming off a junior year with a light workload, so the Arkansas commit looks primed for a huge senior year.

Aidan Keenan, sr., RHP, Live Oak (California)

Keenan routinely throws his fastball in the mid-90s with a loose, easy delivery, and he has a knack for missing bats — even against national competition over the summer. He didn't play for Live Oak his junior year but will play for the Acorns as a senior as they seek a Division I championship. 

Josh Knoth, sr., RHP, Patchogue-Medford (New York)

Knoth was as dominant as they come in his junior year, striking out 107 batters in 45 innings while giving up only five walks, including fanning 20 in a seven-inning game. The Ole Miss commit boasts a mid-90s fastball with an ankle-breaking curveball.

Dylan Lonergan, sr., RHP, Brookwood (Georgia)

Lonergan is a star quarterback in addition to his prowess on the mound, and he'll play both football and baseball for Alabama next year. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder mixes a low-90s fastball with a low-80s slider to keep batters off balance.

Ethan McElvain, sr., LHP, Nolensville (Tennessee)

Nolensville took it easy with McElvain last season due to a minor injury, but he was a workhorse as a sophomore, going 9-2 with a 0.77 earned run average and 130 strikeouts 63 2/3 innings, walking only 18. The 6-foot-4 ace will be following his brother Chris to Vanderbilt next season if he doesn't go straight to MLB.

Noble Meyer, sr., RHP, Jesuit (Oregon)

Jesuit has been a factory for top-flight pitchers the past few years, going from Mick Abel to Nelson Keljo to Meyer. Keljo is a freshman at Oregon State now, but the 6-foot-5 Meyer is expected to emulate Abel's path by going straight to MLB as a first-round draft pick.

Liam Peterson, sr., RHP, Calvary Christian (Florida)

Peterson hit .370 last season, but pitching is his forte. His fastball, slider and changeup are all plus pitches for a team that boasts three aces and should prove to be the best pitching staff in the country this season. Peterson went 5-0 last season, striking out 68 in 37 1/3 innings. 

Anson Seibert, jr., RHP, Blue Valley Southwest (Kansas)

One of just two juniors on this list, there's nothing junior about Seibert's size. He's 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, throws his fastball in the low 90s and has a devastating slider. He committed over the summer to play college baseball for Tennessee.  

Charlee Soto, sr., RHP, Reborn Christian Academy (Florida)

Though he's committed to UCF, most expect Soto to go straight to MLB as one of the youngest eligible players in the draft. Barely 17 years old, Soto throws his fastball in the upper 90s while mixing in sliders and changeups. 

Travis Sykora, sr., RHP, Round Rock (Texas)

As his fastball velocity has risen, so has Sykora's ranking in MLB Draft projections. He hit 100 mph on the gun over the summer at the Perfect Game All-American Classic, and the 6-foot-4 Texas commit keeps getting stronger with age.

Landon Victorian, jr., RHP, Barbe (Louisiana)

Victorian was a workhorse as a sophomore, pitching 74 innings and striking out 94 while logging an ERA of 1.04. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder committed to LSU in November, but by this time next year he might look like a shoo-in to go straight to the majors.

Thomas White, sr., LHP, Phillips Academy (Massachusetts)

Scouts have been bullish on White's arm talent since he was 13, and now he's viewed as one of the best left-handed pitching prospects out of high school in decades. The 6-foot-5 ace followed a 0.84 ERA season his sophomore year by putting up a 0.26 ERA as a junior.

Paul Wilson, sr., LHP, Lakeridge (Oregon)

The son of former Major League pitcher Trevor Wilson has been a strikeout machine in high school, consistently hitting 95 mph from the left side since his sophomore year. Wilson finished his junior season with a 9-2 record and an ERA of 0.74, striking out 155 in 65 2/3 innings.