MaxPreps National Baseball Player of the Year Watch

MaxPreps is just a month away from selecting our All-American Baseball Teams and our National Player of the Year. While there are many worthy candidates across the country, here are 10 that deserve consideration at this point in the season.


Beau Jordan, Barbe (Lake Charles, La.) Jordan was a big reason why the Buccaneers were able to capture a seventh state championship and stay ranked at the top of the Xcellent 50 rankings for much of the season. The state tournament MVP, Jordan finished the season with a .396 batting average that included 12 doubles, 12 home runs, 43 RBIs, 58 runs scored and 37 stolen bases.

Seth Beer, Lambert (Suwanee, Ga.) The 6-foot-3 sophomore has Lambert in the championship game of the Class 6A playoffs in Georgia. He is 7-0 as a pitcher and he is batting .594 (60 for 101) with 53 RBIs, 20 doubles and 10 home runs.

Nate Romans, Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio)

The talented shortstop who is headed to Ohio State was a big factor in Walsh Jesuit's 26-game run this season. Although his team was eliminated in the district playoffs, Romans had a big year for Walsh Jesuit, batting .494 with 23 RBIs, eight doubles and three home runs.

Quinn Rawson, Puyallup (Wash.)

The senior first baseman has been a heavy hitter for the undefeated Vikings. He's batting .406 on the year with 35 RBIs and a team-high seven home runs.

Alex Jackson, Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) The top catching prospect in the draft, Jackson has helped Rancho Bernardo to a top 10 national ranking while setting records along the way. With his 11 home runs this year, Jackson is tied for the most home runs in San Diego Section history with 47. He is batting .415 with 26 RBIs, 41 runs scored and six doubles.

Jacob Gatewood, Clovis (Calif.) After an injury-plagued junior season, Gatewood is showing the promise that caught the scouts' attention during the summer of 2012. He's batting .389 with 28 RBIs, 23 runs scored, nine doubles and five home runs. He has Clovis ranked in the top 10 in the nation and he helped the Cougars to a runner-up finish at the National High School Invitational.

Brady Aiken, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) Aiken has risen to become the top prospect in the country according to Perfect Game. He's also the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft by many of the latest mock drafts. He's showing it on the field, too, with a 7-0 record that includes a 0.91 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched.

Gavin LaValley, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.)

LaValley had another huge year for Carl Albert while leading the team to a Class 5A state championship. He batted .554 with 62 runs scored and 73 RBIs. He also hit 11 doubles and 18 home runs. In his three-year varsity career, LaValley batted .516 (179 for 347) with 202 RBIs, 46 doubles and 54 home runs.

Alex Destino, North Buncombe (Weaverville, N.C.) Destino has been a force at the plate and on the mound for North Buncombe. He's batting .542 (52 for 96) with 43 RBIs, 14 doubles and 15 home runs and he's 10-1 on the mound with 107 strikeouts and a 1.39 ERA in 65.1 innings pitched.

Aaron Pilkington, Ardrey Kell (Charlotte, N.C.)
Just a sophomore, Pilkington has been huge for Ardrey Kell this season, belting a national-best 19 home runs (just one off the state record) while hitting .438. He also has 43 RBIs, 35 runs scored and a school record 29 walks, according to the Charlotte Observer.