California high school softball Player of the Year 2025 watchlist: Vote for the best

The following softball standouts are among the top softball players in California and have earned themselves on 2025 Player of the Year shortlist.

Orange Lutheran's Kai Minor (right) celebrates after robbing a home run in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final in 2024 against Pacifica/Garden Grove. / Heston Quan

With roughly a month left in the high school softball season, California's top programs and players have emerged. The same programs are eyeing league titles, those same players are anchoring their respective teams to a top-notch postseason seeding.

In Southern California, powerhouses Norco and Orange Lutheran are ranked among the top five in the latest playoff computer rankings, which will eventually determine the playoff divisions and seedings. Other teams from San Diego all the way up to Northern California, like Cathedral Catholic, Fresno Central, Del Oro and others impact players in the pitching circle.

• SOFTBALL TOP 25 NATIONAL RANKINGS

The following names make up a 2025 California Player of the Year watchlist that considers stats, impact to their team's success and level of competition. Vote for who you think should be the Player of the Year (at the bottom of the page).

NOTE: A player NOT listed can win High School On SI's California Player of the Year.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCHLIST

(Stats are pulled from MaxPreps.com as of April 14, 2025)

1. Kai Minor, Orange Lutheran, Sr.

The Oklahoma commit is one of the most electric softball players in California in center field. Minor is batting .474 with 27 hits, 17 RBIs, 11 doubles and two homers. She's also stolen nine bases.

2. Taeyln Holley, Murrieta Mesa, Sr.

Holley leads her team in hits with 30 that helped to drive in 19 RBIs. The centerfielder has belted a team-high eight dingers and scored 27 runs.

3. Sophia Burmeister, Poway, Sr.

Big numbers. Burmeister has 13 home runs in 18 games while batting .547. She's tallied 29 hits and 28 RBIs for the 14-4 Titans.

4. Riley Hilliard, La Mirada, So.

Hilliard is a key player for the 18-3 Matadores, who are eyeing deep Division 1 playoff run.

5. Alyssa Torres, Valley View, Jr.

Torres is a star behind the dish, but also at the plate. She batting .564 with 31 hits, 41 RBIs and a staggering 18 home runs.

6. Leighton Gray, Norco, So.

Gray is a top player for arguably the best program in California. According to the Press-Enterprise, she hit a home run in four straight games to start the season while batting .529.

7. Abby Davidson, Del Oro, Sr.

Davidson is batting .484 with 31 hits, a team-high 34 RBIs and 11 homers in 20 games.

8. Kaitlyn Galasso, El Modena, Sr.

The star infielder has a team-high 29 hits, 23 RBIs and seven homers. She's also scored 21 runs for the Vanguards while batting .453.

9. Hayley Brock, Fullerton, Jr.

Brock has been a stellar impact on the Indians' 14-6 campaign this spring with team-highs in hits (28), runs (22), RBIs (16) and doubles (10). Brock is hitting .431 through 20 games.

10. K'lene Gutierrez, Rosary Academy, So.

Gutierrez has tallied an impressive 32 RBIs in 20 games. She's tallied 31 hits, eight doubles and four home runs while batting .484 to help the Royals to an 18-2-1 record.

11. Tamryn Shorter, Norco, Sr.

Shorter, a Boise State commit, is rolling into her 2025 campaign where she left off in 2024 after hitting .598 with 49 hits, 27 RBIs and eight home runs.

12. Ashannalee Titialii, Carson, Jr.

Titialii is making the biggest impact for one of the City Section's top teams from the plate and at shortstop. She's batting .520 with 26 hits, 26 runs, eight RBIs and three homers.

13. Mia Gomez, Agoura, Sr.

This big-bat first baseman is hitting the ball as good as anyone in California and doing it in a competitive Marmonte League. Gomez has the state's second-most home run (14) in 23 games. She's batting .540 with 34 hits and 39 RBIs.

VOTING POLL

Poll closes on April 21 at 8 p.m. (PT)

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