California Top 10 2025 baseball prospects' progress report

Six are earning A's, including No. 1 prospect Corona's Seth Hernandez, who is having the best season among the elite group

Corona High senior pitcher Seth Hernandez pitches against Santa Margarita at the Boris Classic on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. / Greg Stein

The California high school baseball season is remarkably winding down. It felt like it just started. Section playoffs begin in approximately three weeks. CIF Regional action starts May 23. 

The following are the top 10 baseball prospects in California from the Class of 2025. Here’s how their season individually is going to date. We’ll give a letter grade for each player based strictly on numbers and team success. With at least a month left in the season, all have a chance to raise their grade, minus one.

Rankings of players are supplied by prepbaseballreport.com and statistics are courtesy of MaxPreps.com. 

California Top 10 rated 2025 baseball players' progress report

1. Seth Hernandez (Corona)

Position: RHP
Size: 6-foot-3, 198 pounds
College: Vanderbilt
For the nation’s No. 1 team, Hernandez is 6-0 with a 0.22 ERA. He’s struck out 66 in 32.1 innings, allowed just 12 hits and walked just three. On top of that, he’s the team’s third-leading hitter at .343 with a team-high 22 RBIs to go with three doubles, two triples and four home runs. 

Grade: A+ 

2. Brady Ebel (Corona)

Corona (California) High School infielder Brady Ebel is an LSU commit projected as an early pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. / Heston Quan, SBLive

Position: SS
Size: 6-2, 197
College: LSU
Yes, the No. 2 ranked player is also at 19-2 Corona, and Ebel is hitting .333 (20 of 60) with 20 runs, 11 RBI, five doubles and two home runs. He might not be getting many good pitches to hit. He’s walked a team-high 20 times to lift his on-base percentage to .506, which is highest on the team among regulars. He’s made just one error in 36 total chances.

Grade: B

3. Billy Carlson (Corona)

Corona High's Billy Carlson (3) celebrates after rounding the bases from a home run against La Mirada in the Boras Classic final / Greg Stein

Position: SS
Size: 6-0, 176
College: Tennessee
Remarkable that the three top players are on the same squad — all three are projected to go in the first round. Carlson is hitting .345 (20 of 58) with 19 runs, shares the team RBI lead with 22 to go with four doubles and four home runs. He leads the team with six steals (in six attempts) and in the field he’s he’s made four errors in 62 total attempts with 16 putouts and 30 assists. 

Grande: B+

4. Brayden Jaksa (Irvington)

Position: C
Size: 6-6, 215
College: Oregon
Has stayed loyal to a Vikings team (7-11), that hasn’t had a winning season since 2017. Though surely pitched around, Jaksa is hitting .438 (the next highest average is .233) with 21 hits in 48 at-bats, four doubles, two triples and three home runs. He leads the team with 10 RBIs. He leads the team with eight steals and, of course, putouts with 94. 

Grade: A-

5. Angel Cervantes (Warren)

Position: RHP
Size: 6-1, 198
College: UCLA
Warren doesn’t supply stats on MaxPreps, but Cervantes was brilliant in his latest game, throwing a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts in a 1-0 win over Lakewood.  According to the Long Beach Press Telegram, MLB scouts arrived “in droves.” and Cervantes’s fastball was clocked in the mid 90s.

Grade: Incomplete (Once we get numbers, we'll give grade)

6. Gavin Flen (Great Oak)

Position: SS
Size: 6-2, 192
College: Texas
In 19 games, Flen is hitting a team-best .328 with 19 hits in 58 at-bats with three doubles, a triple and home run for the 6-13 Wolfpack. He’s made seven errors in 66 total chances with 40 assists. 

Grade: B-

7. Brock Sell (Tokay)

Position: OF
Size: 6-0, 165
College: Stanford
Through 23 games (13 wins), Sell is batting a team-best .486 (35 of 72) with team-best 32 runs (the next highest total is 17) with 12 RBI, nine doubles and four triples. He’s stolen 29 bases, good for sixth among Sac-Joaquin Section players, and made just one error. 

Grade: A

8. Quentin Young (Oaks Christian)

Oaks Christian's Quentin Young at the plate. / Oaks Christian Athletics

Position: SS
Size: 6-4, 200
College: LSU
In 21 games, Young is hitting .355 with 22 hits in 62 at-bats with three doubles and Southern Section best 12 home runs. He leads the team in runs (25) and RBIs (25) and is tied for the team lead in stolen bases (five). He also leads the team in errors (eight) and assists (44) in 82 total chances.

Grade: A- 

9. Brock Ketelsen (Valley Christian)

osition: OF
Size: 6-3, 185
College: Stanford
Ranks fifth on the team in hitting (.323) with 20 hits in 62 at-bats, to go along with 23 runs, 18 RBIs, seven doubles, three triples and a team-best four home runs. He’s stolen seven bases in eight attempts and has not made an error in 19 total chances. Valley Christian (13-4) is ranked 17th in the state by High School On SI.

Grade: A-

10. Ethan Porter (Huntington Beach)

Position: 3B
Size: 6-2, 199
College: Oregon State
For the No. 2 in the state Oilers (17-2), Porter ranks second on the team in hitting at .348 (through 16 games) with 16 hits, 11 RBIs, three doubles and two home runs. He’s stolen four bases and made two errors in 24 total chances. He’s also made five appearances on the mound, recorded two saves and sports a 1.31 ERA.

Grade: A-

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