Top 10 California high school baseball right-handed pitchers from the class of 2026

There is a very solid crop of junior pitchers in California this spring

Orange Lutheran's Gary Morse is one of the top right-handed pitchers in the CIF Southern Section as we head into the 2025 season. / Terry Jack

California is known to be a major hotbed for talent on the baseball diamond. The ideal weather combined with the large population has made the Golden State a great place for both college and pro scouts to find top tier talent in large quantities.

The high school class of 2026 is loaded with right-handed pitchers that have started to turn heads and put their names firmly on the map when it comes to being among the top talent in the nation. For some of these players, a shot at the MLB Draft is a real possibility in a couple years.

Both SoCal and NorCal are well represented on this list, with Gary Morse (Orange Lutheran), McCoy Silicz (Bakersfield Christian) and Mateo Villanueva (Coronado) being the Southern notables while Dax Hardcastle (St-Mary's-Stockton), Landon Schutte (Oakdale) and Cooper Sides (Red Bluff) make up the notables from the North.

Here is that list of the top 10 right-handed pitchers in California from the Class of 2026, based on the Prep Baseball Report, with supporting statistics from MaxPreps and scouting data by MLB.com. 

Top 10 California baseball pitching prospects from class of 2026

1. RHP Gary Morse, Orange Lutheran

As a sophomore last spring, the 6-foot-8 hard throwing righty recorded a 6-2 win-loss record with a 1.18 ERA in 12 appearances, striking out 45 batters in 59.1 innings pitched. So far this season, he has a 1-1 win-loss record, with a 2.00 ERA in two appearances, striking out seven batters while walking six. Morse's reportoire includes a 92mph fastball with a 2405 spin rate, a 78-79mph curve, a 69-74mph slider and an 80-85mph changeup. He is committed to play college baseball at Tennessee.

2. RHP/1B Dax Hardcastle, St. Mary's-Stockton

Last season, the 6'1 Mississippi State commit batted .343 with three home runs and 31 RBIs, also adding nine doubles and a triple. On the mound, he had a 1-0 win-loss record with a 0.81 ERA in eight appearances, striking out 15 batters in 8.2 innings pitched. He also saved three games. St. Mary's was one of the better teams in NorCal and if Hardcastle is able to build off of last season, success could continue for the Rams this spring.

3. RHP/1B Landon Schutte, Oakdale

The 6'3, 215 Georgia commit had the ultimate two-way campaign in 2024, hitting .312 with three home runs and 30 RBIs in 93 at-bats while having a 7-0 win-loss record with a 0.87 ERA in nine appearances on the mound, where he struck out 90 batters in 48.1 innings pitched. To begin this season, he has a 0-0 win-loss record with a 1.79 ERA in four appearances, striking out 23 batters while walking five through 15.2 innings of work. At the plate, he is hitting .321 with a home run and nine RBIs through 28 at-bats. His pitching arsenal includes a 93mph fastball, a 78-82mph curveball, a 75-77mph slider and a 72-75mph changeup.

4. RHP/1B Cooper Sides, Red Bluff

2026 RHP Cooper Sides

Red Bluff

6’4 180 LBS with room to fill

FB sitting 87-89 with sharp 76-78 SL#FresnoEasterClassic pic.twitter.com/t81soVsair

— PREP BASEBALL CALIFORNIA (@PrepBaseballCA) March 27, 2024

On the mound last spring, the 6'5, 180 LSU commit had a 9-2 win-loss record with a 0.71 ERA in 14 appearances (four starts), striking out 137 batters in 78.1 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .221 with nine RBIs. While Sides does not throw the hardest, with his fastball reaching a max of 86mph, his command and placement are what make him so hard to face. His arsenal also includes a 64-67mph curveball, a 72-74mph slider and a 74-75mph changeup.

5. RHP/1B McCoy Silicz, Bakersfield Christian

Last spring, the 6'5, 210 Ole Miss commit recorded a 13-2 win-loss record with a 1.49 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts), striking out 90 batters in 79.2 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .389 with 24 RBIs, hitting five doubles and a triple as well. So far this season, he is 0-1 with a 1.27 ERA in two starts while at the plate, he is hitting .294 with a home run and three RBIs through 17 at-bats. The Eagles went 28-6 last season and could look to build off of that, with Silicz being the face of it all.

6. RHP/3B Jensen Hirschkorn, Kingsburg

As a sophomore last season, the 6'7" 195 pound prospect compiled a 5-0 win-loss record with a 0.60 ERA in eight appearances, striking out 33 batters in 23.1 innings. So far this season, he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one appearance, where he struck out seven batters in three innings. He is also hitting .429 at the plate, and has driven in seven runs in 21 at-bats. His pitching arsenal includes a 92mph fastball with a 2128 spin rate, a 74-77mph curveball and a 79mph changeup.

7. RHP/SS Julian Cazares, Los Banos

Last spring, the 6'1" righty compiled a 9-2 win-loss record and a 0.95 ERA in 11 appearances, striking out 114 batters while walking 13 in 66.1 innings of work. At the plate, he hit .526 with 12 RBIs in 57 at-bats, hitting a pair of doubles and two triples, striking out only seven times. The 140th ranked prospect in the nation for his class while being ranked at No. 48 for his position, the Stanford commit could be ready for a big season with Los Banos.

8. RHP Mateo Villanueva, Coronado

The 222nd ranked prospect in the nation for the '25 class and the 75th ranked at his position, the 6'1" prospect is not the hardest thrower, with a fastball topping at 88mph, but his spin rate of 2159 makes him a tough guy to face and his ability to paint the corners allow him to strike out a lot of people. He also throws a 69-71mph curveball and a 78mph changeup.

9. RHP Julian Garcia, St. John Bosco

The 6'3" prospect compiled an 8-2 win-loss record last spring with a 1.86 ERA in 14 appearances, striking out 71 batters in 71.7 innings while walking 18. The 265th ranked prospect in the nation for his class and the 84th ranked right-handed pitcher, Garcia could look to evolve into a core piece for Bosco this season.

10. RHP/3B Matthew Maxon, Carmel

The 6'1" Stanford commit went 7-3 last season with a 2.46 ERA in 13 appearances, striking out 75 batters and walking 24 in 59.2 innings of work. Through two appearnces this season, he is 2-0 with 16 strikeouts in nine innings. At the plate, he is hitting .462 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs in 13 at-bats. His pitching arsenal includes an 85mph fastball, 70-72mph curveball, a 74-75mph slider and a 71-72mph changeup.