2025 Preseason High School Baseball All-American Teams

Image credit: Seth Hernandez (Courtesy USA Baseball)

Baseball America presents its 2025 Preseason All-American high school teams, as voted on by scouting departments of major league organizations.

This year’s team includes no unanimous first-team selections, though shortstop Ethan Holliday and righthander Seth Hernandez are first-team members who rank inside the top five of our 2025 draft rankings.

Baseball America annually polls MLB scouting directors to vote for its Preseason All-America teams, asking only that they make their selections based on performance, talent and professional potential. Because scouting directors drive our preseason teams, they have become a strong predictor of first-round draft potential.

The 2024 high school class was viewed as a down prep group, but even then six of the 12 eligible first-team members of the 2024 preseason teams went on to be first-round picks.

Two players on this year’s preseason All-American teams are returnees who made the 2024 preseason team as underclassmen: Ethan Holliday is a back-to-back first-team preseason All-American at middle infield after earning the honor as a junior in 2024, while outfielder Dean Moss makes the 2025 second team after being a third-team member as an underclassman.

Righthander and shortstop Billy Carlson made this year’s second team as both a middle infielder and pitcher, while 2026 shortstop Grady Emerson is the lone underclassman represented as a third-team member.

See all three teams and best tools winners below. Baseball America received votes from 12 organizations.

* indicates underclassman

First Team

Pos	Player	School
C	Jaden Fauske	Nazareth Academy HS, La Grange Park, Ill.
MIF	Ethan Holliday	Stillwater (Okla.) HS
MIF	Kayson Cunningham	Johnson HS, San Antonio
CIF	Xavier Neyens	Mount Vernon (Wash.) HS
CIF	Gavin Fien	Great Oak HS, Temecula, Calif.
OF	Slater de Brun	Summit HS, Bend, Ore.
OF	Sean Gamble	IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.
OF	Brock Sell	Tokay HS, Lodi, Calif.
SP	Cameron Appenzeller	Glenwood HS, Chatham, Ill.
SP	Kruz Schoolcraft	Sunset HS, Portland, Ore.
SP	Seth Hernandez	Corona (Calif.) HS
SP	Angel Cervantes	Warren HS, Downey, Calif.
SP	Justice De Jong	Poly Prep Country Day HS, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Jaden Fauske, C, Nazareth Academy HS, La Grange Park, Ill.

Fauske is a well-rounded catcher who pairs a fluid and compact lefthanded swing with solid rhythm, balance and power. He covers the entire plate well and knows how to use the entire field. Fauske has the arm strength and defensive chops to stick behind the plate long term.

Ethan Holliday, MIF, Stillwater (Okla.) HS

Holliday is perhaps the most famous player in the 2025 class, but he has the electric hit/power combination that allows him to live up to the hype of being Matt Holliday’s son and Jackson Holliday’s younger brother. He’s extremely physical with raw power that could become plus plus in the future, has a great understanding of the zone and profiles best at third base or a corner outfield position in the future.

Kayson Cunningham, MIF, Johnson HS, San Antonio

Cunningham is the most advanced pure hitter in the prep class. He has an ultra compact, tight and direct swing from the left side of the plate and has been a high-level performer against the best prep competition for years. He was the MVP of Team USA’s 18U Team last summer and has a chance for a plus hit tool as well as a solid middle infield defensive profile.

Xavier Neyens, CIF, Mount Vernon (Wash.) HS

Neyens is a powerful 6-foot-4 third baseman with a prototypical tools package for the position. He has huge power that could become 70-grade raw power in time and has a keen batting eye that leads to plenty of walks, though there is some swing-and-miss in his game. He has a chance to stick at third base in the long run with a strong arm that would be an asset at the position.

Gavin Fien, CIF, Great Oak HS, Temecula, Calif.

Fien has one of the loudest hit/power combinations in the class and is coming off a tremendous 2024 showcase season where his barrel ability was on display consistently. It’s an unorthodox-looking swing, but it works for him, and his ability to drive the ball with authority to the opposite field is among the best in the class. His offensive upside is enough that he should profile nicely wherever he winds up on the defensive spectrum.

Slater de Brun, OF, Summit HS, Bend, Ore.

De Brun is an undersized outfielder who has the size and toolset that will draw plenty of Corbin Carroll and Slade Caldwell comparisons. He’s extremely young for the class, is a dynamic runner who covers tons of ground in center field and plays the position at a plus level and has a chance for an above-average hit tool to drive a top-of-the-order, table-setter offensive profile.

Sean Gamble, OF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.

Gamble is a standout athlete with an exciting power/speed combination and plenty of bat speed from the left side of the plate. He’s got a 6-foot-2 frame that’s projectable and should add plenty of good weight and has experience on the infield and outfield, with plus running ability and above-average power potential with continued offensive progress.

Brock Sell, OF, Tokay HS, Lodi, Calif.

Sell is a fast and athletic outfielder with a 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame and well-rounded toolset across the board. His line drive-oriented swing is direct and leads to plenty of contact with more of a line drive look than a true slugger, but he’s an advanced center field defender who should stick at the position with plus running ability.

Cameron Appenzeller, SP, Glenwood HS, Chatham, Ill.

Appenzeller shot up draft boards after a loud summer circuit that included a loud Area Code Games performance. He checks plenty of boxes as a lean and projectable lefthander with a 6-foot-5 frame, developing fastball velocity, a slider that has flashed plus and impressive athleticism and command. More strength gains could allow him to take a huge step forward.

Kruz Schoolcraft, SP, Sunset HS, Portland, Ore.

Schoolcraft is one of several high-end two-way players in the prep 2025 class. He boasts huge raw power and sound defensive ability at first base, but pro scouts are enamored with the 6-foot-8 lefthander’s arm talent and finesse on the mound. He’s been up to 97 mph already with a changeup that is above-average or better and a developing mid-80s slider.

Seth Hernandez, SP, Corona (Calif.) HS

Hernandez is an elite prep pitching prospect who does nearly everything at an exceptional level. He’s a standout athlete with a clean, repeatable delivery and projectable 6-foot-4 frame, he has a fastball that’s routinely in the mid 90s, his changeup is a real 70-grade offering that mystifies hitters and he has feel to spin multiple breaking balls with advanced command and control.

Angel Cervantes, SP, Warren HS, Downey, Calif.

Cervantes might be the best command pitcher in the prep class. He repeats his delivery consistently and pounds the zone with a fastball that has been into the mid 90s at peak velocity, with a plus changeup and feel to throw a curveball and slider that both have plenty of spin. It’s easy to see him adding more power in the future with a lean, 6-foot-3 frame.

Justice De Jong, SP, Poly Prep Country Day HS, Brooklyn, N.Y.

De Jong is young for the class and is a real two-way player who profiles best on the mound in pro ball. He has a strong pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, has been up to 95 mph with his fastball, can rip off a mid-70s curveball with spin rates north of the 2,600 rpm range and has flashed the makings of a solid changeup to round out his arsenal.

Second Team

Pos	Player	School
C	Omar Serna	Lutheran South Academy, Houston
MIF	Eli Willits	Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS
MIF	Billy Carlson	Corona (Calif.) HS
CIF	Dylan Dubovik	American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.
CIF	Mason Braun	Penn HS, Mishawaka, Ind.
OF	Dean Moss	IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.
OF	Quentin Young	Oaks Christian HS, Westlake Village, Calif.
OF	Brock Ketelsen	Valley Christian HS, San Jose, Calif.
SP	Landon Harmon	East Union HS, Blue Springs, Miss.
SP	Miguel Sime Jr.	Poly Prep Country Day HS, Brooklyn, N.Y.
SP	Aaron Watson	Trinity Christian Academy, Jacksonville
SP	Aiden Stillman	Trinity Prep, Winter Park, Fla.
SP	Billy Carlson	Corona (Calif.) HS

Third Team

C	Trent Grindlinger	Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS
MIF	Brady Ebel	Corona (Calif.) HS
MIF	Grady Emerson*	Argyle (Texas) HS
CIF	Caleb Barnett	Mountain Brook (Ala.) HS
CIF	Sebastian Norman	Glendale HS, Springfield, Mo.
OF	Alec Blair	De La Salle HS, Concord, Calif.
OF	Ty Peeples	Franklin County HS, Carnesville, Ga.
OF	Anthony Pack Jr.	Millikan HS, Long Beach, Calif.
SP	Minjae Seo	Hebron HS, Carrollton, Tex.
SP	Josh Hammond	Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C.
SP	Briggs McKenzie	Corinth Holders HS, Wendell, N.C.
SP	Reagan Ricken	Great Oak HS, Temecula, Calif.
SP	Reid Worley	Cherokee HS, Canton, Ga.