High school baseball's best hitters in the nation entering the 2024 season

Expect these 20 batters to showcase their elite skills this spring

Author:
Mike Swanson, SBLive Sports
Updated:
Feb 14, 2024 6:07 PM EST
Original:
Feb 13, 2024

Spring doesn't start until March 19, but high school baseball doesn't care about that.

It's ready now.

Several states have already begun the spring high school baseball season, while winter basketball playoffs go on across the country indoors.

In honor of the upcoming thaw in some states and continuing sunshine in others, over the next few days SBLive Sports will feature the top hitters and pitchers in the country in high school baseball.

First up are the hitters (and some are also excellent pitchers).

Fifteen of our 20 featured sluggers are seniors, most of whom should be early picks in the MLB Draft in July with millions of reasons to choose the pro route over college.

Kell infielder/outfielder Bryce Clavon is committed to Georgia if he chooses the college route over MLB in July.

Cade Arrambide, sr., Tomball (Texas)

Arrambide's arm is next-level, whether on the mound, behind the plate, at third or in right field. But the 6-foot-3 presumed catcher (either at LSU or in the pros) also has enormous power and lightning-quick bat speed at the plate. He hit .543 as a junior and won the All-American Classic Home Run Derby at Chase Field.

Caleb Bonemer, sr., Okemos (Michigan)

Bonemer has rocketed up Perfect Game's rankings after a dominant junior year at the plate that earned him Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Michigan. The Virginia commit, who's an excellent defender whether playing shortstop or third, hit .541 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs and stole 15 bases last year.

Cade Brown, sr., Parkview (Georgia)

Brown earned SBLive Georgia honors as a junior playing third base alongside shortstop Colin Houck, whom the Mets took in the first round in 2023. Houck hit .487 and Brown hit .486 last year, with Brown winning the power and speed battle by belting 14 home runs and swiping 19 bases on all 19 tries. Expect a huge senior year from the Georgia commit.

Slade Caldwell, sr., Valley View (Arkansas)

The SBLive Arkansas Player of the Year, Caldwell hit .512 with a .656 on-base percentage as a junior. The speedster had seven triples, scored 54 runs and stole 40 bases. On the mound, the Ole Miss commit went 7-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 54.1 innings, striking out 72 and walking only 16, but center field is where MLB scouts like him most.

Hunter Carns, sr., First Coast (Florida)

Carns is a rare speed-and-power catcher who's hit at least .450 in all three years of his high school baseball career. The Florida State commit hit .478 with eight home runs in his junior season, and he's hit 22 career home runs on the Perfect Game circuit.

Bryce Clavon, sr., Kell (Georgia)

An all-state quarterback who held several offers to play Division 1 college football, Clavon chose Georgia Bulldogs baseball instead — or MLB depending where he gets drafted. Scouting reports say the 6-foot athlete keeps improving his exit velocity, and he appears in line for a monstrous senior season playing anywhere from short to second to center field.

Kayson Cunningham, jr., San Antonio Johnson (Texas)

Despite being in the same class as Ethan Holliday, Cunningham was recently tapped by Baseball America as the top junior hitter in the nation. The Texas Tech commit's contact rate has been off the charts since his freshman year, when the middle infielder was the SBLive All-South Texas Newcomer of the Year in 2022 after finishing with a .493 batting average, 23 stolen bases and 21 RBIs.

Derek Curiel, sr., Orange Lutheran (California)

Curiel, an LSU commit, is the standout playing in one of the most loaded lineups in the nation. The sweet-swinging lefty hit .358 last season and looks in line for a big power boost this season while continuing to be one of the best defensive outfielders in the nation.

Sean Gamble, jr., IMG Academy (Florida)

Speaking of loaded lineups, Gamble plays in the middle of a sea of Division 1 commits at IMG Academy. The lefty hitter, righty thrower is an excellent defender whether in the middle infield or outfield, and "tons of offensive projection" is a phrase you see repeatedly regarding the Des Moines native's hitting prowess. He led the Ascenders with seven home runs last year.

Konnor Griffin, sr., Jackson Prep (Mississippi)

Although he throws 96 on the mound, MLB likes him as an outfielder. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound LSU commit is viewed as a five-tool prospect and potential 30-30 player in the majors, and it seems unlikely that he'll choose college over MLB given his Top 10 draft projection. He hit .537 with eight home runs and 19 stolen bases while leading Jackson Prep to its sixth consecutive MAIS Class 6A state championship last year.

Chase Harlan, sr., Central Bucks East (Pennsylvania)

Harlan hit .435 as a junior, and the solid-framed 6-foot-3, 205-pound third baseman is viewed as a bona-fide power hitter down the road. The Clemson commit has a rocket arm and could end up as a corner outfielder at the next level.

Ethan Holliday, jr., Stillwater (Oklahoma)

Yep, another Holliday. Ethan took over at starting shortstop for his brother Jackson — the No. 1 pick in the 2022 MLB draft and Rookie of the Year favorite in 2024 — as a sophomore last year and raked. He hit .451 with 15 home runs while also drawing 51 walks and is the top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2025.

Carter Johnson, sr., Oxford (Alabama)

Johnson had a really strong summer on the Perfect Game circuit, sending him rocketing up MLB Draft boards. The 6-foot-2 shortstop is viewed as one of the best pure hitters in the class, with a quick, smooth swing from the left side.

PJ Morlando, sr., Summerville (South Carolina)

Griffin is expected to be the first high school player taken in the 2024 MLB Draft, and Morlando is mocked as next up. The 6-foot-3 outfielder hit .463 as a junior and then enjoyed a dream summer, winning the High School Home Run Derby at T-Mobile Park in Seattle and earning MVP honors in the 2023 MLB/USA High School All-American Game.

Xavier Neyens, jr., Mount Vernon (Washington)

Neyens has been ranked by some outlets as the No. 2 junior prospect in the nation behind Holliday, and power potential is a big part of that. The 6-foot-4 left-handed hitter makes excellent contact as well, and he throws in the low 90s on the mound from the right side.

Dante Nori, sr., Northville (Michigan)

Nori is known most for his speed, but the 6-foot lefty outfielder showed off his power in the All-American Classic Home Run Derby at Chase Field, finishing second to Arrambide. He'll look to lead Northville to a state championship in his senior year after being upset by Novi in the regional semifinals last year.

Owen Paino, sr., Ketcham (New York)

Paino hit .425 as a junior, leading Ketcham to a state championship. Another lefty hitter who throws right, scouts love the Ole Miss commit's power potential as he adds bulk to his 6-foot-3 frame.

Trey Snyder, sr., Liberty North (Missouri)

Snyder will try to make it three state championships in a row this spring after rapping two hits in Liberty North's 9-3 win over Francis Howell in the 2023 Class 6 title game. The 6-foot-2 uber-athlete also won a state championship with the football team in the fall and has played point guard for the basketball team. He'll be playing shortstop for Tennessee next season if he chooses college over the pros.

Tomas Valincius, sr., Baylor (Tennessee)

Valincius mashed as a junior, hitting .466 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs. The lefty first baseman also went 7-1 with a 0.73 ERA on the mound, and there's a chance the defending Tennessee Mr. Baseball will end up focusing on pitching at the next level (whether at Virginia or in the majors).

Quentin Young, jr., Oaks Christian (California)

Young had such a strong freshman season that he reclassified from the Class of 2026 to 2025. The nephew of former MLB stars Dmitri and Delmon Young is already 6-foot-5, 215 pounds and boasts off-the-charts raw power. He's committed to LSU.