As we continue to recap 2021 leaders and share our top player performances, it’s also time to look ahead to some potential Player of the Year Candidates for the upcoming OSAA high school season.

Last year, Oregon State commit Mason Guerra (Westview) took home Player of the Year honors after an absurd offensive season with a .592 batting average and six home runs. We didn’t have a winner in 2020 due to not having a high school season, while fourth round MLB Draft pick LHP Dylan MacLean (Central Catholic) was our 2019 Player of the Year.

The list below features a dozen prospects who would be our early frontrunners in the Player of the Year race. This is not a top prospect list. Players are listed in alphabetical order and only one selection was allowed per high school team. There are several other prospects across the state we expect to compete for the award as well.

When it comes to Player of the Year, two-way prospects have a big advantage because they can impact the game in more ways and fill up the stat sheet throughout the season. We will make our decision at the conclusion of the HS season, but here is an early look:

+ While ‘23 RHP Buddy Brands (Tigard) has received a ton of praise in the last year for his pitching ability, don’t lose sight of the fact that he’s a more than capable hitter and strong corner infield bat. With a deep and talented Tigard line-up, Brands should have plenty of protection and get more than enough opportunities to do damage with his barrel. On the mound, the Oregon commit has always been a consistent strike thrower with his easy arm action and consistent body control. He commands his fastball better than most prep arms and has started to show a good understanding of how to miss bats with his secondary offerings. Everything is trending in the right direction for Brands heading into the season.

Buddy Brands