2026 MLB Draft Notebook 2.0

While most Division-1 programs are simmering around the 1/3 mark of their regular season, California high schools are a month-and-a-half out of playoffs themselves with large decision-making tournaments currently being played or within a week or two away.

Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, Nevada) is hosting a weeklong tournament with prep programs from Idaho, Alberta, Florida and other regions outside of the prototypical coverage regions for The Sporting Tribune, adding to our expansive draft coverage. The Boras Classic will be played the first week of April between ballparks at JSerra Catholic (Mission Viejo) and Mater Dei (Santa Ana), with full coverage from our team at both.

Over the past two weeks, TST's draft team has been to each local Divison-1 program to take notes on local prospects and those on visiting clubs, with notes on both listed below.

Injuries to mid-major arms:

A trio of mid-major arms who were projected as top 150 picks have seen their season conclude due to injuries.

UT-San Antonio head coach Pat Hallmark announced in early March that right-handed pitcher Robert Orloski would miss the remainder of the season after having shoulder surgery after suffering a scary injury on his 23rd pitch of the year that sailed awkwardly to the backstop with Orloski showing immediate pain after the throw and dropping his throwing arm and shoulder. Orloski entered the year as a projected 3-5 round selection. - Taylor Blake Ward

Cal Poly right-handed pitcher Laif Palmer fell awkwardly while trying to field a ground ball and was transported off the field via ambulance following a 30-minute delay on March 7. The following day, Isaac Streeter of the Portland Tribune reported that Palmer had broken his ankle in two places and will miss the remainder of the season. - Taylor Blake Ward

Cody New, a left-handed pitcher for Cal Baptist, had a solid but brief season debut against Cal State Fullerton on D1 opening weekend. The outing lasted two and two-third innings and 53 pitches before New was removed from the game due to "discomfort" according to Lancers head coach Gary Adcock. Patrick Ebert of D1 Baseball reported on March 17 that New was scheduled for UCL surgery in mid-March and will miss the remainder of the spring. One scout who was present for New's brief outing mentioned it was "the best (New) has looked." - Taylor Blake Ward

High Schooler shines in World Baseball Classic:

Joseph Contreras, the son of former 11-year big league pitcher José, had a loud 33-pitch appearance for Team Brazil against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic where he allowed one run on two hits and three walks over one and one-third innings.

Most impressively, the 17-year-old senior of Blessed Trinity High School (North Atlanta metro, Georgia) saw his outing end with a double play groundout from the bat of Aaron Judge, who most know as the most prolific power hitter in baseball.

The outing did not alter Contreras' draft stock, though introduced him to a national audience as a special on-mound talent who is projected as a top 50 selection. - Taylor Blake Ward

Draft Prospects taking Las Vegas:

Bishop Gorman High School (West Las Vegas) is hosting a tournament filled with draft prospects two weeks after the Live Like Lou Baseball Tournament (for a full notebook, click here).

Starting off the tournament with a bang was Vauxhall High School (South Alberta, Canada) corner infield/outfield bat Easton Kitura, who hit a massive home run in his opening game of the tournament. Kitura fits in the projectable athletic power prep bats though most scouts are split on how pro ready his hit tool is and whether he'll need three years at Miami or will be granted a more modest bonus in the 4-6 round range. - Taylor Blake Ward

Santa Margarita High School (Orange County, California) shortstop Brody Schumaker, the son of former 11-year big-league utilityman Skip, did not dress for his team's game on March 17 with what one source said as "a minor upper-body injury."

No timeline has been set on Schumaker's return to the field. He is projected to be a late 2nd or early 3rd round selection if he does not land on campus at Texas Christian University. - Taylor Blake Ward

Drew Holman, a catcher and corner infielder for Middleton High School (Boise Metro, Idaho), has had a nice pair of games at the plate and behind the plate in the tournament. He is arguably the best position player prospect in the state of Idaho in 2026, though is not expected to go pro this year and instead land on campus at Portland. - Taylor Blake Ward

The Sporting Tribune will have continued coverage of the tournament (last update, March 18, 8:00am PT).

Southern California Draft Tabs:

Eli Lopez, 2B, Cal State Fullerton

Eli Lopez is an undersized middle infielder, standing at 5’9”, but he shows solid defensive instincts and the ability to remain up the middle. His actions in the field are steady, though his arm strength grades as average, making second base the most likely long-term defensive fit.

Offensively, Lopez possesses a strong hit tool and demonstrates the ability to spray the ball across the field. However, he is not a significant power threat and does not possess above-average speed, projecting more as a contact-oriented hitter who relies on bat-to-ball ability rather than impact tools. - Brady Charette

Cameron Kim, SS, Cal State Fullerton

Cameron Kim has shown extremely solid defensive actions at shortstop with a viable arm capable of handling the position. After previously serving mostly as a depth option at UCLA the previous two seasons, he is putting together his best offensive season to date at CSUF. Kim has the defensive ability to stick at shortstop, though he could also shift to third or second base if needed. He possesses decent speed, which helps support his profile up the middle.

Offensively, Kim projects more as a gap-power hitter with occasional home run pop rather than a consistent power threat. At 6’4” and 215 pounds, there is still room for him to grow into additional strength. His swing remains somewhat raw, and his approach at the plate could improve, particularly in terms of plate discipline and drawing walks, as the majority of his on-base production currently comes from hits rather than free passes. - Brady Charette

Mikiah Negrete, LHP, Cal State Fullerton

Senior left-hander Mikiah Negrete put together another strong start on Friday, March 13, against UCI, going seven innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out eight Anteaters.

His fastball sat 89-91, and held his velocity throughout his start. Negrete established his fastball for a strike early on and mixed in his curve and changeup as his outing progressed. He also fielded his position well, fielding a pair of bunt attempts and getting the out at second base both times. 

Negrete's outing featured a fourth inning when he struck out the side on 10 pitches and in his final inning, he escaped a bases-loaded one-out jam by getting a lineout and a strikeout. 

The southpaw's ERA now sits at 2.12 in five starts with 32 strikeouts and three walks in 29 2/3 innings. - Jack Janes

Trevor Hansen, RHP, UC-Irvine

Junior right-hander Trevor Hansen delivered six innings of three-run ball (two earned) against Cal State Fullerton on Friday, March 13, striking out six in the process.

A good sign for Hansen in this start was that his velocity was back to normal readings compared to his earlier starts this season. His fastball sat 91-93, but was 89-91 after he eclipsed the 75-pitch mark. 

Hansen once again displayed his ability to mix his pitches to keep hitters off balance. Hansen relied on his curve more as his start progressed and his fastball velocity began to drop a couple of ticks. 

Hansen is now sporting a 2.48 ERA with 41 strikeouts and seven walks in 32 2/3 innings this season. - Jack Janes

Kai Bratton, RHP, Mater Dei High School (CA)

Mater Dei's right-handed senior pitcher had one of his best outings so far this season Feb. 26 against Temecula Valley, pitching a stellar six innings without allowing a run and giving up just one hit. He didn't walk any batters either and carved up the Temecula lineup with seven strikeouts. 

Bratton's arsenal isn't the most overpowering with a fastball that tops out at 91 MPH, but his real strength is his wicked curveball that has enough lateral movement that it enters sweeper and slurve territory. 

That off-speed weapon ranges between 77-80 MPH and with the sharpness of his lateral movement has made it a nearly un-hittable pitch, especially for right-handed batters. - Jack Haslett

Nico Bavaro, LHP, St. Mary's High School (CA)

The St. Mary's Rams provided plenty of run support in a 7-3 win against the Mater Dei Monarchs on March 13 for senior left-hander Nico Bavaro and he used the opportunity to eat up some innings for the Rams. The UCLA commit went the distance, pitching a full seven innings with three earned runs, five hits, four walks and three strikeouts. 

Bavaro's power from the mound does leave something to be desired with a fastball that ranges between 82-85 MPH, a curveball that sits 70-75 MPH and a changeup between 74-76 MPH. 

His high walk count against the Monarchs doesn't necessarily point toward command issues, but rather his tendency to try and push for more power from his fastball and changeup that translates into him burying those pitches in the dirt instead.

Physically, he does have room for improvement and a high ceiling. At 5'11 and 175 lbs, Bavaro is incredibly mobile on the field and often gets involved on defense. His raw athleticism will serve him well with the Bruins, who can do a lot to further develop Bavaro and translate his potential into velocity after further growth and work in the weight room. - Jack Haslett

Julian Garcia, RHP, St. John Bosco High School (CA)

Senior right-handed pitcher Julian Garcia has been St. John Bosco's undisputed ace this season. His most recent showing against JSerra on March 18 was another stellar performance, pitching five scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out seven. 

Garcia's fastball hovers between 91-94 MPH and he features a short, but effective pitch mix with both a changeup and curveball. 

Garcia's curveball in particular has stellar vertical break and he knows how to use it to illicit swings and misses. Garcia's changeup is similarly effective, though it breaks slightly early, which makes it easier to read for hitters looking to avoid chasing a ball in the dirt. 

The senior's true strength is in his location with his fastball. Garcia dominates by catching the outside of the zone and pairing that command with the velocity he can generate at the high school level has proven to be effective at freezing batters in a two-strike count. - Jack Haslett

Jhett Ohira, OF, St. John Bosco High School (CA)

Senior Jhett Ohira profiles as a conventional scrappy and speedy outfielder, but he uses those tools to his advantage better than most. Ohira particularly came up big against JSerra on March 17 by finishing the game with three hits and three RBIs, including a single he poked into left field with the bases loaded to drive in two runs in what became a 6-0 win for the Braves. 

Ohira's speed and penchant for getting on base leads the Braves to have him at least show bunt in most plate appearances, but he's shown composure in big moments and can be pesky for opposing pitchers looking for an out. 

He's batting .438 this season and his big showing against the Lions boosted his RBI total to six so far this season. - Jack Haslett

Isaiah Magdaleno, RHP, Hawaii

Magdaleno put up a very strong showing on Friday against a downtrodden Cal State Long Beach team. After allowing a one-run shot in the top of the first, he rebounded quite well. He retired nine batters across six innings pitched and squashed any hopes Long Beach State may have had. 

Magdaleno was clocked in the high 80s, 87-88, which may cause some concern amongst scouts. He will need to find a way to both increase his velocity and hone in his control, as his strike % was just under 60% on Friday. Facing a sputtering Long Beach State may not have been a true litmus test, but regardless, it was a strong showing. 

His ERA currently sits at 3.26 with 38 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. - Dylan Diulio

Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA

Roch Cholowsky played a key part of UCLA's dominant 11-1, 7-inning victory over UCI Tuesday, March 10 by going 1-2 at the plate, 4 RBIs, and 1 walk. Cholowsky's lone hit in the ball game was a 3-run home run that put an exclamation point on a 9-run first inning by UCLA. Cholowsky's fourth RBI came in the third inning on a sacrifice fly to give UCLA their 11th run of the game in the third inning. In the Bruins' subsequent weekend series against Michigan, Cholowsky was one of their most important offensive players, going 7-for-11 with one home run, five RBIs and three runs scored. He made good contact throughout his at-bats — in addition to his seven-hit weekend, he was also robbed of extra bases in his second at-bat on Friday thanks to a great catch by Michigan center fielder Greg Pace. Demonstrating his skill as a pull hitter, most of his hits were to left or center field, including his home run. He did have a difficult series defensively, committing three errors, but he’s been good with the glove throughout the season, recording just one additional error.

Cholowsky's homer against UCI was his 9th of the season, and he continues to show scouts why he should be assumed as the number one pick in the MLB Draft this summer. Cholowsky finished the game with his batting average reaching .316. - Thomas Murray and Alex Hutton

Roman Martin, 3B, UCLA

On a night where the entire UCLA lineup was causing damage against UCI, Roman Martin was one of five Bruins hitters to have multiple hits against the Anteaters.

Martin went 2-4 at the plate and had two RBIs and one strikeout and was the igniter of a 9-run first inning by clearing the bases to bring home Cholowsky and Mulivai Levu on a 2-RBI double, clearing the basepaths.

In the Michigan series, Martin mostly pulled the ball, with three of his four hits going to left or center field, and he also made good contact on another ball that required a rangy play in center by Pace. At third base, he made a key play in the fourth inning of Friday’s game, stopping a ground ball with a runner on third and getting the runner in a rundown which he executed to perfection.

Martin is currently batting .338. - Thomas Murray and Alex Hutton