Mr. Baseball 2026: Jared Grindlinger

Leading Huntington Beach to the CIF SoCal D1 regional championship and ranking as the top two-way player in the nation for the upcoming MLB Draft helps last year’s State Sophomore of the Year gain the highest overall state honor for this season. It was not an easy decision, but Jared has become the second ever Mr. Baseball winner from Huntington Beach and the 11th from Orange County since the immortal Walter Johnson of Fullerton for 1905.

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Playing that one extra week of the season for Huntington Beach High in the CIF SoCal D1 regional playoffs meant a lot to outgoing star player Jared Grindlinger. And instead of going out in the first round, Grindlinger and his teammates took advantage and won the title over a field that included CIF Southern Section D1 champion St. John Bosco plus the top two teams in the CIF San Diego Section and the top team in the CIF Central Section.

With what Grindlinger accomplished in his three seasons at Huntington Beach combined with how highly regarded he is for the upcoming MLB Draft, the Oiler standout has now been chosen as the 2026 Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports.

Grindlinger joins an all-time list of honorees that goes back to 1899. The last winner from Orange County also was from Huntington Beach — Hagen Danner in 2017. There was once a run of four in a row between 2009 and 2012, but there are only a few others since the first one on the list from Orange County is shown and that’s all-time great Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson of Fullerton for 1905.

This honor also comes one year after Jared was picked as the State Sophomore Player of the Year. He isn’t a junior right now since he reclassified from the Class of 2027 to the Class of 2026 before the start of the season. Moving forward with our player of the year honors in all sports, players reclassifying will switch to their new class right away as well unless the process has begun after the end of a season. Grindlinger is going into the history books as a senior for the 2026 season with no junior season.

In that final week of the season, Jared began by going 4-for-4 with a home run in a win over CIF San Diego Section Open Division champion Patrick Henry. After the Oilers reached the title game with a win over La Mirada, Grindlinger homered in the first inning and struck out the final two batters of the game in a 5-3 triumph over Cathedral Catholic of San Diego, which was the team that knocked off St. John Bosco in the first round.

“My teammates are my best friends,” he told the Orange County Register when he was recently selected as its Player of the Year. “I love our coaches. This season brought so many great moments that I’ll cherish the rest of my life.”

If there was any doubt that Grindlinger was going to be breezing through the season looking forward to the MLB Draft after his reclassification, those doubts were erased early on.

While his pitching availability was limited somewhat, he still showed dominance with a 6-0 record and 0.85 ERA in 57 1/3 innings. He also struck out 66 batters and continued to add more versatility to his pitching arsenal. Grindlinger consistently hit the 92 to 95 mph range on his fastball and topped out at 96-97 mph.

On the hitting side of it, Jared rapped out 41 hits with 10 doubles, 26 runs scored and q .376 season batting average.

Doing both pitching and hitting still seems to be on the table down the road as Grindlinger begins the next stage of his career. He has signed with Tennessee, but he’s been consistently inside the top 15 for the first round of the upcoming MLB Draft and has consistently been referred to as the best two-way prospect in the draft.

Despite the draft status and the last game regional championship, it was not an easy selection for Grindlinger to gain the Mr. Baseball honor. The nod easily could have gone to Harvard-Westlake senior hitting phenom James Tronstein from Harvard-Westlake of Studio City or to pitcher-hitter Logan Schmidt from Ganesha of Pomona. St. John Bosco’s duo of Julian Garcia, a senior pitcher, and Jack Champlin, a senior who can hit or pitch, also had their names in the mix.

Jared’s oldest brother Bradley, who graduated from Huntington Beach three years ago, played at Long Beach State last season and is transferring. His other brother, Trent, was an all-state first team catcher for the Oilers last season who just completed his freshman season at Tennessee.

“He was a freshman and the second game that season I got my 400th win and Jared said, ‘I’m gonna be part of 400 and 500,’” Huntington Beach head coach Benji Medure told the L.A. Times after the last game. “That year, we won 23 and 25 the next year. We had it all planned that 500 would be for the CIF title. When he decided to reclass to make millions of dollars he told him, ‘I feel bad I can’t win that 500th game for you.’ That’s the kind of kid he is.”

MR. BASEBALL STATE PLAYERS
OF THE YEAR ALL-TIME LIST

(Selected by Cal-Hi Sports)

2026 – Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach P-OF
2025 – Seth Hernandez, Corona P-INF
2024 – Seth Hernandez, Corona P-INF (Jr.)
2023 – Trent Caraway, San Juan Capistrano JSerra 3B
2022 – Malcolm Moore, Sacramento McClatchy C
2021 – Marcelo Mayer, Chula Vista Eastlake SS
2020 – No selection (pandemic)
2019 – Keoni Cavaco, Chula Vista Eastlake P/3B
2018 – Joe Magrisi, San Diego Torrey Pines, P-OF
2017 – Hagen Danner, Huntington Beach P/C
2016 – Mickey Moniak,
Carlsbad La Costa Canyon OF
2015 – Joe DeMers,
Pleasant Hill College Park, P/INF
2014 – Brady Aiken,
San Diego Cathedral Catholic, P
2013 – Jack Flaherty, North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, P-3B (Jr.)
2012 – Ty Moore, Santa Ana Mater Dei, P-INF
2011 – Henry Owens, Huntington Beach Edison, P
2010 – Cory Hahn, Santa Ana Mater Dei, P-OF
2009 – Tyler Matzek, Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, P-1B
2008 – Aaron Hicks, Long Beach Wilson OF-P
2007 – Mike Moustakas, Chatsworth INF
2006 – Tyler Robertson, Fair Oaks Bella Vista OF-P
2005 – John Drennen, San Diego Rancho Bernardo OF
2004 – Matt Bush, San Diego Mission Bay INF
2003 – Ian Stewart, Westminster La Quinta INF
2002 – Delmon Young, Camarillo OF (Jr.)
2001 – J.P. Howell, Carmichael Jesuit P
2000 – Mike Stodolka, Corona Centennial DH-P
1999 – Ryan Christianson, Riverside Arlington C
1998 – Sean Burroughs, Long Beach Wilson 3B
1997 – Jon Garland, Granada Hills Kennedy P
1996 – Eric Chavez, San Diego Mt. Carmel SS-P
1995 – Eric Chavez, San Diego Mt. Carmel SS-P (Jr.)
1994 – McKay Christensen, Fresno Clovis West OF
1993 – Derrek Lee, Sacramento El Camino OF
1992 – Jason Kendall, Torrance C
1991 – Dmitri Young, Oxnard Rio Mesa 3B
1990 – Mike Lieberthal, Westlake Village Westlake C
1989 – Todd Johnson, Fresno Bullard C-P
1988 – Scott Davison, Redondo Beach Redondo Union P-DH
1987 – Tom Redington, Anaheim Esperanza SS
1986 – Brian Johnson, Oakland Skyline C
1985 – Gregg Jefferies, San Mateo Serra SS
1984 – James Mitchell, El Cerrito OF
1983 – Kurt Stillwell, Thousand Oaks SS
1982 – Bret Saberhagen, Reseda Cleveland P
1981 – Lenny Dykstra, Garden Grove OF
1980 – Darryl Strawberry, Los Angeles Crenshaw OF
1979 – John Elway, Granada Hills OF
1978 – Lloyd Moseby, Oakland 1B
1977 – Craig Landis, Napa Vintage SS
1976 – Rickey Henderson, Oakland Technical OF
1975 – Carney Lansford, Santa Clara Wilcox SS
1974 – Lonnie Smith, Compton Centennial OF
1973 – Robin Yount, Woodland Hills Taft SS
1972 – Scott McGregor, El Segundo P
1971 – Keith Hernandez, San Bruno Capuchino 1B-Semipro
1970 – Terry Forster, Santee Santana P
1969 – Jeff Burroughs, Long Beach Wilson OF
1968 – Tim Foli, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame SS
1967 – Bill Buckner, Napa 1B
1966 – Kemer Brett, El Segundo P
1965 – Bob Boone, San Diego Crawford P
1964 – Willie Crawford, Los Angeles Fremont OF
1963 – Bob Tolan, Los Angeles Fremont P-OF
1962 – Rudy May, Oakland Castlemont P
1961 – Bob Bailey, Long Beach Wilson SS
1960 – Wade Blasingame, Fresno Roosevelt P
1959 – John Boccabella, Kentfield Marin Catholic 3B
1958 – Dick Ellsworth, Fresno P
1957 – Johnny Callison, East Bakersfield OF
1956 – Mike McCormick, Alhambra Keppel P
1955 – Deron Johnson, San Diego OF
1954 – Don Drysdale, Van Nuys P
1953 – Frank Robinson, Oakland McClymonds 3B
1952 – Jim Gentile, San Francisco Sacred Heart 1B
1951 – Ed Cereghino, Daly City Jefferson P
1950 – J.W. Porter, Oakland Technical C
1949 – Paul Pettit, Harbor City Narbonne P
1948 – Karl Olson, Mill Valley Tamalpais OF
1947 – Gus Triandos, San Francisco Mission C
1946 – Jim Baxes, San Francisco Mission 2B
1945 – Jack Harshman, San Diego 1B
1944 – Jackie Jensen, Oakland OF
1943 – Herb Gorman, San Francisco Balboa 1B
1942 – Charlie Silvera, San Francisco St. Ignatius SS
1941 – Bob Brown, San Francisco Galileo SS
1940 – Duane Pillette, San Diego P
1939 – Ferris Fain, Oakland Roosevelt 1B
1938 – Bob Lemon, Long Beach Wilson SS-P
1937 – Rugger Ardizoia, San Francisco Commerce P
1936 – Bobby Doerr, Los Angeles Fremont 2B (Pro)
1935 – Ted Williams, San Diego Hoover OF
1934 – Frankie Hawkins, San Francisco Sacred Heart SS
1933 – Chet Smith, San Diego P
1932 – Gordon Maltzberger, Colton P
1931 – Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco Galileo SS (Semi-pro)
1930 – Athos Sada, San Diego OF
1929 – Arleigh Williams, Oakland Technical C
1928 – Frank Dobranksy, San Diego P
1927 – Willard Hershberger, Fullerton C
1926 – Dick Bartell, Alameda SS
1925 – Louie Almada, Los Angeles P
1924 – Joe Cronin, San Francisco Sacred Heart SS
1923 – Gene Hollister, San Francisco Mission P
1922 – Walter Berger, San Francisco Mission 3B
1921 – Babe Herman, Glendale 1B
1920 – Bernie Viveiros, Oakland Technical 2B
1919 – Ren Kelly, San Francisco Poly P
1918 – Brick Muller, San Diego OF
1917 – Johnny Gillespie, Oakland Technical P
1916 – Ray Lorrigan, San Francisco Poly P
1915 – Frank Schellenback, Hollywood P
1914 – Bert Cole, San Francisco Lowell P
1913 – George Kelly, San Francisco Poly 3B
1912 – Harry Heilmann, San Francisco Sacred Heart SS
1911 – Will James, Oroville P
1910 – Eddie French, San Francisco Sacred Heart P
1909 – Babe Hollis, San Francisco Cogswell P
1908 – Oscar Vitt, San Francisco Wilmerding SS
1907 – Lloyd Burton, Alameda SS
1906 – Mowatt Mitchell, Los Angeles 1B
1905 – Walter Johnson, Fullerton P
1904 – James Schaeffer, Berkeley C
1903 – Mead Hamilton, San Francisco Lowell P
1902 – Mead Hamilton, San Francisco Lowell 2B
1901 – Heinie Heitmuller, San Francisco Lick 1B
1900 – Orvall Overall, Visalia 1B-Town team
1899 – Will Moreing, Stockton P

Note: Selections prior to 1978 made by our founder, the late Nelson Tennis, based on researching each season.

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports