A study of Major League Baseball teams reveals many former Orange County high school baseball players on their rosters.
This week’s All-Star Game had two Orange County players among the National League starters: first baseman Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers played at El Modena High; pitcher Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates is from El Toro High.
Aliso Niguel’s Cooper Flemming, the Orange County player of the year for the 2025 high school baseball season, leads the group of county products selected in the Major League Baseball Draft this month.
A look at the O.C. players taken in this season’s MLB Draft:
Second round
Cooper Flemming, Aliso Niguel, SS
He was selected by Tampa Bay as the 53rd overall pick. Flemming was the Orange County player of the year this past season. MLB.com lists Flemming as being from Pomona’s Ganesha High, but Flemming played his senior season at Aliso Niguel after playing club ball exclusively earlier in his previous high school days.
Third round
Ethan Hedges, Mater Dei, 3B
Hedges was taken by the Colorado Rockies out of USC as the 77th overall selection. Hedges was All-Trinity League first team at Mater Dei before going to USC.
Ben Jacobs, Huntington Beach, P
Jacobs, an All-Orange County first-team pitcher in 2022 and that season’s Surf League MVP, went on to Arizona State and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers as the 98th overall pick.
Fourth round
Riley Kelly, Tustin, P
Kelly, an All-CIF pitcher at Tustin and the Tillers football starting quarterback, was taken by the Colorado Rockies as the 107th overall selection.
Sixth round
Josiah Hartshorn, Orange Lutheran, OF
The Chicago Cubs made Hartshorn. All-Orange County first team this past season, the 181st overall pick.
13th round
Aiden Taurek, Foothill, OF
Taurek, All-OC first team in 2022, was drafted out of St. Mary’s by the Seattle Mariners as the 392nd overall selection.
Gavin Lauridsen, Foothill, P
The Milwaukee Brewers made Lauridsen the 395th overall selection after his All-OC first-team season of 2025 in which he also was a standout shortstop.
17th round
Xavier Cadenas III, Servite, P
The Friars’ ace in the 2022 season, his senior year, Cadenas was taken by the Miami Marlins as the 498th overall draft choice.
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11th round
Rod Barajas Jr., Saddleback College, C
The San Francisco Giants made UC Irvine commit Barajas, son of former MLB catcher Rod Barajas, the 326th overall selection.
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