PRESEASON PRIME: 25-21

25. Wes Peterson

Menlo-Atherton - pitcher - senior

The Skinny: By season's end, Wes Peterson became a pitcher over the final two months of the 2025 season. It helped him lead Menlo-Atherton to a PAL-Bay Division championship. "I became less of a thrower and more of a pitcher," he said. He entered the season as a hard-throwing junior. A kid with a fastball. He added a changeup, which only made the heater more effective. Peterson had fewer strikeouts per inning than he did when he burst onto the scene as a sophomore, but he says he is a better pitcher. "I think (last) season was really important for me to grow as an athlete." Peterson originally committed to Duke University. That changed in June when Chris Pollard took the job at Virginia and took his coaching staff with him. Peterson quickly decommitted at Duke and signed with the Cavs.

He Said It: "I think there were plenty of high highs and some low lows throughout the (2025) season, but overall, it was a good experience for me to be able to highlight my mistakes so that I could begin to train and learn from them, ultimately to get better."

The Numbers Tell the Story: Peterson allowed just seven earned runs in 46 1/3 innings. He wasn't used like many of the Peninsula's workhorse No. 1 starters, but he made starts against Saint Francis and Archbishop Mitty during the nonleague portion of the season, an indicator he was the Bears' ace.

Eye-Popping Stat: He held opposing hitters to a .125 batting average last season, while their on-base percentage was a minuscule .234.

24. Zander Yocum

Mountain View, centerfield, junior

The Skinny: Zander Yocum likes his chances when he gets ahead in the count. Most good hitters do, but for a self-described fastball hunter, having the advantage of knowing it’s coming is a big thing. “I’m searching for that first-pitch heater,” he said. “Ultimately, when I’m at the plate, putting myself in hitter’s counts is one of the biggest advantages I can give to myself.” Yocum took the De Anza Division by storm last year by stepping into the middle of the order as a sophomore and never letting up. Now a junior, the right fielder is no surprise to anyone. He is the player in the Spartans’ lineup the opponent must be aware of. How he responds to that kind of attention will go a long way in Mountain View’s success this year. A summer of playing Alpha Baseball helped him to sort out the mental side of hitting. “Before I go to the plate, I try to block out everything except for the situation of the game,” he said. Once his mind is still, his athleticism takes over. A fall filled with “grinding in the gym” regularly and living in the batting cage have made him a bigger, stronger and more capable hitter.

He Said It: I think we’re a team to watch out this year. Mountain View is going to be a threat in the (SCVAL-De Anza Division). … The Spartans will be lethal.”

The Numbers Tell the Story: Yocum hit .325 with 25 hits, including two home runs, 17 runs scored and 16 RBI.

Eye-Popping Stat: With 19 strikeouts in 90 plate appearances in 2025, the free-swinging Yocum will set his sights on putting the ball in play this season.

23. Merrick Lee

Menlo-Atherton - centerfield - junior

The Skinny: Baseball has never been too big for Merrick Lee, no matter the level. So, last year, when Lee, then a sophomore, was inserted into the leadoff spot of the Menlo-Atherton lineup, he just shrugged his shoulder and went about his job. “I think the main factor was my confidence levels and trusting in my abilities,” he said. “Also, my teammates were super welcoming.” Lee was the table setter on a team that would dominate the PAL Bay Division and get to the CCS-Division II semifinals. It was just baseball, he said. “I had some nerves going into that first game, but after stepping into the box for the first time, it felt like just another at-bat.” Lee makes those plate appearances an ordeal for opposing pitchers. He has a keen sense of the strike zone and the ability to fight off pitches until he gets the one he wants. And hitting in front of a kid like Ryder Kelly, getting on base oftentimes means a trip around the bases. “I can always trust that once I get on base, I’ll be knocked in to set the tone for the game.” Like a lot of better players around, Lee grew up playing the middle of the infield. He moved to centerfield at 13 out of necessity and was immediately enamored with the view, and all leading the outfield had to offer. “I have loved it ever since,” he said. “I like the amount of ground I have to cover.” Interestingly, he and Saint Francis centerfielder Jack Leeper are best friends and former teammates. “He’s a great player and I love seeing him growing like he has,” Lee says. If anyone is curious, Menlo-Atherton plays Saint Francis on March 10 in Mountain View. “That’s going to be fun,” Lee says.

He Said It: “I try to be a tough out and get on base no matter what.”

The Numbers Tell the story: Lee hit .366 with 34 hits, including seven doubles and a homer, and scored 24 runs, while driving in 18.

Eye-Popping Stat: Defensively, he committed no errors, while striking out just 12 times in 110 plate appearances.

22. Ethan Williams

Los Gatos - pitcher - senior

The Skinny: It's been said the secret to success is living in the moment. Ethan Williams admits that's easier said than done, but when he achieves that mentality, good things tend to follow. "If you really buy into it, it really shows up," said the senior right-hander. "When you can say to yourself that this pitch is the only one that matters." For hitters, baseball is a game flush with failure. The best hitters who ever lived went without a hit seven of every 10 times. That said, the table is turned on pitchers, who, by that same way of thinking, come through 70 percent of the time. "For us it's more of a success thing," Williams said. "Our mindset is different." And maybe that's why a rough outing is a bigger deal to a pitcher than an oh-fer is to a hitter, and that doesn't take into account the off days to think about getting hit around the park. "When things don't go well, you have to trust the process and trust that what you're doing is proven to work." Williams will take that mentality into his final year of high school baseball, where the Wildcats, fueled by a strong senior class, have some high expectations. "We've all been playing together since we were 8 years old," he said. "This is our last season together and we really like each other a lot. That's what makes what we have special."

He Said It: "Throwing strikes is obviously the key. My game plan is to get ahead in the count and put 'em away."

The Numbers Tell the Story: Williams went 7-0 with a 0.89 earned-run average in 2025. He struck out 39 batters in 47.1 innings.

Eye-Popping Stat: In two varsity seasons, Williams is perfect at 12-0 with a 1.29 ERA. He has recorded 96 strikeouts while walking just 15.

21. Colton Hadfield

Valley Christian - shortstop, pitcher - junior

The Skinny: On a team loaded with seven NCAA-Division I players, Colton Hadfield was the sophomore in the lineup. The kid who started the year at second base and by midseason was anchoring the lineup with a move to shortstop. “I was willing to do whatever it took to put my team in the best position to win,” Hadfield said. It’s a different year at Valley Christian. Gone is last year’s senior class, which guided Valley Christian to the finals of the CCS-Division I tournament and a new core of players has stepped into key roles, Hadfield among them. When he’s not playing shortstop, he’ll be on the mound. His fastball, which can get up to 90 mph, makes him a pitcher with the skillset to take the WCAL by surprise in 2026. “It’s coming along well,” he said. “I’m getting a feel for all my pitches and am excited for the new year. I’d definitely say I’m more of a power pitcher.” Hadfield has committed to play at UCLA in the fall of 2027, where he is hoping to be a two-way player. “Overall, it came down to (UCLA) being one of the best programs in the country and the coaches being able to develop me into the best version of myself.”

He Said It: “My hitting approach this year will be to live up the middle and the other way. I just want to get as many barrels as possible and do everything I can to help my team win.”

The Numbers Tell the Story: As a sophomore, Hadfield hit .242 with 23 hits, 17 runs scored and 17 RBI.

Eye-Popping Stat: The 19 walks he drew were topped only by Quinten Marsh’s 22 free passes.