Meet the 2024 High School Home Run Derby participants (2024)

After only 11 years, the High School Home Run Derby has clearly become a mainstay in the schedule of exciting All-Star-related events. Jacob Gatewood put it on the map in 2013 by putting on a show in the final that took place in front of a packed house at Citi Field in between rounds of the Major League Home Run Derby.

Since then, many prep sluggers have taken their hacks and helped raise their profile as amateur players. A Home Run Derby is obviously not a tremendous predictor of big league success, but 13 previous participants have made it to the Major Leagues, including two winners. One of those high school champions is now a big league All-Star, Bobby Witt Jr., and another, Aidan Miller, will be playing in the Futures Game this year.

So it pays to tune into this year’s edition of the event, taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, not just to see young hitters launch balls into the seats, but to get a glimpse at who might be in the next wave of Major League stars. The event will stream live on MLB.com at 10:30 a.m. CT (11:30 a.m. ET).

Here’s a look at the eight participants in this year’s event, which boasts as strong a field in recent contests:

Brady Ebel, SS, Corona HS (Calif.)
The son of Dodgers’ third-base coach Dino Ebel, Brady is a 6-foot-3 left-handed-hitting infielder with one of the prettier swings in the class, clearly having benefited from hanging around the Dodgers’ hitting program. The LSU commit is part of a stacked Corona team that won USA Baseball’s National High School Invitational this past spring.

Evan Hankins, 1B/LHP, Miller School of Albemarle (Va.)
A legitimate two-way player who can crank his fastball up into the low 90s, Hankins’ true calling card is his raw power from the left side of the plate. The Tennessee recruit just transferred to a bigger school in Charlottesville to face better competition next spring.

Josiah Hartshorn, OF, Orange Lutheran High School (Calif.)
After a huge summer last year, Hartshorn struggled a bit this past spring because of injuries, though he did have a big opposite-field double to put Orange Lutheran ahead in its first NHSI game in March. When he’s healthy, he shows the potential to hit for both average and power, and the Derby could be a way for the Texas A&M recruit to put his name on the map.

Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, Stillwater High School (Okla.)
Some think Holliday has the chance to be better than his older brother, Jackson, who is currently ranked as MLB's No. 1 prospect. Ethan has gotten taller and added even more strength, showing more physicality than some players in the upper levels of the Minors. Committed to Oklahoma State, his ability to hit for average and power comes with ease, with many evaluators thinking he is the top overall player in the 2025 Draft class.

Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon High School (Wash.)
The top player in the Pacific Northwest, Neyens has had one of the best summers so far of any prepster in the 2025 class. He’s hit for power everywhere he’s been and reminds some of a left-handed-hitting Austin Riley. The Oregon State recruit is also up to 95 mph off the mound.

Sebastian Norman, 3B, Glendale High School (Mo.)
Norman is built like a linebacker -- strong, physical and athletic. He’s an explosive athlete who is still learning how to tap in his power. The Oklahoma State recruit might be a bit raw, but his power can match up with anyone in this group.

Jacob Parker, OF/3B, Purvis High School (Miss.)
Parker’s twin brother, JoJo, is also a solid prospect. Jacob has easy loft to his left-handed swing and the power plays. His strong performance on the summer showcase circuit has really put the Mississippi State recruit on the map.

Quentin Young, 3B/OF, Oaks Christian HS (Calif.)
Young has a strong MLB lineage as the nephew of Dmitri and Delmon Young and was originally slated to be in the Class of 2026 before he reclassified. His defensive home is a little unclear, but that matters not in a Home Run Derby. And the Breakthrough Series participant’s calling card is his power.