With the winter season giving way to spring, it’s time for baseball, and it’s time for the area’s best players to take the diamond for their respective ball clubs.
We saw all three of the baseball Player of the Year candidates graduate last season: Ryne Christensen, Ryan Delora, and our winner, Ben Meyers. This means we will have a new cast of finalists following the 2025 season, and below, we make a list of potential players who could make the ballot.
Ryan Bosch – Fruitport Senior – SS/1B
It’s impossible to make any sort of watchlist and not include this guy. Bosch stands at six-foot-eight and throws from the left side. In three seasons with the Trojans, the Wake Forest commit has logged over 140 innings and has well over 200 strikeouts. His fastball hovers around the 90 MPH mark, and in the box, Bosch has an all-time .390 batting average.
Trevor Cunningham – Mona Shores Senior – P
Another southpaw to make this list is crafty senior Trevor Cunningham. In 2024, Cunningham threw 64 innings, striking out 67 batters, and posted a 1.24 ERA. He offers one of the best curveballs in the area to go with his above-average heater.
Hunter Krueger – Mona Shores Senior – SS
Krueger rakes with the stick, and after a .390 season in 2024, the shortstop has already been destroying pitchers this season. In three games, he’s 5-for-10 with six RBIs and logged a triple in the season opener. Watch out for Krueger, as he’s a guy with pop in his bat and can easily hit over .400 on the season.
Logan Slimko – North Muskegon Junior – P/OF
Slimko, a righty with some fire on his fastball, is one of the best pitching prospects in the state as a junior. Last season, he threw 44 innings with 83 punchouts, recording almost two per inning on average. Slimko offers a four-pitch mix that consists of a fastball, changeup, curveball, and slider, with the heater running up to 90 MPH.
Oliver Smies – Spring Lake Junior – OF
With already two home runs through six games this season, it’s safe to say the junior outfielder will have a strong year. In his all-state season last year, Smies scorched a .408 BA and drove in 34 RBIs for the state runner-up Lakers. He hits in the three-hole for a reason, so don’t be surprised if Smies wins this thing outright.
Ryan Grimm – Spring Lake Senior – P
Grimm missed all of last season due to an injury but has come back to the mound in 2025 and has dominated. In his first start since the injury, Grimm tossed a no-hitter against Hamilton. More recently, the righty diced up Sparta, pitching six innings and allowing just one earned run. As a sophomore, Grimm held an ERA of 1.00 and was undefeated on the mound at 6-0.
Michael Wambaugh – Oakridge Senior – P
Wambaugh has started both of Oakridge’s games so far this season and has accumulated eight innings on the hill with 14 strikeouts and just two earned runs. His arsenal features an 88 MPH fastball, a changeup, curveball, and slider. Last season, the righty went 7-2 with a 0.82 ERA and struck out 50 batters. Wambaugh also has two doubles on the season and four RBIs through two games.
Evan Miller – Oakridge Senior – C
A four-year starter behind the dish for the Eagles is bound to have a POY type of season. As a junior, Miller hit .427 with 29 RBIs and was one of the best defensive catchers in the state. Miller is expected to gun down lots of runners this season after throwing out 12 last season.
Brock Morningstar – Whitehall Senior – P/UTL
Morningstar slashed .350/.454/.436 and picked up 10 doubles while knocking in 28 runs at the plate last season. On the mound, he held a 2.68 ERA and struck out 52 hitters. The three-year starter sits in the heart of the Vikings’ order and will be a big-time run producer in 2025.
Bryton Belinger – Montague Senior – P/SS
Belinger plays the shortstop position well and mashes at the dish. Last season, he hit .362 with 18 doubles and two long balls. One of the Wildcats’ key arms last season struck out 60 batters and will be a major problem for hitters in 2025.
Eli Peterson – Montague Junior – P/INF
Peterson comes into the season as the presumable ace of the staff for Montague after pitching in the team’s biggest games last year. In 2024, he recorded 65 punchouts in just 54 innings. With the stick, Peterson finds himself at the top of a very deep lineup card for Montague.
Other Notable Players to Watch
Eli Winters – Whitehall
Ryver Jarka – Montague
Kylan Nielsen – North Muskegon
Bryce Colbert – North Muskegon
Jaxon Bean – North Muskegon
Owen Smies – Spring Lake
Jaden Core – Spring Lake
Dylan May – Ravenna
Braxton Ward – Fruitport
Avery Lambers – Fruitport
DayDay Garcia – Shelby
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