Corona HS Teammates Seth Hernandez, Billy Carlson & Brady Ebel Could Make MLB Draft History

Image credit: Seth Hernandez (Larry Goren/Four Seam Images)

Corona (Calif.) High teammates Seth Hernandez, Billy Carlson and Brady Ebel are vying to become the first trio of prep teammates ever drafted in the first round of the same MLB Draft.

The latest BA mock draft has Hernandez going sixth overall to the Pirates and Carlson 10th to the White Sox. That would give Hernandez and Carlson a composite selection number of 16, which would be the second-lowest in draft history for high school teammates.

Only the Chatsworth (Calif.) High duo of Mike Moustakas and Matt Dominguez, taken second and 12th overall in 2007, have a lower composite selection number at 14.

Presented chronologically, here are the seven pairs of high school teammates who were drafted in the first round of the same draft. Players are listed with bWAR in parentheses.

1972: Cordova HS, Rancho Cordova, Calif.

12. Mike Ondina, OF, White Sox (N/A)
20. Jerry Manuel, SS, Tigers (–0.6 in 96 G)

Ondina reached Triple-A briefly in eight pro seasons. Manuel reached the majors for parts of five seasons but is better known as manager of the White Sox and Mets between 1998 and 2010.

1997: Great Bridge HS, Chesapeake, Va.

9. Michael Cuddyer, SS, Twins (17.8 in 1,536 G)
17. John Curtice, LHP, Red Sox (N/A)

Cuddyer played his way off the dirt in the big leagues but collected more than 1,500 hits and nearly 200 home runs in a 15-year MLB career while playing mostly right field for the Twins, Rockies and Mets.

Curtice pitched his way onto the 1999 Top 100 Prospects list with a big year in the Midwest League but reached only High-A before retiring after two surgeries in four pro seasons.

2000: Rancho Bernardo HS, San Diego

8. Matt Wheatland, RHP, Tigers (N/A)
25. Scott Heard, C, Rangers (N/A)

The 2000 draft class was one of the weaker ones in history, and neither first-rounder from SoCal power Rancho Bernardo reached the majors. Wheatland dealt with three surgeries in his first two pro seasons, missed all of 2002 and 2003 and reached Low-A for just 48.2 total innings.

Heard carried a sterling defensive reputation but failed to hit even .300 as a high school senior and did not get out of Class A in four pro seasons. Perhaps he would be viewed more favorably in today’s world of catcher framing runs.

2002: Cypress Falls HS, Houston

5. Clint Everts, RHP, Expos (N/A)
15. Scott Kazmir, LHP, Mets (22.3 in 303 G)

Everts stood out as a switch-hitting prep shortstop, but his devastating curveball and projectable 6-foot-2 frame made him more attractive to MLB teams as a pitcher. He had Tommy John surgery in 2004 that sapped him of his former potential. Everts hung on to pitch for 11 seasons in affiliated ball, spending parts of three of them at Triple-A.

Durability concerns pushed Kazmir down the board, but his electric arm speed and standout slider paid MLB dividends—though not for the Mets, who foolishly traded him to the Rays for Victor Zambrano at the 2004 deadline. Kazmir made three all-star teams and led the AL with 239 strikeouts in 2007.

2004: Wolfson HS, Jacksonville, Fla.

14. Billy Butler, 3B, Royals (11.8 in 1,414 G)
30. Eric Hurley, RHP, Rangers (0.1 in 5 G)

The Royals emphasized signability when they drafted Butler, a pure hitter lacking in athleticism and speed. Negative defensive value cut into his bottom line, but Butler hit .290/.354/.441 (116 OPS+) with 147 home runs in a 10-year MLB career as a first baseman/DH.

The hard-throwing Hurley steadily worked his way up the ladder to make his MLB debut in 2008. Rotator cuff surgery knocked him out for the 2009 season, and he never seemed to completely recover before retiring in 2012.

2007: Chatsworth (Calif.) HS

2. Mike Moustakas, SS, Royals (12.7 in 1,427 G)
12. Matt Dominguez, 3B, Marlins (1.2 in 362 G)

Moustakas rose to prominence, along with fellow homegrown prospects Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon, Yordano Ventura and Kelvin Herrera, right on time for the 2015 World Series-champion Royals. In a 13-year MLB career, “Moose” hit 215 home runs while batting .247/.307/.431 (97 OPS+) primarily as a third baseman.

Dominguez had flashy defensive tools at third base but substandard hitting, power and speed. The Marlins flipped him to the Astros for a 36-year-old Carlos Lee in 2012, and Dominguez played regularly for some pre-dynasty Houston clubs that averaged 103 losses per season.

2012: Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif.

7. Max Fried, LHP, Padres (27.3 in 183 G and counting)
16. Lucas Giolito, RHP, Nationals (12.3 in 189 G and counting)

This Harvard-Westlake first-round duo is the only one in which both players were unequivocal MLB successes—even with both pitchers having Tommy John surgery while prospects.

Along with Framber Valdez, Tarik Skubal, Carlos Rodon and Blake Snell, Fried has been one of the most successful southpaws of the 2020s. His wide mix—including a famous curveball—and elite command should help him age well as he enters his 30s.

The 6-foot-6 Giolito drew acclaim for hitting 100 mph as a prep. He has been more up and down in MLB that Fried, but he always seems to adapt when challenged. After an MLB-worst 6.13 ERA in 2018, Giolito shortened his arm stroke and developed into a front-of-rotation starter. A second elbow surgery in 2024 threatened his career, but he looks to be rounding back into form this season.

Top High School Trios In Draft History

As of now, Brady Ebel appears likely to be drafted in the supplemental first or second round. Still, if he is selected in the top 100 picks along with Seth Hernandez and Billy Carlson, then Corona will set a record for highest-drafted high school trio in one draft class.

Two previous high schools have had three players selected among the top 100 players in a single draft.

1999: Moses Lake (Wash.) HS

5. B.J. Garbe, OF, Twins (N/A)
59. Ryan Doumit, C, Pirates (8.9 in 980 G)
63. Jason Cooper, OF, Phillies (did not sign; went to Stanford; drafted again in 2002 third round)

2019: IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.

33. Brennan Malone, RHP, D-backs (N/A)
49. Rece Hinds, 3B, Reds (0.8 in 31 G and counting)
52. Kendall Williams, RHP, Blue Jays (N/A)

Corona has a fourth player who could potentially be drafted in the top 100 picks in 2025. Righthander/outfielder Ethin Bingaman is a top 200 draft prospect and righthanded batter who hits for power and has an intriguing three-pitch mix on the mound. He is committed to Auburn if he doesn’t sign.

The quartet of Hernandez, Carlson, Ebel and Bingaman make Corona perhaps the most talented high school team scouts have ever seen.

Contributing: Carlos Collazo