In an ordinary year, shortstops pepper the prospect rankings in Southern California. That's not the case in 2026. Outfielders are the talk of the town, and Orange Lutheran bluechip Eric Zdunek might end up pacing the pack.
Indeed, it's a strange year on the south side of the Golden State.
It's easy to get excited about Zdunek. Standing tall at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, the Irvine product has the size and physicality scouts look for in a pro prospect. He's a linear hitter, but should be able to incorporate more rotational components into his swing as he continues to get stronger and receives further development in his offensive game. Zdunek's swing has a shallow path through the zone and relies on back-spinning to baseball to create launch and slug. He's shown some feel for catching the bottom of the baseball out in front of the plate, and has several home runs …