There aren’t many amateur baseball players who can relate to Grady Emerson. The high school senior from Argyle, Texas, has already played four different positions on four different U.S. national teams. He has won three gold medals and two World Cups. Last summer, he wowed MLB fans during All-Star Weekend by launching balls over the right field porch of Truist Park.
So, when the 18-year-old started his senior season at a new school -- under the watchful eye of MLB scouts -- few were surprised by how he handled the moment.
Grady Emerson just keeps hitting.
Through the first few weeks of his season at Fort Worth Christian, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft is batting .548 with four home runs, six doubles, and 21 RBIs -- a seamless start in a new environment that feels anything but fluky.
It’s the kind of steady, elite performance that scouts and fans have come to expect from Emerson, a 6-foot-2 shortstop with a silky smooth left-handed swing and one of the most complete profiles in the class. He’s been ranked among the top players in his class since his freshman year, and now, as one of just a handful of high school players on the Golden Spikes Award watch list, the expectations have only grown.
Despite the spotlight, Emerson’s approach at the plate hasn’t changed.
“I really pride myself on not striking out a lot, being able to put the ball in play, putting pressure on the defense,” Emerson says. “Just having that hand-eye coordination and bat-to-ball skills -- that’s a big thing that I work on a lot.”
The approach to hitting isn’t the only mature quality about the top prospect. Off the field, Emerson comes across as a grounded player who prioritizes team and family -- even if the eyes of the baseball world stay glued on him.
From Buzz Lightyear Bats to Big League Dreams
Long before the rankings and the draft projections, Emerson was just a kid in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, enamored with his hometown Texas Rangers. Watching the Rangers, Emerson became obsessed with the sport and developed somewhat of an early hitting routine.
“The first thing I ever got was a little toy Buzz Lightyear bat when I was about three years old,” Emerson says. “I’d make my mom and dad throw to me every single day in the house just to keep me entertained.”
Emerson started tee ball at age five and progressed from there. Before long, baseball had become an obsession.
“Everything I did was baseball, whether that was watching a baseball game, playing baseball, my parents talking baseball, doing impressions of the Rangers batting lineup -- that was where it all started.”
By the time he was 13, Emerson started to realize his baseball career was worth taking seriously. Playing on the national circuit with Team Elite, he began testing himself against top competition across the country, traveling frequently with his family to tournaments in Florida and Georgia. By then his Buzz Lightyear-honed cut was a sophisticated lefty stroke, and Emerson started to move up prospect ranking boards.
“That was the first time I really got to challenge myself against the best of the best,” he said. “The fact I was able to perform at a high level, I was like, ‘Okay… I think I have something special.’”
The USA Baseball Journey
Emerson’s trajectory took off shortly after. At just 14 years old, he was invited to USA Baseball’s 15U National Team Training Camp in Cary, North Carolina, and he quickly turned heads. He was selected to join the 2022 15U National Team for its trip to Hermosillo, Mexico, for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup.
Despite being just the second youngest player on Team USA, Emerson carved out a role for himself at first base, recording a .856 OPS in the tournament and helping the U.S. win gold -- a sign of things to come.
The next year, Emerson played for the 15U National Team again (as a 15-year-old this time) at an international friendly series in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Starting every game at shortstop, he dominated once again, batting .389 with one home run as Team USA swept its opponents in five games.
A year later, Emerson starred for the 18U National Team as a 16-year-old. Never one to shy away from playing a new position, he manned second base for Team USA in 2024, as the team went 8-0 in the WBSC U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier. Emerson batted a cool .381 with seven RBIs to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
Feeling he had more to give, Emerson returned to the 18U team for the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Japan last year. This time he played every inning at third base for Team USA, batting .346 with a .949 OPS. Emerson was named All-World Third Baseman for his efforts.
All in all, Emerson says those international experiences shaped him both on and off the field.
“Some of the best memories of my life,” he says. “Winning gold, hearing the ‘USA’ chants from the crowd -- that was super special.”
Beyond the games, Emerson was able to use the opportunity to get to know some of the best players in the sport. He recounts late-night McDonald’s runs in Panama, card games, and bus karaoke sessions with the likes of recent No. 1 and No. 4 overall MLB Draft picks Eli Willits and Ethan Holliday. Spending time with future professional players gave Emerson a clearer picture of the level he was striving to reach.
“Those are moments you never forget,” he says about the Team USA experiences. “It really forces you to be the best version of yourself. You’re competing with the best, and then you’re teammates with them, representing your country. It’s pretty cool.”
A New Chapter and Superstar Guidance
This spring brought a major change for Emerson. After starting his high school career at Argyle High School, Emerson transferred to Fort Worth Christian for his senior season, joining a program led by former Texas Ranger Rusty Greer. The move also connected him to a familiar lineage -- Greer previously mentored Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr., another elite shortstop from the area.
For Emerson, the opportunity to learn from Greer and his coaching staff has been invaluable.
“It’s amazing just being able to ask them questions -- what do big leaguers do, how do they go about their business,” Emerson said. “I feel like they always have an answer.”
That mentorship extended even further this fall, when Greer connected Emerson with Witt Jr. so that the two could talk through the challenges of a highly scrutinized senior season.
“Just go out there and play and be you,” Emerson said about the advice he received from the two-time All-Star. “Don’t try to be more than yourself. Play to win ballgames.”
So far, Emerson has done exactly that. Entering the final stretch of his high school career, Emerson has Fort Worth Christian at 14-4-1 and in position to win its district. He is sporting an eye-popping 1.720 OPS.
Through it all, Emerson makes sure to take time away from working on his own game to gain perspective. He frequently gives hitting lessons to younger players and spends time watching his younger brother’s games. He credits his parents for raising him in the Christian faith and making sure that baseball doesn’t consume his entire life.
“My identity isn’t baseball,” he said. “I want to be the most genuinely nice person there is outside of the game.”
As for his game, however, Emerson keeps improving. He’s made it a mission this season to make a difference on the basepaths, and he already has 10 stolen bases to show for it. His defense at shortstop has been impeccable as well -- he has zero errors on 60 total chances.
Meanwhile, at the plate, Emerson is sticking to his identity as a strong contact hitter. Despite possessing the power he flashed at the Home Run Derby, he keeps it in his back pocket. Last Thursday, fans got a glimpse of that power when he hit two homers and a double in an extra-innings win over rival Southwest Christian.
With the myriad of ways Emerson can impact a game, it’s no wonder scouts view him as the top high school player in the draft. Few would be surprised if he follows former teammates Willits and Holliday as a top five pick this July. It’s likely Emerson will spend yet another summer competing against future big leaguers who are older than him.
Whatever the situation, Emerson is bound to show up and compete.
And, as always, he’ll just keep hitting.
