Former Argyle High School baseball standout Grady Emerson was one of 25 amateur players named to USA Baseball’s top honor – the Golden Spikes Award.
Emerson is the only high school player that made the cut, sitting amongst 24 NCAA Division I athletes.
After playing his junior year at Argyle, Emerson left to play for Fort Worth Christian School, where he could be mentored by head coach Rusty Greer, a 9-year big leaguer for the Texas Rangers.
“Fort Worth Christian’s Grady Emerson has been one of high school baseball’s most electrifying all-around players in 2026,” said USA Baseball in a press release. “The senior shortstop… is putting together one of the most dominant offensive campaigns in school history, leading the team in nearly every major category.”
According to USA Baseball, Emerson is the consensus No. 1 player in the 2026 class and is vying for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
This year with the Cardinals, Emerson has started every game at shortstop and tallied 42 hits, seven home runs, 42 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases.
Emerson hopes to pad his stats a bit more as Fort Worth Christian takes a 32-6-1 record into the TAPPS Division II state championship semifinal round on Monday against Trinity Christian School of Lubbock.
During four stints with the USA National Team, Emerson has won three gold medals and shown off his skills enough to earn multiple national accolades.
“Emerson continues to cement his status as one of the premier talents in the country,” said USA Baseball. “Apart from the diamond, Emerson also leads camps, volunteers, donates gear, excels academically and actively serves others.”
Greer also mentored Colleyville-Heritage High School product and current All-Star shortstop for the Kansas City Royals, Bobby Witt, Jr.
With his selection, Emerson joined Witt as the only two high school players to be named to a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist.
The Golden Spikes Award is a fan-led vote, so votes for Emerson can be submitted on the USA Baseball website. The award will be announced on Monday, June 29 on MLB Network.
