Rays draft pick Grady Emerson has added another major line to a résumé that’s already getting plenty of attention. After going No. 2 overall in the MLB draft, Emerson was named the 2026 Gatorade Best Player of the Year, an honor that marks him as the top high school male athlete for the 2025-2026 season.
The award has been around since 1985 and recognizes the best high school athletes across eight sports for boys and girls, before narrowing down to overall male and female athlete of the year honors. Emerson received the trophy from former GBPOY winner Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, who took home the award in 2016.
That puts Emerson in some elite company. He joins former Tigers No. 3 overall pick Max Clark, who won in 2023, along with Bobby Whit Jr. in 2019 and MacKenzie Gore in 2017. The list of past winners also includes NBA names like Cooper Flagg, Karl-Anthony Towns, Dwight Howard and LeBron James, plus NFL quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Matt Barkley.
In a press release, Emerson said, “Being awarded Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year is something I’ve only dreamed about. The athletes who have come before me are the best of all time, so it’s crazy to now be a part of this legacy. Thank you to Gatorade for the recognition and for creating this once-in-a-lifetime experience to celebrate all the hard work it took for us to get here.”
The announcement came after a sponsored multi-day trip in New York City that honored 12 men and women Gatorade National Players of the Year from across sports. The experience included meeting professional athletes, seeing their names on Times Square billboards, attending educational and celebratory events, and walking the ESPY Awards red carpet before the BPOY reveal.
Gatorade’s selection process also weighs academic and charitable work, and Emerson checked those boxes as well. He has volunteered at The North Texas Food Bank and Mission Arlington, organized and led youth baseball training sessions and defensive coaching camps, and helped deliver home care services during the holiday season through his parents’ company, Always Family Senior Home Care. Gatorade’s release also highlighted Emerson’s A-average in the classroom.
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