There is roughly one week left in the high school softball regular season. As teams begin to focus on the final stretch, a crop of those programs are vying for league titles and league placement, which will determine their postseason fate.
It also means more pressure moments will present themselves. The question is, who will deliver?
Here is a short list of top softball players in the area who have earned nominations for 2026 Daily News yearly awards like Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year. As league champions are crowned and postseason runs are made, a hot hitting streak or spectacular pitching performance could solidify a player listed as this year’s Player or Pitcher of the Year.
Note: Just because a player is not listed, doesn’t mean they can’t emerge as yearly award winner. This is just a watch list, not a list of finalists.
Here are the watch lists for 2026 Daily News yearly awards. The players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCHLIST
Jodry Charash, Agoura, Jr. — Charash leads Agoura in hits (44) and stolen bases (22) in 24 games. She’s batting .536 with 10 RBIs and three doubles as a lead-off hitter.
Terrianna Kelly, Oaks Christian, Sr. — Kelly is batting .553 with 42 hits, 33 RBIs and nine home runs in 24 games. She leads her team in hits, doubles, RBIs, and homers. Kelly has a slugging percentage of 1.066 and an on-base percentage of .600. In 90 plate appearances, she’s only struck out once.
Kelsey Luderer, Notre Dame, So. — Luderer is batting .509 with 28 hits, 31 RBIs and six home runs this season. She’s also scored 19 runs in 20 games.
Sydney Katz, Westlake, Jr. — Katz is batting .557 with 39 hits, 29 RBIs, 23 runs scored, eight doubles and six home runs. She’s been walked 16 times and has an on-base percentage of .636.
Amelia Johnson, Saugus, Sr. — Johnson is batting .424 with 28 hits and a team-high 36 RBIs with seven doubles and eight home runs in 23 games.
Zoe Justman, Granada Hills, Sr. — Justman might be in contention for City Player of the Year if the Highlanders can hang on to win it all. She’s batting .557 with 39 hits, 33 RBIs, 11 doubles, six triples and six home runs.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR WATCHLIST
Julia Horton, Oaks Christian, Fr. — It might be hard to find a better freshman in the area than Horton. However, after being 12-0 from the circle with a 1.04 ERA and totalling 96 strikeouts in 67 ⅓ innings, she’s a real Pitcher of the Year candidate.
Finley Suppan, Chaminade, So. — Suppan is 12-1 from the pitching circle with a 2.53 ERA. She’s fanned 87 batters in 91 ⅓ innings. She’s a good hitter, too, batting .438 with 21 hits and 18 RBIs with three home runs.
Parker Ong, Simi Valley, Jr. — Ong is 12-3 this season with an ERA of 2.59 in 18 appearances. She’s tallied 102 strikeouts in 108 innings of work.
Emjay Peck, Viewpoint, Sr. — Peck is among the top strikeout pitchers in Southern California. The standout senior is 14-2 from the circle with a 1.47 ERA and a mind-boggling 197 strikeouts in 95 innings of work.
Sydney Scripter, Paraclete, Sr. — Scripter hits and pitches for the Spirits. She’s 16-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 20 appearances this spring with 107 strikeouts. From the plate, she’s batting .561 with 33 hits, 41 RBIs and 14 home runs.