Listen around the backstop at a youth baseball tournament, and you’re certain to encounter plenty of opinions — from coaches, parents, and players — about the “right” paths to the MLB Draft.

How many innings (or swings) are appropriate? At what age should a young person specialize in one sport? Is this camp, hitting guru, or pitching lab worth the expense?

The more years I spend as a baseball journalist — and youth sports parent — the less I know for certain. Based on personal experience and research I’ve read, I’m a strong advocate for participation in multiple sports. I also admire the passion of kids who fall in love with baseball at a young age and want to play it as much as possible. It’s difficult to tell young people not to spend time on a pursuit they love, even though taking breaks can be beneficial in the long run.

With that perspective, I drove 50 miles east of Dodger Stadium and spent an afternoon with the star-laden varsity at Corona (Calif.) High School.

“It’s a lot,” said Corona shortstop Billy Carlson, reflecting on the volume of intense baseball he’s played. “It’s a lot of playing. Managing the games so you’re not overworking yourself is a big thing. You’re getting invited to events here and here and here. Just learning how to manage the games you’re playing is big, in my opinion. If I could do it over again, I would be more selective of what I’m playing and not playing in.

“Obviously, you love to play baseball. You want to get on the field as much as you can. But there’s a point where it could be a little too much, and it gets expensive, too, for the family.”

Multiple top prospects for the ’25 Draft have taken different journeys to play at Corona, a public school that has produced Major League pitchers Joe Kelly and Tristan Beck. Corona went 28-3 in a dominant season that ended with an upset loss to St. John Bosco in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section semifinal.

Now the focus shifts to the Draft, where right-hander Seth Hernandez (No. 3) and Carlson (No. 7) are near the top of the MLB Pipeline rankings. Infielder Brady Ebel (No. 64) and two-way talent Ethin Bingaman (No. 150) also are candidates to be selected in the early rounds.

At the outset, let’s be clear about what this story isn’t. The quartet didn’t grow up playing on the same city playground, the way Hall of Famers Paul Molitor, Jack Morris and Dave Winfield did at Dunning Park in St. Paul, Minn., during the 1960s and early 1970s.

But Hernandez, Carlson, Ebel, and Bingaman developed friendships with one another while growing up in the Southern California youth baseball circuit. All four train and take online classes at Futures Training Center, the baseball and softball facility co-founded by former Yankees minor league coach Brandon Oliver.

Hernandez, who grew up a Yankees fan, was homeschooled through his sophomore year and didn’t play a varsity game before enrolling at Corona as a junior. Ebel played his first two seasons at Etiwanda High School in his hometown of Rancho Cucamonga. Bingaman and his family relocated from Redlands — 30 miles away — so Ethin could play with and against the best players in the state during his senior year.

The question of whether Bingaman will be a pitcher or position player at the pro level has been a popular one among scouts. He’s comfortable at third base, second base, and in the outfield. Opinions about his future vary from team to team. Bingaman isn’t sure, either. “I’m kind of leaving it up to everyone that’s asking me the question,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Whatever you like me as, that’s what you can go forward with.’”

(By the way, the unique spelling of Ethin is in keeping with a family tradition of names ending with -in, along with father Dustin and brother Landin.)

Carlson is the only one of the four to spend his entire prep career at Corona. He attended his first Corona game as an eighth grader, as the Panthers faced local rival Norco High School. “It was super intense,” Carlson remembered. “I was used to travel ball games, having a few parents in the stands. Attending that game was like, ‘Dang, this is the real deal.’ I wanted to go to Corona after I went to that game.”

Carlson grew up as a fan of the Angels and Mike Trout. More recently, he’s gravitated toward watching Fernando Tatis Jr., because of his “passion and swagger.” Still, Carlson wonders how it would feel if the Angels were to draft him. Their first selection is No. 2 overall.

“It would be awesome to get selected by them,” he said, “but I’m just going with the flow and seeing where God takes me.”

Such perspective is common among Corona players, partially because of the culture instilled by head coach Andy Wise. A former pitcher at Santa Ana College and Long Beach State, Wise equips his players to manage the sport’s inherent failure, often citing principles of the late Dr. Ken Ravizza, a leading voice in sports psychology.

“I wasn’t the best pitcher in the world, but I had enough to compete, and I think I was good enough in the mental game to work through some of that stuff,” Wise said. “[I’m] trying to bring that to these [high school] players. My message to them is, ‘Let’s just be the best we can be on each pitch, and all the other stuff will take care of itself in the end.’

“It’s an ongoing process. [Mental training] is just as important as your swing or your arm care.”

The Panthers’ senior class featured six Division I commits in all, including Gavin Flores (Creighton) and Jason Gerfers (Arizona State). Crucially, parents associated with the program sustain a supportive atmosphere with their conduct during games.

“These kids are a lot like their parents: they’re into it; they’re excited,” Wise said. “You can hear Bill Carlson (Sr.) in the crowd, and he’s not just yelling for his son. I hear him yelling for everybody else, which is just great. Steve Hernandez, Seth’s dad, is kind of like Seth: very stoic, mellow, and a rock-solid dude.”

Ebel’s father, Dino, wasn’t able to attend many Corona games this year, and for a very good reason: He is the Dodgers’ third base coach. The Ebels still share plenty of time together at Dodger Stadium, where Brady and Trey (a junior at Corona this season) join their father for infield drills long before the Dodgers take batting practice.

Baseball is a multigenerational sport for many Panthers players.

Seth Hernandez’s great-grandfather, Joseph Hernandez, played for the Chino (Calif.) All-Stars during the 1920s, a local club that played a role in uniting the community across ethnic groups.

Carlson’s mother, Mary, was born in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes before moving to Southern California during childhood. Mary’s father and grandfather played in a Calvillo, Mexico, municipal league, and her cousin, Aldo Flores, has spent five seasons as an infielder in the Mexican League.

Dustin Bingaman played junior college baseball at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. His son’s collegiate future — unless he signs with an MLB club — is much further from home: Auburn University.

In fact, all of the Panthers’ top-rated prospects are committed to SEC schools: Hernandez, Vanderbilt; Carlson, Tennessee; Ebel, LSU.

The trend will continue next season, when scouts return to Corona to watch center fielder Anthony Murphy (LSU) and infielder Trey Ebel (Texas A&M) before the 2026 MLB Draft.

The SEC claims the last six champions of the Men’s College World Series.

“If you come out here to SoCal and watch a game, there’s going to be less fans,” Bingaman said. “If you go out to the SEC, there’s going to be thousands of people watching your game every single day. That’s the big difference.”

The spotlight has followed Bingaman and his teammates all season. It will follow them to the Draft and beyond, human stories behind the data in an amateur baseball galaxy of unending complexity.