Last summer, James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake was struggling at the plate. Then came shocking news before his senior year: He didn’t make the list of 40 finalists for the U18 national baseball team despite winning gold medals for the U15 team.
“He was pressing,” coach Jared Halpert said. “He had really good at-bats but wasn’t getting results. Credit goes to his maturity, ‘How do I get better?’”
His mental adjustment on how to react to failure, combined with a conditioning program that led him to lose 10 pounds and become faster and stronger, created a spring environment sending him into rarefied air.
The 6-foot, 170-pounder batted .531 with 52 hits and 10 home runs while making the transition from center fielder to shortstop. Everyone associated with the program now calls him the best hitter in school history.
For an individual performance that separated him from all others, Tronstein has been selected The Times’ player of the year for the 2026 season. The Vanderbilt commit and possible high draft pick has been a four-year varsity starter. He also was named the Gatorade state player of the year.
One of the lessons Tronstein said he learned is that “baseball is a game of failure. How am I going to handle that and set myself up for success?”
“He started evaluating situations,” Halpert said.
He also became a vocal leader, having been taken under the wings by former stars Bryce Rainer, Tommy Bridges and Miguel Villegas. His fire during games and his support of teammates came through loud and clear
He credited Halpert for teaching him about baseball and life.
“Coach Halpert has a huge impact on my life,” Tronstein said. “He’s made me into the man I am today.”
Tronstein helped Harvard-Westlake win the Mission League title and reach the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals before losing 3-1 to eventual champion St. John Bosco.