Perfect Game USA - World's Largest Baseball Scouting Service

Indiana State's Manaea to miss start >>

4/5/2013 12:45:52 PM

Indiana State heralded junior left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea will miss his scheduled start against Wichita State Friday night with a strained hip muscle, an injury Sycamores head coach Rick Heller doesn't believe is serious.

"We're hoping he can pitch Saturday or Sunday for us this weekend," Heller said. " But right now, he's out with a strained hip muscle."

In his place on Friday, the Sycamores have moved Devin Moore up in the rotation. Manaea, meanwhile, continues to have a very good campaign for the Sycamores, sitting in good shape with a 1.14 ERA in 39 1/3 innings of work. He also has struck out 46, walked 13, while teams are hitting him at only a .172 clip.

Manaea, along with Stanford right-handed pitcher and Oklahoma right-handed pitcher Jonathan Gray, is considered to be a candidate for the top pick in the upcoming MLB draft.

Giolito signs with Nationals >>

7/13/2012 2:49:06 PM

The Washington Nationals have signed their first round pick, 2011 Perfect Game All-American, Lucas Giolito for $2.925 million.

Yankees sign 1st-rdr Hensley for $1.2M >>

7/12/2012 8:44:19 PM

The New York Yankees signed first-round pick (30th overall), right-handed pitcher Ty Hensley, on the eve of the signing deadline with a bonus amount of $1.2 million.

Hensley's signing with the Yankees comes as no surprise, though, sources indicated the two parties were close to 50-50 less than 24 hours ago. The pick value amount tied to Hensley's slot is $1.6 million, thus the Yankees were able to nab Hensley for $400K under slot.

Hensley had signed a letter of intent with the University of Mississippi. He was ranked No. 18 in the nation, No. 1 in the State of Mississippi and No. 6 nationally in terms of right-handed pitchers, all rankings by Perfect Game.

Hensley made a strong impression on scouts and coaches in attendance last summer when he topped out at 94 with very good stuff.

D'Backs sign South Carolina's Marzilli >>

6/27/2012 9:16:31 PM

The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed South Carolina outfielder Evan Marzilli, an eighth-round pick to the organization for $132,900, which is full pick value for his slot of No. 273.

Marzilli, a very athletic outfielder for the Gamecocks, was an outstanding pick for the Diamondbacks.

Padres to sign Eflin for $1.2M >>

6/15/2012 10:07:17 AM

The San Diego Padres have agreed to terms with first-round supplemental pick and right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin for $1.2 million. The pick value for Eflin's slot was $1.525 million.

Eflin was signed to play at the University of Central Florida. The talented righty was ranked No. 19 nationally by PG as a senior this past spring. He also was ranked No. 6 in the State of Florida and No. 7 at his position on the national stage.

Eflin sits 89-92 with his fastball, topping out at 93. He also has an 83 mph changeup with a 77 curveball.

Indians to give Naquin $1.75M >>

6/15/2012 8:06:04 AM

The Cleveland Indians have agreed to terms with and are expected to sign (later today) Texas A&M outfielder Tyler Naquin for $1.75 million. Pick value for Naquin is listed at $2.25 million.

Naquin will be an interesting story to follow. He was developed into an elite player with the Aggies and is very toolsy. Though he doesn't have amazing raw power, he's excellent defensively, has a tremendous arm, and has a very quick bat.

Naquin was a PG Preseason All-American.

Marlins ink 10th-rounder Ron Miller >>

6/12/2012 11:35:47 PM

The Miami Marlins signed 10th-round pick and power-hitting first baseman Ron Miller for around $200,000, sources said. Miller's draft pick value was listed at $125,000.

Miller was signed to play at UNLV. He was ranked No. 161 nationally by PG, No. 33 in the State of California and No. 10 at his position on the national stage. Miller hails from Los Angeles (Serra HS).

Blue Jays ink Alford for $750K >>

6/12/2012 10:17:54 PM

The Toronto Blue Jays signed third-round pick (No. 112 overall), outfielder Anthony Alford for $750,000. Pick value for Alford's slot is listed at $424,400.

Also interesting about Alford's deal is the Blue Jays are allowing him to play college football at the University of Southern Mississippi while he continues his quest at reaching the big leagues.

Alford was a highly touted prep star out of Mississippi. He was ranked No. 81 nationally by PG as a senior, No. 2 in the State of Mississippi and No. 18 at his position on the national stage.

Alford is an outstanding two-sport athlete. He's a bit raw on the baseball diamond, but has big-time tools. Has excelled at various Perfect Game events the past couple of years.

-- Kendall Rogers

Rangers ink first-round pick Gallo >>

6/12/2012 1:39:59 PM

The Texas Rangers have signed first-round supplemental pick and third baseman Joey Gallo for $2.25 million. Pick value for Gallo's slot was $1,324,800.

Gallo was ranked No. 6 nationally by PG as a high school senior. He also was ranked No. 1 in the State of Nevada and No. 1 at his position on the national stage. He was signed with Louisiana State University.

Mariners to sign DeCarlo for $1.3M >>

6/12/2012 1:29:31 PM

The Seattle Mariners have agreed to terms and will sign (in the next day) second-round pick and third baseman Joe DeCarlo for $1.3 million. The pick value for DeCarlo, the No. 64 overall pick in the MLB draft, is $806,000).

DeCarlo had signed with the University of Georgia. He was ranked No. 98 nationally by PG as a senor. He also was ranked No. 1 in the State of Pennsylvania and No. 7 at his position on the national stage.

No. 2 overall pick Buxton agrees to terms >>

6/12/2012 1:16:52 PM

Appling County HS (Ga.) OF Byron Buxton has agreed to terms with the Minnesota Twins and is heading to Minneapolis to take a physical and sign his professional contract. The rare 5-tool talent has game-changing speed and a strong arm, with promising yet undeveloped tools in the batters box.

Mets sign 12th-rdr, RHP Robert Whalen >>

6/12/2012 12:09:30 PM

The New York Mets have signed talented Florida prospect and 12th-round pick, right-handed pitcher Robert Whalen for $100,000.

Whalen was one of the nation's elite prospects as a high school senior. He was ranked No. 133 nationally by PG, No. 23 in the State of Florida and No. 45 at his position on the national stage.

Whalen competed in PG WWBA World Championship last summer for the FTB Mizuno/Cardinals Scout Team.

Rockies set to ink Dahl for $2.6M >>

6/11/2012 9:18:04 PM

The Colorado Rockies have agreed to terms with and will sign first-round pick, talented outfielder David Dahl, for $2.6 million. Dahl is expected to sign with the Rockies on Tuesday.

Dahl's signing bonus comes in just under the pick value for the 10th overall pick in the draft, $2.7 million.

The 2011 Perfect Game All-American had signed with Auburn.

Dahl has a high-level bat with some serious tools. He's a potential 5 tool player, everything a plus but power, and should stay in center field for a long time.

Mets sign eighth-round Nido >>

6/11/2012 11:28:00 AM

The New York Mets have signed Florida prep catcher and Florida State signee Tomas Nido for $250,000. Pick value for the eighth-round pick was $136,9000.

Nido's draft stock really climbed throughout the spring as he put together a good high school season.

Marlins sign third-round comp Copeland >>

6/11/2012 11:25:55 AM

The Miami Marlins have signed talented Louisiana prep outfielder and third compensation round pick Kolby Copeland, with a signing bonus of $367,200. The pick value for that slot in the draft is $367,000.

Had he not signed, Copeland was headed to Baton Rouge Community College. Copeland is a very nice pickup for the Marlins. He's a very physical-hitting outfielder with good tools across the board.

Marlins ink fourth-rounder Dean >>

6/10/2012 9:18:49 PM

The Miami Marlins have signed talented second baseman and fourth-round pick Austin Dean for $379,000. The pick value allotted to Dean, the No. 137 overall pick of the MLB draft, was $333,500.

Dean was thought to be one of the few highly regarded University of Texas recruits that might end on campus. However, the Marlins met his demands and he will now begin his professional career.

-- Kendall Rogers

Braves ink 2nd-rounder Wood >>

6/10/2012 3:01:40 PM

The Atlanta Braves have signed second-round pick and University of Georgia left-handed pitcher Alex Wood for $700,000. The pick value for his slot, No. 85 overall, is $583,000.

Wood is a talented left-hander with much upside. This past season for the Bulldogs, he consistently sat in the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball. He finished the campaign with a 2.73 ERA in 102 1/3 innings of work. He also struck out 100 and walked 21, while teams hit him at just a .253 clip.

-- Kendall Rogers

High School Player Stats >>

6/2/2012 5:48:17 PM

Stats at any level below the professional levels can't be taken too seriously, but they're always fun to look at. Here are some hitting an pitching stats from notable draft eligible prep players from a handful of notable Perfect Game tournament and showcase events in 2012, including the National Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla., the 17u WWBA National Championship in Marietta, Ga. and the WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla. The stats were accumulated from the GameChanger scoring system, which is used to score every game at every Perfect Game/WWBA tournament and select showcases such as the National.

Hitters

Player	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Albert Almora	27	8	1	1	0	7	8	1	4	.296	.310	.407
Keon Barnum	15	2	1	1	0	2	3	5	0	.133	.333	.333
Skye Bolt	131	41	7	3	6	33	34	13	15	.313	.384	.549
Alex Bregman	18	5	2	0	0	3	2	3	1	.278	.381	.388
Lewis Brinson	48	21	6	0	2	14	15	6	10	.438	.518	.687
Byron Buxton	33	13	3	2	0	9	11	5	6	.394	.476	.606
Gavin Cecchini	81	28	8	1	4	23	26	13	12	.345	.438	.617
Kolby Copeland	81	35	5	1	8	30	28	11	9	.432	.479	.814
Carlos Correa	28	7	2	0	1	11	7	5	1	.250	.368	.428
David Dahl	27	12	6	0	0	5	13	5	6	.444	.546	.666
D.J. Davis	16	6	1	1	0	5	5	3	5	.380	.500	.562
Bryan De La Rosa	45	11	2	0	2	6	8	6	1	.244	.333	.422
Joey Gallo	5	2	1	0	0	0	2	0	1	.400	.400	.600
Courtney Hawkins	56	18	5	2	4	21	17	10	9	.321	.412	.696
C.J. Hinojosa	64	28	10	0	2	13	19	8	8	.438	.507	.687
Wyatt Mathisen	72	17	2	2	2	13	19	12	3	.236	.375	.402
Andrew Pullin	25	5	0	1	1	3	3	3	2	.200	.286	.400
Tanner Rahier	39	22	3	3	1	7	15	4	7	.564	.605	.872
Avery Romero	87	26	8	1	1	22	21	9	8	.299	.394	.448
Addison Russell	18	8	1	0	2	2	6	3	1	.444	.524	.833
Fernelys Sanchez	46	10	2	1	1	4	12	12	13	.217	.373	.369
Corey Seager	13	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
Stryker Trahan	65	19	5	2	1	17	14	2		.292	.324	.476
Nick Williams	27	15	2	1	1	10	11	3	8	.555	.6129	.814
Trey Williams	7	3	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	.430	.429	.857
Jesse Winker	47	17	3	3	6	20	19	13	6	.362	.492	.936
Jameis Winston	13	3	1	0	1	4	3	1	2	.230	.556	.230
Rhett Wiseman	25	9	1	2	2	3	6	1	4	.360	.385	.800

Pitchers

Name	IP	W	L	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
Ryan Burr	6	0	0	4	0	1	14	0.00	0.83
Ty Buttrey	10	1	0	5	6	6	14	4.20	1.10
Byron Buxton	12	0	0	8	3	3	16	1.75	0.92
Taylore Cherry	6	0	0	1	0	1	11	0.00	0.33
Matthew Crownover	25	0	0	6	2	7	44	0.56	0.52
Edwin Diaz	13	1	0	11	12	15	19	6.46	2.00
Zach Eflin	11.1	0	0	10	2	1	17	1.23	0.97
Austin Fairchild	6	0	0	3	0	1	15	0	0.67
Max Fried	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0.00
Carson Fulmer	20.6	0	1	14	7	10	48	2.33	1.14
Joey Gallo	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.00
Lucas Giolito	6	0	0	6	1	4	11	1.17	1.67
Ty Hensley	24	1	0	18	4	6	32	1.16	1.00
Carson Kelly	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00
Lance McCullers	16	0	0	8	4	10	18	1.75	1.13
Ryan McNeil	5	1	0	1	1	2	7	1.4	0.60
Jose Orlando Berrios	5	1	0	2	0	1	6	0	0.60
Cody Poteet	13.1	1	0	9	7	4	19	3.76	1.00
Tanner Rahier	7	1	0	2	0	3	11	0	0.57
Clate Schmidt	15	0	0	9	3	9	17	1.4	1.20
Tucker Simpson	12	0	0	18	10	8	17	5.83	2.17
Lucas Sims	7	0	0	4	3	4	15	3	1.14
Matthew Smoral	6.33	1	0	4	1	6	10	1.16	1.59
Mitchell Traver	11	0	0	11	2	5	7	1.27	1.46
Nick Travieso	9	1	0	7	5	4	10	3.88	1.22
Duane Underwood	26	2	0	12	7	11	38	1.88	0.89
Hunter Virant	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0.00
Shane Watson	7	0	0	4	2	5	9	2	1.29
Walker Weickel	23	1	0	12	7	11	32	0	1.00
Jameis Winston	7.2	0	0	6	1	3	8	1	1.18

Correa making his pre-draft rounds >>

5/30/2012 7:09:08 PM

Carlos Correa has been doing a fair amount of travel this week, with scheduled stops to each of the cities of teams with picks among the top seven overall selections (Astros, Twins, Mariners, Orioles, Royals, Cubs, Padres) for private workouts. He has already had impressive workouts in front of the top scouting personnel and executives for the Astros and Mariners, and reportedly may have pushed his name up the Twins' board as well. As draft day approaches, it looks more and more like Correa, who Perfect Game currently has ranked as the No. 1 high school prospect eligible for this year's draft, is going to be taken among the top 3-4 overall selections, and remains a realistic possibility to go No. 1 overall to Houston.

Big time arms to square off in JUCO World Series >>

5/22/2012 1:58:19 PM

Dylan Baker, the No. 1 prospect from the junior college ranks as rated by Perfect Game, and No. 4 Western Nevada is scheduled to square off against PG's No. 13 juco prospect, Alec Asher, and No. 2 Polk State (Fla.) on Saturday as part of the Junior College World Series. The game is scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm Mountain time.

The 2012 Junior College World Series will be played from Saturday, May 26 through Saturday, June 2 in Grand Junction, Colo. Click here for the tournament bracket. All of the games from the JUCO World Series will be streamed online, and we will be providing the broadcast directly on our site.

Top teams narrowing down options >>

5/15/2012 9:40:01 AM

David Rawnsley will be providing an updated mock draft this coming Friday after his last installment on April 17. The teams at the top of the draft have started to narrow their focus on a few select players. If the draft was conducted today, here is how the top 5 picks could shake out:

1. Astros: Mark Appel
2. Twins: Byron Buxton
3. Mariners: Mike Zunino
4. Orioles: Kevin Gausman
5. Royals: Max Fried

The Astros' short list has reportedly been narrowed to the 3 big college arms (Appel, Gausman, Zimmer) and the top 2 prep positional prospects (Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton). Mike Zunino could also be in the mix, as the new Astros ownership reportedly strongly prefers, and may have even directed the scouting department, to select a college player.

Kyle Zimmer is also on the Twins' short list, the Mariners have been scouting Carlos Correa hard and the Orioles are in on all of the top college pitchers as well as Buxton.

David Dahl is drawing strong interest from teams in the 7-10 range with the Padres (No. 7), Pirates (No. 8) and Rockies (No. 10) showing the most early interest.

Also, while Perfect Game still views Joey Gallo as a primary positional prospect, he reportedly was up to 100 mph and sat 97-100 in a pitching appearance on Saturday.

Mitchell Gueller showing strong arm >>

4/27/2012 7:45:37 AM

Rochester, Wash. RHP Mitchell Gueller is moving up fast draft boards this spring with a promising arm. He has been throwing 92-96 with the ability to maintain that velocity through an entire start. Scouts, crosscheckers, scout directors and even higher have been getting in to see the 6-3/205 athlete throw, and is generating legitimate early round interest, as some already consider him the top prep RHP (he is also has 5-tool potential as an OF) on the West Coast (outside of Lucas Giolito).

Stratton, Gonzales continue to pitch well >>

4/20/2012 8:45:29 AM

Mississippi State RHP Chris Stratton continues to cement his status as an eventual first-round pick with his dominant performance in a 2-1 win over Tennessee. The game was nationally televised on ESPNU, and there were 50+ scouts on hands, mostly crosscheckers, to watch Stratton go the distance, allowing only 4 hits and 0 walks while giving up the 1 run. He struck out 10 Volunteers using a fastball that peaked at 96 and a nasty 83-86 slider. Not only is Stratton a lock for the first round, he may be in the mix for the first 10-15 overall picks.

Stratton was profiled yesterday as part of our Draft Focus series.

Texas prep RHP Tyler Gonzales (James Madison HS, San Antonio, Texas) also continues to pitch well this spring with a similar repertoire to Stratton's. On Tuesday Gonzales tossed a two-hitter in front of a large scouting crowd of his own, pitching in the 92-96 range with a mid to upper-80s slider and a 82-83 changeup. His breaking ball continues to be his signature pitch, and the improvement of his fastball could push him into the first round come June.

Updates: DJ Davis, Travieso >>

4/16/2012 9:39:39 AM

OF D.J. Davis (Stone HS, MS) continues to be very impressive this spring. Over the weekend in front of a handful of crosscheckers and scouting directors, Davis hit a pair of bombs, and has positioned himself as a legitimate first-round pick. He continues to improve on a daily basis at the plate, and already has game-changing speed.

RHP Nick Travieso (Archbishop McCarthy HS, FL) also continues to improve this spring. After peaking at 94-95 last summer and fall, the strongly built RHP was up to 98/99 over the weekend to go along with his power breaking ball.

San Antonio RHP Tyler Gonzales >>

4/9/2012 8:31:52 PM

Madison HS (San Antonio, TX) RHP/SS Tyler Gonzales put on a career performance in front of about 25 scouts Monday night. He struck out 18 hitters in a Madison victory, plus added a long home run to centerfield. Gonzales worked between 92 and 96 mph, averaging 93, with a power 88 mph slider. He doesn't have a workable third pitch yet and has some effort to his delivery, which causes some scouts to question his future as a starter, but his raw stuff is top 2 round worthy.

Mitchell Brown Outstanding in Debut >>

4/6/2012 6:50:39 AM

Century HS (Minnesota) RHP Mitchell Brown was outstanding in his first game of the spring last night, throwing 5 shutout innings, allowing 1 hit, 1 walk and striking out 10 hitters. Century won the game 6-1.

Brown sat between 90 and 95 mph on his fastball with a plus breaking ball in front of a large crowd of scouts, including numerous cross checkers. The most impressive thing, aside from his jump in velocity (Brown has topped out generally at 92-93 over the past year) was his command. Scouts, who are not prone to hyperbole usually, were pretty up front in their praise. One called the performance "incredible", while another, when asked if it was the best he'd ever seen Brown throw, simply responded "Oh Yeah........"

Hard Throwing Louisiana LHP >>

4/2/2012 8:00:49 AM

LHP Mason Melotakis has come a long way from when he was a 6-2/165 rising senior at Grapevine (TX) High School and topped out at 85 mph at the 2008 WWBA 17U National Championship.

Melotakis is now 6-3/205 and one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the 2012 draft class. He has regularly been topping out at 97 mph as the closer this spring (1-1, 3.28, 7 SV, 6 BB/27 K's in 24 IP) at Northwestern (LA) State and rarely drops below 93-94 mph. He's recovered from a February 28th outing at Texas A&M when he allowed 6 hits in 1 1/3 inning and has been especially dominant recently, allowing only 2 runs in his last 15 innings, including 5 and 3 inning outings where he didn't walk a hitter.

Melotakis probably won't make it into the first round as he shows little present feel for either his slider or change up, but consistent mid-90's fastballs with good command from left side isn't going to last much longer than that.

Gausman's developing slider >>

3/31/2012 9:43:02 PM

Kevin Gausman continues to light up the radar guns. He touched 99 several times in the early innings on Friday against a tough Arkansas team, settling in at 94-97. In fact, one of his last pitches of the evening, in a game in which he threw 122, was clocked at 97 mph.

More impressively was the continued development of his slider, which he threw more and more comfortably in this game, adding to his already impressive repertoire.

Gausman's line doesn't necessarily support just how hard and impressive he looked throwing the ball, as he worked 6.2 innings, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks and 5 earned runs. He didn't have the best defensive support behind him, although he did strike out 12 Razorbacks.

Mississippi prep OF rising draft boards >>

3/30/2012 8:15:33 PM

D.J. Davis of Wiggins, Miss. continues to make a very strong impression on scouts. After running the fastest 60-time at the East Coast Pro last summer (6.38), Davis put on a display at the WWBA World Championship last October, going 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. He is more than just a burner, with the ability to drive the ball to the gaps, and his size suggests that he could continue to develop more over-the-fence power as well. He continues to make significant improvements at the plate as he pushes his name up draft boards. The 6-foot, 170-pound left-handed hitting outfielder is currently ranked No. 79 in the HS class of 2012 rankings, but could be selected much earlier than where that ranking would reflect come June.

Puerto Ricans continue to shine >>

3/28/2012 12:46:40 PM

Puerto Rican RHP Jose Orlando Berrios continues to add mph to his fastball. With a very live arm it was easy to see him doing so after throwing 90-93 at both the PG National and World Showcases over the last 9 months, and reports from the island indicate he has been up to 96-97, sitting at 91-95. Both he and fellow PR RHP Edwin Diaz are expected to be selected in the sandwich round. The first Puerto Rican taken last year was Jorge Lopez in round 2.

Carlos Correa also continues to impress. In a game against Berrios he fouled off those 96-97 fastballs prior to drawing a walk while showing his impressive bat speed and ability to handle superior velocity. Correa continues to be a target for the first three to five overall picks as an elite athlete with the ability to play a premium position.

TCU recruits square off in marquee matchup >>

3/27/2012 9:47:06 AM

LHP Austin Fairchild and St. Thomas High School will be facing RHP Mitchell Traver and Houston Christian High School at home this evening in a marquee matchup of TCU recruits and 2011 Perfect Game All-Americans. The game starts at 6:35 pm CT and will be broadcasted online by the Texas Sports Radio Network, which be accessed off of the TSRN Broadcast Schedule page.

UPDATE:
Fairchild worked the full 7 innings while Traver went 5.2 of the game of which St. Thomas won 7-1. Fairchild peaked at his usual 93 mph in the game, striking out 12 allowing 3 hits and 1 walk. He has now worked 39+ innings without allowing an earned run. Traver struck out 8, allowing 5 hits, 5 walks and 3 earned runs. He peaked at 92.

C.J. Hinojosa to have shoulder surgery >>

3/26/2012 3:28:17 PM

C.J. Hinojosa, one of the top prospects from the high school class of 2012 and a participant of the 2011 Perfect Game All-American Classic, is going to have surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder. Hinojosa confirmed with Perfect Game that he did not tear his labrum as previously rumored on a University of Texas fan site message board, but that the surgery would help prevent a labrum tear moving forward.

The surgery was not deemed as mandatory, but is being done for precautionary measures to tighten up ligaments. Hinojosa had originally injured the shoulder diving for a ball during he Team USA trials. He re-aggravated the injury during the first game of the year when he and his catcher were involved in a mild collision, and then again a couple of weeks ago diving for another ball. Recovery from the procedure is expected to take 3-6 months.

Dylan Baker continues to impress >>

3/26/2012 9:58:02 AM

Western Nevada RHP Dylan Baker continues to gain support from the scouting community on the possibility of him sneaking into the first round of this year's draft. He is now 7-0 on the season with a 0.25 ERA, giving up only 1 earned run in 35.1 innings of work. He has started 8 games, completing 2 of those, giving up only 14 hits while striking out 48 and walking 20. His most recent effort was a complete game, 7 inning win over Southern Idaho in which he struck out 9 and gave up only 3 hits and 1 walk.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Baker has been consistently 91-95 and up to 96 with his fastball, maintaining that velocity deep into games. He has also thrown a sharp 78-81 curveball and a 81-84 slider.

Buehler, Nay & Romero drawing early rd. interest >>

3/22/2012 1:32:42 PM

A trio of promising high school players have been drawing early round interest for the 2012 draft this spring thanks to strong performances and overall showings.

Walker Buehler (Henry Clay HS, Ky.) has a lean, projectable frame and a loose, live arm that produced 94 mph fastballs in his appearance yesterday. Buehler was impressive at the PG National last June, pitching in the 90-92 range while also snapping off a very sharp curveball. The Vanderbilt recruit has a high ceiling and may be putting his name in conversation to be selected in the top 1-2 rounds.

Mitch Nay (Hamilton HS, Ariz.) is a physical third baseman in the mold of Rockies top prospect Nolan Arenado. Nay has one of the best swings, power potential and overall approaches of any player eligible for this year's draft, and could be taken in the first or supplemental first round. Todd Gold recently placed Nay on the Dream Team of the Southwest Region as part of Perfect Game's High School preseason coverage.

Avery Romero (Pedro Menendez HS, Fla.) has always been able to swing the bat, and was a member of the loaded FTB Mizuno/Cardinals Scout Team lineup that included David Dahl, Jesse Winker, Albert Almora and Alex Bregman last October at the WWBA World Championship in Jupiter. He plays the middle infield now, but we have always felt he profiled best behind the plate at catcher, and recently has been tried out there by a few teams with interest in selecting him as a catcher in the first or supplemental first round. He has a very strong and accurate arm, and the lateral quickness necessary for the position.

More Video of Ty Hensley >>

3/22/2012 10:51:10 AM

Here is more video of Ty Hensley in his domiant performance Monday night.

Check out the curveballs at 0:48, 1:15, and 1:53 and the life on fastballs at 2:12, 3:01, and 4:15.

Walker Weickel remains sharp >>

3/22/2012 8:52:22 AM

As reported yesterday on Perfect Game's twitter feed, a scout was at Olympia High School's (Florida) game yesterday and was able to see 2011 PG All-Americans Walker Weickel and Jesse Winker as well as 2014 infielder Nicholas Gordon. Weickel threw easily at 90-94 like he does in just about every appearance we've seen him make over the last 8-10 months to go along with a sharp curveball, while Winker showed his usual polished approach and sweet left-handed swing. Both Weickel and Winker could be taken in the first round of the draft come June, while Gordon could be another 1st rounder two years from now.

Rash up to 94, Elder 90 in PG Iowa Spring League >>

3/20/2012 9:40:33 AM

Missouri commit Alec Rash (2012 - ADM HS) pitched at 90-93 MPH touching 94 MPH with his fastball. He's got a lightning fast arm with a clean arm stroke. His timing and balance were a bit off today so his command wasn't as good as it was at the Indoor Showcase. With a few tweaks he should get back to that command he had at the Indoor Showcase. Also the scary thing with Rash is that there is more MPH in his arm. He'll be generating interest from national crosscheckers this spring.

Arizona commit Kevin Elder (Burlington Central HS, IL) was dominant in his 3 innings of work allowing no hits with 8 strikeouts. His fastball was steady at 88-90 MPH in his 3 innings of work. He also threw a sharp breaking ball for strikes and showed command of both pitches.

Hensley Dominates in AZ (w/Video) >>

3/20/2012 12:04:05 AM

Ty Hensley (2012, Santa Fe HS, Edmond, OK) staked his claim on Monday night to follow in the footsteps of 2011 Oklahoma right handers Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley as a first round draft pick.

Hensley sat 91-93 with his fastball, with none below 90, several 94s and one 95 in a dominant five inning, 13 K, one BB performance.

The 95 is impressive but even moreso might have been the sharp, hard breaking curveball that Hensley used as his out pitch. He threw it at 74-76 and is a plus pitch at present. Hensley did flash one changeup at 82 mph.

Hensley helped his cause with a long, towering home run in his first at bat, hitting from the left side, also singling from the right side of the plate.

Here is video of Hensley from Monday night.

Gausman deals in SEC matchup >>

3/17/2012 8:30:19 AM

LSU RHP Kevn Gausman and Mississippi State RHP Chris Stratton both pitched an incredible game on Friday night. Both worked 8.2 innings with each giving up 4 hits and 1 ER. Gausman struck out 11 and walked 4, while Stratton fanned 17 with 2 walks.

Gausman's stuff was particularly impressive, as he threw his fastball in the 95-97 range in the early innings and was still throwing 94-95 in the 9th.

The game ended in dramatic fashion, going into extra innings tied at 1. The Bulldogs took the lead in the top of the 10th thanks to a Mitch Slauter home run. The Tigers rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the 10th. 2B JaCoby Jones delivered the winning hit.

RHP McClelland continues to impress (w/video) >>

3/17/2012 7:07:56 AM

One of our scouts saw big RHP Jackson McClelland from Redlands East Valley HS throw again this week. He touched 94 mph twice and sat 89-91 for 5 innings. His CB and CH are both developing pitches at this time. He is a kid that was upper 80's in the fall, including during a trip to the WWBA World Championship with the Houston Banditos. He has since added 15 lbs, so now a legit 6'5/245. He has signed to play college baseball with Pepperdine. Definitely a prospect to continue to continue to watch this spring.

Video of McClelland from Monday, March 12 pitching in the Cleats Invitational at Arcadia HS, Phoenix, AZ

Eflin continues to throw heat >>

3/16/2012 1:44:43 PM

As reported on Tuesday night via Twitter, Hagerty (Fla.) RHP Zach Eflin continues to throw the ball very well, as he tossed a complete game, allowing only 2 hits while striking out 12. His fastball sat in the 90-95 range. He throws again next Tuesday and will face another top 2012 arm, RHP Jonathan Sanfort a Florida commit from Winter Springs, Fla.

Max Foody (2012 IMG Academy, FL) >>

3/15/2012 2:53:07 PM

Heard that Max Foody had his best outing last night in front of about 15-20 scouts. Topped out at 91, pitched at 89. He threw 74-76 CB and 79-80 CH for strikes. Attacked the zone.

Damien Carroll (2012 King George HS, VA) >>

3/15/2012 2:50:23 PM

2012 RHP Damien Carroll from King George HS in Virginia was up to 95 the other night. He is pretty much jumping on the scouting scene as he had 20+ scouts at his last start including several crosscheckers.

Juco pitchers on rise >>

3/15/2012 1:56:08 PM

Allan Simpson provides a ton of draft-related information in this week's Junior College Notebook. The focus is on the number of pitchers that have been throwing the ball extremely well, and how these pitchers could put themselves in the conversation for the early rounds of the 2012 MLB Draft.

Matthew Crownover out for season >>

3/15/2012 1:20:48 PM

As already reported elsewhere, we caught wind of LHP Matthew Crownover's injury over a week ago, but didn't feel comfortable reporting about it until we received confirmation directly from the family. Crownover suffered an injury during the second start of the season on March 2nd in a game against Russell County. Matthew had an MRI on March 5th and underwent Tommy John surgery in Birmingham as performed by Dr. James Andrews. His rehabilitation period is expected to take 10-12 months.

Crownover was a 2011 Perfect Game All-American and has enjoyed a great deal of success throughout his baseball career. We wish Matthew the best as he recovers, and don't doubt he will pick up where he left off upon his return.

Perfect Game Draft Blog >>

3/15/2012 12:52:12 PM

Welcome to the Perfect Game Draft Blog. Follow this blog over the course of the spring to receive updates on some of the top players eligible for the 2012 draft (and beyond). We already are receiving an incredible amount of information on how players are performing so far this season, and many of those updates have been shared via Twitter.

Some of these updates were also shared on the Perfect Game forums, but we wanted these to be easily and readily visible on the homepage as well as the Draft main page.

If you hear/see anything that you think is noteworthy, feel free to shoot me an email: pebert@perfectgame.org.

These updates will continue to be shared via Twitter as well, so if you don't already follow us, be sure to do so @PerfectGameUSA.

2012 Draft Blog